First is “Psy” mode, based on the Korean-developed Psyvariar series, which rewards players with brief bursts of invincibility for “grazing” the enemy’s shots without getting hit. Strangely enough, while few “cute-em-ups” moonlight as joystick-snapping  “hardcore” challenges, for whatever reason equally few have ever been conceptualized as truly “teachable” shooters. Soar into action and blast everything that moves in these thrilling shoot 'em ups, aka shmups. Especially as a newcomer to the genre. It has the coolest soundtrack of the four. I loved that game when I was a kid. Not that most of you really need to hear me say this, but the classic scrolling shoot-em-up (or “shmup”) has become something of a rarity in and of itself these days. Off to the side is DDP 2: Bee Storm, which was created by a separate developer and thus feels considerably different from the rest, but is still worth a try on its own terms. Or claim the coveted one-credit clear (1CC), where you make it straight through a shooter from start to finish on default settings without continuing once? Unless, of course, you have wild fantasies of obliterating as many as possible. Mind you, there are plenty of great and accessible arcade exclusives out there, but if you’re feeling uncertain about where to begin, check the aforementioned Shmups 101 article for some hints as to which consoles’ shooter libraries might be worth looking into first. Even as paid releases these games would have found a place within the fandom, but as freebies there’s pretty much zero excuse for anyone interested enough to read this to hesitate jumping on board. The object of this article is to provide a thorough guide to SHMUPs across the NES, Famicom, and Famicom Disk System, all in one place. Right within the “canon” release sequence, for example, are two Twinkle Star Sprites-esque “versus” shooters (Phantasmagoria of Diminished Dream, Phantasmagoria of Flower View), three fighting games with heavy shooting elements (Immaterial and Missing Power, Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, Hopeless Masquerade), two unusual boss-rush titles in which you “shoot” your adversaries with a camera to get reference photos of their crazy attack patterns (Shoot the Bullet, Double Spoiler), and even a riff on Breakout (Highly Responsive to Prayers). Final bosses are a blast! All in all, Deathsmiles is a thoroughly enjoyable PC shooter, despite somewhat cramped environments and sprites that were already considered a bit dated at the time of its original 2007 arcade release. Simply put, the timeless, no-frills appeal of shooters and other classics of years gone by doesn’t get more compressed, distilled, or endearingly in-your-face than it does when you hop aboard the caravan. A few others: PS1: Space Invaders (1978) There’s some debate as to whether or not “Space Invaders” is a true shmup. One is by releasing a bomb, which will leave you with a bit less of a safety net for later, and the other, believe it or not, is to “suicide” into a hazard and sacrifice a life on the spot; it sounds a bit nuts, but if you can put together a good-sized chain you can easily earn back the life you lost, plus interest. @Scott – You might already know this, but a little bit back a freeware remake of Knightmare was released, it’s at the following link: Glad folks are enjoying the article so far. Discover the rarest and more valuable games of all time. Whether you know it as Genesis or Mega Drive, there were a ton of excellent shmups for Sega's 16-bit console so here are the 10 best. Sure, you may have encountered the name here and there in your travels, but were never curious enough to inquire further, until one day you meandered face-first into a download link and said “eh, what the heck.” Once the sucker is finally up and running, you figure “not bad, I’ll keep going for a couple more minutes”…and the next time you glance up, hours have passed. As a growing number of longtime shooter players have placed ever-greater focus on personal achievement, developers have followed their lead, churning out game after game aimed squarely at solo score attackers; nothing “wrong” with that, certainly, but what if some of your fondest gaming memories involve teaming up with a friend to get farther than you could on your own? Not only that, it's my favorite shmup, period. Many latter-day commercial shmup releases support online leaderboards as well, but require players to compete via some manner of set-in-stone “score attack” mode which is permanently locked to the game’s default challenge settings and limits all play sessions to a single credit at a time; all the more reason to build up a measure of confidence before taking on the world. Have you ever had the good fortune to, completely by accident, discover a game that, for lack of a better term, just “works”? It was a time of great innovation in