Racketboy "Hidden Gem Shmups" Article - Input Needed!

[BulletMagnet]

As I mentioned here, Racketboy's sent me another pair of assignments for his site, both of which I'm going to need some input from you on: this topic here is devoted to a shmup-themed "Hidden Gems" article, i.e. the good-quality games in the genre which are relatively unknown. RB suggests that I stick mostly to "official" commercial releases, but says I can throw a couple of doujins in there if they truly fit the bill.

Even moreso than is the case with the "Defining" list, this one will be VERY much a matter of opinion, but I'll try to be as fair as I can when weighing my options: please keep the debate civil, and try to offer reasonable explanations to back up the suggestions you make. Anyway, here's a short, preliminary list that I've started, though I'm also considering a herd of others:

Original Suggestions

Omega Fighter
Nostradamus
Vasara (series)
Mystic Riders/Gun Hoki
Ordyne
Xexex
Cybattler
Homura
R-Type Leo
Harmful Park
19XX: The War Against Destiny

Under Consideration

Cyvern
Eco Fighters
Varth
X-Multiply
Gleylancer
Biohazard Battle
Flame Zapper Kotsujin
Otaku Dama
Coryoon
Magical Chase
Hyper Duel
Crisis Force
Recca
L-Dis
Uridium 2
Mr. Heli
Gynoug
Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie
Space Bomber
Spriggan
Gaiaseed
Space Manbow
Aero Star
Mercenary Force
Rude Breaker
Chikyuu Kaihou Gun ZAS
Trouble Shooter series
Dragon Breed
Biometal
Game Tengoku

Other Suggestions

Cho Ren Sha 68K
Murasame’s Kusogames
Siter Skain games
x.x. games
Dragon Blaze
Mahou Daisakusen series
Progear/Feveron/Ra.de
Thunder Dragon 2
Raiden Fighters Jet
Twinkle Star Sprites
Galaga ‘88
Gaiares
World Reborn
Majestic 12
Hacha Mecha Fighter
Apidya
Cotton series
Image Fight
Psyvariar
XBLA games
Triggerheart Exelica
Soukyugurentai
Kenta Cho games
Blazing Star
Bokan series
Parodius series
Pippols
Sonic Wings series
Raiden series
Zanac zeries
Phalanx
Einhander
Forgotten Worlds
Scarlet Meister
Danmakufu shmups
Tomak: Save the Earth Again
Blast Wind
Guardian Force
Gekirindan
Psyth/Force Gear
Other NMK shooters
Ironclad
Dead Moon
Eliminate Down
Sol Deace
Red Zone
Mad Shark
Air Gallet
Boogie Wings
Gallet
Fire Barrel
Rezon
Arbalester
Strike Gunner STG
Twin Eagle
Eight Forces
Meta Fox
War of Aero
Rapid Hero
Armalyte

(let me know if I've missed something!)

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I'm sure that most of you have a hunk of ideas for others to add, or above-listed ones to remove: share them here, and let's make this the best write-up it can be, with some participation from everyone. Thanks again for the help.

[Udderdude]

If you're talking about unknown to shmups fans, that's not a bad list.

If you're talking about unknown to non-shmup fans, you could list something like Batrider or Ketsui and almost everyone on the site would never have heard of it. :/

[jepjepjep]

-R-type Leo
-19XX
I'd say that because these are part of the R-type and 19XX series', they should be pretty well-known.

+ Mahou Daisakusen
Great shooter. Raizing's first game.

+ Zed Blade
Not as popular as other Neo shmups but still very fun.

[Estebang]

Ironclad totally deserves a mention. Terrifically fun, probably the weirdest R-Type derivative out there, the translation is amazingly coherent for the era, and it's a Neo CD exclusive (until the Virtual Console release.)

[Observer]

Maybe add a borderliner because Omega Motherfucking Boost is the most underrated game I've ever seen. To the point of having Polyphony Digital deny its existence. I mean, how much of an asshole you have to be to deny such an awesome game? It even had glorious live action and stupidly great one liners!

Anyway, you said doujins, I have to deliver.

