Shmups 101: A Beginner’s Guide to 2D Shooters

Presented by BulletMagnet

Note from racketboy: Combining to popularity of our Genre 101 series (see Survival Horror 101, Beatem-ups 101, Platformers 101, and Fighters 101) and the expert shmup writing of BulletMagnet (see his guides to shmups for the Playstation, Saturn, and PS2 and the Games That Defined the Shmup Genre) this guide is one of most epic posts ever. I hope you enjoy the detail and loving care that went into this piece!

Shmups 101 | Beginner Shmups | Defining Shmups | Hidden Gem Shmups

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About the Shmup Genre

If you utter the word “shooter” in this day and age most gamers will assume that you’re talking about Call of Duty or Halo, but not too terribly long ago those seven letters meant something quite different: they represented the enduring spirit of a time when one button was all you needed, two was a luxury, and three was pushing the envelope. When the only “motivation” you or your onscreen character ever needed to keep going was “the screen doesn’t scroll the other way” “that, and the fleeting opportunity to enter a few measly letters onto a list that would reset every time the machine was unplugged. When pretense, pandering, and half-baked rationalizations were not allowed within spitting distance of the all-important “start” button. “Shooters”, as they were originally conceived, and unlike so many of their “legitimacy”-hungry descendants, make no apologies about what they are and the purpose they were created to serve.

This straightforward self-awareness still lives on today, within the classic gaming genre of shoot-em-ups, or “shmups” for short: the silly-sounding abbreviation, whose coining is generally attributed to Commodore-centric UK magazine Zzap!64, has grown so pervasive that fans are sometimes called “shmuppers” or “shmup-o’s” (in Japan the category is frequently labeled “STG”, ostensibly an abbreviation for “shooting game”). A crucial midwife to the birth of the video gaming medium, shoot-em-ups have experimented and evolved on occasion, but never strayed far from their primeval nature: fittingly, the shmup stands tall today as one of the “purest” digital experiences available. Fashionable buzzwords like “realism”, “immersion” and “cinematic” are routinely cast aside in favor of the bedrock principles that launched the industry: simplicity, precision, and the raw joy of racking up big points in the face of seemingly-impossible odds.

To contemporary audiences raised on sidequest-laden open worlds and control pads requiring roadmaps to navigate, however, a product whose modus operandi can be summed up as “move, shoot, and roll credits after 40 minutes” is all but destined to be passed over, especially if it retails for anything above bargain-bin price. Anybody who’s ever played a shoot-em-up “in earnest”, however, knows better. Despite their easy-to-grasp premise, shmups outright refuse to treat their audience like insecure children ” it’s the individual player’s job to mine the depths of each and every compact, focused experience, gradually honing one’s skills not in flailing pursuit of some arbitrary virtual trinket, but because the game is fun and well-crafted enough to replay again and again on its own merits. It’s a notion largely lost to a culture obsessed with getting top dollar back on its disposable trade-ins, but to anyone out there who would further explore such a “radical” approach to video gaming, be advised: once you’ve experienced the rush of a finely-tuned shooter for yourself you might find it tough to go back.

Themes and Influences

Perhaps the most significant single contributor to the STG’s collective “aesthetic” is science fiction ” so many shmups over the years have been set against some manner of “futuristic starfighters in outer space” backdrop that the expression “space shooter” has coalesced into a catch-all designation. As Japanese developers have historically granted the genre more attention than their Western counterparts, the most common and direct thematic elements tend to be derived from dogfight-heavy anime like Space Battleship Yamato and Macross (though these in turn are often indebted to Star Trek and its ilk); requisite “giant robot” elements also make frequent appearances. In a nutshell, pick a shooter to play at random and it’ll probably involve evil aliens and laser beams ” if it doesn’t, chances are good that you’ve snagged a “wartime” shooter instead, featuring a fictionalized “real-world” setting filled with comparatively-“lifelike” vehicles and landscapes, most commonly inspired by the World War II era. Thanks to these thematic stimuli, a vast majority of shmups put the player in control of a spaceship or airplane of some sort.

As sci-fi and anime have shifted their emphasis over time, shmups have to a significant degree followed suit: traditionally, little to no emphasis was placed on story or characters, with developers preferring to let the game’s action speak for itself, but gradually more and more shooters have turned a brighter spotlight onto narrative and personality (including a disproportionate amount of pretty-girl “moe” eye candy) to draw modern audiences in. While this progression has spawned its share of ill-conceived marketing stunts (yeah, “Rule 34” applies here too), it’s also opened the door to an unprecedented array of subject matter to explore: fantasy, mythology, steampunk, horror, humor, parody, social commentary, and even abstraction have all served as window dressing for shoot-em-ups. Since genre’s proverbial undercarriage is so straightforward, more superficial aspects are highly malleable, to the point that just about any canvas can be successfully stretched over the framework by a capable designer.

History of the Shmup

As the raw technical concepts which would eventually take shape as “video games” were churning within the minds of early computer programmers and hobbyists, the shoot-em-up, like every other “established” genre we’ve since become familiar with, didn’t truly exist. Their key outline of traversing a two-dimensional plane and firing off projectiles, however, was one of the very first to come to life onscreen: in the beginning, there was Spacewar!, developed in 1961 for the PDP-1 computer by a group of MIT students. Ten years later it was first installed in cabinet form at Stanford under the moniker Galaxy Game: two months after that, the soon-to-be founders of Atari took their own crack at it, this time as Computer Space, the very first commercially-produced video game. A tremendously important occasion for the infant industry and genre alike, Computer Space also marked the genesis of multiplayer ” not only did certain cabs support two-player mode, but a 1977 revision, Space Wars, could only be operated by two human challengers (a networked version titled Orbitwar had also appeared in 1974).

Spacewar!’s use of “manual thrust” movement controls gives it the closest kinship with Atari’s later arcade hit Asteroids, but the latter cannot claim credit for bringing the medium into its own: that honor goes to 1978’s cultural sensation, Space Invaders, which simplified and focused the shooting experience by limiting players’ movement area to a single horizontal line and fixing their firing direction straight upwards, rendering its rules and interface easy for anyone to grasp within mere seconds. These refinements, plus its pioneering implementation of both onscreen obstacles and a more involved scoring system, made Invaders so popular that it caused a shortage of 100-yen coins in its native Japan upon release, and still exists as a bankable brand today. Two years later Nichibutsu’s Moon Cresta allowed players to occasionally “dock” with more potent ship parts, arguably the first bona fide “power-ups”, but soon found itself overshadowed by Namco’s popular Galaga, which offered the more strategic ability to sacrifice and win back “captured” fighters to double one’s shot output.

