Which console to start out with for shmups?

[zendor118]

PCE with an everdrive. For about $150, you'll have access to a bunch of good shmups without having to import anything.

Radio shack is offering 25% off clearance items which currently includes the 4GB Xbox 360 Slim model. If you can find one, it will cost you about $100. A lot of the shmups on the 360 are region free. You'd have to import these, but at least you'll have access to some high definition games. There are also a bunch of indie shmups on the 360 that can be had for a few bucks each.

[Vetus]

Xbox 360 is the perfect choice. Heck, one of the main reasons I bought this console was because of its nice collection of great shmups (both HD ports of older ones like Rez and Ikaruga and new ones like Cave shmups).

[neccros]

Ask around for a broken 360. I got 3 from friends. One needed a power supply, one needed a laser and the other was a rrod. All easily fixed and they work perfect again. Good way to save money on the console and have more money for games.

[evil_ash_xero]

Currently, probably an Xbox 360. The older systems will cost you more for the games. Unless you get a Flash Cart.

I guess it matters what kind of shmups you like.

I would just emulate on the PC. I mean, if money is so tight, why not just play TONS of shmups for free? That way, you can decide what system's games you like, if you decide to buy one down the road.

[Xyga]

In the end I agree with the 360 choice, at least before all the shmups go for ten times their price on eBay and retro-shark stores.

[Immryr]

if you don't want to go down the pc piracy route then I reckon ps2 is best on a budget. you can get loads of great shmups for way cheaper than the xbox 360 stuff. I got the strikers 1942 double pack, gunbird 1 and 2, psyvariar double pack and taito legends 2 for the darius games and ray storm for like £1 each. there are quite a few more too. plus you get access to the ps1 shmups and if you want to splash out you can import the cave games.

[Squire Grooktook]

if you don't want to go down the pc piracy route then I reckon ps2 is best on a budget.

You don't have to go the piracy route for budget pc at all. Steam and Desura have a fantastic selection of top tier localized shmups for dirt cheap at this point. Hell, it's cheaper than dirt if you wait for a Steam sale, you can get infinitely replayable games for less than a bottle of coca cola.

[BobbyNewmarkiii]

I'd agree with pc. J360 is the way to go if ur getting a 360, then you won't have to buy another for the Japanese games. But 360 is now a dead system. Pc is the only current system with any life in it as far as shmups go.

[Immryr]

I'd agree with pc. J360 is the way to go if ur getting a 360, then you won't have to buy another for the Japanese games. But 360 is now a dead system. Pc is the only current system with any life in it as far as shmups go.

i don't think whether a system is "dead" or not is really a consideration when thinking about getting a system, particularly for shmups...... "don't get a Japanese Saturn, it's dead, no new games!!!"

[cicada88]

Road Map:

MSX2 —> Famicom —> PC Engine —> Mega Drive

[BobbyNewmarkiii]

I'd agree with pc. J360 is the way to go if ur getting a 360, then you won't have to buy another for the Japanese games. But 360 is now a dead system. Pc is the only current system with any life in it as far as shmups go.

i don't think whether a system is "dead" or not is really a consideration when thinking about getting a system, particularly for shmups...... "don't get a Japanese Saturn, it's dead, no new games!!!"

There's definitely a consumer sugar rush of waiting for a game to be released that you are really looking forward to, getting it day one (or day 20 if ur importing) and being one of the first to play it, and with shmups, to see if the dev has done anything interesting with the genre. I know i enjoy that, and it's something you can only get with a current system.

[MrOldSchoolCool]

Yeah, I'd have to agree. Find inexpensive reading material, and spend your spare time learning something.

Way to patronize the guy, it's not like he's taking the time to post on a shmup related message board after all..

HEY MEHGUY YOU WANNA PLAY SHMUPS ON A BUDGET!? HOW ABOUT IMPROVE YOUR LIFE OR GET A GIRLFRIEND

I know, it's like people on the internet have some inherent need to put people down. If you can't be a tough guy in real life, then be a tough guy on the internet, safe behind your keyboard and millions of miles away.

What's so hard about just helping the guy out? Especially if you have a useful answer. I agree with a lot of the answers I've heard... use your pc to get started via MAME or Steam, and get a good usb controller or arcade stick. You can actually get a 360 arcade stick or controller, and those will all work on PC. That way you can use it for the 360 shmups if you ever go down that road. 360 has a lot of really good shmups that are affordable.

[mastermx]

Mame all the way. It has the best selection of shmups, and is free. It's what rekindled my interest in the genre with dodonpachi and other great titles. Some of which have never been ported. You also get the benefit of playing other arcade games, not just shmups.

[Enji]

Time to break the mold.....

SEGA SATURN.
(Seriously, no one has suggested this yet?)

The reason I recommend it is the fantastic controllers and game selection. If your tight on money, modchip the thing and you can easily burn a crapton of great shooters seldom found elsewhere.

And while you can emulate plenty of other game consoles, good luck emulating the Sega Saturn; it won't work, no matter what your gaming rig is like.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

By getting an PC Engine/Turbo Grafx-16 with said handy Turbo Everdrive flash cart, it'll open up plenty of cool PCE/TG shmups to play at your disposal for free. As an additional bonus, you can use said Turbo Everdrive as an SuperGrafx flash cart as well for use on the NEC SuperGrafx console. How cool is that?

