Vertical or Side-Scrolling shooting which do you like?

Maikeru_Rocks · Post by **Maikeru_Rocks** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:12 am

For me i like side-scrolling like G.rev's Border Down. Looking at
the right side of the screen to see what coming at cha. Insane
bullets and enemy ships coming full force blast away. But i do
play alot vertical shooters take Ikaruga you have to flip your TV set to the side for true arcade action. My other choice is Psikyo's NAOMI/Dreamcast-port Zero Gunner 2. Even though
Zero Gunner 2 is the best 360 degrees arcade shooter. It's a mixed of top-down/side-scrolling(GOD BLESS PSIKYO FOR THIS CLASSIC). Let me know whats your favorite and why?

Maikeru_Rocks
Later dudes!
My top shooters i play:
MARS MATRIX
BORDER DOWN
GUNBIRD 2

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:34 am

Personally, I'm 50% percent more likely to dodge a bullet if it's vertical.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:47 am

Blade wrote:Personally, I'm 50% percent more likely to dodge a bullet if it's vertical.

That seems to apply to me as well. I try a Cave shooter in side view with side controls and die at least (oftentimes far more than) twice as much as I do vertically.

I'd say I prefer verts more but my list of fave shooters seems to suggest just the opposite. Could be because I'm far better at memory shooters than I am at manics and memory shooters generally tend to be horiz.

Bydo Dragon · Post by **Bydo Dragon** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:15 am

I'm actually quite fond of the "side-scrolling" shooters that have vertical/diagonal stages (R-TYPE III, for exampe, many of the Darius games). I think I like those *because* they are more difficult...Zone J in Supernova, brrrr...

That said, I'm more of a memory shmupper than a manic one, also.

alpha5099 · Post by **alpha5099** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:36 am

I have no way of justifying the absurdity of this statement, but here goes:

I prefer verts, but I think I'm more likely to like a hori.

...

That didn't even make sense to me. My preferred game style is definitely the early nineties TATE Toaplan/Raiden/Proto-Manic style. I enjoy the gameplay, but I must admit, a lot of those games are very, very similar.

On the other hand, I've found some horis that seem to set themselves apart with sheer personality. Sengoku Blade has a more interesting presentation and style than any other Psikyo game. Things like Parodius and Wings of Wor and Steel Empire and Thunder Force V.

So, from a gameplay perspective, I'd rather have DonPachi or Fire Shark. But for level design and personality, I'd go with something like Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius.

Not to say that verts are devoid of personality, I think I've just found more horis that fit that mold than verts.

MadSteelDarkness · Post by **MadSteelDarkness** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:52 am

alpha5099 wrote:I have no way of justifying the absurdity of this statement, but here goes:

I prefer verts, but I think I'm more likely to like a hori.

...

That didn't even make sense to me. My preferred game style is definitely the early nineties TATE Toaplan/Raiden/Proto-Manic style. I enjoy the gameplay, but I must admit, a lot of those games are very, very similar.

On the other hand, I've found some horis that seem to set themselves apart with sheer personality. Sengoku Blade has a more interesting presentation and style than any other Psikyo game. Things like Parodius and Wings of Wor and Steel Empire and Thunder Force V.

So, from a gameplay perspective, I'd rather have DonPachi or Fire Shark. But for level design and personality, I'd go with something like Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius.

Not to say that verts are devoid of personality, I think I've just found more horis that fit that mold than verts.

This isn't absurd at all. I agree with this completely, although I like the more modern manic verts as well as the early-nineties proto-manics. But then there's Sengoku Blade, JOP, Harmful Park, and even Biohazard Battle, which behind Batsugun are my most played shmups.

So in answer to the original question: Both!

tehkao · Post by **tehkao** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:55 am

I prefer horis because:

They tend to have more "personality"
More intricate, longer level designs
Feels more "interactive" because you can usually interact with the background (walls, floor, etc)
More interesting bosses
More variety in gameplay; not just bullet dodging. Most verts to me is just 100% bullet dodging.