The Founding Fathers

With the genre’s basic groundwork firmly set, by the early 1980’s more and more of the features we presently associate with shoot-em-ups were beginning to appear. A number of these innovations came courtesy of Western developers: Williams’ Defender debuted as the first “side-view” shooter, as well as the first to feature a screen-covering “smart bomb” special weapon. Atari’s Caverns of Mars, on the other hand, is generally thought to be the first game to implement a “non-infinite” scrolling backdrop, though Activision’s River Raid, which followed on the 2600 console a year later, takes a form more familiar to modern shooter fans. Perhaps the single most important release of the era, however, arrived from Namco’s Japan in the form of Xevious, which introduced background targets that could only be destroyed by a separate secondary weapon (in turn influencing Tehkan, an early incarnation of Tecmo and developer of Star Force) plus more powerful end-level “boss” enemies (which later turned up in Capcom’s own hit 1942).

Growth continued unabated during the mid-to-late 80’s, which oversaw the rise of some of the most successful and enduring shooter names of all time: first and foremost among these, of course, is Konami’s Gradius. A veritable showcase of some of the most varied, memorable levels and set pieces yet conceived, from the twin-pronged “Vic Viper” player craft to an army of “core” bosses and ring-spitting “Moai” statues, Gradius also features a unique “power-up bar”, which allows players to collect and stockpile generic pickups which can then be expended on a “buffet line” of upgrades. Players could now tailor their ship’s abilities to both their personal preferences and the demands of each individual area ” from ground missiles to frontal shields to “option” helpers, a fully-loaded Vic Viper was, and still is, a force to be reckoned with.

Flush with success, in 1986 the series branched off into the Salamander side story, which included both horizontally- and vertically-scrolling levels within a single game, as well as a then-unusual emphasis on gooey “organic” backdrops and enemies; eventually this offshoot grew popular enough to spawn an anime mini-series. Konami, however, was still not done: that same year Twinbee, which spurned the already-cliché futuristic/military vibe in favor of a light, cartoony atmosphere, also charged out of the gate, planting a flag for the so-called “cute-em-up” aesthetic and almost single-handedly expanding the genre’s potential audience exponentially. Before long the seemingly-tireless developer was venturing into flat-out send-up territory with the aptly-titled Parodius on the MSX, but it had picked up a few “admirers” in the meantime: SNK, rather unsurprisingly, was one of them, as its Alpha Mission allowed players to stockpile and expend “energy” stocks to activate special (if familiar) “armor” abilities. Sunsoft and Sega also decided to team up and give Twinbee a bit of competition with the whimsical Fantasy Zone: though the game’s core structure actually mimics Defender most closely, the unusual “shop” power-up system, in which you can spend coins dropped by defeated baddies, helps to set it apart.

Other established developers, for their part, certainly had no intentions of being left behind. Taito in particular kept itself plenty busy on the shmup front, though it didn’t land its first big post-Space Invaders shooter hit until the 1986 release of Darius, built from the ground up for a massive triple-screen cabinet display, all the better to show off its branching level paths and bizarre robotic fish enemies (whose bosses prompted a now-famous “Warning! A Huge Battleship Is Approaching Fast!” message upon arrival). Then there was former cabinet rental outfit Irem, which had by now dipped its toe into the shooter realm on several occasions, with limited success: in 1987 it finally struck gold with the iconic R-Type. Not only did its detailed enemy and level designs impress audiences and critics alike, but its front-and-center power-up, the indestructible “Force” pod, bestowed the player’s humble R-9 spacecraft, and the rest of the game, with a unique and compelling identity. In the background, another Sega/Gremlin feature, Astro Blaster, quietly snuck in a long list of hidden scoring tricks which other developers would bring out into the open later on, as well as a limited-use “warp” ability, gaming’s very first “bullet time” mechanic.

Much as Konami’s successful productions had, these early standouts lured their own string of eager imitators out of the woodwork; thankfully for gamers, the more resourceful ones managed to carve out a less-ephemeral niche for themselves through skillful refinements and departures from convention. Hudson Soft, for instance, crafted Star Soldier as an unofficial continuation of Tehkan’s work, and its unveiling of a timed, score-centric “Caravan Mode” was to be the first of many; the game’s most famous competitor, the fast-fingered “Takahashi Meijin”, was later immortalized as the protagonist of the Adventure Island platformers. Elsewhere, the fledgling Tecnosoft put out an obscure little cassette-based multi-directional scrolling shooter called Thunder Force, which would find much greater success upon shifting to a permanent side-view format two sequels later. In other semi-hidden sectors experimentation was afoot into the realms of both polygonal graphics (Game Arts’ Silpheed) and ever-more-involved scoring systems (UPL’s Omega Fighter), though these exploits would remain rare overall for some time to come.

Another small “me-too” arcade developer, Orca, tended to stick particularly close to Xevious’ design mentality across its brief lifespan; upon folding, several of its programmers regrouped as Toaplan, to slowly build a more solid industry footing for themselves, but wouldn’t truly hit their stride until 1988’s Tatsujin, which paired blistering challenge with a bold, intricate sprite art style (affectionately dubbed “chunky” by fans) that would become a company trademark. On the home console and computer front Compile won its own batch of admirers with Zanac’s rapid pace and impressive arsenal ” in an additional twist, the player’s weapon of choice actually affected enemy placement, making each trip through the game a bit different. Also of note is a little outfit known as Seibu Kaihatsu, whose early shooter Air Raid passed through arcades largely unnoticed; that title’s bright red jet fighter, however, would soon be reborn and achieve legendary status in Raiden.

Shmups Hit the Big Time

By the 1990’s video games had exploded into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon, and shooters, still boasting solid mainstream appeal, found themselves more in demand than ever. Not only did the most successful series see a sequel or two (or three, or four”), but the field became densely crowded with upstarts eager for a piece of the pie: unlike many of their plagiarizing predecessors, however, a surprising number of them were able to stand on their own two feet from the get-go. One of them, Video System, introduced itself to the masses with the approachably kooky Sonic Wings series (the only shmups, before or since, to feature a talking dolphin as a fighter jet pilot), but only after its personnel later reformed under the Psikyo banner did the formula truly stick: Sengoku Ace, Gunbird, and Strikers 1945, along with the rest of its catalog, retain much of the same gameplay feel, not to mention oddball characters and settings aplenty, though their challenge level is generally a good deal more robust.

