Shmup recommendations

Dash Kappei · Jan 14, 2020

So, I actually read your post. Forget Ikaruga, Mushihimesama/Futari/Esp. ra.de/Crimson Clover etc. etc

Based on what you're looking for, these are my reccomendations based on your tastes, needs and price. All cheap, mostly <$15

This is super important and will make most STGs much more approachable: you can actually fly your ship much closer to enemies/bgs/bullets then what the sprite/model looks like; the hitbox is usually represented by a flashing/standstill light 💡 in the middle of your ship.

TITLES:
JAMESTOWN+
is on PC/PS4/SWITCH, vertical 16:10 bullet hell which is the perfect entry to the genre; Choosing this game will make you play better and improve easily, has plenty of modes and challenges. Lots of content and it's addicting in its unlocking system.
Forget Cave's stuff and such (mind you, they're my fav devs) for now because you're not ready imo, you will enjoy them more later and will make a more informed purchase since they are much more brutal and generally expensive. Same for the fantastic Crimson Clover, you'll get it later in case you'll yearn for more bullet hells.

R-TYPE DIMENSIONS
Two games in one, horizontal classic STGs that made history in a fantastic package that you can play in its classic 2D form or a new 2.5D remake, you can switch on the fly, supports 16:9
It has a demo (at least on Switch).

ACA NEO-GEO: AERO FIGHTERS 2
The pinnacle of Alpha System's output.
Super cheap, vertical 4:3 ar.

STEREDENN

It's a rogue-like STG, horizontal 2D in 16:9, with runs, weapons unlocks, seeding and so on. It also plays pretty well.

You have 4 titles for now. Start from here, possibly with Jamestown+ and at least the demo for R-Type Dimensions.

arcadepc · Jan 14, 2020

One of the few Arcade/Saturn ports on Steam, also with very good story mode and voice acting. You can pick various characters from older Jaleco arcade games. PS4 version has an extra video episode, though they edited out some bomb images of a character due to licensing issues.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/663130/Game_Tengoku_CruisinMix_Special/

JustinH · Jan 14, 2020

angelgrievous said:
Both Raiden V: Director's Cut and Dariusburst Chronicles Saviours on PS4 are really good. Raiden has a bunch of difficulty settings to help ease you into the game and unlimited continues to keep you going if you die.

Under Defeat HD on PS3 and Xbox 360 is a really fun. It's also really forgiving for newcomers.

Sine Mora Ex is one that I enjoy quite a bit. It's a really pretty game imo and probably one of the more accessible bullet hell games that I can think of.

Came to mention Raiden V.

I don't think it's as highly received as the big classics, or maybe even Raiden IV (?), but I had a lot of fun with it and I'm not someone who's really good at vertical shooters (even though I love them).

I think the soundtrack is pretty good too (and will always be salty I didn't get a CD with my physical copy for Xbox One, bought it again on PS4 just for the CD).

Darius is good too, although I've only really played the Saturn one. I have it for PS4, but just haven't spent much time with it. I think the music might've been really good but I might be thinking about Darius Gaiden.

Geist 6one7 · Jan 14, 2020

Aizō said:
I hope M2 Shot Triggers re-release Batrider. I want it so bad. It's amazing :(

It's all I've wanted since they announced the program.

Aurica · Jan 14, 2020

Geist 6one7 said:
It's all I've wanted since they announced the program.

SAME! Gahhhh. It's such a great game. They have to do it. It's never been ported. I really do think there's a high chance they'll get around to it.

Geist 6one7 · Jan 14, 2020

Aizō said:
SAME! Gahhhh. It's such a great game. They have to do it. It's never been ported. I really do think there's a high chance they'll get around to it.

I hope so. Even if I have to import the disc as they don't seem to be translating them anymore. I figured with the alternating Cave/Raizing releases it would have already had it's chance but then we got 2 Cave titles back to back (not complaining always wanted ESP.Ra.De).

