All purpose SHMUP thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AHhkq7p3Qw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv7fCr6QFis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-qFAtkCcIk

I've been meaning to start this thread for a while as this is my favorite kind of video game. In a way, I actually feel like the shmup, or STG, is the quintessential type of video game. The youtube videos above give a good overview of the history of the genre and are well worth watching, if you haven't already.

If I only had to pick one right now, I'd pick DoDonPachi (which runs perfectly in MAME, btw). Not that I'm great at it or anything... so far I've only managed to make it to the 4th level on one quarter, but I do feel like I'm getting better. I've also been playing a fair amount of Deathsmiles, which is great fun.

Raiden IV for the 360 finally came out in North America this week, though I'm still waiting for my copy to ship...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIWLjYLKNv8

that and rez/ikaruga are pretty much the only things that make me wish i had a 360.

What about this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG0pyFWlqxw

do you have a big collection of shmups jeff or do u mostly play through mame?

Are there any good shmups for PSN? That 1942 they made suxxxxx

do u have a saturn jeff?
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg114/gregbuczek/P1020212.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg114/gregbuczek/P1020214.jpg

ikaruga was way too hard with all that black/white combo shit. raiden looks like it might be more fun.

my favourite shmup is esp ra.de but I'm not massively into them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti1n4GhGuRQ

... and defender

Antexit - there aren't really any good vertical or horizontal shmups for the ps3 yet, though there are a couple good arena shooters like SuperStardust & Everyday Shooter. But later this year the RayStorm HD remake is coming & that looks good (coming to the 360 too)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X84iB-zIcCw

Cozwn - sadly I don't currently have a huge collection of the classics or any old home consoles, though my brother does (including a Saturn), so I have at least tried out a lot of those. I do have a computer that can emulate the vast majority of those old consoles though :) & MAME is very good now up to about 2000. I do have most of the ps2 shmups and most of the current gen ones (and some on virtual console). ESPrada is also one of my favorites. Cave is working on porting its latest sequel, Espgaluda 2 to 360 for spring 2010 & is talking seriously about trying to get worldwide releases for their titles. Have you played Guwange? It won Cave's recent poll of which of their older games would you like to see ported to xbox live arcade, so if that happens, a worldwide release seems likely...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5CKDRe4gR0

having watched the history u linked, I really like the look of border down and under defeat, I wonder if there's a saturn emulator for mac cos they look to be running crazy money on ebay

From Smups Forum, the chronology of arcade shooting games, from present day to 1984

-2009-

7/28 ~ Senko no Ronde : Dis-United Order (DUO) ~ G.rev/Taito
7/2 ~ Rajirugi Noa [Radirgy 2 / Noah] ~ Milestone/Lucky
7/1 ~ Trouble Witches AC ~ Studio Siesta/Bouken/Nihon System/Taito
5/14 ~ Deathsmiles II : Makai no Merry Christmas ~ Cave/AMI

-2008-

10/10 ~ Deathsmiles MEGA Black Label ~ Cave/AMI <-- SH3+
*8/30 ~ Fantasy Zone II : The Tears of OPA-OPA, System-16C ver. ~ Sega <--og '87 version reimagined on System 16! breakdown+here+here
*8/15 ~ Dodonpachi Dai-Fukkatsu ver 1.5 "Special" ~ Cave <-- only for Cave Festival autumn '08. Changes?
7/30 ~ MAMORU-KUN wa Norowarete Shimatta! ~ Gulti/G.rev/Sega
6/24 ~ Dodonpachi Dai-Fukkatsu ver 1.5 ~ Cave/AMI <-- SH3+
6/10 ~ Illvelo : Illmatic Envelope ~ Milestone/Sega
5/22 ~ Dodonpachi Dai-Fukkatsu ~ Cave/AMI <-- "SH3+", slightly upgraded old hardware, increased RAM.

-2007-

*12/30 ~ Guwange : Dai Cave Festival Tokubetsu Shiyou ~ Cave <-'IKD special tune', changes to game mechanics, etc. GP's breakdown
*12/30 ~ Muchi Muchi Pork! : Dai Cave Festival Special Version ~ Cave <- added Pink Sweets boss fights after normal bosses! so kawai.
*12/30 ~ Deathsmiles : DIE Cave Festival Special Version ~ Cave <- level 99 difficulty selectable @stage paths. w/suicide bullets +revised boss patterns.
12/20 ~ Mushihimesama Futari BLACK LABEL ~ Cave/AMI
10/24 ~ Otomedius ~ Konami <-- uses dedicated e-Amuse touchscreen cabinet.
10/19 ~ Deathsmiles ~ Cave/AMI
*9/23 ~ Ketsui "FESTIVAL VER."~Cave<--Cave Fest '07 only.Single loop, patterns like og second loop but w/o suicide bullets, tighter distance for chips, shot type switching, DOOM.
7/26 ~ Shooting Love. 2007 : EXZEAL & Shooting (Shmups) Skill Test ~ Triangle Service/Sega
6/6 ~ Raiden IV ~ Moss/Taito
4/26 ~ Muchi Muchi Pork! ~ Cave/AMI

-2006-

*12/28 ~ Mushihimesama ver 1.5 Blue Label ~ Cave <-- Cave Festival only, tuned for higher scoring - 'Campaign' style, Maniac mode omitted
*12/28 ~ Mushihimesama Futari ver 1.5 Red Label ~ Cave <-- Score Trial Special Ver, +Ketsui style system, 3 PCBs awarded to top scorers
*12/28 ~ Mushihimesama Futari ver 1.01 ~ Cave <-- Cave Festival only, + two extra bomb stock, revised st4 boss patterns, others?
12/19 ~ Mushihimesama Futari ver 1.5 ~ Cave/AMI
11/15 ~ Karasu (Karous) ~ Milestone/Sega
10/27 ~ Mushihimesama Futari ~ Cave/AMI
8/10 ~ Senko no Ronde SP ~ G.rev/Sega
7/21 ~ Trigger Heart Exelica Ver.A ~ Warashi/Sega <--2P bug fix (game would crash in 2P before). 'Ver.A' on title screen.
5/30 ~ Trigger Heart Exelica ~ Warashi/Sega
4/20 ~ Pink Sweets : Ibara Sorekara ~ Cave/AMI
2/23 ~ Shikigami no Shiro III ~ Alfa System/SKonec/Taito <--Bug in netranking code, fixed version released 1week later.
2/10 ~ Ibara Kuro : Black Label ~ Cave/AMI