the genre. While you’re poking around, by all means don’t hesitate to take a nibble at any so-called “borderliners” (i.e. The cherry on top? “Game Center Love” features a sequel of sorts to Skill Test known as CombatZeal; its setup is a bit more elaborate than its predecessor’s, but it’s an even more entertaining experience if you can gather some friends and get up to four players involved. Let’s shake things up just a little bit extra this time around: while Bullet Soul and Mushi Futari easily identify with the “bullet hell” subgenre, Eschatos (whose name is Greek for “the last,” and was developed in part by M-Kai, the famed homebrew developer whose Wonderswan project, Judgment Silversword, was picked up for commercial distribution in Japan) tends to march to the beat of its own drummer. Novice is for newcomers who may not be ready to dive into the full-on madness; it's a more-balanced take on the bullet-hell experience. In addition, the stages have been given a once-over to make them a bit less nasty, items are more plentiful and easier to collect, your dragon isn’t quite so massive a moving target, and one or two new power-ups have been added to place one last thumb on the scale. Some readers of the “Shmups 101” article have argued, not without merit, that Batsugun got a bit of a short shrift in that piece, considering that it almost single-handedly bridged the gap between “classical” shmups and their “bullet hell” descendants, and thus deserved more than a side note next to the other selections. You’re likely to encounter some (occasionally spirited) discussion of what “technically” qualifies as a shmup in conversations with others, but at the end of the day it’s all but completely academic in nature; everyone is always free to play whatever they please, and maybe even discover an all-time favorite that they never knew existed along the way. (Sky Think System – 1997 – PS1/PSN – JP) Only skimmed through the article but looks great. If you get the chance, ask any shmup fan who grew up with a Genesis/Mega Drive in the house what his favorite games were (and possibly still are): you’d be hard-pressed to find too many such folks who wouldn’t include Thunder Force III and/or IV somewhere in their list of personal classics, a testament to just how far a bit of good old-fashioned 16-bit thrill-seeking can carry you. Lagoa Poluida”. River Raid. Once you’re ready to expand outward a bit from Twin Cobra there are plenty of options to keep you entertained: right in Toaplan’s own backyard there’s the aforementioned Fire Shark, itself an improved sequel to an older shooter, Flying Shark, which keeps Cobra’s military setting but replaces the helicopter with the ever-reliable (if equally vulnerable) propeller plane. Once you’ve gotten comfy you’ll also want to exploit the “point of collection”, an invisible line near the top of the playfield which conveniently vacuums up every item onscreen whenever you can poke your nose up past it. All that being said, just because the genre first sprung to life in the arcades doesn’t necessarily mean you have to leap headlong into its gaping, toothy maw right off the bat. If you’d prefer to get back to tha choppa, Psikyo’s Zero Gunner 2 distinguishes itself as one of the company’s more approachable releases, and features the ability to rotate, lock and fire in any direction. Shop for DoDonPachi on Amazon.com. If you perused the “Hidden Gems” article you’ve already heard of V-V, a vertical offering with a Gradius-style power-up system, and its more standardized “what it says on the tin” twin, Grind Stormer: whichever setup you and your partner in crime might prefer, this duo has you covered (and the Mega Drive port includes both). In this day and age it can feel like an anomaly when they regroup to set their sights back on their original target, namely the interactive entertainment sphere we hold so dear: of course, it can also bring up embarrassing, Futurama-esque recollections of failing miserably to bump off that last extra-speedy alien. These games, lest we forget, have defined and defended their niche the old-fashioned way, via not only the famed quarter-munching appetite we’re aiming to mitigate here, but the much-coveted ability to evoke an immediate, from-the-gut response in passersby: part of a good arcade game’s appeal is the prospective player’s decision to give it a whirl not after spending hours poring over reviews and FAQs, but simply because something about it catches his eye as he walks by the cabinet. However you choose to approach the game, you’re likely to enjoy its slick (if somewhat trippy) presentation, which blends the simple sprites of old with abstract backgrounds and fast-paced electronic music (which reacts to certain onscreen stimuli, giving it a bit of kinship with Rez). There are five difficulty levels and a bunch of challenging side missions to