Vertical vs. Horizontal Shmups

After coming home from the arcade and having super happy fun time w/Raiden Fighters Jet, Strikers 1945 Plus, and Giga Wing 2, i'm in the grips of Shmup Fever (for those who don't know, it's a rare Southeast Asian affliction that includes spewing little pink balls everywhere and constantly hearing a woman who speaks poor English shouting "POWER UP!" inside your head). So I played my SNES all last night in an effort to cure myself but all i own are horizontal shmups. I had a good time w/UN Squadron and Darius Twin but i started thinking about horizontal vs. vertical shmups

My conclusion: I enjoy vertical shmups more. I'm also better at them and i'm not exactly sure why; more reflex based (in general), maybe? It sucks though; i haven't played nearly the amount of shooters as many here, so i'd like to hear some more experienced viewpoints...

edit-shit, next time i should search BEFORE i post a new topic...oh well, the old one wasn't a poll...

heh

http://www.neo-geo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69093&

anyway
always a pleasure speaking about shmups
voted vertical

Well, I like them ALL, but I seem to do better at horizontal shmups since they tend to be slightly slower and more paced than vertical shooters. Many vertical shooters for me are simply too frenzied for me to enjoy, or excel at (Mars Matrix being the exception).

I've got a flimsy theory that this stems from my glasses. The way my lenses are crafted I have a constricted vertical plane of view so its easier for me to take in the visual information of a horizontal shmup (bullets flying from right to left) rather than a vertical shmup (bullets flying top to bottom, or in some cases, every fucking direction at once). This is also probably the reason that when I first got a chance to play Zero Gunner 2 a few weeks ago I felt like a baby on drugs fumbling with its controls.

Voted horizontal.

For the most part: Vertical. However, my Fave shooter is Winds of Thunder, which is of course, Horizontal. Fave Vert shooter? Guwange!

Definitely vertical for me.

Buro Destruct said:

Well, I like them ALL, but I seem to do better at horizontal shmups since they tend to be slightly slower and more paced than vertical shooters. Many vertical shooters for me are simply too frenzied for me to enjoy, or excel at (Mars Matrix being the exception).

I've got a flimsy theory that this stems from my glasses. The way my lenses are crafted I have a constricted vertical plane of view so its easier for me to take in the visual information of a horizontal shmup (bullets flying from right to left) rather than a vertical shmup (bullets flying top to bottom, or in some cases, every fucking direction at once). This is also probably the reason that when I first got a chance to play Zero Gunner 2 a few weeks ago I felt like a baby on drugs fumbling with its controls.

Voted horizontal.

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if a shooter is TOO crazy, i don't like it either, but for some reason, "manic" shmups (and thus vertical shmups, for the most part) are easier for me to play well. DoDonPachi is the perfect example (although i admit i've only played teh romz): it can be hard as hell for me, but if i get into that groove, i can go a level w/o taking a hit which is a success for me...

the "groove" is an interesting thing. I find i start to play really well when i focus on my ship and basically pound the fire button as fast as possible (this is why i usually kick ass in boss fights). I don't look at the wacky enemies or the cool backgrounds; dodging incoming bullets are the only priority and both powerups and enemies get collected or shot because of the random movement of the ship. I can't count how many times i've died while getting greedy and trying to grab an out of the way powerup. It's cool how a shooter can almost be like a fighter in that sometimes you have to be patient and wait for the lull or opening in order to get your shot in...

of course, the focus on straight dodging can backfire cuz the less enemies you shoot, the more bullets on sceen at once. THus, i start to really get in the groove when, after focusing on my ship, i start to expand my field of concentration to include the rest of screen. This sounds strange, but i swear that is how i do it: start out staring at my ship and then gradually take in the rest of the action...it's hard when all i want to do is look at the pretty colors, but it saves quarters (or controllers at home)...

btw, babies on drugs rock

Too many nice shooters.

Final Soldier is my fav shooter, but most of the other shooters I like are horizontal.

I'd tie them.

Thunder Force III and IV are some of my fav too, but I can't forget Raiden I & II...

Bleh! Tie.

Verts are definitely my rough delite, mainly because I'm better at them. Games like Raiden series, Elemental Master, Dangun Feveron, ESP Ra.De, Guwange, Gunbird 2, RS, etc are fave games period. I love horis too (especially Gates of Thunder, Winds of Thunder, Border Down, Sengoku Blade) but for whatever reason, I'm not as solid a player at them.

As Buro Destruct said above, this probably has to do with the "slow-paced"/"manic" divide - I tend to be better at shmups with bullet-filled screens than the slower ones (which tend to be horis). Massive bullet spreads seem to get me in the shmup mental zone faster (you know, where you start rhythmically dodging patterns as they fly out), which bumps up my skills.

Vertical.

*If a game is done right "Horizontal" then cool, but I prefer going up the screen. BUT vertical has it's down sides when played on SuperGuns and you have to flip your damned TV or devoted monitor on it's side to play them.

MERCENARY X99

Vertical. Thank Ikaruga for that.

Vertical. Horizontal shmups just dont feel right.

I like Vertical slightly better, but I also like Horizontal
( Blazing Star & Pro-Gear)

i do things better w/ vertical and sometimes horizontal

Defender's horizontal, so horizontal it is!

Definitely Vertical. The best games IMO have been Vertical, ie: Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga, Battle Garegga, Mars Matrix, Donpochi, Dondonpachi. I honestly think that this was just an evolution of Shmps as we know it cuz it seems that a lot of the Old-School Shmps were horizontal based...and hard as hell. HyperDuel, R-Type, Gradius, etc. And you can def have more fun w/ a 2nd player on a Vertical.

Sundance said:

And you can def have more fun w/ a 2nd player on a Vertical.

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I can guarantee that sentiment will change once you get your hands on Gradius V.

Vertical.............for me..

Went Vertical here. I am much, much, much better at Horizontal shmups, but I have more fun with Verts. I wish I were better at shmups in general, but my lack of skill will never keep me from enjoying the genre

Q-

Mercenary X99 said:

Vertical.

*If a game is done right "Horizontal" then cool, but I prefer going up the screen. BUT vertical has it's down sides when played on SuperGuns and you have to flip your damned TV or devoted monitor on it's side to play them.

MERCENARY X99

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I actually have a dedicated TV for such things. Gotta love the Tate mode!

Vertical. No two ways about it.

Gotta go with the majority and say vertical as well

Vertical, all the way.

Vertical, Dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou, Shikigami no Shiro 2,

But my favorite shooter is G Darius, which is horizontal.... But I think I generally like vertical better.

Vertical man

Parodius, Gradius, Life Force (Salamander), Darius, PulStar, etc.

ClassicMode1985 said:

Vertical man

Parodius, Gradius, Life Force (Salamander), Darius, PulStar, etc.

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Those are all horizontal shooters.