Green Mario · Jan 14, 2020

Shaneus said:
No love for Fantasy Zone :( Coming out on Switch in a few days, definitely not difficult/intimidating and super fun.

Didn't know this was heading to Switch, thanks for the heads up. I love colorful games like this.

BubbaMc · Jan 14, 2020

Raiden 2/DX is my favourite.

Also while not strictly a shmup, Bangai-O on the Dreamcast is one of the finest games I've played.

Don Fluffles · Jan 14, 2020

[QUOTE="DanteLinkX, post: 28243506, member: 13122"]

Look this video includes the game I said,

Its U.N. Squadron, fucking awesome game OP, go for it.
[/QUOTE]

UN Squadron's great except for the brutally unfair difficulty, which makes it easy to die in seconds.

I recommend the games by Compile.

My favorites are:

NES:
Zanac
Gun-Nac
The Guardian Legend

TG-16/CD:
Blazing Lazers

MD/SG:
M.U.S.H.A.

SNES:
Space Megaforce(Super Aleste)
Super Puyo Puyo Tsuu

dadjumper · Jan 14, 2020

If you want to try bullet hell, the mainline Touhou games are actually really good. They're super janky graphically but I think the actual bullet patterns are more fun than any Cave game. Start with 6 or 7.

Also Darius Gaiden on the saturn is the best normal shmup

Cleve · Jan 14, 2020

DoDonPachi DaiOuJou and Raiden Fighters Jet are two that I have a long relationship with and would recommend to anyone.

Deleted member 29280 · Jan 14, 2020

Crimzon Clover is favorite bullet hell shmup. It looks incredible and plays like a dream.

Deleted member 18021 · Jan 14, 2020

Just remember that you don't have to play for score, and you certainly don't have to play at the highest difficulties. Just relax, play an old caravan shooter, and have a good time.

But hey, if you want to.

Steezy said:
What are the classics?
What are some unique takes/spin-offs of the genre?
What does a modern shmup look like? I like the idea of playing something forgiving with some kind of progression.
Bullet hells seem intimidating, frustrating and ugly to me but I'd be willing to dip my toe in - any suggestions?

- Gradius, R-Type, Thunder Force, Soldier Blade, Donpachi, Cotton, Touhou, Raiden, Battle Garegga, and so on.
- Gaiares has some Kirby copy ability mechanics, which are kinda neat.
- You'll often have shmups mixed with other genres, shmups that stay true to their arcade roots, or shmups that do offer progression systems. The genre might not be where it once was in the industry, but you can still find variety in it.
- Something to remember is that bullet hells have a bark that is often worse than their bite. If it's not for you, though, it's not for you. Try Crimzon Clover on Steam (often $2 on sale), regular ol' Mushihimesama on Steam, or Danmaku Unlimited 3.

Maybe work up to Zeroranger, lol.

halcali · Jan 14, 2020

Shmup: Raiden DX
Bullet Hell: Mushihime-sama Futari

Steezy · Jan 14, 2020

Thanks for all the replies! There's certainly a lot to investigate here.

The games I'm finding myself most drawn to at the moment are ZeroRanger, Steredenn and Jamestown+, but I'll definitely be looking at branching out from there.

Sharivan · Jan 14, 2020

My all time favorite verical shooter is still Raiden 2 (part of the Raiden Project collection on PS1)

Love the detailed sprite art and cool weapons in this game. Other good one is Raystorm (also on PS1)

ScOULaris · Jan 14, 2020

Steezy said:
Thanks for all the replies! There's certainly a lot to investigate here.

The games I'm finding myself most drawn to at the moment are ZeroRanger, Steredenn and Jamestown+, but I'll definitely be looking at branching out from there.

Those are fantastic ones up start with.

I also HIGHLY recommend Dragon Blaze if you have a Switch. It might be on other platforms too, and it's normally only $8.

