Hardest. Shooters. Ever.

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 9:44 pm

1. Deep Blue - hardest most infuriating shmup ever.
2. Battle Gariegga(?) - um, where's my ship at? All I see are bullets.
3. Layer Section - Hard, but good.
4. Blazing Lazers - Last boss...arrrrgh!
5. Ikaruga - RAWR!!!!
6. Lightning Force
7. Radiant Silvergun

gameoverDude · Post by **gameoverDude** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 9:47 pm

Twin Cobra on Genesis gets the HOLY SHIT from me.

Xexex depends on the version you're playing. The use of an Energy meter in the World version is a huge (and needless) change from the Japanese one.

The Japan one gives you the classic three lives, checkpoints, better weapons, and a more generally fair level of difficulty. R-Type 1 would be a better comparison for the JPN Xexex's challenge level, although coming back is not nearly as hard.

In the World version you can lose the whole lifebar in the drop of a dime if you're hammered badly enough- and the sucky weapons here are not just a handicap but also take some of the fun out. It's similar to the treatment Crime Fighters got- the Japanese version of CF has Double Dragon 1 type life meters, while the US one uses a quarter-sucking "Gauntlet" type one and is nigh impossible to 1CC.

Ikaruga is definitely harder to play for score, considering you must shoot accurately to chain- you could be trying for WWW but an errant shot could leave you with WWB, screwing your streak. It's almost like the "Silent Scope" of shmups, and IMO harder than anything of Cave's.

PepsimanVsJoe wrote:
XEXEX: I'm glad somebody mentioned this cause the game is nasty hard. Gorgeous, but the life meter serves as more of a detriment since you can easily lose the whole thing. Not to mention the weapons suck.

Ikaruga: Again for obvious reasons. I 1CCed easy once..that's enough for me.

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:14 am

Well someone mentioned 1943, what about 1942? I mean that game had 32 levels in it so it naturaly takes forever to complete the game let alone 1cc the mofo and even if you collected the power-ups there was no super bombs or shotguns to help you on this game.

zaphod · Post by **zaphod** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 5:05 pm

1943 just isn't that bad. 1942 is a real endurance fest, though. That''s really the only thing making it hard. that, and it's mostly aimed bullets with a ull sized hitbox.

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:46 pm

Well yeah I agree, it's more of an endurance thing and it's pretty hard to remember 32 levels as supposed to 10 or so on a single loop. (god help you if that game had more than one loop lol)

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 8:32 pm

The hardest shmup ever, IMO:

- Deep Blue (PC-Engine)

Hard in the sense that it's absolutely unfair to the point of making the game literally unplayable. It's an underwater themed horizontal shmup with crappy gameplay and extremely drab graphics. The first level (the only one I ever saw) consists of a continuous barrage of enemy fish swarms shooting towards you at five times the speed of your own ship. As they all require more than one shot to be killed it means that 19 out of 20 enemies will leave the screen unharmed, turning the game into a dodging excercise.

TGK · Post by **TGK** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 9:04 pm

Seven Force wrote:The hardest shmup ever, IMO:

- Deep Blue (PC-Engine)

Hard in the sense that it's absolutely unfair to the point of making the game literally unplayable. It's an underwater themed horizontal shmup with crappy gameplay and extremely drab graphics. The first level (the only one I ever saw) consists of a continuous barrage of enemy fish swarms shooting towards you at five times the speed of your own ship. As they all require more than one shot to be killed it means that 19 out of 20 enemies will leave the screen unharmed, turning the game into a dodging excercise.

ok, I need to play this thing, it sounds exactly like Fuzzy Shooting, the current "all time hardest" shmup I know.

TGK · Post by **TGK** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 9:07 pm

Danny wrote:Well yeah I agree, it's more of an endurance thing and it's pretty hard to remember 32 levels as supposed to 10 or so on a single loop. (god help you if that game had more than one loop lol)

Not a problem for me

since I never play by memorization except when the game design explicitly calls for it.

Memorization in a vert shmup takes the twitch away from twitch gaming, it beats the purpose!