-2005-

12/28 ~ Rajirugi [Radirgy] NEW ver. ~ Milestone/Able
11/25 ~ Espgaluda II ~ Cave/AMI
10/26 ~ Under Defeat ~ G.rev/Sega
10/13 ~ Rajirugi [Radirgy] ~ Milestone/Able
8/5 ~ Senko no Ronde NEW ver. ~ G.rev/Sega
7/23 ~ Homura ~ SKonec/Taito
6/24 ~ Ibara ~ Cave/AMI
4/25 ~ Senko no Ronde ~ G.rev/Sega
3/31 ~ Raiden III ~ Moss/Taito

-2004-

11/19 ~ Mushihimesama ~ Cave/AMI
10/22 ~ Gigawing Generations ~ Takumi/Taito
9/24 ~ Trizeal ~ Triangle Service/Taito
6/24 ~ Chaos Field ~ Milestone/Able
6/23 ~ Wyvern Wings ~ Semicom/Game Vision <--1st JPN release, resale for other territories

-2003-

11/13 ~ Espgaluda ~ Cave/AMI
11/7 ~ Psyvariar 2: The Will to Fabricate ~ Success/SKonec/Taito
10/7 ~ Space Invaders Anniversary ~ Taito
4/25 ~ Border Down ~ G.rev/Sega
4/24 ~ Shikigami no Shiro II ~ Alfa System/Taito
1/28 ~ Ketsui : Kizuna Jigoku Tachi ~ Cave/AMI
rare? ~ Star Wings ~ Semicom <-- unknown if actually released or prototype.

-2002-

10/25 ~ Dodonpachi Dai-Ou-Jou Black Label ~ Cave/AMI
9/13 ~ Ultimate Ecology (resale) ~ Capcom
7/15 ~ XIISTAG ~ Triangle Service/Taito
4/17 ~ Dodonpachi Dai-Ou-Jou ~ Cave/AMI
3/28 ~ G-Stream G2020 ~ Oriental Soft
3 / ? ~ Wyvern Wings / Wivern Wings ~ Semicom/Game Vision <--overseas dev - JPN release in 2004
? / ? ~ Cutey Fatty ~ Wecom <--overseas dev, No JPN release, Korea/Asia only.

-2001-

12/20 ~ Ikaruga ~ Treasure/Sega
9/20 ~ Shikigami no Shiro ~ Alfa System/Taito
8/01 ~ Vasara 2 ~ Visco/Nihon System
6/21 ~ Dodonpachi II: Bee Storm ~ IGS/Capcom, licensed by Cave
5/25 ~ Night Raid ~ Takumi/Taito
5/17 ~ Zero Gunner 2 ~ Psikyo
4/11 ~ Progia no Arashi [Progear] ~ Cave/Capcom
1/15 ~ Gigawing 2 ~ Takumi/Capcom
hack ~ Fire Hawk ~ ESD

-2000-

9/26 ~ Dragon Blaze ~ Psikyo
9/21 ~ 1944 : The Loop Master ~ Raizing/Eighting/Capcom
9/19 ~ Psyvariar Revision ~ Success/Taito
8/11 ~ Vasara ~ Visco
6 / 9 ~ Mars Matrix ~ Takumi/Capcom
*6/? ~ Variant Schwanzer ~ Seta <-- Unreleased. Shown at 2000 AOU show, almost finished project. Aleck64 hardware.
5/24 ~ Brave Blade ~ Raizing/Eighting/Namco
3 / ? ~ Psyvariar : Medium Unit ~ Success/Taito
2/18 ~ Great Mahou Daisakusen [Dimahoo] ~ Raizing/Eighting/Capcom
hack ~ Mission Craft ~ Sun <--copy+hack of Starcraft's Brood War and Psikyo engine (Strikers,etc)
hack ~ Spectrum 2000 ~ Yona Tech <--hack of ? similar to Strikers

-1999-

12/? ~ Strikers 1945 Plus ~ Psikyo/SNK
12/? ~ Change Air Blade ~ Sammy
10/14 ~ Strikers 1999 [Strikers 1945 III] ~ Psikyo
10/3 ~ Prehistoric Isle 2 ~ Yumekobo/SNK
7 / ? ~ Guwange ~ Cave/Atlus
6 / ? ~ Battle Bakraid, Unlimited version ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
5 / ? ~ Captain Tomaday ~ Visco/SNK
4/15 ~ Battle Bakraid ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
3 / ? ~ Gigawing ~ Takumi/Capcom
3 / ? ~ Pilot Kids ~ Psikyo <-- designed for 24kHz display (medium res).
2 / ? ~ Gradius IV : Fukkatsu ~ Konami <-- designed for 24kHz display (medium res).
hack ~ 1945k III ~ Promat?/Oriental Soft <--copy+hack of Strikers 1999 ?

-1998-

12/? ~ Gunbird 2 ~ Psikyo
12/? ~ Raycrisis ~ Taito
12/? ~ Tenkomori Shooting ~ Namco <--Variety game, STG sections
11/? ~ Konami 80's Arcade Gallery (Gyruss, Time Pilot, Scramble, Super Cobra) ~ Konami
11/? ~ Star Soldier : Vanishing Earth ~ Hudson/Visco
10/31 ~ Space Bomber Ver.B ~ Psikyo
9 / ? ~ Cotton Boomerang ~ Success/Tecmo
9 / ? ~ Dangun Feveron [Fever S.O.S.] ~ Cave/Nihon System
8 / ? ~ Raiden Fighters Jet ~ Seibu Kaihatsu/Able
7 / ? ~ Space Bomber ~ Psikyo
5 / ? ~ Guardian Force ~ Success/Taito
5 / ? ~ Radiant Silvergun ~ Treasure/Sega
5 / ? ~ Stagger 1 ~ Afega/Visco <-- Loke test name: Red Hawk
4 / ? ~ ESP RA.DE ~ Cave/Atlus <-- bug fix version = "1998 4/21 MASTER VER." on copyright screen
3 / ? ~ Armed Police Batrider, B version ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
2 / ? ~ Cyvern : The Dragon Weapons ~ Kaneko
1 / ? ~ Blazing Star ~ Yumekobo/SNK
1 / ? ~ Armed Police Batrider ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
* / * ~ Cyvern, Plus version ~ Kaneko <-- prototype/show version? no evidence of sale.
? / ? ~ Sen Jin [Guardian Storm] ~ Afega <-- overseas only. US publisher = Apple Industries.

