Old Glossary Topic: Please Close/Lock!

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BulletMagnet
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Old Glossary Topic: Please Close/Lock!

Post by BulletMagnet »

By (sort of ) popular request, I've decided to re-post the "shmup glossary" of variuous shmup-related terminology that I began compiling in this forum's last version, with plenty of help from others here: not sure if anyone wants to sticky it or anything like that, but whatever happens, here it is. There are still several terms that I'm considering adding, need clarification on, or am otherwise unsure of, so hopefully some will still be willing to help me keep progress going on this list.

Before reposting this list, I re-edited it and added a few other things, so I "upgraded" it from version 2.0 to 2.5. Currently, if my quick count doesn't lie, the glossary currently contains 114 UNIQUE items, not counting secondary definitions or alternate terms. Since the community here helped me build this, it's more or less the property of everyone here, so I don't personally see a problem with anyone from the forum using it, though I'd prefer that it not be displayed anywhere else as of yet, since it's still unfinished. In any case, here goes:

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Aimed Shot: An enemy shot which is aimed directly at the player’s craft. Essentially the opposite of spam.

Alternate View: Type of shmup which features both horizontally- and vertically-oriented levels, though not always in a directly “alternating” order.

Arena Shooter: (also Free-Roaming Shooter) A shooting game, usually “top-down” oriented, which takes place within a confined area, sometimes consisting of separate, linked “rooms,” through which the player usually progresses manually, at his own pace, rather than having a scrolling screen to “nudge” him along, although there is often a time limit in play. Smash T.V. is one example. Not considered “pure” shmups by some players; sometimes grouped under borderliners.

Arrange Mode: General term for an “extra” play mode found in some console shmups, alongside the “normal” mode. Usually plays in similar fashion to the “regular” game, but may also include extra stages or selectable craft, new enemy formations or attacks, a different graphical presentation, or other features not found elsewhere. The unique (or semi-unique) names which are used in different shmups to label their arrange modes vary widely.

Auto-Fire: (also Auto-Shot, Rapid Shot, Rapid Fire) A feature found in some shmups which allows you to fire shots continuously by holding down the “fire” button, or a separately-designated “auto-fire” button, instead of tapping the fire button repeatedly. Depending on a weapon’s fire rate, and the situation, using auto-fire may or may not be to a player’s advantage at all times.

Blast-‘em-Up: Term used to describe a shmup, usually an older one, which generally does not include any type of scoring system beyond shooting enemies and perhaps collecting set-amount score items. Generally not played “for score”, but instead with the exclusive goal of a one-credit in mind.

Bomb: (also Bomber)
1)A special weapon available in limited numbers or at limited intervals, which causes large amounts of damage, covers a wide area, or both. In many cases also gives your ship an invincibility window while it’s activated. A bomb which automatically damages or destroys every enemy onscreen is sometimes called a “smart bomb,” “nuke,” or “mega crush.” Items which can be collected to add spare bombs to a player’s stock are often called “bomb(er) icons.”

2) A weapon which drops to the ground and explodes to attack enemies there, usually featured in horizontal shmups.

Bomb Stock: The maximum amount of bombs that a player can hold in reserve at one time: many times this amount is set in stone for the duration of a game, but in other cases it can either be increased through certain gameplay actions or adjusted in an Options menu. Important to note, since in most (though not all) shmups if a player is shot down he will have his bombs restocked to their default number, even if he has more (or less) bombs than that in stock upon being shot down.

Borderliner: Broad term used to describe “shooting” games that many, but not all, players do not consider to quite qualify technically as shmups. Examples include “Run n’ Gun” shooters (Contra, Metal Slug), “Rail” shooters (Panzer Dragoon, Star Fox), and “Light Gun” shooters (Lethal Enforcers, Time Crisis).

Boss Alley:
1) Stage or group of stages within a shmup which are comprised entirely of boss fights, though they’re sometimes interrupted by brief sections filled with power-ups. Unlike Boss Attack, a “boss alley” is not a separate mode, but is located within the “regular” game, usually near the end, though in some cases the player must meet certain extra requirements (such as scoring a certain amount of points) to get there.

2) A rare type of shmup composed entirely of boss fights, with few or no “minor” enemies or other sections of consequence in between successive bosses. When the term is used in this context (to describe an entire shmup, instead of just one section of it), it usually indicates that the game goes a step beyond what is usually defined as a Boss Fest.

Boss Attack: (also Boss Rush, Boss Only Mode, Boss Gauntlet)A play mode available in some shmups which allows the player to fight the stage “bosses” only, usually in successive order. Often requires a code or other task to unlock it. Sometimes the mode is timed, which also makes it a variation on Time Attack mode, in those cases.

Boss Fest: Term, usually derogatory in nature, used to describe a shmup composed largely or completely of (often lengthy) boss battles, while the remaining portions of levels therein, while present, are usually comparatively short and inconsequential.

Boss Timer: (also Boss Counter) A countdown timer which appears when fighting boss enemies in some shmups: once it reaches zero, the boss will automatically either escape or self-destruct, ending the battle. Used to limit milking of the boss by the player.

Bullet: The basic, most common unit of firepower in a shmup, usually refers to enemy weaponry but can also be used to describe the player’s weapons, usually the vulcan. Usually appears as a brightly-colored or flashing circle, or “blob,” but its appearance varies greatly depending on the shmup in question, or even when it comes to individual enemies within a single shmup. Most varieties are indestructible. Sometimes the term “shot” or “fire” is used to describe bullets, but the previous terms are farther-reaching, referring to all types of offensive projectiles, while “bullet” is more specific.

Bullet Maze: An especially large and/or tight bullet pattern through which the player has to move very carefully, and often nearly nonstop, to get out of without being hit.

Bullet Pattern: (also Bullet Formation) A specific recurring formation of enemy bullets, produced either by a single enemy or a group of enemies working in tandem, which must be dodged a certain way to be avoided.

Caravan Mode: “Umbrella” term used to denote both Score Attack and Time Attack modes.

Chain: Any of a number of various repeated techniques a player can perform to increase the points awarded for shooting enemies, collecting items, or other things under the right circumstances: the most common varieties involve shooting down many enemies (or enemies of a specific type) in a row, or collecting a certain type of score item many times in a row. Sometimes called “combos.”

Character Shmup: A shmup which features one or more specific “animate” characters, as opposed or in addition to “inanimate” ships, planes, or the like: usually (but not always) has a more involved plot than non-character shmups, though the storyline in a shmup is generally not very important either way.