I have some particular doujin games/series:

Diadra Empty: the "say-no-more" of free-roaming horis. A surreal, epic take on Fantasy Zone with a level of epic cranked up to the 10.000. It contains a shop system at the end of each chapter, as well as a crazy level up mechanic and so many secrets and stuff to keep you entertained for ages. Plus, dat Extra Level... An entire campaign where you end up fighting all the bosses at once while something even bigger shows up. And when you thought things couldn't get big enough, a 3-screens sized boss shows up. It's definitely not for everyone but, damn, I just love it since I put my claws on it back in 2008. One of my first doujin game purchases as well. The light show, the thundering sound of my sound equipment... You just can't believe Pedo Bear (well, "Kuma", the bear) is featured as a collectible item that unlocks alternate weapons to conform a vast array of power. An ongoing joke from icewind, probably making fun of the whole loli fad. Options are arranged in a Gradius-like way.

The TWINS series: a pretty much ignored series of STGs, often dizzed as mere Touhou clones... And, well, they look like that but most have pretty crazy mechanics. Alternative Sphere (the third game of the series) really polished everything that bothered me from the two previous games. Probably one of the coolest shooters of 2009-2010. TWIlight INSanity is an ok shooter featuring a character switching mechanic. TWilight RefrAIN (yep, they play with the caps) features an improved switch system and combines it with a spirit/magic power bar that acts as your health. It included scoreboards and much better graphics as well. Very polished but not as pretty as Alternative Sphere.

ChoRenSha68k: well-respected, yes, but man it should get some extra attention. It's just awesome. Plus it's freeware!

Murasame's "kusogames": following his joke of calling his catalogue a pack full of kusoge, Murasame's stuff is terribly underrated. Also, incredibly, fucking difficult to get a hold of retail copies. Rockin' Android releasing three in a collection will definitely boost popularity. Any bloody idiot that tells you the graphics look like SNES (something I've permanently read about Murasame) is a muppet. Can't name highlights. The Gundemonium games are great, that's for sure.

Hellsinker (of course): hated and loved with no middle ground. It is often regarded as the pinnacle of over-exaggerated complexity in the interface (from the go, the config menu is an indecipherable chaos) and a series of stages driven by what can only be high amounts of drugs. Featuring four playable characters, each one with its own unique weapons (with Kagura having 4 completely different weapon arrays!), an ultra-long full sequence sometimes rivalling RSG in length (9 stages, a TLB and 2 extras), it really feels like the RSG of the doujins. But, its inherent weirdness and obscure origins (Ruminant's Whimper rose from the ashes of a previous circle, Circulate Blue IIRC and, even then, it seems there is only one guy behind, nicknamed ranyon) play against it, unlike Crimzon Motherf·$%·$% Clover, which we all love and it seems to be the only recognised doujin by many here because of, you know, NUMBERS EVERYWHERE.

Maybe the Siter Skain's Alltynex series? Kamui, RefleX, Alltynex2nd, all freaking great. Apparently, one of the most and well-respected circles next to ZUN, the guy who makes Higurashi and a couple more.

[RNGmaster]

Eden's Aegis is great, underappreciated, and totally free. I'd put it on the list, since it can be a good introductory shmup.
Also obligatory Dragon Blaze reference. That game never gets boring, and for some reason it's Psikyo's least-played game (not counting Space Bomber).

[Hagane]

Cyvern: the Dragon Weapons deserves to be in, a great Raizing/Psikyo hybrid by Kaneko. Except for the lame final boss I think it's a really solid and challenging game.

Dragon Blaze is pretty underrated, even among shooter fans (it only made it to the top 25 in this forum just this year!). The absolute pinnacle of Psikyo games, all of their best qualities (fast paced, in-your-face offense oriented style, simple rules that are extremely hard to master, character variety, etc.) are there.

Shippu Mahou Daisakusen: one of the most unique shooters out there. Trying to get first place makes the game so fun and frantic.

Progear no Arashi: of all the Cave games I think this one is the most obscure, since it has no console ports. Has the most entertaining scoring system in any Cave game IMO, making long streams of jewels requires a lot of skill.

