Decent Handheld Shmups?

Post by **spadgy** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:31 pm

As life gets busier and the years pass, less time to do anything means less time to sit all night playing shmups (though I still do a fair bit of that!).

So, it's time to expand my collection of shmups for handhelds. I have everything from a DS to a Wonderswan via a GP2X and NGPC, so can get anything really. I already own:

Nanostray (DS)
R-Type (GBA)
Gradius Collection (PSP)
Every Extend Extra (PSP)

So - anyone got anything they'd recommend for shmupping on the small screen?

I'm already thinking Salamander PSP, and wondering how the Twinbee and Parodius collections on that format compare to the Saturn versions. I also like the idea of Steel Empire/Empire of Steel on the GBA...

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:49 pm

Star Soldier (PSP)
Solar Striker (GB)
Project S-11 (GBA) ...well, it's interesting at least...

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:14 pm

Obligatory Judgement Silversword > * -post.

D · Post by D » Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:29 pm

Ghegs wrote:Obligatory Judgement Silversword > * -post.

You kill me

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:54 pm

Get a Nomad and open your world up to the Sega library of shmups. A Turbo Express even...if you can find one.

sfried · Post by **sfried** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:07 pm

Super Star Soldier Advance (GBA)
Iridion II (GBA)
Steel Empire (GBA)
Gradius: Interstellar Assault (GB)
R-Type DX (GBC)

ex.machina · Post by **ex.machina** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:14 pm

I think most of the recent Konami collections are quite nice, such as

Salamander Portable
Twinbee Portable
Parodius Portable (especially this one is quite cool)

Gradius Collection didn't get the best port, still nice for collection though.

MathU · Post by **MathU** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:08 pm

Keep your eye on Nanostray 2. It should be coming out next month.

indstr · Post by **indstr** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:36 pm

if your PSP is homebrew capable, you can of course play Donpachi, Dodonpachi via POPS (the official PSX emulator which was hacked to work with ISO's), and for that matter, the entire PSX library which has a couple of OK shmups...

On PSP, there's also fullspeed emulators of CPS 1 & 2, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, SNES, Genesis & Sega CD, Turbografx 16 & CD, GBA, and most older systems as well

for PSP native games, i definitely recommend star soldier

Dragon1952 · Post by **Dragon1952** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:42 pm

Namco's Game Center CX!

Features two excellent portable shooters.....

Cosmic Gate and Star Prince

Check them out here:
http://namco-ch.net/gamecenter_cx/game/index.php

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:34 pm

Judgement Silversword is by far the best handheld shmup if you like your manics (And even though I don´t like them usually I still adore this game).

Gradius Galaxies/ Gradius Advance is the only other truly outstanding handheld only game I can think of.
A more than worthy episode in the Gradius series.

Nanostray 2 looks pretty awesome too though and seems like a must have to me (I never play the original anymore though).

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:49 pm

Some handheld shmups I like:
Sagaia (GB)
Twinbee Da! (GB)
Nemesis (GB)
Gradius Galaxies (GBA)
Steel Empire (GBA)
GG Aleste
Iridon II (GBA)
Shmups in Konami Arcade DS
R-Type DX (GBC)
Solar Striker (GB)

diOdesu · Post by **diOdesu** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:46 pm

i love summer carnival (NES) on my cell

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:58 pm

Ghegs wrote:Obligatory Judgement Silversword > * -post.

Needs more emphasis. This game is excellent. The pace is perfect, whether you are looking for 2 minutes of mobile shooting, or 4 hours of hiscore play, this game is all you need.

I play on a SwanCrystal, but apparently it works in a WSC emulator for PSP.

indstr · Post by **indstr** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:21 pm

iatneH wrote:
Ghegs wrote:Obligatory Judgement Silversword > * -post.
Needs more emphasis. This game is excellent. The pace is perfect, whether you are looking for 2 minutes of mobile shooting, or 4 hours of hiscore play, this game is all you need.

I play on a SwanCrystal, but apparently it works in a WSC emulator for PSP.

interesting, never heard of this one. so far the only wonderswan game i've gotten into is Klonoa ... as an american, it's kinda hard to get into the wonderswan library because most of the titles are in japanese, and most of the games seem to be text heavy.

but now i have a reason to fire up the wonderswan emulator again

Post by **spadgy** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 2:53 am

Thanks so much guys. You lot are fantastic. Looks like there's plenty to track down. I'm not so much a fan of emulation, but homebrew is something I love. On the GP2X I really love Noiz2a in short bursts.

I'm really up for loads of your suggestions, and in particular Judgement Silversword.

