Shooties: Vertical vs. Horizontal

[ceti alpha]

OK, seems like this poll would have been created here at some point, but in my extensive three minute search I couldn't find one. So, let the ultimate battle between teh shooties styles begin!! 

There are so many great shooties of any type, so it's tough, but I think I'm finally starting to prefer the verts.

[RoyVegas]

I voted vertical.  Mainly because while playing it just feels more natural.

[Joe Redifer]

I enjoy horizontal shooters more as they require more thought in stage design to keep them from getting boring whereas vertical shooters just scroll the same tiles again and again, maybe add a few clouds or stars here and there.  But a properly done horizontal shooter always seems like a much more meatier game.  Keep in mind that I do not give a shit about score attacks or the like.

[Tatsujin]

I choosed other, since I can't decide which I do like the most.

[Arkhan]

I chose vertical, because they focus more on the blow the flying shit out things and dodge the bullets aspect.

Horizontal often seem to focus on dodge-the-scenery.

however, Dead moon and Aldynes are my favorite horizontals though, but they are less-scenery dodging than others, like samalander and sinistron.

and Sapphire, Steam Hearts, and Tatsujin are my favorite verticals...

They're mostly just no holds barred shoot-everything-until-you-enter-a-fit-of-epilepsy games.

Well, Steam Hearts is more like "shoot stuff til you see tits", but, 

[Tatsujin]

lol.. no GoT & WoT love?

[Arkhan]

lol.. no GoT & WoT love?

Theyre OK, but not my favorites!  Theyre definitely fun, great looking, great sounding games, but they don't hit me the same way Aldynes does.

Aldynes, IMO, is the pinnacle of horizontal shmups.  It dont get any better than that game

[Joe Redifer]

Yes it does.

What about diagonal shooters like Viewpoint and the much-beloved Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 for the 32X?  What about 360 degree shooters like Thunder Force 2?  What about stationary shooters like Asteroids?  Surely all of these games blow away Gate of Thunder? 

[futurematt]

Good poll.
I voted vertical. My reasons: symmetry, not a fan of dodging backgrounds, prefer the look of firepower fanning up the screen, explosions tend to look cooler from above. Oh and you get craters (oh yeah Super Raiden>>!). Mind you I love PCE shooters, no matter what orientation!!

[Tatsujin]

Mind you I love PCE shooters, no matter what orientation!!

a statement full of truth and wisdom :!:

[TheClash603]

I voted vertical, and oddly enough Air Zonk might be my favorite turbo shmup...

I think my favorite of all time might be Galactic Attack on Saturn.  That game is always overlooked.

[Arkhan]

I think my favorite of all time might be Galactic Attack on Saturn.  That game is always overlooked.

f*ck yeah man!

We only had one saturn controller at my friends, but had the racing steering wheel / pedals also

You can totally play the game with that setup, and its hilarious.

[Tatsujin]

layer section a superb shewty and by very far the best of the 3 parts.
and it is also superb cheap, compared to most of the other good SS shmups.

[Necromancer]

Man.... this is like Sophie's Choice, only much harder.  I don't know if I can pick a favorite. 

[futurematt]

layer section a superb shewty and by very far the best of the 3 parts.
and it is also superb cheap, compared to most of the other good SS shmups.

Picked it up yesterday in fact! Hope it's better than LS2, the slightly naff Silvergun rip-off with 2/3D backgrounds!