What is your favorite shmup music?

[shmuppyLove]

Really been grooving on SDOJ soundtrack.

Stage 3 reminds me a lot of Stage 4 Espgaluda in terms of tone and feel. It's very open and 'airy' and uplifting.

SDOJ - Ai (Stage 3)
Espgaluda - Fort City (Stage 4)

[AweOfShe]

Daioujou - East Asia (Arrange)
Saidaioujou - Ran
Espgaluda II - Stage 4 (Arrange)
Mamonoro - Blossom Shower
Eschatos - Silver Lining
Triggerheart Exelica - Stage 1

First stage and boss themes tend to end up being my favorites on soundtracks, most of the time.

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

And i have to admit that i really hate the music in Raiden Fighters

I agree, the Raiden Fighters music sucked horribly, especially compared to the original Raiden series.

[trap15]

And i have to admit that i really hate the music in Raiden Fighters

I agree, the Raiden Fighters music sucked horribly, especially compared to the original Raiden series.

Disagree. This song doesn't get you fucking pumped to kill everything?

[KAI]

Raiden Fighters music suck, that's why their soundtracks were re-composed thrice.

HEAVY METAL RAIDEN

Yasui Goodness

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

And i have to admit that i really hate the music in Raiden Fighters

I agree, the Raiden Fighters music sucked horribly, especially compared to the original Raiden series.

Disagree. This song doesn't get you fucking pumped to kill everything?

I partially take back what I said, because I only like a few tracks from the Raiden Fighters series. I prefer the original series' music because I like the melancholic melodies better than the more techno/drum and bass style of the Fighters series, however it really does give the game a more fast paced feel. The same goes for Raiden III. The only good tracks were the themes from Stage 1 and Stage 3; the rest I found to be bland and had a "meh" feel to them.

[BPzeBanshee]

lol Raiden Fighters music sucks according to distorted youtube videos and MAME runs

while we're there, futari sucks because 50,000,000 bullets on the screen

[railslave]

Hi all!
I gotta say that alot of my favs are on the sega megadrive.
.First some less obvious ones

Verytex (stage one) clearest sounding music on the system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KfPM8xJ ... ure=relmfu


aero blasters (stage one) fresh and breezy, suits the level so well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_2XIlfR7AU

possibly my favorite music of all time, thunderforce 2- ray of hope ..jaw droppingly beautiful reward for not giving up on the overhead sections

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbFlcOsT2MU

and the most emotionaly charged last boss music ever..but the whole soundtrack is flawless
Thunderforce 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vw2d3_aEC8

These are favorites of mine

[MrChiggins]

Off the top of my head, Lords of Thunder springs to action!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoIg45meBbg


Also, Ketsui, Mushihimesama Stage 4, Battle Garegga, Soukyugurentai, Radiant Silvergun.

[oboewan42]

Say what you will about the game itself (I personally think it did a lot right, had a crazy number of modes, great weapons, and would have loved to see a sequel that fixed some issues, but that's for another time), but Tyrian 2000's soundtrack has some of the best tracks of all time.

Also, the soundtrack is ENORMOUS.

A great thing about this soundtrack is that it doesn't all blend together, each piece has its own distinct style. Here's some choice examples:

"CAMANIS"
"Asteroids Dance, Part 2"
"Torm: The Gathering"
"Tyrian, the Level"
"Buy/Sell"
"Space Journey 2"
"One Mustn't Fall"
"Gyges, Will You Please Help Me?"
"Rock Garden"

and last, but CERTAINLY not least, the single best piece of music of any game ever, "Beer" (the bonus level theme)

(btw, the free GOG.com download of the game includes the full OST)

Finally, Stargunner (which I personally hate as a game) has, by far, the best titlescreen/menu theme of any shmup I've played.

[exquisite_torture]

Salamander on MSX - all of it. I think an early diet of Konami games, Gary Numan and Kraftwerk is responsible for a 22 year raving career and music buying obsession.

[Klatrymadon]

Nice one. The MSX version of "Burn The Wind" is one of my favourite tunes.

[R3ma1ns]

Pretty much all of Iridion and Iridion II, including the arranged versions; all of Einhander; a good portion of R-type III and R-Type Delta; Super E.D.F. (especially the Naval Battle stage); DoDonPachi; Darius Twin (especially stage 3 "Lankus"); the fire stage theme of Salamander (can't remember the name of it). I enjoy the first stage of Last Resort, but have never been able to find the soundtrack so I never listen to it outside of the game itself. I like most of the Gradius soundtracks, but I hear them a lot. There are probably more than I've listed here. I like retro-sounding stuff and guitars, I guess.

EDIT: Oh, and all of Dragon Spirit. =)

[trap15]

Hnngg RADIANT SILVERGUN.

[oboewan42]

In terms of the whole package - Music, SFX, voice acting, etc - I think that the best I've ever heard is the first level of Silpheed for Sega CD.

http://youtu.be/QMc9mrhM7OE?t=2m20s

(gameplay starts at 2:20 if the link doesn't automatically take you there)

I don't know what it is - whether it's the mixing levels, or the guy's accent, or the lack of subtitles, or what's going on in the background, or what - but this is, by far, the most spot-on radio chatter I've ever heard in a game. It actually feels like radio chatter. Excellent sound design.