[ZenErik]

Backed on the Diadra Empty choice. Simply an incredible game.

[1up]

I rarely see anyone ever mentioning ECO Fighters? Pretty good game noone cares about.

[shadowbringer]

+ Varth: Operation Thunderstorm (World version)
pros:
* rewards clever use of item pickups for invulnerability (you can even "chain" them for keeping said invulnerability in some stages)
* stimulates aggressive playing at most times (using the invulnerability to speedkill enemies before said invulnerability wears off, or killing enemies before they fire), defensive playing in certain situations
* stimulates good positioning for when you want to conserve bombs (exploiting far away enemies' dead angles, or the distance you put between yourself and them, to give yourself time to react to their shots), and foresight (planning ahead dynamically), with or without the items
* there's room for variation in how you use your bombs
* bombs refill themselves over time
* stimulates your choices in which enemies you prioritize (problematic enemies for survival, white plane formations and other secrets for score)
* doesn't require perfect playthrough to have a decent score (most mistakes are ignoreable, except for example missing the glitch at the 4th stage's boss)
* the enemy placement across stages and the stages' backgrounds go well together and help make the stages feel different from each other
cons:
* becomes much more difficult (and tiring on the fingers/hand) without autofire (which isn't present in the game)
* wiggling for getting bomb refills faster
* glitch at 4th stage boss

+ Thunder Dragon 2
pros:
* speedkill enemy waves to summon the next enemy waves faster, said waves aren't entirely static iirc
* speedkill mechanic lets the player choose his/her own pacing (plus the possible bonus enemy that appears at the end of the stages if you speedkill enough waves, before boss fights, which yield a 50k item)
* most attacks are either aimed or patterned, but the bullets are fast enough to keep the player alert
* point item chaining doesn't reset when you let a point item scroll off from the screen
* blue point items (every 3 blue point items = 1 bomb) are harder to uncover (they scroll around twice as fast as normal point items) but rewards the player with bombs, which can be spent and collected
* bomb hoarding rewards the player with 10k points if the player has 7 or 8 bombs (maximum capacity), and stimulates occasional bombspamming in between one bomb item pickup and another (this means, a free bomb if you can keep the stock at

cons:
* a death penalizes the player with the point item chain reset and the bomb stock reset (both make up for a considerable potential loss in score, and the bomb stock reset further lowers the survival potential)

+ Raiden Fighters Jet
pros:
* event message chaining, not present on the main/more well-known Raiden series (or even other Raiden Fighters games), lets players choose the amount of risk and reward they want to chase, or can execute at the moment.
* speedkills help keep the player alert and/or exercise dynamic foresight (save for some moments in which you use bombs to maintain a message chain through speedkilling), in some cases you can even seal a speedkillable enemy's bullets to still gain the speedkill bonus
* secrets (combined with message chaining or not) also contribute to risk and reward
* fast-paced game, if played for score

made this list with non-shmuppers in mind; most wouldn't have heard of these games. Other games would be:
- ESP Ra De (multipliers making point items and boss kills tastier, multiplier sessions with max point items allowing the player to earn point items without the secondary shot)
- Dangun Feveron (lots of room for variation and dynamic correction in intermediate play, determined by the placement of the discomen)
- Twinkle Star Sprites (aside from pattern perfecting memorization, lots of room for improvisation when playing against human opponents; fast-paced game, like Feveron)
- Crimzon Clover (awesome boss fights and latter stages, awesome multiplier mechanic)
- Phantasmagoria Trues (a less known Danmakufu script, which rewards grazing and no-bombing/no-missing -- grazing yields more point item pickups, missing or bombing lowers the point item value's multiplier --, has lots of room for variation -- game's so hectic that you can't expect to fill the graze gauge at exactly the same places everytime, yet gives you the means to control where to reap the benefits from a full graze gauge -- and is challenging, even with bullet cancels). I just wish Phantasmagoria Trues would also have some of its predecessor's (Phantasm Romance) most awesome attack patterns and stages (I miss the maze stages).

there may be more, but for now, that's it for today :p

[Edmond Dantes]

There's one game that's an obvious shoe-in for this list. Hint: Look at my avatar, then at my sig.

