Shmups (Shoot 'Em Ups) |OT| THE FULL EXTENT OF THE JAM

[Nya]

Shmup refers to 'Shoot 'em up' (STG = Shooting Game in Japan). The term is broadly used to describe video games where a player is placed in charge of a craft or being, tasked with shooting several enemies using projectiles in stage-like environments. The vast majority of shmups are set in a two-dimensional (2D) space, however the term can extend to more contemporary three-dimensional (3D) games. Enemies come in all shapes and sizes, with stages traditionally ending with an enemy boss fight. Other than earlier shmups with a single screen playing field where an infinite gameplay loop was the norm (mostly due to hardware constraints), the common climax of many shmups is to reach and defeat a final enemy (end-of game boss) in order to finish the game. Another genre staple is a stock of lives granted at the start of play, and in most games the opportunity exists to earn more in order to aid progression.

The genre's origins are debatable, but can mostly be attributed to the widespread success of Space Invaders (Taito, 1978) in arcades. This led to a boom of shmups during the 80's, as Japanese developers rushed to capitalise on the lucrative video game market, and saw the birth of several shmup series that would go on to span decades. As the rise of affordable gaming systems in the home gained traction, many conversions of popular arcade titles were published to meet the demands of players, who were eager to experience their favourite arcade games in the comfort of their own home. Shmups would go on to be created solely for home systems, bypassing the arcades entirely. The majority of shmups originated from Japan, but a flourish of notable efforts from European developers also occured during the 80's and 90's. A modern day resurgence of the genre has resulted from new titles being developed around the world, and although it may never reach the heights of popularity it once enjoyed, the genre lives on thanks to the enthusiasm of shmup fans the world over.

Key motivation among many players is high scoring, and while the mechanics of scoring may differ widly from game to game, the primary aim is to take advantage of how points are generated based on how the game is played. Examples include: chaining (defeating a group of enemies in quick succession), grazing (piloting your craft closer to enemy bullets) or milking (letting an enemy - often a boss - regenerate or regain life in order to extend the amount of points available). An impressive score will earn the player pride of place in the high scores table for a game, with all the bragging rights that come with adding your name (traditionally a small number of initials) to it.

Scoring is a good indicator of a player's skill level. While it is possible to 'complete' a shmup by credit-feeding - buying extra lives with credits, whether by spending real money in an arcade, or choosing the option to continue while playing at home - any score gained up until the point of continuation will be wiped, meaning a final score will always be considerably lower than it could have been. When a player successfully finishes a game without having resorted to using extra credits, this is known as '1CC' or '1 Credit Clear'. The player can expend lives yet still gain a 1CC, as the term refers to a run where no continues were used. Taking this self-imposed difficulty further still is the concept of '1LC', '1 Life Clear' or 'No Miss', where a player cannot lose a single life. Such brutal difficulty is really only reserved for players at the very highest of skill levels in a given game, but can be a great way of extending the life of a shmup when a 1CC has already been achieved.

With so many shmups released across multiple formats, a fully comprehensive overview of the genre is beyond the scope of this thread. The following list is intended as a spotlight on both notable titles that have have been ported to modern formats (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360), as well as more recently released titles by independent developers. Those listed below are relatively easy to obtain digital versions of via the likes of Steam, PSN and the Xbox Marketplace, and can be played using arcade-like controller devices at home.

Notes:
- Game titles link to wikipedia entries, developer or publisher websites.
- Where applicable, release year refers to the original arcade release.


