What would you like on a shmup storyline?

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:08 am

We all know that:

A: Shmups don't have/need much of a storyline.

B: Story seldom has a bearing on gameplay.

C: It usually goes as "You're the last hope of the earth, blah blah blah."

Maybe there are only three of us who are interested in the how, the why and who of a shmup. What did you like on a shmup storyline? What would you like to see? How would you craft a storyline to back up a shmup, or derive a shmup from the story?

Let's see what we can come up with. Right on the top of my mind, Ikaruga with it's story of an impossible fight seen through the eyes of a soldier willing to get snuffed out of existence, and Einhander's double betrayal are my top shmup storylines.

Your comments?

SkylineR32 · Post by **SkylineR32** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:14 am

While I couldn't follow the story lines in either Radiant Silvergun or Ikaruga, the last levels of each really gave an idea of the magnitude of the task at hand. Now, may years later, with translations freely available I can see that they were epics.

As for what I'd like to see, how about something more along the lines of the Saturn/PSX game, Loaded. I originally only bought the game because I knew Pop Will Eat Itself did the soundtrack and they are one of my favourite bands ever. Anyway, the storyline there is that you are a mental patient and you are escaping from the asylum. Basically, you take out everyone, whether they are guards or fellow patients. Don't ask me why but I loved that premise. While Loaded was an Isometric Run & Gun, I can't see why a similar story couldn't be used in a 2D vert.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:26 am

One storyline which caught my attention offhand was that of Mars Matrix...you hear the story of how the colony on Mars rebels against Earth, how you're piloting a prototype, etc., which is nothing too special, but then you're told that you're actually on the side of the "oppressor," namely Earth, rather than the vastly-outnumbered rebel faction, to put down the rebellion rather than lead it, which I thought was a nice change of pace.

Then there are "schtick-em-ups" like Keio Yugekitai and the Cotton series, in which the heroines only bother to fight against the evil forces because they want something to eat.

Or Game Tengoku, in which you must liberate the video arcade from the forces of...er, whoever's face keeps appearing on the screens! And Parodius, where I have no stinkin' clue what's supposed to be going on.

Supposedly Philosoma has a good story, but I haven't played far enough into it to know what it is.

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:42 am

Shmup storylines are like porn storylines...sure it can help you get into it, but it all boils down to the action.

That being said, even thought R-Type Final was a bit lackluster, I loved how Irem fleshed out the R-Type story and the history of the R series ships.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:54 am

BulletMagnet wrote:Supposedly Philosoma has a good story, but I haven't played far enough into it to know what it is.

The Gospel of Silicon against the flesh, according to the back of the case.

DJ Incompetent · Post by **DJ Incompetent** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:04 am

I think Einhander nailed the best mix of story matched against the game.
However, I believe Silpheed's (PS2) is the best told.

Just gimmie a shooter with Silpheed/Starfox in-game chatter and build from there...provided that:

1. Nobody says "holy galaxy" in exclamation.
2. I don't feel the need to question the gender of a NPC wingman....particularly of a frog.

Belmont · Post by **Belmont** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:20 am

Can i please just get a story line where i have to save the princess and defend the kingdom from the evil forces that are going to destroy everything.

Gungriffon Geona · Post by **Gungriffon Geona** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:05 am

I love these games to have vastly deep stories. I dunno, I guess I like that little aspect. besides, the genre needs more good stories for the player to wrap their feable mind's around, keep the cutscene junkies happy, ya know?

Pirate1019 · Post by **Pirate1019** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:09 am

Cutscenes on a shmup are totally acceptable for me, on one condition: They can be skipped.

I'd like an epic story like Ikaruga. Although not a story so rediculously epic that it's cheesy.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:11 am

I don't care as long it has a 16-year old girl with big boobs and no panties.

And nice pictures when you win. And lose. Because I ALWAYS lose.

Belmont · Post by **Belmont** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:15 am

iatneH wrote:I don't care as long it has a 16-year old girl with big boobs and no panties.

