Are you all Shmup fanatics?

TKGB_Mental_Gear · Post by **TKGB_Mental_Gear** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:04 pm

I've been doing the shmuping thing for 3 months now and I come to realize this genre is pretty cool but I realized that I'm no true fanatic of it. One reason is probably because I grew up mostly playing fighting and action games and since 2000 when I became a gamer, been divulged in RPG games. I only recently truly experienced shmups. I guess I need more to time to see what this genre can truly offer.

It's without question, we are all here because we love shmups but how many love 'em more than others? What is our ranking for the love of shoot 'em ups?

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:12 pm

TKGB_Mental_Gear wrote: It's without question, we are all here because we love shmups but how many love 'em more than others? What is our ranking for the love of shoot 'em ups?

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=14121

And specifically, #1.

Post by **Dave_K.** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:18 pm

I think kids today who never got to experience what an "arcade" really was, and have grown up on console games/RPGs/Interactive stories, will possibly never really understand the reasoning behind shmups. Its just too hard, and they are too lazy.

BTW Rob, who is that in your avatar picture?

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:23 pm

I'm not a true fanatic.

I believe if 80% + of your gaming collection is shmups you could be considered a fanatic. Only about 15% of my collection is related to shmups.

Sonic R · Post by **Sonic R** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:25 pm

Dave_K. wrote:I think kids today who never got to experience what an "arcade" really was, and have grown up on console games/RPGs/Interactive stories, will possibly never really understand the reasoning behind shmups. Its just too hard, and they are too lazy.

Well I grow up with out going to arcade and made my name in games on 110% console gaming. I guess I am not understand reasoning behind shoot them ups?

(I am also the age of 31 now)

Shit on me some more.

durias · Post by **durias** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:28 pm

neorichieb1971 wrote:I believe if 80% + of your gaming collection is shmups you could be considered a fanatic.

What if your collection was 100% shmups but you sucked at 'em?

Post by **Dave_K.** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:32 pm

Sonic R wrote: Well I grow up with out going to arcade and made my name in games on 110% console gaming. I guess I am not understand reasoning behind shoot them ups? (I am also the age of 31 now)

I'm referring to kids growing up on PS2 and Xbox, not NES. Sorry I should have been more specific with my use of the word "kids". I don't think you qualify.

Sonic R wrote:Shit on me some more.

My comment was also part tounge in cheek, don't take it to litterally.

Sonic R · Post by **Sonic R** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:39 pm

Dave_K. wrote:
Sonic R wrote: Well I grow up with out going to arcade and made my name in games on 110% console gaming. I guess I am not understand reasoning behind shoot them ups? (I am also the age of 31 now)
I'm referring to kids growing up on PS2 and Xbox, not NES. Sorry I should have been more specific with my use of the word "kids". I don't think you qualify.

I think I am understand now? Folks who cut their teeth on games of mainstream generations playing games like Jon Madden Football, GTAMXLVIII, Halo half lives, and Final Fantasy VII...
These are people who are not delve deep in to pure game play experience that shoot them ups offer. Its like American Beauty - look closer.

Playing shooting games beyond what they show up front and see the true beauty of a fine made game!

I am fanatic? My library of games is heavy in shoot them ups. They are timeless classics games that play well 20 years later and are just as fun today as in the 1990's!

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:46 pm

I don't know, there are gaming genres I like and those I don't like, but among those I prefer I find it tough to say whether or not any of them sticks out above all the others...as with many other things, it sort of depends on what I'm in the mood to play. I honestly never considered such a distinction particularly important...as long as I'm enjoying what I'm playing, I don't need to consider much more beyond that. Maybe I'm just shallow or something.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:50 pm

My friend only plays racing games because he relates to the logic of going fast, taking racing lines, over taking, pit stops and not crashing.

Even if you put something as simple as a shmup in front of him, his brain would work on the logic of not getting hit and blowing everything up. After a quick go, dying.. his interest would wane to 0%.

Alot of people play games that everyone is playing also. And to be honest, even my close friends who have played for 20 years don't really give shmups the time of day anymore.