Just about everywhere you looked, the scrolling shooter scene was bursting with energy and resolve: European fans in particular recall this era as the heyday of “computer shooter” development on the Amiga and similar systems, which were granted the likes of Apidya, Space Manbow and Uridium. Rough patches, of course, were not unheard of, though even in the face of adversity the shmupping onslaught continued unabated. The once-mighty Toaplan was abruptly shuttered in 1994, but its final release, Batsugun, marked perhaps the genre’s most significant turning point since Xevious: easily the most over-the-top shmup audiences had ever seen, Batsugun’s screen-filling assault on the senses blew the door wide open for the torrent of “bullet hell” releases to follow. A tweaked “Special Version”, never intended for official release, was also discovered, and ended up exerting additional influence via its tiny, dodge-friendly “hitbox” and arcane, counter-intuitive scoring mechanics.

Toaplan’s former employees, in the meantime, quickly moved on to form their own outfits and keep the momentum going: foremost among these establishments is Computer Arts Visual Entertainment, better known as Cave. Picking up where Batsugun left off, Cave quickly made it their mission to further the cause of “bullet hell” shooters, starting with DonPachi and its smash sequel DoDonPachi, which allow players to instantly “focus” their weapon power and movement speed when the situation warrants it: Guwange and Dangun Feveron later experimented along vastly different mechanical and aesthetic fronts. A second ex-Toaplan faction joined forces with a couple of Compile veterans to found Raizing, and took things in another direction entirely: after cutting its teeth on the fantasy-tinged Mahou Daisakusen, 1996’s gritty Battle Garegga redefined the company overnight, putting an invisible, dynamic “rank” system front and center, demanding careful sacrifices from players to keep it in check. Armed Police Batrider, Battle Bakraid, and several later Raizing titles built their own approaches on top of this revolutionary mindset.

One more notable ex-Toaplan group was Takumi, whose name most would probably associate with 1999’s over-the-top-and-proud-of-it shooter Giga Wing, one of the few destinations in gaming which routinely sends the score counter soaring into the trillions and far beyond. Enemies throw everything but the kitchen sink at the player, but the odds are evened by a “reflector” mechanism which grants temporary invincibility when activated, if allowed enough recharge time between uses. Elsewhere, Konami’s own now-independent outgrowth, Treasure, finally entered the shmup fray itself with Radiant Silvergun, lending a long-absent sense of “epicness” to shooters which had never truly hit home before, though Sony and Squaresoft, via the story-heavy Philosoma and Einhander, respectively, had certainly given it their best shots. Forget all that artsy stuff, though: when you get right down to it, this era’s most distinctive new shooter property of all was probably none other than Masaya’s bizarre and infamously buff-dude-centric Cho Aniki.

Though this period’s most visible triumphs belonged to the new blood, longtime genre names were once again far from silent. Taito, seemingly dead-set on cementing its position as the “old reliable” of shooting game development, exerted a great deal of stylistic influence on those to follow with Gun Frontier and Metal Black, not to mention Layer Section, the first true evolution of the “ground target” mechanic since Xevious. Seibu Kaihatsu, by now a premier shmup presence, introduced a slew of new scoring mechanisms and game modes to Raiden DX in 1994; this, in turn, served as a precursor to the Raiden Fighters series, which administered a welcome shot of adrenalin to both the diversity and pace of the action two years later. Then, of course, there’s Konami, which was largely content to rest on its laurels: though a handful of new properties saw daylight during this era, existing ones received some of their most stellar and polished entries, including fan favorite Gradius Gaiden. Even the increasingly-dormant Capcom and Irem threw fans an unexpected curve or two with 19XX and R-Type Delta.

Unfortunately, despite all of the important and exciting advancements being made on so many fronts, the genre had simultaneously stretched itself too thin, and was finally unable to dodge the consequences any longer: for every finely-crafted product on the market there existed a plurality of average, redundant, or just plain awful shooters to crowd the good ones out and send players away in droves, soured toward the whole lot. What’s more, this poisonous trend’s timing couldn’t have been worse: the market’s demands for more technically-complex and grandiose experiences were growing louder, eating away mercilessly at the arcade, birthplace of the shmup, along with the player base which had long comprised its lifeblood. The once-mighty shoot-em-up was, to put it mildly, poised for a fall.

The Underground Years

Unthinkable as it had once seemed, the other shoe dropped and one of gaming’s founding pillars was suddenly passé, outclassed, yesterday’s news. In the aftermath of this mass abandonment by both consumers and the gaming media, few remained to keep the fires burning save battle-scarred stalwarts with very specific demands for struggling developers, who had no choice but to acquiesce. The shmups of this era, as a result, are primarily noted for their inherently high levels of challenge and complexity, catnip to paying customers at the time: moreover, these placed a strong emphasis on intense, single-player experiences, largely relegating player interaction to niche internet message boards and scattered enthusiast gatherings. Cave, in particular, met these conditions head-on with hard-nosed releases like DoDonPachi Dai-Ou-Jou and Ketsui, and kept its books solidly in the black: even so, the company was obviously nostalgic for bygone times, occasionally dipping its toe back into more universally-appealing territory with Espgaluda and Mushihime-sama. Surprisingly, enough of a foothold was gained to pique the company’s interest further in this direction, though opportunities to act on these impulses any further would, for now, remain scarce.

Much of Cave’s competition, however, would never get the opportunity to reflect on what might have been. Even in the face of some of their highest-quality output ever, Raizing, Psikyo, Compile and Seibu Kaihatsu all went out of business completely; Capcom, Konami, Taito and Irem survived, but basically left the genre for dead. As had taken place in Toaplan’s wake, however, certain fragments banded together to keep the shmupping spirit alive: two separate groups of Taito refugees split off to form G. Rev (which produced unofficial Darius spinoff Border Down) and Alfa System (creators of Shikigami no Shiro). The latter series actually borrowed a key design facet from new Korean developer Skonec, whose Psyvariar places a similarly heavy emphasis on “cheating death” by hovering as close as possible to threats for maximum rewards. A handful of of Compile’s ex-programmers, meanwhile, started over at Milestone, while much of Seibu’s staff was able to reunite under the MOSS banner.