Also - the Nomad shmups - anymore info on what's good on that handheld?

Thanks again fellow shmup nerds...

boagman · Post by **boagman** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:59 am

spadgy wrote:Also - the Nomad shmups - anymore info on what's good on that handheld?

Nomad is the portable Genesis. It plays all Genesis carts on it, so any of those classic Genesis games would now be portable. BE WARNED: the Nomad eats through batteries like termites eat through soft wood. It may be a small price to pay for such shmuppy goodness, but it is what it is.

Post by **spadgy** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:59 am

Of course - I'd quite forgotten the Nomad's role as a pocked Genisis/MD. They never officially came out over here in the UK. I have a fairly limited list of Genisis shmups (Xenon 2, Steel Empire, Zero Wing, Thunderforce 3 and 4) compared to Saturn, DC, PS2 etc.

Any shmup recommendations for if I were to pick up a Nomad? Mucha Aleste I'm guessing....

indstr · Post by **indstr** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:41 pm

geez why not emulate genesis on your gp2x or psp? wtf? nicer screen, better controls, and way better battery life, not to mention they won't weigh 8 pounds

Post by **spadgy** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:52 pm

I certainly don't dismiss emulation, but I'm more fan of owning the actual game - it's just so much less effort. I'm just not that techie minded; my jamma/CPS2/supergun set-up is complex enough for my weak mind...

I'm not one of those collecters who can't even play stuff for fear of busting it, but I just like to hgunt down and play with an original...

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:58 pm

boagman wrote:
spadgy wrote:Also - the Nomad shmups - anymore info on what's good on that handheld?
Nomad is the portable Genesis. It plays all Genesis carts on it, so any of those classic Genesis games would now be portable. BE WARNED: the Nomad eats through batteries like termites eat through soft wood. It may be a small price to pay for such shmuppy goodness, but it is what it is.

You could say that of NEC's TurboExpress/GT handheld as well or even the Atari Lynx I or II handhelds also -- they gulp through "AA" batteries like no tomorrow -- is best to get their respective official A/C adapters if possible...

Let's not forget both the Japanese and European NGPC versions of Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams -- a cool shmup port of the cool original arcade PCB of the same name... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Post by **spadgy** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:00 pm

Were there any good Lynx shmups? I have one of those tucked away somewhere...

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:07 pm

Seibu Kaihatsu's Raiden -- for Atari Lynx and developed by Imagitech & released by Atari Corporation -- has a 1992 copyright date. Is very HTF nowdays...is presented in Tate'd format, of course!

Gates of Zendocon -- for the Atari Lynx & presented in yoko mode for your enjoyment...

Zaylor Mercenary -- for the Atari Lynx & presented in yoko mode for your portable gaming pleasure...

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Post by **spadgy** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:12 pm

Nice one - you're always coming to my rescue PC Engine Fan X.

I have quite a library of console and PCB shmups, but my handheld shmup knowledge is pitiful. Knowing you know nothing is the start of knowing something I guess...

boagman · Post by **boagman** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:14 pm

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:You could say that of NEC's TurboExpress/GT handheld as well or even the Atari Lynx I or II handhelds also -- they gulp through "AA" batteries like no tomorrow -- is best to get their respective official A/C adapters if possible...

Yes, I could, had I ever personally experienced a TurboExpress. I do, however, own (and still play!) an Atari Lynx II, and yes: I have the A/C adapter for it because it, too, will wolf down those AAs like nobody's business.

Unfortunately, due to the relative difficulty of finding shooters for the Lynx, I own none for the system. I'd love to be able to play some of them, but for what it'd cost to do so, I'd rather pick up more shooters for the PSP. Yes: of the three Konami Collection imports, I'd automatically go with Salamander Collection first, without a doubt.

Others I might suggest to the original poster: Capcom Classics Remixed for the PSP has Chariot as part of the 3 Wonders game, it also has Varth, and a few others. Not a bad little collection of old school games at all. Especially good for me since it was only $4 for me brand new. Gotta love me them TRU closeout special prices.

boagman · Post by **boagman** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:18 pm

spadgy wrote:I certainly don't dismiss emulation, but I'm more fan of owning the actual game - it's just so much less effort. I'm just not that techie minded; my jamma/CPS2/supergun set-up is complex enough for my weak mind...

I'm not one of those collecters who can't even play stuff for fear of busting it, but I just like to hgunt down and play with an original...

