1983 Shmup Impressions (a.k.a. Project Huey Freeman Jr.)

Pirate1019 · Post by **Pirate1019** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:34 am

I have no idea if anybody ever remembers me making this promise, but after nearly 6 months, I finally got off my ass and finished it.

Link
Looking back, I was probably not the best candidate for this project. The impressions are laced with cynicism stemming from my lack of enthusiasm for older shooters and Rob giving me a shitty year. Thanks pal.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:32 am

You're welcome!

Will read in a bit.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:36 am

Plenty of candidates for PHFSTGT08

Mortificator · Post by **Mortificator** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:28 am

Wow, I've never played any of these games. The article could have done with the HTML treatment and a few screenshots (I looked at them on KLOV), but I liked it.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:34 pm

For Pirate1019,

Very nice and informative write-ups on those classic 1983 arcade shmup titles... ^_~

IIRC, Gyruss was released in Japan from Konami Co. Ltd. and licensed to Centuri for distribution in the USA back in 1983... ^_~

Is one of those cool early Konami produced 1980's arcade PCB titles that outputs beautifully in stereo -- is playable on a Jamma rig via an adapter harness setup...

I recall back in the early 1990's, such a full-sized USA Centuri version of Gyruss cabinet would sell for $500.00 USD along side with the 1981 Atari Games arcade cabinet of Tempest for the same asking price. Nowdays, the going prices are even higher, of course...
If you did attend the 2007 California Extreme show, you might recall seeing such a USA version Centuri Gyruss cabinet that someone brought in for the public to try out and set on "Free Play" mode (and it was, indeed, for sale at a cheap-ass asking price of $500.00 USD). I passed up on the offer this time around as tempting as it was..... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Pirate1019 · Post by **Pirate1019** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:56 pm

Mortificator wrote:Wow, I've never played any of these games. The article could have done with the HTML treatment and a few screenshots (I looked at them on KLOV), but I liked it.

To be honest, I don't know HTML and I'm not sure if the games deserve it.

Edit: If anybody feels so inclined, they can do it and I'll give them credit for prettying it up.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:37 am

Haven't read yet, but where did you get the list to work from? I'd really like to go through early arcade shooters eventually.

icycalm · Post by **icycalm** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:03 am

So when's your next countdown coming up and what system/era are you focusing on?

Pirate1019 · Post by **Pirate1019** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:57 am

Rob wrote:Haven't read yet, but where did you get the list to work from? I'd really like to go through early arcade shooters eventually.

If I recall, when I started out I used the list from that shmup dissertation that Berty posted here. It seemed very complete.

Thread

Dissertation

Edit: Older Thread

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 8:58 am

icycalm wrote:So when's your next countdown coming up and what system/era are you focusing on?

Me? Probably 6 or more months from now and early arcade (late 70s-early 80s - all single-screen, arena, auto-scrolling, etc. I can find). I just need to come up with a list first.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:46 am

Pirate: The Lite-Brite look is one of the best things about early arcade games.

The list (starting pg. 64) in that pdf file looks really helpful, but it didn't seem to include some obvious stuff like Space Invaders (and clones?) or Robotron or Gyruss, which you had played. Did you do much digging for games missing from that list, or did just know Gyruss was from '83 already?

Pirate1019 · Post by **Pirate1019** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:04 am

Rob wrote:Pirate: The Lite-Brite look is one of the best things about early arcade games.

The list (starting pg. 64) in that pdf file looks really helpful, but it didn't seem to include some obvious stuff like Space Invaders (and clones?) or Robotron or Gyruss, which you had played. Did you do much digging for games missing from that list, or did just know Gyruss was from '83 already?

I must have already had it, which isn't surprising since I got most of my roms from a torrent with over 200 shmups in it.

If you read the newer of the threads that I linked to, I think Incognoscente mentions that most of the index (pg 64 on) is block quoted from arcade-history.com or some such website. Maybe they have updated their records since then. I would check it out. If they still don't have enough information, then try looking to see if they have an affiliates link section or something and then dig through their stuff.

Edit: I never liked Lite-Brite. Maybe it was because my sister ate all of the colored pieces.

Edit it more!: Looks like I was right. http://www.arcade-history.com has gyruss in it's records, along with a few that I haven't heard of before. Some are no doubt borderliners, but there is more information there then in the dissertation.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 8:31 pm

Pirate1019 wrote:http://www.arcade-history.com

Oh wow, my mind exploded. If they are missing items I don't want to know. 79/80-83 looks like it'll do.

shmups.system11.org

1983 Shmup Impressions (a.k.a. Project Huey Freeman Jr.)

1983 Shmup Impressions (a.k.a. Project Huey Freeman Jr.)

The 411 on the USA Centuri version of Gyruss cabinet...