Best sound f/x and/or music track ?

[Gespenst]

BGMs: Giga Wing & Giga Wing 2 (it's epic, after all), Batrider, Ketsui, all Layer Section series, Garegga (Stab and Stomp FTW!), Batrider, Bakraid, Border Down, Psyvariar 2, Einhander, Gradius Gaiden (hasn't played V yet so I can't comment), Raiden III (stage 1,2,3 (Dawn of Sorrow), and boss battle theme/Passing Pleasure especially), and obviously, Under Defeat
Wait, One more vote for Thunder Force V (as usual)
Doujins BGM: RefleX, Ether Vapor, Cloudphobia

[null1024]

Hrm, I'd have to say Cho Ren Sha, Radiant Silvergun, Aero Fighters 3, and Phantasmagoria of Dim Dream [Touhou 3] have the best music. Oh, and Batrider.

As for SFX, eh. I dunno.

I love stage 2 music in Border Down

My most loathed piece of music in any shmup ever.

Oh, thank God, I thought I was the only one who hated that.

Oh, and for non shmups:
Sonic CD, Japan version. The US version has a rather dull soundtrack that fits, but the Japan/Europe release had a totally pumping soundtrack that didn't only just fit, it stood out on it's own. Especially Stardust Speedway's track.

[CMcK]

Layer Section, Raiden Fighters, Thunderforce IV (especially the awesome intro), X-Out (C64/Amiga), Mars Matrix and R-Type (intro music on the C64 in particular).

[cj iwakura]

For fear of sounding biased,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EABeJ3oBBI

Shikigami 2, stage 1. Awesome music.

[lgb]

Night Striker (BOSS 1, BURNING ROAD)
Dogyuun (Dogyuun Magic)
G.Darius (B.T. DUTCH)
Chaos Field (spray -boss-)
Gallop (The Funky Flamingo)
Shock Troopers (Jungle Rhythm, Dark Matter)
Thunder Cross II (Heavy Metal Bomber)

Karous
Illmatic Envelope
Mahou Daisakusen
Cybattler
Armed Police Batrider
Ikaruga
Thunder Force IV

edit: also like Touhou Fuujinroku (Sealed Gods) or something

[Lite]

DoDonPachi is a nice headbangin' soundtrack for long hairs, but I didn't see anyone mention Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire. Done by the same guys that did Lords of Thunder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12n_XWgm63I

[BIL]

Wonderful soundtrack. I was amazed that I hadn't heard more about it when I tried it out. "Twilight Express" is incredible. Kind of chiptune you can immediately hear being played by a full band, guitars keys drums etc.

Most definitely. In fact, there's a version kind of like that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hUQ5h1gl_s

Finally got my headphones back and gave this a listen; very nice work. Messing about with the game's sound test at the moment... this stuff rivals Thunder Force IV at MD synth-metal. That little superdeformed drummer hammering away on the tubs is very convincing!

[MathU]

Radirgy has some of the best "feel good" music in a game. I love this, especially the Gamecube remix.

[TLB]

Garegga has some seriously bitchin' music. I also like Darius Gaiden for sheer weirdness factor (music-wise).

Also, DDP:DOJ. I like how dark it sounds... like a scary bizarro DDP.

I love 'Storm of Fine Weather' from Under Defeat. This does not appear to be a popular view. :(

Love.

Anyways, I fucking adore the sound effects in Ibara. DP's announcer is the shit. DOJ's SELECT YOUR BATTLE SHIP is pretty ace.

Favorite tracks: Sakusetsu (DOJ stage 4), DEFENSIVE LINE - Lurk in the Darkness (Ketsui stage 4), Futari's stage 4 theme, Strange Dance/Weird Dance/whatever (DOJ stage 3), I suppose the entire DOJ soundtrack besides stage 5; king bee's theme is fucking wicked, Milestone/Daisuke Nagata/Kou Hayashi sometimes belt(s) out a fucking incredible stage as opposed to just a really fucking good one, stage 5 of Chaos Field as an example. Mushi 1's stage 4 fits really well with it, it's fucking sweet. Underwater Rampart (Garegga st2 theme) is fucking BOSS, as are most of the tracks from that fucking game. Eruptor is actually frightening. The freaky grunts and shit just push it over the edge.
More: Ibara's stage 2, Like a Rolling Stone, fucking boss. Under Defeat's stage 3, Way Back That Was Shut, absolutely fucking melancholy, fits the fucking stage like a GLOVE.

I need to stop this post rrright here. Too much profanity.

[DEL]

Shooters:- Dragon Saber, Omega Fighter, Darius, Salamander 2 (psx), Giga Wing (stage before last??), Gradius II Vulcan Venture.
Heaviest Bass: Hellfire (arcade)
Non Shooter:- Ninja Spirit ->overall winner & The Ninja Warriors.

Other mentions:- Truxton, Fire Shark, Ketsui, EDF stage 3, X Multiply, Flying Shark. Chaos Field (Bonus CD only), Pink Sweets (arrange OST CD2 only).

[TomuS]

For music: Toaplan games, Heavy Unit, Daioh, Rayxanber, Meta Fox, R-Type etc.. And the shooter which has my favourite music of them all: Flame Zapper Kotsujin.

[ncp]

Stage 4 of DOJ BLEX's arrange mode. Futari's stage 5. All of Garegga. Final boss of Batrider (this track is really amazing). Stage 1 of Gradius 3 (god knows I hear this one enough considering 80% my credits end on the second stage).

For non-shmups: Street Fighter 3... NG and 2I destroy 3S in this department. Dudley's NG theme is siiiiick, and Shin Akuma's in 2I.

[BIL]

Eruptor is actually frightening. The freaky grunts and shit just push it over the edge.

Yessir. Stab And Stomp, Thrust And Thrash and Eruptor = more seizuretastic boss BGM freneticism than it should be humanly possible to compose for one game. God bless Manabu Namiki.

Garegga's OST reminds me a lot of Streets of Rage I / II's soundtracks. Relentlessly thumping stage tunes partnered with diabolical boss BGMs.

[lmagus]

DDP DKF Stage 5 - The Battle Was Just ''To Continue that Future''
DDP DOJ Stage 5
ESPGALUDA (All of it)
ESPGALUDA II (All of it)
Ketsui Stage 5 - EVAC INDUSTRY (Judgement Day)
Ketsui TLB - NO REMORSE
Mushihimesama Stage 5 - The One Who Is Always In the Forest
Mushihimesama Futari Stages 4 and 5

I guess I'm just a big fan of Stage 5's themes

[Square King]

I've realized that I despise 90% of shootan music out there, but when I do like a game's music, I really like it. Garegga and Batrider come to mind, as well as most of the R-Types and Mushi Futari's stage 2. OH and Border Down is excellent.

[gameoverDude]

MUSHA, Super Aleste, Ketsui, Ibara, Metal Black, Border Down, DOJ (especially stage 5), and Thunder Force VI.

[Danbo]

Yo, does anyone know what the heck the guy says in dfkbl's stage 4 music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFvy8dI7LbQ#t=3m35s

Thanks in Advance!