Car shmups?

[Middlemoor]

I was thinking about this after playing Shooting Force. Has anyone thought about a car based shmup?

Are there any car-based shmup titles already?

[Ghegs]

There's Turbo Force from the Sonic Wings-guys.

[Herr Schatten]

There's Turbo Force from the Sonic Wings-guys.

Hey, now I know where the second secret craft in Sonic Wings Special comes from. I'll have to try that game.

On topic: What about Action Fighter and Last Duel?

[Middlemoor]

Those seem to be flying cars, but they qualify, I guess.

The cars out of Turbo Force match the secret 'Diabloon' in Aero Fighters 2...

[JBC]

I never could get into car shmups. The idea just doesn't feel right to me.

[CIT]

Try Spy Hunter.

And don't you drive a jeep in Super SWIV? (EDIT: Guess not... but what was that jeep shmup on SNES!?)

For 3D shooters try Night Striker (again, a flying car).

[fl0w]

Silkworm!

[1up]

Jackal is a pretty good car shmup

[EddyMRA]

Metal Slug series! Kinda...

[BulletMagnet]

And don't you drive a jeep in Super SWIV? (EDIT: Guess not... but what was that jeep shmup on SNES!?)

The only one I can think of is Super SWIV, aka Firepower 2000...the vehicle in that one, IIRC, was called a "Jeep," but it's more of a 4-wheeled tank, really.

[CIT]

So it was Super SWIV, right? When I checked the Xenofiles there were only pics of a heli. I guess you can choose?

[BulletMagnet]

Yeah, you can play as either a helicopter (faster and can fly over obstacles, but can only shoot straight forwards) or a tank/jeep (slower, but can fly under aerial enemies and fire in 8 directions).

[welcometoyourdoom]

I think Sunsoft's Battle Formula/Super Spy Hunter for the NES deserves a mention here. To me its the total package, with hardware-pushing graphics (including some nice pseudo rotation), catchy tunes, an aimable weapons system, and a stiff difficulty that becomes managable with repeated play. It features a nice mix of memorization and reflex play, and the huge bosses don't disappoint with many phases and attacks. I feel this game is far shmuppier than the original Spy Hunter. As for Jackal, its more of a run-and-gun (borderline shmup) in the vein of Guerilla War.

If you're interested here's a nice playthrough of Super Spy Hunter on YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mvEVYRnxkhk& ... ed&search=

[Herr Schatten]

So it was Super SWIV, right? When I checked the Xenofiles there were only pics of a heli. I guess you can choose?

Just as in SWIV (the original Amiga game). In 2P mode one player plays as the heli, the other one as the jeep. If you play alone, you can choose.

[D]

I think Sunsoft's Battle Formula/Super Spy Hunter for the NES deserves a mention here. To me its the total package, with hardware-pushing graphics (including some nice pseudo rotation), catchy tunes, an aimable weapons system, and a stiff difficulty that becomes managable with repeated play. It features a nice mix of memorization and reflex play, and the huge bosses don't disappoint with many phases and attacks. I feel this game is far shmuppier than the original Spy Hunter. As for Jackal, its more of a run-and-gun (borderline shmup) in the vein of Guerilla War.

If you're interested here's a nice playthrough of Super Spy Hunter on YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mvEVYRnxkhk& ... ed&search=

Might that be the best shmup on the NES?
It looks awesome and being the Spy Hunter fan that I am, I want to play it. Later levels have you flying Greg Gates' UN Squadron ship! With huge fire power, I was not aware
Thanks for the tip.

[PooshhMao]

Later levels have you flying Greg Gates' UN Squadron ship!

You mean the A10 Thunderbolt?

[Ceph]

So it was Super SWIV, right? When I checked the Xenofiles there were only pics of a heli. I guess you can choose?

Just as in SWIV (the original Amiga game). In 2P mode one player plays as the heli, the other one as the jeep. If you play alone, you can choose.

Yeah, it's supposed to be a jeep, like in Silkworm. SWIV is short for Silk Worm In Vertical, by the way. The guy who wrote the xenocide review for the SNES conversion of the Amiga game got it wrong.

[D]

Later levels have you flying Greg Gates' UN Squadron ship!

You mean the A10 Thunderbolt?

Exactly, the real shmup in this game is Omazing.

[Andi]

I think this came up in the forums a couple of months ago. If you search for the old topic you may find even more recommendations.

