Hello - newb here with a question

Obsidian Blood · Post by **Obsidian Blood** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:12 am

G'day all
I'm new here and first off I want to say WOW - you guys really know your schmups.

Anyway, I've been a casual gamer for about 9 years, and recently I decided I was going to dive into gaming headfirst. As luck would have it, this decision came just as I left home to live in Japan for a year.

When I decided I wanted to be a little more hardcore (which meant giving in and finally becoming a console gamer), I also decided to educate myself in the industry's past, so I plan to aquire a NES, SNES, n64, PS1/2, Gamecube and Xbox, and get the games generally considered 'best' of most important on each system. What does this have to do with schmups? Well, back when I first started gaming, I had a vertical scroller on my PC called 'Raptor: Call of the Shadows.' I absolutely loved it, and when I was compiling my list of console games I realised I had not one single entry from this genre.

Since then, I've added Galaga (NES), Ikaruga (NGC), and Raiden Project (PS2) to the list, but coming here makes it seem like I'm only scratching the surface.

So, I'm here in the land of the rising sun, and I have access to every game imaginable; forget importing - I can ride my bike down the street and have thousands of ancient games sitting in rack upon rack in front of me. I figure this is the perfect time to pick up copies of classic shmups (and everything else, of course). My question to you is this: what's missing from my list?

P.S. I strongly prefer the vertical scrolling variety.

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:28 am

Hi!

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your choice to try and test the waters of shoot em ups!

A great start would be to begin checking out the "Xenocide"-files on the frontpage of the shmups.com site (where this is the forum of).

Check it out at: http://www.shmups.com

Oh and please note you spell the word as "shmups" instead of "schmups".

Good luck!

Herr Schatten · Post by **Herr Schatten** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:35 am

I think a listing of everything that's missing is a bit much to ask for. With Ikaruga and Raiden Project you already picked two nice games, but there are so many to recommend it's impossible to list them all.

If I look at what consoles you plan to acquire I notice the absence of anything Sega. For the fullest shmup experience, you might want to consider getting a Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast and place them next to your PS2. There's not much shmupping to be done on Gamecube, XBox and N64. (The same is true for the Sega Master System, but while you're at building a console collection you can get one of those as well, otherwise you're missing out on a few great games.)

Browsing through the xenocide files at the shmups main site should give you a good start in judging what's worthwhile on each system. While the lists are incomplete and have the occasional error in them, most older systems got good coverage and most reviews are done by people from this very forum who know their shmups. New reviews and reviews for newer shmups are coming in more and more lately, so keep an eye on the site.

Also try using the search function of this forum to gather information about shmups that don't get much coverage elsewhere. You will find a lot of useful information, healthy discussion and some bits of more or less entertaining forum drama in the process.

Oh yes, and welcome to the forum. Enjoy.

EDIT: Laydock beat me to it.

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:40 am

hello mr. blood welcome aboard!

Well you question is a very big one, also it's down to personal opinion on what over people like but I'll try to help you out as much as possable.

First of all I'm going to point you out to a few websites that to amazing freeware (that means it's free!) shmups.

ABA GAMES
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/index_e.html
And excellent shmup maker from Japan, all of which are professional quality and are comepletly FREE so there is no reason to miss out!

Hikoza'n-CHI X
http://www18.big.or.jp/~hikoza/Prod/
This is the home page of the awsome Warning Forever, a shmup with a bit of a twist, it's free so I suggest downloading that. (it's also one of my all time faves to!)

Hello World Project
http://homepage2.nifty.com/isshiki/prog_win_game.html
There are one or two freeware shmups of note on this page that are worth mentioning but the main one for me is Score Solider winter festival 2004.

Now that I've given you a few freeware ones lets talk about the games you can buy in the shops. Belive it or not the best shmups generaly are on the Sega systems (personal opinion here lads and ladies). The dreamcast still has a slow trickeling of shmups being produced for it every year and generaly is the easiest console to get Psikyo vertical shmups, I would suggest getting gunbird one and two as well are a boarderliner called cannon spike youl might also want to give some capcom games a try like gigawing. The Sega Saturn also has a large colection of classic shmups noticably from producers like Cave or Raizing which have gained a cult following over the years thanks to their steady input of great shmups most of which are vertical shmups.

