Best Console-Only Shmups?

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 12:31 am

Personally, I've never found any console-only shmup to be better than "average". All the really good stuff gets released in the Arcades, obviously.

neojma · Post by **neojma** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 1:50 am

FRO wrote:I'm not aware of any non-arcade conversion shmups for Saturn or PSX, though if there are I certainly haven't played them.

Saturn - Thunderforce V
PSX - Gradius Gaiden

Grant Windsor · Post by **Grant Windsor** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:20 am

For those still around who were here way back in 1997, yes, it's me...just 9 years older and not so long-winded or crotchety.

Eh...besides all of the arcade ports, I have quite a few console-only shmups which I like. My top 10, in no particular order, are:

Axelay - Super Famicom
Gate of Thunder - PC Engine
Gradius Gaiden - PlayStation
Gradius V - PlayStation 2
Harmful Park - PlayStation
Musha Aleste - Mega Drive
Spriggan - PC Engine
Thunder Force III - Mega Drive
Winds of Thunder - PC Engine
Zanac Neo (from Zanac x Zanac) - PlayStation

The post-Thunder Force III arcade release, Thunder Force AC (the poor home port of that was Thunder Spirits on Super Famicom), borrowed only parts of Thunder Force III. Save Gradius Gaiden and Winds of Thunder, all of these shmups have remained solely on the systems which spawned them. Winds' port (as Lords of Thunder) to the Sega CD was not technically great...though the gameplay was still decent (minus the stun effort when hit...not new and improved). I'm not crazy about the screen options for Gradius Gaiden on PSP (much the same with the stretched screen-only Pop'n Twinbee...kind of forces you to play the games a tad different than on their birth consoles), but the game is still good and controls well with the analog nub.

I had passed over Harmful Park when it was first released back in 1997, and I didn't get a copy of it until a couple of years ago. That was my mistake, as it's a really good (albeit odd) game. I tend to gravitate toward quirky Japanese games, so that's no problem for me whatsoever. I still play the Choaniki games on PC Engine, Saturn, PlayStation and PlayStation 2, so I probably need some help.

It's a shame that Hudson Soft only seems to revisit their classics from the Famicom (I'm referring to straight ports) for regular console releases. Their Famicom shmups have seen re-release on both the Super Famcom and GameBoy Advance. Though I already own all of their PC Engine shooters, it would be nice to see a compilation disk of them (versus just being downloadable content) put out for one of the consoles.

- Grant

GateofThunderforceIII · Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:54 am

Grant!! I remember you!! Welcome back and I hope you post like a maniac...I respect your opinions.

Going back on topic, I whole heartedly agree with Wings of Wor/Gynoug being one heck of a console shooter. Plus, console only shooters seem a little more beatable than their arcade counterparts since developers don't have people pumping quarters in every 30 seconds in mind (for casual gamers) when designing their games.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 1:33 am

ThunderForce 6?

Off the top of my head:
Harmful Park
Zanac Neo
Zanac
Ibara Arrange
Everyday Shooter

Koa Zo · Post by **Koa Zo** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:35 am

Jeffrey wrote:What are the best shmups that were developed only for a console, not for an arcade cab? I can think of Recca and Sapphire. Does Harmful Park count?

sorry if this was already pointed out, as I only skimmed the thread
even if it was it deserves repeating
Sapphire is not a "best" console only shmup.
"most graphically impressive", maybe.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 7:57 am

If I were to vote by system based on what I've gotten to play...

Atari 2600- Chopper Command
Atari XEGS- Thunderfox
Master System- Power Strike II
Genesis- Thunder Force IV
Sega CD- Lords of Thunder
32X- Kolibri
Saturn- Thunder Force V/Blast Wind
Dreamcast- Last Hope
NES- Over Horizon
SNES- R-Type III: The Third Lightning
N64- Star Fox 64
Gamecube- N/A
Wii- N/A
PS1- Einhänder/R-Type Delta
PS2- Gradius V
PS3- N/A
XBox- Did this even get a shmup outside of the compilations?
XBox 360- N/A
TG-16- Soldier Blade
TG-16 CD- Rayxanber III/Gate of Thunder
GB/GBC- Sagaia (it's not the arcade game)
GBA- Kotetsu Teikoku
DS- N/A
PSP- N/A

Not a console, but...

PC- Tyrian 2000/Söldner-X

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 12:53 pm

The Coop wrote:If I were to vote by system based on what I've gotten to play...

XBox- Did this even get a shmup outside of the compilations?

DS- N/A

Yeah, Xyanide is a shmup. For the DS it would have to be Nanostray 2. It's pretty nice, actually.

sikraiken · Post by **sikraiken** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 1:47 pm

Espgaluda arrange is by far the best console-only shooter ever released. I don't care that it's based off of an arcade release, nothing beats it.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:26 pm

tekneekz wrote:eco fighters

this was CPS2 hardware http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=795

lgb · Post by **lgb** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:32 pm

Summer Carnival. Soldier.

SockPuppetHyren · Post by **SockPuppetHyren** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 3:59 pm

dementia wrote:R-Type Delta <3

<3

silvergunner · Post by **silvergunner** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 4:36 pm

My Favs Console Only:

-R Type Delta
-Gradius Gaiden/5 (console only!)
-Einhänder
-Harmful Park
-Zanac Neo
-Musha Aleste
-Thunderforce IV
-Nexzr
-Gate of Thunder
-Soldier Blade
-Gunhed

...

Hellfire MD ...I know the Title is not console-exclusive,but the MD Version is not an 1:1 Port,has additional features like the drone.
MD Hellfire is unique and the best version outthere.Therefore I will count this to console-exclusive!
MD/Genesis Shooterfans should own this gem/game...

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 4:52 pm

The Coop wrote:N64- Star Fox 64

Space Invaders Extreme is also worth a mention.

escadrille · Post by **escadrille** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 4:53 pm

Einhander
R-Type 3

I would also argue that the SNES version of Area 88 is different enough from the arcade version to count as a totally different game.

evil_ash_xero · Post by **evil_ash_xero** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 7:26 pm

gradius v
thunderforce iv
r-type delta
r-type iii
gradius gaiden
eihander

gate of thunder and musha aleste are good too.

s/m

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 2:04 am

professor ganson wrote:
The Coop wrote:N64- Star Fox 64

Space Invaders Extreme is also worth a mention.

Yeah yeah, "Star Fox isn't a shmup" and all that. I don't agree with some of the rules this place has set forth, thus, my pick stands. Sure, Bangai-O is on the N64, but I've only played the DC version, and I don't vote for games (or versions) that I haven't played and finished.

SO THERE

tommyb · Post by **tommyb** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 4:34 pm

Aegis Wing!

ugh, bad joke.

Chelnov · Post by **Chelnov** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:30 pm

From what I got to play legit:

Lightening Force/Thunder Force IV (GEN)
M.U.S.H.A. (GEN)
Soldier Blade (TG-16)
Gradius Gaiden (PS1)
Nexzr (PCE SUPER CD-ROM2)

I really want to play more of the 32-bit and last gen shmups.

ughman123 · Post by **ughman123** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:22 pm

Ganelon wrote:Gaiares is my fave.

definantly dawg

Chelnov · Post by **Chelnov** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:01 pm

ughman123 wrote:
Ganelon wrote:Gaiares is my fave.
definantly dawg

I have been playing that for years and I still can't beat it.

Dragoforce · Post by **Dragoforce** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:16 pm

Firepower2000/Super SWIV.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:19 pm

I remember you, Grant, and your legendary collection!

Good to see you again!

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:00 pm

Gradius Gaiden/V

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Best Console-Only Shmups?

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