-1997-

12/? ~ Raiden Fighters 2 : Operation Hell Dive ~ Seibu Kaihatsu/Nihon System
12/? ~ Zero Gunner ~ Psikyo <-- designed for 24kHz display (medium res).
12/? ~ Solar Assault Revised ~ Konami <-- + 6th stage, harder difficulty, Alpinia ship faster. Identical to regular US ver (?)
11/? ~ Cotton 2 ~ Success/Tecmo
10/? ~ Strikers 1945 II ~ Psikyo
9 / ? ~ G-DARIUS Ver.2 ~ Taito
7 / ? ~ G-DARIUS ~ Taito
7 / ? ~ Sengeki Striker ~ Warashi/Kaneko
7 / ? ~ Solar Assault : Gradius ~ Konami <--Gradius 3D rail shooter, exception made for pedigree
5 / ? ~ Sol Divide ~ Psikyo
* / * ~ Dodonpachi Campaign Version ~ Cave <-- no arcade sale, grand prize for nationwide (Japan) DDP score trial
3 / ? ~ Dodonpachi ~ Cave/Atlus
3 / ? ~ Tobe! Polystars ~ Konami <--Twinbee 3D rail shooter, exception made for pedigree
2 / ? ~ Shienryu ~ Warashi/Sega
1 / ? ~ Sonic Wings Limited ~ Video System/Visco

-1996-

12/? ~ Macross Plus ~ Banpresto/Banwave
11/? ~ Second Earth : GRATIA ~ Jaleco
11/? ~ Raiden Fighters ~ Seibu Kaihatsu/Nihon System
11/? ~ Twinkle Star Sprites ~ ADK/SNK
9 / ? ~ Soukyugurentai [Terra Diver] ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
8 / ? ~ Raystorm ~ Taito
5 / ? ~ Storm Blade ~ Visco
5 / ? ~ Xevious 3D/G ~ Namco
4 / ? ~ Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace episode II [Tengai] ~ Psikyo
2 / ? ~ Akuu Gallet [Air Gallet] ~ Gazelle/Banpresto
2 / ? ~ BATTLE GAREGGA ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
2 / ? ~ Kyuukyoku Tiger II [Twin Cobra II] ~ Takumi/Taito
2 / ? ~ Sexy Parodius ~ Konami
2 / ? ~ Skull Fang: Wolf Fang Gaiden ~ Data East
1 / ? ~ Salamander 2 ~ Konami
1 / ? ~ 19XX : The War Against Destiny ~ Capcom
? / ? ~ Hotdog Storm ~ Marble/Ace Int. <---Korea/Asia only.
hack ~ Air Attack [aka Air Raid or Sky Attack?] ~ Comad <--copy+hack of NMK's Thunder Dragon 2

-1995-

11/? ~ Game Tengoku [Game Paradise] ~ Jaleco
11/? ~ Gekirindan ~ Taito
11/? ~ Namco Classic Collection Vol.1 (Galaga, Xevious) ~ Namco
10/? ~ Sonic Wings 3 [Aero Fighters 3] ~ Video System/SNK
9 / ? ~ Wangan Sensou [Desert War] ~ NMK/Jaleco
8 / ? ~ Pulstar ~ Aicom/SNK
8 / ? ~ Viper Phase 1 : NEW Version ~ Seibu Kaihatsu/Nihon System
7 / ? ~ Akkanvader [Space Invaders '95] ~ Taito
6 / ? ~ Strikers 1945 ~ Psikyo/Jaleco
5 / ? ~ Donpachi ~ Cave/Atlus
5 / ? ~ Viper Phase 1 ~ Seibu Kaihatsu/Nihon System
4 / ? ~ Twin Bee Yahhoo! [Magical Twin Bee] ~ Konami
4 / ? ~ Varia Metal ~ Excellent System
3 / ? ~ Darius Gaiden, Extra Version ~ Taito
3 / ? ~ P-47 Aces ~ NMK/Jaleco
2 / ? ~ Urutora Keibitai [Ultra X Weapons] ~ Seta/Banpresto, licensed by Tsuburaya Prod.
? / ? ~ R-Shark ~ Dooyong
hack?~ Silver Millennium ~ PARA (Paradise of Amusement) <--Korea/Asia only
hack ~ Twin Action ~ Afega <--copy+hack of NMK's USAAF Mustang

-1994-

9 / ? ~ Darius Gaiden [Darius III] ~ Taito
9 / ? ~ Gunbird ~ Psikyo/Jaleco
9 / ? ~ Operation Ragnarok [Zed Blade] ~ NMK/SNK
9 / ? ~ Shippu Mahou Daisakusen : Kingdom Grandprix ~ Raizing/Eighting
9 / ? ~ Space Invaders DX ~ Taito
8 / ? ~ Eight Forces ~ Tecmo <-- PCB has some Allumer marked chips.
8 / ? ~ Zunzunkyou No Yabou ~ Minato Giken / Sega
7 / ? ~ Mazinger Z ~ Banpresto, licensed by Dynamic PL <--Rumored development by Gazelle.
7 / ? ~ Rapid Hero ~ NMK/Media Trading Corp (Media Shoji)
7 / ? ~ Raiden DX ~ Seibu Kaihatsu/Nihon System
7 / ? ~ Sonic Wings 2 [Aero Fighters 2] ~ Video System/SNK
6 / ? ~ Ultimate Ecology [Eco Fighters] ~ Capcom
4/26 ~ Gokujyou Parodius Kako no Eiko o Motomete [Fantastic Journey] ~ Konami
4 / ? ~ Twin Eagle II ~ Seta/Visco
3 / ? ~ Nebulasray ~ Namco
2 / ? ~ Fire Barrel ~ Tamtex/Irem <-- Tamtex = internal Irem dev team
*2/20 ~ Batsugun, Special Version ~ Toaplan <---only shown at AOU show, ROM leaked
2 / ? ~ Rayforce ~ Taito
? / ? ~ Super X ~ N.T.C. <------ published by Mitchell overseas, rumored development by NMK

-1993-

12/? ~ Batsugun ~ Toaplan
11/? ~ Raiden II ~ Seibu Kaihatsu/Nihon System
11/? ~ Mad Shark ~ Allumer/Able
10/? ~ Hyper Duel ~ Technosoft/Taito
10/? ~ Thunder Dragon 2 ~ NMK/Sammy
9 / ? ~ Nostradamus ~ FACE
6 / ? ~ Blue Hawk ~ Dooyong/N.T.C./Sigma
6 / ? ~ Daioh ~ Athena/Sammy <-- The bulk of the team that made Daioh later went on to form WARASHI Co.
6 / ? ~ MACROSS II Choujikuu Yousai ~ NMK/Banpresto
5 / ? ~ Double-Wings ~ Mitchell
5 / ? ~ Earth Joker : U.N. Defense Force ~ Visco/Taito
5 / ? ~ Mahou Daisakusen ~ Raizing/Able
4 / ? ~ Kaitei Daisensou [In the Hunt] ~ Irem
4 / ? ~ Sengoku Ace [Samurai Aces] ~ Psikyo/Banpresto
3 / ? ~ V-V (V-Five) ~ Toaplan/Taito <--overseas version (aka Bomber ver) 'Grindstormer' has different system. Unlockable on V-V w/code.
2 / ? ~ Cybattler ~ Jaleco
1 / ? ~ GunNail ~ NMK/Tecmo
? / ? ~ Playgirls 2 ~ Hot-B
? / ? ~ Ryujin ~ East Technology/Taito
? / ? ~ War of Aero : Project MEIOU ~ Allumer
* / * ~ Chimera Beast ~ Jaleco <--- Prototype only.

