I really dislike how the series is branching out into generic deathmatch FPS games and pinball games, but I'd really love to see a shooter based on Metroidian cavernous environments. One that successfully captured the atmosphere of Super Metroid would just be mindblowingly brilliant.
I mentally refer to Star Trek as the old, original series. The other series often had too much of a geek factor, "omg phasers galore!", while the first series, with all of its campiness, tried (at least) to do SPECULATIVE fiction (i.e. Sci-fi with a strong drive in philosophical speculation). Most of the early sci-fi was more about speculating the consequences of the incredible changes imagined in those novels...anything by the Asimov generation is more or less in this vein, i'd say. Shmups-wise, i would say that the "other worlds" has more or less disappeared, with the exception of Gradius V (maybe i'm forgetting something...?).
In general, the hard-SF theme has disappeared by the mid-90s. In some sense, it can also be associated to old-skoolers, with the said exception of sequels (Raystorm, G.Darius, Gradius Gaiden/IV/V, R-type Delta and Final). It is also true that modern scientific fiction is more focused on tomorrow than on the distant future, so to speak. Border Down, for instance, has a lot to share (in its setting) with Robinson's trilogy on Mars. Ah, now that i think of it, there aren't too many cyberpunk shmups, except for Last Resort and some other titles i'm surely forgetting.
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
Yeah, I agree with Rando's take on the Star Trek series.
I would like to add the Shiki games to the list of games with a bizarre but satisfying otherness to them. Although the setting is, I take it, this world, the games have a real otherworldly character to them.
I almost forgot about Gaiares. That shooter featured some cool unearthly levels.
The 3rd stage where you blast-off form the planet's gravity into hyper space & the space citadel where you fight the Grim-Ripper Mecha, was one the most memorable moments in a shmup.
Likewise, the level in Gaiares which takes place in orbit between the two huge planets (An ice planet & a fire planet). At some point a huge fragment of ice detaches & reaches the fire planet, with you having to survive through, for a final confrontation with a golden Mecha Dragon.
One of the most innovative & strange levels I’ve seen in Shmup.
Last edited by ST Dragon on Tue Sep 27, 2005 7:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Saint Dragon - AMIGA - Jaleco 1989
"In the first battle against the Guardian's weapons, created with Vasteel Technology, humanity suffered a crushing defeat."
Thunder Force V
Randorama wrote:Shmups-wise, i would say that the "other worlds" has more or less disappeared, with the exception of Gradius V (maybe i'm forgetting something...?).
Yeah, this game captured a vibe that's been missing for about 10 years. Most modern games I think almost completely about gameplay and not of atmosphere.
Forgotten Worlds is the ultimate in my mind. It's in the title. I remember this game being around when I was about 6-8, but I can't remember playing it much. Must've taken my quarter too fast, so I'd watch the demo for Dust Dragon.
X-Multiply, Bio Hazard Battle, etc. are cool, but nothing tops this. I think good gameplay might make a game fun for 100 hrs, but once its gameplay is sucked dry I have no more use for it. A good atmosphere will keep me coming back just because (Thunder Force III).
By the way, does the PCE-DUO version of "Forgotten Worlds" have Red book CD audio tracks, like most other DUO games? Cause the image I got, consists of only one *.iso file but not audio tracks... is it supposed to be like that?
Never the less, Forgotten Worlds is awesome game. I remember reading & starring at the screen-shots reviews of the game mags of the time. It totally blew me away when I 1st played it on my Geny.
Similar theme to Saint Saint Dragon.
Saint Dragon - AMIGA - Jaleco 1989
"In the first battle against the Guardian's weapons, created with Vasteel Technology, humanity suffered a crushing defeat."
Thunder Force V
