What do you guys think of Gaiares as a 16-bit shmup?

[MrOldSchoolCool]

I've always been torn on whether I think this is one of the best Genesis shmups or not. In fact, In general I'm not sure which Genesis shmups I think are the best.

[EmperorIng]

The checkpoints can be brutal, but I love the weapon-snatching concept and the bosses.

Is it the best? I'd go with Thunder Force or Battle Mania Daiginjou, but it's really good in my eyes.

[louisg]

It's excellent, but the difficulty level is so high that I'm put off by it. I think the best I've done is that boss that's in that underwater area. I think that's only the second boss And that's after playing it a *lot*. So I really have no idea how anyone manages in this game.

[Mortificator]

I think it's mediocre. Lots of dead space, then an unanticipated attack sends you back to a checkpoint to wait through it again. The tall stages aren't done nearly as well as in Thunder Force IV (play the O'Neill colony stages from it and Gaiares back-to-back and see the difference in quality). I expected better from a game with a character named Zz Badnusty.

[BIL]

I picked up a copy for my MD recently. Fundamentally sound game which, unusually for this system, feels very Gradius-esque. Anyone who's spent time with that series will notice countless resemblances (edit: and will quickly figure out the difficulty is heavily memorisation-weighted; figure out where to park your ship+option to annihilate incoming waves and life gets much easier).

Wouldn't describe it as a first-rate MD shooter. Its level designs and enemy patterns tend to be pretty pedestrian compared to the likes of Thunder Force IV, and the pacing can meander. When it really gets going later on (as with the "Burning Heat meets Crystal World" stage and its bigcores, zubs, ice shards, robodragon boss and dramatic sun-skimming direction) it approaches excellence. I'm close to a 1CC on Normal, have been enjoying it.

Certainly worth a look if you're a fan of both colourful 16-bit shooters and Gradius stylings. I put it in my second tier of MD shooters with Gynoug and Steel Empire.

[gray117]

Good and overlooked perhaps, but luster can fade with frustration.

[chempop]

Definitely one of the best. Very different than the Thunderforce games, far more difficult too.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I recall reading the Gaiares ads in the Video Games & Computer Entertainment issues back in the early 1990s that Renovation used to shell out their advertising budget on. Such classic ads that they were back in the day. Heck, even some classic 16-bit shmup ads like Raiden Triad for the Genesis looks great with it's oil painting rendition of the classic Raiden fightercraft.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Ganelon]

Gaiares is one of my favorite shooters, both within the 16-bit era and in general. It has a unique system and plenty of action. Solid music and colors, memorable characters, interesting bosses anime scenes, simple scoring... not much else I could ask for. The difficulty may be a bit rough but there's not much penalty to dying.

Gaiares is actually one of the first shooters I 1CCed, and I was very motivated to finish it. If I didn't read the title, I'd have inferred that some the comments here were about Rayxanber II instead.

[Herr Schatten]

It's solid and enjoyable, but it's not one of the top-tier shmups, not even in its own generation.

The weapon snatching mechanic is a nice touch, although it feels a little clumsy at times. As has been pointed out by others, pacing can be a problem and the level design sometimes feels a little loose and inconsistent. I also seem to remember the hit detection being a bit dodgy.

One of the best villain names ever, though.

[Skykid]

Gaiares is actually one of the first shooters I 1CCed, and I was very motivated to finish it. If I didn't read the title, I'd have inferred that some the comments here were about Rayxanber II instead.

Ha ha, murder on a disc! Rayxanber II, now that's brutal (I love it though.)

[Spyke]

I like it. Love the colour and the weapon system, but it is a difficult game and I don't like the checkpoints. I'd love to beat it and will one day. The music's pretty good too. It'll stay in my collection because it's quite an unusual title and if I ever break a leg and am forced to sit in front of a Megadrive for weeks on end I may manage to 1CC it...

Ant

[Kollision]

While Gaiares is a decent shooter overall, I'm kinda put down by its graphics.
They're too tame, a little more edge would've done the game wonders. Graphically it's as if you're playing a mix between Arrow Flash and Whip Rush.

Other than that, rock-solid challenge with excellent variety due to the weapon system and an absolutely killer soundtrack - easily one of the best on the MD.

[BIL]

Yeah, the graphics are colourful and vivid but also a tad sterile. Could've used grittier explosions. Armed Police Batrider is an ideal example of a colourful shooter that still feels raw and destructive as hell.

[chempop]

[CloudyMusic]

That is some hair.

[BIL]

It looks like the killer from Scream is about to leap up behind him. (But it's actually just a mullet ROFL)

[EmperorIng]

The Gaiares ads proclaiming the absolute show-stopping EIGHT MEGS OF POWER are always entertaining. I imagine that if I were a sega kid back then, and my parents had enough money to get me gaming magazines, I would have been stoked, ha ha.

[Rozyrg]

One of the best villain names ever, though.

My first born child will surely be named Zz. You've got to love the fact that she's got 'bad' right in her name in case you forget what she's there for.

As for the game itself, I really like the graphic style (especially in the intro cinematics) and the weapon system; but I have a lot of trouble getting into it and the difficulty just totally breaks my patience about 2 or 3 levels in. I normally love the additional challenge you get from checkpoints; but this is one game where they feel especially harsh.

I eventually warmed up to Wings of Wor/Gynoug, though, so it might just be a case where I play it again on the right day while in the right mood and suddenly love it.