Shoot Em Up
Here we have all the games in the Shoot Em Up Section.
🥇Game of the Week
Game of the Week Switch
Shoot Em Up
Truly crazy psychedelic shoot ’em up – think Jet Set Radio meets Shibuya street style with some seriously colourful colour schemes thrown in for good measure as Mebius throws a full roster of projectiles at players. A real cult following since its Wii days and well worth a look for those looking for a shooting blast off the usual scale.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Very tough conversion of the arcade vertically scrolling shooter recommended only to grizzled gaming veterans with hardened skin on their thumbs! Beautiful organic backgrounds and well atoned chip tunes to the on-screen tension which is cranked high during the imaginative boss battles.
Dreamcast
Shoot Em Up
Claustrophobic 3D shooter from Scouse software house Rage Software which was one of the first Dreamcast releases. Genki gets motion sickness everytime.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Image Fight, Image Fight 2 and X Multiply make up a trio of highly cherished shoot ’em ups to grace this compilation. Hardened shooters veterans may well have sampled Image Fight and its PC Engine sequel on the PC Engine, but X Multiply is well worth a look as an old school coin-op with imaginative, organic levels.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Image Fight, Image Fight 2 and X Multiply make up a trio of highly cherished shoot ’em ups to grace this compilation. Hardened shooters veterans may well have sampled Image Fight and its PC Engine sequel on the PC Engine, but X Multiply is well worth a look as an old school coin-op with imaginative, organic levels.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Gunforce, Geo Storm and Air Duel are the trio that launch the second instalment of Irem Collection with all guns blazing. Gunforce is a take on the mighty Contra licence, but this time with mech style power suits and massive adversaries to test the architecture to the limits. Tough like Konami’s opus with one hit kills, yet some supreme weaponry soon gets players in the necessary gung-ho spirits. A few tactically placed vehicles also help – its always a joy to tear through enemy lines in motorised, marauding machine. The two-player mode also lifts moral with a bit of teamwork. The coin-op sequel feels like it inspired Metal Slug with its further use of vehicles and some sublime parallax scrolling to boot. Arcade Air Duel looks initially like a 1942 vertical scrolling tribute, before the developer reveals their license to go off the rails with imaginative adversaries.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Irem does have a sublime line of arcade shoot ’em up heritage to raid and this third instalment proves there is plenty still to come with the PC Engine fave Mr Heli, coin-op exclusive Mystic Riders which utilises a broomstick for close up blast encounters and finally Dragon Breed which utilises the shield element of the dragon’s tail in its blasting escapades. Really bring the flavour of the arcade era home to savour.
Nintendo 3DS
Shoot Em Up
Cave seems to have replicated one of its arcade escapades on the 3DS and it looks and plays like a treat. Taking a tank based approach to shooting mayhem, the polygon count could only have been dreamed of on home based, yet alone handheld system, only a generation ago. Power up cards change weaponry and add an extra element to the involvement in a very polished title. Not surprising with input from the creator of Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga.
PC Engine CD ROM
Shoot Em Up
Two player option and spooky speech adds to the atmosphere of this side scrolling shmup from the crack unit of Telenet Japan.
🥇Game of the Week
Brilliant PS4
Shoot Em Up
Horizontal and vertically scrolling shooting action besides a bit of free style 360 blasting courtesy of the mecha suit levels. Looking just as lush as you would expect from one of the biggest licenses in gaming, the attention to graphical detail and avatar input is astounding and squeezes so much out of the system and Macross license.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Horizontal and vertically scrolling shooting action besides a bit of free style 360 blasting courtesy of the mecha suit levels. Looking just as lush as you would expect from one of the biggest licenses in gaming, the attention to graphical detail and avatar input is astounding and squeezes so much out of the system and Macross license.
Dreamcast
Shoot Em Up
Developed by Takumi who produced Gigawing, Mars Matrix encourages you to build up piles of cash to upgrade to new weapons. Collecting in succession has a multiplier effect encouraging paint scorching near-misses. Only grizzled shmup veterans need apply, but the shield option does provide some respite – especially when it fires back enemy projectiles or even doubles as a smart bomb; not without a price of course. And its due to this recharge period that the shield must be tactically used. Lovely Battle Garegga proportion attention to detail with molten shrapnel wizzing past.
PS2
Shoot Em Up
Part of the ‘Ore Tachi Gamesen Zoku’ series (We are the game centre gang – sounds tougher in Japanese!)
PC Engine HU Card
Shoot Em Up
A great little cartoony shooter that allows free movement in the helicopter complete with under carriage feet.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Switch
Shoot Em Up
Mushihimesama was developed by the hardcore’s most coveted Cave and welcomed to the Switch with open arms. Yet the love of the developer by it hardened crew is rarely reciprocated as cruel patterns of projectiles spray across the screen – a hard love that’s for sure. The title translates as Insect Princess and a genetically enhanced horde of creepy crawlies await the pretty princess. As you’d expect multiplier mayhem awaits those prepared to go easy on the smart bombs with the seasoned vet soon clocking up massive scores.
Mega Drive
Shoot Em Up
There’s a certain magic to a plane based shoot ’em up – maybe its the giant enemy planes that must be taken down or the ginormous warships that scale across the screen? But what a Mach speed flight of fancy this treat is being a canned Jaleco 90’s shooter from back in the hey days of the 16Bit wars.
