1978-1983 arcade shooter countdown.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'm going to give myself a headache if I keep trying to play random games, but I do have a much-higher Scramble highscore than I have listed here.

In fact, I maintain Shmups' highscore list for the game! I'd put one up for Super Cobra too, that being the much more challenging game - better all around except for being frustrating. Unfortunately I'm running into trouble what with the broken arrow keys and the 360 pad which causes me to drift into walls all the time.

Shmups Forum Scramble highscore thread here, with pretty colors!

[Rob]

A little late to the party but.

Any score for any of these games are welcome. I think today'll just be a score day. More games Sunday.

Perhaps it's just me, but doesn't it look like the title on the Looping flyer is written with yellow poo?

The cursive doesn't help.

[Shatterhand]

I have the SG-1000 card and don't like it there either.

The SG-1000 game is different. It has less variety on the levels, but it has a top-down level ala Thunder Force 2. It also has a very cool soundtrack.

[Limbrooke]

Oh, Bosconian almost cracked top 20, I probably wouldn't have even noticed if it didn't make the list period but it is a suitable precursor to Thunder Force and that's good enough in my books. Gotta love the giant high score display at the end, and the music isn't too bad in my books either...LOCK ON

Even though Gyruss is a bit basic, also gets my appreciation for the Konami rendition of Bach. Not something the game can hide behind entirely but it's 1 good reason to try it out. Probably would have never looked into this one, thank you list!.

[Ed Oscuro]

I have the SG-1000 card and don't like it there either.

The SG-1000 game is different. It has less variety on the levels, but it has a top-down level ala Thunder Force 2. It also has a very cool soundtrack.

That's actually what I was referring to when I said it has inertia.

It's good to see Zoom 909's colors are better in MAME, but that game has inertia too...!

[professor ganson]

I cannot agree that Scramble is better than Xevious. In fact, I don't think they're comparable at all, really. Maybe something in the top 20 will be comparable to Xevious. The games are definitely getting more interesting at this point.

My Xevious score: 159,660.

[Shatterhand]

I have the SG-1000 card and don't like it there either.

The SG-1000 game is different. It has less variety on the levels, but it has a top-down level ala Thunder Force 2. It also has a very cool soundtrack.

That's actually what I was referring to when I said it has inertia.

It's good to see Zoom 909's colors are better in MAME, but that game has inertia too...!

The arcade game has the topdown levels too?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Oh, Bosconian almost cracked top 20, I probably wouldn't have even noticed if it didn't make the list period but it is a suitable precursor to Thunder Force and that's good enough in my books. Gotta love the giant high score display at the end, and the music isn't too bad in my books either...LOCK ON

Even though Gyruss is a bit basic, also gets my appreciation for the Konami rendition of Bach. Not something the game can hide behind entirely but it's 1 good reason to try it out. Probably would have never looked into this one, thank you list!.

Playing Gyruss on the full sized cabinet is pure retro arcade shmupping at it's finest. One time, back in late 1980s, I put a single token into a Gyruss cab and played to the final stage before reaching Earth on my last life. Was destroyed before reaching Earth. So close but no cigar. The bonus stage patterns get pretty crazy the closer you get to reaching Earth (therefore limiting those 10,000 point bonuses necessary to boost up your scores & earn extra lives). ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Ed Oscuro]

The SG-1000 game is different. It has less variety on the levels, but it has a top-down level ala Thunder Force 2. It also has a very cool soundtrack.

That's actually what I was referring to when I said it has inertia.

It's good to see Zoom 909's colors are better in MAME, but that game has inertia too...!

The arcade game has the topdown levels too?

I was referring to the high-speed type areas where you drift around.

I'm pretty sure you're right and that the arcade version doesn't have it. I vaguely remember the top-down levels from when I first found this game in MAME, but I also checked out the SG-1000 ROM at the time. I played through a few (three) stages of Zoom 909 and there wasn't a top-down level, and I don't really expect to find one.

[Dale]

Fuck Carnival. This is the first time I've seen a shmup actual cheat. These games aren't as charming in Mame as they are in person.

Edit I got about 15,000 in Carnival.

[Shatterhand]

I played the arcade version for more than 3 levels on Mame and didn't see that level either.

In the other hand, the SG-1000 version has only 4 levels (counting both the topdown level and the boss fight) before it loops. But each new loop has a big raise in the difficulty.


And you don't have to drift around. Keep the 2nd button pressed and you can control your ship. I don't remember having inertia there, more a slow-speed turning. Those levels were very easy, as you could keep on getting one shield after the other, it was nearly impossible to die

[incognoscente]

A single credit of Bosconian as my reward for updating the feedback thread and strategy index:
INC - 240,100 (new ver.)

