Your first shooter?

JJG · Post by **JJG** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 4:47 pm

Hell yeah Chickadee, Dragon Spirit FTW!

SteevTee · Post by **SteevTee** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:36 pm

I think the first shooter I played was Spider Fighter on an Atari 2600 my late nan gave to me. Come to think of it, I owe my love for shmups to my nan, bless her. I also used to watch my buddy play R-Type on the speccy, but I don't think that was much earlier...

doctorx0079 · Post by **doctorx0079** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:43 am

DEL wrote:Blade wrote;
Anyone who says SPACE WAR! was their first shmup gets extra points from me, mostly because that *is* the first Shmup, historically.
No one here at the moment is that old, although I met TC a few years ago who used to post here. He's 60'ish.

Space War was 1962.
The first arcade machine was installed in a Stanford student union coffee shop in Sept' 71, called 'Galaxy Game'.

I'm pretty sure it was Computer Space actually. It was basically Spacewar in a sparkly rounded cabinet. It could have said "Galaxy Game" on it somewhere AFAIK. You can see one in the middle of the movie "Soylent Green". It was a "marginal flop", in the words of Nolan Bushnell, so today they are very rare.

The first successful arcade video game was Pong circa 1973. The first shooter or proto-shmup to be seriously successful was probably Space Invaders in 1978.

MTH · Post by **MTH** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:11 pm

Solar Striker (GB)

I even 1cc'd that, waaaaay later. I used to hide from bosses until they left when I first played it.

DEL · Post by **DEL** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:03 pm

Doctorx0079 - Not that it matters but;

The Galaxy Game is the earliest known coin-operated video game. It was installed at the Tresidder Union at Stanford University in September, 1971, two months before the release of Computer Space, the first commercially available game.[1] Only one unit was ever built, though the game later included several consoles.

Only 1 unit ever

- Imagine the value! - If it still survives?
Edit: It does!

nem · Post by **nem** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:58 pm

Erm, there's another one right next to it?

DEL · Post by **DEL** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:49 pm

Hehe! Yes there is!

Maybe that's how it was, as a 2 Player game, or that's how it was restored?
--------------------------------------

Anyway, I found the following page fascinating. First video game was either Noughts and Crosses 1952 or "Tennis for Two" in 1958 (which displayed on an oscilloscope).
http://www.computerspacefan.com/History.htm

http://www.computerspacefan.com/tennis.mpeg

doctorx0079 · Post by **doctorx0079** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:28 pm

Huh, I learned something. The much-vaunted Computer Space was only the first "commercially available" coin-op video game. Not like anyone but hardcore nerds like us would care though.

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:08 pm

What's Space War like, gameplay-wise?

DEL · Post by **DEL** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:45 pm

zinger wrote;

What's Space War like, gameplay-wise?

I'd love to know too!
I read on one page that Computer Space played badly (Computer Space being Space War in a coin op).
http://www.computerspacefan.com/spacewar.mpeg
The above link shows the starting position of Space War.

The question for me is; do the surviving Nutting Associates Computer Space cabs actually still play the game?

Kaede · Post by **Kaede** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:47 pm

DEL wrote:zinger wrote;
What's Space War like, gameplay-wise?
I'd love to know too!
I read on one page that Computer Space played badly (Computer Space being Space War in a coin op).
http://www.computerspacefan.com/spacewar.mpeg
The above link shows the starting position of Space War.

The question for me is; do the surviving Nutting Associates Computer Space cabs actually still play the game?

DEL, I seem to remember there was a working Space War cab at the Game On exhibition at the Barbican Centre a few years back. The tour has now moved on to the Science Museum so I'd assume it would be there now but I haven't been to Science Museum yet to check it out.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:55 pm

doctorx0079 wrote:Huh, I learned something. The much-vaunted Computer Space was only the first "commercially available" coin-op video game. Not like anyone but hardcore nerds like us would care though.

Stanford's page says that The Galaxy Game was the first commercial coin-op game...not commercially available for resale (although that was the intention), as you say, but commercial nonetheless.

DEL · Post by **DEL** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 1:06 pm

Kaede wrote;

DEL, I seem to remember there was a working Space War cab at the Game On exhibition at the Barbican Centre a few years back. The tour has now moved on to the Science Museum so I'd assume it would be there now but I haven't been to Science Museum yet to check it out.

Now there's an idea for part of a several day London Meet - The Science Museum.
There's also another History of Video games exhibition going on and YES I've just checked - it does have the working Space War.
Its expensive though = £8.50 entry.
Includes R-Type.
http://www.neoempire.com/forum/viewtopi ... highlight=

------------------------------------------------
Apparently, restored Computer Space cabs are going for around $3,000 nowadays.

I remain curious

Stormwatch · Post by **Stormwatch** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:00 pm

My first shooter was...

