high-powered, close-range attacks

[professor ganson]

It occured to me that many of my favorite games-- Gunbird 2, Dragon Blaze, Mars Matrix, Shiki II (with Kim)-- make use of a high-powered, close-range attack.

Which games-- even better, which levels of games-- do the best job of integrating this sort of attack into the gameplay? And why?

Also, what's the history of this sort of weapon in shmups? Is Xevious perhaps the first to have such an attack? Unclear to me.

[AntiPasta]

An obvious choice would be RSG with it's sword, which adds a whole new dose of difficulty to use well (as if we needed any more!), but can also be used to absorb bullets.

[Accutron]

The first appearance of a melee attack is probably Galaxian.

[CMoon]

All of this 'melee attack' stuff really stems from the older shmups where point-blanking an enemy did more damage since only so many of your bullets could be on the screen at once. I really wonder why there was a need to add a seperate 'point-blank' attack. Perhaps to give the feeling of something new?

[landshark]

The first appearance of a melee attack is probably Galaxian.

Really? Time to go load up mame ... I've never seen this.

[Accutron]

The first appearance of a melee attack is probably Galaxian.

Really? Time to go load up mame ... I've never seen this.

The Atari 5200/8-bit version lets you kill enemies with the bullet perched on the nose of your craft while you're not shooting. I could've swore the arcade version was the same, but after trying it in mame it doesn't seem to work.

[SAM]

In KiKi KaiKai (奇々怪界) by Taito (1986) (the first "Pocky & Rocky" game), you could swing a 御払い棒 around and hit near by ghost and moster. Preaty powerful attack, with it you could even charge a swarm of enemy head on. I thing this might be the only shmups game you could do thing like that.

You got such a power melee attack because, the cover arc of your shot attack (御札) is not very wide (1 way only, the best you could do to increase the cover is by upgrading to fire a big 御札) and you are constantly under attack from all sides. Plus the fact that you could shot at the direction you are facing/going. This make you cannot aim your shot while you are doging bullets; and when you aim, you cannot doge.

In the GBA KiKi KaiKai (Pocky & Rocky with Becky), the 御払い棒 could even clear enemy bullets?!

[BulletMagnet]

In the GBA KiKi KaiKai (Pocky & Rocky with Becky), the 御払い棒 could even clear enemy bullets?!

You mighta been able to do that in the SNES Pocky games as well, but I'm not sure...I own both, I oughta boot 'em up to check.

In any case, as for other "close-attack" shmups, there are Armed Police Batrider, Battle Bakraid, XII Stag, Kyuiin, and the Vasaras, off the top of my head. Some of the Twinkle Star Sprites characters also have close-range charge shots...Chaos Field also has a "sword" weapon, though you use it more for defense then offense.

[Specineff]

Though it's pretty much impractical, Einhander's arm is completely indestructible, and can cause damage to enemies at extremely close range

[BulletMagnet]

There's also the "blade" weapon, if you want something a bit more practical, heh.

[sjewkestheloon]

well as for the best stage to use a close range attack, it would have to be mars matrix stage 1. with some memorisation, the close attack is the only one you need throughout the entire stage and it lets you swoop in and collect the exp cubes far more easily due to your proximity and timing (maybe just me). i love slapping the enemies as they just come on screen

[professor ganson]

well as for the best stage to use a close range attack, it would have to be mars matrix stage 1. with some memorisation, the close attack is the only one you need throughout the entire stage and it lets you swoop in and collect the exp cubes far more easily due to your proximity and timing (maybe just me). i love slapping the enemies as they just come on screen

Yeah, I really enjoy just using the proximity attack all the way through MM 1.

But I guess my favorite stages are probably those where you really need to use the close-range attack because of its power, but cannot easily rely on it alone because it is sometimes too dangerous to be in close quarters with the enemies or because the enemies are at times too spread out or because you sometimes need to be further away to pick up a coin or whatever. I like the strategy involved in determining when to use the close-range attack, especially when the attack is genuinely needed for survival.

I suppose the levels that come to mind first are:
Gunbird 2: USA
Dragon Blaze: Goblin Desert
Perhaps also Mars Matrix lev 2, though I am still getting to know this one.

[TVG]

All of this 'melee attack' stuff really stems from the older shmups where point-blanking an enemy did more damage since only so many of your bullets could be on the screen at once. I really wonder why there was a need to add a seperate 'point-blank' attack. Perhaps to give the feeling of something new?

beacause theyre cool and fun to use.

[thesuperkillerxxx]

There's also the "blade" weapon, if you want something a bit more practical, heh.

and in case you didn't know, you can do a hadoken and extend the blade weapon too!

[gs68]

The P-38 in Strikers 1945+ has a close-range lightning attack for a super weapon, which does quite a bit of damage.

[Zweihander]

You should play Rayforce/Layer Section/Galactic Attack (same goddamn game.. lol) That game is Xevious on steroids. (only Xevious sucked, whereas Rayforce does not) Avoid RayStorm though, unless you've played the living fuck out of RayForce and are desperate for more. (This is all assuming you haven't played the Ray series.. sorry if ya have already. XD) You can find the game CHEAP (the US Galactic Attack version) if you can find it anywhere, or ebay.

[captain ahar]

That game is Xevious on steroids. (only Xevious sucked, whereas Rayforce does not)

boourns. xevious rocks, and xevious arrange raised the rocking to a power of twelve.

my suggestion ganson, is brave blade, using melee is deeply tied into scoring throughout the game. genious game, raizing wins.


\/ not many people, myself included, consider it worth playing.

[SAM]

I have been wondering why no one mensioned Sol Divide yet. In that game your could actually do close attack combo to an enemy.

[tehkao]

The Force in R-Type is indestructible and can be used as a melee weapon.

[LoneSage]

Tekkaman Blade for the SFC, if any of you count that as a shmup.

[Zweihander]

in Einhander, you can actually use your ship's "arm" to kick an enemy to death, if you're not holding any gunpods with it. Just gotta position yourself above/behind them.