Additional signs of life could be detected in less-prolific sectors, not to mention some downright unexpected ones if you knew where to look ” Treasure’s “polarity-based” Ikaruga garnered widespread praise even from normally-unfriendly press outlets, as did chaotic, missile-happy pseudo-shmup Bangai-O. Project Gotham Racing developer Bizarre Creations, of all outfits, cooked up an out-of-nowhere hit in hidden mini-game Geometry Wars, which suddenly revitalized the long-neglected “twin-stick” shooting control format and established a new standard for online scorekeeping. Perhaps the biggest single driving force of this era, however, was an unprecedented outburst of “homebrew” activity by the fans themselves: while earlier breakout hits like Famibe no Yosshin’s Cho Ren Sha 68k and Siter Skain’s Kamui had set the stage for amateur developers to follow, it wasn’t until professional houses started to abandon old-school shooters en masse that shmuppers with coding knowhow, especially in Japan, really stepped up to fill the void, with the Windows-based PC format serving as their base of operations.

The most singularly successful “doujin” shooter story is that of a lone Japanese programmer known as ZUN: his Cave-inspired “Touhou” series is not only still going strong after more than 10 years, but has spawned its own creative fanbase, source of a dizzying array of “tribute” projects. Kenta Cho (ABA Games)’s abstract style has also done well, with Tumiki Fighters (plus a few others piggybacking along) earning an eventual port to the Wii, while several of Murasame (Platine Dispotif)’s more cartoony creations were eventually granted a Western retail package on their native PC platform. Other homebrewers chose to set up camp in the more remote corners of the console market – the Sega Dreamcast, long after its “official” demise, has served as a launching pad for more than a few fledgling developers, while Bandai’s ill-fated Wonderswan portable played host to M-KAI’s Judgment Silversword, often touted as the best handheld shooter ever made.

Even on “life support” the shmup scene remained remarkably vibrant, its latent energy bubbling just below the surface of an increasingly mercurial industry: before it had a chance to settle any further into this newfound role, though, outside forces would once again reshuffle the deck, in dramatic fashion.

An Unlikely Resurgence

As we enter the contemporary video game era, two enormous shifts have rewritten the modern history of the shoot-em-up: the rapid onset of downloadable content (whose reduced cost of developer entry gels well with most shooters’ relatively unobtrusive filesizes) and the proliferation of online play (accompanied by a resurgence in the arcades’ spirit of direct high score competition) has given the humbled shmup an improbable shot at a comeback. Out on the periphery, the rise of YouTube and other online video outlets have also allowed once-isolated STG devotees to share their love with larger audiences than ever; bit by bit, bleary-eyed video gamers disenchanted with today’s trends are noticing, rediscovering, and exploring this intriguing departure from modern convention.

So far, this opportunity to re-expand the genre’s audience has been seized upon with relish: Cave’s Deathsmiles is a prime example, allowing players of all skill levels to adjust the inherent difficulty of each stage, a once-unthinkable “concession” to the less-experienced. Full-featured “physical” releases remain rare outside of Japan, though a couple of Eastern publishers are starting to renew outreach efforts to international fans with import-friendly “region-free” disc pressings. “Old-school” genre sensibilities are also alive and well thanks to the likes of Triangle Service’s throwback Trizeal and “modernized” visions of classics a la Taito’s Space Invaders Extreme: though not every effort to recapture past glory (Otomedius, Thunder Force VI) has turned out quite so well, shooter fans as a whole have reason to be excited about the sudden abundance of content available to them, easily more than has been seen in years.

The downloadable scene, however, remains easily the most active theater of operations for shmups in this day and age. The doujin PC market hasn’t slowed down a bit, thanks to Crimzon Clover and Hydorah, among many others: a lucky few, like Trouble Witches and Exception, have even been blessed with commercial arcade editions. It’s not an exaggeration to state that today’s homebrew scene recalls the genre’s heyday in terms of sheer volume”and is still growing unabated. Back on the home console front, all three “current-gen” systems’ digital distribution services not only open the floodgates for a slew of budding indie developers, but offer a sampling of shooters from days long past, including some obscure and hard-to-find specimens from across the spectrum. Plenty of brand new “professional” stuff has also popped up here and there: much of it consists of enhancements and re-imaginings of existing properties (R-Type Dimensions, Gradius ReBirth), but promisingly original material is also out there for those with the will to seek it.

Some fans have become concerned that this increased emphasis on digital distribution will end up hamstringing future prospects for “larger-scale” shmup releases, but for the moment things are still going pretty strong on both ends – whatever ends up happening down the line, at this crucial juncture it’s an undeniable treat for the shooter crowd to finally see their genre of choice coming back into a bit of favor again.

Genre Conventions

(The following segment lists some of the most frequently-invoked “requirements” to “officially” define a game as a “shmup”; keep in mind, however, that individual players have countless, highly disparate personal definitions of what a shmup “technically” is, and that total consensus will never be reached. In short, there’s no need to take any of these items as “definitive” in any meaningful capacity.)

Projectile Weapons: Well, it just plain isn’t a shooter if you’re not shooting, right? Though players do sometimes have access to short-range “melee” attacks or other motivators to engage in up-close combat, generally the name of the game is to stand back and let your disintegrator beams do the talking ” often, the real trick therein is determining whether you should equip a spread gun, piercing laser, splash damage mine, homing missile, rotating shield orb, or something else to meet the particular challenge in front of you. Most of your enemies, of course, are packing heat of their own, so maintaining distance is also essential for avoiding a face full of hot lead.

Well, it just plain isn’t a shooter if you’re not shooting, right? Though players do sometimes have access to short-range “melee” attacks or other motivators to engage in up-close combat, generally the name of the game is to stand back and let your disintegrator beams do the talking ” often, the real trick therein is determining whether you should equip a spread gun, piercing laser, splash damage mine, homing missile, rotating shield orb, or something else to meet the particular challenge in front of you. Most of your enemies, of course, are packing heat of their own, so maintaining distance is also essential for avoiding a face full of hot lead. 2-D Movement ” A tiny sliver of shoot-em-ups (most famously Gremlin/Sega’s isometric Zaxxon) choose to flout this traditional genre boundary, but the vast majority (if you’ll pardon the pun) flatly refuse to acknowledge the existence of a z-axis: at most you’re allowed to move your onscreen avatar up, down, left, right, and diagonally, though the entire screen is usually traversable to some degree. Despite this relative freedom of motion, however, your weapons typically only fire straight ahead of you (and very rarely are you granted the ability to face in multiple directions at will), so be especially wary of threats approaching from the sides and rear.