Bydo Dragon · Post by **Bydo Dragon** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 5:15 am

MadSteelDarkness wrote:
alpha5099 wrote:I have no way of justifying the absurdity of this statement, but here goes:

I prefer verts, but I think I'm more likely to like a hori.

...

That didn't even make sense to me. My preferred game style is definitely the early nineties TATE Toaplan/Raiden/Proto-Manic style. I enjoy the gameplay, but I must admit, a lot of those games are very, very similar.

On the other hand, I've found some horis that seem to set themselves apart with sheer personality. Sengoku Blade has a more interesting presentation and style than any other Psikyo game. Things like Parodius and Wings of Wor and Steel Empire and Thunder Force V.

So, from a gameplay perspective, I'd rather have DonPachi or Fire Shark. But for level design and personality, I'd go with something like Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius.

Not to say that verts are devoid of personality, I think I've just found more horis that fit that mold than verts.
This isn't absurd at all. I agree with this completely, although I like the more modern manic verts as well as the early-nineties proto-manics. But then there's Sengoku Blade, JOP, Harmful Park, and even Biohazard Battle, which behind Batsugun are my most played shmups.

So in answer to the original question: Both!

To, verts tend to be more...uhm, throw-away shmups? Not really what I mean to say, but they are usually faster to play and easier to complete. You can blast through the original DonPachi in, what, 20 minutes, something like that, if you're good enough (I am not, but I've seen people who are). Verts are just more explosions per minute, I think, and they tend to move faster. Side-scroller tend to be more "thinker's shmups," where you have to formulate a strategy and execute it precisely. They take longer, and so are more enjoyable because you get more immersed in them, but they aren't something you feel like playing every single day.

...I probably play DDP more frequently than R-TYPE games, but when I do play R-TYPE, I get totally into it, and I enjoy myself more.

BUHA · Post by **BUHA** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 5:45 am

I agree with the above statements concerning verts vs. horis.

I love playing DoDonPachi and Radio Zonde and some others, but manics usually don't do it for me. I like to have some level design in there somewhere, rather than nothing but bullets. It's fun as long as it just doesn't throw the same old thing at you, and i feel some manics do that.

Some of the slower Horis like R-Type Delta and gradius V kind of remind me of playing platform games due to all of the memorization. And i have fun playing them. With verts, i have to be all "in the zone" and totally into it, and i'm just not always up to that. sometimes i just SUCK and there's nothing i can do about it. sometimes i can get up to the last boss. sometimes i die on the first level! with the memory type hori games, i'm a lot more consistent, and end up not being so pissed! but the verts really are special when you're playing up to par...

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 6:18 am

I prefer verts, and ones made by Cave in particular.
It seems easier for me to trace bullet paths for dodging purposes if they're coming towards the general direction of my own body.
Also, I am much better at verts with an arcade stick. I cannot control horis with a stick to save my pathetic little life.... maybe because I cut my teeth on Ikaruga, and then went back to play some older horis AFTER getting hooked on shmups, and a vertical one at that.

SheSaidDutch · Post by **SheSaidDutch** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:27 pm

Well I like both 50/50

Considering I used to love only vert's, untill I say down and played Gradius and LifeForce they convinced me that hori's should not be overlooked.

alpha5099 · Post by **alpha5099** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:20 am

SheSaidDutch wrote:Well I like both 50/50

Considering I used to love only vert's, untill I say down and played Gradius and LifeForce they convinced me that hori's should not be overlooked.

Konami seem to have that effect. It's thanks to Salamander and Gokujo Parodius that I realized that side-scrollers weren't as boring as I initially surmised them to be.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:31 am

i love both. verts generally more, although lately alls i've been playing are horis.
some fav verts: Gunbird 2, ESPgaluda, MUSHA, DDOJ (I love the pain, i can't even 1CC the first level anymore!)
some fav horis: Gradius Gaiden, Gradius III (SNES), R-type III (haven't played first two), Harmful Park

LUNardei · Post by **LUNardei** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:58 am

Vertical foreverer.
It's not logical, it's only a feeling.

magnum opus · Post by **magnum opus** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:38 am

I like more verticals but that doesn't mean i like verticals more.

tehkao · Post by **tehkao** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:40 am

Verts are probably more popular these days because they don't make much horizs anymore.