Akai Katana
(CAVE, 2010) [X360]

Battle Garegga Rev.2016
(Raizing, 1996) [PS4, Xbox One]

Blue Revolver
(Stellar Circle, 2016) [PC]

Bullet Soul: Infinite Burst
(5pb. Inc., 2014) [PC, X360]

Crimzon Clover: World Ignition
(Yotsubane, 2011) [PC]

Dangun Feveron
(CAVE, 1998) [PS4, Xbox One]

Danmaku Unlimited 3
(Doragon, 2017) [Mobile, PC, Switch]

Dariusburst Chronicle Saviours
(Pyramid | Chara-Ani | G.rev, 2015) [PC, PS4, Vita]

Deathsmiles
(CAVE, 2007) [Mobile, PC, X360]

Deathsmiles II: Makai no Merry Christmas
(CAVE, 2009) [X360]

DoDonPachi DaiOuJou
(CAVE, 2003) [PS2]

DoDonPachi DaiOuJou Black Label EXTRA
(CAVE, 5pb. Inc., 2009) [X360]

DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu ver 1.5
(CAVE, 2008) [Mobile, PC, X360]

DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu Black Label
(CAVE, 2011) [PC, X360]

DoDonPachi SaiDaiOuJou
(CAVE, 2012] [X360]

Eschatos
(Qute, 2011) [PC, X360)

Espgaluda II
(CAVE, 2005) [Mobile, X360]

Game Tengoku CruisnMix
(Jaleco, 1995) [Saturn, PC, PS4]

Ginga Force
(Qute, 2013) [X360]

Ikaruga
(Treasure, 2001) [Dreamcast, GameCube, PC, PS4, Switch, X360]

Ketsui Kizuna Jigoku Tachi
(CAVE, 2003) [DS, Mobile, PS3, X360]

Mahou Daisakusen
(Raizing, 1993) [FM Towns, PS4, X68000]

Mecha Ritz Steel Rondo
(HEY, 2013) [PC]

Muchi Muchi Pork!
(CAVE, 2007) [X360]

Mushihimesama
(CAVE, 2004) [Mobile, PC, PS2, X360]

Mushihimesama Futari
(CAVE, 2006) [Mobile, X360]

Pink Sweets Ibara Sorekara
(CAVE, 2006) [X360]

Radiant Silvergun
(Treasure, 1998) [Saturn, X360]

Raiden V
(MOSS, 2016) [PC, PS4, Xbox One]

Racketboy shmup articles

Games that defined the shmups genre
Shmups 101 - A beginner's guide to 2D shooters
The best shmups to get started
The best undiscovered shmups

Dreamcast shmups library - 2D shooters galore
GameCube 2D shooter library - classic shmup action
The GameBoy Advance (GBA) shmup library
The phenomenal Playstation (PS1) shmups library
The Playstation 2 (PS2) shmups library
The Sega Dreamcast shmups library
The Sega Genesis/MegaDrive shmup library
The Sega Saturn's explosive shmups library

Miscellaneous

Eurogamer: The return of Battle Garegga, the mad king of shmups - Welcoming article on the deep mechanics of Battle Garegga
Hardcore Gaming 101 (Old Site) - Fantastically detailed shmup articles
Hardcore Gaming 101 (New Site) - Existing articles being transitioned here
Shmups Forum - Shmup Messageboard
Shmupulations - Great resource of interviews covering Japanese game development (not just shmups)
Twitter: @SHMUPbot - Shmup News
Twitter: @Shmups - Shmup News
Youtube: STGWeekly - Playthroughs/Interviews

 

[Beckx]

yay!

Cannot wait for the new Blue Revolver Black Label release.

 

[TheFuzz]

Are there any shmups on Switch with a physical release other than Sine Mora?

 

[Jucksalbe]

Has there been any mention when the Battle Garegga PSN version is coming out in Europe? It was kinda stealth released in NA, but from what I saw it's still not out in Europe.

Also, yay for a proper STG community!

 

[Morfeo]

Great to see this community again!

 

[Deleted member 1162]

hi shooter era, i love shooters.

just grabbed one today and a few the past week: i'm on a turbo fetish

 

[SoH]

Shmups? What a silly name for a genre. It'll never stick.

 

[Soupbones]

Are there any shmups on Switch with a physical release other than Sine Mora?

Click to shrink...

None that I know of. A few on the eshop, but nothing physical.

 

[Deleted member 6056]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice. Glad to have this here.

