Today's post, on the other hand, will focus on blurbs about six titles I'd recommend to others who are participating--or who are considering participating--in this smhup-centric event. (I guess you could say I recommend the shoot 'em ups showcased in Friday's post, too, but I think the ones included here may be more palatable to your average gamer.)
Each of the following titles are of the "retro" variety but, really, what else would you expect from me given what I typically write about on this blog?
Also, all but one of these shoot 'em ups were only released in Japan. Sorry about that. Thankfully, every one of them is easily emulatable, assuming you're OK with going that route. (If not, I'd suggest looking for loose copies of Pop'n TwinBee or Super Fantasy Zone, as they're sure to be the cheapest of this bunch.)
With that out of the way, let's get to some shmup recommendations.
PC Denjin (PC Engine)--Better known as Air Zonk to North Americans, this wacky horizontal shoot 'em up provided me with all kinds of enjoyment and excitement as a teen. I return to it fairly regularly even as an adult, of course, and for a bunch of reasons, including its cartoonish cast of companions and enemies, its eye-popping use of parallax scrolling and its rockin' soundtrack.
Sexy Parodius (PlayStation)--Full disclosure: I love every single Parodius game Konami ever published, and that includes the tough-as-nails MSX version that introduced this now sadly moribund series to the world. That said, this entry--which has been ported to the Saturn, PlayStation and PSP--is my favorite of the entire bunch. Should you not have one of the aforementioned systems, though, don't shy away from trying another Parodius title, such as Parodius Da! for the PC Engine or Gokujō Parodius for the Super Famicom.
Super Fantasy Zone (Mega Drive)--Don't get me wrong, I love the original arcade version (and its perfectly acceptable PC Engine port, too) of this Sega-made smhup and its odd, wrap-around stages, but this 16-bit sequel improves on nearly every aspect of it. One the fence as to whether you should pick up an actual copy of Super Fantasy Zone or play an emulated version (which includes the Wii Virtual Console release) of it? Something that may sway you in favor of the former option is its wonderful box art.
Twinkle Star Sprites (NeoGeo/Saturn/Dreamcast)--Is this an overhead shoot 'em up or a puzzle game? Actually, it's a bit of both, which may help explain why it's one of my all-time favorite games. (OK, so the candy-coated visuals and vivacious soundtrack are partially responsible for this, too.) Sadly, although it was released for the Wii Virtual Console in Japan a number of years ago, it never made its way to any other region. As such, emulation's probably going to be the best bet for most interested parties, as both the (Japan-only) Dreamcast and Saturn iterations can be pricey.
See also: 'Six shoot 'em ups I'm playing as part of #Shmuptember'
See also: 'Six shoot 'em ups I'm playing as part of #Shmuptember'
24 comments:
Nice selection there Bryan :) Being something of a shmup fan I've actually played these (although Galaga '88 rather than '91) and I agree they're all splendid. My favourite is probably Super Fantasy Zone but I also like Air Zonk - it has among the best graphics and music I've seen/heard on the Engine :)
Thanks, Simon! I thought you may have played all of these--which is a good thing, as I think they're all magnificent examples of the genre.
As for Air Zonk and its greatness: I certainly can't disagree with you there. Have you tried Coryoon, BTW? It was made by the same folks and also is brilliant. Too bad actual, physical copies of it cost an arm and a leg these days :|
I've played it briefly via emulation, yes. I quickly realised it was great and decided to save it for a while. I do that with some games so I don't rush through them all too quickly :P
Twinkle Star Sprites is a brilliant concept that deserved more attention. There was a sequel but I'm sad to say that I never got a chance to play it.
I oughta give some of the old Sega Genesis shooters a spin. I remember enjoying Hellfire, although it was an abusive love interest! (Those Duomazov guys claim that the TurboDuo version is better, but that version felt like it had been defanged. They should have called it Honey I Shrunk the Difficulty!)
Oh, that sounds like a good idea to me, Simon! Also, I think you'll like it even more once you've given it a thorough playthrough :)
I agree wholeheartedly RE: Twinkle Star Sprites, Jess. And, yes, I know about the Japanese PS2 sequel, too. In fact, writing this post reminded me that I need to pick up a copy of it sometime soon.
As for Hellfire, I've never played any version of it, sadly. I have to admit some of that is due to the design of its main ship (a strange reason to avoid a game, I admit), but maybe I should just get over that and give it a go, huh?
It's an ugly game, no question of that. Toaplan had a peculiar art style... even Snow Bros. looked a little bizarre because of it. Still better than UPL games, where all the ships looked like 1950s home appliances.
