Saddest moments in shmups? (Spoilers)

[xxx1993]

I thought the endings for Kohtaro, Batu, Emilio, and Mihee in Castle of Shikigami III were pretty sad. And the ending of DoDonPachi SaiDaiOuJou, when Hina died in Saya's arms and Saya was screaming Hina's name. I actually broke down and cried after playing SaiDaiOuJou the first time I played it and saw that ending.

[Sumez]

When you die before using any of your bombs

[pegboy]

Opening scene of Axelay, and even that is a bit of a stretch. I really can't think of anything else though.

[MathU]

[xxx1993]

I'm thinking of actual, tearjerking moments. Not moments where you get so frustrated you want to cry.

[cave hermit]

Ending D in Galaga was absolutely heart rending. When I saw

Spoiler

Boss Galaga capturing Shinji's ship and forcing it to dive bomb into Kazumi's ship

I just froze for a good 15 seconds. I turned off the tv and just sat there, my body trembling, my eyes starting to burn up. The tears slid down my face as I quietly sobbed... "Shinji... Kazumi..."

I think part of why it had such an impact on me was because it was such a jarring shift in tone from the first 3 endings. The characters I grew to love during the first three playthroughs, watching them laugh with carefree innocence during the "Challenging Stage" recruitment trials and hearing their burning shouts of determination as they linked ships,

Spoiler

destroyed in an instance. How tragic it was that they were the causes of each other's deaths.

Of course the Gaplus DLC went on to portray a more positive outcome, but that was purely a noncanon "what-if" scenario.

[xxx1993]

That's fake.

[cave hermit]

That's fake.

Let me guess, you stopped after ending A didn't you

[Bananamatic]

And the ending of DoDonPachi SaiDaiOuJou, when Hina died in Saya's arms and Saya was screaming Hina's name. I broke down and cried after playing SaiDaiOuJou the first time I played it and saw that for ending.

me too
after I realized I spent $70 on that piece of shit port

[Skykid]

I broke down and cried after playing SaiDaiOuJou the first time I played it and saw that for ending.

You need to get out more.

[Sumez]

Let me guess, you stopped after ending A didn't you

Is ending B or C the one where Shinji accidentally shoots Kazumi down in an attempt to free her? That is probably the one that touched me the most.

[BrianC]

Ending E is the one where Iron Man appears and says "He's playing Galaga".

[crazyrexz]

ending scene in thunder force 3 when you can control the hands, its not making me cry, but the nostalgic moments after have playing from 17 years ago, still remembering the hardest moment in final stage when upside down front back moving and defeating final boss, wow :')

[Plasmo]

Route V in Darius Gaiden is pretty depressing.

Ikaruga and Silvergun also made me cry.

[Squire Grooktook]

I know I shouldn't respond to this seriously, but the ending of Rayforce is a perfectly executed little bit of melancholia. Definitely a memorable way to finish off the game.

[BIL]

ELEMENTAL MASTER YO

AW HELLLL NAW BRUH, IT WASNT SUPOSED 2 B DIS WAY

[Cee]

playing any sh-3 release expecting it to be good.

[BrianC]

It's sad how the MD version of Undead Line has no playable female characters.

[Square_Air]

Radiant Silvergun and Rayforce are the only games that come to mind when I think of Shmups that actually provoked sadness from me.
Though, getting the 1LC of Asuka & Asuka made me sad to know that i'll never get those 45 minutes of my life back.

When you die before using any of your bombs

Spoiler

[xxx1993]

This moment isn't really a sad moment, but more like a heartwarming one. Fio and Esto being reunited in Astebreed is a big heartwarming scene. What happens is when Esto cries in Fio's arms and turns good.

[xxx1993]

Route V in Darius Gaiden is pretty depressing.

Ikaruga and Silvergun also made me cry.

Darius Gaiden = I know, right? After spending the entire game fighting the Belsar forces, you're treated to... getting destroyed at the end due to the weight of the sea. Talk about a total downer.

Radiant Silvergun = All your efforts to stop the Stone-Like prove futile, and are doomed to repeat your mistakes again and again and again.

Ikaruga = You succeed in destroying Tenro Horai and the Stone-Like for good, but Shinra and Kagari sacrifice their lives in the process. At least it's not completely downbeat unlike Radiant Silvergun.

[xxx1993]

I know I shouldn't respond to this seriously, but the ending of Rayforce is a perfectly executed little bit of melancholia. Definitely a memorable way to finish off the game.

That's what happens when you're forced to destroy the Earth after it was taken over by Con-Human as shown in RayCrisis. And the fighter gets hit by the blast of the explosion in the process.

[KAI]

Under Defeat's ending with the black and white portrait of the pilots, so sad. rip nazi moe girls.

Spoiler

[MintyTheCat]

When you die before using any of your bombs

I never use bombs as it is sort of against my moral code

[xxx1993]

The final boss of Under Defeat, while cool, made no sense to me. Why did the explosion wipe you out? And not even the game itself knows if the pilots are dead or alive. It says their helicopters were completely destroyed, yet at the same time it also says their bodies were not found.

[EmperorIng]

everytiem ;_____;

[Zen]

When xxx1993 posts in "The Shmups.com Dead Pool" thread.

[Giest118]

That time in Mushihimesama Futari where you fight Hitler and you have to kill him but that means the jews will survive




The closest thing I can think of to a non-shitposty answer is the final boss of Kamui, when given the full context of the game's backstory.

[CStarFlare]

What happened to cuphead changed everything for me.

[Sumez]

You mean the Cuphead thread that got locked?