Underrated Gems: What shooters are underrated?

[Fervent Fovea]

I wish some of these underrated gems buried in the voluminous stack of shooters would get much more respect and accolades. I discovered an awesome shooter just other day, inconspicuously hiding on the Nintendo Wii Shop, entitled Vampire Crystals. Which is an exhilarating dual-stick shooter, heavily inspired by the immortal arcade classic, Robotron 2084.

I'm overjoyed I found it. It is delightfully difficult and intense, especially on the night mode. I worry that we may be missing other overlooked shooters like this that just are not getting the attention and exposure they ought to have. What underrated gems have you triumphantly discovered that you strongly feel should be much more highly esteemed?

[trap15]

War of Aero.

[Drachenherz]

DoDonPachi Saidaioujou

[Skykid]

DoDonPachi Daioujou

fxd

[ACSeraph]

War of Aero.

I gotta agree though it is a pretty damn fun game even with its somewhat lacking scoring system and annoying death checkpoints. When I booted it up for the first time on Monday night I literally couldn't stop playing it until I had to quit to go to bed.

I'll go ahead and plug Otomedius G Arcade Mode as an underated game. X and Gorgeous mode not so much (even if I like them for some reason).

Also I wouldn't consider it all that obscure but I think Triggerheart Exelica is totally classic.

Also Homura is a sweet, often forgotten game.

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

Guardian Force

[BPzeBanshee]

XII Stag and G-Stream G2020, albeit it does have more popularity thanks to the 360 port (as XIIZeal and DeltaZeal).

Also, Gleylancer. And there's probably a few MD shooters I've forgotten about that are actually good and not by Technosoft.

EDIT: Forgot about Asougi. That one's cool although the way the visual effects are done in it makes me feel unwell if I play it for long.

[MathU]

Everything by MileStone.

[7711]

Asougi is cool but no one is playing it. Same goes for Clannada...

[DrTrouserPlank]

Triggerheart Exelica
Karous

[emphatic]

Galaga 88 and Majestic 12. Awesome scoring play in both.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Pippols.

[pestro87]

Ryu Jin by Taito

[malchitos]

Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth

yeah thanks to you I kinda wanna hunt that one down.

[malchitos]

gekirindan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gekirindan

When I stumbled upon it a few years ago on a mame machine I had never heard of it. Was happy to see it on Taito Legends 2 so that now I can legitimately own it.

[malchitos]

Triggerheart Exelica

Gotta second that one....It's like peeps mention it...but never really shower it with the love it deserves. Gotta love that anchor attack and flinging ships into one another. I do remember that gimmick in an earlier shmup( or was it a tractor beam?) but this game really expanded it and made it better...and a hell of a lot more useful.

[Domino]

Rapid Hero.

[Special World]

I'm sure Eschatos and Ginga Force are properly rated amongst those that have played them, but they're unbelievable and more people should play them. Absolutely top rate, and innovative as hell.

[7711]

gekirindan

I don't know if it's underrated, but its definitely an awesome game.

[Kollision]

Game Paradise/Tengoku
Sol-Deace
Zero Wing

[Hagane]

The whole Psikyo STG output except the Strikers games and Gunbird 2. Dragon Blaze and Sengoku Blade particularly. Also Cyvern, Game Tengoku and Shippu Mahou Daisakusen.

[KAI]

What shooters are underrated?

All of them. This genre is underrated. Except for 2hu, but we all know that 2hu is not a shmup.

[Bananamatic]

psyvariar

[7711]

What shooters are underrated?

All of them. This genre is underrated. Except for 2hu, but we all know that 2hu is not a shmup.

This genre ain't underrated, at least not from my point of view.
And as games, all those named previously in the topic are underrated, but as STGs they're clearly not... Most of them are acually pretty popular, Dragon Blaze, Cyvern, Psyvariar... They're not the most popular, but that doesn't make them underrated

[ciox]

psyvariar

[KAI]

Everything by MileStone.

[Weak Boson]

praise psyvariar

[Obscura]

Border Down!

Border Motherfucking Down!

Also Mahou Daisakusen, Kamui and Radirgy.

EDIT: Also, is it just me, or does the OP reek of blatant self-promotion?

[KAI]

EDIT: Also, is it just me, or does the OP reek of blatant self-promotion?

Its just your imagination.

[trap15]

EDIT: Also, is it just me, or does the OP reek of blatant self-promotion?

That's exactly what I thought when I posted my silly answer.