-1992-

12/? ~ Bakuretsu Breaker [Explosive Breaker] ~ Kaneko/Sammy
12/? ~ The Great Ragtime Show [Boogie Wings] ~ Data East
12/? ~ Gridseeker ~ Taito
12/? ~ SD Gundam Neo Battling ~ Allumer/Banpresto
11/? ~ Dogyuun!! ~ Toaplan
11/? ~ Final Star Force ~ Tecmo
11/? ~ R-Type LEO ~ Nanao/Irem <-- Nanao = internal Irem dev team.
10/? ~ F/A [Fighter & Attacker] ~ Namco
10/? ~ Sky Alert ~ Metro
10/? ~ Viewpoint ~ Aicom/Sammy/SNK <-- Aicom later changes name to Yumekobo ('98+)
9 / ? ~ MACROSS Choujikuu Yousai ~ NMK/Banpresto
9 / ? ~ Zing Zing Zip ~ Allumer/Tecmo
8 / ? ~ Galmedes ~ Visco/Taito
7 / ? ~ Fixeight ~ Toaplan/Taito
7 / ? ~ Sand Scorpion Sasori ~ FACE/Tecmo
7 / ? ~ VARTH : Operation Thunderstorm ~ Capcom
6 / ? ~ Tatsujin-Oh [Truxton II] ~ Toaplan/Taito
5 / ? ~ Andro Dunos ~ Visco/Sammy/SNK
5 / ? ~ Mahou Keibitai GunHoki [Mystic Riders]~ Irem
4 / ? ~ Blazeon ~ Atlus
4 / ? ~ Ninja Commando ~ Alpha Denshi (ADK) /SNK
3 / ? ~ Cosmo Gang : The Video ~ Namco
3 / ? ~ Last Resort ~ SNK <-- some sources say 4/24 release.
3 / ? ~ Sonic Wings [Aero Fighters] ~ Video System/Tecmo <--Main prog. Shin Nakamura and W.Yamazaki leave to form PSIKYO after this.
1 / ? ~ Koutetsu Yousai STRAHL ~ UPL/NMK/Taito <-- NEW version also released.
? / ? ~ Flying Tiger ~ Dooyong <--overseas only? released in USA, etc.
hack ~ S.S. Mission ~ Comad <--overseas only (but not USA), copy+hack of NMK's Thunder Dragon

-1991-

12/? ~ Thunder Blaster [Lethal Thunder] ~ Irem
11/? ~ Hacha-Mecha Fighter ~ NMK/Tecmo
11/? ~ Metal Black ~ Taito
10/? ~ Gallop : Armed Police Unit [Cosmic Cop] ~ Irem
10/? ~ Pollux ~ Dooyong/N.T.C./Atlus
10/? ~ XEXEX ~ Konami
9 / ? ~ Gulf War - II ~ Comad/Four J International <---overseas only, copy+hack of Toaplan's Twin Cobra
9 / ? ~ Rezon ~ Allumer/Taito
9 / ? ~ Thunder Dragon ~ NMK/Tecmo
8 / ? ~ Thunder Cross II ~ Konami
7 / ? ~ Acrobat Mission ~ UPL/Taito
7 / ? ~ Chariot [Wonder 3] ~ Capcom
7 / ? ~ Turbo Force ~ Video System/Namco
6 / ? ~ Vimana ~ Toaplan/Tecmo
5 / ? ~ Black Heart ~NMK/UPL
4 / ? ~ Cotton : Fantastic Night Dreams ~ Success/Sega
4 / ? ~ S.T.G : Strike Gunner ~ Athena/Tecmo
3 / ? ~ ASO II : Last Guardian [Alpha Mission II] ~ SNK
3 / ? ~ E.D.F. : Earth Defense Force ~ Jaleco
2 / ? ~ Detana!! TwinBee [Bells & Whistles] ~ Konami
2 / ? ~ Raiga : Strato Fighter ~ Tecmo
1 / ? ~ Ghost Pilots ~ SNK
1 / ? ~ Gun Frontier ~ Taito
? / ? ~ Gulf Storm ~ Dooyong/Media Shoji

-1990-

12/? ~ Dragon Saber ~ Namco
12/? ~ Sky Smasher ~ Nihon System/Taito
12/? ~ Thunderforce AC ~ Technosoft/Sega
11/? ~ Majestic Twelve [Super Space Invaders '91] ~ Taito
11/? ~ Space Battleship Gomorrah [Bio-ship Paladin] ~ NMK/UPL/Taito
10/? ~ Aurail ~ Westone/Sega
10/? ~ Pistol Daimyo no Bouken ~ Namco
10/? ~ U.S. Navy [Carrier Airwing] ~ Capcom
8 / ? ~ Outzone ~ Toaplan/Tecmo
6 / ? ~ Air Duel ~ Irem
6 / ? ~ USAAF Mustang ~ NMK/UPL
5 / ? ~ Trigon [Lightning Fighters] ~ Konami
4/24 ~ Parodius DA! -Shinwa kara Owarai e- ~ Konami
4 / ? ~ Raiden ~ Seibu Kaihatsu/Tecmo
3 / ? ~ Ashura Blaster ~ Visco/Taito
2 / ? ~ 1941 : Counter Attack ~ Capcom
2 / ? ~ Gigandes ~ East Technology/Taito
2 / ? ~ KUHGA : Operation Code "Vapor Trail" ~ Data East
1 / ? ~ Air Buster ~ Kaneko/Namco
? / ? ~ The Last Day ~ Dooyong <-- Korea only.
? / ? ~ Mini Vaders ~ Taito <-- B/W Space Invaders on tiny PCB, no sound, for cabinet test purposes.

