5th Annual Top 25 Shmups of All Time! - Results

[Zach Keene]

Top 25 Shmups of All Time (through 2006)

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Game                                                              Score    2005  2004  2003  "2002"
[01]  Dodonpachi (ARC/PS1/SAT)                                    6.815    .     .     .     .
[02]  Gradius V (PS2)                                             6.812    .     +     *     *
[03]  Battle Garegga (ARC/SAT)                                    6.46     +     *     +     +
[04]  Armed Police Batrider (ARC)                                 5.89     *     +     *     *
[05]  Ikaruga (ARC/DC/GC)                                         5.81     -     -     -     -
[06]  Radiant Silvergun (ARC/SAT)                                 5.42     -     -     .     +
[07]  Raiden DX (ARC/PS1)                                         5.28     +     +     *     *
[08]  ESPGaluda (ARC/PS2)                                         4.67     +     +     *     *
[09]  Shikigami no Shiro 2 / Castle Shikigami 2 (ARC/PS2/DC/GC)   4.59     -     +     *     *
[10]  Dodonpachi Daioujou (ARC/PS2)                               4.55     +     +     +     *
[11]  Border Down (ARC/DC)                                        4.40     +     *     *     *
[12]  Thunderforce III (GEN/SAT)                                  4.38     -     -     -     -
[13]  Rayforce / Layer Section (et al) (ARC/SAT)                  4.17     +     -     -     *
[14]  Gradius Gaiden (PS1)                                        4.130    .     -     +     +
[15]  ESPRade (ARC)                                               4.126    +     +     -     -
[16]  Gunbird 2 (ARC/DC/PS2)                                      4.08     +     -     -     +
[17]  Mushihimesama (ARC/PS2)                                     3.95     +     *     *     *
[18]  R-Type Delta (PS1)                                          3.90     .     +     *     *
[19]  Mars Matrix (ARC/DC)                                        3.78     -     -     +     .
[20]  Giga Wing (ARC/DC)                                          3.75     -     -     -     *
[21]  Batsugun / Batsugun Special Version (ARC/SAT)               3.70     *     -     -     *
[22]  Soukyugurentai (ARC/SAT/PS1)                                3.69     -     -     -     -
[23]  Einhänder (PS1)                                             3.61     -     +     *     *
[24]  Thunderforce IV / Lightening Force (GEN/SAT)                3.58     .     -     +     -
[25]  Under Defeat (ARC/DC)                                       3.56     *     *     *     *

• . denotes the game holds the same position now as the year indicated.
• + denotes the game holds an improved standing compared to the year indicated.
• - denotes the game holds a reduced standing compared to the year indicated.
• * denotes the game was not on the list for the year indicated.

Honorable Mention

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Game                                                                        2005  2004  2003
Battle Bakraid (ARC)                                                        .     .     .
Blazing Star (ARC)                                                          .     .     +
Dangun Feveron (ARC)                                                        .     .     .
Darius Gaiden (ARC/SAT)                                                     .     .     +
Donpachi (ARC/PS1/SAT)                                                      .     -     -
Dragon Blaze (ARC/PS2)                                                      .     .     +
G.Darius (ARC/PS1/PS2)                                                      .     .     -
Guwange (ARC)                                                               -     .     -
Ibara / Ibara Black Label (ARC/PS2)                                         .     +     +
Ketsui (ARC)                                                                +     .     +
Lords of Thunder / Winds of Thunder (PCE/PCE-CD/SCD)                        .     .     .
Musha Aleste / M.U.S.H.A. (GEN)                                             .     .     +
Progear no Arashi (ARC)                                                     .     +     +
Pulstar (ARC)                                                               +     +     +
R-Type (ARC/PS1/PCE/etc.)                                                   -     -     -
Sexy Parodius (ARC/SAT/PS1)                                                 +     .     +
Stargate / Defender 2 (ARC/PS2/XBOX/GC/etc.)                                +     +     +
Strikers 1945 II (ARC/PS1/SAT/PS2)                                          -     -     -
Thunderforce V (SAT/PS1)                                                    .     -     .
Twin Cobra / Kyukyoku Tiger (ARC/PCE)                                       +     +     .

• . denotes the game was also on the HM list for the year indicated.
• + denotes the game was on neither the HM list nor the top 25 for the year indicated.
• - denotes the game was in the top 25 for the year indicated.

