Most difficult shmups you've ever played?

Liquid Snake

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I have to say PC Engine has the most difficult shmups titles:
- rayxanber ii (it took me a long time to pass level two. I've heard level 4 is impossible to pass)
- rayxanber iii
- image fight ii (barely pass level one.....)

Neo Geo
- Pulstar (needless to say......)
 

kuze

Akari's Big Brother
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Ketsui, such a difficult but rewarding game. Probably my favorite of the Cave library.
 

suicidekiller

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DoDonPachi DaiOuJou. Already the first boss is quite a toughie if you ask me. Needless to say the forthcoming stages don't make the game any easier.
 

BladeDancer314

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The PC engine has some seriously difficult shooters, add the fact that I'm no good at them and well...

Donpachi and dodonpachi I can usually stay alive longer in those than I can the old PC engine shooters.
 

Yagyu Jubei

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I suck a shmups in general but I always have a blast playing them.

Battle Garegga
DDP Daioujyou
Pulstar
Ikaruga
Mars Matrix
Mushihimesama Futari
 

K-2

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Terra Cresta 2 on PCE is a real bitch of a game. Nexzr is damn difficult on the Super CD
 

cdamm

Trust the French?
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recca is shockingly fast for an nes game and confusing backgrounds can lead to some very cheap deaths. i'm usually good to the third stage before i'm gone just because of sheer memorization.
 

cat

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There are quite a few i could pick from but for one's i play on a regular basis.
Gunbird 2
Ikaruga
mushihimesama.
I would love to be better at these games but can only get as far as stage 2/3 on 1 credit on all of them.
 

oliverclaude

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I suck a shmups in general but I always have a blast playing them.

Exactly, almost everybody does, yet, it is by far the most favorite genre, worldwide. Granted, there's no language barrier but that cannot explain this incredible popularity alone. So, what's the deal? Here are some thoughts...

-- aforementioned language barrier is missing

-- despite a tsunami of sub rules regarding score systems, boss & suicide tactics, weapon choices, chaining, enemy patterns etc., etc. the basics are pretty easy: shoot them down, before they shoot you

-- game structure is like a nice action flick, freshly defrosted from the Reagan era: weapons, bullets, explosions everywhere combined with the one-man-against-whole army aesthetics, garnished with exceptionally bright colors

-- zeitgeist dictates: everything 2d is great and it's not going to get more 2d, than a good old shmup

-- it's really cool to collect, because of its consistent designs; like in a western movie, everything is always the same, just each time in a different wardrobe

-- above all, it is about destroying pretty things...

None of the above? Or can one of these undress the secret...?
 

MuppeT

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Top Gun for the NES .. try landing and refueling without breaking your TV or controller :keke:
 

nug

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I started dabbling with touhou. What a mistake that was. Really kicked the crap out of my ego
 

wyo

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Out of the ones I own and have spent time with, Ibara and DDP DOJ. The older Toaplan games are no joke either when it comes to difficultly. Tatsujin is particularly brutal.
 

Ip Man

BBLLOOOO__HHAARRDDDDDD!!!!,
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the last two levels of every shooter that i have ever played.
 

RAZO

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I have to say PC Engine has the most difficult shmups titles:
- rayxanber ii (it took me a long time to pass level two. I've heard level 4 is impossible to pass)
- rayxanber iii
- image fight ii (barely pass level one.....)

Neo Geo
- Pulstar (needless to say......)

It's funny you mentioned Image Fight II. I actually played it today and couldn't get past the first level. I tried like 5 times and just shut it off.

I beat Spriggan last night. Thank god for unlimited continues and the extra 10 lives cheat code.

Edit: It's 10 lives not 13.
 
Last edited:

city41

Gal Ageise's Demon
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Dimahoo by a mile. It's just utterly brutal. Raizing in general and Yagawa in particular have a style of difficult unlike anything else.
 

Kid Panda

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Deadly Edge for the X68000. I don't think that game has a second level.
 

Jibbajaba

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Deadly Edge for the X68000. I don't think that game has a second level.

I wanted to post that, but couldn't remember the name of the game. Didn't know that Satan was a game developer in his spare time.
 

Opethian

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rayxanber III is easy just charge shot homing in levels and learn what weapons bosses are weak against

Image Fight II gets ridiculously easy when you learn the item crash bug ^_^
 

Liquid Snake

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It's funny you mentioned Image Fight II. I actually played it today and couldn't get past the first level. I tried like 5 times and just shut it off.

This is the only shmups i want to throw my controller. First time played it and i died after 10 seconds......i was like WTF??!!!!
 

Liquid Snake

I am untouchable
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rayxanber III is easy just charge shot homing in levels and learn what weapons bosses are weak against

Image Fight II gets ridiculously easy when you learn the item crash bug ^_^


You must be a genius...........
 

Bill Kilgore

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Viewpoint for me. I'm surprised nobody mentioned it already.
 

Opethian

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You must be a genius...........

Rayxanber II is a beast even if you know what weapons to use where. I think the original Rayxanber on FMT is even harder. Wish it was ported to the PCE I think it could handle it
 
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