Charge Attack: (also Charge Shot) A type of weapon attack, usually more powerful than “regular” shots, which usually requires the player to hold down the shot button, or a separate “charge” button, for a certain amount of time before it can be released and used: in a few cases, however, the player has to actually let go of the shot button completely for a certain amount of time for the charge attack to be prepared. Sometimes this type of attack can be used an unlimited amount of times, in other cases it requires the player to collect a certain amount of items or destroy a certain amount of enemies before it can be utilized. In some shmups bomb attacks can also be “charged,” either to “place” the effect area or increase their power.

Checkpoint: A point within a level from which a player can start from after he is shot down after reaching or passing it, instead of at the beginning of the level, usually featured in memory shmups.. Some use the term “checkpoint” to refer to the respawn feature, but the term is more accurately used to describe a specific, “set in stone” point in a level, as opposed to any random instant-restart point.

Collect-‘em-Up: Term used to describe a shmup which places more emphasis on collecting lots of items to increase scores than most shmups do. Dangun Feveron is one game which is often associated with this title.

Combo Slop: Refers to a feature of certain types of chain systems in some shmups. In these cases, a player’s combo time counter will not immediately reset itself when a chain is broken, but will instead gradually decrease until the player resumes forming the chain, at which point it will begin increasing as before.

Combo Time: Window of opportunity that exists for a player to continue collecting items, shooting enemies, etc. to keep certain types of time-dependent chains alive: once the combo time has expired, the chain ends and any related cumulative score bonuses reset themselves. Sometimes the combo time is displayed onscreen, often in the form of a meter, while other times the player must keep track in his head. Oddly, while “chain” is usually the term used to describe the sequence itself, “combo” is the most commonly-used word for the time allowed for it. Generally, though, a “combo” and a “chain” in a shmup are essentially the same thing.

Continue Service: A feature found in some shmups which encourages players to continue their game after losing all their lives: usually offers up lots of extra powerups and the like in order to quickly get the player’s craft back up to full strength.

Core: More or less the universal term for an enemy’s main weak spot, usually that of a boss, within a shmup. Stereotypically looks like some kind of orb, but there are endless variations on this.

Craft: Semi-universal term for the onscreen object which the player controls in a shmup, whether it is meant to represent a person, a vehicle, or something else: some shmuppers use the term “plane” or “ship” in a similar manner, since the majority of shmups use some sort of flying machine as their craft. Onscreen enemies can also be referred to as “craft,” “ships,” etc., but usually the term “enemy” is attached to them so as to differentiate them from the player.

Credit Feed: To take advantage of a shmup which allows unlimited continues, by continuing over and over again until the game is finished, no matter how many times one is shot down. A practice which is looked down upon by many “purist” shmuppers; some, in fact, dislike the practice of ever continuing at all.

Credit Muncher: General term for a shmup which is especially difficult to finish, and requires most players to use a large number of “credits,” or “continues,” to complete the game (arcade-release shmups of this type also have the more general gaming term “quarter munchers” attached to them). Can have either a positive or negative connotation, the former when the game is accessible and fair, yet highly challenging; the latter when the game engine makes seemingly unfair efforts (such as inadequate weaponry, unforgiving hit detection, hard-to-see enemies and shots, etc.) to all but force the player to continue several times before he can complete the game, regardless of his level of skill or experience.

Crowd Control: Refers to any type of weapon which is most useful for dispatching large numbers of minor enemies and usually covers a lot of onscreen space, but is generally lacking in raw power and less effective against bosses and stronger adversaries.

Curtain Fire: Could be considered something of a cross between a wave and a bullet maze; a tightly-packed bullet formation which moves steadily towards the player’s craft and covers most of the screen; such a formation MUST be “waded through” by the player, since it’s impossible to avoid entirely. Shmups which feature such formations prominently are sometimes classified as “Curtain Fire Shmups.”

Cute-‘em-Up: A shmup whose overall presentation and subject matter is intended to be “cute” or at least not very serious, though the gameplay is usually not radically different from, or less challenging than, most shmups in general. Examples are the Cotton and Parodius series.

Cutoff Mark: Point near the bottom of the screen which, in some shmups, will prevent enemy craft from being able to fire any shots if they move below it. Included to prevent point blank deaths.

Extend: Term used in shmups to refer to an extra life or 1-Up, usually when awarded for reaching a certain score; as such, the setup of score intervals at which extra lives are awarded in a shmup is sometimes called the “Extend Rate.”

Fire Rate: Refers to how quickly in succession shots can be fired when a particular type of weapon is used. Weapons with the most powerful single shots usually have slower fire rates, but not always.

Gunpod: (also Turret, Cannon) A semi-universal term for a common type of shmup enemy which is usually immobile and attached to the ground or a ceiling, but is often able to fire in several directions, and can be difficult to shoot because it is often required that the player to get very close to obstacles to have a shot at them.

Hentai Shmup: From the Japanese “hentai,” which translates to “pervert.” A shmup which contains graphic nudity and/or sexual content, and is obviously intended only for “mature” players.

Hitbox: (also Collision Detection, Hit Detection, Hit Area)

1) The specific area within a shmup’s onscreen craft which will register as a “hit” when a shot, or, in some cases, an onscreen obstacle, touches it. In some shmups the hitbox is (or can be made) separately visible from the rest of the craft, while in others the player must rely on experience to know where it is. The term can refer to such areas as they exist within enemy craft, but almost always refers to the player craft.

2) The specific area within a visible shot, usually near the center, which will register as a hit if it touches a craft’s hitbox. In most shmups a shot’s entire onscreen image serves as its hitbox, but in some, especially certain manic shmups, the edge of a shot can overlap a craft’s hitbox and it can still escape without being damaged or destroyed.

Hoard: (also Herd, Lead, Lure) A strategy commonly used in manic shmups, which involves remaining still at one point on the screen for a short time, in an effort to prompt all onscreen enemies to fire their aimed shots at you simultaneously, converging their attacks on a relatively small area: thus, if you can move away and escape the barrage just in time, there will remain a large amount of open onscreen area to move around and attack in before the enemy can adjust its aim.

Homebrew: (also Doujin) Refers to a shmup (or other type of game) not produced by an “official” video game developer or “formally” released for the arcade or home market. Usually developed and distributed over the internet by amateur programmers or fans, although some eventually receive limited commercial releases if they become popular enough. While some homebrew shmups include innovations not seen in any existing “official” shmup, many include homage to (or ripoffs of, whichever way you care to see it) the creators’ favorite “official” shmups. Also sometimes called “freeware” shmups, since they are usually available, at least in demo form, free of charge.

Homing Weapon: A type of weapon in a shmup, usually one which must be collected as a powerup, which, when shot, will automatically seek out and damage enemies, usually the closest ones first, without the use of a lock-on (many, however, will classify lock-on weapons as a sub-type of homing weapon). Usually doesn’t have as much raw power as other available weapons.

Horizontal Scroller: “Horzie” for short. A shmup where the action progresses, via background scrolling, from left to right, and is generally seen from a “side view” by the player.