” A tiny sliver of shoot-em-ups (most famously Gremlin/Sega’s isometric Zaxxon) choose to flout this traditional genre boundary, but the vast majority (if you’ll pardon the pun) flatly refuse to acknowledge the existence of a z-axis: at most you’re allowed to move your onscreen avatar up, down, left, right, and diagonally, though the entire screen is usually traversable to some degree. Despite this relative freedom of motion, however, your weapons typically only fire straight ahead of you (and very rarely are you granted the ability to face in multiple directions at will), so be especially wary of threats approaching from the sides and rear. Auto-scrolling Backgrounds ” There’s a reason you hear the term “scrolling shooter” used as an all-inclusive genre label so often. At any given moment your hands are probably full enough dealing with the waves of pesky malefactors out to ruin your day, so basic forward progression is usually handled for you; as in certain platformers, however, this unstoppable and near-constant advancement can become an adversary in itself, especially during fast-moving sections filled with obstacles. Definition-wise there is a bit of inherent wiggle room here, as several shooters which require players to manually move things along (Kaitei Daisensou, Outzone, etc.) are still considered “genuine” shmups by many, as are Space Invaders and a number of other “non-scrolling” single-screen specimens.

” There’s a reason you hear the term “scrolling shooter” used as an all-inclusive genre label so often. At any given moment your hands are probably full enough dealing with the waves of pesky malefactors out to ruin your day, so basic forward progression is usually handled for you; as in certain platformers, however, this unstoppable and near-constant advancement can become an adversary in itself, especially during fast-moving sections filled with obstacles. Definition-wise there is a bit of inherent wiggle room here, as several shooters which require players to manually move things along (Kaitei Daisensou, Outzone, etc.) are still considered “genuine” shmups by many, as are Space Invaders and a number of other “non-scrolling” single-screen specimens. One-hit Death ” Yup, remember this, from back in the day? Once in a blue moon you’ll be granted a “shield” meter or some other means to survive a bit of damage, but absent this a single screw-up will almost certainly be enough to cost you a life (usually from a default starting stock of three). Some shooters allow you to instantly respawn right where you died, but others boot you back to a mid-stage “checkpoint”, or even the very beginning of the level ” while this sounds frustrating (and it certainly can be), in shmups which reduce your craft’s weapon level after death you’re generally sent to specific “recharging” spots, which allow you to power back up enough to stand a fighting chance again. Regenerating health fans, be thus advised: in this neck of the gaming woods individual mistakes can and will cost you dearly.

” Yup, remember this, from back in the day? Once in a blue moon you’ll be granted a “shield” meter or some other means to survive a bit of damage, but absent this a single screw-up will almost certainly be enough to cost you a life (usually from a default starting stock of three). Some shooters allow you to instantly respawn right where you died, but others boot you back to a mid-stage “checkpoint”, or even the very beginning of the level ” while this sounds frustrating (and it certainly can be), in shmups which reduce your craft’s weapon level after death you’re generally sent to specific “recharging” spots, which allow you to power back up enough to stand a fighting chance again. Regenerating health fans, be thus advised: in this neck of the gaming woods individual mistakes can and will cost you dearly. Score Tally ” Surviving any decently-challenging video game all the way to the credit roll is satisfying in and of itself, but shmups make it their business to encourage players to push themselves beyond the minimum clear requirements and go for the top spot on the leader board. In purely practical terms, high scores do traditionally award “extends” (bonus lives), but a minimum point total is also sometimes required to access certain special areas and boss fights, such as post-game “loops” which allow you to tackle the journey a second or third time with the difficulty level significantly raised. If you really want to see everything an intricately-constructed shmup has to offer you must strive to squeeze as many points as you can out of it even after crossing the finish line in one piece.

” Surviving any decently-challenging video game all the way to the credit roll is satisfying in and of itself, but shmups make it their business to encourage players to push themselves beyond the minimum clear requirements and go for the top spot on the leader board. In purely practical terms, high scores do traditionally award “extends” (bonus lives), but a minimum point total is also sometimes required to access certain special areas and boss fights, such as post-game “loops” which allow you to tackle the journey a second or third time with the difficulty level significantly raised. If you really want to see everything an intricately-constructed shmup has to offer you must strive to squeeze as many points as you can out of it even after crossing the finish line in one piece. Powerups-a-Plenty ” While some shooters prefer to simplify things and keep their weaponry’s power level constant throughout, many offer players a sense of progression (and occasional evil glee) by gradually beefing them up in various ways as they persevere and get further in. This process is stereotypically helped along by collectible icons and trinkets left in the wake of certain enemies, though sometimes rewards come in other forms: the most commonly-seen “power-ups” strengthen, supplement, or switch up your current weapon, but a wide variety of enhancements also exist to adjust movement speed, deploy a defensive shield, or award bonus points, to name but a few. One particularly iconic acquisition is the mighty “smart bomb” – expending one grants temporary invincibility and/or a super-powerful screen-filling attack, so players can typically cart along only a limited stock.

” While some shooters prefer to simplify things and keep their weaponry’s power level constant throughout, many offer players a sense of progression (and occasional evil glee) by gradually beefing them up in various ways as they persevere and get further in. This process is stereotypically helped along by collectible icons and trinkets left in the wake of certain enemies, though sometimes rewards come in other forms: the most commonly-seen “power-ups” strengthen, supplement, or switch up your current weapon, but a wide variety of enhancements also exist to adjust movement speed, deploy a defensive shield, or award bonus points, to name but a few. One particularly iconic acquisition is the mighty “smart bomb” – expending one grants temporary invincibility and/or a super-powerful screen-filling attack, so players can typically cart along only a limited stock. Hitbox ” Many older shmups render your entire onscreen avatar as a “hitbox”, i.e. totally vulnerable to attacks: if something nasty so much as grazes even your outermost edge, you can wave goodbye to a spare ship. As later games started cramming more and more bullets onscreen, though, developers decided that some pixelated fat-trimming was needed to keep things reasonable: these days, your so-called “hit area” is often shrunk down to a small, specific zone within your craft/character, and hazards can pass right through any other part of you with no penalty. Though usually located near the center of the sprite/model, the hitbox’s size and shape varies from game to game and relatively few titles render it openly visible, so learn its location well before you try to replicate those seemingly-impossible dodges from that crazy video someone linked to on the forums.