Highway Hunter is an old PC games (made by Apogee, I think). I remember it being pretty cool. It was a clone of Spy Hunter but cooler levels, lots more power-ups, and big tank bosses at the end of every level.

Thundercade (was released on arcade and on the NES. You drive motorcycles, so it's pretty close. The NES port is pretty lame but the game reminds me a lot of Tiger-Heli.

[crithit5000]

CAR SHMUP POLL INSANITY.

There were also quite a few car shooters suggested for Turrican's Xenocide Update thread.

[Herr Schatten]

The guy who wrote the xenocide review for the SNES conversion of the Amiga game got it wrong.

As far as I know, the SNES game is not a conversion of the Amiga original, but an independent game.

I seem to remember that the Amiga game consisted of only one single extremely long level and loaded new tilesets, bosses and enemies while you were playing. It also did change the colour palette on the fly. Pretty impressive if you ask me, shame the game is somewhat mediocre.

The SNES game had proper levels, right? (It's been ages since I played it.)

Now, where does Mega SWIV fit in? I haven't played that at all, so I don't know if it's a port of the Amiga game or closer to Super SWIV.

[Last Guardian]

Hard Boiled!

[Turrican]

Yeah, it's supposed to be a jeep, like in Silkworm. SWIV is short for Silk Worm In Vertical, by the way. The guy who wrote the xenocide review for the SNES conversion of the Amiga game got it wrong.

Actually, the acronym officially stands for "Special Weapons Interdiction Vehicles", and it avoided "silkworm" for obvious copyright problems. Of course, it was pun-intended. Another very common way to read it was "Silk Worm IV" - I remember reviews wondering what happened to 2 and 3.
Silkworm IV also has a sort of official explanation - it's supposed to be the codename for the missile weapon both ships carry with them.

About the jeep, I always felt that switching to vertical orientation penalized it too much.

As far as I know, the SNES game is not a conversion of the Amiga original, but an independent game.

Well yes.. the same way Raiden DX is an independent game from Raiden II. Something changes, but a lot is borrowed too.

Edit= wait, I take this back - bad comparison - most stages are redrawn, as well as enemy patterns - yes, I guess "independent game" is the best way to put it.

The amiga version is the only one to feature a brief stage section which is an homage to Xevious:

http://hol.abime.net/2240/screenshot

I seem to remember that the Amiga game consisted of only one single extremely long level and loaded new tilesets, bosses and enemies while you were playing. It also did change the colour palette on the fly. Pretty impressive if you ask me, shame the game is somewhat mediocre.

Yeah, the much hyped dynamic loader system. But the game was not so bad compared to the rest of the amiga scene.

Now, where does Mega SWIV fit in? I haven't played that at all, so I don't know if it's a port of the Amiga game or closer to Super SWIV.

It's another independent version of the game. I haven't played it, just tried on emulation - there's general consensus about it being the weakest of the three.

By the way, for completionists - there has been a later GBC release as well. I imagine it being yet another different game.

[FatCobra]

The car shmup I remember most fondly was Super Spy Hunter for the NES.

[Andi]

The car shmup I remember most fondly was Super Spy Hunter for the NES.

For the record: Super Spy Hunter is the English version of Battle Formula.

[Sundance]

Does Guardian Force qualify as a car shmup? That's one of the 1st that comes to mind.

[D]

Does Guardian Force qualify as a car shmup? That's one of the 1st that comes to mind.

No, GF is a tank'em up

[welcometoyourdoom]

The car shmup I remember most fondly was Super Spy Hunter for the NES.

For the record: Super Spy Hunter is the English version of Battle Formula.

Like I said.

[Xexyz]

I don't think anyone has mentioned Firepower 2000 for the SNES yet. Like Silkworm, there's a choice between a Helicopter or a Jeep. The big difference here though is that Firepower 2000 is a vertical scrolling shmup. The Jeep is restricted to terrain obstacles, and can also jump, so it doesn't feel just like an air shmup vehicle on the ground.

[Turrican]

I don't think anyone has mentioned Firepower 2000 for the SNES yet. Like Silkworm, there's a choice between a Helicopter or a Jeep. The big difference here though is that Firepower 2000 is a vertical scrolling shmup. The Jeep is restricted to terrain obstacles, and can also jump, so it doesn't feel just like an air shmup vehicle on the ground.

Aww, man... Firepower 2000 AKA Super SWIV