Invincibility Window: A specific timeframe during gameplay, set off by a specific event, during which a player’s craft cannot be shot down or damaged. In some shmups taking advantage of brief invincibility windows is vital to survival. Sometimes called a “flash window,” since the player’s craft will often flash or blink while it’s invincible.

Invisible Bullet Syndrome: Term used to describe a shmup situation wherein the color of enemy bullets, especially small ones, either match or are very close to the color of the background graphics, which makes them very difficult to distinguish and avoid, especially when the screen is crowded. Sometimes only becomes a factor in certain parts of a game, and in other cases is an issue throughout; either way, it is more or less a universal turnoff to shmuppers.

Isometric Shmup: An uncommon type of shmup in which the action is viewed from a “3/4” angle by the player, and the background usually scrolls diagonally down from the upper-right corner of the screen to the lower-left. Viewpoint is one example of this setup.

Item: More or less a universal term for any type of icon or the like which can be collected and utilized by the player within a shmup; includes score items, powerups, and just about anything else that the player can obtain and use. In almost all cases simply flying one’s craft over the item is enough to collect it, and collected items are used automatically, but some items, such as most bombs, require activation by the player after being obtained. Items are generally designed to help the player in some way, but in some cases, especially games with particular rank systems, shmuppers will want to avoid certain items if they are not well-suited to the task at hand.

Jerk: Technique similar in concept to hoarding, but rather than attempting to “condense” enemy aimed shots, a player uses the “jerk” to create an “escape hole” in an otherwise-inescapable aimed stream of enemy shots. As the enemy moves the onscreen stream in the player’s direction, the latter makes a sudden, brief movement in a certain direction: as a result, the enemy will readjust its aim momentarily, and if the player is quick enough he can then backtrack and slip through the momentary gap in the enemy’s shots to the other side of the stream, escaping being trapped at the edge of the screen by the stream’s movement.

Kamikaze:
1)Refers to certain minor enemies which usually do not shoot at the player, but rather charge directly towards his craft very quickly in an attempt to crash into it and damage it that way.

2) Type of shmup enemy which explodes especially violently either on its own or upon being shot down by the player, in an effort to either catch the player’s craft in the explosion and defeat him that way, or release suicide bullets to shoot him down.

3) The act of a player purposely crashing his craft into an enemy or enemy shot, usually in an effort to either manipulate the game’s rank system or simply to end his game quickly.

Laser: A common type of shmup weapon which generally utilizes some kind of energy beam (as such, they are sometimes called “Beam” weapons). Often possesses piercing abilities, but there are endless varieties of this weapon with widely-differing properties and abilities.

Loop: A successful completion of all of a shmup’s levels that are available for one “trip” through the game, from beginning to end. The term “loop” is most commonly used when a shmup starts itself over at the first stage after a player completes it, thus sending them through a second “loop,” or “lap,” of the game, which is usually more difficult than the first “loop.” Some shmups offer several successive “loops,” though most have a maximum of one or two. Successive “loops” of a shmup will usually leave the player’s score from the previous “loops” intact, enabling him to reach even higher scores.

Some shmups require a player to one-credit the game in order to reach a successive loop, while others will send the player to it no matter how many times he has to continue to finish their initial run. Sometimes “loops” which occur after the initial trip through the game will only require the player to progress through a limited portion of the game’s total stages, though most of the time they involve all stages; in other instances, later loops can contain a number of various things not seen in earlier ones.

Layer:
1) Technically refers to a bullet pattern being fired from a single source, but the term usually comes into play when there are several different patterns (“layers”) of bullets present, which must all be dodged simultaneously.

2) Sometimes used to denote the foreground or background of a shmup’s playing field, since in certain cases some enemies can attack from the background “layer,” and you are only able to shoot back from the foreground “layer” with certain types of weapons.

Letterbox Mode: Viewing mode found in many vertscrollers, usually those converted from an arcade version to a console format, which “condenses” the playing field on the left and right, to recreate the more vertical orientation of an arcade monitor, though often at the cost of some clarity in the game’s graphics. Most shmup players prefer tate mode to this, although at times letterbox mode is their only option.

Lock-On: A specific type of homing weapon which will automatically seek out and damage enemies, but only after you’ve “locked on” to them by passing over or shooting them with some type of targeting device, which varies in style from shmup to shmup.

Manic Shmup: (also Dodge-em-Up, Bulletsprayer, Twitch Shmup) A type of shmup which is characterized by very high numbers of bullets and/or enemies being present on the screen at one time; forces the player to rely on quick reaction time and dodging skills, rather than memorization of where things are within a level, to survive.

Max Power: (also Full Power)
1)Rare type of power-up which instantly increases a player’s weapon power to its maximum level. Sometimes appears as a continue service.

2) Can also describe the state of one’s craft being at its maximum weapon power level, at which point scoring settings or the like sometimes change. (i.e., collecting further power-ups will now increase score).

Milk: (also Boss Milk) To “milk” a boss is to allow it to survive as long as possible, in order to “milk” as many points from the fight as possible, by taking advantage of “infinite” sources of points which are present during the battle. Examples include continually grazing the bullets it shoots and repeatedly destroying any weaker enemies or sub-parts that it may summon for the entire duration of the battle, rather than ending it quickly. Can be risky, since some bosses become more difficult to defeat if they’re left alive too long; can also be boring to the player, due to the repetitive nature of the practice.

Missile: A wide-reaching term for a common type of shmup weapon, usually represented as some kind of rocket, with varying properties, though oftentimes it is a homing weapon and/or does splash damage. When used by enemies, missiles can often be destroyed by a player’s shots, but not in all cases.

Memory Shmup: (also Memorizer) A type of shmup, usually horizontal in orientation, which forces a player to repeatedly play its levels and memorize its layout in order to perform effectively, though quick reflexes are also a factor to an extent. The R-Type games are the most well-known examples.

Multiplier: Any variation on a scoring device, implemented to varying degrees in different shmups, which somehow multiplies the amount of points awarded for shooting enemies or collecting items, or both, when taken advantage of by the player. Often the central component to a shmup’s scoring system, especially relatively recent ones.

One-Credit: Short for “one-credit completion” or “one-credit clear” (abbreviated “1CC”) which refers to a player’s having managed to complete all stages (one loop) of a shmup without losing all of his lives, thus not needing to continue at all. Often used as a verb, i.e. “I managed to one-credit R-Type for the first time yesterday.” Similar such terms exist for successfully clearing all stages without losing a single life and/or using a single bomb, but the “1CC” is the most realistic goal for most shmuppers on most games.

