Colourful Shmups like Trouble Witches, Keio Flyin, Mushiheme

[Terramax]

Heya, I'm looking for some recommendations. Games like Trouble Witches, Keio Flying Squadron, Muchi Muchi Pork, Mushihimesama, Parodius Da!, etc. Shmups which are bright, colourful, and don't take themselves too seriously.

I own a great many consoles, so if anyone could recommend anything, whether old or new.

[shmuppyLove]

Illvelo has got to be the most colorful?



Or of course Pink Sweets



But PS is pretty hardcore -- definitely colourful but maybe not the play style you're looking for exactly.

[KAI]

What shmuppyLove said + Radirgy.

visually-induced epilepsy

[Terramax]

Hmm, couldn't get into Radirgy. But I've seen it pretty cheap on the gamecube, so maybe I'll give it another shot sometime.

[Super Laydock]

Worth every penny and then some is Harmful Park.
Can't recommend it highly enough!

[CStarFlare]

Worth every penny and then some is Harmful Park.
Can't recommend it highly enough!

Second. That site doesn't show pictures from stage 5, which is my favorite design-wise. Worth a look if color is your thing (stage 2 is quite nice as well).

If you want to go through the trouble of getting access to the Japanese PSN store, it can be had there for very cheap.

[Vyxx]

Grab Pink Sweets if you have a 360. Everyone seems to love the Arrange version that's included (I still love the original version).

Also I think the arrange version is supposed to be a whole lot more forgiving?

[SuperSoaker360]

∀kashicverse - Malicious Wake

[BIL]

Virtually anything Fantasy Zone. Super Fantasy Zone (MD) is my favourite, but the best buy may be Sega AGES 2500 Vol.33: Fantasy Zone Complete Collection for the PS2, which will basically set you up for life with the series. I think the original AC game may be the most graphically ageless shooter ever, it still looks like it was released yesterday. Gorgeous.

Thirding Harmful Park, it's a great game besides being colourful and goofy as all hell. Expensive as all hell too, but as CStarflare said there's the PSN route too.

Not really a fan of it myself, but Game Tengoku / The Game Paradise has an excellent Saturn port and is definitely on the wackier side.

[Ghegs]

Not really a fan of it myself, but Game Tengoku / The Game Paradise has an excellent Saturn port and is definitely on the wackier side.

Was gonna mention this one, I got the PCB a little while ago myself. The scoring system seems fun, too.

[O. Van Bruce]

Worth every penny and then some is Harmful Park.
Can't recommend it highly enough!

Thanks bro, this game looks awesome. Gonna get it right now

[BIL]

Oh yeah, the Cotton series. No-brainer if you like Keio's style. Cotton 2 and Cotton Boomerang have perfect STV to Saturn ports, the former's easier to find than the latter.

Magical Chase on the PCE/TG16 is roughly under the same stylistic umbrella of cutesy shooters involving witches on brooms, although it's entirely more innocent than Keio and Cotton with their slight anime cheesecake bent.

[Terramax]

Wow, completely forgot about Harmful Park. But I remember why, cos that game costs a fortune!

Indeed, I do plan on getting Pink Sweets at some point.

[EmperorIng]

Ryu Jin is a really damn colorful shmup.

For more Taito, Darius Gaiden is super psychedelic.

[Super Laydock]

Another shmup not taking itself too serious with some nice bright gfx has to be Star Parodier for the PCE.

Can't comment on gameplay since I only played a few times via emulator, but it's supposed to be a good game.

[BIL]

XEXEX (AC/PSP) is another super-colourful non-cute 'em up. I'd also mention Gradius Gaiden (PS1/PSP) and R-Type Leo (AC) in this vein - both games apply a lot of rainbow hues to their characteristic alien and machine designs.





Gaiares (MD) is also bizarrely colourful for an MD shooter, let alone a Gradius-style space opera themed one.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Psikyo's Gunbird series are fun (and tough!) but they're quite colourful and they have fairly absurd plots. Particularly the endings.

[Terramax]

Psikyo's Gunbird series are fun (and tough!) but they're quite colourful and they have fairly absurd plots. Particularly the endings.

Yeah, I've had those. Pretty decent. Especially the first one.

