Actual hidden gems.

[Rob]

I think this needs a separate topic and a lot of thought to keep this week from being a nightmare. Posting just a title is no good, briefly summarize the scoring system and maybe add a screenshot. It would be nice to check these out before the poll.

[Twiddle]

Example

Omega Fighter - Wacky UPL vertical shooter that has enemies from previous games as some bosses. Save the earth from a(n) (fleet of) alien mothership(s). Shove your plane up the enemy's butt to get higher point value for kill, up to x10. Get enough x10s on a single life to get an extend. Stage bonus depends on which multiplier got the most attention. Two weapon systems (higher power with lower range, higher spread with lower power) whose weapon levels reset once you choose the other type. Two loops.

[Icarus]

What about 1941? Pure destruction-based scoring, no fancy tricks. Some secret scoring items hidden in stage, end-stage bonuses dependent on destruction ratio. Also in the same category, 19XX.

Also throwing out Cyvern as a suggestion again, game doesn't get enough love around here. Medals-based scoring, pointgain based on weapon usage, very tough Raizing-Psikyo style hybrid.

[Twiddle]

"Not enough love" does not mean "hidden"

The Cyvern board will remain a hollow desolate shell forever

[Shatterhand]

That Horizontal Macross game that was voted in the horizontal week.

The game is MADE towards scoring, it's a caravan shooter.

One of the Vasara games would be a good option? I haven't played them too much, but they seem to have some fans.

And what about Change Air Blade ? I don't know much about its score system.

One of the Twinbee games would be fine too, they have a simple score system, and are very enjoyable games.

[Twiddle]

Twinbee isn't hidden.

Vasara II and Macross II (and the first game) are great candidates, though. Shame Macross Plus did away with the survival medal system.

[Limbrooke]

Air Gallet gets my nod at first.
Challenging game and pretty simple scoring.
I might otherwise mention Outzone.

I do agree somewhat to the 19XX mention, and I think it would be a good option.

[Limbrooke]

Change Air-Blade is a boss choice too, haha.

[BulletMagnet]

Some of my suggestions from another thread...

Vasara: People will complain about this one, but I still feel it deserves more credit than it gets. Based largely on using a close-range charge attack to nail enemies and cancel bullets. Scoring mainly depends on killing lots of enemies with a single attack, though there's also a Psikyo-esque "collect the gold while it's flashing" element and a "kill all of a certain type of enemy for a nice end-bonus" thing going on.

Vasara 2: Plays similarly to the first, but with more variety and a different scoring system. This time it doesn't matter how many enemies you kill in one shot, but how many you can kill in one stage with your melee attack without dying or cancelling a bullet without doing any damage. Both other scoring mechanisms return. Contains an "easy" (hard) and "hard" (insane, with 2 loops) mode. Boss milking is essential to scoring.

Nostradamus: Pretty much everything you need to know about it in this shameless plug here. Not particularly score-centric, but still much better than its obscurity would suggest.

Cybattler: Mech shooter from (I think) Data East. Again, not much in terms of a scoring system, but you get different weapons in each stage (including a close-range beam sword) and can aim in all directions. Deserves more attention than it gets.

Mazinger Z: Kind of old, but is packed with more than you'd expect. 3 different robots and 3 different weapon types (including charge shots) for each, plus a short-range "punch" attack which can cancel some bullets and give a few bonus points when used to bash enemies.

Omega Fighter's not a bad choice either, though I would have preferred to see it in Retro week.

Also in the same category, 19XX.

That one I'd possibly support.

Also throwing out Cyvern as a suggestion again, game doesn't get enough love around here.

Again, I'd note that this one was already played competitively in Ramus's comp. Also...

Raizing-Psikyo style hybrid.

We already have weeks for those, heh heh.

[Rob]

And what about Change Air Blade ? I don't know much about its score system.

I just tried this out today actually. Do I have to stick with it, seemed like crap?