That said I haven't got a chance to play 1942, need to find the thing.

zaphod · Post by **zaphod** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 12:45 am

1942 is NOT a memorization shooter. I's a straightfoward endurance test. just lots of LONG levels and many stray bullets to run into.

very easily MAME, though the sound seems off to me.

Elixir · Post by **Elixir** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 4:08 am

As for shooters, I'm going to have to say Giga Wing 2. Though tolerating that game is another thing wihch also cannot be dealt with, so this never really did get much experience from me.

As for other games, Target: Earth is most likely the hardest game in the universe.

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:38 am

I still say that Eight Forces ranks right up there with Undead Line and the R-Types. Something about that game....evil....

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:57 am

You could just order capcom generations (which is what I have it for!) or the new capcom collection when it comes out on the ps2 or if you don't like spending money like somebody mentioned before, there is always emulation and no the sound was really like that.

MNK · Post by **MNK** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 9:03 am

Viewpoint, very hard but never unfair. I wonder what a second loop would be like in this game

.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 11:20 am

TGK wrote:
Seven Force wrote:The hardest shmup ever, IMO:

- Deep Blue (PC-Engine)

Hard in the sense that it's absolutely unfair to the point of making the game literally unplayable. It's an underwater themed horizontal shmup with crappy gameplay and extremely drab graphics. The first level (the only one I ever saw) consists of a continuous barrage of enemy fish swarms shooting towards you at five times the speed of your own ship. As they all require more than one shot to be killed it means that 19 out of 20 enemies will leave the screen unharmed, turning the game into a dodging excercise.
ok, I need to play this thing, it sounds exactly like Fuzzy Shooting, the current "all time hardest" shmup I know.

What system is Fuzzy Shooting on? I have to know, cuz if it's anything like Deep Blue I must avoid it at all costs.

zaphod · Post by **zaphod** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 4:17 pm

Fuzzy no Shooting is a Jap homebrew SNES game. no need to worry about running into it by accident except on emulators.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 11:24 pm

made some slow progress in gradius III on ps2. after my fluke of making it to Mark III core in level 3 when i first got it, and not being able to get that far again. i am approaching that again. i got to the part of level 3 where the ceiling starts falling all over.

TGK · Post by **TGK** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:05 am

Seven Force wrote:
TGK wrote:
Seven Force wrote:The hardest shmup ever, IMO:

- Deep Blue (PC-Engine)

Hard in the sense that it's absolutely unfair to the point of making the game literally unplayable. It's an underwater themed horizontal shmup with crappy gameplay and extremely drab graphics. The first level (the only one I ever saw) consists of a continuous barrage of enemy fish swarms shooting towards you at five times the speed of your own ship. As they all require more than one shot to be killed it means that 19 out of 20 enemies will leave the screen unharmed, turning the game into a dodging excercise.
ok, I need to play this thing, it sounds exactly like Fuzzy Shooting, the current "all time hardest" shmup I know.
What system is Fuzzy Shooting on? I have to know, cuz if it's anything like Deep Blue I must avoid it at all costs.

It's on SNES. Yes, it seems like a homebrew or at least abandoned game, since there's only one level. But I still recommend it just to see how damn near impossible one can program a shmup without resorting to simply fill 100% of the screen with bullets.

Yet it IS playable. I managed to reach the boss once after 30 tries or so, save state, then kill the boss, after another 30+ tries.

The Bullet Dodger · Post by **The Bullet Dodger** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:54 am

I brought out the old SNES yesterday and popped in 'E.D.F. Earth Defense Force', which I haven't played in a REALLY long time. I forgot how hard this game is. I couldn't get through the 3rd stage!

It's definetly one of the hardest SNES shmups out there IMO.

TGK · Post by **TGK** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:07 am

The Bullet Dodger wrote:I brought out the old SNES yesterday and popped in 'E.D.F. Earth Defense Force', which I haven't played in a REALLY long time. I forgot how hard this game is. I couldn't get through the 3rd stage! It's definetly one of the hardest SNES shmups out there IMO.

Right, how can I forget this beast.

The gameplay is best described as "R-Type with bullet instead of walls".

You need to memorize enemy patterns and how they behave in order to survive this game up to the final stage.

