Vertically moving & shooting Arcade STGs per year from 82-03

[heisenbergman]

note: VERTICAL - That means scrolling vertically upward + facing/shooting upward + not a fixed shooter + not a gallery shooter + not a multidirectional shooter

Sorry if this might be slightly self-serving, but whenever I get into a specific genre of gaming, I'm always fascinated by its history. In this case, I'm particularly interested vertical arcade shmups.

If you folks are inclined to do so, what would you say are the vertically-scrolling STG/shmups that were available for the arcade in particular for each year over the past three decades that might be considered most notable for that year when they came out?

I was looking at oxtsu's Chronology of Shooting [arcade only] and it seems like a fantastic list that could be nice if it could be weeded-down into its standout games for each year.

I'm starting from 1982 (release of Xevious, which was maybe the first of the earliest influential vertical scrolling shooters) and will cap it at 2003. So far I've got this:

R=Vertically Moving/Shooting Arcade STGs per year - one game a year limit has been ditchedR=Year & Games R=1982 & Xevious R=1983 & Mega Zone Star Jacker R=1984 & 1942 Star Force R=1985 & Terra Cresta Gun.Smoke Exed Exes R=1986 & Scramble Formation [Tokio] Slap Fight R=1987 & Twin Cobra Flying/Sky Shark R=1988 & Image Fight Truxton [Tatsujin] R=1989 & Fire Shark Omega Fighter R=1990 & Raiden R=1991 & Gun Frontier Detana!!! TwinBee R=1992 & Dogyuun Truxton II [Tatsujin-Oh] R=1993 & Batsugun R=1994 & Rayforce Raiden DX R=1995 & Donpachi Strikers 1945 R=1996 & Battle Garegga R=1997 & Strikers 1945 II Dodonpachi R=1998 & Armed Police Batrider R=1999 & Giga Wing Battle Bakraid R=2000 & Mars Matrix Dragon Blaze R=2001 & Ikaruga R=2002 & DoDonPachi Dai-Ou-Jou R=2003 & Ketsui Espgaluda

Kindly opine regarding this lineup. Years that I'm especially not sure about: 83, 86, 91

[Imhotep]

-2012 Dodonpachi Saidaioujou Kan ~ Cave <-- SH3 hardware. Self published/sales by Cave.
-2010 Dodonpachi Dai-Fukkatsu BLACK LABEL ~ Cave/Annex (formerly AMI)
-2007 Muchi Muchi Pork! ~ Cave/AMI
-2006 Pink Sweets : Ibara Sorekara ~ Cave/AMI
-2005 Ibara ~ Cave/AMI
-2004 Gigawing Generations ~ Takumi/Taito
-2003 Border Down ~ G.rev/Sega
-2002 Dodonpachi Dai-Ou-Jou ~ Cave/AMI
-2001 Zero Gunner 2 ~ Psikyo
-2000 Brave Blade ~ Raizing/Eighting/Namco
-1999 Battle Bakraid, Unlimited version ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
-1998 Armed Police Batrider, B version ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
-1997 G-DARIUS Ver.2 ~ Taito
-1996 BATTLE GAREGGA ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
-1995 P-47 Aces ~ NMK/Jaleco
-1994 Rayforce [Gunlock (*Euro)]~ Taito
-1993 Batsugun ~ Toaplan
-1992 VARTH : Operation Thunderstorm ~ Capcom
-1991 Gun Frontier ~ Taito
-1989 Hellfire ~ Toaplan/Taito
-1988 Image Fight ~ Irem
-1987 Mr. HELI no Dai-Bouken [Battle Chopper] ~ Irem
-1986 Argus ~ NMK/Jaleco

I don't mind horizontal games.

[heisenbergman]

I don't think I mind horizontals. It's just that I prefer verticals and I thought I might like to explore those on their own first. Thanks for posting a list!

[hermit crab]

1978: Space Invaders - duh
1982: Xevious - Vert scrolling, ground and sky enemies
1985: Tiger Heli - Verts perfected, followed by other Toaplan games like the Shark series
1986: Star Soldier - Consoles can do it too
1989: Xenon II - And so can home computers, without looking or sounding like something's lacking. Euroshmup hate begins.
1990: Raiden - Start of the series that held down the genre for the decade
1994: Raptor: Call of the Shadows - Home computers can still do it, just need to be shareware to be profitable. Euroshmup hate spreads beyond titles made in Europe. But loved my many too and for many western gamers, along with Tyrian from the next year, the "last games" in the genre before they "went to shit bullethells".
1995: DonPachi - Beginning of Cave & bullet hells
2001: Shikigami no Shiro - Start of one of my favorite series
2003: Ketsui - Pinnacle of the genre
2011: Eschatos - Arcades are dead, play xbox