-1989-

12/? ~ Dangerous Seed ~ Namco
12/? ~ Meta Fox ~ Jordan/Seta/Visco
12/? ~ Same! Same! Same! [Fire Shark] ~ Toaplan <-- Loke test version had 2P simultaneous play. Added back in for overseas ver.
12/11 ~ Gradius III : Suri Densetsu kara Shinwa e ~ Konami
11/? ~ MegaBlast ~ Taito
11/? ~ R-TYPE II ~ Irem
10/? ~ Task Force Harrier ~ NMK/UPL
10/? ~ The Next Space ~ SNK/PIC (Pasadena International Corp)
10/? ~ Zero Wing ~ Toaplan/Namco
9 / ? ~ DARIUS II [Sagaia] ~ Taito <-- Released as both 2-screen and 3-screen.
9 / ? ~ X-MULTIPLY ~ Irem
8 / ? ~ Area 88 [U.N. Squadron] ~ Capcom
8 / ? ~ Insector X ~ Hot-B/Taito
8 / ? ~ Sky Adventure ~ Alpha Denshi (ADK)/SNK
7 / ? ~ Dragon Breed ~ Irem
7 / ? ~ Omega Fighter ~ Kawakusu/UPL <-- Produced by an unnamed "super famous game designer", according to former UPL employee.
^Rumored to be S. Yagawa (Recca, Battle Garegga). Secret devco is finally revealed.
* / * ~ Omega Fighter Special ~ Kawakusu/UPL <-- Perhaps a "show" version which got leaked..found no evidence of sales/distribution.
7 / ? ~ Tatakae! Big Fighter [Sky Robo] - Nichibutsu
6 / ? ~ Daisenpuu [Twin Hawk] ~ Toaplan/Taito
5 / ? ~ Arbalester ~ Seta/Taito
5 / ? ~ Genshi-Tou 1930's [Prehistoric Isle in 1930] ~ SNK
5 / ? ~ Master of Weapon ~ Taito
5 / ? ~ Plus Alpha ~ Jaleco
4 / ? ~ Hellfire ~ Toaplan/Taito
3 / ? ~ Blast-Off ~ Namco <-- Sequel to Bosconian (1981)
3 / ? ~ Dyger ~ Philko/Sharp Image <-- Korea dev. Not released in Japan.
3 / ? ~ Twin Falcons [Whizz] ~ Philko/Sharp Image (Paora in US)<-- Korea dev. Not released in Japan.
2 / ? ~ Phelios ~ Namco
2 / ? ~ Tensaruu : SAINT DRAGON ~ NMK/Jaleco
1 / ? ~ Asuka & Asuka ~ Visco/Taito

-1988-

12/? ~ Atomic ROBO-KID ~ UPL
11/? ~ Heavy Unit ~ Kaneko/Taito
10/? ~ Image Fight ~ Irem
10/? ~ Metal Hawk ~ Namco <-- deluxe cabinet, game leans toward 'flight'.
10/? ~ Scramble Spirits ~ Sega <-- 24kHz display (medium res).
10/? ~ Tatsujin [Truxton] ~ Toaplan/Taito
10/? ~ Thunder Cross ~ Konami
10/? ~ Turtle Ship ~ Philko/Pacific Games [Sharp Image *USA] <---copy+hack of Capcom's Side Arms
9 / ? ~ Cobra Command ~ Data East
9 / ? ~ Ordyne ~ Namco
8 / ? ~ Armed Formation F ~ Nichibutsu/PIC [Fillmore *Intl]
8 / ? ~ Bakutotsu Kijuutei : Baraduke II - Namco
7 / ? ~ Chuka Taisen ~ Hot-B/Taito
7 / ? ~ Lost Worlds [Forgotten Worlds] ~ Capcom
7 / ? ~ Last Duel ~ Capcom
7 / ? ~ Sky Soldiers ~ Alpha Denshi (ADK) /SNK
6 / ? ~ 1943 Kai : Midway Kaisen ~ Capcom
6 / ? ~ Ark Area ~ UPL
6 / ? ~ Koukuu Kihei Monogatari - The Legend Of Air Cavalry [Chopper 1] ~ SNK
5 / ? ~ P-47 : the Freedom Fighter ~ NMK/Jaleco
4 / ? ~ Twin Eagle: Revenge Joe's Brother ~ Seta/Taito
? / ? ~ Gradius II : GOFER no Yabou, NEW ver ~ Konami
3/24 ~ Gradius II : GOFER no Yabou ~ Konami
3 / ? ~ Dr. Toppel Tankentai [Dr. Toppel's Adventure] ~ Kaneko/Taito
3 / ? ~ Silkworm ~ Tecmo
? / ? ~ Fighting Hawk ~ Taito

-1987-

12/? ~ A-JAX [Typhoon] ~ Konami
12/? ~ Galaga '88 ~ Namco
12/? ~ Mr. HELI no Dai-Bouken [Battle Chopper] ~ Irem
12/? ~ Sonic Boom ~ Sega
11/? ~ Kyukyoku Tiger [Twin Cobra] ~ Toaplan/Taito <--overseas version features 2P simultaneous play, instant respawn
10/? ~ Gemini Wing ~ Tecmo
10/? ~ Special Forces U.A.G. [Thundercade] ~ Seta/Taito
10/? ~ SRD : Super Real Darwin ~ Data East
10/? ~ Terra Force ~ Nichibutsu
10/? ~ Wonder Planet ~ Data East
9 / ? ~ Airwolf ~ Kyugo
9 / ? ~ Rabio Lepus ~ Video System
8 / ? ~ Cross Shooter [Air Raid] ~ Seibu Kaihatsu/Taito
8 / ? ~ Exzisus ~ Taito
8 / ? ~ Flak Attack [MX5000] ~ Konami
7 / ? ~ Battlantis ~ Konami <-- single screen shooter
7 / ? ~ R-TYPE ~ Irem
6/26 ~ Life Force ~ Konami <--New version of Salamander
6 / ? ~ Dragon Spirit ~ Namco
6 / ? ~ 1943 : Midway Kaisen ~ Capcom
5 / ? ~ Choutoki (or Chouji) Meikyuu LEGION (Legion: Labyrinth of Space and Time) ~ Nichibutsu
4 / ? ~ S.D.I. ~ Sega
3 / ? ~ Exerizer [Sky Fox] ~ Jaleco
3 / ? ~ Hishozame [Flying Shark *Intl, Sky Shark *USA] ~ Toaplan/Taito
2 / ? ~ Bermuda Triangle [World Wars *Intl] ~ SNK
2 /? ~ DARIUS ~ Taito
2 / ? ~ Fantasy Zone II : The Tears of OpaOpa ~ Sega
2 / ? ~ Makyou Senshi [Gondomania] ~ Data East
? / ? ~ Blasteroids ~ Atari Games <--2/1988 release for US
? / ? ~ DARIUS Extra Version ~ Taito
? / ? ~ Dragon Spirit NEW ver ~ Namco
? / ? ~ Sauro ~ Tecfri/Sigma