Penny Royal · Jan 14, 2020

I quite like Skyforce, don't hate on me

Bullet hell is too much for me, I need stuff closer to Xevious lol

lambdaupsilon · Jan 14, 2020

dadjumper said:
If you want to try bullet hell, the mainline Touhou games are actually really good. They're super janky graphically but I think the actual bullet patterns are more fun than any Cave game. Start with 6 or 7.

i disagree with the idea of starting with 6, just because it has some weird design stuff (e.g. not showing hitbox on focus)
7 (Perfect Cherry Blossom) is a good choice though, as is 10 (Mountain of Faith)
13 (Ten Desires) or 16 (Hidden Star in Four Seasons) are probably the easiest and both are available on steam, as opposed to having to seek out unpaid dls
also echoing ZeroRanger. i'm not much of a shmup person in general but i adored it

salary0n · Jan 14, 2020

This is a nice thread, after finishing Raiden V last Christmas, I want to play some shmup this year. Definitely gonna try ZeroRanger since I heard many good things about it.

dadjumper · Jan 15, 2020

lambdaupsilon said:
i disagree with the idea of starting with 6, just because it has some weird design stuff (e.g. not showing hitbox on focus)
7 (Perfect Cherry Blossom) is a good choice though, as is 10 (Mountain of Faith)
13 (Ten Desires) or 16 (Hidden Star in Four Seasons) are probably the easiest and both are available on steam, as opposed to having to seek out unpaid dls
also echoing ZeroRanger. i'm not much of a shmup person in general but i adored it

Fair point! Hitbox stuff is pretty important. I really liked 9 because it was pretty easy and had interesting systems, but that might be a bit overwhelming to start with for sure

hongcha · Jan 15, 2020

Aizō said:
I hope M2 Shot Triggers re-release Batrider. I want it so bad. It's amazing :(

They already ported it awhile back, but in order to release it they need to figure out how to get it to run with the gadgets, etc, plus add an arrange mode. I'm sure it will come in the next year or two.

Xythantiops · Jan 15, 2020

RedSwirl said:
I've been particularly curious about what the hallmarks of shmup history are. What are the must-play Gradius, R-Type, Raiden, and Thunder Force games?

I've really only played some of the Darius games.

Gradius Gaiden and Gradius V are must plays in that series for sure.

flashman92 said:
Multiple mentions of Thunder Force but not one for Devil Engine?

https://store.steampowered.com/app/891790/Devil_Engine/

There is a payment dispute with the dev and publisher right now. If you want the dev to get paid for your purchase then wait for this to get sorted.

arcadepc · Jan 15, 2020

VASARA 1&2 went under the radar too though it has a unique Samurai era theme

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1085630/VASARA_Collection/

Deleted member 21709 · Jan 15, 2020

I recommend Blue Revolver on Steam.

Deleted member 48390 · Jan 15, 2020

If you are a beginner I would really recommand BulletSoul on steam and Mushihime Sama Futari on 360.

They are great games and easy to play for beginners.

Hace · Jan 15, 2020

DoDonPachi is the 1CC granddaddy

Jockel · Jan 15, 2020

If you're getting in to the genre, Ikaruga is a pretty bad pick to be honest. Sure, it looks amazing, but it's very difficult and has a strict scoring system that doesn't really allow you to improvise.
MechaRitz Steel Rondo is a game that I can easily recommend for a beginner, as you get the thrill of a modern bullet hell shmup without really putting in much effort. Killer soundtrack, too. If you want to get into cave, I'd recommend Espgaluda and Ketsui. Espgaluda enables you to slow down bullets, so it can be a good starting point if you're feeling overwhelmed. Ketsui on the other hand is a very challenging game, but it has an amazing scoring system that changes how you plan your attack drastically; and it allows you to improvise a lot better than Ikaruga. Other noteworthy arcade shooters to try would be Armed Police Batrider for it's sheer variety and all around insanity and Batsugun Special for a relatively easy clear and that 90s Toaplan aesthetic.