And nice pictures when you win. And lose. Because I ALWAYS lose.

LOL so so true

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:27 am

I personally prefer for them to remain a bit myterious. That's why i love the Gradius series so much... like why Moai heads? It's awesome.

I like how they tied earth into the Thunderforce series with part V.

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:39 am

The more bizarre and ridiculous the better.

Skyline · Post by **Skyline** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:50 am

Belmont wrote:Can i please just get a story line where i have to save the princess and defend the kingdom from the evil forces that are going to destroy everything.

Sounds like Xexex.

boagman · Post by **boagman** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:06 am

Nothing. Not a darned thing. I welcome shooters because of their extreme simplicity: destroy everything in your path, and avoid getting killed.

I don't *want* a storyline...I want action. I don't really want (much less care) who's invading, or what outpost was destroyed, or who's conquered the vast regions of space. Just give me a ship with a gun, and let me blast the bejeebers out of everything, okay?

Let's not make shmups into some sappy crap with backstory...let's just get all explodey and stuff. You'll thank me later.

DO NOT LET THE RPG ELEMENT INTO OUR PRECIOUS SHMUPS!

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:15 am

O lawd anything but turn based shmups!!!

tiw · Post by **tiw** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:46 am

I like it when the story is subtle (Mahou Daisakusen)

Pirate1019 · Post by **Pirate1019** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:45 pm

boagman wrote:I don't *want* a storyline...I want action. I don't really want (much less care) who's invading, or what outpost was destroyed, or who's conquered the vast regions of space. Just give me a ship with a gun, and let me blast the bejeebers out of everything, okay?

That's why you make every story sequence skippable. Then both parties are satisfied.

Brain Slug · Post by **Brain Slug** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:09 pm

Any storyline that allows for a game full of scantily clad anime babes in mobile suits is good.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:12 pm

Hmmm mankind has somehow ruined earth and fled to the stars .... Oh has that been done?

boagman · Post by **boagman** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:34 pm

Pirate1019 wrote:
boagman wrote:I don't *want* a storyline...I want action. I don't really want (much less care) who's invading, or what outpost was destroyed, or who's conquered the vast regions of space. Just give me a ship with a gun, and let me blast the bejeebers out of everything, okay?
That's why you make every story sequence skippable. Then both parties are satisfied.

::sigh::

I suppose that's an adequate compromise, but it still seems uber-useless to me. I honestly don't care what's happened, who the pilot is, what gender they are, whether they wear a mech suit, or anything else. I just want to kill things. Is that (in this particular context) so wrong?

My favorite game of all time, Viewpoint for the Neo-Geo, has no story. That's *zero*, story, at least onscreen...and after quickly checking the instruction manual and the box, there's no backstory in there *at all*, besides the names they've given to the ship, and some of the enemies. *No* story. *No* explanations. Just "Here you are, there they are. Look! You can shoot them, and they can kill you! Figure it out!"

Bless them for understanding. The only possible "story" element a person could point to is at the very end of the game, when the planet's exploding, just before its ultimate annihilation, a little speckle of light can be seen evacuating from the planet, thus leaving hope of a sequel. Still, no explanations as to what anything was, whether the fight was righteous, whether I was flying as a pilot for the Future Fuhrer From Outer Space...none of that garbage.

Want a story? Read a *book*. Want a shmup? Get your trigger finger ready. Not that I have an opinion one way or the other, here.

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:42 pm

A cool storyline for a shmup would be a Q and Picard type thing. More intelligent, omnipotent lifeform shows you the shackles of your existence and plays head tricks with you, able to throw you into any setting at will. Possibly leading to some sort of insanity of your lead character. Obviously the gameplay would have to be, or at least get up to, batsh** insanity levels. A cool stage would be you're at microscopic level and fighting off some kind of alien parasite attacking the sperm about to penetrate your mother's womb when you were born.