Option: (also Multiple, Bit, Drone, Helper Craft) A wide-reaching term referring to various types of satellites or other miniature craft which are in some cases omnipresent and in others must be collected as items by the player. Options usually either serve as absorbers of certain types of enemy fire (sometimes they can absorb unlimited amounts of shots, other times they can be destroyed and must be replenished), extra sources of firepower, or a combination of the two. The orange-colored ovals in the Gradius games are perhaps the most well-known examples.

Not to be confused with the “Options” menu found in many shmups, and other types of games as well, which allows you to adjust a game’s difficulty level, button functions, and other such settings.

No Miss: The act of successfully completing a single level of a shmup without being shot down once. Sort of a lesser one-credit.

Paint: A technique used for certain types of continuous-fire weapons, such as flame-throwers, which involves the player moving back and forth to “paint” the enemy with broad “strokes” of ammunition to do the most damage.

Pea Shooter: Semi-derogatory term for a weak, rather useless weapon that has not been (or cannot be) adequately powered up, usually the player’s primary weapon at the very beginning of a game.

Phase: Different “stage” or “form” which a boss takes during the course of a battle, usually changing its appearance and/or attacks. A change of phase is usually prompted by the degree of damage done to the boss, but sometimes it depends simply on how long the battle has lasted.

Pierce: Quality of certain weapons which allows their shots to completely or partially pass through enemies while damaging them, thus allowing them to also hit other targets behind the ones “in front.” Laser weapons often (but not always) possess this feature.

Pod:
1) A specific type of craft, also called an “Item Pod,” which will periodically appear in some shmups, carrying items which, in most cases, it releases after being shot. In some cases a pod cannot harm the player’s craft, while in other games it can shoot at it and/or crash into it just like any other enemy.

2) Can also refer to certain types of options, such as the “Force Pod” in R-Type.

3) In some shmups, some collectable items themselves are referred to as “pods,” although their function is essentially no different from “items” found in other shmups.

Point Blank:
1) To move very close to an enemy craft and fire rapidly, in order to maximize damage. Also, obviously, increases the player’s risk of being hit by the enemy’s shots (or the enemy itself).

2) A particular type of sneak kill which involves being shot down by a very close-proximity enemy, oftentimes one which charges quickly at the player for just such a purpose. Frustrating to many players, since such a situation gives them little or no time to dodge shots at such close range.

Popcorn: (also Cannon Fodder) Term to refer to common, weak enemies which appear in large numbers at a time during the course of a shmup, but only take a shot or two apiece to destroy, and can thus be taken out in bulk (or “popped”) fairly easily.

Power-up:
1) Very broad term referring to any type of item whose purpose is to directly increase the abilities of your craft. These include different types of secondary weapons, enhancements for those weapons, and some types of options, speed ups and shields, plus others. Some players also group score items and other unrelated collectables under “power-ups,” but most don’t.

2) The act of utilizing power-up items, or other types of power-up systems (such as an “experience” system) to enhance one’s craft, i.e. “I powered-up my ship by collecting the red icon.”

Also spelled as “Power Up” and “Powerup.”

Power Down: Any occurrence in a shmup which causes the player’s weaponry to lose some or all of the enhancements that it’s gained. In shmups without the Retain feature, for instance, players “power down” after being shot down; in other cases touching an enemy craft (as opposed to a shot) will power down the player’s craft rather than destroying it; in still other cases, the player’s weapon will power down automatically if extra power-ups aren’t collected to maintain it. Other variations aside from these exist in different shmups. In some games in which the rank is affected by how powered-up one’s craft is, players will sometimes “power down” on purpose to keep the rank from rising too fast.

Primary Weapon: Usually refers to a single weapon (often a vulcan) available to a player at the very start of the game, and which usually remains omnipresent in some form through the duration of the entire game; often categorized (and derided) as a pea shooter until it is powered up or supplemented by secondary weapons.

Puzzle-‘em-Up: A seldom-used term, referring to a shmup which also includes gameplay elements common to the “puzzle” genre, which involve more strategy and planning ahead, as opposed to simply blasting everything in sight, than most shmups. Twinkle Star Sprites is the plainest example.

Rank: Gameplay system found in many shmups which will automatically adjust the game’s difficulty in accordance with the player’s performance: for example, in many cases more enemies will appear (and/or existing enemies will attack more aggressively) when the player is fully powered up. Some more “extreme” rank systems require that the player purposely avoids powering up, shooting down enemies, etc. in order to effectively increase his chances of survival, although often at the cost of higher scoring opportunities. Some rank systems are controlled directly by the player’s status and can change quickly, while others will continually increase depending on the player’s actions until they “max out,” and efforts to control them can only slow down how fast they increase.

Replay: Feature found in some shmups which allows players to record their onscreen gameplay and save it as a file to be viewed later, either by the player himself or by others. Used by many shmuppers to obtain visual tips on how to improve their skills. Replays made by exceptionally skilled players whose runs are perfect in execution (or nearly so) are sometimes called “superplays”, and are sometimes available for commercial sale, or come packaged with certain games. Some “superplays” also feature highly skilled players performing impractical but still impressive “stunt” feats, such as completing a game while controlling both the first and second player crafts by oneself. On that note, replays which feature more than one player craft onscreen are often called “double plays.”

Respawn: (also Instant Respawn) The ability in a shmup to immediately restart at the exact spot, or at least elsewhere on the same screen, where one is shot down, usually with a brief invincibility window. Sometimes only comes into effect when individual lives are lost, and does not apply when it comes to using continues.

Retain: The ability in some shmups to keep some or all of the power-ups that one has collected after being shot down, instead of being brought back to “square one” and forced to collect all enhancements again.

Run: Usually refers to a player’s attempt to one-credit a shmup, and/or a specific effort to obtain a high score; a player who makes a “run” at a shmup will usually refuse to continue after losing one credit, and will instead start over and try again. Informally, though, the term “run” can be used to describe any single attempt at completing a shmup, even if a high score or one-credit isn’t specifically what the player has in mind.

Score Attack: (also Stage Attack) A selectable play mode available in some shmups which allows the player to play through a single level (often with an unlimited amount of lives in reserve) in an effort to obtain the highest score possible for that stage alone. Sometimes extra multipliers or other things not included in the “regular” game are added into this mode. Sometimes high scores for individual stages played during the “regular” or “full” game are recorded automatically alongside the “general” high score board, but a separate Score Attack mode is not present.

Score Item: Any collectible item which is used primarily or exclusively to increase the player’s score; collecting many of them sometimes activates a multiplier. Many shmups use various types of “medal” icons as their score items, and as such some players use the term “medals” to refer to score items as a whole, and call the practice of utilizing certain types of medal-related chains “medaling.”

Score Reset: Shmup feature which “resets” a player’s score to zero when he continues his game after losing all of his lives. Considered a necessity for any respectable shmup by many players, since it ensures that every player’s high score will always represent one credit of play time, and thus prevents the obtaining of high scores by continuing multiple times rather than surviving by skill.

