Four Player Simultaneous Shmups

A Black Falcon · Post by **A Black Falcon** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:22 am

Why are there not more of these? I'll list the only (very few!) titles I know of... but really, I want to know, why aren't there more of these... and am I missing any?

(Also, has there been a thread on this before? Couldn't find anything, but message board search functions are horrible...)

Edits: Added Turbo Force, Blast Works, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, Exception and Exception Conflict, Laseroid, Shooting Love 200X, Bangai-O Spirits, Ketsui Death Label, Moero! Twinbee

Three or More Player Simultaneous Shmups

Single System / Single System and Online
--
Giga Wing 2 (Dreamcast) (4 player single system)
Aegis Wing (X360 XBLA) (4 player single system or online)
Turbo Force (Arcade) (3 player single system)
Blast Works: Build & Destroy (Wii) (4 player single system)
Laseroid (PC) (3 player single system)
Shooting Love 200X (Shooting Ginokentei (Shmups Skills Challege) mode only) (X360 Japan only release) (4 player single system)
Moero! Twinbee (Famicom - Japan version only, requires a Famicom and Japanese multitap to work) (3 player single system)

LAN/Online/System Link Only
--
Exception (PC) (4 player max lan/online) (borderline arena shmup)
Exception: Conflict (PC) (16 player max lan/online) (borderline arena shmup)
Ketsui Death Label (DS) (8 player wireless system link) (semi-alternating, only one person plays at once but everyone always needs to be paying attention, as it switches automatically during play...)

Borderline Shmup-like games

Single System/ Single System and Online
--
Armada (Dreamcast) (4 player single system)
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 (X360 XBLA) (4 player single system)

LAN/Online/System Link Only
--
Subspace (PC) (MMO shmuplike, only sort of counts) (still playable via Continuum client)
Fire Fight (PC) (4 player LAN play, 2 player modem play) -- top-down free-roam game, could consider it a shmup depending on your definition (sort of like, say, Zone 66 or the top-down levels in Thunder Force II)
Bangai-O Spirits (DS) (4 player wireless system link)

What should be added to this list? It would be great to know if there are more games like this, 4 player simultaneous can be a lot of fun in games, shmups included.

Udderdude · Post by **Udderdude** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 10:47 am

Hardly anyone plays 2 player in shmups, let alone 4 player.

MX7 · Post by **MX7** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:52 am

More people should play shooters with two players. It's not exactly hard to teach people how to play them (move/bomb/shoot now go).

spineshark · Post by **spineshark** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:16 pm

But even if both of you already know the game, in lots of cases you'll still suck horribly at it since neither of you will know how to cope with the crazy new aiming and all. Not to mention all sorts of other stupid stuff you might do.

Still, I scored a fair amount in Bakraid by playing with a guy who died over and over while I took the 100k medals he was making for me. That was pretty fun actually.

On the other hand, 4-player Giga Wing 2 is pretty stupid...maybe it'd work if you were all playing for score (and thus competing with others for the medals), but you could also just sit on top of each other and cycle shields.

bkk · Post by **bkk** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:23 pm

Gauntlet is pretty shmuppy. Turbo Force has three player simultaneous, although there is horrible slowdown already in single player :\

John845 · Post by **John845** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:33 pm

Ikaruga is fun with 2 players. As is Mushi, Esp Galuda, DDPDOJ, etc. Fun shit. I wish there was a "bullet hell" game for the pc where you can play online with someone.

MX7 · Post by **MX7** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:38 pm

spineshark wrote:But even if both of you already know the game, in lots of cases you'll still suck horribly at it since neither of you will know how to cope with the crazy new aiming and all. Not to mention all sorts of other stupid stuff you might do.

You can still enjoy it, even if you're not aiming for a new WR

Also, with regards to aimed bullets, remember only half of the barrage will now be aimed at you. Some games, like Geometry Wars, become stupidly easy because of this.

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:42 pm

Exception can be played by up to 4 people (the original campaign) and Exception Conflict (multiplayer oriented, works if you can connect with people of your own country or if you are confined in a place called "Japan" 'cause it doesn't work anywhere else...) allows up to 16 apparently, although 8 people seems the ideal.

Zaarock · Post by **Zaarock** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:43 pm

Well, geometry wars 2 has 4 player local only. Ikaruga with 2 players brings bad memories

Dragoforce · Post by **Dragoforce** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:57 pm

John845 wrote:fun with 2 players... Esp Galuda,

Playing Espgaluda 2-player is terrible! It's virtually impossible to use the Kaukesi mode properly. Doesn't matter if you're playing with an experienced or unexperienced player, you just end up sabotaging for one another. Naw, shmups are to be played 1-player (With the exeption of Twinkle star sprites and the likes of course)

SockPuppetHyren · Post by **SockPuppetHyren** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:58 pm

I know Blast Works supports up to 4 players in most of it's levels.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 3:50 pm

The Video System Co. release of Hyper Force/Turbo Force does support up to three players from the get-go. It was also the very first arcade shmup title to give the player auto-fire from the get-go as well. At my local Regency Game Palace arcade hangout, Turbo Force was graced with three cherry red colored Happ joysticks -- sure took some valuable physical real estate with that particular three joysticks setup. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Post by **Dave_K.** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 4:54 pm

PCEFX beat me to the punch on Turbo Force...the only arcade/pcb shmup title I know that supports > 2 players.

