I've just been playing R-Type Leo and was struck by just how visually appealing it is.Likewise Cyvern,I remember a thread about the graphical loveliness of Steel Saviour too,
We're not talking about gameplay here, just eye candy so what other really pretty shmups are out there?
Death Smiles
Batsugun
Batrider
Imperishable Night
Battle Garegga
Mushihimesama Futari
Ketsui
Daioujou
Guwange
Mushihimesama
Ikaruga
Thunder Blaster
Raiden DX
Pulstar has really ugly explosions, I'm not sure why someone brought it up. Anyway, these are my immediate picks. Usually anything Raizing has a fair bit of attention to detail in it, but only Garegga and Batrider really capture my attention with it.
I'll add Cotton 2 and Boomerang to the list, I always thought they looked pretty nice. Axelay and Space Megaforce/Super Aleste also still look pretty good even now, if you ask me.
the more poor 3D shmups that are released the more i appreciate deltas visuals too (see deathsmiles 2, triangle service and latter g-rev games for instance)
the destruction of everything, is the beginning of something new. your whole world is on fire, and soon, you'll be too..
Cotton Boomerang is gorgeous
Fantasy Zone is awesomely crafted
Kolibri comes to mind, albeit the hindered gameplay
Sexy Parodius is the top Parodius game ever
I love the textures in Einhänder
A special nod goes to R-Type Final, despite the awful gameplay
Border Down is also awesome
It's noticeable that Soldner-X, Steel Saviour ,X2 (on the Playstation), Thunder Force VI and R-Type Final all look gorgeous but play like shit, whereas Recca plays beautifully but looks like crap.
I wonder where aesthetics and gameplay both peak in a single game...and don't say Cave
mjclark wrote:It's noticeable that Soldner-X, Steel Saviour ,X2 (on the Playstation), Thunder Force VI and R-Type Final all look gorgeous but play like shit, whereas Recca plays beautifully but looks like crap.
I wonder where aesthetics and gameplay both peak in a single game...and don't say Cave
The TTI version of Magical Chase looks great on the ol' Turbo Grafx-16/Turbo Duo/Turbo Express hardware. It's been ages since it's last appeared for sale on eBay though but the original Japanese PC Engine counterpart of the same name appears from time to time as well. ^_~
Suppose if Hudson Soft and Red managed to make an arcade PCB version of Air Zonk, it would've done quite well. ^_~
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
Last edited by PC Engine Fan X! on Fri Jun 05, 2009 5:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Well, in the polygonal world, nobody beats Ikaruga and Gradus V. They just look phenomenal. Under Defeat looks pretty great too.
In the world of sprites, i'd have to go with Guwange(TONS of eye candy), Dimahoo, In The Hunt(once again, lots of eye candy), and Soukyugurentai(has some polygons, I know).
Old school, i'd have to give it up to Thunder Force IV, for being one of my favorite designed(lookswise) ever. R-Type III looked great for it's time, and as the OP said, Leo has some really stunning stages.
From what i've seen of Death Smiles, it looks to be an amazing looking game too.
Galactic Attack/Rayforce/Gunlock. There are a lot of great environmental visuals in this game, many layers of parallax and a great use of colors. The background definitely look like a world(or deep space) lives below you.
I don't find many space shooters as visually appealing as this game.
I really, really like the visuals in Ibara for some reason. Also agreed with fogelmir on Mushi stage 4, one of my favorite stages in any game (and not just for its visuals). For mid-90s era games I'd have to go with Darius Gaiden, especially if you consider the music along with it.
Damn Tim, you know there are quite a few Americans out there who still lives in tents due to this shitty economy, and you're dropping loads on a single game which only last 20 min. Do you think it's fair? How much did you spend this time?