ShinJohnpv · Jan 15, 2020

In regards to classics, there are a lot of them. As people have mentioned the Raiden Series, Gradius, R-Type, DonPachi, but also the Strikers 1945 series from Psikyo, the Soldier series on PC Engine, Capcom's 195x series, The Cotton series, The Raiden Fighters Aces series which is a spin off of the Raiden games. There's a lot of classic shmups out there and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them but I highly recommend Raiden I - IV (I think V is a low point in the series personally, and feels the most different from the other ones). Raiden II and DX are probably the best in the series. I don't know if you plan on emulating stuff or what but Shienryu is an excellent Raiden like that I HIGHLY recommend checking out as it doesn't get enough love.

For modern stuff you have some newer takes on the bullet hell stuff with Dankamu Unlimited 3, or Ghost Blade HD. I don't think either of them really have modern progression stuff. I'm honestly not sure what to recommend there as I don't really get into the progression shmups myself. I prefer the more old school arcade stuff.

Along with the Mushi recommendations from everyone let me add ESP Ra De, which just got released in Japan on the PS4 and Switch and are easily playable (you can either import the region free physical versions or sign up for a Japanese PSN or eShop account and play them on your system). For me ESP Ra De is the best shmup ever, and this version has a lot of accessibility options for people new to the genre, plus the esper room stuff they added has a ton of training things and other stuff for helping you in the game.

I get people wanting to recommend stuff like Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun, but those are such non-typical shmups, I feel like they're not really for beginners of the genre. Speaking of which.....

flashman92 said:
Multiple mentions of Thunder Force but not one for Devil Engine?

https://store.steampowered.com/app/891790/Devil_Engine/

Is really not a new to shmups game suggestion. While it is a beautiful looking game, it really is by no means something that people new to the genre and just tipping their toes in should try. You'll send them running into the hills and never looking back.

If I might also suggest a youtube channel called Studio Mudprints. They have a review series called Bullet Heaven, where they review shmups of all types. They just released review #256 like 2 weeks ago, so there is a lot there to check out.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Serraxor/featured

Deleted member 21996 · Jan 15, 2020

Worth clarifying what your setup is. Many of the classics can only be played via emulation or PCB if you're dedicated enough. Also, an arcade stick is an absolute must for older shooters where firing speed and precision is crucial.

Of the classics, I always return to Truxton, R-Type, Raiden and Gradius 2 but there's really too many golden oldies to list. I will also add don't overlook the ancient stuff. Games like Defender and Galaga have aged like fine wine.

I'm not as knowledgeable on the bullet hells, but I've sunk a lot of time into Dodonpachi, Ikaruga and Crimson Clover. Ikaruga in particular is a work of genius and an essential discovery whoever you are.

Outrun · Jan 15, 2020

One of my recent favs is Skyforce. I have been playing both games on Xbox. It is on GamePass.

Aurica · Jan 15, 2020

hongcha said:
They already ported it awhile back, but in order to release it they need to figure out how to get it to run with the gadgets, etc, plus add an arrange mode. I'm sure it will come in the next year or two.

Whoa!! I didn't know that! Are there any other games they've already done most of the work on/how do you know this?

RKasa · Jan 15, 2020

dadjumper said:
If you want to try bullet hell, the mainline Touhou games are actually really good. They're super janky graphically but I think the actual bullet patterns are more fun than any Cave game. Start with 6 or 7.

I started with 8 (Imperishable Night) because that's what various places on the internet recommended as a good introduction to the series. Ended up playing through it multiple times and getting five of the endings, I loved it so. The difficulty options are really great for a Touhou newbie as well. Picked up 7 and 10 afterward but haven't gotten around to trying either of them yet.

RedSwirl · Jan 15, 2020

I tried the demo to Devil Engine and couldn't even make it through that.

Same goes for the demo for Ikaruga when it first showed up on Xbox 360. It's why I've never bought the game in all the times it's been on sale over the last decade.

mogster7777 · Jan 15, 2020

Is there any that are good that aren't those bullet hell type ones from Cave? I enjoyed the more slower paced less manic shooters in the 16bit era like Un Squadron, Space Megaforce and Einhander on PS1 all these games had great soundtracks too and looked unique from each other. They played different enough too and more memorable levels.

