Must have Sega Saturn SHUMPs?

[thegardentool]

I've owned my Sega Saturn model 2 since Dec. 1996 and I only have a handful of games for it. I've been looking into getting a white import SS for awhile to get a taste of the import game scene.

Can anybody give me the must have list of SS SHUMPs? Obviously I know Radiant Silvergun is on it but what about the others?

[Ghegs]

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=11882 , "Quick List of Systems and Games".

[evil_ash_xero]

Well, everyone has their own opinion, but i'll throw my 2 cents in here.

Radiant Silvergun is a must, so you got that right. The best one on there, in my opinion.

After that, you might wanna check out Soukyugurentai, Battle Garegga, and Layer Section(you can get a U.S. version as Galactic Attack).

DonPachi is really good, as is Batsugun. DoDonPachi is one of the THE best you can get for it, but the Saturn version has pixelated explosions which turn some people off. Also, the "Salamander Deluxe Pack" isn't too shabby, because of it's inclusion of Salamander 2, which has really sweet graphics and fun gameplay. Looks a lot like Gradius Gaiden, on the PS1.

Have fun.

s/m

[CIT]

Layer Section
Batsugun
Radiant Silvergun
Soukyuugurentai
Battle Garegga
All the Konami Deluxe Packs
Thunder Force V
Hyper Duel
Image Fight & X Multiply

[genetik]

Batsugun
Soukyugurentai
Radiant Silvergun
Cotton Boomerang
Dodonpachi
Twinkle Star Sprites
Darius Gaiden
DonPachi
Battle Garegga
Detana! Twinbee Yahho Deluxe Pack
Blast Wind

[overkill55]

All of these guys' suggestions have been great, I just wanted to add that it would be a lot cheaper for you to find an Action Replay cart or ST-Key to allow your US Saturn to play imports rather than getting a JP Saturn

[Arvandor]

The lack of mention of Game Tengoku or Shooting Game Paradise (same game) makes me a very sad person.

Battle Garegga is kind of a love/hate thing, depending on how you feel about the ranking system, but I'd highly recommend it (actually surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet). Try it in MAME, or just buy a copy (you can almost always get back what you payed for out of shooters), do a bit of research, and see what you think.

Otherwise the lists look fine to me. Everything else I recommend the most has already been mentioned. Though, I've never played Cotton Boomerang, Cotton 2 is a very excellent game as well.

[cigsthecat]

Battle Garegga is kind of a love/hate thing, depending on how you feel about the ranking system, but I'd highly recommend it (actually surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet).

The three posts above containing suggestions all have Garegga in them.

[ROBOTRON]

Thunderforce 5
Sokyugerentai
Radiant Silvergun
Layer Section
Darius Gaiden
Blast Wind
Tempest 2000

I am not a big CAVE person so good luck on those.

[Arvandor]

Battle Garegga is kind of a love/hate thing, depending on how you feel about the ranking system, but I'd highly recommend it (actually surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet).

The three posts above containing suggestions all have Garegga in them.

Uhhh... I blame lack of sleep =) Scheduling got seriously screwed up this weekend and I'm working when I'd normally be sleeping, and it's not working very well.

Well, there you go. My only complaint then is that no one has mentioned Game Tengoku, which is simply amazing.

[Sonic R]

I'll post my list of 'good to be having' Sega Saturn Shoot them ups:

Battle Garegga
Soukyugurentai‡
Batsugun
Hyper Duel (Saturn mode is awesome!)
Blast Wind
Twinkle Star Sprites†
Radiant Silvergun
Thunder Force V‡
Cotton 2 and Boomerang
Konami Deluxe packs (Gradius, Salamander, Twin Bee)‡
Galactic Attack(USA)
Darius Gaiden(USA)

‡also on PlayStation
†also on Dreamcast

[thegardentool]

All of these guys' suggestions have been great, I just wanted to add that it would be a lot cheaper for you to find an Action Replay cart or ST-Key to allow your US Saturn to play imports rather than getting a JP Saturn

My decision is based on a couple of factors. I like the white version the best. Most of my accessories are the import models like the black Virtua Gun and the white Virtua Stick. I was planning on doing a switchless region mod to it so I can play both US and JP games.

Thanks to everybody for the game suggestions, I'll definately try to pick up the US ones now and when I find me a good white Saturn pick up the imported ones.

I would try them out on MAME but the only USB controller I have is the 360 controller

[J-Manic]

Must have Batsugun. That should be the very first one you get.

[Andi]

All of these guys' suggestions have been great, I just wanted to add that it would be a lot cheaper for you to find an Action Replay cart or ST-Key to allow your US Saturn to play imports rather than getting a JP Saturn

My cart slot stopped working shortly after I started using an Action Replay, forcing me to buy a JP Sega Saturn (I didn't really want to region mod it). I've heard it's a rather common occurence actually.

[shinsage]

get galactic attack/layer section for starters.

and then go from there, only to see that the cheapest shooter is oddly enough one of the best.

[overkill55]

get galactic attack/layer section for starters.

and then go from there, only to see that the cheapest shooter is oddly enough one of the best.

I find Darius Gaiden and even sometimes Twinbee go for less than Layer Section/Galactic attack I want it

[Shatterhand]

If I had to pick only 3 Saturn shmups, I guess I would get Layer Section, Cotton Boomerang and Thunder Force V

And if I had to pick 3 more, I would go for Battle Garegga, Batsugun and Darius Gaiden.

Probably.

Not a big fan of either Sokyu or RSG, even though they are usually held as the best shmups on the system.



Game Tengoku is awesome, but I think it's a tad expensive, isn't it?

