Shooters: Hu vs CD

[Bonknuts]

Ok, this needs to be discussed:

I found this supposedly complete list:
http://archives.tg-16.com/complete_list_of_tg16_pce_shooters.htm
of PCe shooters, and there's a good deal more of them in Hucard format than CD. True a few epic games, such as Lords/Gate of Thunder, Star Parodier, hell even Cho Aniki as well as others, are only available on CDROM, and a few of the Hueys might be garbage, or barely fit in the SHMUP genre if at all, but there seems to be a lot to love available on Hucard, SHMUP or otherwise, and Hudson did continue to release games on Hucard for as long as the Duo was in production, both in Japan and US.

 Ok, Top tier CD vs top tier Hucard scooters, then 2nd tier, 3rd tier, etc.

My list...

-Top tier CD shmups in no particular order:

Gate of Thunder
Lords Of Thunder
Cotton
Spriggan
Spriggan Mark 2
Gradius 2
Sapphire
Macross 2036
Sylphia
Star Parodia
Kiaiden 00
Rayxanber III
Nexzr
Forgotten Worlds
Super Raiden
Super Darius II (I like this one, but it barely makes the top tier list)


-Top tier Hucard shmups in no particular order:
Blazing Lazers
Super Star Soldier
Final Soldier
Soldier Blade
Parodius
TwinBee
AeroBlasters
Air Zonk
Magical Chase
R-Type


NOTE: The link in that quote isn't the full list of shooters, and there are about 6 titles that don't belong on that list. Shmups.com has a better list (hu list and CD list)

[Black Tiger]

I agree about Super Darius II, but it is indeed "epic" on a level that no HuCards approach.

Don't forget about

Download 2
R-Type Complete CD
Cho Aniki
Ai Cho Aniki
Rayxanber II


HuCard:

Download


Really, Super Darius /Plus is also epic in a way unique for the generation. But so many other CD games could be included as well if you're judging the overall experiences and not ignoring aesthetics and atmosphere altogether.

[jtucci31]

Tatsujin is best hucard shooter.

Aldynes is great if you still want to consider it in the Hu category  (which it should be)

[esteban]

NOTE: The link in that quote isn't the full list of shooters, and there are about 6 titles that don't belong on that list. Shmups.com has a better list (hu list and CD list)

I think I missed Toy Shop Boys? Power Gate? Or something like that.... (I thought it would be funny to leave *one* off the list...but I may have missed more? Damn. That was not intentional.)

But what are the six to strike?

Note: I intentionally included games that are not "shmup", but would appeal to folks who like shmups (like rail shooter Space Harrier). They are labeled as such.

[Gypsy]

I agree about Super Darius II, but it is indeed "epic" on a level that no HuCards approach.

Don't forget about

Download 2
R-Type Complete CD
Cho Aniki
Ai Cho Aniki
Rayxanber II


HuCard:

Download


Really, Super Darius /Plus is also epic in a way unique for the generation. But so many other CD games could be included as well if you're judging the overall experiences and not ignoring aesthetics and atmosphere altogether.

Completely agree. The gameplay in Ai Cho Aniki takes some getting used to but it's a great game. Want to play the others you mentioned but haven't yet.

[Black Tiger]

I don't recommend R-Type CD, but it technically looks and plays like the PCE HuCard R-Types.

Download 2 is one of the systems killer apps and there's nothing else quite like it in the 16-bit generation.

[Otaking]

Hana Taka Daka

[spenoza]

I don't think ANY of the 16-bit ports of Raiden are particularly outstanding shooters, Super Raiden included, so I would probably not include it  : )

[esteban]

I don't think ANY of the 16-bit ports of Raiden are particularly outstanding shooters, Super Raiden included, so I would probably not include it  : )

You are crazy!

Even if you don't like Raiden, you cannot deny how awesome the PCE port is.

I played Raiden in the arcade all the time.

The TG-16 version did not feel like a cheap, inferior joke.

It was a very competent downgrade, sure, but perfectly respectable.

[StarDust4Ever]

Ok, this needs to be discussed:

[...]

-Top tier Hucard shmups in no particular order:
Blazing Lazers
Super Star Soldier
Final Soldier
Soldier Blade
Parodius
TwinBee
AeroBlasters
Air Zonk
Magical Chase
R-Type


NOTE: The link in that quote isn't the full list of shooters, and there are about 6 titles that don't belong on that list. Shmups.com has a better list (hu list and CD list)

Pretty good list. I'd like to add Galaga 88/90 to the Hucard list as even though it's single screen, it's a fantastic game if you're a fan of single screen arcade SHMUPs.

