The WORST Shooter you have ever played...

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Astro Warrior (Sega Master System): Poorly made Star Soldier clone, with just 3 levels that loops over and over and over.
Global Defense/SDI (Sega Master System): Confusing graphics, poor controls and the infamous "No Continues" feature.
Thunder Force VI (PS2): The gameplay feels inferior to TFV, and it's also a Metal Black Rip-off with the ''Green Newalone'' stuff.

[Kollision]

Astro Warrior (Sega Master System): Poorly made Star Soldier clone, with just 3 levels that loops over and over and over.
Global Defense/SDI (Sega Master System): Confusing graphics, poor controls and the infamous "No Continues" feature.

I like Astro Warrior.

And I just beat Global Defense yesterday. I liked it. Good challenge as you reach the final levels.
Looking forward to play it on the PS2!

[doctorx0079]

*sigh*

- NES Star Soldier
- Raiden 3 (the definition of blandness)

I mean, they're all mostly okay from the gameplay perspective, but look like ass and provide no fun...

LOLWHUT THOSE GAMES ARE FUN!

[Riot Zone]

Astro warrior is good untill it becomes impossible. (after you loop it a couple times) Raiden III is great, but it would be a lot better if it looped like the previous two Raiden games.

[boagman]

Astro warrior is good untill it becomes impossible. (after you loop it a couple times)

What am I not remembering properly? I remember looping the game darned near endlessly...several loops in a given game, anyway. The only time it actually got impossible was after your first death, in which case (left without powerups, obviously) the game's bosses would eat you for lunch.

My memory is specifically that, once you finally have one life taken, the game's difficulty on later loops was just ridiculous. Unless you were fully powered up, you were dogmeat.

[saucykobold]

D-Force gets my vote. I actually bought a copy of this back in 92 or 93.

[Riot Zone]

Astro warrior is good untill it becomes impossible. (after you loop it a couple times)

What am I not remembering properly? I remember looping the game darned near endlessly...several loops in a given game, anyway. The only time it actually got impossible was after your first death, in which case (left without powerups, obviously) the game's bosses would eat you for lunch.

My memory is specifically that, once you finally have one life taken, the game's difficulty on later loops was just ridiculous. Unless you were fully powered up, you were dogmeat.

Yup once you get shot down and lose your powerups esp after the first loop or two your pretty much done. I was playing that PC engine game Final Blaster the other night and that game is pretty much the same deal. You get shot down late in the game you might as well reset it.

[Acid King]

Just found out about Planet Joker. A strong competitor for worst shooter ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1OOQs4AWH8

I'd always heard people say how bad Planet Joker was but wow... that looks fucking dreadful.

[NR777]

Just found out about Planet Joker. A strong competitor for worst shooter ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1OOQs4AWH8

I'd always heard people say how bad Planet Joker was but wow... that looks fucking dreadful.

I couldn't even finish watching that. My eyes hurt.

[Udderdude]

Just found out about Planet Joker. A strong competitor for worst shooter ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1OOQs4AWH8

I'd always heard people say how bad Planet Joker was but wow... that looks fucking dreadful.

I couldn't even finish watching that. My eyes hurt.

Forget watching it. I can't even listen to it. That laser beam sound was so awful, I felt like my ears were going to bleed after 5 seconds. Ugh.

[drboom]

Just found out about Planet Joker. A strong competitor for worst shooter ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1OOQs4AWH8

OMG! Polygonz!

[stryc9]

So far haven't seen mention of Gates of Zendocon or zarlor mercenary on Atari Lynx. Had them both back in the day, and despite kinda liking them, I still new something was wrong... but yeah, OK the WORST shooter... well, they wern't the worst, but... that's a difficult one.

[Drum]

There is nothing wrong with Gates of Zendocon. NOTHING.

[Octopod]

The Monkey King on the Wii.

[The Coop]

Divine Sealing.

I simply don't get why this game exists. I also want someone to explain just what the hell is supposed to be going on in the cinemas. I know there's a "plot" of some kind that explains why the womens' clothes are flying off.

[stryc9]

There is nothing wrong with Gates of Zendocon. NOTHING.

Have you played it recently?

[Terramax]

Under Defeat

Where do you live?

*loads shotgun*

Gigawing Generation
Silpheed: Lost Planet
Metal Black (as I couldn't always tell the background from the foreground).

And, yeah, Planet Joker does look shoddy.

[The Coop]

Silpheed: Lost Planet
Metal Black (as I couldn't always tell the background from the foreground).

