Genre fusion shmups

[EddyMRA]

How many SHMUPS can you name that are a fusion of of SHMUPS and another game genre?

SHMUPS-Puzzler: Twinkle Star Sprites
SHMUPS-RPG: The Guardian Legend, Sigma Star(?)
SHMUPS-Racing: Shippu Mahou Daisakusen

[ForceDevice]

Does shmups-porn count?

[BulletMagnet]

Calcolo on the PS1 might fit the "puzzle/shooter" category..."Tukai Slot Shooting" would probably be up there someplace as well. And would something like Senko count as a "shmup/fighter" cross?

[Observer]

Does shmups-porn count?

Yep: http://artesneit.halfmoon.jp/fortuna/

Planet Japan never ceases to amaze me.

[kengou]

Ikaruga = puzzle-shmup

To some extent, RSG = RPG-puzzle-shmup

[Enhasa]

Yeah, Sigma Star Saga is right. I think there should be more puzzler and RPG ones but I can't think of any right now. Some top-down shooters are considered action RPGs for some reason. Racing there are a lot more, a lot of those 2d overhead racers were essentially shmups. Also games where you can push the screen like Gallop IIRC.

For fighters (life bars, input commands like hcf, etc) you have a lot of vs shmups like in Kaede's thread right now. Also there are a lot of shooter/RTS hybrids like Herzog Zwei and a lot of PC games, although those might just count as RTS.

Sorry I didn't name more games specifically but I don't feel like coming up with exact games right now, good luck though.

PS - While it's cute that everyone has repeated "Ikaruga is a puzzle game" to the point where some people actually believe it now, it really isn't, and if you include Ikaruga you basically have to include most shmups with actual scoring systems. RSG isn't an RPG just because you can level up. Nobody calls Mars Matrix an RPG.


Edit: I thought of a shmup puzzler, Pop'n Pop. Bubbles come down and you move back and forth and shoot like Space Invader, and you have to dodge projectiles from enemies at the top.

[kengou]

PS - While it's cute that everyone has repeated "Ikaruga is a puzzle game" to the point where some people actually believe it now, it really isn't, and if you include Ikaruga you basically have to include most shmups with actual scoring systems. RSG isn't an RPG just because you can level up. Nobody calls Mars Matrix an RPG.

I don't personally think any of those are exclusively puzzle games or RPGs. They're genre hybrids. The puzzle element of Ikaruga/RSG is the chaining, and the RPG element in RSG and Mars Matrix is the exp and leveling up systems. All three are shmups though, clearly. I suppose you might say that most shmups with a scoring system are also puzzle/shmup hybrids, and I might agree with that to an extent. For some reason, though, Ikaruga/RSG feel much more puzzle-like to me than Cave games. I have no problem with that, I love Treasure shmups, but I can see it being off-putting to some shmup-lovers.

[God]

I think the reason people associate Silvergun and Ikaruga with puzzle games is because the bad guys are color coded.

That's it. Its a total puzzle game move and why other styles of chaining get off the hook.

[lgb]

Shmups + platforming = the run 'n gun genre?

[EddyMRA]

SHMUPS + Fighting = Touhou games

[cj iwakura]

Shmup + rhythm game = Rez.

[GrimoreLibrarian]

Yep: http://artesneit.halfmoon.jp/fortuna/

Planet Japan never ceases to amaze me.

Who... er.... What would wank off to Galshell? I heard of people being HR Geiger fans but.. uh... that's really... extreme...

[EddyMRA]

SHMUPS + Sports...probably the only genre shmups never fused with.

Madden NFL Daiohjou. *shot*

[ZOM]

Yep: http://artesneit.halfmoon.jp/fortuna/

Planet Japan never ceases to amaze me.

Who... er.... What would wank off to Galshell? I heard of people being HR Geiger fans but.. uh... that's really... extreme...

I would... wait what?

[Meyers07]

SHMUPS + Fighting = Touhou games

Not really. Senko no Ronde (Wartech) on Arcade/Xbox360 is closer to SHMUPS + Fighting, although the versus battles reminds me of Star Control 2's Melee battle mode, but with better controls and bullet hell.