Here....enjoy some news.
Latest details on Sorcer Striker's release and all the new stage stuff and more

Cave's project 3jus latest art and world info

 

[DireStr8s]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice. Glad to have this here.

Here....enjoy some news.
Latest details on Sorcer Striker's release and all the new stage stuff and more

Cave's project 3jus latest art and world info

Click to shrink...

Really like the look of Sorcer Striker. Hope it makes it west.

 

[AweOfShe]

It's been awhile since I played a shmup. I think I'll hook up the JP XBox360 and fire something up.

I think the last thing I played was Dodonpachi Saidaioujou Kan. I was grinding for Coins to buy things off the Shop.
I unlocked all 100 Wallpapers, and all 15 Game Options, but I still need to get one last Sound Option: the story voices.

I think I'll do that now. :v

 

[Deleted member 6056]

I so how SaiDaiOujou comes to steam someday. Currently its the only cave region free title I didn't get on 360.

 

[Lardonate]

Nice to have another place to chat about the shooting love. Been playing em since I first played Terra Cresta down the arcades.

Got Aka to Blue on the phone this week and had a blast while commuting and I very much enjoyed it. Developed on Unity so a steam and/or console port would be super simples I would've thought. I'd certainly buy it so I could play it properly tate'd and with a stick.

Really like the music too!

 

[Sheng Long]

I have my copy of Raiden in my car sitting for a week.

 

[Deleted member 1162]

hey guys, i got a new PVM today dedicated for TATE, i'll post of some pics later. i hope you all don't mind =) be back in a bit.

ok, cool i was able to get 4 pvms the past week and today got a great 20" sony PVM to use in permanent TATE right under the 20" BVM.
now i don't ever have to flip the TV to one side and back.


i was playing raiden project and layer section and r-types.

 

[StarCreator]

Having a meet at my place again next Saturday. Mahou Daisakusen is coming just in time! Raiden V on PS4 also came out since the last meet.

I've got a PVM-2950Q but I've not done the necessary cabling work to get RGB output to it. It has NTSC inputs as well, but I have that well covered by the actual televisions...

 

[Darkmaigle]

Are they ever gonna bring that battle garegga port to PC, when I dumped my Saturn shmups that one stung the most.

 

[Deleted member 1162]

Having a meet at my place again next Saturday. Mahou Daisakusen is coming just in time! Raiden V on PS4 also came out since the last meet.

I've got a PVM-2950Q but I've not done the necessary cabling work to get RGB output to it. It has NTSC inputs as well, but I have that well covered by the actual televisions...

Click to shrink...

dang, that's a huge monster. how much does that weigh?

i forgot to post above, i converted a 17" JVC 480p PVM to TATE: damn gamecube/wii looks nice in progressive mode.

 

[Eolz]

Didn't see that thread before, nice!
Also, holy shit at the pic above.

 

[entremet]

Could someone fill me in the M2 shooters? I have no idea where to start.

 

[Deleted member 9305]

Astebreed on Steam will be updated with the same upgrades made to the PS4 release!

http://steamcommunity.com/games/283680/announcements/detail/1461842131334879760

• Addition of "Arranged mode" that was a PS4 exclusive; high-quality boost to models, shaders and textures; optimization of compressed data, resource format. In short, all data will be improved over the previous version.
  
• Artwork, package design etc. that was created since the PS4 release will be added to the artwork gallery.
  
• The game will be playable in Simplified Chinese!
  
• Your online rank will be independent from the previous version.
  
• As we removed full screen check upon starting up the game for the first time, the entire game now has full controller support.

The upgraded version is scheduled to raise the base price to 19.99 USD, so this is the best opportunity to buy the game at a bargain price.

The current release is 67% off due to the Halloween Sales, a steal with the pending upgrade.

 

[Deleted member 1162]

hey all, 2 more CRT pics of ps1 shooters =) i'm messing around with the new CRTs bc i was so TATE deprived for all these years! finally excited to have an option to both display side and vertical setups =)

Click to shrink...