I don't know why game developers don't do cool stories like that, and are content to throw us at nameless ships of the anonymous empire. Sure you don't need it to have a fun game, but good luck getting any press or anyone remotely interested in your game that isn't already a fan of the genre. To me it seems like something so easy to do but I guess it's not in most shmup dev's budgets to do storyboards and stuff like that. But really, it wouldn't take a lot of backstory to do something like I described and still be kinda cool.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:01 pm

Oh right, I forgot about the mech suits. Who needs panties when you have a mech suit??

boagman · Post by **boagman** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:45 pm

szycag wrote:A cool storyline for a shmup would be a Q and Picard type thing. More intelligent, omnipotent lifeform shows you the shackles of your existence and plays head tricks with you, able to throw you into any setting at will. Possibly leading to some sort of insanity of your lead character. Obviously the gameplay would have to be, or at least get up to, batsh** insanity levels. A cool stage would be you're at microscopic level and fighting off some kind of alien parasite attacking the sperm about to penetrate your mother's womb when you were born.

Okay, while I'm obviously anti-backstory in shmups, I'll give you *full marks* for coming up with a story that's really trippily-intriguing. I do like the whole "Q screwing with Picard" thing, but the microscopic thing...holy cow, man. That's practically *inspired*. I mean, biologically defending your own conception...that is pretty far out there.

Nice.

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:37 pm

boagman wrote:
szycag wrote:A cool storyline for a shmup would be a Q and Picard type thing. More intelligent, omnipotent lifeform shows you the shackles of your existence and plays head tricks with you, able to throw you into any setting at will. Possibly leading to some sort of insanity of your lead character. Obviously the gameplay would have to be, or at least get up to, batsh** insanity levels. A cool stage would be you're at microscopic level and fighting off some kind of alien parasite attacking the sperm about to penetrate your mother's womb when you were born.
Okay, while I'm obviously anti-backstory in shmups, I'll give you *full marks* for coming up with a story that's really trippily-intriguing. I do like the whole "Q screwing with Picard" thing, but the microscopic thing...holy cow, man. That's practically *inspired*. I mean, biologically defending your own conception...that is pretty far out there.

Nice.

I agree, that is an awesome concept.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:42 pm

BulletMagnet wrote:One storyline which caught my attention offhand was that of Mars Matrix...you hear the story of how the colony on Mars rebels against Earth, how you're piloting a prototype, etc., which is nothing too special, but then you're told that you're actually on the side of the "oppressor," namely Earth, rather than the vastly-outnumbered rebel faction, to put down the rebellion rather than lead it, which I thought was a nice change of pace.

such a story has NEVER been told before

particularly not in Japan

;)

My perfect story:

"oh look, there are the bads. GO KILL THEM"

"p.s. they are trying to hit the earth with an asteroid, or they have a real big tank, or something. Who cares? THEY ARE BAD, GO KILL THEM AGAIN!"

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:43 pm

shoe-sama wrote:O lawd anything but turn based shmups!!!

Oh the horror! LOL

MovingTarget · Post by **MovingTarget** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:16 pm

I often wish I knew a bit more about the setting and characters of the shooters I play.

I hated the idea of being caught in an infinite loop! a la gradius hahaha. That would suck.

SkylineR32 · Post by **SkylineR32** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:56 pm

iatneH wrote:I don't care as long it has a 16-year old girl with big boobs and no panties.

And nice pictures when you win. And lose. Because I ALWAYS lose.

I have that game, it's called Steam Hearts

God · Post by **God** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:08 am

Cutscenes on a shmup are totally acceptable for me, on one condition: They can be skipped.

Better yet, disableable in the options menu so it doesn't waste time loading them.

What did you like on a shmup storyline?

The same things I look for in any work of fiction: allegory, creativity and series continuity.

Series continuity like:
-evolving returning bosses (Dobkeratops in RT2, battle damaged dragon from Demon's Crest, Sagat scarred and imitating the move that scarred him.)
-series recaps like GBA Gradius intro and unlockable database from Shattered Soldier.
-crossovers (Gallop ship in R-Type Final)
-the swan song aspect of R-Type Final

Also, I ignore the story unless I love the gameplay.