I don't think I am good at shmups, I just enjoy them. I play them for that reason alone, not to be different or being anti-mainstream, as so many of the people are here.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:57 pm

Dave_K. wrote: BTW Rob, who is that in your avatar picture?

Gordon Ramsay

Motorherp · Post by **Motorherp** » Thu May 24, 2007 9:00 pm

Well if we're talking about the difference between gaming 'then' and gaming 'now' I think it all came down to the fact the arcades contained way better games than you could get at home if you could even get them at home at all. However due to the nature of arcades games had to be made with quick turn arounds which meant cranking up the difficulty. The side effect of this was that your local arcades score boards became a real test of your skill and in many genres such as shooters this whole aspect took over with the callenge becoming the all important factor. Arcades and games of the time thrived on the competition and communities this set up which made it extremely fun.

When home consoles started coming close the power of the arcades though then people started becoming happy to just sit at home and play. The nature of gaming then changed since people wanted their monies worth and hence games became more tame and long winded. Now most games want to hold you by the hand and all that matters to success is how long you can bare playing.

I think a lot of the older gamers want this sense of challenge and community back which is why they are so fanatical about genres like this and take part in these sorts of forums where they can exchange scores and tactics etc. The good news though is that with online gaming becoming almost the norm I think we're starting to see a return to what gaming was originaly all about. With services like Live Arcade and PSN becoming so popular I really cant wait for the next wave of shooters to start hitting the shelves so I can start competing properly again, except this time on a global scale

WarCheese · Post by **WarCheese** » Thu May 24, 2007 10:41 pm

Hi Motorherp:

Just noticed your excellent SHMUP-DEV site! Keep up the good work there.

WarCheese

kengou · Post by **kengou** » Thu May 24, 2007 11:06 pm

I'm definitely not a fanatic. I physically own 2 shmups, Ikaruga and Gradius V (as well as a bunch on Wii Virtual Console). I played shmups casually growing up but it was never the main genre I've played and it still isn't, I love RTS, FPS, RPGs, all sorts of games, but shmups are still awesome. I recently got back into shmups and started emulating a bunch of arcade games and some saturn/DC stuff, so I'm sort of new to the depths of the genre.

Himuro · Post by **Himuro** » Thu May 24, 2007 11:47 pm

I like shmups, but I'm far from a fanatic. I grew up with a few shmups but it never evolved in to full blown passion, but I did have admiration for many certain shmup series (Thunder Force and R-Type in particular). I'm just recently getting into them again, because they're the perfect pick up and play games imo, and they fit perfectly with my life style.

I don't know if people would call it a shmup (I do), but one shmup I AM quite partial to is the Panzer Dragoon series. Sex on a disc.

My favorite genres are: rpg, platformer, adventure, and a few others, but I think a good shmup is worth investing time into once in a while.

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Fri May 25, 2007 12:05 am

I suck too much at shmups to be a fanatic.

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Fri May 25, 2007 12:07 am

I've always been extremely passionate about 'em and play 'em almost every day, but if the real "I left school to practice" masters were to be our barometer here, then I'd probably seem rather unenthused by comparison... :p

This is certainly the most important gaming genre to me (although, admittedly, Super Metroid is my all-time favourite), but I'm much more interested in talking to people who are very romantic about shmups and perhaps a bit rubbish at 'em, than people who are massively skilled but talk about them in almost clinical terms. Not that anybody here really embodies either of those extremes. You're alright. :p

Himuro · Post by **Himuro** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:18 am

I'm not that good at shmups either, but I enjoy them.

Bloodreign · Post by **Bloodreign** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:36 am

I'm far from being the best shmup player (think miles away), but I like to mix some old school platformers and puzzlers with my shmups, some shmups don't hold my attention long, others stick with me as I see them memorable.

JusteZero · Post by **JusteZero** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:47 am

Well being in the shmups forum might mean alot of us here are fanatics.

Personally, and others may agree, with me its a retro thang. I love most old skool forms of gameplay and challenge, as it so happens alot of shmups are around carrying the torch over the last decade.