 

[Remembrance]

Astebreed on Steam will be updated with the same upgrades made to the PS4 release!

Click to shrink...

Amazing news. Not often that PS4-exclusive port content gets backported to Steam.

 

[Waffle-Stomper]

Could someone fill me in the M2 shooters? I have no idea where to start.

Click to shrink...

there's not much to 'em unless you include stuff they've ported
which I'm assuming you're asking because their ports are the best.

they did a handful of classics on the 3DS.
they ported mushihimesama futari on xbox 360 for CAVE which is one of the best cave ports
they did otomedius gorgeous along with konami which was a disappointing game

and then they launched M2 shottriggers which is still in its infancy with battle garegga rev. 2016, dangun feveron, and soon mahou daisakusen (sorcer striker) and ketsui which all rule

really hoping for batsugun, bakraid, batrider, ibara kuro, progear, esprade, dimahoo, or a dodonpachi port in the future

 

[Force_XXI]

batsugun sound track is one of my faves



so good!

 

[Tizoc]

is ninja spirit good?

 

[Waffle-Stomper]

on OSTs I definitely have some favorites

thunder dragon 2 - live to fly


the cave festival/matsuri version of mushihimesama - like a night of falling stars is one of my tops


thunder dragon 2 - fly to live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Riv7VZI-k7A

battle gareggga - degeneracy (arrange)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10y4DM2vpOA

battle garegga - marginal consciousness (arrange)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUYfnwSqwFo

I dunno why, because normally wouldn't like it, but there's something about the stage 5 music in MMP that gets me very happy - it's probably because it's so soothing which is a very nice pace change from the end of stage 4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6EfCv0zSAQ

 

[Deleted member 1162]

is ninja spirit good?

Click to shrink...

ninja is great. think of R-Type power-ups and Shinobi combined.

 

[Tizoc]

ninja is great. think of R-Type power-ups and Shinobi combined.

Click to shrink...

Wqs it released on pce only?

 

[Deleted member 1162]

Wqs it released on pce only?

Click to shrink...

it was released on a few classic computers like the amiga, Atari ST, but i'm unfamiliar with those. gameboy also had a port. for consoles, TG-16/pce was the only port. according to hardcore gaming 101 the pce is visually better than the arcade. the pce port was also offered on the wii/wii u virtual console.

 

[Eolz]

Astebreed on Steam will be updated with the same upgrades made to the PS4 release!

http://steamcommunity.com/games/283680/announcements/detail/1461842131334879760

• Addition of "Arranged mode" that was a PS4 exclusive; high-quality boost to models, shaders and textures; optimization of compressed data, resource format. In short, all data will be improved over the previous version.
  
• Artwork, package design etc. that was created since the PS4 release will be added to the artwork gallery.
  
• The game will be playable in Simplified Chinese!
  
• Your online rank will be independent from the previous version.
  
• As we removed full screen check upon starting up the game for the first time, the entire game now has full controller support.

The upgraded version is scheduled to raise the base price to 19.99 USD, so this is the best opportunity to buy the game at a bargain price.

The current release is 67% off due to the Halloween Sales, a steal with the pending upgrade.

Click to shrink...

Awesome! Loved Astebreed, had difficulties with that final boss though.

 

[Deleted member 13560]

Damn I didn't know there was a Shoot'em up thread already. I spent hours making banners for different sections and everything for a Shmup OT. Searched 'shmup' and nothing came up. Did another search of 'Shoot'em ups' tonight and finally had this thread pop up

Feels bad man.

 

[SinCityAssassin]

Ain't that a b.

Also my never ending search for a Sengoku Blade cabinet continues. First playing the game when I was 10 years old in a ghetto-ass playstation arcade in rural Vietnam, I've been trying to find the cabinet ever since. I might have a lead in Southern California for an actual board of it for an associate to check out, which is better than what I've had in the last few months.

Nominally I wouldn't continue to put time into this effort, since I already bought the Saturn port before prices skyrocketed, but it's my childhood.

