Shoot Em Up
Here we have all the games in the Shoot Em Up Section.
PS2
Shoot Em Up
High production values with fine attention to detail in the landscapes all interlaced with top draw GCI cut scenes adds up to a superlative sapping experience. A strategical element is added to the frantic, frenetic shooter action in that wing weapons must be selected in accordance with the level awaiting. Half way through the level the mother ship will drop in though for a well needed health boost and a opportunity to reconfigure for the intelligent bosses that vary their assaults. As is the way with modern shooters, dicing with death is actively encouraged as the multiplier spirals out of control by shooting the ships when they are really too close for comfort.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Highly impressive dog fight game which convinces of depth very well as you lead your squadron into the screen. The cloud formation and perspective combine very cleverly and give a real sense of motion. A beady eye must also be kept on the sea in order to drop a skimming bomb into enemy vessels to give them a few problems to deal with rather than taking pop shots at your fighter plane.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
With the series having started as Moon Cresta, followed by Terra Cresta, we now have Sol Cresta and the outer space galaxy setting looks superb as a background to the frantic on screen blasting action. Vertically scrolling and making fine use of modern hardware to flip around some serious hardware that our vessel must take down. Great to see so many fine shooters being released for all to savour.
PS4
Shoot Em Up
With the series having started as Moon Cresta, followed by Terra Cresta, we now have Sol Cresta and the outer space galaxy setting looks superb as a background to the frantic on screen blasting action. Vertically scrolling and making fine use of modern hardware to flip around some serious hardware that our vessel must take down. Great to see so many fine shooters being released for all to savour.
Brilliant Mega Drive
Shoot Em Up
Going back to the halcyon era of the crack MD developer Wolf Team and re-releasing this 1992 space-based, side scrolling shoot em up. Genki thought we had mis-spelled its Mega CD sister title Sol Feace all these years, but Sol Deace only made it to North America on cart form apparently. The chip tunes alone are something to behold and the waves of enemy swarms judged perfectly by the developers before the boss rush.
Brilliant Switch
Shoot Em Up
The legendary 16 and 32Bit shoot em up Sonic Wings gets rebooted for a revival flight in this updated retro reunion with the cityscapes looking superbly rotoscoped. The plane theme is done too perfection with a variety of planes and pilots to add to the explosion excitement, all looking very militaristic in TATE mode.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
The legendary 16 and 32Bit shoot em up Sonic Wings gets rebooted for a revival flight in this updated retro reunion with the cityscapes looking superbly rotoscoped. The plane theme is done too perfection with a variety of planes and pilots to add to the explosion excitement, all looking very militaristic in TATE mode.
Sega Saturn
Shoot Em Up
Vertically scrolling shmup with smashing characterisation to spice up the on screen onslaught. Twelve colourful characters in all to choose from in this very special package.
Sega Saturn
Shoot Em Up
Up there with the best of Saturn blast fests, which is no mean feat. Unique lock on system allows you to unleash untold destruction. Massive bosses. Clever sprite scaling makes for a great looking Tokyo to fly over as enemies scale in and out of range. Lovely attention to detail as shrapnel plummets to earth.
PC Engine HU Card
Shoot Em Up
Genki doesn’t remember any shortage of 100 Yen coins, nor 10 Pence pieces for that matter; just a strange, cigarette burnt machine in the middle of the local toy shop. A must for any self respecting retro heads collection as a true piece of gaming history. Subtitled ‘The Revival Day’, additions include powerups and vector graphics.
PC Engine Super CD ROM
Shoot Em Up
Superb shooter where players get to customise a mean mecha robot instead of relying on power ups to blast bits out of the opposition. Like Assault Suits Valken on the SFC, fellow fighters will come to the players aid as the plot unfolds through the slickly produced cut sequences. Backgrounds are full of inspiration and very well executed with parallax scrolling to put many programmers to shame. A master blaster.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Fast and frantic shooting action as the submarine drops bombs and launches torpedoes to try and keep on top of things. The speed the Famicom shifts the non screen action around impresses and the sprite based simplicity keeps the gameplay uncluttered and adds a visual charm. Plus the distinctive underwater locales keep this feeling as fresh as the school of angler fish awaiting.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Classic old school shooter from the kings of the Famicom era Hudson that ruled the roost with fast paced, arcade shooting action, to paraphrase from the era. Superb box art and good, wholesome gameplay.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Classic old school shooter from the kings of the Famicom era Hudson that ruled the roost with fast paced, arcade shooting action, to paraphrase from the era. Superb box art and good, wholesome gameplay.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
The Famicom’s answer to Star Wars as pilots take a cockpit view of this shooter to take down a suspiciously familiar looking man-made star. A simple cursor approach with a radar, but due to a lack of license, you’ll have to hum your own theme tune as you take down the enemy hordes.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Highly collectable original Famicom version. The graphical limitations made programmers work hard on gameplay where Star Soldier excels. The robotic brain pays a visit at the end of level mutating into a bigger, badder boss as you progress. The whole epic series started here.
