The Best Shmup Dogfights

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:12 am

We all know there are good shmups out there, and we most certainly know that there are good bossfights out there...

But what about dogfights...a quick ship versus a quick ship.

Change Air Blade comes to mind...but are there any others out there?

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:18 am

Would the Stage 7 boss of Giga Wing count? Or the last form of Glow Squid from Battle Garegga? Or, if you use a liberal definition of "ship," maybe the true last boss from DDP...

DJ Incompetent · Post by **DJ Incompetent** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:03 am

R-Type Delta. You fight a gimped R-9 before doppleganger, don't you?

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:10 am

When I say ship, I mean ship, as in it looks like a ship. If it shoots all over the place and is freaky like Hibachi, it is not a decent Dogfight by any means. A Good example I think would be when you fight R-13 Cerberus in the Bydo Forest in R-Type Final...you have to deal with both his Chain Force and his Thunder Wave Cannon.

And lets not forget the secret Final stage where you fight R-9 Arrowhead either.

Another stretch would be the Plane battle in Ibara (I think it's stage 3 I'm not sure) she fires those bombs that detonate into multi directional shrapnel if you shoot them.

Post by **Icarus** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:18 am

Blade wrote:Another stretch would be the Plane battle in Ibara (I think it's stage 3 I'm not sure) she fires those bombs that detonate into multi directional shrapnel if you shoot them.

That's Shasta. Stage 4 boss.

BulletMagnet wrote:Or the last form of Glow Squid from Battle Garegga?

Glow Squid trips out far too much to be a decent battle.

My vote goes to both Black Hearts in Garegga, and Discharge in Batrider. Although Discharge is more like a mothership than a plane. ^_-

EXMaster · Post by **EXMaster** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:20 am

Well there's Thunder Force V and the Brigandine/Vambrace vs. Rynex battle in stage 5, where the original challenges the duplicate.

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:29 am

I forget his name, but the toady of the main villian in Gate of Thunder will sometimes come and fight you in a little cruiser. You fight him at least twice IIRC. First in the desert stage for a quick battle mid stage and then a real fight in one of the last stages.

edit: And I just had to add (re: mentioned GoT desert stage), those giant biomechanical sandworms with the pincer mandibles make for one of the best set pieces ever in a horizontal shooter.

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:00 am

Last boss in Fantasy Zone II Famicom version.

Thats the only decent ship vs ship dogfight I can remember.

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:04 am

I remember Arrowflash for Genesis pit you up against a series of Arrowflash clones all firing one after the other.

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:07 am

There's a whole ton of mirror images in the boss fight of Axelay. Not really a dog fight I guess, but still.

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:52 am

Some of the boss fights in G. Darius remind me of a dogfight, like when they move around and on the side of you, causing your the direction of your ship to change. The same thing happens in Darius Gaiden too.

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:13 am

Border Down - first form of ST3 Boss, especially Red Border.

jp · Post by jp » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:16 am

Come on you guys.

FINAL BOSS OF HYPER DUEL!

</thread>

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:19 am

UN Squadron, when you fight those three planes(Wolfpack?)

PooshhMao · Post by **PooshhMao** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:17 am

Was about to mention UN Squadron too, the stage where you fight three planes high up in the clouds.

SNES version only though IIRC

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:44 am

You guys mentioned already what i had in mind:

R-Type Delta:
6th Stage pre boss, is a very nice (but short) dogfight.

Area 88 / UN Squadron (SNES only):
The fight against Wolf Pack, the three planes. This fight wasn't done so nice, but it was nice that they were mercaneries like you.

In my opinion the best dogfight is in Starfox 64, the one against Star Wolf. I know no "true" shmup, but i couldn't ressist to mention this awesome duel. One of my favorite parts of the game, the dialogues between the battle really add to the atmosphere.

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:32 pm

It's a stretch, but I think a lot of the early fights in Vasara were nice duels if anything. Just the pre-conversations with each enemy were interesting...like a real Samurai Duel.

In Strikers 1999 there's a very persistent Stealth Bomber you have to deal with throughout the stages if I remember correctly. It's one of the only ships that doesn't transform in that game. As if respecting your desire to fight ship to ship.