Ah, yes, Toaplan! That makes sense now. Like you said, even Snow Bros., a game I've grown to enjoy/appreciate in recent months, looks pretty darn peculiar. Still, if Hellfire's controls well enough and is enjoyable, I really should give it a try sometime.
Yep :) It's probably about time to review another Engine shmup actually. Magical Chase is another I'm eager to review but have been saving. Have you played that one? It's like Cotton except it's good :P
I've played a bit of Magical Chase via emulation, Simon. I like it, but I also find it underwhelming. Or maybe it's that it's kind of a mishmash in terms of design? I don't know, maybe I'll give it another try soon. Even if I change my mind about it, though, I can guarantee I won't be buying a copy anytime soon!
It was never one of my favorite genres, so I don't have many shoot 'em ups. I bought the NES game Life Force for the 3DS Virtual Console -- I played that one a lot in my youth -- and I have Flying Hamster on the Vita, but otherwise it's kind of empty unless stuff like Contra counts.
That's understandable, Terry. It wasn't my favorite genre growing up either. I really didn't jump aboard until cute 'em ups like Parodius made their way into my consciousness. Have you ever tried any of them, by the way? Games like Parodius or Pop'n TwinBee or the like? Maybe you'd like those more than the ones you've tried so far...
Oof, it's a bit pricey then is it? I don't really keep up with the prices of game these days. I like it anyway, I love the graphical style:)
Oh, yes. It's one of the priciest PCE games around, if not the priciest. There aren't any on eBay right now, but I think complete copies tend to go for more than $200 these days. (Also, the US release is even pricier, I think.)
By the way, which version have you been playing--the Japanese or US one? I ask because there are some differences between the two! They changed the scenery of the first stage in the US release, for instance, and also slightly altered the main sprite.
I'm not sure to be honest, I'll check later :P
Yes, do so! It's not like the two versions are hugely different, mind you, but they're different enough that you may want to try both if you like the game quite a bit.
That reminds me! You ever play The Game Paradise? (cha-ding!) It's a video game that parodies industry trends. One stage spoofs retro games ("32-bit processor captured by 8-bit processor!") while another has you shoot the words out of the mouth of a karaoke singer. It's a bog standard shooter but the imagery makes it all worthwhile. (The Saturn version is the best one by far, but the arcade game will at least give you a taste of the action.)
I believe I played a smidgen of it via emulation, Jess, although I can't remember which version. I remember not being blown away by it, but that's about it. Maybe I should give it another go sometime soon?
I probably should do the same with Star Parodia for the PCE CD. I was obsessed with that game before it was released way back when, but when I finally got my hands on a copy of it many years later, I couldn't help but find it underwhelming. Still, I kind of feel like I didn't give it a proper shot. Do you have any thoughts on this one, BTW?
::cough:: Guardian Legend ::cough::
Great list! On the NES-front, ever tried King's Knight? It's a kinda a goofball fantasy RPG-themed SHMUP, but it's cheap, and more importantly beatable.
But, yeah, I'm basically set aside the rest of the month to trying to clear Recca, now that it's $5, instead of $500...
You know, A-Lx, I've never played Guardian Legend! I remember seeing it available for rent at the local grocery store as a kid, but the box art and even the screenshots on the back of the box kind of turned me off of it. I know lots of people love it, though, so maybe I'll finally get the damn thing soon :)
As for King's Knight, that's an early Square release, right? If so, I've definitely heard of it and even seen screens of it, but I'm not sure I've ever played it. So, maybe I'll add that to my ever-growing to-buy list as well.
I'm guessing the version of Recca you're talking about is the one that's available on the 3DS eShop? If so, it must be nice to not have to hand over $500 for it, right? If only some PCE shooters would make the same leap--like Coryoon and Magical Chase XD
Ugh. Yeah, the American box art is one of those classic instances where they decided that young boys wouldn't buy a game w/a girl or cartoon on the cover, and instead went with the first airbrush they found on the cutting room floor of Dragon Magazine. (´；ω；`)
The Japanese box art is an incredible, almost Amano or Geiger-esque depiction of the main character. It's not my favourite illustration from a Famicom box (that's probably Madara), but it's definitely in the top 5.
(there should be a link or imbedded image there...)
Oh, yes, I've seen the Famicom box art for this game, A-Lx, and I agree that it's pretty darn amazing. And of course you're right about what the company did to the American release. Of course, back then, that kind of thing was so common that few if any folks complained about it :|
Well, it's not a particularly innovative game... just another bomb-bomb-bomb-die shooter in the tradition of Raiden. But it's good for a few chuckles at least. I actually liked Game Paradise 2, but yeah, the switch to polygons does take some of the character out of it.
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