Now all I see is these crappy looking bullet hell type shmups that for me, aren't fun to play and they all blend into one. All the backgrounds and bosses and enemy design is just throwaway and forgettable. The music too is this repetitive dancy techno music that doesnt match anything like Einhander or Super RType. I honestly cannot tell one from another as they all seem to look and play very similar. I don't find it fun trying to avoid 100 bullets all at once all through the game.

KDR_11k · Jan 15, 2020

I think we almost forgot a free classic game:
Cho Ren Sha 68k

Don't expect to win this one quickly but it's fun to get into and the music is good.

RedSwirl said:
I tried the demo to Devil Engine and couldn't even make it through that.

Same goes for the demo for Ikaruga when it first showed up on Xbox 360. It's why I've never bought the game in all the times it's been on sale over the last decade.

Most shmups, even hard ones, start with an easy first stage. Devil Engine goes all in on the first boss already. That thing would pass for a final boss in many games.

mogster7777 said:
Is there any that are good that aren't those bullet hell type ones from Cave? I enjoyed the more slower paced less manic shooters in the 16bit era like Un Squadron, Space Megaforce and Einhander on PS1 all these games had great soundtracks too and looked unique from each other. They played different enough too and more memorable levels.

Now all I see is these crappy looking bullet hell type shmups that for me, aren't fun to play and they all blend into one. All the backgrounds and bosses and enemy design is just throwaway and forgettable. The music too is this repetitive dancy techno music that doesnt match anything like Einhander or Super RType. I honestly cannot tell one from another as they all seem to look and play very similar. I don't find it fun trying to avoid 100 bullets all at once all through the game.

Super Hydorah is a great tribute to the likes of Gradius and Darius.

Galdius · Jan 15, 2020

ShinJohnpv said:
If I might also suggest a youtube channel called Studio Mudprints. They have a review series called Bullet Heaven, where they review shmups of all types. They just released review #256 like 2 weeks ago, so there is a lot there to check out.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Serraxor/featured

This looks amazing.
Will have to check it out.

ArjanN · Jan 15, 2020

Jamestown+ and Crimzon Clover are both great games and have a nice range of difficulty options.

ScOULaris · Jan 15, 2020

mogster7777 said:
Is there any that are good that aren't those bullet hell type ones from Cave? I enjoyed the more slower paced less manic shooters in the 16bit era like Un Squadron, Space Megaforce and Einhander on PS1 all these games had great soundtracks too and looked unique from each other. They played different enough too and more memorable levels.

Now all I see is these crappy looking bullet hell type shmups that for me, aren't fun to play and they all blend into one. All the backgrounds and bosses and enemy design is just throwaway and forgettable. The music too is this repetitive dancy techno music that doesnt match anything like Einhander or Super RType. I honestly cannot tell one from another as they all seem to look and play very similar. I don't find it fun trying to avoid 100 bullets all at once all through the game.

I think the Psikyo shooters are a good balance between classic shmup and bullet hell design.

Gunbird 2 and Dragon Blaze on Switch are my go-to examples.

Jamestown+ is another example and one of the most accessible shmups around.

onpoint · Jan 15, 2020

play crisis force with a friend

ShinJohnpv · Jan 15, 2020

Galdius said:
This looks amazing.
Will have to check it out.

I will admit they do have a tendency to like pretty much everything, but they do a fantastic job of breaking down scoring mechanics, how well the games play, how they sound etc. It's a fantastic resource if you want to know what a shmup is like and they've covered it.

hongcha · Jan 15, 2020

Aizō said:
Whoa!! I didn't know that! Are there any other games they've already done most of the work on/how do you know this?

It was in a developer interview they did last year, or maybe 2018. They said they had already ported several other games too (they wouldn't reveal what the games were). Apparently they just port them in their free time, then decide what to release later on!