 

[Tizoc]

it was released on a few classic computers like the amiga, Atari ST, but i'm unfamiliar with those. gameboy also had a port. for consoles, TG-16/pce was the only port. according to hardcore gaming 101 the pce is visually better than the arcade. the pce port was also offered on the wii/wii u virtual console.

Click to shrink...

Cool thanks

 

[Gong]

Great to see this thread on ERA, always loved it at the other place.

Sorcer Striker is getting a PS4 release? I had no idea. Time to buy a Japanese PSN card then.

 

[MoeGamer]

Astebreed on Steam will be updated with the same upgrades made to the PS4 release!

http://steamcommunity.com/games/283680/announcements/detail/1461842131334879760

• Addition of "Arranged mode" that was a PS4 exclusive; high-quality boost to models, shaders and textures; optimization of compressed data, resource format. In short, all data will be improved over the previous version.
  
• Artwork, package design etc. that was created since the PS4 release will be added to the artwork gallery.
  
• The game will be playable in Simplified Chinese!
  
• Your online rank will be independent from the previous version.
  
• As we removed full screen check upon starting up the game for the first time, the entire game now has full controller support.

The upgraded version is scheduled to raise the base price to 19.99 USD, so this is the best opportunity to buy the game at a bargain price.

The current release is 67% off due to the Halloween Sales, a steal with the pending upgrade.

Click to shrink...

Hell yes. Astebreed is one of my favourite shmups. Hope this also includes all the new music too.

Also hi, ShmupERA. Ilike shmups, though I am also bad at them.

 

[TyrantGuardian]

I wonder if there will be any more Cave Steam releases anytime soon? The hunger is real, especially for Mushi Futari.

 

[MoeGamer]

Would love to see some more Cave shmups on Steam. I have most of them physically on 360 but it certainly doesn't hurt to have official localised digital versions!

 

[Lardonate]

I was slightly disappointed by the input lag on Mushihimesama on steam that I encountered if I wanted to play it without screen tearing. Suppose I ought to invest in a Gsync monitor one day. It did put me off buying the Dodonpachi that popped up on steam, seeing as I already have it on xbox.

Haven't checked it in a while, maybe the lag was resolved, but it's a thing that really annoys me. I bought the Namco Museum collection that came out on Switch for a bit of Galaga 88 action and the amount of input lag made me do a cry.

 

[MoeGamer]

I was slightly disappointed by the input lag on Mushihimesama on steam that I encountered if I wanted to play it without screen tearing. Suppose I ought to invest in a Gsync monitor one day. It did put me off buying the Dodonpachi that popped up on steam, seeing as I already have it on xbox.

Haven't checked it in a while, maybe the lag was resolved, but it's a thing that really annoys me. I bought the Namco Museum collection that came out on Switch for a bit of Galaga 88 action and the amount of input lag made me do a cry.

Click to shrink...

They did a bunch of patches to Mushihimesama that improved it a lot, and anything released subsequently has launched a lot more smoothly. If you've still got it and haven't booted it up for a while, might be worth trying it again.

 

[Lardonate]

They did a bunch of patches to Mushihimesama that improved it a lot, and anything released subsequently has launched a lot more smoothly. If you've still got it and haven't booted it up for a while, might be worth trying it again.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the heads up. Yep, looks like they went and fixed it! Just had a quick play and it was infinitely better than the last time I played it (which was a while ago). I was so disappointed that they launched it like that though. I'll have to grab the others on there.

Deathsmiles seems to be half price today. Halloween special!? Good a time as any to grab it!

 

[StarCreator]

Damn I didn't know there was a Shoot'em up thread already. I spent hours making banners for different sections and everything for a Shmup OT. Searched 'shmup' and nothing came up. Did another search of 'Shoot'em ups' tonight and finally had this thread pop up

Feels bad man.

Click to shrink...

As the rules say, OTs aren't the exclusive domain of any individual here, just like they weren't in the other place either. The OP here is obviously incomplete, and I'm sure if you still wanted to contribute content it can just be slid in if you guys work it out over PMs.