tackle, all viable for teams of any size; if Britannia still hasn’t done quite enough ruling you can spring for the “Gunpowder, Treason and Plot” DLC, which just about doubles the playable roster for a few dollars extra. Each one boasts different movement speeds, weapons, and a unique helper critter that floats around and provides supporting fire a la Deathsmiles; most crucially, your familiar can make limited use of a protective magic circle, which slows down enemy bullets it catches. If you are into Shoot'em ups video games, this is the right group to share your passion for them!. The creators have packed it all together with a training mode, controller/keyboard/mouse support, and some well-executed sprite-wrangling to create a shooter well worth taking for a spin, either on Steam or DRM-free…oh, and just before this article was submitted a beefed-up “Plus” edition of the game docked on the PS4, so keep a spyglass on that horizon, too! Threats can and will emerge from all edges of the screen, but quick visual warnings are given before they arrive on the scene, and you can freely fire your “normal” shots to both the left and right or utilize a short-range special attack to target enemies from any angle and fend stray nasties off. While you’re at it, make sure to pick up as many point-rich green gems as you can (the more you can gather without missing any, the more valuable they get…sound familiar? Western indie developer Milkstone also created a tribute game with 3D graphics, titled Infinity Danger; this one will cost you a few bucks, but it adds online leaderboards and twin-stick controls to the mix. The game got a solid (and localized) port to the Genesis, too, so it’s not too tough to procure for your retro collection. I have a lot of great shmups on Sega Genesis; it was hard to choose just 10! The venerable Raiden DX can wear its “followup” designation from earlier in the article with pride, but the long-running series it hails from deserves an additional tip of the hat as one of the paths of least resistance to take when it comes to genre introductions, especially if you’ve got friends whose tastes lean in a more traditional, old-school direction. Your subscription has been confirmed. It plays, in most respects, identically to its inspiration, with a handful of elements from Twinbee and other Konami properties tossed in, but wraps the whole thing in a layer of irresistably cheery insanity: not only do pigs literally fly (and pack a mean wave beam), but pirate ships come equipped with giant kitty-cat heads and a colossal corn-on-the-cob shows up as a first-stage boss fight, because why the heck not? Green Wind (another early creation, second in seniority only to the first Blue Wish) gives you a powerful short-range slash attack which can be used not only for extra damage but to siphon more valuable coins from downed enemies; Eden’s Edge simplifies the interface a bit and adds in an “item chaining” system along the lines of Mars Matrix, whilst also sprucing up the visuals considerably. After choosing your craft (which influences your primary weapon) and its pilot (which determines what manner of smart bomb you drop), you’re ready to wreak some havoc. Retro-Bit Shmup Collection: New Limited Ed. Before taking off you select your primary shot, two secondary shots which can be switched between, and – you’ll never guess! (Astro Port – 2011 – PC – US/JP/PAL) Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you’re at least a little bit up on the indie gaming scene, you might have heard of a Spanish developer who calls himself Locomalito: for some time now he’s been crafting winning digital tributes to his favorite video games of old, and uploading them free of charge for his fellow retro fans to enjoy. Shmups 101: A Beginner’s Guide to 2D Shooters, this site’s “Shmups 101” segment from a ways bac, A bit of additional info can be found here, Shop for Space Invaders Extreme Series on eBay, Shop for Space Invaders Extreme Series on Amazon.com, Shop for Dragon Spirit: The New Legend on eBay, Shop for Dragon Spirit: The New Legend on Amazon.com, an English translation of a Japanese magazine interview with Cho Ren Sha’s creator is available to read at his site, worth the couple of bucks for the full download, Shop for Twinkle Star Sprites on Amazon.com, Space Megaforce/Super Aleste (SNES/SFC) (, Lightening Force/Thunder Force IV (GEN/MD, SAT) (, Soldier Blade (TG16/PCE, PSP, WVC, PSN, iOS) (. Shop for Space Invaders Extreme Series on eBay Now I’m getting flashbacks of 2007-08 when I first started playing Touhou games haha. The later entries of both Strikers and Gunbird implement deeper mechanics but are also considerably more challenging than their ancestors, so be ready for a sweatier workout when taking those on. Believe it or not, many Western Gamestop-goers have likely found themselves within inches of a Kenta