[Eaglet]

From when it gets interesting:
1988: 達人
1991: Metal Black
1992: 達人王
1993: Batsugun
1994: Rayforce
1995: 首領蜂
1996: Battle Garegga
1997: 怒首領蜂
1998: Armed Police Batrider
1999: Battle Bakraid
2000: Dragon Blaze
2001: 斑鳩
2002: 怒首領蜂 大往生 ブラックレーベル
2003: ケツイ~絆地獄たち~
2004: 虫姫さま
2005: 鋳薔薇
2006: 虫姫さまふたり
2007: 虫姫さまふたりブラックレーベル
2008: 怒首領蜂 大復活
2010: 怒首領蜂 大復活ブラックレーベル
2011: 虫姫さま Ver 1.5
2012: 怒首領蜂 最大往生

[trap15]

The Kanji Ever

[Eaglet]

Wanted to keep the titles as originally written.

[Despatche]

yeah, crazies like me appreciate such brazen behavior, it's good principle!

also it's kinda hard to pick a single game for each year when there are multiple equivalent efforts from multiple parties. individual years don't mean a whole lot anyway, both in the sense of "era" and in the sense of dumb situations like ketsui over there.

(i'm pretty sure the mushis have a space between title and black label badge. cave keeps writing it like that, anyway. meh)

[Mortificator]

it's kinda hard to pick a single game for each year when there are multiple equivalent efforts from multiple parties. individual years don't mean a whole lot anyway, both in the sense of "era" and in the sense of dumb situations like ketsui over there.

Yeah, the relationships between verts are more like a family tree. From the progenitor concept of flying up and shooting, various distinct styles branched off, and other styles branched off of them. Separate branches also intermarried at certain point swapped a bit of DNA.

Like, one of the forefathers is Star Force. Branching from that in one direction are its Tecmo sequels (Super Star Force, Final Star Force, Eight Forces). In another direction is Star Soldier, which Hudson made as a follow-up to their port of Star Force, and the Caravan shooting games. But the fourth Caravan shooter was developed by Compile; it incorporates elements of Compile's Zanac and Aleste family, which have carried over to later Caravan games, while a few Caravan and Star Force elements made their way into Aleste. And Compile staff went on to Raizing...

So I think, rather than picking the best game of each year, one would get a fuller picture of how verts have developed by going along the tree and playing some games from each of the major branches.

[DMC]

That family tree would prove to be a challenging task, but it would be extremely interesting, so I hope someone is up for it.

[Vamos]

Wanted to keep the titles as originally written.

For what reason on an English speaking forum? just makes you look an awkwardly elitist weaboo type.

[Eaglet]

For what reason on an English speaking forum? just makes you look an awkwardly elitist weaboo type.

Call me elitist if you will but i like language and always prefer to present things as they were originally delivered.
Besides, logographic characters make a more aesthetically pleasing list than letters.

[Vamos]

Call me elitist if you will but i like language and always prefer to present things as they were originally delivered.
Besides, logographic characters make a more aesthetically pleasing list than letters.

Its an English speaking forum and those titles have translations for a reason.If you really love language you'l recognise language is for communication and not a lot of good if the intended recipient isn't a speaker/reader of Japanese language so quit your selfish bullshit reasoning.

[chum]

Just because I care about your opinion, I used an online translator to find out what games you mentioned... But why make those of us who can't read Japanese go through that extra trouble just to know what you were saying?

btw the Tatsujin games are awful

I was in the middle of trying to compile a list, when I noticed that... my list would not have a single Raizing game on it, and there is a Cave game on it. Now I'm too ashamed to show it

[Eaglet]

Just because I care about your opinion, I used an online translator to find out what games you mentioned... But why make those of us who can't read Japanese go through that extra trouble just to know what you were saying?

Thanks and as i said; it's mostly just a personal preference. Call it a tic if you will.

Besides, it might be a bit educational if any readers would happen to go to Japan and look around PCB shops or arcades.
Not many roman letters over there. Then you'll at least know what to look for from here.

my list would not have a single Raizing game on it

The heresy!

Its an English speaking forum and those titles have translations for a reason.If you really love language you'l recognise language is for communication and not a lot of good if the intended recipient isn't a speaker/reader of Japanese language so quit your selfish bullshit reasoning.

All i see is static.
Quit your bitch ass whining.

Edit: We can take this outside if you wanna go on.
This thread is for lists. Let's keep it that way.