Then throw that out of the window and return to pure reflex gaming. The very last boss does not appear in the arcade version, and is brutal.

Note to Bullet Dodger: there is actually a "cheat" (it's a legitimate gameplay feature, just poorly coded I guess) that allow you to kill every boss including the final one easily, if you are really stuck on that last thing, I'll pm my finding to you.

gingerj · Post by **gingerj** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:48 am

I've found Gigawing repulsively difficult I can't superplay it. Its impossible to beat the final boss its the most unforgiving in the history of shooters...

Its just wave after wave of bullets, theres no room to run anywhere and the reflect isn't effective enough...

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:59 am

Yeah what I found about Gigawing is that some areas in the game require you to use the bomb at least once or twice just so that you can get though them. I love Gigawing, but damn is it hard!

The Bullet Dodger · Post by **The Bullet Dodger** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:43 pm

TGK wrote: if you are really stuck on that last thing, I'll pm my finding to you.

I think it will be a little while before I can reach the last stage. But I would appreciate that TGK. It may come in handy. Thanks! PM me anytime.

The more I play 'E.D.F.' the more I'm loving it. I don't know why I never took this game seriously.

It's a very impressive shmup for it's time, and for being on the SNES. Tha graphics are smooth and look great (the level backrounds are very nice), the music is above average, and it challenges you without remorse. I'm finding my reflexes not as great as I thought they were.

gs68 · Post by **gs68** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:37 am

It's not exactly a shmup (it's a run 'n gun), but...Metal Slug 3.

I also hate Darius Gaiden. Once you look past the lovely graphics and soundtrack, you'll realize that this game just wants to rape your wallet (or "5" key in my case, as I play on MAME).

EDIT: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/ ... n_boon.png

TGK · Post by **TGK** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 7:40 am

another one,

Strike Gunner for SNES (by Athena). When you crank difficulty up to expert, it is practically impossible. I still consider finishing that game on expert with 5 lives (heck, I'll give you 9 lives, and the second player too) the ultimate challenge in shmup.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:16 pm

i am curently in seattle and i went to gameworks and played Raiden Fighters and Solar Assault. solar assault was great but thats not why i am posting. raiden fighters spanked me hard! i got to the very beginning of mission 2 and that is it after a $5 card had been burned through (this includes MS5 and SAssault though).

also, i found out later that i can get my fill of Raiden Fighters in the pier arcade for a quarter instead of the 75 cents gw charges.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:36 pm

gs68 wrote:It's not exactly a shmup (it's a run 'n gun), but...Metal Slug 3.

This happened to me when I tried to make it through the game's 10 hours, after awhile abandoning effort. I liked it a lot more beforehand. Way too long.

ArrogantBastard · Post by **ArrogantBastard** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:56 pm

Dangun Feveron

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:08 pm

damn, fuzzy shooting is the MOST ri-cock-ulous game i have ever played.

question for all the precogs, does it help?

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:10 am

tehkao wrote:I dunno why so many people say TF4 is hard. My guess is they haven't played that many shmups. TF4 is not easy but it's a cakewalk compared to most modern manic shmups, heck actually most old school shmups are cakewalks compared to the modern ones.

If you manage your shields properly in TF4, you can get thru it pretty easily. Even Mania mode is quite beatable.

Heck I think even TF2 is much harder than TF4....

Word. I agree 100%. I always get my butt handed to me in TF2, whereas even in the more difficult areas TF4 is way more balanced & do-able.

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:06 am

Any Psikyo games are hard as fuck.

Gradius games are in the same way (unless the checkpoint after death thing is off like Gradius V).

Just about any game with a checkpoint after death system.

Just about every single manic shooter ever made (my personal favorites are Battle Garegga, and DoDonPachi).

And one more thing, Raiden I and II are hard as fuck, for some reason I was able to 1cc Raiden Trad for the SNES (I know, the SNES version sucks).

Edit: Giga Wing, Giga Wing 2, and Mars Matrix are the hardest shooters to 1cc ever (the most manic of the manic shooters of all time).

Some guy post this, but TWIN COBRA FOR THE GENESIS WAS A FUCKING HARD PORT!!!!

shmups.system11.org

Hardest. Shooters. Ever.

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