What's your favourite platform for Shmups?

K-2

Tung's Hair Stylist
10 Year Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2011
Posts
1,047
Garegga on the Saturn tops every shooter on the psx. The only one I wouldn't want to be without is the Japanese Raiden Project. Everything else on the Sony platforms I could give up. PC-Engine beats Genesis and Jap 360 Is a modern classic. My 2 cents.
 

city41

Gal Ageise's Demon
10 Year Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Posts
2,058
And, because the Saturn is "the king of 2D" (blah blah blah) ppl automatically assume the PS1 is incapable of 2D, full-stop, which obviously, isn't true. Especially when it comes to Shoot Em Ups.

I confess to owning all the cross-platform titles on Saturn and the Playstation exclusives. But I did buy some titles for BOTH and was really surprised to see the likes of the Donpachi's were superior on PS1...

Yeah, In the Hunt and Strikers 1945 II are also superior on PSX, probably some others.
 

Poison Sama

The Hentai Christ
20 Year Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2002
Posts
6,631
360.

Has great versions of most of my favorite shmups, plus online leaderboards and in most cases replay uploads/downloads too.
 

Neorebel

Viewpoint Vigilante
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Posts
2,248
This is such a hard question. Ok. Here goes. #1 would be Sega Saturn... Here's why: http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/saturn/sega-saturn-shmups-2d-shooters

Basically, all I need to say is Batsugun, too...

#2 is Dreamcast... I mean, Mars Matrix, Ikaruga, Gunbird 2, and all the late era/indie shooters too.

#3 TG16 - Soldier series, GunHed, Winds/Lords of Thunder, etc

Hon mention: Sega Genesis. I am just getting into this now actually. Absolutely loving MUSHA, Super Fantasy Zone, (thank you Wii VC) Thunderforce series, Truxton, & other Toaplan games.


Edit: PS - PSX and PS2 obviously have a great selection, PS2 espec if you like the Danmaku type of shmup. I just didn't think of it right away because to me by the time those consoles came out my initial fever for those games mellowed out a bit... the excitement wasn't the same.
 
Last edited:

Nyder

Kuroko's Training Dummy
Joined
Sep 9, 2013
Posts
76
Toss up between PS1/Saturn.


Both have must have games that look amazing in RGB/Tate on a CRT.

Lot of good games on PS2, but not liking the 480i.

Nyd
 

wataru330

Mr. Wrestling IV
20 Year Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2003
Posts
9,583
JAMMA. Not being a smart assed curmudgeon, either.
tate mode by default,
240p, no emu/port niggles (which really effect twitch games), and dat G•Darius, son. PSX rev is a fish stick, to the JAMMA rev's tsukiji sashimi.
 
Last edited:

Neorebel

Viewpoint Vigilante
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Posts
2,248
JAMMA. Not being a smart assed curmudgeon, either.
tate mode by default,
240p, no emu/port niggles (which really effect twitch games), and dat G•Darius, son. PSX rev is a fish stick, to the JAMMA rev's tsukiji sashimi.

touche, salesman
 

marktheshark

Morden's Lackey
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Posts
373
The PS2. Lots of great shooters that can be picked up on the cheap via compilations as well as some others. The backwards compatibility with PSX only sweetens the deal.

I really want to play some of the Saturn shmups, but they're out of my budget range.
 

BladeDancer314

Windjammers Wonder
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Posts
1,399
I would have to go with the Sega Saturn at the top.

after that it's a tie with between my turbo duo and dreamcast
 

Ninjainspandex

Sakura's Bank Manager
Joined
Jan 20, 2013
Posts
732
Yeah Saturn wins by a country mile, and in a close second would have to be Dreamcast. Hell they are still coming out with Dreamcast shmups.
 

ColdWolf35

King's Dry Cleaner
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
Posts
386
I have a Saturn that sits next to the Neo. I definitely want to get some imported games, so I can see the great shmups on the system.
 

oldskool

n00b
Joined
May 30, 2011
Posts
25
My personal favorite would have to be the Genesis / Mega Drive.

But I do agree that the Dreamcast / 360 / and PCE have a damn fine line up. Not to mention of course the MVS.

The SNES is crap for shmups. Does it have some good ones? Yeah it does - but not too many to be honest.. a lot of potentials but I think the hardware was just too slow to make a good fast action shmup.
 

DeusVult

Another Striker
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Posts
319
my favourite is the sega Saturn, excellent range of shooters, also used to love my pc engine Mr Heli one of my favourite games ever.
 

moreorless

n00b
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Posts
4
My personal favorite would have to be the Genesis / Mega Drive.

But I do agree that the Dreamcast / 360 / and PCE have a damn fine line up. Not to mention of course the MVS.

The SNES is crap for shmups. Does it have some good ones? Yeah it does - but not too many to be honest.. a lot of potentials but I think the hardware was just too slow to make a good fast action shmup.

I can remember quite a few, UN Squadron, R-type 3, Super Aleste, Axelay, Parodius etc.

The issue I spose is that as you say the SNES wasn't as well suited for fast action so it tended towards more tactical/atmospheric shoot em ups so it depends a lot on your taste. Personally dispite owning a lot of them back in the day a lot of the Megadrive shooters for me lacked polish, the Thunderforce games especially always came across as looking to throw everything and the kitchen sink into the mix without really having finesse of the best SNES titles.
 

plasmapants

Rugal's Thug
Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Posts
94
pc engine is mine, gate of thunder, override, soldier blade, gunhed, super star soldier, lords of thunder, r-type complete to name just a few.
followed by saturn, dreamcast, j360
 

wyo

King of Spammers
10 Year Member
Joined
May 22, 2013
Posts
10,077
I can remember quite a few, UN Squadron, R-type 3, Super Aleste, Axelay, Parodius etc.

The issue I spose is that as you say the SNES wasn't as well suited for fast action so it tended towards more tactical/atmospheric shoot em ups so it depends a lot on your taste. Personally dispite owning a lot of them back in the day a lot of the Megadrive shooters for me lacked polish, the Thunderforce games especially always came across as looking to throw everything and the kitchen sink into the mix without really having finesse of the best SNES titles.

Having had the opportunity to play many Genesis and SNES shmups lately, I'm going to revise my opinion on the SNES. For example, I actually prefer Space Megaforce to MUSHA, and I'm also a big fan of UN Squadron and Axelay. There are a handful of great ones on both systems. The Genesis line up has more depth but you cannot ignore the quality of a select few on the SNES.
 

jekbrown

New Challenger
Joined
Jan 21, 2001
Posts
69
SNES is an underrated system for shooters IMO. I had a lot of fun playing UN squadron and axelay back in the day. No system will ever beat the Saturn though. Radiant Silvergun, soukyugurentai, and battle garegga are the father, son, and holy ghost of shooters. Simply awesome!
 

DeusVult

Another Striker
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Posts
319
un squadron on the snes was amazing.

Saturn has great shooter lineup iam playing cotton2 and guardian force both really good...
 

Metal Slug76

Cheng's Errand Boy
Joined
Jun 13, 2013
Posts
118
Turbo Duo TG16 for US but for JP PC Engine and Saturn.

Lords Of Thunder, Soldier Blade, Cotton some of the best!
 
Top