So many people hate those two games it seems. One looks, plays and sounds much better than its Sega CD prequel (which a number of people here enjoyed), and the other I never had the problems with foreground/background visibility or issues with the weapon. Metal Black's a tough game at times, sure, but those two games are far from the worst shmups I've played.

Hell, I enjoyed both of them.



...

Stopping looking at me like that. I'M NOT **twitch** CRAZY!

[Terramax]

Silpheed: Lost Planet
Metal Black (as I couldn't always tell the background from the foreground).

So many people hate those two games it seems. One looks, plays and sounds much better than its Sega CD prequel (which a number of people here enjoyed), and the other I never had the problems with foreground/background visibility or issues with the weapon. Metal Black's a tough game at times, sure, but those two games are far from the worst shmups I've played.

Hell, I enjoyed both of them.



...

Stopping looking at me like that. I'M NOT **twitch** CRAZY!

OK, I'll retract my statement with Metal Black. Watched a vid and fair enough there are worse.

But Silpheed for the PS2 is complete shite. Half the time the screen is devoid of any enemies, and when there are enemies, they're slow, uninspired, and in typical patterns. There's no decent flow, originality or attempt at Spontaneity in that game at all, and the graphics are hidious.

Nanostray -NDS

I agree with that.

I should mention 1942 here as well. Never heard such a crappy sound, Vulgus was far better than that

i was really disappointed with Nanostray, i was expecting a good game....argh

Put me on the list also. Crummy graphics, and confusing knowing how close a bullet was to your ship as the size of projectiles changed depending on how far away you were from the screen (if I remember correctly).

I really hate Under Defeat.

Loads second shotgun bullet.

[Zeron]

I have not really played many downright shitty shmups but Action 52 shmups are one of a kind.

[dingsbums]

I read the whole thread (I was bored ) and I can't believe nobody mentioned Crescent Galaxy (Atari Jaguar) so far - this is the worst shooter I have ever played.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmmSU0SrFqk
Honorable mention:
Ultra X Weapon (Arcade) is also pretty awful (but I really like Ultraman - so for me personally this game has an amusing "Trash-Factor")
EDIT: Somebody had mentioned Crescent Galaxy already - but it remains a bad game.

[roker]

anything made in Europe

(nothing personal, guys)

[Zeron]

anything made in Europe

(nothing personal, guys)

Oh come on Apidya was alright.

[Drum]

There is nothing wrong with Gates of Zendocon. NOTHING.

Have you played it recently?

Yes.

[Square King]

There's a doujin hori shooter on Xbawks indie games where you pilot a gargantuan ship with a small pod above you. Your main fire spreads out sporadically and your ship is basically as graceful as an underwater diesel truck. I had the sudden urge to punch kittens in the face when I played it. And I fucking love kittens.

[Ruldra]

Divine Sealing.

I simply don't get why this game exists.

Simple: it's a test to see how much crap a player is willing to endure to see boobs.

Luckily, there's a way to skip the torture and go straight to the goodies.

EDIT: Just realized I said the same thing about Divine Sealing two pages back.

[Dragoforce]

Metal Black (as I couldn't always tell the background from the foreground).

You can't tell the diffrence between a spaceship and a cat?

anything made in Europe

(nothing personal, guys)

Ey, Sölder-X is quite awesome. On a related note, what about american shmups? The only decent ones I can think of is Tyrian and Raptor.

[Drum]

Let's not forget Japan, home of Touhou and *spit* Cave.

[indutrial]

Some of the earliest shmups I owned on the NES almost caused me to shit-can the entire genre at an early age (thank god for arcades and stuff like Life Force at my local video store). The lousiest ones that stand out in my mind are the NES Alpha Mission (SNK was so fucking horrible on the NES) and some worthless, horrid piece of shit called Magmax, both of which ended up in my possession as hand-me-downs from an older friend.

The music in this game is so annoying, especially when you have to watch your retarded mech/ship airwalking along. You also gotta love that exciting boss battle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBS8GJKjBqI

[ShmupSamurai]

one game, three words...

.......ATOMIC...ROBO..........KID........

slow, large-ass character, greedy-fuckin' shopkeeper who steals your hard-earned lives, respawning enemies in the worst possible spots, and narrow passages, abilty to kill said shopkeeper when a ton of asshats chase you down....thus denying you of the one weapon that'd save your steel hide...etc

I could go on and on, but you get the point...