Insect Themed Shmups

[drauch]

Sitting here at work, obviously doing important work and thinking very important things. I've always been quite fond of Entomology and have studied it on the side my entire life, so naturally, I enjoy shooters with insects. Been trying to compile a list in my head, and I know I'm missing quite a few obvious ones.

The games don't have to be explicitly insect themed, but must contain at least an entire level or so where insects are the enemies, your "pilot" is an insect, or at least similar themed arthropods (I'll take arachnids and myriapods.) NO TAITO CRUSTACEANS.

Small list I've compiled; or, at least the obvious:

Apidya (Amiga) --probably the most accurate in its entomological depictions
Insector X (Arcade, etc.)
Mushihime-sama (Arcade, etc.)
Mushihime-sama Futari (Arcade, etc.)
Kolibri (32x)

Surely there are a few more out there, some which I'm sure are fairly obvious and I'm overlooking. Any help would be appreciated for this, uh... important list.

*Edited for shit grammar on my part. The internet has ruined me.*

[Captain]

NO TAITO CRUSTACEANS.

[ciox]

Bio Hazard Battle http://www.bogleech.com/sega-bio.html

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

All I can think of right now is the spider themed level from Phobia (C64).

Do rejected concepts for Gradius IV count?

[RaidenViper]

[Kollision]

Exed Exes (arcade, Famicom)
Cyber Core (PC Engine)
Psychic Storm (PC Engine CD)
Super Shooting Towns (FM Towns)

[drauch]

Alright! Some good mentions so far, and a few PC-Engine games I hadn't played yet. I almost included Bio-Hazard Battle myself, but I thought it was a bit too "alien," which to most, probably is synonymous with insect descriptions.

[Damocles]

Insector-X

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

Most of the enemies in Gemini Wing are insects. Galaga Remix has plenty of insects. What about Strikers 1945 III/Strikers 1999? The first 6 bosses are some sort of military vehicle that transforms into a mechanical insect second form. Boss 7 is a giant mechanical beetle thing, come to think of it, in Stage 7 you fight nothing but swarms of little bugs and ships that look like insects. The final boss of the game is the only pure organic insect.

[astroid]

Some levels of XOP Black

[Captain]

I'm hijacking this thread.

Now about shooting plants.

[Lord Satori]

Jets N Guns Gold has an entire level of giant space bugs in it. It was also in the original non-gold version, but I don't think you can get that version anymore. (Why would you want to, anyway?)

Galaga and Galaxian.

[BulletMagnet]

I guess all the various bee-like and bee-related things in the DonPachi series are a touch too "abstract", for lack of a better term, heh.

There is an indie shmup called "Radical Roach", but footage I've seen of it is...unimpressive.

[Squire Grooktook]

Do rejected concepts for Gradius IV count?

Shit, that's an awesome looking level concept. You could do so much with it too.

Enemies could slide up and down the web to spawn in or get from one section of the stage to the other. You could shoot out the webs to prevent them from traveling. The webs could slow your movement as you pass through them. Damn I wish this was an actual stage.

[BrianC]

There's also Centipede and Millipede.

[nesrulz]

I was not so crazy about these games (insect themed shmups), but Mushi series is cool.

[ciox]

Then how about http://www.locomalito.com/verminest.php

[Kollision]

Stage 4 in Sine Mora is insect-themed.
Boss Libelle is awesome by the way.

[MR_Soren]

Maybe Yars' Revenge for Atari 2600?

[Koa Zo]

Spider Fighter!

[EmperorIng]

I think the enemies in Taito's Ryu Jin are mostly insectoid, at least especially in level 2.

[MR_Soren]

I think Stage 3 on Bullet Soul was pretty buggy too.

[Sinful]

Do rejected concepts for Gradius IV count?

Shit, that's an awesome looking level concept. You could do so much with it too.

Enemies could slide up and down the web to spawn in or get from one section of the stage to the other. You could shoot out the webs to prevent them from traveling. The webs could slow your movement as you pass through them. Damn I wish this was an actual stage.

Yes, I too am very sad right now.

[KAI]

∀kashicverse has gigantic roaches and spiders.

[Kollision]

"Insect Infestation" is the name of stage 3 in Astro Tripper

[Nick420]

Mutant storm and mutant storm reloaded feel kinda insecty.

[Aisha]

Oh, I remember one! THE 触シュー. (THE Shokushoo) It's mostly insect-themed, but it also has a few enemies based on plants and small woodland animals. The game is still undergoing active development, however.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATF7Iz8Yjec
http://tryangle07.blog32.fc2.com/ (Slightly NSFW if you go back a few pages.)
Trial download

[Obiwanshinobi]

Air Duel.

[Captain]

Shmups system 11, I am dissapoint.

[BrianC]

Donkey Kong 3 plays like a proto shmup and has plenty of bugs. Atari's Black Widow is another bug themed game, though it's an arena shooter ala Robotron rather than a shmup.