John845 · Post by **John845** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:06 pm

Dragoforce wrote:
John845 wrote:fun with 2 players... Esp Galuda,

Playing Espgaluda 2-player is terrible! It's virtually impossible to use the Kaukesi mode properly. Doesn't matter if you're playing with an experienced or unexperienced player, you just end up sabotaging for one another. Naw, shmups are to be played 1-player (With the exeption of Twinkle star sprites and the likes of course)

It's not that bad... In the beginning its kind of annoying but you just tell your partner when to turn his slowmo on and off, and you just switch off.

A Black Falcon · Post by **A Black Falcon** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 10:52 pm

Added Turbo Force, Blast Works, and Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2. Thanks, I thought there had to be a few more... it would be interesting (and unfortunate) if there is only one three or more player arcade shmup, though. Too bad... it seems like something that should have happened more. Beat 'em ups got up to six players in the arcade, for instance, but shmups only made it to three, in one game?

Like, how Giga Wing 2 was two player only in the arcade (correct?), but four player at home... it was a great addition, though. Sure, with more players it can be less strategic, particularly if some don't really know how to play, but even so it can be a lot of fun... multiplayer Giga Wing 2 is kind of crazy, but entertaining.

Observer wrote:Exception can be played by up to 4 people (the original campaign) and Exception Conflict (multiplayer oriented, works if you can connect with people of your own country or if you are confined in a place called "Japan" 'cause it doesn't work anywhere else...) allows up to 16 apparently, although 8 people seems the ideal.

Interesting, never heard of those... looking at videos though, should it be considered a shmup or shmuplike? Online-only multiplayer, no local? Either way sixteen players on one screen would be... interesting...

http://i-saint.skr.jp/exception/#screenshot

One way or the other they should obviously be on the list. I just need to be sure about the category... shmup or shmuplike, and online-only multiplayer or single-system.

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:36 am

Exception is a STG (shooting game) and that's how the author calls it.

However, it makes use of the 3D engine by switching from a horizontal perspective to a vertical one and your cube has a multidirectional weapon as well as lock-on guided laser missiles (think RayForce or Macross).

The original release was in C73, this one contains a 5-stages single player campaign that you can play in co-op with up to 4 people unless the latest patch added up to 8. It is recommended to play it in higher difficulties to have more cubes to shoot at and compete for the max score: it uses a chain counter with the amount of cubes you catapult to destroy stuff. It can also lead too cool strategies to take out the bosses.

Supports LAN and through a server online. However, LAN works nice and the online mode works only if you are close (like... next door or in the same city/small country like Japan) to the other players. If the ping goes over 100 it's game over and becomes unplayable.

Exception Conflict is multiplayer oriented and comes with three modes: horde, deathmatch and team fortress. The first mode is the only one worth playing. Apparently, horde is the shooter inspired version of the Gears of War horde mode. You fight 30 waves of enemies. Think of it as an enemy rush instead of a BOSSU RASHU MODO.

Deatmatch is pretty much self explanatory: fight against everyone till the stage times out.

Team Fortress mixes strategy with shooter: you have to protect a core and destroy the core (Gradius reference right there) of the enemy fortress with the help of your team-mates while a constant rain of cubes of doom falls upon yer heads.

So yeah, seems the game is everything in one: multiplayer and local, full stg (the original Exception) and stg-like at times (Exception Conflict and the deathmatch/Team Fortress modes).

Hope that helps.

edit: here you have a replay I did with Horde mode in single player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv2TvyBH3Vo

Enhasa · Post by **Enhasa** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:45 am

REFLECT FORCE
REFLECT FORCE
REFLECT FORCE
REFLECT FORCE
repeat

A Black Falcon · Post by **A Black Falcon** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:49 am

Local single player only then, so it goes in "lan/modem/online multiplayer only". I was mostly asking about the genre (shmup/shmuplike) because of how it seems like most of the time in some modes (the second game particularly) it's a static screen, not scrolling. But yeah, they're clearly shmups.

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:54 am

A Black Falcon wrote:Local single player only then, so it goes in "lan/modem/online multiplayer only". I was mostly asking about the genre (shmup/shmuplike) because of how it seems like most of the time in some modes (the second game particularly) it's a static screen, not scrolling. But yeah, they're clearly shmups.