-1986-

12/? ~ Sidearms : Hyper Dyne ~ Capcom
11/? ~ Ares no Tsubasa : the Legendary Soldiers [Legendary Wings] ~ Capcom <-- half stg, half act/stg
11/? ~ Valtric ~ NMK/Jaleco
11/? ~ Xain'd Sleena [Solar Warrior] ~ Technos/Taito <-- half shooting stages, half action/stg stages, like Capcom's Legendary Wings
10/? ~ Mission 660 ~ ED/Wood Place/Taito <-- copy of The Alphax Z
10/? ~ Kiki Kaikai ~ Taito
10/? ~ Last Mission ~ Data East
10/? ~ Youma Ninpou Chou [Ninja Emaki] ~ Nichibutsu <-- action/shooting parts
10/? ~ UFO Robo DANGAR ~ Nichibutsu
9 / ? ~ Action Fighter ~ Sega
9 / ? ~ Vs. Super Xevious ~ Namco/Nintendo
9 / ? ~ XX Mission ~ UPL
8 / ? ~ Gardia ~ Coreland/Sega
7 / 4 ~ Salamander ~ Konami
7 / ? ~ Slap Fight [Alcon] ~ Toaplan/Taito
5 / ? ~ Flower ~ ADK/Sega
5 / ? ~ The Alphax Z ~ ED/Wood Place/Able
4 / ? ~ Scramble Formation [Tokio] ~ Taito
4 / ? ~ Sky Kid DX (Deluxe) ~ Namco
3 / ? ~ Darwin 4078 ~ Data East
3 / ? ~ Fantasy Zone ~ Sega
2 / ? ~ Kyoko-Toppa [Breakthru] ~ Data East <-- kind of action shooting
2 / ? ~ Rafflesia ~ Coreland/Sega
1 / ? ~ Argus ~ NMK/Jaleco
1 / ? ~ Halley's Comet ~ Taito
? / ? ** ~ Brain ~ Coreland/Sega <--Possibly unreleased in Japan+USA. Could not find reliable source to backup.
? / ? ~ S.R.D. Mission ~ Kyugo/Taito
? / ? ~ Vs. Sky Kid ~ Namco/Nintendo
? / ? ~ Vs. Super Sky Kid ~ Namco/Nintendo

-1985-

12/? ~ Finalizer : Super Transformation ~ Konami
12/? ~ Section Z ~ Capcom
12/? ~ Sky Kid ~ Namco
12/? ~ 4-D Warriors ~ Coreland/Sega
11/? ~ ASO : Armored Scrum Object [Alpha Mission] ~ SNK/Namco
11/? ~ Gun.Smoke ~ Capcom
10/? ~ Tiger Heli ~ Toaplan/Taito
10/? ~ Terra Cresta ~ Nichibutsu
9 / ? ~ Gekitsui Oh [Zero Target] ~ Data East
9 / ? ~ Return of the Invaders ~ UPL/Taito
6 / ? ~ Wyvern F-0 ~ Taito
5 / ? ~ Gradius [Nemesis] ~ Konami
4 / ? ~ Raid on Bungeling Bay ~ Broderbund/Hudson/Nintendo<--original program by Will Wright
3 / ? ~ HAL 21 ~ SNK
3 / ? ~ Magmax ~ Nichibutsu
2 / ? ~ Twinbee ~ Konami
2 / ? ~ Exed Exes [Savage Bees] ~ Capcom
2 / ? ~ Metal Soldier Isaac II ~ Taito
1 / ? ~ Dog Fight : Batten O'Hara no Sucharaka Kuuchuusen [Acrobatic Dogfight] ~ Technos Japan/Data East
? / ? ~ Repulse [Son of Phoenix, '99 The Last War] ~ Sega

-1984-

12/? ~ 1942 ~ Capcom
12/? ~ Liberation ~ Data East
12/? ~ Super Xevious ~ Namco
10/? ~ B-WINGS ~ Data East <-- 'New' version also released. Unknown changes.
9 / ? ~ EQUITES ~ Alpha Denshi (ADK)/Sega
9 / ? ~ Future Spy ~ Sega <-- isometric scroll
9 / ? ~ Star Force ~ Tehkan (Tecmo)
8 / ? ~ Metal Soldier Isaac ~ Taito
8 / ? ~ Two Tigers ~ Arcade Engineering Inc?/Bally Midway <-- used Spy Hunter-like analog wheel.
7 / ? ~ Formation Z [Aeroboto] ~ Jaleco
7 / ? ~ Gyrodine ~ Crux/Taito <-- Crux' only game, later go on to form Toaplan.
7 / ? ~ Mad Crasher ~ SNK <-- isometric scroll
6 / ? ~ Time Pilot '84 : Further Into Unknown World ~ Konami
5 / ? ~ Vulgus ~ Capcom
4 / ? ~ Gaplus [Galaga 3] ~ Namco
4 / ? ~ Hole Land ~ Tecfri/UEP
3 / ? ~ Mega Zone ~ Konami
3 / ? ~ Vanguard II ~ SNK
3 / ? ~ Zaviga ~ Data East
2 / ? ~ SCION ~ Seibu Denshi (aka Seibu, Seibu Kaihatsu)/Sigma
* / * ~ Fire Battle ~ Taito <-- Xevious ripoff. Prototype? Found no evidence of sale

guwange looks great

you said you didn't like omega 5 or triggerheart exelica didn't you?

Triggerheart is okay. It has such a weird scoring mechanic though, where you kind of have to hook onto other ships, swing them around you and launch them into other ships instead of shooting. I just never got my head around it. Never felt compelled to more than dabble with it so far. I only barely played Omega 5, so I can't really say - I should probably give it another try. My snap judgement was that I didn't like the size of your guy and hitbox (which I think was your whole body?) and the slow crawl through corridor gameplay, R-Type style.

s1ocki - I don't know if you have a wii or gamecube, but if you do, good quality used copies of ikaruga are selling for around $30 US. Not a bad price. If you have a good computer, people are saying it runs okay in the Dolphin emulator (though I haven't tested it myself). REZ for ps2 can be found for around $20 US

Thank you all for your mail.
Here are the results of our Xbox Live Arcade survey.

1. Guwange
2. Esprade
3. Dodonpachi
4. Progear
5. Pink Sweets
6. Mushihime-sama
7. Dangun Feveron
8. Muchi Muchi Pork
9. Espgaluda
10. Ibara

We have received many requests from our overseas users for region-free versions of our games.

"Death Smiles" was released only for Asia, but the region for "Mushi-hime sama Futari" has not been decided yet. I believe it will be decided around the time of Tokyo Game Show 2009.

We are very happy to have received so many e-mails from overseas.

Thank you.

09/01/09
Cave
Makoto Asada

pls be region free, pls release guwange, esprade and dodonpachi on xbla

what are the best ps2 shmups besides gradius 5?