” Many older shmups render your entire onscreen avatar as a “hitbox”, i.e. totally vulnerable to attacks: if something nasty so much as grazes even your outermost edge, you can wave goodbye to a spare ship. As later games started cramming more and more bullets onscreen, though, developers decided that some pixelated fat-trimming was needed to keep things reasonable: these days, your so-called “hit area” is often shrunk down to a small, specific zone within your craft/character, and hazards can pass right through any other part of you with no penalty. Though usually located near the center of the sprite/model, the hitbox’s size and shape varies from game to game and relatively few titles render it openly visible, so learn its location well before you try to replicate those seemingly-impossible dodges from that crazy video someone linked to on the forums. Slowdown ” Arcade gamers should be especially familiar with this one: at some point during a game, the screen (and the hardware processor) gets overloaded with objects and effects and such, which forces the action on display to chug and wheeze along at a fraction of its usual pace. Often (and rightly) frowned upon as a reflection of poor programming and/or inferior tech specs, especially since shooters are so reliant on a smooth frame rate to play properly, in some shmups slowdown is actually added deliberately to tough spots to make them more manageable (and/or dramatic), so it doesn’t always merit outright condemnation when it appears. In the interest of cross-platform accuracy home ports of arcade shooters frequently include a “wait” option, which effectively allows players to turn the original slowdown “on” or “off”: fans tend to be particularly picky about this factor for score comparison purposes, so expect to see a lot of discussion about slowdown accuracy and such within the community.

” Arcade gamers should be especially familiar with this one: at some point during a game, the screen (and the hardware processor) gets overloaded with objects and effects and such, which forces the action on display to chug and wheeze along at a fraction of its usual pace. Often (and rightly) frowned upon as a reflection of poor programming and/or inferior tech specs, especially since shooters are so reliant on a smooth frame rate to play properly, in some shmups slowdown is actually added deliberately to tough spots to make them more manageable (and/or dramatic), so it doesn’t always merit outright condemnation when it appears. In the interest of cross-platform accuracy home ports of arcade shooters frequently include a “wait” option, which effectively allows players to turn the original slowdown “on” or “off”: fans tend to be particularly picky about this factor for score comparison purposes, so expect to see a lot of discussion about slowdown accuracy and such within the community. Rank ” A sometimes-controversial feature, “rank” is a catch-all term encompassing various auto-adjusting difficulty systems operating “in the background” of many shmups. Basically, a shooter with “rank” gradually gets a bit harder or easier overall depending on how you perform in-game: for example, enemies might become more aggressive as your weapons grow more powerful, but lighten up on you a bit if you lose a life. Usually the idea is to constantly rebalance the game’s challenge level to keep the curve relatively steady throughout, to the point where the player hardly notices: some games, though, have taken the concept to an extreme, all but forcing shmuppers to carefully construct strategies with the specific purpose of “rank control” (basically, keeping the game from getting “too angry” at you) in mind. Hard info on particular rank systems can be tricky to dig up, but there’s usually a hint or two floating around to reward persistent observers.

Critical Elements

Theoretical Perfection ” Perhaps the single most important quality for any respectable shmup to possess: it should be technically possible for a player to make a “perfect” run through the game, without getting hit even once. Put another way, there should never be spots where eating damage is 100 percent unavoidable ” no matter the situation, your raw skills should always be sufficient to get you through if you’re good enough. Of course, only a select few gamers actually are that good, but this ideal MUST be legitimately attainable: failing to tie up this crucial loose end during development is guaranteed to hamstring any shooter, no matter its strengths in other areas

” Perhaps the single most important quality for any respectable shmup to possess: it should be technically possible for a player to make a “perfect” run through the game, without getting hit even once. Put another way, there should never be spots where eating damage is 100 percent unavoidable ” no matter the situation, your raw skills should always be sufficient to get you through if you’re good enough. Of course, only a select few gamers actually are that good, but this ideal MUST be legitimately attainable: failing to tie up this crucial loose end during development is guaranteed to hamstring any shooter, no matter its strengths in other areas Minimal Downtime ” The fact that so many shooters routinely skimp on story and other ancillary elements in favor of short, action-packed runtimes isn’t exactly shocking: their audience just plain isn’t interested in stagnation of any sort. By and large they’re here to feel those fingers twitching, and the heck with everything else. Relentlessly overloading shmuppers to the point of mental exhaustion isn’t a wise course either, mind you, but 99 percent of the time there had better be something tangibly engaging going on: enemies that put up a genuine fight. Trickily-placed obstacles to dodge. Exploitable opportunities for scoring bonuses. A well-crafted shooter should never, EVER allow a player to “sleepwalk” ” the game should require your near-constant attention, and you should be only too happy to indulge it.

” The fact that so many shooters routinely skimp on story and other ancillary elements in favor of short, action-packed runtimes isn’t exactly shocking: their audience just plain isn’t interested in stagnation of any sort. By and large they’re here to feel those fingers twitching, and the heck with everything else. Relentlessly overloading shmuppers to the point of mental exhaustion isn’t a wise course either, mind you, but 99 percent of the time there had better be something tangibly engaging going on: enemies that put up a genuine fight. Trickily-placed obstacles to dodge. Exploitable opportunities for scoring bonuses. A well-crafted shooter should never, EVER allow a player to “sleepwalk” ” the game should require your near-constant attention, and you should be only too happy to indulge it. Ample Firepower ” On a related note, any shooter enthusiast will tell you that there’s a marked difference between being briskly challenged and being utterly overpowered: the former, even upon defeat, leaves you satisfied, while the later, even following victory, leaves you exasperated. Pitting a lone escape pod against a galaxy’s worth of bug-eyed, tentacled hostility ought to stack the deck against the player enough from the get-go: stranding him in a rough part of town armed with only a spitball gun is just overkill. Weapon and item access, damage levels, fire rates, movement speed, enemy durability, stage length, checkpoint locations and other factors must be carefully balanced against each other to ensure that the challenger always feels like he has some semblance of hope against the hordes: if the bad guys are going to mercilessly crush us under their heels they should at least have to earn it.

” On a related note, any shooter enthusiast will tell you that there’s a marked difference between being briskly challenged and being utterly overpowered: the former, even upon defeat, leaves you satisfied, while the later, even following victory, leaves you exasperated. Pitting a lone escape pod against a galaxy’s worth of bug-eyed, tentacled hostility ought to stack the deck against the player enough from the get-go: stranding him in a rough part of town armed with only a spitball gun is just overkill. Weapon and item access, damage levels, fire rates, movement speed, enemy durability, stage length, checkpoint locations and other factors must be carefully balanced against each other to ensure that the challenger always feels like he has some semblance of hope against the hordes: if the bad guys are going to mercilessly crush us under their heels they should at least have to earn it. Engaging Score System “A shmup can be a lot of fun even when the scoring is something of an afterthought, so if a more substantial tallying system IS included it had better a) Not be “broken” in any way, and b) Do its job – that is, serve as an enhancement to the experience, not a distraction. Ideally, ratcheting up the point ticker encourages players to utilize all of their inherent advantages on a whole new level, without making these important “tricks” unnecessarily obtuse or impractical ” a well-executed high-score play should be packed with thrills and free of excessive repetition, a thing of beauty and exhilaration for executor and observers alike. In like manner, a good scoring system makes you want to go the extra mile to learn it, even if you don’t technically have to ” to help players compare and compete, online and local tallies should be well-organized, detailed, and easy to read.

