TG16/PCE shmups off the beaten path

[slk486]

I gotta mention Image Fight II in this thread. Just gave this game some quality time, and it's amazing. It's much like the first Image Fight, but with better presentation, pacing, level design, and weapons, and cinematics that are actually pretty cool.

Would love me some Image Fight II, but it fetches a pretty steep price these days.

[Skykid]

The Lost Sunheart.

[slk486]

The Lost Sunheart.

With the Devil Baby Too bad about the whiney sfx though. They grind my ears...

[CIT]

The Lost Sunheart.

What's so cool about it? I always thought it's at best really mediocre. And the sprites are ugly as hell.

[Sumez]

Anyone played Barunba?

It looks cute, and it's by Namco, but is it any good?

[KidQuaalude]

Its different (as you have to rotate your guns 360 degrees in order to shoot enemies) but its slow and rather dull otherwise IIRC.

[Herr Schatten]

It looks cute, and it's by Namco, but is it any good?

No.

[Kollision]

Barunba has no scoring.

[Jeneki]

Last year, I impulse-bought a couple of cheaper PCE shmups that I had never heard of before:

Psycho Chaser. I like this one the most. It's nifty how I can rearrange my powerups after each death, so I can adapt to whatever is giving me trouble. Although losing all my speedups upon death can be very brutal.

Metal Stoker. Starts out as more of an arena shmup with tanks, then expands into open areas and scrolling segments. Kinda cool with nice variety.

I also picked up Burning Angels, but I didn't care for that one. The bullets move downward at the exact same speed as the background; it's like they are just pasted on top of the background and scroll with it.

[greg]

Another vote for L-Dis. It has a somewhat Gradius feel to it, but frantic as others have said. I just played it for the first time last weekend, and IIRC, the turbo button setting came in handy. Once you get the shield, it can be easy to one life the first few levels, I think.

[wataru330]

DownLoad 2.

one of the only horiz i truly enjoy. control is tight (even w/ such a big ship), and all weapons (in basic form) are available from the jump- RSG style.

fit and finish is off the charts; great intro, superb cut scenes, and T's Music on the soundtrack?! This game blew my mind as a youth, and still holds up to this day. I know everone loves DL1 for the campy game over screens and all...DL2 is serious business tho.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Steam Hearts on the PC Engine Duo/R/RX consoles is an interesting shmup albeit a HTF one to get ahold of. Of course, the SS port of the same name has better FMV compared to the PCE's SH opening (but that's another gaming platform indeed).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~