Saying that though if you live in Japan I would suggest getting a japaness ps2 just so that you can play the hoardes of great new shmups comming out for that system. Now i'm not big on my ps2 imports but I hear le petit princess which is the direct sequal to ADK's twinkle star sprites (a vert vs. player/com shmup) is comming out soon and is well worth a look. Also there other good reasion for getting a ps2 one of which is the gradius series. 3 & 4 come togther in a pack stunningly titled "gradius 3 & 4" while there is one more you should look out for is gradius 5 which was made in co-operation with treasure who made Ikaruga. Also try to get you're hands on a copy of psyvariar: complete, thats also a great little "verty".

Anyway I hope that has help you out a little

TGK · Post by **TGK** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:01 am

Well, some recommendations from me. Most are my personal favorites, but I also objectively try to pick out some "special moments in history" games.

NES

Galaga
The Guardian Legend
Recca, Summer Carnival 92
Life Force

Genesis, Megadrive, Saturn, PCE: can't help you here, I didn't have these

SNES

Axelay
Bio Metal - I'm one of the minority on this site who likes this game, but it is leap and bound ahead of its time, and it also pushes the system's envelope to the outer limits, so I recommend it.
Super Aleste
Strike Gunner - I'm probably the ONLY one on this site who likes this one, but like Bio Metal, it was just misunderstood.
RType-III

PS1

Raystorm
RayCrisis
Jikkyo Oshaberi Parodius
Sexy Parodius
Dodonpachi

PC

Idinaloq - a bit outdated by today's standard, but was a ground breaker for doujin shmups when it first came out
Gun Viper - doujin and shareware
Galax - doujin and freeware
Anything by Kenta Cho

There are many other things I miss, since I can only recommend games I have played.

Note: many freeware PC shmups (and link to their authors) can be found on www.the-underdogs.org

DC906270 · Post by **DC906270** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:03 am

Well, as far as "you-need-them-in-your-life" shmups & systems go, i recommend (in order of importance) :

Sega Mega Drive - HELLFIRE - Hori - a truly life affirming shmup, i'm sure my existence on this planet would be different somehow if i had never played this game. Great controls, great feel and great difficulty - rock hard - you will be playing this for years!

PC Engine HU - These may be slightly dated now, but important "history" games would be : Verts - GUNHED, DRAGON SPIRIT, IMAGE FIGHT. Hori - R-TYPE parts I+II

PC Engine CD - Get Super Darius (and SD II if you can find it) an absolute classic in my opinion. Also, Image Fight 2 for a good challenge if you can find it cheap ie around $20 - not worth silly money tho

Sega Saturn - BATTLE GAREGGA!!! (superb vert shooter)

These lot should get you started and give you good training in the shmup artform. Also, most of the games listed can be had for fairly cheap ie no more than $20. Big money doesnt usually equate to a great game. Hope this helps and good luck!

Obsidian Blood · Post by **Obsidian Blood** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:04 am

Hey guys! Thanks for the replies, keep 'em coming. Looks like I have a lot of research in front of me.

sjewkestheloon · Post by **sjewkestheloon** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:26 am

well if you can get hold of them easily (not sure of jap availability as i'm a pal gamer) but for the ps2 you need the psikyo collections. the 2 gunbirds, strikers 1945 and its sequel, sengoku ace and blaede, all essential. i've easily spent 2 or 3 months on the first gunbird and i've not even touched the second one yet, all for about £10 new. they are undoubtedly old school shmups coming on the verge of manics in the way that the screen can get really busy and bullets hard to dodge, but the ship lacks a hitbox and there are a hell of a lot of aimed singular bullets. no fancy scoring either so if you're a fan of experience game or multipliers avoid.

freddiebamboo · Post by **freddiebamboo** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 2:03 pm

Cave, Psikyo + Raizing

Just buy all their stuff and you'll be laughing

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:33 pm

Welcome to this forum, Obsidian Blood.
Hope all the posts aren't irritating you too much, like everyone recommending something else.

So here are my personal recommendings:

NES:

-Gradius
(A real classic, for me it's something like the godfather of modern horizontal shmups.)

-Galaga
(Very good Space Invaders kind of game. However I personally find the original Space Invaders a but dull, but Galaga is a well balanced and great game.)