Many games, after a player continues and “resets” the score, will record how many times a player has continued over the course of a game in the last digit of the score column: for instance, if a player continues his game for the first time the score will restart at “1” instead of “0,” and if he continues a second time it will restart at “2,” and so on. Even some shmups which do not altogether reset scores after continuing will utilize the final digit as an indicator of continues used.

Scoring System: Broad term which encompasses any sort of “device” which the game uses to affect how a player can increase his score, beyond simply shooting down enemies with inflexible point values. Includes, but is not limited to, utilization of score items, multipliers, and chains: if more than one “device” to increase score is present within a single shmup, all of them are collectively considered parts of the game’s “scoring system.”

Scrape: (also Graze, Buzz, Scratch) Used to describe the act of a craft’s being touched by an enemy shot which passes over the visible onscreen object but misses the hitbox. In some shmups it can be done intentionally by the player in order to earn extra points or power up their craft.

Secondary Weapon: (Also Subweapon) Used to describe any weapon not immediately available to the player at the start of a game, which must thus be collected or otherwise earned to be used. In many cases they are not retained, at least not at full power, after the player is shot down.

Single-Screen Shmup: A shmup, usually viewed from a “top-down” perspective, in which the player controls a craft, collects items, and shoots enemies as in other types of shmups, but the background does not scroll to indicate progress. Space Invaders is probably the most well-known example.

Shield: General term for an enhancement that a player’s craft can use for defensive purposes. In some games “shields” are synonymous with “lives,” or serve as an “energy meter” for the player craft, but most of the time a shield must be collected as a power-up or otherwise earned, and serves to protect the player from enemy attacks to some extent. Some shields protect the entire craft, others only a certain portion of it; likewise, some shields can withstand an unlimited amount of bullets, while others will disappear after a certain amount of hits or a set span of time. Some shields also only protect against certain types of enemy shots and are useless against others. Some players also use the term “barrier” or “force field” to refer to shields in general, though others use the terms separately to denote specific types of shields.

Shmup: Short for “shoot-‘em-up.” Semi-official classification for video games in which a large amount of shooting is involved, and the gameplay is executed in a 2-dimensional style (though the graphical objects onscreen can be 3-D), and controlled strictly from a third-person perspective. Most shmups automatically scroll the background in a certain direction to create the impression of movement as the player progresses, and involve taking control of a plane or spacecraft (as such they are sometimes called “Space Shooters”), as well as collecting various power-ups,, but there are many, many exceptions to this. Though some use the term “shooter” by itself to refer to shmups (in Japan, in fact, shmups are usually called “Shooting Games”), this sometimes gets them confused with first-person shooters or light gun shooters.

Different gamers have vastly different hard-and-fast definitions of what a “shmup” technically is, but the above covers most of the essentials. Players and/or fans of the genre are often called “shmuppers” or “shmup-o’s.”

Shoot Down Percentage: (also Kill Rate) A tally, usually displayed at the end of a stage, which shows the percentage of the enemy craft present within the level which the player has managed to successfully destroy. Usually results in bonus points being awarded, with higher percentages equaling more points; in some games it can also affect the rank.

Shot: All-encompassing term for any projectile weapon used in a shmup, by either the player or the enemy. Includes bullets, missiles, lasers, and just about any other such weapon.

Slowdown:
1) Programming phenomenon commonly found in shmups, in which all onscreen action slows down and/or the framerate drops when high amounts of separate elements (i.e. enemies, bullets, etc.) appear at once. Can be used to a player’s advantage by giving him more time to react to what’s going on, but can seriously hamper a game’s playability when found in abundance. The amount of slowdown present can be adjusted in some console shmups via the ”Wait” option.

2) In this case, usually presented as two words (“Slow Down”). An ability found in some shmups, which enables the player to deliberately slow his craft’s movement speed, to assist in dodging tight and/or slow-moving bullet patterns; sometimes also changes the effect of the weapon the player is firing when in use. A few shmups also contain a built-in “slow down” function which can slow enemies and their attacks, but utilization of these is almost always considered a form of cheating.

Snake: A common type of enemy found in shmups (and other genres as well), which consists of several “sections,” usually circles or spheres, joined together into an unbroken “chain.” Some “snake” enemies can be destroyed section by section, while others have a specific weak spot that must be targeted. Sometimes called a “shooter snake.”

Sneak Kill: Term used to describe particularly frustrating circumstances of demise while playing a shmup, which the player often feels he has no fair chance to avoid: may encompass Invisible Bullet Syndrome, Point Blanks, and other such situations. Commonly also known as “cheap shots” and various other names, many of which are not suitable for print here.

Sniper: Refers to any shmup enemy which periodically appears at a player’s most vulnerable side (oftentimes behind him) and attacks from there. Quite difficult to handle without proper weaponry.

Spam: (also Bulletspam) Clusters of enemy bullets which are not aimed directly at the player’s craft, but are shot off in various or random directions, often at varying speeds, to take up space on the screen and limit the player’s range of movement. Difficult to dodge if the player is caught up in the middle of it.

Speed Adjust: The ability, found in some shmups, of the player to instantly adjust the moving speed of his craft at any time, between a certain amount of available speed settings. Generally uses a specific button set aside for this task, and can be used an unlimited amount of times without the aid of items.

Speed Up: A specific type of power-up which increases the moving speed of a player’s craft when collected. Generally found in shmups which lack a speed adjust feature, although many shmups do not allow the player to adjust his craft’s speed at all (though oftentimes they allow him to select between several craft with varying preset speeds at the outset). A handful of shmups also contain “speed down” items, which more or less do exactly what they sound like they should do, and are not the same as the slow down feature.

Splash Damage: Damage done to an enemy by certain weapons after they initially hit, and proceed to explode, or “splash.” The explosions usually linger onscreen for several moments rather than immediately fading, damaging enemies that fly into their range (or sit there) until they finally fade out. Bomb and Missile weapons are the most common possessors of this feature.

Spread: Term for a weapon or bullet pattern which covers a wide area with many separate shots; can refer to either player or enemy weaponry.

Stream: Most often refers to a constant torrent of enemy shots, usually bullets, which is fired in such rapid succession that the separate shots appear to form a single, unbroken line. Usually impossible for a player to dodge his craft through without being hit. Is also sometimes used to describe tightly-packed “lines” of enemies, but usually relates to shots instead.

Striker: Refers to any shmup enemy which quickly appears onscreen, fires a shot (or several shots), and then quickly rushes back offscreen. Notoriously difficult to successfully shoot down.