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

Does anyone know where I can find a complete discography for Heavy Metal Raiden? I just recently started listening to some of their music on Youtube, and I would like to get more into their stuff.

[KAI]

First and only release so far
HEAVY METAL RAIDEN Demo CD

[null1024]

Hnngg RADIANT SILVERGUN.

It's certainly impressive for a sample-based work that sounds like it's actually orchestrated [like, seriously -- it's effing impressive as fuck, I was wondering how I was getting sound like that from such a small ROM in MAME, I thought some voodoo streaming audio compression was at work], but I can't hnngg over it. Probably just because I don't particularly like the game's main melody [that a good 80% of the songs in the game utilize in some way].

On a related note, Ikaruga's soundtrack is quite sexy, and I hold it to a similar regard, except I really like the melody a lot, so I will hnnggggggggggggg over it.

[KAI]

Ikaruga's soundtrack sux, even Iuchi said that and he composed it.

RS uses PCM sound. The music sounds good cause Sakimoto is a monter using those kind of tools.

[trap15]

It's certainly impressive for a sample-based work that sounds like it's actually orchestrated [like, seriously -- it's effing impressive as fuck, I was wondering how I was getting sound like that from such a small ROM in MAME, I thought some voodoo streaming audio compression was at work]

The SCSP is a damn powerful sound chip It's can do streaming (which it probably is not); and it can do sampled playback, like MOD or what-have-you; and it can do FM-synth. Pretty sure RSG uses sampled playback, but instead of a single sample for each instrument, it uses different ones for each pitch (or every couple pitches) to prevent distortion from the resampling.

but I can't hnngg over it. Probably just because I don't particularly like the game's main melody [that a good 80% of the songs in the game utilize in some way].

Yes, lots of Hitoshi Sakimoto's works from the time re-use the melody throughout all of the tracks. You will also notice this a ton in Final Fantasy Tactics' OST. The two are actually very similar; they both use the same sample libraries I believe. So yeah, if you don't like the main melody, you're probably not going to like most of the OST. But if you're like me and love the melody, it'll be pretty much amazing

Ikaruga's soundtrack sux, even Iuchi said that and he composed it.

Really? I thought it was a pretty good soundtrack, myself.

[BIL]

RS uses PCM sound. The music sounds good cause Sakimoto is a monter using those kind of tools.

QFT. If I didn't know Sakimoto was responsible I'd swear human sacrifice was involved in getting the Mega Drive versions of Midnight Resistance, Bad Omen and Gauntlet to sound so good.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Off topic, but does anybody know how come Omega Boost sounds so... spatially? Like Dolby Pro Logic II or something.

[KAI]

Stereo, a good use of it, but I don't see anything special about it.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I tend to play with good earphones on and some games played this way sound very special even without EAX. Twisted Metal: Black, the original Burnout in "FPP" mode (NOT 2; that one is aurally botched), Omega Boost. Sound more 3D than the competition. Some people remember Omega Boost played with subwoofer particulary fondly too. Just not something your average telly's speakers can do justice.
What's intriguing is just how Polyphony Digital did with the PSX what some otherwise competent studios failed to do with next gen systems.
Let me put it this way: Omega Boost's sound (stereo, just good earphones) does to me what Radiant Silvergun's graphics (real Saturn, RGB, CRT) do - makes me scratch my head. How the...?
P.S. Blimey, in Radiant Silvergun's stead, typed (and posted!) Radiant Livergun. Maybe Treasure should hire me...

[BIL]

Some people remember Omega Boost played with subwoofer particulary fondly too. Just not something your average telly's speakers can do justice.

Word. If you can't feel the assault rifle shaking the floor, you're doing it wrong. If you're not feeling the floor shake while getting Omega Zeus rank you're also doing it wrong.

[R-Gray 1]

Gradius gaiden


stage 9c Big ducker (fate) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrRRl4Rq-KY
stage 9b Inside mission (fate) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7rz3SaxQSw
last boss ( with voice!! ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHWAErFDMZg
stage 3 crystal cage into the crystal cage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyLcLONz3w4
stage 2 cemetery Requiem for revengers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN8rbAcX3h8

[ilitirit]

Had lots of old school arcades shmups in my head recently

UFO Robo Dangar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1uQG2i5H0I

Terra Cresta:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGqfNVqhgv0

Hyper Dyne Side Arms:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3TOJtGwkSI

ASO: Armored Scrum Object:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmXTESVry-g (Remix - this game had great music)

[Barrys_Bapz]

ikaruga

[Obiwanshinobi]

Folks, even if you don't have a Saturn, the Gun Frontier port is worth listening to the music.

[Observer]

Some people remember Omega Boost played with subwoofer particulary fondly too. Just not something your average telly's speakers can do justice.

Word. If you can't feel the assault rifle shaking the floor, you're doing it wrong. If you're not feeling the floor shake while getting Omega Zeus rank you're also doing it wrong.

Omega Boost is the motherfucking shit, man, god I love it so much. 1999, what a year.

Nothing like Shade by Feeder to cheer me up through a shit morning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z2flYwd8pw

Brings me memories of one of the best game openings ever, with live action included.

edit:

Love Fort City on ESPGaluda too!