[Randorama]

BM, I'd like to comment and ask on your choices to give some feedback:

Omega Fighter

Yes, this is really a gem. Score-intensive, two loops, decent graphics, and it's 1989!

Nostradamus

Why this one? I remember it being well-done, but not particularly outstanding in terms of game mechanics.

Vasara (series)

I find them a bit too slow-paced to be considered real gems.

Mystic Riders/Gun Hoki

Ordyne

Ah, yes, quirky and funny games, Gun Hoki is really a good game but very obscure.

Xexex

Always had mixed feelings about this. It incarnates a certain "early '90s" style, has great OST, it is fun to play *in the japanese version*. Then again, the design is quite chaotic and the gameplay is R-type+Gradius, not much else.

Cybattler

!!!

This is a great game and has quite a sophisticated game system. I don't know if it is a real gem, though: I adore it, but stage layouts are not so great (a lot of cheap shots).

Homura

I agree. A bit slow-paced, but it has a cool system, and good graphic design.

R-Type Leo

Harmful Park

These two can really be "hidden gems", as they are solid games with little exposure.

19XX: The War Against Destiny

Maybe 19XX is not so hidden, but I am not sure about it.

[Edmond Dantes]

Again I ask: Why isn't X-Multiply already on the list?

Also possibly Galaga '88, since I'm sure most people are familiar with the original Galaga and probably didn't know about the sequels/updates. Maybe Dragon Spirit as well?

[Sizone]

Racketboy's kind of a console dude so, first and foremost, I gotta say Gaiares. Great enemy weapon capture system, really good music and graphics for a Genesis cart.

Second, World Reborn for the GBA. Never got a physical release so you need a flash cart to play it on hardware. As such, not really sure if it's what you're looking for. Weird euroshumpy game with an experience/leveling system that isn't totally broken. Also has a Duke Nukem (or They Live) reference which cracks me up every time it comes up. Looks really good, nice, unusually bright color palette and a lot of variety in environmental settings.

Finally I'd say anything by UPL in terms of arcade games, but you had the good taste to list Omega Fighter in the OP.

Hmmmm..... Maybe ZanacXZanac or GunNac for the sake of Compile love?

[emphatic]

Majestic 12 (because of the stage select)
Hacha Mecha Fighter (emulation isn't good enough though)

[Drum]

Apidya!

I am not comfortable with Xexex being on there. I don't like it and don't think anybody should be allowed to like it.

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

Bio-Hazard Battle and Gley Lancer. Beloved by MD fans everywhere, but not everyone is an MD fan so I think these bear mentioning. Also, Metal Black; It didn't pick up a cult following solely for it's dark atmosphere.

[mjclark]

Howsabout shmups for PC-98 and x68k? Observer's already bigged up ChoRenSha and,
although maybe a bit too off the beaten track,Flame Zapper Kotsujin and Otaku Dama are truly great shmups which rank alongside anything mentioned here, but which remain largely unplayed due to the obscurity of their native platforms.

[EllertMichael]

Harmful Park

Harmful Park already has a write up in the PSX Hidden Gems article. Since space is at a premium I would steer away from duplicate articles.

That being said I finally played Harmful Park for the first time the other day and it is SO FUN! It's a few credits away from becoming my favourite cute-em-up.

How about Coryoon: Child of Dragon to take its place?

[Hagane]

Speaking of cute'em ups, I remembered the Cotton games. Boomerang has so many stuff in it, plus it's one of the best looking 2D games ever.

[tinotormed]

How about adding some of my favorite PC Engine games:

Coryoon: Child of Dragon - a cute-em-up that follows the vein of Air Zonk, except for scattered items.

Magical Chase - another cute-em-up that's a bit easy and requires thorough memorization like Cotton.

Dead Moon - A PCE shoot em up that plays a lot like Thunder Force.

Oh, and you might want to consider adding this up:

Image Fight - Super hard arcade shoot-em-up from Irem that requires a lot of focused attention on enemy attacks.