PC-Engine:

-R-Type (2 Hucards, seperatly sold in Japan)
(This is the same as Gradius, it's simply a legend. They are both the godfathers of Shmups. You don't have to buy that game on PC-Engine, I heard there is a R-Type Collection for PSX. Guess the port is even better.)

-Galaga'88
(The very nice updated version of Galaga, with new features and graphics/sounds. Don't miss this one

)

-Cotton (CD System only)
(A very nice Cute'em Up, with great CD music. And the characters in the game are really funny. Sometimes the crystals are a bit annoying, but overall a nice game.)

Mega Drive:

-Thunderforce III
(This is often considered as one of the best horizontal shmups of all times. Also it's not as hard as many other shmups, so I guess this game is good to get more used to shmups)

-Musha Aleste
(Great vertical shmup and no bullet hell. So if you want a more classic feeling in a vertical shmup, here you go. Also difficulty is not that bad.)

Super Nintendo:

-Axelay
(Great graphics and sounds and a R-Type like feeling. This game has like Salamander vertical and horizontal levels. Though the mode 7 levels aren't that exciting today. But when it came out I saw it in the department stores and just stood like this.

)

-Parodius
(The whole series is one of the best games to me. It's a parody of the Gradius series, but many other Konami games appear there too. Also a parody of the R-Type Spaceship Stage.)

I am not so fond about all the newer system ports and some shmups I have only played on Emulator. So I just list the names from this point:

-Giga Wing (DC)
(My favorite score shmup. It's a vertical maniAc game, the graphics and sounds aren't that exciting. But don't give up on this game so easy. You'll love it when you play for highscores. No other shmup kept me playing for so long without becoming frustrated with the score system.)

-Gradius V (PS2)
(My favorite horizontal shmup. Very unique levels and a very good new Multiple mode and the most exciting bosses. Lots of ideas in this game and great graphics. Only the scoresystem is a little bit weak. At least no respawn points.)

-Sexy Parodius (SS/PSX) (?)
(Fantastic last episode of the Parodius games. Every level has a mission in it to accomplish and depending if you manage it. You'll sometimes get too other levels.)

-DoDonPachi (SS/PSX)
(This is the most beautiful manic shmup for me. Great graphics and a really great sound. This vertical game is rockhard and have some great ideas in it, Great Boss fights and really good levels. However, I really hate the chainsystem which is very important for good scores in this game. )

-R-Type Delta (PSX)
(Forget R-Type Final. This is the best R-Type Episode. Great music and the typical R-Type feeling. The levels sometimes are a bit frustrating, well but that's R-Type. Besides an awesome final stage in matter of atmosphere.)

-Einhänder (PSX)
(One very great horizontal shmup, awesome "Blade Runner"-like atmosphere with a good soundtrack. Also the game system is often underrated. Ok, some bosses are a bit unfair but the same goes for the R-Type series too.)

You also can find some very good shmups on Amiga, like Battle Squadron, R-Type (with that nice title BGM) and others.

Besides these aren't considered as shmups on this site. But you should anyway check them out. I am talking about the Starfox and Panzer Dragoon games. Esspecially Starfox 64. This game alone is reason enough to buy a Nintendo 64. Very great game and I think it's really unique. I haven't played a game like this again, just A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

I hope, that could help you a bit. I could also reccomend you many other non-shmup games. But this would propably be too much "offtopic".

kemical · Post by **kemical** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:46 pm

I'd suggest finding an arcade nearby and seeing what types of vert shooters they have, get an easy quick taste of various styles from different developers, instead of spending money on games you might not like n'stuff.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:05 pm

Welcome, sir.

Assuming you're a guy, anyways.

As far as which systems/games to recommend, as with amny things it depends on your personal tastes: I tend to prefer shmups released relatively recently (as in, the last ten years or so), and thus I'm very happy with my Saturn, Dreamcast, and PS2. However, if you like old-school stuff you might want a Genesis, PC Engine, NES or SNES. Every system has some great games on it; I'd recommend "testing the waters" a little bit before you buy too much stuff, since some shmups can be quite expensive (and not all the pricey ones are any good). There are also some good ones that go for cheap, though: depending on the system, people here could give you some recommendations; also, if you don't oppose emulation, you could try MAME or some such thing to try a few games, and then buy them if a good port exists.

Happy hunting!