[Rob]

The games are definitely getting more interesting at this point.

Yeah, it was definitely a drag making it through a lot of those games. I tried to give most of them a fair chance, then had to post about them. If I do another thread I'll probably just skip to the top 40 or so. Always going to miss some games.

A single credit of Bosconian as my reward for updating the feedback thread and strategy index:

Someone has to update the feedback thread? Now that sounds like hell.

[Rob]

the terrible teens

#19 Rescue (1982)

Fly down to the water's surface without joining the person you are trying to rescue, lower the ladder. You can always pull the ladder away mid-rescue if things get too messy (sometimes you gotta do it). See, a little realism can add some enjoyment. Grind a parachuter in your propellers and they'll send a fresh one. After rescuing a set amount of people you simply drop them off on a small deserted island. The only problem is with the one-pixel, cloud-colored bullets on light blue skies or star-colored on night skies (most versatile invisibullet camo), which will be like dodging gusts of wind after things start speeding up.

[Rob]

pseudo-shmup

#18 Missile Command (1980)

Navigating between the three bases while protecting your cities from splintering attacks can be pretty intense for a few credits a decade. I'm certain that this would get extremely boring if considering it for advanced play. Maybe it's because the rounds go by so quickly, but it feels more repetitive than most.

[Rob]

I wish I could just have people posing with arcade cabs for the rest of the list.

#17 Galaxian (1979)

I think this gets some hatred because it isn't Galaga and when I start it up I also think this is going to suck. A few credits are all it takes to warm up to it. You don't get the cool Galaga ship and you can't really dodge between enemy bullets. I enjoy the game for being a bastard and the enemies for nicking the corner of the dorky Galaxian ship every time they make a dive for it. It's all the frustration you can't get in Galaga.

Is that even Galaxian running in that cab? Looks cool anyways.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yeah, that's a Japanese Galaxian upright cabinet. Namco even made those Japanese cocktail table styled Galaxian cabs as well. The USA region Bally Midway Galaxian cabinets have a two-way joystick lever in place in lieu of the original two button controls used move your Galaxian fightercraft. ^_~

I do recall seen the "Super Galaxians" at a local arcade back in the mid 1990s. It was presented on a huge 25" tate arcade monitor -- kinda of bit of overkill but it was the same Galaxian that I remember from the late 1970s-early 1980s era.

PC #Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Rob]

#16 Centipede (1980)
#15 Millipede (1982)

I like these games more for their look and originality than actually playing them. They're the only games here where you can use the environment to set up traps. Millipede was designed to keep people from building protective mushroom huts that could block everything out except for the spiders. The updated field is constantly shifting, being laced with poison and destroyed by clouds of DDT. Even a person who doesn't want to cheat their way to high score can appreciate the faster pace. Centipede can already be extremely fast and frustrating when there are multiple independent centipede heads darting back and forth, bumping off of every mushroom in their path. The generous firing rate never seems fast enough when that happens.

#14 Balloon Bomber (1980)

I love this game for the always reliable fun of single screen balloons and the comical difficulty curve/slump. It doesn't matter if you're not fast enough to defend against the missile droppings and get trapped on a tiny island. The lower the balloons get, the easier it is to hit the missiles. The cheapest and least effective Air Force around.

[Rob]

#13 Astro Invader (1980)

This was an early favorite when I started playing a lot of these games a year and a half ago. Astro Invader is like being overwhelmed by so many Tapper patrons that you are not even try to collect all of the pitchers anymore, you're just trying to dodge the glass shards while frantically trying to keep the UFOs from touching down. This kind of feels like a mini-game since it only does that one thing. Only a slight breather is given before things resume exactly where they left off. Nothing resets, so you can't lose focus for a second.

Next one is going to hurt feelings.

[Dale]

http://img253.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snap21fk3.png

I've always liked this game a lot. I'll post whatever scores that are posted here in my high score thread.
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=23232

Edit: I'd absolutely love this game if it weren't for those stupid waiting periods between large saucers. It breaks my flow.

[professor ganson]

Re: Centipede and Milipede. Part of the fun, too, is the sound and controlling movement with the right hand for a change. I find the ball-controller is always a bit less precise than I'd like. The DS update with the stylus shows how different the game plays when you have more precise controls. (Actually, it's too easy.)

[nimitz]

#15 Millipede (1982) NIM - 98,356

I love millipede, this is one of the few pre-1984 shmup than I can play for a long while without getting bored by the lack of music/diversity.