We are, indeed, kindred minds. I'm about as computer-stupid a person as you'd care to meet, and while I do have my PSP modified with custom firmware, I don't (currently) emulate, as I'm just not sophisticated enough with regard to this stuff to actually make it happen. I would like NOTHING MORE than to be able to play my favorite shooter ever, Viewpoint for the Neo-Geo, on my PSP, but I'm unable to because I'm just not familiar enough with this stuff to be able to do it.

Still love the PSP, though. Worth every cent I paid. Every Extend Extra *continues* to dominate the time spent playing on that platform.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:24 pm

For boagman,

It's do-able to play the MVS or Neo-Geo CD versions of Viewpoint on the PSP platform -- just d/l the appropiate Neo-Geo PSP emulator & Viewpoint MVS rom set or CD-Rom set and follow the directions carefully -- and bam, you're good to go! ^_~

boagman · Post by **boagman** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:31 pm

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:For boagman,

It's do-able to play the MVS or Neo-Geo CD versions of Viewpoint on the PSP platform -- just d/l the appropiate Neo-Geo PSP emulator & Viewpoint MVS rom set or CD-Rom set and follow the directions carefully -- and bam, you're good to go! ^_~

Yeah, you *say* that, but it's never that simple, and if I knew someone in the Detroit area that could walk me through some of this stuff to help me gain confidence with it, I'd do it in a heartbeat. That being said, I'm not knowledgeable enough about it to try and tackle it myself without serious worry that I might brick my system or something like that.

I kid you not: until about a month ago, I was a Mac-only user, so you can understand why I'm not exactly able to tackle something like this without help. I appreciate the encouragement, I really do...but it's far, far too large/confusing a task for someone like me, really.

Post by **spadgy** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:42 pm

Completely forgot I had the Capcom Classics on PSP as well as PS2. Good call...

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:31 am

boagman wrote:
PC Engine Fan X! wrote:For boagman,

It's do-able to play the MVS or Neo-Geo CD versions of Viewpoint on the PSP platform -- just d/l the appropiate Neo-Geo PSP emulator & Viewpoint MVS rom set or CD-Rom set and follow the directions carefully -- and bam, you're good to go! ^_~
Yeah, you *say* that, but it's never that simple, and if I knew someone in the Detroit area that could walk me through some of this stuff to help me gain confidence with it, I'd do it in a heartbeat. That being said, I'm not knowledgeable enough about it to try and tackle it myself without serious worry that I might brick my system or something like that.

I kid you not: until about a month ago, I was a Mac-only user, so you can understand why I'm not exactly able to tackle something like this without help. I appreciate the encouragement, I really do...but it's far, far too large/confusing a task for someone like me, really.

Here's a simple step by step instruction to play the MVS rom version of Viewpoint with MVSPSP v1.63 using a PSP with firmware 1.50 in conjunction with a PC using WinXP OS:

1.) Download the MVSPSP ver. 1.63 emulator and unzip it.

2.) Download the Viewpoint MVS rom and leave it zipped up -- it will be labeled "viewpoin.zip"...

3.) Select the correct folder labeled "1.0" (if you have a PSP with firmware 1.0) or "1.5" (if you have a PSP with firmware 1.5) and upload to your PSP via a USB link cable in "USB mode". Excute the MVSPSP ver. 1.63 program on your PSP by selecting "X" button and it will automatically create all the necessary files to get the emulator properly installed. The two most important files will be the "rom" "and cache" folders as they are right now empty (but will have the correct content placed into them in the future).

4.) Go to the romcv folder and select it to boot it up -- it will ask for the appropiate MVS rom to convert. Select the appropiate disk drive and file location that the Viewpoint zipped file is located on and run the program. It will now create a cache file. Go to the cache folder and click on it -- inside, you'll find a newly created zipped up Viewpoint cache file.

(In order for the MVSPSP emulator to work properly, you will need to d/l the required Neo-Geo Bios file also -- place the Neo-Geo Bios file inside the main MVSPSP program on the PSP and all will be well...)

5.) Place the zipped up Viewpoint rom file into the folder labled "roms" that is displayed inside the main MVSPSP folder on the PSP.

6.) Place the newly created cached Viewpoint file in step #3 on your PC and place it into the newly created "cache" folder on the PSP.

7.) Go to the Games folder located below the UMD icon and select the MVSPSP ver. 1.63 emulator and press button X, it should now list Viewpoint, highlight it with the PSP's D-pad or analog stick and press the circle button to boot it up.

8.) Enjoy your newly created MVS arcade roms to play on the go with your PSP!

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

shmups.system11.org

Decent Handheld Shmups?

Decent Handheld Shmups?

Step by step instructions on play Viewpoint on MVSPSP emu