You have a good point there. Seeing it doesn't scroll, Exception Conflict could also be catalogued as an 'arena' shmup, right? Although the moving background can be deceiving and I'm assuming it's there to give a sense of constant scrolling.

Oh, damn how could I forget of Laseroid! Three players at once and TATE mode!

A Black Falcon · Post by **A Black Falcon** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:31 am

Observer wrote:You have a good point there. Seeing it doesn't scroll, Exception Conflict could also be catalogued as an 'arena' shmup, right? Although the moving background can be deceiving and I'm assuming it's there to give a sense of constant scrolling.

Yeah, that's what I meant... should they really be considered arena shooters and not shmups, given the lack of scrolling? It seems a somewhat borderline case. I put them in shmups, but I'm really not sure... while much of it seems arena-style, parts are more traditionally shmup-like. It sort of seems in between.

Very pretty games, though...

Oh, damn how could I forget of Laseroid! Three players at once and TATE mode!

Ah, and with single-system multiplayer too! Looks pretty good...

Kiken · Post by **Kiken** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:49 am

Shooting Ginokentei (Shmups Skills Challege) in Shooting Love 200X for 360 has a 4-player simultaneous versus mode.

nash87 · Post by **nash87** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:21 am

ketsui death label has up to 8 players, i think. at least that what it looks to be on the back of the box. and there's a PC shmup/mmorpg called valkyrie sky that has at least four player, looks intense.

A Black Falcon · Post by **A Black Falcon** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:52 am

nash87 wrote:ketsui death label has up to 8 players, i think. at least that what it looks to be on the back of the box.

Really? I wonder how that would work...

Made me think to check Bangai-O Spirits, though. And yup, 4 player multiplayer.

and there's a PC shmup/mmorpg called valkyrie sky that has at least four player, looks intense.

I'm sure there's a good number of such games that aren't on that list. Subspace was just the first, not the last...

Post by **Ghegs** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:07 am

A Black Falcon wrote:
nash87 wrote:ketsui death label has up to 8 players, i think. at least that what it looks to be on the back of the box.
Really? I wonder how that would work...

Me and some other shmuppers played it 3-player at a gaming event few months ago. The way the co-op mode works is that players basically take turns controlling the same ship. Each player has a fixed amount of time each "turn" to control the ship. When their time runs out, the control automatically and instantly switches to the next player in line. This repeats and loops until all the lives run out or the course is cleared. The switch happens on the fly, even if the ship is in the middle of dodging the hardest pattern.

It's very cool and it takes quite a bit of practice. You have to be prepared to assume control when it's your turn and you have to try to avoid putting the ship into a hopeless situation when your turn is about to run out.

Udderdude · Post by **Udderdude** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:34 am

Ghegs wrote:You have to try to avoid putting the ship into a hopeless situation when your turn is about to run out.

I would probabally do that on purpose .. >_>

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 3:40 pm

star fox on n64?

A Black Falcon · Post by **A Black Falcon** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:08 pm

ROBOTRON wrote:star fox on n64?

Hmm... should have thought of that. The single player is one of the best rail shooters ever (it's that and the Panzer Dragoon games on top of the list, really), but the multiplayer... I thought it was absolutely awful. But I guess rail shooters could count as "shmup-like games" even though the multiplayer mode is free-roam mode only and not cooridor rail-shooting mode... I don't want to have to open it up to every free-flying 3d flight game with multiplayer, after all. Can you expand it to include Star Fox 64's multiplayer mode and not have to expand it to also include, say, PC space combat sims with multiplayer like X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, etc? Where is the line?

If Star Fox 64's multiplayer was in the rail-shooter mode I'd include it no question, but... but on the other hand, several 2d or 2.5d arena shooters are in the list. Those count but 3d arena flying games don't? Hmm...

Arvandor · Post by **Arvandor** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:31 am

in lots of cases you'll still suck horribly at it since neither of you will know how to cope with the crazy new aiming and all. Not to mention all sorts of other stupid stuff you might do.

This is part of what makes it so much fun.

One of my favorite shooters to play multiplayer is Ikaruga. My roommate and I will try and figure out how to split up the chains, but then one of us will accidentally push the other into a wall or obliterate them with close range suicide bullets by being the wrong color. We laugh our asses off when stuff like this happens, it's so much fun =) Then of course bad runs degrade into us purposefully trying to kill each other with suicide bullets and walls; which is pretty amusing.

Then you have stuff like Twinkle Star Sprites, that basically HAS to be played multiplayer =P

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:40 am

Moreo Twinbee for the Famicom/FDS has three players. It was removed from the US Stinger version, though.

orange · Post by **orange** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 3:47 am

subspace (now called continuum) is a great game and everyone should try it