Mega Drive
Shoot Em Up
With only 5,000 copies of the original print rumoured to be in circulation, this is one of the rarer titles for the Mega Drive and the price in Japan of the original often reflects this. Not merely collectable for its low print run though – its the finest shooter on the Mega Drive. The heroine of the title is a witch named Cotton, on a mission to find out why all the sweets have been poisoned. But it times it may seem like Cotton has had a strong dose of dental gas, such are the colourful, almost psychedelic nature of the graphics with genre defining effects. Smashing bosses, clean, creative anime cut scenes, original ‘chase view’ perspective, yet true to its title with free movement – this title is the best example of what the Mega Drive architecture can produce. Michelangelo would surely approve. Thankfully collectors can now own it and not just watch the original with tea cup on Antiques Roadshow.
Super Famicom
Shoot Em Up
Very desirable and highly colourful, saccharine sweet vertical scroller from the ripe old vintage year of 1993. Nice to be reminded of the sunny side of gaming with the release of so many gangster games.
Super Famicom
Shoot Em Up
Very desirable and highly colourful, saccharine sweet vertical scroller from the ripe old vintage year of 1993. Nice to be reminded of the sunny side of gaming with the release of so many gangster games.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Strikers 1945, Strikers 1945 II, Strikers 1999, Zero Gunner 2, Sol Divide and Dragon Blaze will have shooter veterans in raptures. Strikers 1999 and Dragon Blaze are certainly worth further investigation from fans of the old school blaster.
PS4
Shoot Em Up
Strikers 1945, Strikers 1945 II, Strikers 1999, Zero Gunner 2, Sol Divide and Dragon Blaze will have shooter veterans in raptures. Strikers 1999 and Dragon Blaze are certainly worth further investigation from fans of the old school blaster.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Gunbird, Gunbird 2, Gunbarich, Sengoku Ace, Sengoku Cannon and Sengoku Blade on show like a yakuza’s tattoos as Psikyo whips its shirt off and flexes its back-catalogue muscles. Genki loves the Sengoku series varied locales and ships that combine the future and past of Japan in one crazy melee.
PS4
Shoot Em Up
Gunbird, Gunbird 2, Gunbarich, Sengoku Ace, Sengoku Cannon and Sengoku Blade on show like a yakuza’s tattoos as Psikyo whips its shirt off and flexes its back-catalogue muscles. Genki loves the Sengoku series varied locales and ships that combine the future and past of Japan in one crazy melee.
PC Engine Super CD ROM
Shoot Em Up
Seven levels in all in this verticle blaster with a well crafted organic feel in contrast to the usual space stations. The sea level is also worthy of a mention for squeezing every drop out of the Engine hardware so well. Some cracking power ups but they are drip fed to you in game to make sure they are fully appreciated. The ship is capable of bulking up to looking more like a mechanical cicada insect. A very tidy, if little known, shooter underlining Telenet’s cult popularity.
PS2
Shoot Em Up
Combines two releases together of Psyvariar Medium Unit and Psyvariar Revision on this bumper disk. The original conversion of Medium Unit was most welcomed by shooter starved PS2 gamers. Introduced the much vaunted ‘buzz’ system where bullets can be deflected away by the ships wings to boost scoring and powering up the ship. As such it is only the core element of the ship which can be destroyed encouraging you to dice a little more. Revision mproves on the prequels visuals crisping them up as well as adding the multiple buzz system where bullets can be deflected more than once to power up more quickly. With the danger area on your ship that needs protecting smaller than in previous incarnations you can take greater chances and really get involved in some serious projectile patterns. Such ferocious volleys of bullets cause some psychedelic patterns looking great with the lights down low and the stereo rigged up to the trancey soundtrack.
PS4
Shoot Em Up
Despite some tidy 3D trickery, Psyvariar is a strictly 2D shooter with old school play mechanics. The array of options spoils shmup fans with tate vertical mode and two player option, besides dangerous play seemingly rewarded. Hard for an old school gamer like Genki to get our lengthening teeth into encouraging risk taking, but many modern minded gamers will be fine and flourish with the concept.
PS4
Shoot Em Up
Achieves an incredible sense of 3D depth to this top blaster with cunning use of polygons that get effortlessly tossed around on screen for some stunning ships to take down. The barrage of bullets look beautiful against the black of deep space and this is well worthy of a look for even the most grizzled of shooter veterans.
Miscellaneous Games
Shoot Em Up
The arcade classic R-Type gets a miraculous handheld conversion. The sheer originality of Irem’s opus has yet to be bettered. Who can forget the level one alien embryo boss?
PS2
Shoot Em Up
Final finale for Irem’s vintage R-Type series with its distinctive projectile orb that can project the ship or be fired out to get amongst the enemy drone waves. The colour coded power ups are intact as is the tough nut challenge even with a fleet of nippy vessels to unlock and pick from. Keeping to its 2D principles the action twists and turns viciously at times to keep you firmly hovering over the fire button with such devious variations in scroll direction. Graphically gorgeous and a fitting tribute.
PS4
Shoot Em Up
True to its roots with organic bosses and power ups to bring back the nostalgia. The cut-scenes are a delight and the thrill of illuminating a dank, claustrophobic corner of the level with laser pyrotechnics is a delight.