My fav shootemups (post your own to)

[AlwaysAce]

Ikaruga- as it's the only one i've really played for for than 10 mins, and looks amazing on the dreamcast via VGA.

if you like that via vga then try border down, that knocked my socks off

[Kotatsu Neko]

Ikaruga (DC) - One of my fav games of all time. A masterpiece, perfection. Also perhaps the most difficult but fair game ever.

Radiant Silvergun (SAT) - As above

Parodius Series (SAT) - It's Gradius with added Japaneseness. (is that a word?)

Gradius 5 (PS2) - I really should buy a proper pad, but other than dual shock pain, this is inspired.

Gradius 2 - (PCE) - Pure Gradius magic, and with a superb soundtrack

Salamander 2 (SAT) - Very short, but very sweet.

Thunderforce 4 (MD) - Still one of the best looking games around. Perhaps the best horizontal shooter ever made too.

Sokyugerentai (SAT) - So difficult it hurts, but I love it all the same.

Nanostray (DS) - New entry! An homage to shooters, and an instant classic.

[bingowings]

rRootage probably my most played game on any format. knocks pretty much any other shooter into a hatted cock. simple graphics with simple gameplay mechanics albeit blagged from a few other games, but it reproduces them so well.
DoDonPachi thanks to the joyous wonders of MacMAME i can now play this. doesn't last long, and is so loud and so stupid you have to love it. then you notice the hit counter...
Ikaruga the whole thing just smells of quality. wonderfully balanced - you get just a little bit further each time you play it.
P.N.03 well, i class it as a shooter. again lasts no time at all, then you begin to experiment and wheel about the screen like a drunken Chinese arcobat, racking up combo after combo.

[Fastware]

At the risk of another "me too post"

R-type, I discovered this in 1989 on the Master System and it just clicked with me. It's so good to see this game listed many times here.

Thunderforce V, just the right level of difficulty (3, too easy, 4 too hard) and homage to the earlier games in the series.

Radiant Silvergun. So good.

And now, just a list

Ultimate Tiger Megadrive/Arcade
Zero Wing
Gaires
Hellfire
Battle garrega
Twinnbee/Bells N' Whistles
Xevious 3DG+
Darius 1
Strikers 1945 1

I never got on well with the Dodonpatchi/Espra De Ray million bullets onscreen shooters.

[Abhisara]

Horizontal: Area 88/UN Squadron - I can't really say why I like it so much, but everything feels so right. Used to repeatedly borrow it off my mate back in the day, and even now I play it from time to time.

Vertical: Psyvariar Revision - love the implementation of the buzz system here. Haven't fully gotten into Psy2 (yet), otherwise I might be listing that instead.

I would list others, but I like most shooters and it would probably be easier to list the few I didn't enjoy so much.

[Ajay1986]

psyvariar 2

ikaruga

R.Silvergun

[Applefiend]

I shouldn't reply to this as I'm collecting Saturn shooters as we speak, but here's a top 10, excuse my Saturn ignorance. Not in order.

And this thread is better with little pictures.

1 - Einhander - PS1


2 - Raiden 2 - PS1


3 - Radiant Silvergun - Saturn


4 - Darius Gaiden - Saturn


5 - Zero Gunner 2 - Dreamcast


6 - Un Squadron - SNES


7 - Dragon Blaze - Arcades


8 - Fantasy Zone - Sega Master System


9 - Sexy Parodius - Sega Saturn


10 - R Type Final - Playstation 2

[eastyy]

With shooters for me it was all about the weapons, huge bosses, satisfying explosions.
Since psyvarier though it has been all about the hooks such as psyvarier's buzz system, gigawings reflect barrier, dodonpachies hit counter,vasaras hit counter and progears explosion/bullet system.
Do the games einhander and border down have some sort of scoring hook?

[bingowings]

another vote for Psyvariar on the PS2. initially crap and awful to look at, but once you realize that half the game is hidden away thanks to the Buzz, you start playing it like a demon. i enjoyed it so much i even posted some (average) scores on here - something i have never done with any other game. but then i had to sell my PS2 and all was lost.

*scrapes pennies together to buy 2nd hand PS2*

[Geezer]

My favourite 5:

1) Battle Garegga
2) Guwange

The rest are in no particular order:
Espgaluda
Dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou (this game frustrated me for a long time but I love it now)
Mushihimesama (only had this for a day but I already love it )

Can you tell I'm a Cave fan

I'm looking forward to Ibara ^_^

[Bleeders]

In no particular order:- Guwange, Dodonpachi, Dodonpachi Daioujou, ESP Ra De, ESPGaluda, GigaWing Generations, Dangun Feveron, Psyvariar, Psyvariar 2, Gradius V, U.N Squadron, Mushihimesama, Battle Garegga and a vote for the most awful shmup I've played, Transbot on the Master System.

[Rsdio]

Soukyugurentai is my favorite shooter, I could one-credit it fairly consistently at one stage. I couldn't really tell you why I liked it so much, there's other games that clearly better it in most areas but I just liked the 'feel' of it. Hopefully it'll be emulated soon seeing as I flogged all my Saturn stuff a good while ago

[eastyy]

Oh i think i will put a few votes in for stardust ,project x, xenon2 and aphidya for the amiga and hellfire and gynoug for the megadrive.

Was there a enhanced PC engine cd version of hellfire?

[Mr_Sands]

Xenon 2 was great. I so want to play that again.
I've got to say that my favourites are the parodius games for pure strangeness nothing can beat them.

[Tankshell]

My favourite shmups in no particular order:

Project-X (Amiga) - Oooooo the graphics!
Apidya (Amiga) - Ooooooo the music!
R-Type 2 (Amiga) - Love the mother ship stage!
Xenon 2 (Amiga) - Oooooo the super nashwan poewer
SWIV (Amiga) - ****ing great.
Stardust and Super Stardust (Amiga) - Ray traced georgeousness!
Gradius V (Playstation 2) - ****ing hard.
Ikaruga (Dreamcast) - Ooooo the pretty colours!
Radiant Silvergun (Saturn) - Nuff' said.
Philosoma (Playstation) - Under-rated by most. Great little gem this one. Also - best intro FMV EVER!
Iridion 2 (GBA) - Portable bliss.

EDIT# - Also I they are not really space shooters, but Gunstar Heroes (Megadrive), Chaos Engine (Amiga), Killing Game Show (Amiga), Jim Power (Amiga) and Turrican 2 (Amiga) were all ****ing ace.