Super Famicom
Shoot Em Up
Star Fox utilised the new FX chip to the maximum producing a tight 3D shooter worthy of the Nintendo branding. As with all Nintendo classics, the gameplay is introduced to you gradually as you slowly begin to master control of the nippy airwing. Great control sees you weaving between buildings, skirting under bridges and taking on fruit machines in no time… With lavish presentation including banter with your fellow animal wing men, Starfox is a Super Famicom must have.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Beautiful gaming world looking straight out of a Miyazaki anime such as Porco Rosso with all manner of flying contraptions that keeps the action fresh. In the Mega Drive version players had two vessels to choose from: the land bombing plane or the air mine depositing Zeppelin each whose advantages must be weighed against the needs of the mission ahead. Lovingly presented in a wartime movie style, the overall package oozes quality of a bygone era now lovingly brought to the burgeoning roster of Switch shooters.
Brilliant Switch
Shoot Em Up
Beautiful gaming world looking straight out of a Miyazaki anime such as Porco Rosso with all manner of flying contraptions that keeps the action fresh. In the Mega Drive version players had two vessels to choose from: the land bombing plane or the air mine depositing Zeppelin each whose advantages must be weighed against the needs of the mission ahead. Lovingly presented in a wartime movie style, the overall package oozes quality of a bygone era now lovingly brought to the burgeoning roster of Switch shooters.
Playstation
Shoot Em Up
Vertically scrolling tribute to the Capcom 194x series but still a refreshing change from the reoccurring outer space theme. Improved aurally and visually over the prequel, with little sign of any slowdown regardless of the relentlessness of the on going aerial assault. A competent conversion of the coin grabbing arcade.
PC Engine CD ROM
Shoot Em Up
Outer space meets the Atlantic Ocean in this vintage series full of robotic aquatic creatures of the deep that appear to be rejected prototypes for Tomy’s latest toy range.
Super Famicom
Shoot Em Up
Conversion of the arcade monolith based on part two with an extra intro level. Tough and unforgiving, but the true shmup fan wouldn’t have it any other way. Never has Genki been so grateful for slowdown to get out of the many tight fixes that must come with trying to contain the expansion of the Bydo Empire in R-Type.
PC Engine Super CD ROM
Shoot Em Up
Hudson have performed a commendable job of converting the Seibu Kaihatsu sprite shooter adding in the CD quality soundtrack over the standard Hu Card release. Only those most grizzled gaming vets need apply – especially if you can keep your eyes on two different areas of the screen at once and have a steady trigger finger when it comes to the surface bombs. (Apologies for the poor cover images – the reflective cover doesn’t scan well.)
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Fine sequel that pushes the boundaries with isometric backgrounds and good variation in the setting with skyscrapers brushing the players vessel, carvings from Aztec era South America, dense jungles and blue lagoons. Players disembark to explore the levels properly and the on foot action is well complimented by the bash and blast shooting.
PC Engine HU Card
Shoot Em Up
As the first in the series on the Engine, this hasn’t aged quite as well as Final Soldier and Soldier Blade, but its nippy gameplay has withstood the test of time. Eight intense levels as you fly over a giant spaceship not knowing where the next attack will be launched from. One hit takes out your upgradable weapon, the next – destruction. Has two and five minute score challenge modes for those who wished to brush up their skills for the gaming equivalent of Woodstock – the Caravan contest. Updated to the PSP, but that brain boss keeps haunting us.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Granada, Psychic Storm, Gaiares and Avenger make for a roster well-worth revisiting and not just for vintage gamers. Gaiares will delight many yet to sample its charms, yet all stand tall in this fine back roster from cult cracker Telenet.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Granada, Psychic Storm, Gaiares and Avenger make for a roster well-worth revisiting and not just for vintage gamers. Gaiares will delight many yet to sample its charms, yet all stand tall in this fine back roster from cult cracker Telenet.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Kiaidan 00 was a rare PC Engine title even back in the day, so its happy days many can discover its power laser rays. Final Zone II is a gritty run and gun overhead scroller – you can almost taste the metal of the grenade pin in your mouth as you pile in all guns blazing. Browning is also of the PC Engine stable along side Legion, which shows Telenet’s fair hand at shoot em ups.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Switch
Shoot Em Up
Kiaidan 00 was a rare PC Engine title even back in the day, so its happy days many can discover its power laser rays. Final Zone II is a gritty run and gun overhead scroller – you can almost taste the metal of the grenade pin in your mouth as you pile in all guns blazing. Browning is also of the PC Engine stable along side Legion, which shows Telenet’s fair hand at shoot em ups.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
A vintage vertical scroller that pulls up its bar stool and satisfactorily sups its tipple, safe in the knowledge that what it does, it does very well. Don’t expect any favours, but it does make a great adventure.