1. Mushihimesama
2. Dodonpachi Daioujou
3. Espgaluda
4. Castle of Shikigami 2
5. Psyvariar 2

Don't sleep on Castle of Shikigami - great game & can be found for around £8 used (on amazon.co.uk). The others stayed and in Japan though & are quite expensive to insanely expensive.

Not as good as the above, but if you can find them cheap (and you can)... Gunbird 2, and Strikers 1945 1 & 2 both got a UK release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXEHXeBmS-s

jeff no luv for r type final!!!!! u have def played more ps2 shmups than me but thatd be in my TOP 5

I'm not much of an r-type fan, but yeah, I guess it should at least be mentioned

how do you not like r-type?!

I don't know exactly... I feel like it's kind of slow and cramped & I always feel a little awkward playing them? I like the atmosphere, especially in the early games, but the way you move vs the way enemies move, dealing with the shooty pick up thing (whatever it's called) and the way you restart back a section when you die are the main things, I guess. I own four of 'em(!) though!!! So it's not exactly hate...

2 additional DSi shmups, 200 points each
http://www.genterprise.jp/gg/index.html

To me those look less interesting then the Mihara designed one, but for a $2.00 game, I guess I wouldn't expect much. Aa Mujou Setsuna is 500 points, which is still pretty cheap & makes me think it's probably not a "great" game either. It seems like all three should make it out of Japan, but no news on that front, right?

The main problem with these DSi shmups is, why would I want to play them, when I could be playing this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf9IVoetZkk

no news, so far

I'm this close to pulling the trigger on castle of shikigami, 1941: 1&2, r-type: final and psyvariar but i. I don't have a PS2 arcade stick and ii. I have the DMC series winging its way to the back of my already unholy backlog

prices for shmups on ebay are ridiculous btw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J9X-Fr5bKY

Harmful Park is a decent, Japan only, cute 'em up for PSX that runs fine in ePSXe. Worth checking out.

There should be more news on this game during the Tokyo Game Show, which starts in a couple of hours. I guess it's an XBLA exclusive?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19jr8ejNqBY

woah, looks great

BIG NEWS today regarding Mushihime-Sama Futari... it's going region free
http://kotaku.com/5368190/bullet-hell-shooter-creators-cave-going-region+free-for-next-xbox-360-game

Still will be a quite pricey import, about $70 US via play-asia

Novemebr 26th is the release date! GOTY

bold claim!

More big (almost) news from Cave boss Makato Asada
http://kotaku.com/5370354/cave-wants-to-bring-its-manic-shooters-global

Notably..

" Cave is looking at global releases of its games, full-fledged Xbox Live Arcade titles of certain titles and Valve's Steam service as a means of distribution."

"But before Guwange or any other XBLA ports arrive—Asada hinted at the possibility of an Xbox Live Arcade remake of chubby shooter Muchi Muchi Pork with a revamped gameplay system—Cave has some more disc-based titles planned."

"Right now, we're working on a few titles for localization," Asada said. Again, take caution. "This is currently all in talks. With regards to Death Smiles, we can say that it's currently in progress and hopefully soon we'll be able to give overseas users news about its release."

I played some Blazing Lazers on my TG-16 over the weekend. Still a classic.

I don't like DLC but I'll take it

Blazing Lazers is also available on the Wii VC for 600 points (I'm not really a fan though).

why pay six bucks for something I've owned for 19 years?

Wasn't directed towards you bro, just making a general comment that it was available - not everybody here is lucky enough to own a working TG-16

got this in the post today - so awesome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws5ujH65hfg

199X tokyo city looks like the same city as that terrible nes tmnt game

Hey Zappi - I'd never heard of Crisis Force before, so I tried it out (via Nestopia). Not bad for a Famicom shmup! It does seem overly generous with the speed-up bonuses - I had to start avoiding 'em. It's pretty cool when your weapon gets completely powered up / I wish it lasted longer. How many levels are there? The first seemed awfully long, as did the first boss fight, but the second level seemed to go by much quiker. I only made it to level 3 though (97,300 points) in my two tries. Will play more.

yeh its not the hardest game, but great for that zoning out zenlike state that shmups are so good at providing. i think there are 7 stages, but i haven't got to the end yet. my famicom collecting has become a sickness.

donpachi ps1 port was pretty well done, iirc. I think I had the ps1 port and the saturn ver. of dodonpachi and the difference wasn't too drastic. (but saturn was better, obv.)

but yeah, they play fine on MAME.

and jeff's droppin' serious knowledge here. thanks!

that was interesting to me too, i didn't know about this

booming post, thanks jeff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHQBrwM2tE0

yeah I got to try the iPod Touch version of Espgaluda II out a few weeks ago on my brother's machine... I was REALLY impressed by how well it controlled. It did seem that the patterns were slower (by about half?) than the arcade game, but it felt balanced, and did pretty much have everything you could want out of a portable version. The graphics and music were also quite good. I enjoyed it, but not enough to buy a new, compatible iphone/pad/touch product.

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/5600/hardcorps1275595666000.jpg
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/109/1094576p1.html

A Contra: Hard Corps sequel coming out by Arc System Works?! Huh.

iPhone/ iPad Touch version of Cave's DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu coming later this summer!
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/07/16/dodonpachi_iphone/

as a dude who historically does not give a shit about shooters I have to say I'm enjoying Espgaluda iPhone a whole lot

Location test footage of Cave's brand new arcade STG Akai Katana - looking very Progear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-Y2dbEydD0

whoa

sunk a good amount of time into the new deathsmiles us release yesterday.

first impression - this game looks great but I really, really wish they went straight castlevania instead of the pedo-vania art style we ended up with. nice to see age info at the character select screen too. (all 17 and under!)

second impression - eh, who cares? this game is a blast. best horizontal shmup since gradius 5?

uh....

On the back of the arcade game poster, there is a template for a skirt blowing game. In the game, the player attempts to blow up the skirt or petticoat of the model to see her underwear. The player scores 30 points for blowing up a skirt and 50 points for blowing up a petticoat. Points are deducted if a pumpkin or tombstone is knocked over.[4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathsmiles#Marketing

so, playasia says that the 360 ports of deathsmiles 2 and ketsui are both region encoded. bummer.

big news outta Japan today...
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/08/14/cave_festival_live_report/

Pink Sweets and Muchi Muchi Pork are coming to Xbox 360 in a single retail release planned for Spring 2011. The games will not have high res visuals, but will have new modes.

Feveron coming to an unannounced platform. It was not revealed if the game will be retail or download.

DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu Version 1.5 is coming to Xbox 360 for retail release on 11/25 at ¥6,800 in standard form and ¥8,800 in limited edition. Cave Festival attendees get a DLC card that ups the game to the Version 1.51 arcade version that was on display at the event. The 360 version has two arranged modes.

