Best Console-Only Shmups?

Jeffrey · Post by **Jeffrey** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:36 am

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?

dementia · Post by **dementia** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:38 am

R-Type Delta <3

Post by **nZero** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:15 am

Soldier Blade <3

Also, a lot of Techno Soft offerings, and maybe Einhander as well.

Monk 0 Nuggets · Post by **Monk 0 Nuggets** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:37 am

Gradius V

jp · Post by jp » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:38 am

Nexzr.

tekneekz · Post by **tekneekz** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:38 am

eco fighters
ddp psx

Skyline · Post by **Skyline** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:16 am

Gradius Gaiden.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:50 am

Einhander
R-Type Delta
Gradius Gaiden
Gradius V
Thunder Force III, IV, V
Zanac X Zanac
Gunnac
Aleste series
Star Soldier series
Recca
Nexzr
Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire
Gate of Thunder & Winds/Lords of Thunder
Eliminate Down
Axelay
Space Manbow

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:13 pm

Blast Wind

No_not_like_Quake · Post by **No_not_like_Quake** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 1:49 pm

Soldier Blade for verts
Thunder Force IV for horis IMO

Nei First · Post by **Nei First** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 1:57 pm

Gynoug/Wings of Wor

Since it is the first and last of it's kind, and didn't have the benefit of having potential improvements/mistakes ironed out by prequels. Yet the game is still fantastic as it is, one of the most unique and best shmups on the console imo.

I used to wonder how well a Gynoug sequel would fair against the likes of Gradius Gaiden/Gradius V/Einhander etc. if handled properly, by another development team perhaps...

Kaede · Post by **Kaede** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:00 pm

Jeffrey wrote:What are the best shmups that were developed only for a console, not for an arcade cab?

Monk 0 Nuggets wrote:Gradius V

Developed as an arcade game. [/nitpicking]

I'll go with TFIV.

ktownhero · Post by **ktownhero** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:08 pm

Super Star Soldier is my favorite

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:12 pm

Oh, and Crying/Bio-Hazard Battle.

jp · Post by jp » Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:48 pm

JoshF wrote:Blast Wind

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 3:41 pm

jp wrote:
JoshF wrote:Blast Wind

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't Blast Wind an arcade shmup?

As is Nexzr, by the way (I don't know if it was released, I have never seen any info).

@tekneekz: DDP for PS1 is an arcade port, of course.

jp · Post by jp » Fri Feb 09, 2007 4:24 pm

Blast Wind was never released in an arcade, no.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:39 pm

Ceph wrote:As is Nexzr, by the way (I don't know if it was released, I have never seen any info).

Not an arcade game. KLOV is not a very reliable source.

bay · Post by **bay** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:43 pm

never really thought of this, console only shmuppage.

i guess this is a good argument to do jamma conversions on consoles to play them in cabs (provided the buttons are compatible)

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:45 pm

Over Horizon, Recca, and Crisis Force on the Famicom are up there, IMO.

But top honors would go to every Compile shmup!

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:24 pm

Does handheld count? Judgement Silversword.

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:20 pm

I'll throw my vote into the ring for best console-only shmup for each console I'm aware of (only opinions here, remember).

Atari 2600: Spider Fighter
SMS: Power Strike
NES: Recca
TG16/PCE: Glazing Lazers/Gunhed
Genesis/MD: Lightening Force/TFIV
SNES: R-Type 3
Gameboy: Gradius - Interstellar Assault
Game Gear: Power Strike 2
GBA: Iridion 2

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

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:50 pm

Two that haven't been mentioned yet:

Macross Scrambled Valkyrie (SFC)
Twinkle Tale (MD)

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:29 pm

Ceph wrote:Isn't Blast Wind an arcade shmup?

I don't think that one's ever been 100 percent solved...there are a few bits of evidence which suggest that the game was at least originally intended for the arcades (whether or not it ever actually made it there), but nothing "hard." The world may never know...

Anyways, back on topic, Harmful Park, Gradius V and Space Megaforce are probably my 3 favorites.

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 10:34 pm

JoshF wrote:Oh, and Crying/Bio-Hazard Battle.

Word.

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 10:39 pm

Nei First wrote:Gynoug/Wings of Wor

Since it is the first and last of it's kind, and didn't have the benefit of having potential improvements/mistakes ironed out by prequels. Yet the game is still fantastic as it is, one of the most unique and best shmups on the console imo.

I agree, gameplay-wise, not many console shooters interest me, but Gynoug and Elemental Master are very special and original. As far as presentation goes, GG Aleste II and Thunder Force IV are incredibly cool!

Jeffrey · Post by **Jeffrey** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 10:43 pm

I suppose we should include Last Hope.

Edit: is it only Macross: SC that was console-only, or were there other Macross-family shmups that were never meant for PCB?

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 10:54 pm

Gaiares is my fave.

jp · Post by jp » Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:02 pm

Power Strike 2.

Jeffrey · Post by **Jeffrey** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:23 pm

A rule clarification is in order. I suppose I was not fully clear about it even in my own mind, but I did intend the list to be of shmups that were intended by the design team for console-only release, not a game (maybe Blast Wind??) that was intended for arcade but never made it for some reason.

The reason is that in this case the console version fully realizes the design team's artistic vision. I just got an original cart Recca and a Famicom AV. Playing this game one can't help feel that it was intended for the special strengths and weaknesses of that particular hardware, not adapted as best they could from a PCB to a NES/Fami.

I thought the list would primarily have console-display pieces (Recca, Sapphire, Space Manbow) or very small dev teams (Harmful Park). I was surprised to find the Soldier series, Aleste series, TF series and Zanac Neo on this list but I guess it does make sense. I am going to replay them with this in mind.