BTW, I've just noticed Mamoru-kun for the 360. May I ask what people think of that game? My local store is selling the special edition version of it. Does that come with the soundtrack?

[BIL]

Also by Psikyo, Dragon Blaze. I always thought of it as a close artistic match with Mushihimesama. Lots of colourful flora and fauna to blast at, some striking natural settings across deserts, oceans and forests, and the same "beast rider" theme. It's probably a lot more lighthearted than Mushi, actually, with the silly turtle henchmen who get blown up, shot down and cower in terror but always make it out alive, and the usual goofball Psikyo endings. The stage 5 boss is Mecha Mumbo Jumbo from Banjo-Kazooie. And yeah, it's hard as hell.



And the cutest dragon-themed shooter ever:





Strictly in terms of colour, Guwange is quite beautiful with its use of vivid bullet and icon colours contrasted against stone/earth background tones and elegantly subdued period dress and architecture (plus the intermission sequences are mesmerising). But its story and stages are also chock-full of depraved, horrific content. I love it, YMMV!

[Terramax]

Also by Psikyo, Dragon Blaze...

As a matter of fact, I was looking up that game earlier! Currently residing in Japan, and that game was released as a double-bill with another shmup, so could be worth checking out. However, the game is not cheap.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Wouldn't recommend Harmful Park for the graphics.
Would recommend: In the Hunt/Kaitei Daisensou (PSX), Shienryu (Saturn or PS2), Wolf Fang (MAME or PSX), Zanac Neo (for the gameplay rather than graphics; also, don't play it on PS2/3), Sengoku Ace (PS2), Gunbird 2 (shmupmame, possibly DC too), Space Bomber (shmupmame; though it's not terribly colourful, it is wacky), Pippols, Gunhed ("hidden" difficulty levels), Seirei Senshi Spriggan (especially Caravan modes).
Three Psyvariar games (PS2) look like certain sweets to me.

[BIL]

Gunbird 2 (shmupmame, possibly DC too)

DC for sure. As the Japanese packaging reassures undecided buyers, "DON'T WORRY MORRIGAN IS HERE TOO"

[Obiwanshinobi]

Since I've seen the Saturn versions with RGB colour, I ought to say Guardian Force and Soukyuugurentai. Especially the former (the latter is an acquired taste of sorts).
Oh yes, Mahou Daisakusen and Air Gallet (both on shmupmame).

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Another shmup not taking itself too serious with some nice bright gfx has to be Star Parodier for the PCE.

Can't comment on gameplay since I only played a few times via emulator, but it's supposed to be a good game.

And Star Parodier was to be released under the new title of "Fanasty Star Soldier -- a Super CD-Rom 2 STG title" from the likes of TTI but it never was released stateside (and thus remains as a TTI prototype game). It's fun to boot up on a PC Engine Duo or Turbo Duo setup for novelity's sake. It's a light-hearted shmup romp on the real PCE hardware indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Ed Oscuro]

Seirei Senshi Spriggan

[Ruldra]

Twinkle Star Sprites

[wiNteR]

Eco Fighters
Detana! TwinBee
Game Tengoku
Cotton Games
1944 Loop Master
Captain Tomaday
Flying Red Barrel (doujin)

Gratia: Second Earth (?)
Shikigami No Shiro 3 (?)

Not sure if the last two qualify exactly, but they might be worth a look.

edit: added more games

[AntiFritz]

The whole touhou series is pretty colourful, but I'd say Mountain of Faith is the best example.

Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu is damn colourful too.

EDIT: Oh but I guess those take themselves seriously though.

[Skykid]

Wouldn't recommend Harmful Park for the graphics.

What? HP is visually lovely, with great novelty touches throughout. It's the most accomplished theme park 'theme' I've seen.

For the colourful list:

Hacha Mecha Fighter (PCB only)

[kathy]

The whole touhou series is pretty colourful, but I'd say Mountain of Faith is the best example.

Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu is damn colourful too.

EDIT: Oh but I guess those take themselves seriously though.

+1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NCVnX7EjSk
the black label arrange is totally nuts.. to this day im not sure if it's super serious or super comical = )

lots of fun and very colorful