Most dramatic explosions

lawnspic · Post by **lawnspic** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:01 pm

Just wanted to start a thread for games with the best explosions boss or other. Ever since Ikaruga it seems to be a trend.

Ikaruga
Border Down
Under Defeat
2nd Stage boss-Raiden II (love the way that baby drops out of the sky)

j^aws · Post by **j^aws** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:08 pm

Defender started the trend, and it's sequel, Stargate, perfected it with their 'smart bombs'!

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:40 pm

Aye, Under Defeat is definitely the daddy.

My favourite isn't really an explosion. It's the ethereal Zelos force that bursts out of the (lower) second boss in Gradius Gaiden.

Psyvariar II has some tasty ones, as well, and it's good to see Raiden II getting a mention! Even the most piddling popcorn enemies can be satisfying to take down in that.

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:44 pm

Ok, someone said Psyvariar II, good.

Post by **Dave_K.** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:51 pm

j^aws wrote:Defender started the trend, and it's sequel, Stargate, perfected it with their 'smart bombs'!

Agreed! Although oldskool, Stargate smart bombs where every pixel on screen explodes into a rainbow of fireworks still makes me giddy.

DJ Incompetent · Post by **DJ Incompetent** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:54 pm

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=1668&start=0

brumma · Post by **brumma** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:09 pm

What about Shikigami no Shiro II? For example, Boss 1--elaborate, multiple explosions coupled with expanding rings.

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:39 pm

Alpha Mission II for Neo-Geo.

Stage two (a Zanac-like ground boss)...when you destroy that thing the resulting explosion is f*cking AWESOME when heard through a decent sound system....its long too.

Honorable mention:

R-Type Final stage 3 boss giant Bydo mothership explosion rocks as well. Got SUBWOOFER? Got window shaking explosions...the neighbors hate me...lol.

GV boss explosions are pretty sweet too.

it290 · Post by **it290** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:53 pm

Under Defeat... come on, the Stage 2 boss with the huge explosion, and then the rain that comes back down on your helicopter, created by said explosion? Awesome. Although Ikaruga gets the credit for inventing the 'dramatic Naomi slowdown explosion' effect.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:40 pm

Gradius V has a cool explosion for the first boss.

Don't forget the butt uguly bomb in Truxton.

gameoverDude · Post by **gameoverDude** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:26 am

Border Down: The intentional slowdown (Ikaruga effect) does add to the impact here.

Raiden III: Your bomb looks hellaciously powerful (it does feel like you are nuking an enemy when you use it). The 3rd boss, a large red ship, goes out in style- even if Under Defeat does a similar thing better. More Ikaruga effect action here.

Under Defeat: Just about any boss.

Darius Gaiden: The way some light beams shoot out of a boss before it blows up. Boss explosions are accompanied by that nice line-scrolling effect. The black hole bomber gets an honorable mention - stuff goes swirling right into the center of it, and it ends with lightning all over the place.

Rayforce: When a boss goes down, the sound of the explosion itself is even better than what you see. Your neighbors may call the cops if you turn this one up too loud. XD Someone described the sound as similar to "lightning hitting a tree" once.

Grid Seeker: The way the 2nd boss plummets into the canyon when you take him down.

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:35 am

I always liked Dodonpachi's explosions with that weird clapping sounding bangs.

We should have a topic about weird sound effects in games,I think it might be interesting. I mean have you ever really listened to Streets of Rage2.

SkylineR32 · Post by **SkylineR32** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:44 am

Under Defeat, no questions asked!

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:48 am

Honestly, I'd give Ibara a slight edge over Under Defeat as far as explosions go. Defender was my first favorite.

Mills · Post by **Mills** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:07 am

Gamer maker toaplan, made some of the best explosions in their shumps history ie; Truxton2. Seibu kaihatsu with Raiden2. the best animated explosion im really impressed with, is Strikers1945 Plus. the cgi is lame, but way the explosion animates is spot on in terms of realism.

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:21 am

Aye, Under Defeat is definitely the daddy.

agreed... gradius 5 has nice ones also...

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:45 am

Anything with multiple slow motion explosions is awesome.

junkeR · Post by **junkeR** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:55 am

Under Defeat, Gradius V, Ikaruga.. all very nice. My jaw dropped when I defeated the first level boss on Ikaruga.

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:00 am

I like the way everything explodes in Viper: Phase 1 and Raystorm. Viper for how smooth and fluid the animation looks plus shrapnel death for the enemies and Raystorm for how pixelly hypnotizing it appears. ^___^

Cyarc · Post by **Cyarc** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:05 am

it290 wrote:Under Defeat... come on, the Stage 2 boss with the huge explosion, and then the rain that comes back down on your helicopter, created by said explosion?

I got to say, this one sticks out the most for me too.

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:41 am

I have to say....when the whole freakin' game slows down for one explosion....yeah, that's pretty dramatic. *points at Ikaruga*

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:46 am

yeah the 1st boss in gradius 5 and the helicopter along with the battleship in underdefeat caught my attention.

i do love the explosions in dodonpachi also... they are so well animated. it makes me feel really destructive in that game....

Pirate1019 · Post by **Pirate1019** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 5:17 am

I always feel sad when I see my ship blow up in Donpachi. It takes so long that it feels like it's taunting me. I liked the death explosion in Dodonpachi much more. It was shorter.

lazydazy · Post by **lazydazy** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 5:43 am

3d - under defeat : Bosses go down with STYLE.
2d - Ibara : glorious pyrotecnic explosions

Skyline · Post by **Skyline** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:29 am

Blade wrote:I have to say....when the whole freakin' game slows down for one explosion....yeah, that's pretty dramatic. *points at Ikaruga*

A while back, someone (forgot who) on this board made the following point:

You know a boss is dead when even the hardware can't keep up with it's explosion.

D · Post by D » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:33 am

UD
Honourable mention goes to Gun Frontier, hehe

moonblood · Post by **moonblood** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:19 am

viper phase 1 and strikers 1945 plus

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:57 pm

I really like defeating a boss in Darius Gaiden using the black hole bomb, the double insanity there is just really satisfying.

ave · Post by **ave** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:01 pm

Definitely Under Defeat! The Grev developers themselves said that the vanishing of the boss in a huge explosion ist pretty important to them. Under Defeat and Border Down are masterpieces in that aspect!

Also, Ikaruga and Gradius V had very impressive explosions.

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:26 pm

I really like defeating a boss in Darius Gaiden using the black hole bomb, the double insanity there is just really satisfying.

Whoa, yeah. Those shockwave things are great. Often nicely accompanied by an OOOOOOAAAAARRRGHHHHH, too.