PCE Shooters are the best

[Lord Thag]

You know, I used to be a huge shooter fan back in the eighties and nineties. Over the years, I lost interest until I almost forgot about the genre entirely. I picked up a few of the good shooters for the ps2 when they came out (R-type, Gradius V etc), and while they were fun, they were more of a curiosity, not something I was really in to. Since I've started collecting TG-16 stuff, and more recently, PCE titles, I've come to a conclusion:

I don't like modern shooters.

I think that's why I got out of the genre. Modern shooters are way to technical. Ikaruga is a good example of what I'm talking about. It's almost like a fighting game, in the sense that it's all about doing all these clever scoring tricks. Most of the new shooters feature ridiculously short levels, followed by your typical 'bullet hell' boss who spews ridiculous amounts of fire in a set pattern. Each game has some kind of 'gimmick' that directly relates to score. Ikaruga has the two color thing, Castle Shikigami is about proximity. The games is far more focused on manipulating these tricks for score, than actually being a shooter.

The shooters on the PCE, especially all the never-been-played-by-me ones I've been ordering from Japan, are a different animal entirely. These games are different. They're about the levels. Long, glorious levels filled with creative enemies that are (usually) not in a set pattern. The games are long too. No two minute levels here, thank you, and your score is based not on any trick, but sheer survivability and reflex. I find them to be more challenging too, often because there are random elements to the enemies or their attacks. Patterns are to be had, of course, but sheer skill plays more of a role.

Anyway, I find that playing all of these great shooters on the PCE has reminded me of why I used to love these kinds of games. The good news is that there are so many of them on the system, I will not be running out of good shooters to play for years.

So thank you, PC Engine, for reminding me how awesome a good shooter is! You can keep your modern pattern based bullet hell shooters, thank you. I'll take a good old blast-a-thon anyday.

[sunteam_paul]

I always used to hate shoot 'em ups, until I encountered the PC Engine. Games like Super Star Soldier and Kyukyoku Tiger made me completely change my opinion of the genre. The shooters of that era are indeed the best. The later design fashion of littering the screen with bullets never appealed to me, although I imagine it was developed as a ploy to get you to pop in another credit at the arcades.

[ceti alpha]

I always used to hate shoot 'em ups, until I encountered the PC Engine. Games like Super Star Soldier and Kyukyoku Tiger made me completely change my opinion of the genre. The shooters of that era are indeed the best. The later design fashion of littering the screen with bullets never appealed to me, although I imagine it was developed as a ploy to get you to pop in another credit at the arcades.

I agree Thag. My exposure to "modern" shooters is limited to MAME, but the "bullet-hell" bosses are typical of the genre now. PCE/TG rules in the shootie department, hands down. And yeah, the bullet-hell boss is most definitely a quarter muncher tactic, which makes playing them on MAME unenjoyable when you can insert as many quarters/credits as you wish. I like beating shooties based on skill, not on how many quarters I have.

[gundarN]

Yep, the PC-E is the best for old school shooters.
Although recently I've been collecting some Mega Drive stuff and there's a lot of similar style shooters.
Musha Aleste, Bari-Arm, Thunder Force IV, Elemental Master, Gunstar Heroes, Dennin Aleste etc. and that's only the ones I've got round to buying.

[bluelloydpugh]

Gotta admit the shooters which i've played on the PC Engine have been ace. Gunhed.Super Star Soldier, Parodius, you cant fault them. And I know i've only scratched the very tip of the PCE shooter iceberg.
Shooters of the early nineties are probably my faveroute, not just for the PCE, but stuff like the thunder force and (lol know there on PCE too) hellfire and zerowing series on MD. And Axelay and Super Aleste for SNES.
Personally I liked Ikaruga, the co-op mode especially. And Gradius 5 seems good aswell. But they are about the only recent(ish) ones I like.
They do say the saturn is a bit of a shooter powerhouse though.

[Lord Thag]

Yeah, there are a few new shooters that I like. Gradius V is fun, if not quite what I expected from the franchise. Raiden III is definately old school, and very fun. R-Type Final is excellent as well, but that's about it for the new stuff.

I have a pile of PCE shooters on the way. Salamander, Gradius, Image Fight, and a couple of others. There are soooo many to choose from. I'm currently hooked on Final Soldier, Download and Xevious Fardraut Saga. Good stuff, that!

[Tatsujin]

sure the PCE was the 8/16Bit shooter Queen without any smallest doubts. therefore i love the system at most. get teh 110!! NOW!

as for the new bullet sprayer (like dodonpachi serie etc.) are called quater muncher, i can't agree completely, since those games where more intended for the maniac japanese arcade market than for the already died 2D oversea market.

so a typical "chain-score-bullet-sprayer"-player would never use a 2nd credit to continue where he lost his last live. they try to reach a 1cc. it's kinda rule within those real maniac players, and the industry (like cave etc.) which are maniacs as well, try to encounter with the users.

[LMS]

Don't forget gate Of Thunder. Lights off, Volume up... the blissness! 

[rag-time4]

Yeah, there are a few new shooters that I like. Gradius V is fun, if not quite what I expected from the franchise. Raiden III is definately old school, and very fun. R-Type Final is excellent as well, but that's about it for the new stuff.

I have a pile of PCE shooters on the way. Salamander, Gradius, Image Fight, and a couple of others. There are soooo many to choose from. I'm currently hooked on Final Soldier, Download and Xevious Fardraut Saga. Good stuff, that!

Image Fight is a great one! All the enemies in Image Fight do appear based on a pattern, but some have random movement, which depend on where you are on screen.

The stage 4 boss is an early take on bullet hell!

Would love to hear your thoughts on Image Fight when you get to it! I would love some competition at the High-Score thread as well!

[rolins]

No one bothered to mention Nexzr...come on, it's only one of the best vertical shooters for SCD. Overall it's a well made shmup, not too difficult and loads of fun. Once you beat it you'll keep coming back to play it over and over again.

I love bullet-hell shooters btw. For those who dislike it, you just need practice and a steady hand.

[Arjak]

I just downloaded DonPachi and DoDonPachi for MAME and I was pleasantly surprised. Never knew dodging bullets could be made into an art form. I also beat the first level of DoDonPachi with one life, while just fooling around. I was kinda shocked. I need to record that sometime.

[Tatsujin]

just check out youtube, there are thousands of CAVE shooter records. also from 1CC or even 1LC maniax

[Lord Thag]

Would love to hear your thoughts on Image Fight when you get to it! I would love some competition at the High-Score thread as well!

You're on

[rag-time4]

Would love to hear your thoughts on Image Fight when you get to it! I would love some competition at the High-Score thread as well!

You're on

 

[ceti alpha]

Would love to hear your thoughts on Image Fight when you get to it! I would love some competition at the High-Score thread as well!

You're on

 

This should be interesting.