I do agree somewhat to the 19XX mention, and I think it would be a good option.

Would this really count as a hidden gem, though?

We already have weeks for those, heh heh. Wink

And do we really want to give Icarus a freebie week? I don't think so.

[Twiddle]

Change Air-Blade is a boss choice too, haha.

gentlemen we've got a punny man.

There's no real way of telling between bullets that don't kill you instantly and bullets that do in that game.

I'd joke-nominate Thunder Dragon 2 for the ten lines of Manabu Namiki engrish per minute but I don't have the heart to expose the actual game to people.

I'm going to point out Dragon Breed, and Boogie Wings, though. Both have no scoring systems to speak of, but the former is an Irem shooter that doesn't make me want to kill myself and the latter has some novelty value for the music, despite the point-blanking by bosses.

[Limbrooke]

Would this really count as a hidden gem, though?

Since you put it that way it would essentially need to be a game less than a low percentage of people are aware of let alone played and very little information is known in general about it other than, it's a shooter and it's emulated.

Hidden gem changes from person to person, so basically it's not what fits validly into this category, but what games do not, and if deemed that 19XX is too mainstream/well known, then so be it. One down, plenty more to go.

[The Coop]

Could you define what you consider to be a "hidden gem", Rob? It might be a good idea if you or Twiddle give thoughts regarding this, for the sake of keeping this thread from turning into a "I don't like that" bitch-fest. You've both made comments about what you consider to be bad ideas, so share some that you think are good, please.

[Twiddle]

Could you define what you consider to be a "hidden gem", Rob? It might be a good idea if you or Twiddle give thoughts regarding this, for the sake of keeping this thread from turning into a "I don't like that" bitch-fest. You've made comments about what you consider to be bad ideas, so share some that you think are good, please.

Example

Omega Fighter - Wacky UPL vertical shooter that has enemies from previous games as some bosses. Save the earth from a(n) (fleet of) alien mothership(s). Shove your plane up the enemy's butt to get higher point value for kill, up to x10. Get enough x10s on a single life to get an extend. Stage bonus depends on which multiplier got the most attention. Two weapon systems (higher power with lower range, higher spread with lower power) whose weapon levels reset once you choose the other type. Two loops.

I'm going to point out Dragon Breed, and Boogie Wings, though. Both have no scoring systems to speak of, but the former is an Irem shooter that doesn't make me want to kill myself and the latter has some novelty value for the music, despite the point-blanking by bosses.

[Limbrooke]

Change Air-Blade is a boss choice too, haha.

gentlemen we've got a punny man.

There's no real way of telling between bullets that don't kill you instantly and bullets that do in that game.

you called my bluff eh
pardon me for not playing this with my brain switched to 'on'
oh well, I never really disliked this game when I briefly played it, nor did I really critique it so much as to point out that flaw (or notice it for that matter)
it was worth a shot...
not

[Shatterhand]

Cybattler, Air Gallet and Boogie Wings would be great choices

[Rob]

Could you define what you consider to be a "hidden gem", Rob? It might be a good idea if you or Twiddle give thoughts regarding this, for the sake of keeping this thread from turning into a "I don't like that" bitch-fest.

This is true, I don't want to ruin the discussion by shooting down every game for taste reasons. I've been trying to think of one suggestion, and so far blank. Hidden basically disqualifies any major company's games, anything with a following here.

What I'm working from - probably played 80% of the console released shooters from 16-bit to the present, and notable arcade-only stuff via MAME. I don't think ANY 16-bit shooter is worth including and everything else I like is basically covered in the yearly top 25 + honorable mentions. So, blank. I think XII Stag would honestly be a decent inclusion (even though I've slammed it), but not emulated.

I don't really like Vasara, but I'd rather have that than a game with a large hitbox and without a scoring system.

[The Coop]

I do agree somewhat to the 19XX mention, and I think it would be a good option.