“A shmup can be a lot of fun even when the scoring is something of an afterthought, so if a more substantial tallying system IS included it had better a) Not be “broken” in any way, and b) Do its job – that is, serve as an enhancement to the experience, not a distraction. Ideally, ratcheting up the point ticker encourages players to utilize all of their inherent advantages on a whole new level, without making these important “tricks” unnecessarily obtuse or impractical ” a well-executed high-score play should be packed with thrills and free of excessive repetition, a thing of beauty and exhilaration for executor and observers alike. In like manner, a good scoring system makes you want to go the extra mile to learn it, even if you don’t technically have to ” to help players compare and compete, online and local tallies should be well-organized, detailed, and easy to read. Optimal Visibility ” Pretty simple, really: if a game is going to saddle you with a very busy screen and minimal defenses, you’d darn well better be able to see everything that’s going on around you at all times. As much as we all love intricate foreground elements, huge fiery explosions, and bits of shrapnel flying all over the place, these lose their charm VERY fast if they prevent you from spotting a torpedo hovering inches from your nose. The most obvious solution is to give enemy bullets bright, garish, and/or flashing colors and animations, making them tough to ignore under any circumstances – this certainly helps, though thick patterns of this stuff can sometimes render the baddies themselves tough to pick out beneath it all. Muted background graphics can help everything in front of them to “pop”, but too dulled a palette delivers a hit to the overall visual charm: there is, again, a balance to be struck here, but a shmup CAN be both attractive and accommodating, if its designer puts the effort in to make it happen.

Tips and Tricks

Equip Yourself Well ” In any shooter, precision is paramount ” players must be in total control at all times just to stay alive, let alone excel. Unfortunately, console hardware manufacturers these days simply aren’t designing with shmuppers in mind (and, to be blunt, haven’t been for some time now), so a bit of supplementation is often a good idea. Some diehards have gone so far as to acquire full-fledged arcade cabinets or other high-end accoutrements for the most “authentic” shooting experience possible, but the rest of us can still make things significantly better for ourselves on a smaller scale. First and foremost, definitely shop around for a (wired, to minimize input lag) controller with a responsive d-pad, or a joystick featuring a short “throw” (high sensitivity). When playing a game intended for a vertical monitor, check to see if the options menu features a “tate” (vertical) option ” this allows you to physically turn your screen 90 degrees on its side, banishing those ugly letterbox bars and giving you a more detailed (and pretty!) view of the action. Just make sure your display device of choice won’t be damaged in the process: look around the web a bit for more detailed info.

” In any shooter, precision is paramount ” players must be in total control at all times just to stay alive, let alone excel. Unfortunately, console hardware manufacturers these days simply aren’t designing with shmuppers in mind (and, to be blunt, haven’t been for some time now), so a bit of supplementation is often a good idea. Some diehards have gone so far as to acquire full-fledged arcade cabinets or other high-end accoutrements for the most “authentic” shooting experience possible, but the rest of us can still make things significantly better for ourselves on a smaller scale. First and foremost, definitely shop around for a (wired, to minimize input lag) controller with a responsive d-pad, or a joystick featuring a short “throw” (high sensitivity). When playing a game intended for a vertical monitor, check to see if the options menu features a “tate” (vertical) option ” this allows you to physically turn your screen 90 degrees on its side, banishing those ugly letterbox bars and giving you a more detailed (and pretty!) view of the action. Just make sure your display device of choice won’t be damaged in the process: look around the web a bit for more detailed info. Know Thy Hitbox ” As was mentioned in an earlier section, not every pixel of your onscreen “character” is always vulnerable to enemy assaults. Knowing which parts ARE is essential: typically the “danger zone” is a square, rectangle, or circle near your avatar’s center, but many times it’s hidden from view, so whenever you get shot down do your best to take note of exactly where you were drilled for future reference. Even in cases where the vital area is plainly displayed onscreen you have to get used to focusing on it whilst ignoring most everything else, so don’t be discouraged if you have some trouble at first. Of course, if you’re playing an older shmup with a “full ship” hitbox, just stay the heck away from everything!

” As was mentioned in an earlier section, not every pixel of your onscreen “character” is always vulnerable to enemy assaults. Knowing which parts ARE is essential: typically the “danger zone” is a square, rectangle, or circle near your avatar’s center, but many times it’s hidden from view, so whenever you get shot down do your best to take note of exactly where you were drilled for future reference. Even in cases where the vital area is plainly displayed onscreen you have to get used to focusing on it whilst ignoring most everything else, so don’t be discouraged if you have some trouble at first. Of course, if you’re playing an older shmup with a “full ship” hitbox, just stay the heck away from everything! Use the Entire Screen ” When you’ve got an extraterrestrial armada with a severe case of the crankies staring you down, one’s first reaction, understandably, is to stay as far away as possible, hugging the back end of the screen for dear life ” don’t let that instinct (healthy as it is) stop you from utilizing every inch of the real estate you’re given when the opportunity arises. Sometimes it’s actually in your best interest to get right up in a bad guy’s grill and “point blank” him for maximum damage, bringing him down before he gets a shot off; on other occasions slowly luring streams of hostile fire along an edge or even staying perfectly still in the middle of a nasty-looking pattern can, against all appearances, keep you safe. Always keep an eye out for “safe spots” in unlikely places ” depending on the situation, either a daredevil dash across the battlefield or a tiny nudge to the side could mean the difference between (virtual) life and death.

” When you’ve got an extraterrestrial armada with a severe case of the crankies staring you down, one’s first reaction, understandably, is to stay as far away as possible, hugging the back end of the screen for dear life ” don’t let that instinct (healthy as it is) stop you from utilizing every inch of the real estate you’re given when the opportunity arises. Sometimes it’s actually in your best interest to get right up in a bad guy’s grill and “point blank” him for maximum damage, bringing him down before he gets a shot off; on other occasions slowly luring streams of hostile fire along an edge or even staying perfectly still in the middle of a nasty-looking pattern can, against all appearances, keep you safe. Always keep an eye out for “safe spots” in unlikely places ” depending on the situation, either a daredevil dash across the battlefield or a tiny nudge to the side could mean the difference between (virtual) life and death. Bomb When You Gotta ” In many cases your finite stock of “smart bombs” serves primarily as a “Plan B” for when “regular” shooting and dodging just aren’t quite enough to push you over the top ” as you get better you won’t need to fall back on them as often, but no matter how comfortable you are with a particular shmup you’d still better know when to whack the “bomb” button and when to lay off. Obviously you don’t want to waste your payload on spots where they’re not absolutely necessary, but even in familiar situations things sometimes don’t go according to plan ” being too stingy may well end up costing you a life instead of a bomb, rarely (if ever) a worthwhile tradeoff: if you frequently find yourself dying with unused bombs in stock, shake up your approach a bit and make those little explosive bundles of joy count. Oh, and make sure to note any inherent delay between the moment you press the button and the instant the bomb actually activates, too.