Speaking of, the closest hybrid of rhythm + shmup would be Zillion Beatz

What we need is a bullet hell game that generate itself automatically from any music file (MP3, OGG, name a few), a mechanism just like Audiosurf, but generates bullet pattern.

[oli_lar]

Tinna and the seven crystals (X68000) is an action/puzzle/shooting game, you can clear the game just by using the shot, but it'd be very difficult!

[ROBOTRON]

"Action Fighter" - SMS ....Spy Hunter type driver turns into shmup at different points in the game.

"Metal Slug 3" - Neo-Geo ....Typical Run n' Gun gets shmuppy for about a 1/4 of the game.

"The Guardian Legend" NES ...already mentioned

"Exo something game" PS3 ...I downloaded the demo and its some sort of action platform/Shmup that made me yawn, I haven't played enough of it to comment any further.

"Space Harrier" ? its a hybrid, uh rail...uh ?

[MathU]

Does Karous count? RPG elements almost seamlessly integrated in a shooter.

[EinhanderZwei]

Star Control - shmup + turn-based strategy
Space Rangers - shmup + turn-based strategy + RPG + Elite

[toaplan_shmupfan]

Just to name a few...

Ghosts 'N' Goblins, Ghouls 'N' Ghosts, Contra, Midnight Resistance, Metal Slug: Platform/Shmup.
Ninja Combat: Fighter/Shmup.
Gauntlet series: RPG/Shmup.
Amplitude: Music/Shmup.
Raimais, Arkanoid (both have laser powerup capsules to enable shooting), PuzzLoop/Ballistic: Puzzle/Shmup.
Front Line, Ikari Warriors, Heavy Barrel, Time Soldiers: Run 'N' Gun shmup.

[EPS21]

Valkyrie Sky, the MMO-shmup

I want to say Megamari too but its just a megaman clone with some attacks that resemble shmup patterns.

[xris]

Alien Hominid has some really great multidirectional shooting levels. All around fun game. The PDA levels have some fine platforming hidden in them, with the ps2 ver having an easy level editor.

[Voxbox]

Kingdom Grandprix = awesome racing shmup.

[ROBOTRON]

INCOMING - DC Oh man, how could I forget this hidden gem....talk about fusion! It has several elements of hybrid shmupping throughout the entire game!

Fixed turret style shmup
Helicopter shump
Jet fighter shmup
tank shmup
alien spaceship shump
and mobile missile launcher shmup....and if I'm not mistaken a Battleship shmup...there are probably more, I've gotta pull that out and play it again! Mission based game.

[Mortificator]

Another puzzle shooter would be Quarth, and another rhythm shooter would be the Macross 7 Game Boy game.

One of the omake modes in Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius is sort of a racing game. There's also Gallop, which isn't about competing in a race, but has similar mechanics by letting the player speed through stages and rewarding him for doing so.

[Gespenst]

Shmup + rhythm game = Rez.

Bullet Philharmonic Orchestra and Zillion Beats fit there, too.

Oh yeah, you guys forgot KiTN.

[SamIAm]

Cotton 2 is sort of like a fusion with a platformer. It's a hori-shooter, but the varied terrain and gravity-affected weapons/elements keep you thinking like it's a platformer.

On that note, I think that auto-scrolling platforming (like world-1 stage-4 in SMB3) is a type of 2D gaming that has yet to have its potential awesomeness exploited.

[Mortificator]

That reminds me, you can hop off your dragon and do some run 'n gun in Dragoon Breed. Legendary Wings also had on-foot gun stages.

[pixeljunkie]

what about shmup-vania?

Koumajou Densetsu Scarlet Symphony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qr1xJgG9gg

[MadScientist]

PS - While it's cute that everyone has repeated "Ikaruga is a puzzle game" to the point where some people actually believe it now, it really isn't, and if you include Ikaruga you basically have to include most shmups with actual scoring systems.

Agreed. You just have to memorize which enemies are coming up next in order to score better. I don't see it as being any more of a puzzle game than any other memorizer. Is R-Type a puzzle game because you have to memorize the best route through environmental hazards?