So only Blazing Lazers/Gunhed, Super Star Soldier, and Soldier Blade come highly recommended in the Vertical SHMUP category? All three play very similar so if you love Blazing Lazers and want more, SSS and SB make worthy sequels...

Oh yeah and Twinbee is vertical too I believe. I've now got everything on the list except Twinbee, Aero Blasters, and R-Type (MC is a repro). Aero Blasters and R-type are tough though. Did they combine both R-types in the US?release? I notice the US ROM is bigger than the Japan one. How do I access the second part?

Also any other Hucard Horizontal Cute-Em-Ups come recommended besides the excellent Parodius, Air Zonk, and possibly Coryoon?

[Bonknuts]

Of course, these just preferences/opinion of what you consider top tier. It's not that I don't like other shmups, because I definitely do (Psychic Storm is great), but not all of them are refined softs, etc.

 

I think I missed Toy Shop Boys? Power Gate? Or something like that.... (I thought it would be funny to leave *one* off the list...but I may have missed more? Damn. That was not intentional.)

But what are the six to strike?

Besides some PCFX stuff on there, yeah the games that aren't shooters but might have a shooter stage or two. I don't count those (or Space Harrier, After Burner, etc). Final Zone II is a top down run n' gun - not a shmup.

possibly Coryoon?

Coryoon's ok, but it's not top tier stuffs. Not even close to Air Zonk, which uses the same engine.

Did they combine both R-types in the US release?

Yup. I also like the CD version, but the game is just recycled. They didn't add anything new, or modified or enhance the engine at all! So not top tier. SideArms on CD is better, especially because it has the two modes/games, but I never thought of that game itself as top tier material (although I do like it and used to play it in the arcades as well).

[ccovell]

Did they combine both R-types in the US?release? I notice the US ROM is bigger than the Japan one. How do I access the second part?

Run a flathead screwdriver across the pins on the Turbografx's expansion port.  It'll boot up the 2nd half of R-Type eventually.  (You assume all risk of damage.)

[esteban]

I think I missed Toy Shop Boys? Power Gate? Or something like that.... (I thought it would be funny to leave *one* off the list...but I may have missed more? Damn. That was not intentional.)

But what are the six to strike?

 Besides some PCFX stuff on there, yeah the games that aren't shooters but might have a shooter stage or two. I don't count those (or Space Harrier, After Burner, etc). Final Zone II is a top down run n' gun - not a shmup.

The page is entitled "Complete List of TG-16/PCE Shoot-em-ups/Shmups/Rail Shooters (TurboGrafx-16, PC-Engine, SuperGrafx, PC-FX, LaserActive LD-ROM)"...

I guess you didn't read the "notes" column (or click on the filter labeled "Hidden SHMUPS" at the top of the table)—I wanted to document any stage/mini game/etc. that was a shootemup, even if the game proper was an RPG, platformer, Ultra Box, etc.

http://archives.tg-16.com/complete_list_of_tg16_pce_shooters.htm?col=notes&val=hidden


Velder pilots a helicopter in TWO vertical shooter STAGES in Final Zone II.




These are all labeled "hidden" in the notes column (for lack of a better term) because most folks forget that there are shootemup sequences in games like Final Zone II and Yo Bro.



The goal was to be as "complete" as possible, so the boss stages of Monster Lair count, as do Bravoman submarine stages, flying skull in Ghost Manor, etc.

I would never claim that Shadow of the Beast is a horizontal shootemup. But is there a hori shmup sequence  in Shadow of the Beast?

Yup.

As I mentioned earlier, Rail Shooters are labeled as such. They appeal to many shooter fans, so I wanted to include them, especially because some of them are lesser known (LaserActive, Battle Ace).

[Black Tiger]

Turbo R-Type is the complete game and runs at a slightly loser resolution, which is supposed to reduce flicker.

[Necromancer]

I won't say they're "epic" (I'm not 12 years old), but I'd put Sylphia and 1941 in the top tier.  Galaga and Atlantean qualify too; they're not terribly impressive compared to all shewties, maybe, but they're damn good considering the early 80's arcade formulas they follow.

Run a flathead screwdriver across the pins on the Turbografx's expansion port.  It'll boot up the 2nd half of R-Type eventually.  (You assume all risk of damage.)

I see that stardust has earned some real friends here.