Is there such a thing as a 'Free-Roaming' Shmup?

[Blade]

Okay, the deal is this, I was recently playing a round or two of Ikaruga, and at the same time, I was messing around in a couple levels of Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner, especially the stage where there's a huge stack of buildings you can destroy along with many enemies. And then it dawned on me the similarity of Z.O.E. with Grand Theft Auto in some respects. The ability to make choices and decisions as to where to go, what route to take and how to specifically dispatch a certain group of enemies.

I know that in the case of many Shmups, alot of it is pattern based, where you rely mostly on your memory and reflexes, the patterns changing and strategy depending on the level of difficulty you play the game at. Or even simpler: ignoring a group of enemies to tackle larger and more Hi-Score worthy enemies. And in some rare cases, a secret level is unlocked if a certain target on a boss is hit, or you collect a certain item of some sort. But this is a rare thing.

Anyway, does anyone know if there are free-roaming shmups out there? Or did I just come up with a new concept?

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Desert Strike is the closest thing I can think of. Or maybe Amnios, ThunderForce II or any other free-scroller.

[Metal Gear Okt]

Armada for DC immediately comes to mind.

[Kiken]

Okay, the deal is this, I was recently playing a round or two of Ikaruga, and at the same time, I was messing around in a couple levels of Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner, especially the stage where there's a huge stack of buildings you can destroy along with many enemies. And then it dawned on me the similarity of Z.O.E. with Grand Theft Auto in some respects. The ability to make choices and decisions as to where to go, what route to take and how to specifically dispatch a certain group of enemies.

I know that in the case of many Shmups, alot of it is pattern based, where you rely mostly on your memory and reflexes, the patterns changing and strategy depending on the level of difficulty you play the game at. Or even simpler: ignoring a group of enemies to tackle larger and more Hi-Score worthy enemies. And in some rare cases, a secret level is unlocked if a certain target on a boss is hit, or you collect a certain item of some sort. But this is a rare thing.

Anyway, does anyone know if there are free-roaming shmups out there? Or did I just come up with a new concept?

Granada X and Bangaiou come to mind.

[Marc]

You were doing both at the same time? Now I'd like to see a superplay vid of that .

[Blade]

I'm not VTF-INO if that's what you're thinking....it's called a Pause Button, sheesh.

[Zweihander]

the aforementioned come to mind, as well as Sinistar, Defender, and Thunder Force 2. Robotron, Smash TV, and Sanvein are also somewhat free-roaming.

[Andi]

Basically you mean a shooter that scrolls in 4 directions. There are tons of those. Raptor Call of the Shadows, Zone 66, Traffic Department 2195 (or some such number), etc.

[Marc]

I'm not VTF-INO if that's what you're thinking....it's called a Pause Button, sheesh.

Just messing with ya mate, in a good mood and the idea of it just tickled me

[cfalcon]

While not really "free roaming", you can choose your direction in Time Pilot, an old arcade game. It's fun, but don't go into it expecting too much.

A game where you have total control over your direction (and especially your speed) ends up being way different from the "normal" shmup, which has a level with key points and details, most of which are memorizable.

[CMoon]

Thunderforce 1 & 2

[Cthulhu]

There was a fairly heated debate a while back about whether free-roaming games were actually shmups or not... but free roaming shooting games have (as proven by the many listed examples) have been around for a long time.

[professor ganson]

I take it that the upcoming Xyanide will, in some sense, be free roaming, though I am not yet confident about exactly how it's going to work.

[GaijinPunch]

Time Pilot

[Damocles]

Are you asking if a game exists where your actions dictate what is to come, namely what levels are visited, what scripted events happen and such? Rather than like in Psyvariar 2, where if you reach a certain buzz level you play an extra stage? Or in Kingdom Granprix where you get to choose the next level. I would love to see a game of this type, with not just a handful of instances where you can trigger events. For instance, the way you destroy a boss may cause consequences later on as defenses designed to negate your weapons may appear. Or failing to destroy a boss in time may cause it to destroy a city, perhaps stopping you from playing a level set in that city. Perhaps interacting with teammates via a dialog tree could open up branching pathways. I know it sounds very RPG'ish, and it downright borders on having the tagline of a "shmup life experience" but it's just a thought. Then again, the simplicity of shooters is what draws me in anyway.

*shrug*

[Dartagnan1083]

I take it that the upcoming Xyanide will, in some sense, be free roaming, though I am not yet confident about exactly how it's going to work.

Not really, I've seen gameplay vids
http://www.playlogic.nl/xyanide/index.php