 

[Waffle-Stomper]

<3 deathsmiles

it's very deceiving though. for such a easy going game, I still haven't wanted to take the time to sit down and memorize the scoring system
especially since there isn't anything very detailed on what to kill each mob with which shot for max value

 

[MoeGamer]

<3 deathsmiles

it's very deceiving though. for such a easy going game, I still haven't wanted to take the time to sit down and memorize the scoring system
especially since there isn't anything very detailed on what to kill each mob with which shot for max value

Click to shrink...

Deathsmiles' scoring is bonkers. It's been a while since I played, but if I remember correctly, it's often a case of killing things with the shot you wouldn't expect -- using the lock-on on big enemies, for example. I may be misremembering, though, so take my statements with a pinch of salt. Regardless, a great shmup with a killer soundtrack.

 

[Deleted member 13560]

New logo in the OT looks great.

 

[Mantrox]

I was wondering if it would make sense to broaden the scope of this thread to Arcade gaming in general?

Even though shmups have a life outside the arcade environment, the other arcade game genres never really had a home on the other forum.
Does this interest anybody? Or do you folks would like to make that a separate OT, or not at all?

 

[StarCreator]

I was wondering if it would make sense to broaden the scope of this thread to Arcade gaming in general?

Even though shmups have a life outside the arcade environment, the other arcade game genres never really had a home on the other forum.
Does this interest anybody? Or do you folks would like to make that a separate OT, or not at all?

Click to shrink...

That's a separate thread. The other place actually had one, but more often than not people just talked about music games in it. The person who made that thread doesn't seem to be here (or changed their name in the jump).

 

[Lardonate]

I was wondering if it would make sense to broaden the scope of this thread to Arcade gaming in general?

Even though shmups have a life outside the arcade environment, the other arcade game genres never really had a home on the other forum.
Does this interest anybody? Or do you folks would like to make that a separate OT, or not at all?

Click to shrink...

There is an Arcade Cabinet OT for cab owners, but nothing for general arcade chat I think. I could get behind an Arcade Life OT that talked about arcade games, scenes and locations. I'm in the UK and we have a growing arcade community with places like Arcade Club, Heart of Gaming and Las Vegas Soho catering for the Fighters, Rhythm gamers, Retro gamers and shmuppers! I love tracking down obscure arcades on trips to Japan and could document a few that have shmups that are off the beaten path.

 

[MoeGamer]

There is an Arcade Cabinet OT for cab owners, but nothing for general arcade chat I think. I could get behind an Arcade Life OT that talked about arcade games, scenes and locations. I'm in the UK and we have a growing arcade community with places like Arcade Club, Heart of Gaming and Las Vegas Soho catering for the Fighters, Rhythm gamers, Retro gamers and shmuppers! I love tracking down obscure arcades on trips to Japan and could document a few that have shmups that are off the beaten path.

Click to shrink...

This is a question for that other thread, clearly, but... there's an arcade scene in the UK? That's good to know. My sole experience with arcades over here is at the seaside and even those seem to be dying out.

 

[Lardonate]

This is a question for that other thread, clearly, but... there's an arcade scene in the UK? That's good to know. My sole experience with arcades over here is at the seaside and even those seem to be dying out.

Click to shrink...

Yeah Arcade Club up near Manchester (quite a trek for me) usually has a decent selection of Cave and Toaplan shmups in rotation, the place is a mixture of vintage UK seaside arcade nostalgia and modern arcade with a good mix of Bemani titles and other gaming things.

I was up there a few weeks ago and took some terrible photos my phonecam. They have a few rarities, everything is real PCBs as far as I know, no emulation anywhere. Place is CRT heaven. Felt a bit strange playing Progear and Outzone on 80's UK cabinets but they keep the sticks and buttons and screens in good working order! There was an Ikaruga, Ketsui, DDP DOJ and a Truxton among others of varying vintage to be played. Definitely worth a trip up.