Suicide Bullet: (also Death Bullet, Revenge Bullet) Bullet instantly released by an enemy which has either self-destructed or been shot down, usually aimed directly at the player’s craft, in a last-ditch effort to defeat the player. Some enemies can release more than one suicide bullet at a time, usually at higher difficulty levels.

Sweep: Shmup technique sometimes used against bosses or large groups of weaker enemies, which involves the player moving his craft back and forth, left to right (or up to down, if playing a horizontal shmup) in large increments, covering most of the screen’s available width/height, firing constantly. Allows the player to spread his shots out over a wide area and at the same time avoid staying in one place too long, so as to give enemies using aimed attacks a more difficult target to hit.

Tailgun: General term for a weapon (usually a variation of the vulcan) which fires out of the rear side of a player or enemy craft, though some varieties also fire a few shots out of the front end or side areas.

Tate: Viewing mode available in some vertscrollers which displays the playing field at full size, rotated 90 degrees to the right. Designed to be used on certain monitors which can be turned on their sides, so as to display the game on a vertically-oriented manner similar to an arcade monitor. The preferred screen format of most shmup players, but it cannot be used on most televisions, since turning standard sets on their sides can break them. Can be used as a verb, as in “I tated my monitor to play this game.” Also presented as “Arcade Mode” or “Full-Screen Mode.”

”Tate” is a shortened form of the Japanese verb “tateru,” which means “to stand.” Pronounced “tah-teh,” though the common mispronunciation of “tayte” has gained semi-acceptance. Also commonly spelled with all capital letters (“TATE”), though it is not an acronym.

Tickle: Term used to describe certain types of weapons with a very short range, but usually a lot of power, which protrude at a constant clip from the player’s craft, and are designed to be utilized at high risk for high-end results, requiring players to fly very close to enemies to do continuous damage.

Time Attack: A selectable play mode available in some shmups, in which the player can access a single, unique, endless stage available only in this mode; usually he is given infinite lives, but also a strict time limit, during which he tries to score as many points as he can before the timer runs out. High scores for this mode, as in Score Attack mode, are usually recorded on a separate list from that of the “main” game.

Twitch: (also Tap, Tap Dodge) Dodging technique which requires the player to move his craft back and forth in very short increments at a rapid pace to dodge tight bullet formations. Manic shmups often require frequent use of this technique, and are sometimes called “Twitch” or “Twitchy” shmups as a result.

Uphill: Viewing perspective found in some vertscrollers, in which the background plane is “tilted” towards the player, which gives the effect that the onscreen craft is moving “uphill”, instead of flying parallel over a flat area.

Vertical Shmup: (also Vertscroller, Vert) A shmup in which the screen scrolls from top to bottom and the action is seen from above by the player. Sometimes called “top-down shmups,” though not all shmups viewed from the “top-down” perspective are vertscrollers.

Vulcan: Common term for a weapon that is often a craft’s default or “main” armament, or weapons similar to it: generally shoots regular bullets straight ahead of the craft, though some “vulcan” weapons have a spread quality to them.

Wait: An option found in some console shmups which allows the player to adjust the amount of slowdown present in the game: when “wait” is turned on, the slowdown, usually as it existed in the game’s original arcade manifestation, is present, and when it is off, it is eliminated.

Wave:
1)
Common term for a type of shmup weapon which covers a wide area with one or more solid, often crescent-shaped, beams of some sort.

2) A specific group of enemies which appears at a certain point in a stage.

3) An enemy bullet formation which forms a tight line or “front” across all or most of the width of the screen, and moves towards the player in a manner similar to the way an ocean wave moves towards shore. Requires precise movement to successfully dodge.

Wobble Mode: (also Scroll Mode)Unofficial but widely-used name for a viewing option available in some shmups, which is set up in similar fashion to letterbox mode, but causes the screen to scroll a limited distance to “follow” the player’s movements in either direction, creating a “wobbling” effect when the player moves up and down.

Yoko: (also Widescreen) Refers to the default viewing mode of certain vertscrollers, which are intended to be displayed on a horizontal screen, and whose playfield, as a result, is fully viewable without the use of TATE mode. Sometimes also called “4:3” shmups, since a horizontal screen’s area is based on a ratio of 4 (width) to 3 (height), as opposed to the “3:4” ratio of vertical screens.

The word “yoko” comes from a Japanese adjective which means “horizontal.”
Last edited by BulletMagnet on Wed Jun 28, 2006 11:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by BulletMagnet »

If you have any suggestions to add to or problems with the above, by all means post 'em. Offhand, here are some other terms I'm considering adding, let me know if you think they're worth it:

"Big Bang" (Saw this on the shmup.com dictionary...apparently refers to a huge cascade of items set off by the player, like the Volcanon in Giga Wing 2.)

"Bullet Hell" (Still not quite sure what exactly this refers to, its meaning seems to vary quite a lot.)

"Command Motion" (Specific button commands needed to perform certain feats, such as the special shots in Cotton 2/Boomerang and the "macros" needed to reveal the pigs in Batsugun.)

"Hybrid Attack" (A special attack that can only be executed by 2 players working in tandem, like the single powered-up ship in Dogyuun...might be a bit too infrequent to warrant a mention though.)

"Leech" (Is this another word for "milk," or something different?)

"Monkey" (I hear it used a lot to describe making a game easier by adjusting its difficulty settings in general...)

"Panic Bomb" (Bombing even when not in immediate danger, fairly common term...)

"Russian Doll" (saw this on the shmup.com site too, refers to a "boss within a boss within a boss," as in many of the Psikyo games.)

"Shrapnel" (Pieces of stuff that fly off of a destroyed enemy, usually used for purely graphical touches, but can sometimes get bullets lost in amongst them.)

"Stage End Bonus" (Pretty self explanatory, is this an "official" enough term for it?)

"Tube Shooter" (Havent's really played any of these myself, should they be grouped under another category already listed?)

"The Zone" (A few people requested this one last time...description for a "zen-like" state that a shmupper goes into when he's really "into" a game he's playing. Should it be made semi-official here?)

Any opinions or additions are appreciated...I have more stuff to throw your way, but this should suffice for now.
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Post by IlMrm »

Great job! Must've took a lot of work to compile it. Appreciate it very much.
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Post by CMoon »

I would change your definition of borderliners. Arena shmups are borderliners. Run n' guns are border liners. Some think tempest is a borderliner, others think it is a true shmup. Light gun games are not border liners. They really don't share anything in common with shmups other than there is shooting. If light gun games are borderliners, is going to a target range a borderliner? Is duck hunt a border liner?

Same really goes for rail shooters. I don't think you'll find many here who would consider rez to be a borderliner.

I suppose there is room for debate here, but here are some examples of borderliners:

Gunstar Heroes
Contra
Metal Gear
Bangai-o (sp?)
Cannon Spike
Robotron

well, you should get the idea, basically all the run n guns and arena shmups.