Horizs were the dominant shmup genre, up until the early 90's and then started being replaced by verts.

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:59 am

I never can really decide on which is my favorite...

Vert -

Viper - Phase 1
Raiden II
Raystorm
1944 - The Loop Master
Mars Matrix

Horiz -

Gradius III
Salamander II
Gradius Galaxies
R-Type
R-Type II
R-Type Leo
Pulstar
Blazing Star

Though i can say that i find horizontal shooters to be much more difficult than verticals.

it290 · Post by **it290** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:48 am

I agree. Probably it's due to the slow ship speed and large hitbox in a lot of hori games.

I like horis that have a vertical-type feeling to them... games like Thunderforce, Progear, or even Steel Empire. I'm not a huge Gradius fan, because I don't like the weapon bar system too much, and I'm not a big fan of memory games, either. Most horis just seem too strategic to me -- not necessarily a bad thing, but I like being kept on my toes more. One of my favorite horizontal games is Defender, because it maintains that pulse-pounding feeling that good shmups deliver.

CL@$$!C · Post by **CL@$$!C** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:25 am

Verts I like much better. When i have to memorize structures and patterns from hori games, i almost feel cheating because the manic twitch dodging is what gives me a rush from verts. Might be hard to understand. I like being able to have my death be my fault, rather than something i could not possibly see coming or avoid (as in R-Type III).

UnscathedFlyingObject · Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:49 am

I prefer horzies over verts. Most verts are overly difficult with all those bullets.

shiftace · Post by **shiftace** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 6:06 am

Uh. Well, scrolling is good. Yeah. But I mostly play verts.

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 6:07 am

Truth be told, I think part of the reason Ikaruga was so good in comparison to its peers was that it was a Vert designed like a Hori.

More verts should be like that, I think.

Maybe we should have Diagnal, backwards, or upside down shmups, just to see if that has any effect on our gameplay.

MovingTarget · Post by **MovingTarget** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 12:37 am

I prefer verts.

Its like why I prefer mountain biking to skateing, i prefer going forwards to sideways

which is why I might actually prefer skiiing to snowboarding if I tried it cause your going forwards rather than sideways...

Another reason is I like the general feeling of symmetry in verts.

gundamalpha · Post by **gundamalpha** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:53 pm

verticals all the way! they tend to be more pacey

it's odd to see hori's on the arcade IMO

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:32 pm

I grew up playing verts more, so I prefer those. Although I do enjoy any type of shmup.

MovingTarget · Post by **MovingTarget** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:33 pm

Yea, am happy as long as I get to blow the crap outta stuff repeatedly and then be rewared with a highscore

black mariah · Post by **black mariah** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:02 pm

I tend to like verts more, only because I detest slow-paced shmups. R-Type damn near killed horis for me forever but recently Blazing Star and Progear have convinced me that horis don't all suck.

Tony Gradius · Post by **Tony Gradius** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:53 pm

Blade wrote:Maybe we should have Diagnal, backwards, or upside down shmups, just to see if that has any effect on our gameplay.

Ehh, it has. I`ve never been any good playin`Zaxxon or Viewpoint.

I cannot decide between Verts and Horis. Most of my favourite games scroll horizontally, though. But then there`s Raiden II ......

LUNardei · Post by **LUNardei** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 5:33 pm

black mariah wrote:I tend to like verts more, only because I detest slow-paced shmups. R-Type damn near killed horis for me forever but recently Blazing Star and Progear have convinced me that horis don't all suck.

Sure. But, for example, i'm really bad at hori...

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:44 pm

tehkao wrote:I prefer horis because:

They tend to have more "personality"
More intricate, longer level designs
Feels more "interactive" because you can usually interact with the background (walls, floor, etc)
More interesting bosses
More variety in gameplay; not just bullet dodging. Most verts to me is just 100% bullet dodging.

I agree with this. I love how adventurous games like Gaiares, Darius Gaiden and Gynoug feels. Can't picture a vertical shooter doing that. Love both vertical and horizontal shooters though.