Name shmups that have short range attacks.

[R-Type]

I mean the type of attack where you use weapons/other to destroy enemies at short range.

Examples:
R-Types - Using the force/bits to destroy quickly at close range, in RTF there are yellow laser the span like horns from the force;
Genetos - The Blades History;
White Butterfly - There's one ship that hurls a blade or stick around. (Didn't appreciate this one much)

I have a preference for PC and consoles that are not current gen., but I will remember other titles too anyway.

(First topic/post!)

[Momijitsuki]

Pretty much any Milestone shmup, Brave Blade, Change Air Blade, some Psikyo games... I know Shikigami no Shiro III has a character with short-range attacks, dunno about the earlier games.

I'm kind of surprised I can't think of many others.

[BIL]

Vasara I & II have charge-attack slashing. Gunbird 2 has melee attacks for each character, Dragon Blaze has the Dragon Shot. Einhander and Radiant Silvergun both have sword weapons. In Winds aka Lords of Thunder, point-blanking produces an automatic slashing attack (ala Metal Slug).

Sol Divide is maybe the most melee-centric shooter. Horribly executed overall, though. I used to dream of a Dragon Blaze-quality attempt at that concept when I'd play SD, then get disappointed and play the far-superior Winds of Thunder instead.

[antron]

Side Shot in Slap Fight/ALCON
Purple Sphere in Gradius Gaiden
Super Ball in Outzone

[Jockel]

WELCOMETOVIOLENTCITY

[ASK]

Shikigami no Shiro III has a character with short-range attacks, dunno about the earlier games.

I believe at least Shiki II has the same character, the one with the 3 pronged spinning blade thing.

[Observer]

Cloudphobia's mech Nullpúnktur is based on melee. Cybattler also has a cool sword attack.

Agreed on Milestone shooters. The sword on Karous is really cool. I don't know if it counts but on Psyvariar 2 you actually shouldn't shoot enemies most of the time but ram at them with the LEVELUPLEVELUPLEVELUP invincible shield of doom and grazing.

Hellsinker has a couple of melée attacks, including a Radiant Silvergun like sword attack and piercing shots that only work in short range.

Arcanum Echo might be a perfect example, you have a sword to activate the key mechanic, chaining (beat), besides hearing your loli-schoolgirl-ship scream aloud everytime you attack if you enabled the voices, which you won't because it's bloody annoying.

Diadra Empty has melée weapons too, the Dragonscale (melee weapon) and the Lideswall (melee options) along with a must-use charge attack with the turbo button that gives you a brief second of invincibility.

By the way, these are all PC shooters (sans Cybattler, Psyvariar 2 and Karous) so you might be happy to try 'em. I'm also a PC/old consoles beast.

[chempop]

Has Mars Matrix been mentioned yet? The piercing cannon in that game is key. I barely bother with the regular shot because it is a pain in the ass to level up.. I guess that is my weakness though.

[lgb]

OMEGA FIGHTER

[BulletMagnet]

I guess XII Stag could be added to the list - Homura also has you using a sword, but it doesn't really function like a "traditional" melee weapon, so I'm not sure it'd count. Some Twinkle Star Sprites characters also have short-range charge shots (most notably the boss of "La Petite Princesse").

[Mortificator]

You can punch stuff in various TwinBee games.

[BIL]

Oh yeah, that reminds me of Captain Tomaday.

[emphatic]

Asuka & Asuka?

[Obiwanshinobi]

That vertical scroller hidden within Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2. "Devouring" the enemies (a short ranged attack) was rather essential there. It's pretty old school (I don't think Cave had anything to do with it).

[BIL]

Guardian Force has a yo-yo of doom. Pretty damn brutal weapon too. Also, Hyper Duel's "P-Smasher" mech with its limited-range "shotgun blast" weapon.

[Estebang]

All the "Pile Bunker" charge weapons in R-Type Final. The weaker ones require you to get ridiculously up close.

[Gespenst]

Alltynex Second has a overpowered sword weapon. IDK about the original Alltynex, though.

Oh yeah, and I thought Sanvein also has a lightsaber sub-weapon thing (Photon's subweapon)

RADIANT SWORD

[Zweihander]

R-Type series
Radiant Silvergun
Ikaruga on Prototype mode
Psyvariar series
XII Stag
Bangai-O Spirits
Armed Police Batrider
Battle Garegga
Ibara
Any shmup with a flamethrower weapon
Aleste series
Geometry Wars Galaxies
Homura
Gadget Twins
Mars Matrix
Castle Shikigami series
The shmup minigame in No More Heroes
Xexex
That crappy "Drill" demo game on the Dreamcast from a few years back
Rayforce series
Souky
Sanvein
Gley Lancer

[Goshi]

One of the characters in Hitogata Happa (Peco) uses two swords and attacks up close, before the update it was pretty much the best way to take down the final boss before she reaches her dreaded Kaether phase.

Also Nagi in Gundeadligne uses her fists to attack enemies. She's very tricky to use but once you master her its actually a lot of fun playing as her. Too bad they didn't add her in RE:Gundemonium =(

[cj iwakura]

Shikigami no Shiro III has a character with short-range attacks, dunno about the earlier games.

I believe at least Shiki II has the same character, the one with the 3 pronged spinning blade thing.

Mihee Kim in Shiki III, Kim De John in Shiki 1 & 2. Sayo Yuuki also has a spinning phoenix, and Gennojo uses short range lightning.



Also, for the OP: Radio Allergy and Karous have close range sword attacks.

[Gespenst]

And it seems every green player ships in every Giga Wing (IDK about GW: Generations) have a short range explosive-based sub-weapon

[mesh control]

Gunbird 2; each character features a different close range attack.

[ZOM]

Coolest shortrange attack in a shmup is Cybattler's hands down.

EDIT: Of course Observer already mentioned it

[shadowbringer]

- Image Fight (when you change your speed, the burst from the propellers damage enemies behind you, and you may discard the weapon you're using by ramming it on an enemy)
- Phantasmagoria of Flower View (Youmu has a lvl.1 charge attack that erases bullets, Tewi has a close-range lvl.1 charge attack that's good at eliminating more resilient enemies)
- Batrider was already mentioned (and so does Gunbird 2 and Twinklestar Sprites.. and Shikigami no Shiro 3, which I got to play recently :p)
- Varth (the N pods)
- Raiden Fighters Jet (the familiars, though they're not meant to be rammed at the enemies :p)
- Area 88/U.N. Squadron (the Cluster weapon, if I remember correctly)
- Macross Scrambled Valkyrie (the aura allows you to "convert" most stage enemies into allies, and one of Maximilian's attacks is a sort of trailing options)
- Twinbee/Xevious, if you count the ground bombing feature
- Aerostar (the options can't shoot, but they protected your ship against projectiles, and dealt damage on their own)

- Star Control 3's Chmmr/Vux/Sireen/Daktaklakpak ships? :p

[Iaspis]

In Saint Dragon and Dragon Breed, the dragon's body can be used for short range attacks, although it's main use is defence against projectiles. Also, Dragon Breed has a short range fire breath weapon.

[Nico87]

Radilgy.

[R-Type]

Thanks. These are plenty recommendations.
Only really tried Diadra Empty so far, though. Weird game. ^_^

[gs68]

Omega Five's TEMPEEEEEEESUTOOOO has a short-range flame shot.

[Gespenst]

Zero Fighter in Strikers 1945 also has a short range yet overpowered bomb subweapon. (and F-4 Phantom in Strikers 1999)

[sunburstbasser]

Lords of Thunder, unless I'm mistaken, will automatically slash close baddies with your sword.