There will always be some argument over proto shmups (galaga, etc.) and tube shmups (tempest) -- I personally think they could all be files under 'proto shmups' but borderliner doesn't seem to quite apply since these are games that predated shmups, not games that deviated from shmups. Hmmm, I see a difference anyway.
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Post by SheSaidDutch »

Thanks for the detailed post BulletMagnet :) really appreicate It.


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Post by BulletMagnet »

CMoon wrote:I would change your definition of borderliners. Arena shmups are borderliners...Light gun games are not border liners.
Hm, perhaps you're right when it comes to light gun games, but I guess I'll need a bit more imput from others before I change anything for good. As for arena shooters, there has been some debate in the past as to whether or not they are in fact borderliners or "true" shmups: at least a few people here believe firmly in the latter, so I figured it'd be appropriate to give that one its own definition...perhaps I should do the same for "run n gun" and "rail," just to be fair, though I was also considering just putting "See 'Borderliner'" for both.
Same really goes for rail shooters. I don't think you'll find many here who would consider rez to be a borderliner.
I know that there are at least a couple who argue that such shmups belong in the borderliner realm...perhaps I ought to offer a disclaimer similar to the one I put under the "shmups" item, which says that definitions vary.
There will always be some argument over proto shmups...
Dang, knew there were still terms I'm forgetting...I've heard the word "proto-shmup" thrown around here to a fair extent, methinks I'd best add a definition for that too.
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Post by 5parrowhawk »

You might want to add the abbreviation "STG" in under the sub-entry "shooting game" (under "shmup").

I've heard the term "stream" used to refer to executing an extended smooth, usually horizontal, movement - typically in order to dodge a particular type of boss pattern.

Also, I haven't played Bangai-O, but why is it not considered a "true" shmup? It looks pretty similar to your average sidescroller to me.
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Post by Nuke »

5parrowhawk wrote: Also, I haven't played Bangai-O, but why is it not considered a "true" shmup? It looks pretty similar to your average sidescroller to me.
Probably 'caus there's no forced scrolling, you can shoot in all directions and land your mecha, and it has Puzzle eliments.
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Post by BulletMagnet »

5parrowhawk wrote:You might want to add the abbreviation "STG" in under the sub-entry "shooting game" (under "shmup").
Yes, I've heard that one before too, I'll add it in next time I update.
I've heard the term "stream" used to refer to executing an extended smooth, usually horizontal, movement - typically in order to dodge a particular type of boss pattern.
Don't think I've heard this one, can anyone else back him up on it?
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Post by dboeren »

I'd like to see definitions added for various shmup techniques, like "cutback" and "sweep".
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Post by jpolz »

Funny.... I always thought "TATE" was short for roTATE, or roTATEd...I didn't even think there was a japanese meaning.
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Post by TWITCHDOCTOR »

Maybe you could include the term "Ride The Boss", which is a technique used while the main character/ship is invincable from a re-spawn.
The technique involves "riding", or moving your character/ship directly over and onto a boss, or bosslike enemy in an attempt to cause more damage.
This technique will work as long as the re-spawn time is a few split seconds or more.

Examples of good "boss riding" games.
ThunderForce II & III. Basically any game that features generous re-spawn time.

BTW: Ride the Boss is a song on Vodkatrons first CD, "Ride The Boss".
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Post by BulletMagnet »

dboeren wrote:I'd like to see definitions added for various shmup techniques, like "cutback" and "sweep".
I do have an entry for "sweep," though I'm not sure if it's the same technique you're thinking of...give me an idea of what a "cutback" is like (though I could take a guess) and I'll see if it fits.
TWITCHDOCTOR wrote:Maybe you could include the term "Ride The Boss", which is a technique used while the main character/ship is invincable from a re-spawn.
I've heard of that technique, and shall add an entry for it...would "ride" suffice, because I've used such terms as "milk" and such without the "boss" attached to them, it just makes the whole section with a truckload of "boss" definitions a bit less tedious.

Thanks for the new stuff everyone, but offhand I'd appreciate it if someone would take a look at the stuff I list in the second post of this topic, because that material's more or less "in limbo" right now, and I'd like to know whether to add or scrap it. No huge rush though.
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Post by black mariah »

Just FYI, tate isn't a shortened form of tateru. It's actually an adjective like yoko, but instead of meaning horizontal it means vertical. More specifically, yoko refers to width while tate refers to height.

Thanks to freedict.com and my sister's ex-boyfriend for that one. :lol:
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Post by abaxas »

Tatsujined - Dying due to stupid difficulty level.

Tatsujined 2 - An impossible to 1cc shooter.

eg Damn I've been tatsujin 2'ed.

Translation - I can 1cc gradius 3 but man this is hard.
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Post by TWITCHDOCTOR »

BulletMagnet wrote:
dboeren wrote:I'd like to see definitions added for various shmup techniques, like "cutback" and "sweep".
I do have an entry for "sweep," though I'm not sure if it's the same technique you're thinking of...give me an idea of what a "cutback" is like (though I could take a guess) and I'll see if it fits.
TWITCHDOCTOR wrote:Maybe you could include the term "Ride The Boss", which is a technique used while the main character/ship is invincable from a re-spawn.
I've heard of that technique, and shall add an entry for it...would "ride" suffice, because I've used such terms as "milk" and such without the "boss" attached to them, it just makes the whole section with a truckload of "boss" definitions a bit less tedious.

Thanks for the new stuff everyone, but offhand I'd appreciate it if someone would take a look at the stuff I list in the second post of this topic, because that material's more or less "in limbo" right now, and I'd like to know whether to add or scrap it. No huge rush though.

Yes, I believe "ride" will be fine like that, just as long as you explain what you're "riding" in the definition.(which I'm sure you will). Feel free to use some or all of my definition as you see fit.
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Post by professor ganson »

I've printed these defs. out and it comes to nearly 20 pages of interesting reading. Impressive. Thanks.

In my quick look through the list I didn't see entries for '1cc' or '1lc' (which I have seen less often). Perhaps these would be useul additions. If they were on the list and I didn't see them, then it might be good to move them to the top of the list, on the assumption that numbers conventionally come before letters.
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Post by Tar-Palantir »

BulletMagnet wrote:
"Panic Bomb" (Bombing even when not in immediate danger, fairly common term...).
Hey! I invented that term! It's common because it's apt.
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Post by Icarus »

Good work on the glossary. If you don't mind though, could you change your definition of Rank, since it was discussed and theorised in a very recent thread that rank, although it does control your difficulty, is either related to player performance, or to force a player to learn to control another important gameplay system. Rank does NOT affect scoring oppurtunities. ;)

And before I forget, you can also call the term Jerk - a sharp change in player movement which creates a hole in an aimed enemy bullet stream - a Cutback.
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Post by CMoon »

Re: borderliners...