What Dropped from 2005's Top 25:

• Guwange
• R-Type
• Strikers 1945 II

What Dropped from 2005's Honorable Mentions:

• Axelay
• Blazing Lazers / Gunhed
• Dimahoo / Great Mahou Daisakusen
• Gaiares
• Galaga
• Gate of Thunder
• Giga Wing 2
• Gradius II
• R-Type Final
• Raiden
• Raiden II
• Salamander (FC) / Life Force (NES)
• Soldier Blade
• Strikers 1945
• Super Aleste / Space Megaforce
• Zanac Neo
• Zero Gunner 2

Breakdown by Developer

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                       Top 25         Hon.M.          Overall
Cave                   5              6               11
Raizing                3              1               4
Treasure               3              0               3
Tecnosoft              2              1               3
Psikyo                 1              2               3
Taito                  1              2               3
G.Rev                  2              0               2
Takumi                 2              0               2
SNK                    0              2               2
Irem                   1              1               2
Konami                 1              1               2
Toaplan                1              1               2
Alfa System            1              0               1
Seibu Kaihatsu         1              0               1
Square                 1              0               1
Compile                0              1               1
Red                    0              1               1
Vid Kidz               0              1               1

Breakdown by Original Platform

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System                  Top 25         Hon.M.          Overall
Arcade                  19             17              36
PlayStation             3              0               3
Sega Genesis            2              1               3 
PlayStation 2           1              0               1
PC-Engine               0              1               1
Sega Saturn             0              1               1

Miscellaneous Stats:

• Number of Actual Voters: 80
• Scaled Number of Voters: 69.80
• Number of Games Voted For: 329
• Games Supported by at least half of voters: 3
• Games Supported by at least 1/4 of voters: 33
• Number of Honorable Mentions: 20
• Top 25 Score Spread: 3.561 - 6.815
• Honorable Mention Score Spread: 1.831 - 3.546
• Total Score Spread: 0.003 - 6.815

Some Random Comments:

• Ikaruga's downward slide continues, helped along this year by Batrider roaring out of nowhere.
• Parodius watch: Sexy is back on top again.
• Turrican suggested that the Genesis and GBA versions of Steel Empire should be counted separately. I decided not to bother this year though, since it only got four votes total (2 MD and 2 unspecified). Sending out clarification PMs would just hold up getting the results out without actually affecting them much.
• Because someone's going to ask: yes, I'll post the entire list later.
• The discussion thread for this year's poll is here.
• This year's voting thread is here here.

[j^aws]

Sad to see R-Type take a tumble but glad to see Stargate up there...

Thanks for all the hard work Zach, and all involved. It was FUN!

[Edge]

Yay, for Sexy Parodius on the honroable mentions list.

Seems like playing Batrider on the STGT helped it's popularity a fair bit. Although Guwange dropped from the top 25, maybe it has nothing to do with it though. Well and I am glad that the top 4 finally changed.

@Zach Keene:
Will you post the complete breakdown of all games later in this thread?

EDIT:

Because someone's going to ask: yes, I'll post the entire list later.

ah, ok. Just seen it.

[Sonic R]

@Zach Keene:
Will you post the complete breakdown of all games later in this thread?

Zach Keene, please post the complete breakdown of all games when you have time Thanks!

Honest I am wanting to see where the games I vote for are stand as only 4 games I vote make tops and honorable lists

Was happy to participate.

[Ceph]

No Nexzr and no Recca? Recount please.

[Veracity]

Woah, if I'd thought anything had an assured semi-honorary perpetual placement, R-Type would've been it. I guess it's only reasonable to expect it'll go the way of Space Invaders with time - acknowledged as important, but not necessarily actually good. Though Delta's there, and (unlike Space Invaders) I don't recall it differing significantly from the original. Never played it much, admittedly - SNES III was the last of that series I was much into. Found Delta's depth-of-field shenanigans and visuals a bit unpleasant, and didn't even bother buying Final. Maybe I should give Delta another shot some time. This is why these lists are useful to those of us who haven't already played nearly everything out there to death, so thanks for taking the time yet again.

[Ceph]

Ikaruga's downward slide continues

Rightfully so. It's not one of the best shooting games ever. One of the reasons it's still popular is simply because a lot of newcomers (or people who hadn't played shmups in a long time) were exposed to it first (before getting a chance the play all those better import-only shooters).

[Rob]

Strikers 1945 II off,

Under Defeat on.

[Ceph]

Under Defeat on.

That was quite unexpected.

[jeremycarrier]

Guwange fell out of Top 25? Boo

DDP STILL number 1? Yay

[NTSC-J]

Looks like Ketsui got shafted yet again. Shameful.

[Turrican]

1) Raiden finally enters Top Ten

1') Thunderforce gets out from Top Ten!

2) R-Type series never scored so low

3) Just one new entry!

4) Both Mars Matrix and Gigawing do a big slump (sorry, Rob)

5) The honorable mentions are a total disaster and a Compile massacre. I want to commit suicide.

6) Once again, the system which contributed the most to our beloved genre this side of coin-ops is the original PlayStation.

7) Looking carefully at Zach's charts, there's little doubt in my mind that the strongest roster of shmups is found not in the top25 or in the HM, but rather under the section "games that dropped from HM": stuff like Galaga, Axelay, Salamander, Gradius II, Super Aleste and Zanac Neo... I'm speechless.

