Shmup feature

[DazTM]

Hi guys, hope you'ree all fine and dandy

I'm putting together a feature about shmups and I was wondering if you guys would be so kind as to give me a few pointers about certain elements of the genre in order to make it as good as possible.

I know my Radient Silverguns from my River Raids, but I could make a much better feature if I have access to some of the bods on this forum.

If anyone's interested and would like a thanyou credit at the end of the article please be sure to send me a PM.

[Fighter17]

Hi guys, hope you'ree all fine and dandy

I'm putting together a feature about shmups and I was wondering if you guys would be so kind as to give me a few pointers about certain elements of the genre in order to make it as good as possible.

I know my Radient Silverguns from my River Raids, but I could make a much better feature if I have access to some of the bods on this forum.

If anyone's interested and would like a thanyou credit at the end of the article please be sure to send me a PM.

Sending you a PM.

[szycag]

Could I get a subscription if I helped?

I live in the states and it costs like 70 bucks for six issues @_@

[JoshF]

I'd could write a bunch of long paragraphs here but I don't think I could tell you anything that the Wikipedia article on shmups doesn't have, so I'd refer you to that.

Perhaps focus on "benchmark" games that introduced new ideas and mechanics to the genre (Space Invaders, Galaga, Xevious, Gradius, R-Type, Batsugun, DoDonPachi, Ikaruga, etc.)

[DEL]

Which particular shoot'em ups do you have in mind Daz?

Or will this be a general overview article?

I was wondering if you guys would be so kind as to give me a few pointers about certain elements of the genre in order to make it as good as possible.

'Elements' to consider should definitely include a paragraph on the Ethos behind 2D shooters. ie. What makes them different from today's mainstream fare, what they can offer:-

# High Score. Which seems to have been removed from many mainstream games nowadays.
High Score obviously allows for Competition.

# 2D offers pixel-perfect gameplay.

# Adrenaline.

# The option of a quick blast or a deeper foray into new complex scoring engines.

# A challenge/ a Goal. The 1 credit completion (1CC) and/or the quest for higher scores.

# A reminder to the Public that these games are still made today. The new titles are not Retro.
The genre is Retro, Space War 1962 was a shoot'em up, but new titles are still being produced.



^Basic stuff like that



Regs, DEL

[it290]

How about these:

-Shmups are cerebral as well as visceral -- one game can be played
for years, and strategic planning and problem-solving are essential
to progression.

-When a game is going well, the player can enter into an almost
meditative state. The experience of playing a shmup like this is
video gaming in its most pure form.

-Similarly, shmups to me represent the essence of video gaming-
they don't try to simulate reality in any way, but rather embrace the
fact that they are video games and attempt to make the most of it.

[sven666]

-Similarly, shmups to me represent the essence of video gaming-
they don't try to simulate reality in any way, but rather embrace the
fact that they are video games and attempt to make the most of it.

DEL had some good points there.. dunno how indepth you want or really what youre fishing after?

[DEL]

it290 wrote:

-Similarly, shmups to me represent the essence of video gaming-
they don't try to simulate reality in any way, but rather embrace the
fact that they are video games and attempt to make the most of it.

Actually sven, it290 has hit a nail on the head!-->"they don't try to simulate reality in any way". This is a Very good point. Mainstream games try to simulate reality, with pseudo 3D, with realistic pseudo 3D characters, with pseudo real-life situations (Grand Theft Auto, The Godfather etc).
2D shoot'em ups do not. They are games first and foremost.

I can only guess that its been big business bureaucrats that have sought the portrrayal of 'reality' in games. In some attempt to get even more mainstream sales. This has messed things up, in my view .

So....it290 really hit on something there

[MX7]

it290 wrote:

-Similarly, shmups to me represent the essence of video gaming-
they don't try to simulate reality in any way, but rather embrace the
fact that they are video games and attempt to make the most of it.

Actually sven, it290 has hit a nail on the head!-->"they don't try to simulate reality in any way". This is a Very good point. Mainstream games try to simulate reality, with pseudo 3D, with realistic pseudo 3D characters, with pseudo real-life situations (Grand Theft Auto, The Godfather etc).
2D shoot'em ups do not. They are games first and foremost.

I can only guess that its been big business bureaucrats that have sought the portrrayal of 'reality' in games. In some attempt to get even more mainstream sales. This has messed things up, in my view .

So....it290 really hit on something there

It's true. While shooters were initialy 2d out of necessity, due to the limits of what can be shown on screen at one point, modern 2d shooters have made the decision to keep on using 2d. Thus I don't see 2d shooters as being 'retro' or 'nostalgic' so much as being an active abstraction on the way that we are encouraged to see the world through not only our own lives, but also the current state of 3d gaming. These games are controlled in a digital fashion, as oposed to analog, and obviously work over one one plane of movement, meaning that in order to play them, the gamer must suspend their disbelief that there exists something below or above the player's avatar. Other concessions made to support this way of thinking include hitboxes (which force the player to suspend their disbelief and accept that part of their ship can be hit without being destroyed or impared in any way), 'lives' and 'continues' (a hand me down form the arcade days), and, most interestingly, the speed of bullets compared to the speed of the player's avatar, allowing 'super-human' maneuvering. I think it's facinating that these facets, bourne out of necessity and functionality during the arcade era have evolved into something completely different and it is these points that I use time and time again to attempt to justify videogames as an artistic medium to people

[Dann]

You might also want to mention the intimacy felt by shmuppers with their hardware. Most shmups are made extremely well, and if there are in-game issues most of the time it has to do with the hardware used to play or control the game. I don't know many other genres that will buy a DC<>saturn converter specifically to play a game with their favorite pad.