Is it my favorite genre? Maybe next to fighting games(2d) but you really can't beat a well made shooter when you got a gaming fix, they're perfect for a 10 minute or 2 hour burst of fun when you need to wind down.

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Fri May 25, 2007 3:14 am

Yes.

It's such a beautiful thrill to dodge bullets, knowing that one hit will kill you.

It's also the hardest non-rhythm genre, so that's a plus.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Fri May 25, 2007 3:23 am

To a certain degree. Have I played a single shooter for over 50 hours (an amount of time I feel a true fan of the genre ought to have put into a game he really enjoyed)? Sure. But since I can't bring myself to play for score, it's hard to really be a shooter fanatic.

durias · Post by **durias** » Fri May 25, 2007 3:35 am

Well, maybe because I don't play any other type of video game puts the fanatic label (proudly) on me.

Asherdude · Post by **Asherdude** » Fri May 25, 2007 3:45 am

Yep. I'm a shmup fanatic. Actually I do own more action/adventure titles than I do shooters. But the shooters get more play time out of me. Yep. I own a 360 & a Wii, but what do I spend most of my free time on? The old school shmups on the Wii's Virtual Console.

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Fri May 25, 2007 4:24 am

I think I'm becoming one... it's really bad when you have friends over and they look through your games and you have nothing they've ever heard of.

PFG 9000 · Post by **PFG 9000** » Fri May 25, 2007 4:43 am

I wouldn't say I'm a fanatic, especially compared to the people here who've 1cc'd dozens or even hundreds of shooters. I'm not that good, and shooters are only about 1/4 of the games I play. But I'm hooked on the thrill of dodging bullets, which is why I've bought fifty-some shooters in the last few years.

(I suppose my complete lack of financial responsibility helped a bit too.)

Pirate1019 · Post by **Pirate1019** » Fri May 25, 2007 6:04 am

Dave_K. wrote:I think kids today who never got to experience what an "arcade" really was, and have grown up on console games/RPGs/Interactive stories, will possibly never really understand the reasoning behind shmups. Its just too hard, and they are too lazy.

BTW Rob, who is that in your avatar picture?

I think I can be called a fanatic. At least compared to everybody else my age. I fit into the age group Dave_K. mentioned. It's almost rediculous how seperate I am from kids my age though. I dislike most forms of 3D gaming, enjoy getting my balls busted by difficult games, I play for score (or the closest equivelant in a game without) not just to finish the game, and am unable to keep up in a conversation about videogames with my friends because I'm already stuck in the past.

roker · Post by **roker** » Fri May 25, 2007 6:56 am

I'm not going to lie

prior to the Dreamcast, my shmupping was limited to Galaga, 1942, Tempest, Tempest 2000, Robotron, Parodius, and Gradius

once the system came out

I discovered a legion of great game that I never knew about (primarily Psikyo games, Ikaruga, and Border Down)

Because of that, I found Raizing and Cave

I might not have been before, but currently, it's my favorite genre

I'm also 29 and grew up in the arcade generation

My other favorite genres are beat'em ups and fighting games

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Fri May 25, 2007 7:03 am

It depends on my mood. Usually I'm more of a random gamer myself. I play what seems interesting at the time.

BIL · Post by **BIL** » Fri May 25, 2007 8:27 am

I love shmups, and can honestly say it's the one genre I'd keep playing if forced to choose. I get so much enjoyment out of these games; the general design ethic and culture of shooters just clicks with me. It's not that I consider this the only genre for me; I'm also a big fan of 2D fighting games, action games of any description and some games that keep "gameplay" strictly peripheral. Silent Hill 2 is a huge favourite of mine, and I have no trouble getting immersed in games of its more cinematic nature. Overall, though, I get by far the most value from and have the most affection for shooters. I'd refer to myself as a loyal fan, certainly.

I'm definitely not an experienced or accomplished player at this point, but that's never really bothered me. I'm sure working on the former will be fun, even if the latter never changes much!

Are you all Shmup fanatics?

Are you all Shmup fanatics?

Re: Are you all Shmup fanatics?