[RNGmaster]

and there is a Cave game on it. Now I'm too ashamed to show it

there goes your hipster cred

[heisenbergman]

From when it gets interesting:
1988: 達人 (Master)
1991: Metal Black
1992: 達人王 (Master King)
1993: Batsugun
1994: Rayforce
1995: 首領蜂 (DonPachi)
1996: Battle Garegga
1997: 怒首領蜂 (DoDonPachi)
1998: Armed Police Batrider
1999: Battle Bakraid
2000: Dragon Blaze
2001: 斑鳩 (Ikaruga)
2002: 怒首領蜂 大往生 ブラックレーベル (DonPachi Daioujou Black Label and anger)
2003: ケツイ~絆地獄たち~ (Ketsui ~ Kizuna Jigoku Tachi)
2004: 虫姫さま (Mushihimesama)
2005: 鋳薔薇(Rose cast)
2006: 虫姫さまふたり (Mushihimesama Futari)
2007: 虫姫さまふたりブラックレーベル (Two Black Label Mushihimesama)
2008: 怒首領蜂 大復活 (DonPachi revival and anger)
2010: 怒首領蜂 大復活ブラックレーベル (DonPachi revival Black Label and anger)
2011: 虫姫さま Ver 1.5 (Mushihimesama 1.5)
2012: 怒首領蜂 最大往生 (DonPachi maximum death and anger)

I took the liberty of putting english translations based on what google translate gave me.

Thanks for the list!

[chum]

and there is a Cave game on it. Now I'm too ashamed to show it

there goes your hipster cred

Would including like 10 Touhou games make me hip? I sure hope so!

[Zengeku3]

But 2hu is not arcade chumdum!

Here's my list:

19xx: Deliberately ignoring good titles to imply that nothing can be good if it is OLD
20xx: UFO didn't get an arcade release so nothing notable wwwwwwwww

[Vamos]

All i see is static.
Quit your bitch ass whining.

Edit: We can take this outside if you wanna go on.

Woah no thanks buddy, even though you were completely in the wrong and an obvious elitest douchebag who fails to grasp the concept of language I certainly wouldn't dare to cross a guy who looks like kevin bacon discovered hair gel.

[heisenbergman]

Hm. Well this thread didn't go so well.

Maybe I'd have more luck sifting through the Top 25 voted games and picking the highest ranked for each year...

[Vyxx]

Ibara for everything. EVERYTHING.

[ACSeraph]

Hm. Well this thread didn't go so well.

Maybe I'd have more luck sifting through the Top 25 voted games and picking the highest ranked for each year...

Welcome to shmups forum!

Also I think Dodonpachi Maximum Death and Anger sounds fucking awesome.

[heisenbergman]

LOL I knew some translations would be off, but couldn't be bothered to verify atm

[heisenbergman]

Went over the Top shmups list and decided to cap my list of games to play from the late 80s to the early 2000s. Landed with this list:

Code: Select all

2003.....ESPGaluda.........................Cave
2002.....DoDonPachi Dai-Ou-Jou.............Cave
2001.....Ikaruga...........................Treasure
2000.....Mars Matrix.......................Takumi
1999.....Giga Wing.........................Takumi
1998.....Armed Police Batrider.............8ing
1997.....Strikers 1945 II..................Psikyo
1996.....Battle Garegga....................8ing
1995.....Donpachi..........................Cave
1994.....Rayforce..........................Taito
1993.....Batsugun..........................Toaplan
1992.....Varth: Operation Thunderstorm.....Capcom
1991.....Lethal Thunder....................Irem
1990.....Raiden............................Seibu Kaihatsu
1989.....Fire Shark........................Toaplan
1988.....Tatsujin / Truxton................Toaplan
1987.....Twin Cobra........................Toaplan

Thoughts?

[ACSeraph]

Thoughts?

Ikaruga is meh

[heisenbergman]

Thoughts?

Ikaruga is meh

If we're going by year though, it's the only ranked vertically-scrolling arcade shooter from 2001 in the Top 100.

[BIL]

Kyuukyoku Tiger's masterfully designed checkpoints make it way harder and more interesting than its overseas version Twin Cobra, which removed them and added 2P coop. Also KT's variable tank craters are much more satisfying than TC's uniformly round ones.

[trap15]

Code: Select all

1991.....Hishouzame / Flying Shark.........Kaneko

Where did you get this information????
Hishouzame is 1987 by Toaplan.

I agree with BIL as well.

Additionally, Mars Matrix and Giga Wing are highly overrated. They're hardly the best games in those years.

[BIL]

I wondered about Hishouzame 1991 too - I think that's the FM Towns port? Which is to be avoided, it butchers the game by cropping the view but leaving the entire playfield active, so you're constantly trading fire with invisible enemies before ever coming into contact. MAME or PCB that one for sure.