Blazing Lazers/Gunhed
Super Star Soldier
Soldier Blade
Final Soldier
Magical Chase (both JPN & USA versions are ace)
Air Zonk (same dev team went on to make the PCE Coryoon shmup)
Coryoon
Download (hilarous use of swearing at the Game Over scenes)

The real reason why NECHE USA and later on TTI didn't release that many games for the TurboGrafx-16 and the Turbo Duo consoles is, TTI had to go to parent company NEC of Japan and then deal with each developer/publisher on an individual basis per game title to be re-done (if deemed necessary) and sell them in the USA. All this took plenty of time, money and patience to get said TG-16 & TTI games on the American retailers' shelves back in the summer of 1989 through early 1994. TTI decided that by selling/distributing the 32-bit powered NEC PC-FX gaming console in the USA wasn't going to be viable, so they made the ultimate decision not to sell it period in the USA in early January of 1994. Now you know the rest of the TG-16/Turbo Duo story.....

If you can afford an PC Engine Duo, PC Engine Duo-R, PC Engine Duo-RX or an NEC Turbo Duo console, then they'll open up a larger world of cool CD-Rom based shmup titles to play/check out including:

Gate of Thunder - Super CD-Rom2 format
Lords of Thunder - Super CD-Rom2 format
Spriggan - CD-Rom2 format

Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire - Arcade CD-Rom2 format (only ACD based shmup title released for the PCE -- requires the need to use an Arcade Card Duo or an Arcade Card Pro cartridge upgrade to play it properly as an TurboDrive flash cart won't/can't provide the necessary on-board 16 megabits of RAM needed to get Sapphire to play/boot up.)

Gradius II Gofer - Super CD-Rom2 format

and plenty of others to check out...

A good PC Engine gaming pad to get/use is NEC's own 1st-party released "Avenue Pad 6" with it's robust 6-button layout with built-in auto fire for all buttons + handy built-in slow motion functionality from the get-go. The later released NEC Arcade Pad (for use with the NEC PC Engine Duo-RX console) with 6-button layout axed slo-mo functionality entirely but retained auto-fire functionality for all buttons. There was some speculation of the PCE Duo-RX console having an on-board Arcade Card but that wasn't the case...you had to get an Arcade Card Duo or Arcade Card Pro just to play them Arcade CD-Rom2 titles on it.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Enji]

Actually, if you have a PSP, Vita, or PS3, IMMEDIATLEY download Soldier Blade. It's a fantastic shooter, and a beginner's dream come true. After spending most of my life away from shooters, and trying them later only to find out they were all just too difficult for someone who has never played the genre, Soldier Blade gave me a game that started out easy enough for anyone to jump into, and gradually got more difficult, level after level. By the end of the game the difficultly verges of ridiculous, but the difficultly curve is so finely crafted that you'll have no problem getting better as you advance levels. The game will only bring you to a level you are ready for, and never spike.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

PCE with an everdrive. For about $150, you'll have access to a bunch of good shmups without having to import anything.

Radio shack is offering 25% off clearance items which currently includes the 4GB Xbox 360 Slim model. If you can find one, it will cost you about $100. A lot of the shmups on the 360 are region free. You'd have to import these, but at least you'll have access to some high definition games. There are also a bunch of indie shmups on the 360 that can be had for a few bucks each.

Prismatic Solid is one of the finer professionally made XBLIG shmup titles to be released with it's silky-smooth arcade-spec 60 frames-per-second framerate on the 360 console. The developer, whom had a hand in creating Squaresoft's PSX shooting game of iS: internal section, made the 360 indie PS shmup as well.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[KindGrind]

Grab a Saturn, either a JP one or US with action replay. The Saturn pad is excellent, and there are plenty of very capable ports on the machine.

Soukyugurentai and Dodonpachi come to mind.

A Genny with Everdrive would give you great mileage, too.

[mehguy]

Grab a Saturn, either a JP one or US with action replay. The Saturn pad is excellent, and there are plenty of very capable ports on the machine.

Soukyugurentai and Dodonpachi come to mind.

A Genny with Everdrive would give you great mileage, too.

The saturn is a too much out of my price range. Some of the best shmups on the saturn such as battle garegga or batsugun can go for 150 bucks or up.

[Enji]

Grab a Saturn, either a JP one or US with action replay. The Saturn pad is excellent, and there are plenty of very capable ports on the machine.

Soukyugurentai and Dodonpachi come to mind.

A Genny with Everdrive would give you great mileage, too.

The saturn is a too much out of my price range. Some of the best shmups on the saturn such as battle garegga or batsugun can go for 150 bucks or up.

This is why I reccomend a good modchip. Play awesome games without paying for the rarity. I wish there was a cheaper way to play them legitimately, but emulating the Saturn is ridiculously hard, so I don't see any "virtual console" type releases in the near future. If you want to play the definitive version of Hyper Duel, you have to play it on Saturn