8 ) Not a single Darius game on the whole chart. Ever.

[BulletMagnet]

Batrider roaring out of nowhere

I'll say...look at it and Garegga go! Same with Border Down and Rayforce...the Rankophiles are out in force even moreso than last year. But DDP juuust manages to keep hanging on...I'll keep supporting it, though I don't know how much longer it's gonna hold up.

Good to see Batsugun back in the Top, but sad to see Super Aleste and Guwange drop...and still no TSS or ZUN love (or Cotton or Vasara, dangit! ). Something of a minor shakeup this year, it'd seem...I await Turrican's usual year-by-year graph for more ready comparison.

[Turrican]

I'll say...look at it and Garegga go!

Aww, shit!! Just posted the damn chart and I already must correct it!

[The Coop]

Nice to see Thunder Force's still getting a lot of love this year

And even though I've only been on this site for a year+, I don't get how DDP keeps winning 1st place over and over again. Sure, it's fun, but it's not that fun. I know, I know... opinions, opinions. But like Rob, I just felt like voicing mine. Gimme a second to get my asbestos suit on before you lay into me

[Turrican]

Nice to see Thunder Force getting a lot of love this year

Err, it's the first time ever that a Thunderforce isn't in the Top Ten. I cannot see why the happiness.

[The Coop]

Nice to see Thunder Force getting a lot of love this year

Err, it's the first time ever that a Thunderforce isn't in the Top Ten. I cannot see why the happiness.

Oops. Forgot the "still". Fixed.

[Turrican]

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Game                                                              Score    2005  2004  2003  "2002"
[04]  Armed Police Batrider (ARC)                                 5.89     *     *     *     *

I guess it's an error, should be * * + *

[freddiebamboo]

Very disappointed in the ibara and guwange results.

Oh well, at least DDP is still top - we fear change obviously.

[jp]

Teh lame.

[The Coop]

Nevermind. I was reading the list wrong.

I can hear Mencia making his little noise at my expense as I type.

[jeremycarrier]

I think my vote of DDP w/1000 points and Gradius V not being anywhere close to the top my have something to do with the outcome.

[Neon]

Strikers 1945 II off,

Under Defeat on.

It's understandable I think. Strikers II is the better game, but Under just came out and it's pretty...it'd be less forgivable if Gunbird II wasn't up there.

It's a good list, for a solely-popularity poll (Psyvariar 1 or 2 should be on it. They're a whole new kind of shooter, even if the execution was poor). The only lame one in the top 10 is Radiant butt-gun.

[Rob]

I think my vote of DDP w/1000 points and Gradius V not being anywhere close to the top my have something to do with the outcome.

I don't think you understand how the voting works. Every person with 25 or more votes has an equal voting power. (I mean, basically you're saying you voted for DDP, so did lots of people)

And:
6.815 . . . .
6.812

That's about as close as it gets. If I voted honestly (for shame) Gradius V would be #1 this year. Would it deserve it, though?? I like it a lot, but it doesn't seem right at the top and I didn't think Gradius V needed any extra votes (clearly didn't).

Wish I hadn't voted the way I did aside from that. APB and Raiden DX didn't need the extra boost. Dragon Blaze surprisingly still didn't make it. Mars Matrix near the bottom is a travesty. And where did the Giga Wing supporters go?

[doctorx0079]

I would like to ask ppl reading this thread who voted for DDP to also head over to this thread and tell me why. Thank you.

[Zach Keene]

Code: Select all

Game                                                              Score    2005  2004  2003  "2002"
[04]  Armed Police Batrider (ARC)                                 5.89     *     *     *     *

I guess it's an error, should be * * + *

OK, I'm not seeing something... Batrider doesn't appear to have ever made the top 25 before this year. (It's usually made the HM list, but those symbols are only considering the top 25 charts.)

[God]

glad to see Stargate up there...

-Only 3 people voted for it.
-Looks like it made the HM list just because you put your whole vote behind it.
-Seems like a big flaw in the voting system.

[Dandy J]

Looks like Ketsui got shafted yet again. Shameful.

NO ONE CAN PLAY IT

[roker]

I love Ketsui

but I haven't put enough time in it to fairly rank it

it's a damn good game and if I wasn't in the transition of moving in the next month or so, I would have picked it up by now (after selling a bunch of my stuff)

Batrider is a great game and I'm glad to see that it is finally getting it's due on here. I've been putting an ungodly amount of time into it lately and it gets better every time.

it doesn't scream "hardcore" like Garegga, but it throws in refinement and polish into the mix instead (though I love Garegga more, it's obvious that the art of the Garegga style shmup "evolved" with APB).

[CIT]

No Zanac Neo!? Esprade rated higher than Guwange!? OUCH!

Overall a pretty good list though. I'm happy Strikers 1945 II finally got kicked off the top 25.

Oh yeah, and lollerz @ Nexzr!

(I voted for it too, though... )