Best NES/Famicom original shooters?

[antron]

What are some good NES/Famicom shmups that weren't arcade ports?

I plan on picking up a system for Life Force, as it's different from the arcade, and I played it quite a bit as a kid.

What else should I get? Anything I'd need a FC for as opposed to a NES?

Thanks

Edit:
--------Running list--------
Recca
Crisis Force
Gun-Nac
Abadox
Zombie Nation
Over Horizon
Final Mission / SCAT

[CStarFlare]

Recca

Famicom only, though pirated NES carts of Recca probably exist (though I've only seen a romhack that has extra modes available on the main menu)

A legit copy will set you back triple digits, unfortunately.

[BIL]

I like Crisis Force a fair bit. Konami vert with some interesting transformation mechanics. It's FC-only as far as I know.

[t0yrobo]

Recca

Famicom only, though pirated NES carts of Recca probably exist (though I've only seen a romhack that has extra modes available on the main menu)

A legit copy will set you back triple digits, unfortunately.

http://www.nesreproductions.com/, I don't have any myself, but I've heard good things about the guys work. I'm pretty certain he can put hacked roms on a cart also. I don't know what the cost is, but it's less than a original for sure.

[antron]

Recca

Famicom only, though pirated NES carts of Recca probably exist (though I've only seen a romhack that has extra modes available on the main menu)

A legit copy will set you back triple digits, unfortunately.

http://www.nesreproductions.com/, I don't have any myself, but I've heard good things about the guys work. I'm pretty certain he can put hacked roms on a cart also. I don't know what the cost is, but it's less than a original for sure.

cool. I tried once, and failed, to make my own SMB2j

[CStarFlare]

Recca

Famicom only, though pirated NES carts of Recca probably exist (though I've only seen a romhack that has extra modes available on the main menu)

A legit copy will set you back triple digits, unfortunately.

http://www.nesreproductions.com/, I don't have any myself, but I've heard good things about the guys work. I'm pretty certain he can put hacked roms on a cart also. I don't know what the cost is, but it's less than a original for sure.

$25+donor cart

Cart shouldn't be too expensive, even if you somehow don't have a copy of mario 2/3 laying around (or don't want to give yours up)

[toaplan_shmupfan]

I really liked these, though they aren't strictly shmups:

Blaster Master (Sunsoft), hybrid platform-shmup.
Fester's Quest (Sunsoft), hybrid maze-shmup.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I've always enjoyed playing the NES shmup of Gun-Nac from U.S. publisher Ascii. It reminded me of playing Blazing Lazers/Gunhed on the TG-16/PC Engine except on the NES platform as Gun-Nac is a Compile produced shmup anyways.

The instruction manual is printed in full color which is a plus. If you go to the Option Screen & set the Sound Effect number to #07 and highlight Stage number by increasing it or decreasing it with the NES D-pad, then press Start to begin a new game session, you can select any stage to start on -- is regarded as a hidden USA region Gun-Nac trick.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BrianC]

Are you getting the JP or US Life Force? The JP Salamander version has three options instead of two and an extra picture for the ending.

Here are some good originals for NES:
Super Mario Bros series (including SMB2U)
Lolo/Eggerland series
Castlevania series
Zelda series
Metroid
Goonies series
Blaster Master
Gun Nac
Guardian Legend
Wrecking Crew
Excitebike
Ice Climber
Slalom
River City Ransom
Mega Man series
Shadow of the Ninja
Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2
Batman
Pinball
Duck Hunt
Wild Gunmen
Gumshoe
Lolo/Eggerland series
Kirby's Adventure
Startropics series
Nintendo World Cup
Super Spike V' Ball
Gauntlet (based on an arcade game, but a completely different game)
Duck Tales series
Rescue Rangers
Darkwing Duck
Balloon Fight
NES Open Golf
TMNT2 Manhattan Project/TMNT3 Manhattan Project
Gremlins 2

[antron]

my bad previous thread: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12888

I used the search tools here, but just now found it googling for Gun Nac.

Thanks guys

[Diebythesword]

Definitely get Abadox.......and Zombie Nation if you can find it cheap

[JoshF]

Over Horizon

[antron]

I spoke with nesreproductions and he can't do Crisis Force, but I think I'm going to get a Recca repo.

These other NES originals look great guys, I'll keep a look-out for them.
Zombie Nation, looks like a trip.

Are you getting the JP or US Life Force? The JP Salamander version has three options instead of two and an extra picture for the ending.

I was going for Life Force, as I've read that it was changed to a biological shooter for the US, and I want to play what I remember. Salamander I might get as a PCB some day.

[Mortificator]

The graphics were changed in the arcade versions of Salamander / Life Force, not the NES. The only differences there were the title, number of multiples, and ending pictures.

If you do get the PCB sometime in the future, I agree that the original Salamander is better than either Life Force revision.

[BrianC]

I was going for Life Force, as I've read that it was changed to a biological shooter for the US, and I want to play what I remember. Salamander I might get as a PCB some day.

If you want the biological shooter, go for the JP Life Force PCB (or the Saturn Salamander collection with JP AC Life Force). The NES Life Force doesn't change any of the graphics from the JP FC Salamander and the only changes are for the worse. The Life Force organic changes are only for the arcade. The JP arcade version has more organic changes than the US arcade version (which is more similar to the original Salamander).

doh. I thought this topic was about NES originals in general, not just shooters. I liked Stinger quite a bit, though it's known as the oddball of the Twinbee series.

[antron]

OK, I had that all mixed up. I'm going to see if Salamander can be made into a NES cart. I'll let you guys know.

Edit: Leon at nesreproductions says yes, and the donor cart is Life Force . I'll have to think about that.

doh. I thought this topic was about NES originals in general, not just shooters. I liked Stinger quite a bit, though it's known as the oddball of the Twinbee series.

I originally forgot to put shooter in the title.

[Imhotep]

Final Mission is great. Western versions (S.C.A.T., Action in New York) are altered and worse in my opinion.