Would this really count as a hidden gem, though?

Don't see why it wouldn't. No home ports and not a really big arcade run (little exposure), and the few mentionings I saw of it back in the day were positive. Most people know 1942 and 1943/1943 Kai, but the rest of the series (relatively speaking) is pretty low key.


Twiddle- I'll agree with Dragon Breed. Loved that game, and wish the rumor of it coming to the Genesis had panned out.

[professor ganson]

If something is genuinely a gem, then what's the likelihood that it's hidden from us. Aren't we (not me in particular) the experts? If it's so great, surely we know about it.

EDIT: note that as someone who doesn't emulate, this hidden gem week doesn't sound too promising for me.

[Rob]

Doujin stuff?

[Twiddle]

Doujin stuff?

I'd suggest Sispri Gauntlet 4.0 but that's a run and gun and we can't have run and guns in our shmup pool no siree

nevermind that Metal Slug 6 has a 2ch discussion board on the shooting game section

[Nemo]

I wholeheartedly agree Macross Scrambled Valkyrie would be a fine choice.

[EOJ]

If something is genuinely a gem, then what's the likelihood that it's hidden from us. Aren't we (not me in particular) the experts? If it's so great, surely we know about it.

True, true. This is what I said in some other thread a bit ago. There are no hidden gems, anything really good is known (and played, and talked about) by most people on these boards. In other words, the gems are not 'hidden'.

[Rob]

Doujin stuff?

I'd suggest Sispri Gauntlet 4.0 but that's a run and gun and we can't have run and guns in our shmup pool no siree

We definitely should.

[The Coop]

If something is genuinely a gem, then what's the likelihood that it's hidden from us. Aren't we (not me in particular) the experts? If it's so great, surely we know about it.

We might know about it, but the real question is, how many have played it? I know of 19XX, but I've never gotten to play it before. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I think the hardest part of this, is going to be finding a game that got little exposure, good marks, and that hasn't been dissected on either the strategy boards, or by a good number of people on this site. I know BioHazard Battle came and went with little fanfare, but judging from past reactions to it's nature as a 16-bit title, it would probably get shot down quickly. The same could be said for Grind Stormer. So right offhand, I'm not sure what to suggest.

[Twiddle]

Doujin stuff?

I'd suggest Sispri Gauntlet 4.0 but that's a run and gun and we can't have run and guns in our shmup pool no siree

We definitely should.

The thing about run and guns is that having them in the high score forums somehow ruins the "purity" of the genre to some people (nevermind the fact that I can count the amount of good non-sequel run and guns with the amount of fingers I have, and they can't have a site dedicated to that genre in general simply because of that).

[Icarus]

Might as well call it Random Selection Week.

[Twiddle]

Might as well call it Random Selection Week.

Let's put Raiden Fighters (US) in there so I can win third place

[Gungriffon Geona]

Personally, I would call Strike Gunner STG for this, but that all depends on which version of the game you play.
The SNES version was quite an excellently designed game, and kept me occupied for a good bit of my childhood.choosing from the slew of weapons the game gave you before the start of each level made it also very fun to play over with a different weapon per level. (including the favorites, the 2 Sonic weapons, Scatter Missiles, and the absolutely awesome Megabeam Cannon.) the bosses were fun too (exception on the next to last boss, being the most insanely hard thing I've ever fought in a shooter.) and really were pretty interesting. the stages led you from forests to deserts, to beaches, and finally into space passing the moon.
Only thing that makes 2 player more fun than 1 player is the "ship linking" aspect, where the ships hook up and one player controls the movements and the other controls special weapons of the combination.
for the sake that it's neat, a gif of the Megabeam in action (unnecessarily needed though, the boss is a flying rock at this point.)


The Arcade version... burn it please, it's not worth anyones time.

[The Coop]

Gungriffon Geona? Nice to see a familiar "face"... unless you just happen to be sharing the same name as someone on OCR.