Hehehe, just kidding...

dakidski · Post by **dakidski** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 12:44 am

Could have been Defender on Vic-20 back in 1983. Before that I probably only played Lunar Lander on mainframe.

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 5:23 am

For the record, it's not Space War. It's SPACE WAR!

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:11 am

Blade wrote:For the record, it's not Space War. It's SPACE WAR! :lol:

For the record, it's Spacewar!, one word, not necessarily caps. At least that's what the...sources say :P

Also: Major Stryker is doesn't hold up well these days - MOSTLY on account of the jerky scrolling. I was going to spend some time with the freeware release, but it's just not that fun anymore. Oh well.

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:23 am

Interesting mix of young 'uns and oldies in here.

My first was Vortex Blaster on Sega SC3000H (on tape).

Mahz · Post by **Mahz** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:08 am

I had to think about this for a while, but I'm pretty sure it was Zanac on MSX. Awesome game, back in the day

Apollo Kid · Post by **Apollo Kid** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:33 pm

My first one probably was Galaga, though i can't be really sure 'cause i can't remember very well, I used to play alot of shmups when i was little.

I got to mention Ikaruga too, it started a new era of shmups for me after a loooong break in them playing mostly rpg's (nothing wrong with them though)

P.S. My first post in here, yay! Be gentle

Dark Schneider · Post by **Dark Schneider** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:00 pm

The first shmup I ever played (and the first vertical shmup as well) was Galaga in ye ole arcade. My first horizontal shooter was Gradius on ye slightly less ole MSX

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 4:35 pm

elvis wrote:Interesting mix of young 'uns and oldies in here.

My first was Vortex Blaster on Sega SC3000H (on tape).

You had a -H? Lucky...Tape? Maybe not so lucky...

Heck, I could've just checked your infobox to see where you were from. I hadn't thought much about it before, but SC-3000 let me know you were Australian (or maybe NZ'der). Interesting. I've got a 3000 myself, just the crummy chiclet keyboard model...no tape drive either, so far.

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 4:53 pm

Concerning Spacewar!, the best way to play it at home is the Vectrex conversion, called Space Wars.

NAVVARR · Post by **NAVVARR** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:47 pm

My first shooter was 'SCRAMBLE' in the old arcades- way back in the early 80's. I loved that game and could never get enough 10p's to practise enough.- But it sowed a seed and now i have an immence shooter collection.
Still my favourites are the horizontal shooters and yes- i still play 'Scramble' -emulated on my PC and also on my Nokia N-gage and Amiga.

Its interesting to note that Konami list scramble as a precursor to the Gradius series- i don't entirely agree on that one mind.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:49 pm

NAVVARR wrote:Its interesting to note that Konami list scramble as a precursor to the Gradius series- i don't entirely agree on that one mind.

Well, that was the company that Konami had doing Gradius Generation. I doubt anybody active during the height of Gradius development (mid-late eighties) would have agreed with that. I do like Scramble though, even wrote Super Cobra (the sequel of sorts) to disk and played it on my MSX2+ (even though it's a MSX1 game, heh).

Ceph wrote:Concerning Spacewar!, the best way to play it at home is the Vectrex conversion, called Space Wars.

Speaking of which, the Vectrex is also home to what should be a pretty decent conversion of Scramble. The Japanese version seems to be pretty rare, although eBay is not my favorite guide (everybody wants a bit too much for Japanese stuff).

Kuik · Post by **Kuik** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:24 pm

Xevious on NES.

I still don't get very far in that game.

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:40 pm

Ed Oscuro wrote:
NAVVARR wrote:Its interesting to note that Konami list scramble as a precursor to the Gradius series- i don't entirely agree on that one mind.
Well, that was the company that Konami had doing Gradius Generation. I doubt anybody active during the height of Gradius development (mid-late eighties) would have agreed with that. I do like Scramble though, even wrote Super Cobra (the sequel of sorts) to disk and played it on my MSX2+ (even though it's a MSX1 game, heh).

Ceph wrote:Concerning Spacewar!, the best way to play it at home is the Vectrex conversion, called Space Wars.
Speaking of which, the Vectrex is also home to what should be a pretty decent conversion of Scramble. The Japanese version seems to be pretty rare, although eBay is not my favorite guide (everybody wants a bit too much for Japanese stuff).

All Bandai Vectrex stuff seems to be very rare; but since the games are identical I couldn't care less.

Minzoku · Post by **Minzoku** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:49 am

Kiken

...Centipede, or Dragon Spirit/Area 88 in terms of scrolling shooters [I don't remember which I played first]

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:19 am

Scramble on the Vectrex and in an Ice Cream Parlor in Wisconsin.

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:27 am

Raiden II at the Boys & Girls Club in Monterey Park, California.

Or maybe some version of Tyrian at uh... some place.

I forgot which.

shmups.system11.org

Your first shooter?

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