Hyper Duel - Tecnosoft's only hori released in the arcades and Sega Saturn.

Crisis Force - Konami's great vertical shoot-em-up for the Famicom/NES that lets you change forms and bomb.

[AttObl]

I would say x.x's games in general, since they have good music and an awesome scoring system.

Also, I agree with Observer with the Doujin Shmups, especially HELLSINKER and the Siter Skain games. I would like to add Ether Vapor, since it has a good storyline backed up by good gameplay.

On the commercial side, Hyper Duel and Image Fight are lovely games.

[Zaarock]

Kamui (PC Doujin by Siter Skain from '98?), is a hidden gem definitely.. rarely see it on peoples top 25 lists or whatever. It's highly inspired by rayforce with a laser shot mechanic if you combine shot and lock-on. Arguably beats Raystorm and Raycrisis at their own game and has some awesome raizing+treasure style bosses.

I also agree on Cyvern etc. should probably look through stuff and make a list or something.

Also wondering if 19XX is really hidden? It's actually the first shmup I played but I don't think much of it

[burgerkingdiamond]

someone already mentioned the "kusogames". Hitogata Happa is the best game of that 3 pack that came out for the PS3.

And of course CRIMZON CLOVER MUST BE ON THE LIST BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST DOUJIN GAME EVER AND PUTS A GOOD BIT OF "REAL" SHMUPS TO SHAME!

[Bananamatic]

The first Psyvariar?

Doesn't seem that popular compared to 2 but it's still great. Amazing OST too.
Also seconding Homura - and even that seems to be played more than Psyvariar around here.

[Moniker]

Recca -- I don't know if it qualifies as "hidden," but it seems to get less attention, probably for being a famicom shmup.

I'd second Eden's Aegis. It is indeed a great intro shmup, and brought me back from abandoning the genre in frustration when I started out.

A couple of hidden wonders on xblig, namely Prismatic Solid, Shoot 1UP, and Score Rush. Though maybe their scoring systems aren't deep enough and they're a little gimmicky for the list you're making. I guess they're not quite as gimmicky as the weirder Irem titles, though.

[burgerkingdiamond]

Don't forget Blue Wish Resurrection ( not + )

[Vamos]

Definitely the Vasaras , the 2nd is brilliant.

[Herr Schatten]

Racketboy's kind of a console dude so, first and foremost, I gotta say Gaiares. Great enemy weapon capture system, really good music and graphics for a Genesis cart.

... and dodgy hit detection. Gaiares has a lot of neat ideas, but it doesn't execute them very well. Nostalgia goggles cast aside, this is not really a gem.

I am not comfortable with Xexex being on there. I don't like it and don't think anybody should be allowed to like it.

Same here. Xexex is a terrible game. All it ever really had going for it was that it was technically cutting-edge when it was released. It has aged really badly, though, so all that's left is an inconsistent mess of a game. Dig up the STGT thread from last year for some more arguments against it.

I second the suggestions to include Apidya and Biohazard Battle.

Also, you might want to consider these:
Air Gallet (Arcade)
L-Dis (PCE)
Uridium 2 (Amiga)

EDIT: Oh, and Mr. Heli. Year after year I cannot comprehend that I'm the only one who puts this in his top 25. It's a unique and outstanding game. Definitely a hidden gem.

[dsheinem]

A lot of the games that we've played for the STGT tournaments would be good candidates for the list...

...but the problem with those and with the large majority of the games suggested so far is that they don't have home ports, which is what I know Nick wants to emphasize given the primary readership of the site. The main dilemma is that arcade hidden gems rarely get any kind of console port, and most shmups that DO have console ports are quite well known to shmup-enthusiasts.

I think shmups for consoles that didn't perform well in the US would be a good place to start. The PCE list a few posts back has a nice selection, and you might also think about adding some of the lesser known shmups for systems like the SMS or Neo Geo. You might also think about Japan-only shmups for popular systems (PS1, Famicom, SFC, Mega Drive, etc.) that US gamers might not be familiar with.