[overkill55]

Game Tengoku isn't really expensive, not more than $30 if I remember right

[Shatterhand]

hmm

Well, add Game Tengoku to my list then Awesome game, shame about the sequel

[Veracity]

Is it worth distinguishing between 'games you have to get for Saturn' and 'must-have games you can get for Saturn'? The PC and XBox Taito Legends 2 releases include Rayforce and Darius Gaiden (MAMEd, for all practical purposes, as far as I know), and Darius Gaiden is on the PS2 version (but runs slow) - don't know what extras/arcade fidelity differences apply to the Saturn releases, but TL2 might be worth considering for these, if they're expensive.

[BrianC]

Is it worth distinguishing between 'games you have to get for Saturn' and 'must-have games you can get for Saturn'? The PC and XBox Taito Legends 2 releases include Rayforce and Darius Gaiden (MAMEd, for all practical purposes, as far as I know), and Darius Gaiden is on the PS2 version (but runs slow) - don't know what extras/arcade fidelity differences apply to the Saturn releases, but TL2 might be worth considering for these, if they're expensive.

I know at least the PS2 version is not worth considering for Darius Gaiden and Rayforce (since Rayforce isn't in it). I'm not sure about the PC one. It uses DRM, which is very bad, though there are ways around it. For Darius Gaiden and Rayforce, at least, they both got US releases and neither the US nor the JP versions are hard to come by or expensive, so I would say go with the Saturn version for those. The Saturn versions of those games are in true low res, which is also a buying point for some.

[ubersaurus]

I second Tempest 2000. If you don't have a Jaguar, it's your next best option. Being a domestic release too, it's pretty cheap

[j^aws]

These are also worth owning:

- Thunder Force AC & TF IV (Thunder Force Gold Pack 2, with no slow down)

- Metal Black (doesn't have the laser bug in TL2)

- Prikura Daisakusen (semi-free-roaming, isometric shmup)

[BrianC]

I liked what Konami did with the deluxe packs. Instead of just porting their 1994 or 1995 shmups alone, they included another game with it. Good ports too. Most other Saturn shmups from around the same time were released alone.

If you don't mind Colecovision style graphics and scrolling, I highly recommend the Konami MSX Ultra Pack. It has a ton of shmups in it, including MSX ports of Gradius and Twinbee, Gradius II (MSX exclusive, not a port of the arcade Gradius II), Gofer no Yabou Episode II (MSX exclusive Gradius game), Salamander (very different from any other version), Knightmare, Time Pilot, Sky Jaguar, Super Cobra (which is different from the arcade), and Pippols. The price fluctuates all over for the Saturn MSX collection, though. I bought a legit one brand new for 10 dollars, but most places sell it for much more.

[Veracity]

I know at least the PS2 version is not worth considering for Darius Gaiden and Rayforce

Quite - PS2 Darius Gaiden's speed seems not quite 50Hz bad, but wrong enough to feel treacly and make some effects sound off. For all that it's a bit above the atrocious norm for shovelware compilations, I don't think the PS2 release has much value beyond G.Darius and Raystorm, both of which look to be hacked about revisions of PS1 ports rather than newly emulated. The PC version I consider worthwhile, but really more as a legit ROM license than a complete package - the DRM's trivial to circumvent if you want the packaged features, and you can simply point MAME at the ROMs for tate, autofire hacks, etc. Anyhow, don't want to derail further; TL2 already has its own epic thread. Saturn releases would be worth considering if, as you say, they're not fetching silly prices, if only for the 'nice to have' factor of single releases; I assume most standalone ports also cover features like stage select that're missing from compilations.

[BrianC]

Saturn releases would be worth considering if, as you say, they're not fetching silly prices, if only for the 'nice to have' factor of single releases; I assume most standalone ports also cover features like stage select that're missing from compilations.

They don't fetch silly prices at all. Darius Gaiden for Saturn usually sells for under 20 complete, both US and JP. Galactic Attack can also be found for 15-20. Layer Section, the JP version runs 15-25. Not expensive at all, though not as cheap as getting it in a bunch of games for $19.99.

The Saturn Rayforce, no matter what it is called, is a slick port of the game with tate mode. The US Galactic Attack version is intact from the JP Layer Section version despite the name change. I don't recommend playing it in Yoko, though. It's one of those yoko modes that keeps the sprites the same size while cutting off part of the screen.

From what I heard, the US version of Taito Legends 2 may run some games faster than the EU version, but the input problems inherent from the EU verison and the slowdown problems from the original JP Memories 1 versions of the games are still intact. From what I heard, it's not worth double dipping on games like Darius Gaiden or Elevator Action Returns with the JP Memories 1 collections. However, the JP Memories 1 collections don't have the input glitches for Metal Black or Hat Trick Hero.

All of these guys' suggestions have been great, I just wanted to add that it would be a lot cheaper for you to find an Action Replay cart or ST-Key to allow your US Saturn to play imports rather than getting a JP Saturn

My cart slot stopped working shortly after I started using an Action Replay, forcing me to buy a JP Sega Saturn (I didn't really want to region mod it). I've heard it's a rather common occurence actually.

I don't know. Ganelon had his working for 7 years or more. The board on the Action Replay 4m Plus Auto is much thinner than the Gameshark's board. The Gameshark also plays imports, but it has a fat PCB with sharp edges. It doesn't have built in ram like the Action Replay 4m Plus Auto either. Not a good thing to put in the slot. I heard that the Action Reply 4m Plus Auto should be ok if you don't take it out of the cart slot too much and don't take it out while the Saturn is on.

Oddly enough, the Gameshark actually has the same menus as the Action Replay 4m Plus Auto. I'm guessing the original Action Replay was the same and another company "borrowed" the code.