Cho product without knowing it: “Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy”, a side-scrolling shooter released for the Wii in 2008, is actually a reworked version of ABA’s Tumiki Fighters, and includes several of his weird and wonderful freeware originals as unlockables on the disc. Here’s our first opportunity to recommend a series rather than an individual game, and with ample reason: while later Sonic Wings (aka Aero Fighters) entries stretched their proverbial legs a bit more than their ancestors, for the most part all of the games play alike, and more importantly are well-tailored for somewhat more “casual” shmup fans. Hits: 1252 Whether it was the little ice cream shop that we would walk to when visiting my grandparents in Southside Virginia, or it was eating my great-uncle’s old-fashioned homemade peach ice cream on the back porch, ice cream is one of the best memories of my childhood. Shop for Deathsmiles on Amazon.com. If you don’t mind replacing the usual squadron of fighter jets with frilly, fireball-flinging frauleins, by all means let Deathsmiles spirit you around town. Awesome article…. Well, consider this a bit of overdue compensation, for not only did Toaplan’s swan song turn out to be quite the influential trend-setter, but its revised “Special Version” happens to contain some excellent adjustments which render it all the more approachable and appealing to all sorts of players, newcomers in particular. It is also available on the Japanese PSN for much cheaper, but you’ll need an account and currency from that region to access it. 8ing, surviving sibling of the famed but now-defunct Raizing, is not exactly known for its newbie-friendliness, at least on the shooter front; Battle Garegga, one of this game’s genre-defining forebears, is notorious for requiring considerable study just to fully understand how its dynamic-difficulty rank system works. Deathsmiles (for PC) 4.0. Once this knowledge is under your belt, working your way up the skill ladder is a smoother process than you’re likely to have experienced elsewhere: all of the Touhou games feature four difficulty levels (“Easy” through “Lunatic,” plus an unlockable bonus challenge area), numerous characters and variations to try out, replay recording, a “spell card” practice mode, and even the “Border of Life and Death” perk, which allows you to activate a life-saving bomb a split second after taking a hit and still survive. Leaving behind its spiritual predecessor’s somewhat nondescript setting, Dragon Spirit gives players control of a flying, scaly denizen of myth and legend (well, technically a dude who can transform into one, but who’s keeping track? to bring down foes in optimal fashion and rack up the big points. Gaiden is a near-foolproof first choice for prospective Vic Viper pilots, but while they’re getting familiar with the series canon they might want to keep an eye out for a few others; one of them is actually the very first Gradius, which hit the arcades in 1985. Cheers Hursty (Dwayne Hurst) If you can say one thing for sure about the shmup through the ages, it’s very rarely been accused of overstaying its welcome; to the contrary, much of the criticism leveled its way in recent years has emanated from reviewers who apparently consider a game completely and utterly “finished” for all time, with nothing else to offer, as soon as you’ve seen the end credits roll once (notwithstanding the fact that you had to cough up eighty-seven continues on Easy mode to get there). No rush, though: simply expend whatever you feel comfortable with and see where it takes you, or go ahead and enjoy the game without any of the funky stuff for as long as you please. You’re free to play any level you like right at the start, though the challenges listed nearer the bottom are the tougher ones, so you might want to warm up with some less-sadistic stages first. (Cave – 2012 – iOS/WINM – JP/US) If you’ve never played Batsugun before, it’s a pretty straightforward shooter in most respects, though the seizure-riffic firepower that both players and their enemies volley back and forth was cranked up several notches beyond any of its real-time competition, and remains a sight to behold even today; surprisingly, though, the commensurate power-up system is quite nicely balanced, combining traditional “P” items (which are lost upon death) with an “experience” level (which rises along with your kill count and never decreases), ensuring that you won’t be left completely defenseless after a mistake. Fun playing some great music, speech, and have fun playing some great music, speech and..., Cave strikes again with another classic shooter games that gave each machine its personality a gauge that lets unleash! Of these red-headed ( and greed ) the latest products and services surpass particular! 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