The intensity level of millipede for a game of this era is just unparalleled (also : Robotron). another great thing about it is that it doesnt take 15 minutes before it gets challenging (unlike many other games of that era)


edit : score

[Ed Oscuro]

Next one is going to hurt feelings.

Time Pilot '84

Edit: Wait, Defender. Stargate in a higher spot of course.

[Rob]

#12 Robotron (1982)

I like how in Geometry Wars there are enemies that react in slightly different ways than ignoring you or following you around until they are dead. Guess you've got to put in homing missiles when you're handing out as many extends. At least the missiles are consistent with the one enemy attack strategy in the game. Your bonus points are also dumb as bricks, often killing themselves before you can add them to your millions. Undoubtedly one of the better shooting games of the time and a standard setter, but I don't think that anything was lost in future arena shooters. That's 'cause it's easy to graduate from the Robotron school of game design, which is dumping lots of crap in a room and having it follow you.



#11 Enigma II (1981)

Puts Galaxy Wars' rocket acceleration to better use than slowing the pace and does the same miracle work for the usually distasteful 4-for-1 Gorf style of play. These games are best when the designers poured their hearts and souls into one alien formation, but extra points for being the exception and for making me not hate pinpoint docking on a refueling ship while navigating through a minefield. Or chalk it all up to lowered expectations.

#10 Moon Patrol (1982)

I didn't think I'd get any enjoyment out of this aside from laughing at the car. I mean, that's still a lot of fun but there's more to it than a shitty moon car that can't handle craters. From Irem, a racing shmup where you have some time to react without memorizing the entire stage first? Not bad. And it looks cool when you're racing your car down a slope with enemies lobbing grenades in your path, creating new craters to collapse inside of.

[stuminator]

Robotron's not even in the top 10?! It's official, doing all of these shooter countdowns has caused Rob to lose his sanity.

[BrianC]

More games on this list with 2600 ports:

Super Cobra
Missile Command
Galaxian
Centipede
Millipede
Moon Patrol

Solid stuff this time around, aside from Super Cobra. Moon Patrol and Millipede are especially impressive for the system, even with the rectangles for mushrooms in Millipede (just like with Centipede, which is also a good port).

[PC Engine Fan X!]

More games on this list with 2600 ports:

Super Cobra
Missile Command
Galaxian
Centipede
Millipede
Moon Patrol

Solid stuff this time around, aside from Super Cobra. Moon Patrol and Millipede are especially impressive for the system, even with the rectangles for mushrooms in Millipede (just like with Centipede, which is also a good port).

I used to have one of the famous "Heavy Sixers" Atari VCS consoles and by slightly jostling with the power switch, I could make the 2600 version of Centipede start with a blank screen and the flea just laying rows of mushrooms like crazy. Cool tricks to had with an original Atari VCS console back in the day. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Rob]

#9 Pooyan (1982)

One thing keeping Pooyan from being sickeningly cute are the wolves taking off with your piglets between rounds. The cries for mama are also a real tearjerker. I think they could've been a little more creative early on, allowing players to set up chains rather than waiting for the straight line of enemies or perfect arc. The difficulty is also really slow in picking up, but this game is one of the few successes of sticking to a core idea while offering some stage variety. You can stick to using the bow and arrow or try the meat-chaining. Some stages are better suited for one approach and the bonus rounds don't feel out of place.

#8 Cosmic Guerilla (1979)

Aliens with sticky fingers, have to stop them before they take the whole store. Their courage goes through the roof if they get away with taking one thing and then they see how much they can get away with. They start moving so quickly that one missed shot means one stolen salt shaker, your extra lives soon after, and those don't get returned to the shelf after aliens have handled them. A simple but unique game following Space Ivaders, with a much-needed speed boost.

Not sure what the cab art has to do with anything, but it sure is scary, huh.

[Rob]

#7 King & Balloon (1980)

Galaxian would've placed higher if not for King & Balloon, which makes one small adjustment to change the whole approach. It's the single screen CTF to so many single screen deathmatches. As you can only be stunned, sometimes it is good strategy to purposely take a hit just before the king is carried away so you can respawn in time to save him. I am all about the infinite respawns and the king crying out for help (bye-b-).

#6 Time Pilot (1982)

Given the lazily animated space muck of A.D. 2083, now I get it. Instantly. Instead of being limited to spinning inside of a tiny grid, you get free reign over the skies to loop-de-loop and shake biplanes or UFOs off your tail. It's possible to milk a stage endlessly, but that's just pathetic so doesn't count.

[toaplan_shmupfan]

So then Food Fight (Atari, 1983) made the top 5? That game was a lot of fun.