Guwange, announced for Xbox Live Arcade earlier this year, is set for September or October release. They showed a live play demonstration at the event.

Milestone reps came out and introduced the Xbox 360 version of Radilgy Noah, Radilgy Noah Massive. Set for 10/28 retail release. The 360 version has Classic Mode, Massive Mode and Death Modes. Massive Mode is a time attack mode where you play through two minutes and aim for the highest score. There's a boss at the end, and by killing it off you can get a higher score.

guessing these new cave games will be region protected as well? argh.

man, that stuff plus ketsui and deathsmiles 2 is making me think twice about getting a j360.

any other good shmups that are japan only?

guessing these new cave games will be region protected as well? argh.

Guwange is getting a worldwide release via xbla. The rest - we will see - probably region protected tho - yeah.

any other good shmups that are japan only?

There have been a handful of releases - Castle of Shikigami III (also available for wii in the US tho), Shooting Love, 200X (compilation), Otomedius Gorgeous (coming soon to the US, I think), Mamoru-kun, and Strike Witches. I've only played the Wii version of Shikigami III (which is great), the rest I've heard mixed things about and haven't seemed worth the cost of importing.

yeah, I was really hoping cave would stop locking games after mushihimesama futari and espgaluda 2. guess not. whadda draaaaaag.

and thanks for that import rundown. I thought of one more:
senko no ronde duo

not exactly a shmup but pretty close. doubt it will make it out of japan. I bought the localization of the first one for two bucks used.

weird that otomedius gorgeous is getting a US release. was interested when it came out due to the konami pedigree but digging around mainly revealed reviews by disappointed folks.

hmm. my link breaks in firefox for some reason. one more time:

http://www.vigigames.com/?p=1039

i sure wish i had an ipad :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIiG44LDThI

Radiant Silvergun HD port coming to XBLA in 2011

nice!

psyched for bangai-o HD and radiant silvergun

what with those and fire pro, there's finally some exciting xbla games on the horizon

Love bangai-o. Do not have these fancy systems.

Can you guys beat this?

http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/files/KILLGOD.rar

It only has three levels.

bangai-o rules. feel like designing for HD tv dimensions would work out well for the gameplay too.

kinda miss the goofy vibe of the first game tho.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/09/bangaio091207.jpg

Europe getting a Deathsmiles port...
http://www.eurogamer.se/articles/2010-09-17-varldsexklusivt-deathsmiles-kommer-till-europa

Mushihimesama Futari (I assume it will still be region free) goes greatest hits in November, for $34.90 US (over half off the original price)
http://www.play-asia.com/Mushihimesama_Futari_Ver_1.5_Platinum_Collection/paOS-13-71-br-49-en-70-3yu5.html

BREAKING NEWS! Latest version of MAME now supports Ketsui, DoDonPach Dai-Ou-Jou and DoDonPach Dai-Ou-Jou Black Label and good ROM dumps are out there if you look around. Apparently Espgaluda should also work now too, but there may not be a good ROM dump yet?

any update on the radiant silvergun xbla port?

ketsui!! (still bummed that the j-360 port was region encoded.)

and what did you think of espgaluda 2, jeff? I've only played for a few hours but... it didn't really do it for me for whatever reason. weird because I love espgaluda and esp ra.de.

I also haven't played a ton of Espgalua 2, but I do like it. I think I just got distracted by the purity of Ketsui, which came out at almost the same time and is much more to my liking. The thing about Esp2 is the mechanics of not only the two different shots, but the two different hyper modes for bullet cancelling & bullet swarms is a bit much to get one's head around. Ketsui is a "harder" game, but it's understandable, while Espgaluda is slightly easier, but more confusing and less straight-forward in a way that makes it slightly less fun to play.

Speaking of region free, in case you didn't know, CAVE has announced the the Pink Sweets and Muchi Muchi Pork double pack due out in February 2011 will be region free as well.

yeah, I didn't hate esp2 or anything. but after coming off of playing mushihimesama futari heavily... it seemed a bit lacking to me.

the mechanics of it did seem a bit clunky but I'll have to play more to really solidify my opinion on this one.

and I hadn't heard about pink sweets/muchi muchi. great news!

A couple notes on Ketsui MAME - you will want to change the default settings on the ROM that is floating around as it is set to easy and no continues. To change the settings just hit F2 which takes you to the test menu, go to 7. Game and in there you can set the difficulty to Normal (or Hard or Very Hard) and turn on the rapid shot (C button) so you don't have to tap button "a" to get the shot, just hold down "c" button for shot and hold down the "a" button for the lock on shot (B button is bomb) or however you configure your stick / pad / keyboard). 6. System is where you can turn on continues if you want to credit feed so you can at least see the whole game once. Also there are still some minor sound glitches to the emulation, but nothing to lose any sleep over - future revisions should be able to fix this (top men or working on it).

new dreamcast shmup!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxWTVuJqS-U

really impressive trailer.

and a new one from g-rev coming to xbla:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn9FQ5NjDdA

just stumbled on Score Rush on xbox indie. a lot of fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAIhtPSrm-4

nice. that looks like a good time.

looks like there's a new mushihimesama port coming out soon:
http://www.shopncsx.com/mushihimesamahdlimitededition.aspx

doesn't seem like it will be region free. wish cave kept that trend up. :-/

whatever happened to Jeff LeVine

he retired from ilx :(

my understanding is that he has somewhat un-retired and has been posting here occasionally, but under a different, considerably shorter name...

lol who is that masked man
Grev have some new games, an HD version of the Dreamcast game Under Defeat juat came out for PS3/360, and there are games coming soonish for 3DS and Vita. these are all JP only at the moment though. picked up Senko no Ronde for £3(!) the other day, what a strange game.

yeah, would love to play HD under defeat...

lol jcl btw

lol!

Ahhhh Under Defeat. Is it Japan only?

actually, it seems like the ps3 one might not be?
http://digiex.net/general-discussions/gaming-hangout/10236-under-defeat-hd-released-xbox-360-region-locked-ps3-region-free.html
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/648086-under-defeat-hd/62040982

doesn't help me since I don't have a ps3. oh well!

Bodacious. I don't have an X360 and have missed out on all the amazing XBLA re-releases.

I just caught the "Under Defeat" pun, that is such a bad pun that is like rapper-from-Leeds level punning

I'd love to see a Shmups poll hey I'd love to see that

Personally I love 3D rails shmups like Starfox 64 more than anything in the world, sad it didn't become a genre, but my faves in this genre otherwise are Galaga, Radiant Silvergun, Gradius V, Einhander and Life Force.. no Olympic-style workouts for me