Stinkles · Mar 29, 2020

ElectricBlanketFire said:
My favorite classic shmup is Star Force by Tecmo (known at the time as Tehkan). You can get it on the Switch.

I always knew you were the best but this proves it. BTW there's a sequel called "Final Star Force" that's surprisingly good. You probably already knew but I had somehow missed it for a couple of decades. Just got to play it recently. I'm also considering Konami Anniversary collection - but it's a bit pricey and I can't decide whether to get it for Xbox or Switch - I seldom play my Switch ever, especially now my kid is hogging Animal Crossing, but it feels like a portable version might be more satisfying...

Final Star Force (Arcade/Tecmo/1992) [720p]

Final Star Force (ファイナルスターフォース?) is a 1992 arcade game developed and published by Tecmo. It is the third game in the Star Force series.A millennia ago, a mys...

youtu.be

I also had a good time with the 360 version of R-Type Dimensions. The updated 2.5D graphics are really crisp and pleasant. Works on B/C too.

Glimlocker said:
This is a good post.

Except I can't stand Sine Mora, but it's still a well designed game. I'm just not into it.

I finally got around to playing this from my backlog - extremely relaxing and chill and gorgeous - but then BAM Furries out of nowhere. Not sure what's going on in the story but it's a really good balance of pleasantly easy and bullet hell.

Syril · Mar 29, 2020

Jamestown has a very gentle difficulty curve due to its structure of the first two difficulties stopping partway through the game, so by the time you get to the end you've had a very gradual buildup across three difficulties.

Stinkles · Mar 29, 2020

Outrun said:
One of my recent favs is Skyforce. I have been playing both games on Xbox. It is on GamePass.

It's rotated out of Game Pass for now, but there's a deal on the bundle of Sky Force reloaded and Sky Force Anniversary. Not sure if I should just get Anniversary or the Bundle - somebody tell me what to do! I haven't played it, period and I like the Anniversary graphics a lot better.

Syril · Mar 29, 2020

flashman92 said:
Multiple mentions of Thunder Force but not one for Devil Engine?

https://store.steampowered.com/app/891790/Devil_Engine/

Devil Engine's publisher is stealing the developer's royalties and is run by a predator.

Deleted member 23850 · Mar 29, 2020

DanteLinkX said:
Only one word for you OP.

IKARUGA.

EDIT: You can get Ikaruga on most consoles, dreamcast, gamecube, etc, if you want some truly old school awesome SNES shmup go for my favorite Super Strike Gunner (S.T.G.) and if you have a buddy to play with its totally awesome in 2 players co-op (the ships can fusion together, one shoots the other moves), Axelay its also really cool, so is Gradius III, R-type III is awesome too, there is one militar shoot them up that I keep forgetting its name in which you buy new aircrafts and stuff, that is also on SNES that is awesome too.

Here for this.

Radiant Silvergun is also fucking awesome. I'm partial to Radiant because it's a Saturn game. Bangai-O is also sick.

ElectricBlanketFire · Mar 29, 2020

Stinkles said:
I always knew you were the best but this proves it. BTW there's a sequel called "Final Star Force" that's surprisingly good. You probably already knew but I had somehow missed it for a couple of decades. Just got to play it recently. I'm also considering Konami Anniversary collection - but it's a bit pricey and I can't decide whether to get it for Xbox or Switch - I seldom play my Switch ever, especially now my kid is hogging Animal Crossing, but it feels like a portable version might be more satisfying...

YOU'RE the best for telling me about this. I had no idea!

Is it available digitally anywhere?

CeramicDragon · Mar 29, 2020

CAVE Shooters on switch

TransEuropaExpress · Mar 29, 2020

I always remember that awesome R-Type clone on Neo Geo called Last Resort.

The first level's background and soundtrack alone were amazing, total Akira action.

Shmup recommendations

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Deleted member 23850

What year is this?