To me, the very meaning of the word borderliner is to suggest the game is on the border of qualifying. Again, I doubt there's any hesitation toward saying that a light gun game is more than a couple steps away from a shooter, but really, the rail shooter is in almost the same boat. Since you don't dodge bullets, or even move for that matter, I don't see how it can be even remotely like a shmup. In metal slug you still dodget bullets. In fact, about the only thing that makes metal slug not a shmup is that you have gravity and you can jump.

I don't know who is using the term borderliner to refer to panzer dragoon and rez as borderliners, but I think this is pretty crazy usage since the play mechanics are 100% different...
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Post by it290 »

Huh? Space Harrier, Starfox, and Panzer Dragoon all have bullet dodging.
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Post by BulletMagnet »

black mariah wrote:Just FYI, tate isn't a shortened form of tateru. It's actually an adjective like yoko, but instead of meaning horizontal it means vertical. More specifically, yoko refers to width while tate refers to height.
Hmm, interesting...the "tateru origin" that I listed in the glossary is something that another member here mentioned some time back, and I "borrowed" for this project...I know pretty much zilch about Japanese, so I'm not sure which one is more accurate...maybe I should just list both and say "One of these is probably right?"
professor ganson wrote:In my quick look through the list I didn't see entries for '1cc' or '1lc' (which I have seen less often). Perhaps these would be useul additions. If they were on the list and I didn't see them, then it might be good to move them to the top of the list, on the assumption that numbers conventionally come before letters.
There is an entry for "one-credit" on the list, and there is a brief reference made to the "1LC" in its definition, I think it's at least semi-reasonable to condense both terms under one item. I've been thinking about using a "see also" feature, under which I might list "1CC" and redirect the reader to "one-credit" for the full definition, but the list is already pretty crowded as it is.
Tar-Palantir wrote:Hey! I invented that term!
Heh, is that term yours? I was unaware...I wonder how many other terms on the list are "forum originals" which have become more widely accepted...the only one off the top of my head that I know of is "Wobble Mode," I think that Rob might've coined that one.
Icarus wrote:Rank does NOT affect scoring oppurtunities.
I guess I'll hafta re-explore that thread a bit then, as I specifically remember being told that in Garegga, for instance, actively trying to control the rank is really only necessary for those trying to score highly, and that people just trying to beat the game don't need to worry about it as much. Of course, this varies from game to game, but I know I've heard it said that controlling a game's rank, though not "directly," can affect the way you score.
And before I forget, you can also call the term Jerk - a sharp change in player movement which creates a hole in an aimed enemy bullet stream - a Cutback.
Ah, so that's what that word means. I'll add it in as an alternate term for "Jerk" in the next revision.
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Post by The Bullet Dodger »

Damn BM! You should get this glossary published. :)

My first time seeing this. Great job.
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Post by Zach Keene »

BulletMagnet wrote:
black mariah wrote:Just FYI, tate isn't a shortened form of tateru. It's actually an adjective like yoko, but instead of meaning horizontal it means vertical. More specifically, yoko refers to width while tate refers to height.
Hmm, interesting...the "tateru origin" that I listed in the glossary is something that another member here mentioned some time back, and I "borrowed" for this project...I know pretty much zilch about Japanese, so I'm not sure which one is more accurate...maybe I should just list both and say "One of these is probably right?"
black mariah is right. As a random example my Capcom Gen Vol 1 manual describes screen type 3 (the tate mode) using the adjective "tate", not some form of the verb "tateru". (Despite the roman spelling the kanji used for the two words look completely different in the original Japanese.)
Icarus wrote:Rank does NOT affect scoring oppurtunities.
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Post by Blade »

If I recall the term "Loop" is also used in the R-Type series (more specifically R-Type Final) in which it tells you how many times you can charge up your Wave Cannon Gauge. For example: Giga Wave Cannon = 8 Loops Max. Not sure if this applies to other shmups though.
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omghyperspeed
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Post by omghyperspeed »

That's awsome, I'm kind of new to this genre so very much appreciative for doing this.
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Vexorg
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Post by Vexorg »

A couple of others I've seen used here:

Stupid Death Syndrome (SDS): An excuse used to explain instances such as running into the single bullet on the screen after escaping a heavy barrage unscathed.

Spite Bomb: Dropping a bomb right after dying, often done as a show of frustration.

Also, I've seen the term "Cute 'em up" applied to cute games in other genres as well (in fact, I think I first saw the term in connection with Bubble Bobble.
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stoneroses
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Post by stoneroses »

Thanks for the hard work, I appreciate it man !!!!

This is the kind of reason I like this forum so much.
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BulletMagnet
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Post by BulletMagnet »

Bullet Dodger wrote:Damn BM! You should get this glossary published. :)
Wow, even my evil twin likes the list! ;) Seriously, thanks to everyone for their encouragement, I'm glad to be able to make something resembling a contribution to the community. As for publishing, as I said, this glossary really isn't "mine," I'm just sort of the "editor," so don't give me any undue credit here. :)
black mariah is right. As a random example my Capcom Gen Vol 1 manual describes screen type 3 (the tate mode) using the adjective "tate", not some form of the verb "tateru"
Hmm, okay, I'll change the entry for "tate" then. I will still mention the "tateru" thing on the side (along with "roTATE") in case anyone reading the glossary is going by those misconceptions.
If I recall the term "Loop" is also used in the R-Type series (more specifically R-Type Final) in which it tells you how many times you can charge up your Wave Cannon Gauge.
Another one I haven't personally heard, anyone willing to back the poster up on this?
Stupid Death Syndrome (SDS): An excuse used to explain instances such as running into the single bullet on the screen after escaping a heavy barrage unscathed.

Spite Bomb: Dropping a bomb right after dying, often done as a show of frustration.
Heh, I've heard of those, but I'm not sure they're "official" enough...then again, I did add "Invisible Bullet Syndrome" in there, though I've considered changing it.
Also, I've seen the term "Cute 'em up" applied to cute games in other genres as well (in fact, I think I first saw the term in connection with Bubble Bobble.
That use would probably be incorrect then, since "cute 'em up," AFAIK, is still a pun on "shoot 'em up." Maybe I should mention it anyway...

Keep the suggestions and refinements coming!
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Zach Keene
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Post by Zach Keene »

BulletMagnet wrote:
If I recall the term "Loop" is also used in the R-Type series (more specifically R-Type Final) in which it tells you how many times you can charge up your Wave Cannon Gauge.
Another one I haven't personally heard, anyone willing to back the poster up on this?
R-Type Final does indeed use the term "loop" in-game to refer to how many levels of power a ship's wave cannon can charge up. That said, I can't recall seeing anyone else follow suit.
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