” In many cases your finite stock of “smart bombs” serves primarily as a “Plan B” for when “regular” shooting and dodging just aren’t quite enough to push you over the top ” as you get better you won’t need to fall back on them as often, but no matter how comfortable you are with a particular shmup you’d still better know when to whack the “bomb” button and when to lay off. Obviously you don’t want to waste your payload on spots where they’re not absolutely necessary, but even in familiar situations things sometimes don’t go according to plan ” being too stingy may well end up costing you a life instead of a bomb, rarely (if ever) a worthwhile tradeoff: if you frequently find yourself dying with unused bombs in stock, shake up your approach a bit and make those little explosive bundles of joy count. Oh, and make sure to note any inherent delay between the moment you press the button and the instant the bomb actually activates, too. Self-Motivate ” This is perhaps the toughest item for a lot of modern gamers to wrap their heads around: to truly get your money’s worth out of a shmup you need to set certain challenges in place yourself, rather than allowing the game to do it for you. Exhibit A: The all-important one-credit clear (1CC). If you brag to a genre enthusiast about how you “beat” a shooter and only had to continue eight times to do it, consider yourself lucky if all he does is roll his eyes: for shmuppers, you haven’t truly conquered a game until you’ve done it on default settings, without continuing. Even after accomplishing that, of course, you’re still not finished: now it’s your job to seek a higher score. Most shooters don’t fall back on unlockables or other carrots and sticks to coax players in a particular direction (though many will reset your point tally after your initial credit), so what you end up getting out of a shmup is what you put into it: while this might sound overbearing at first, in practice it’s far more intuitive than you’d think, and becomes second nature before you know it. See the upcoming paragraphs for a bit of related info.

” This is perhaps the toughest item for a lot of modern gamers to wrap their heads around: to truly get your money’s worth out of a shmup you need to set certain challenges in place yourself, rather than allowing the game to do it for you. Exhibit A: The all-important one-credit clear (1CC). If you brag to a genre enthusiast about how you “beat” a shooter and only had to continue eight times to do it, consider yourself lucky if all he does is roll his eyes: for shmuppers, you haven’t truly conquered a game until you’ve done it on default settings, without continuing. Even after accomplishing that, of course, you’re still not finished: now it’s your job to seek a higher score. Most shooters don’t fall back on unlockables or other carrots and sticks to coax players in a particular direction (though many will reset your point tally after your initial credit), so what you end up getting out of a shmup is what you put into it: while this might sound overbearing at first, in practice it’s far more intuitive than you’d think, and becomes second nature before you know it. See the upcoming paragraphs for a bit of related info. Practice Makes Perfect” ” Kind of an obvious one, but considering that a number of shmups are in the same league as tourney fighters in terms of the time commitment required for even “competent-level” performance, a bit of persistence is definitely your ally. “Credit feeding” through tough stages to take a peek at later areas is okay at first, but as you get more naturally accustomed to how a game works you should gradually start “playing for score” and aiming for the coveted one-credit clear. Recording footage of your attempts, which some games can do for you out of the box, might help, as can studying “superplays” of “expert” runs, which are both watchable online and packaged as full-featured commercial videos. Off to the side, some shmuppers speak in furtive whispers of “the zone”, a semi-mystical extra-focused gaming state of mind attained under certain mysterious circumstances: it’s not an “official strategy” for progress by any stretch, but if you do somehow happen to achieve your own “zone” as you play, go with it!

” Kind of an obvious one, but considering that a number of shmups are in the same league as tourney fighters in terms of the time commitment required for even “competent-level” performance, a bit of persistence is definitely your ally. “Credit feeding” through tough stages to take a peek at later areas is okay at first, but as you get more naturally accustomed to how a game works you should gradually start “playing for score” and aiming for the coveted one-credit clear. Recording footage of your attempts, which some games can do for you out of the box, might help, as can studying “superplays” of “expert” runs, which are both watchable online and packaged as full-featured commercial videos. Off to the side, some shmuppers speak in furtive whispers of “the zone”, a semi-mystical extra-focused gaming state of mind attained under certain mysterious circumstances: it’s not an “official strategy” for progress by any stretch, but if you do somehow happen to achieve your own “zone” as you play, go with it! “But “Perfect” Is NOT Required! ” As awe-inspiring as it is to watch a highly-skilled shmupper strut his stuff, the experience can also be an intimidating one: after all, if you’ve never been devoted enough to video games to put in the kind of time and effort required to reach that degree of skill, are shmups really even worth trying out “just for fun”? The answer, you may be surprised to hear, is an emphatic YES ” getting the essential “basics” of most shooters down is a simple process, and individual “sessions” are almost always short and to-the-point, perfect for gainfully employed gamers in need of titles which can be quickly finished up for the time being and easily resumed during a spare few minutes later on. Contrary to what you might have heard, this is actually a big part of what makes the genre so appealing to its admirers: even if you lack the ability or inclination to totally “master” a shmup, advancement can still be made even if you only pick up a controller “when you can” or “when you feel like it”. So long as you don’t try to boastfully lump yourself in with the “top-tier” set, your fellow shmuppers will never criticize you for taking it slow: many of them, after all, are in the exact same boat. So relax ” when you’re playing something with a name like “shmup”, feel free to check your self-consciousness at the door.

Principle Scoring Systems

(Individual shmups’ approaches to bringing home the big bonus points range from the bleedingly obvious to “who thought THIS up?”, but when you get right down to it nearly all are dependent on a short checklist of basic features, namely 1) Enemies, 2) Bullets, and 3)Items. Messing around with these three things in some manner or combination forms the backbone of nearly every scoring system ever implemented in a shooter: below are a few of the more common applications, to give you a general (though far from complete) idea of what to expect as you become more familiar with the genre at large.)

Chaining ” Most commonly associated with Cave’s shooters, the basic idea behind “chaining” is defeating enemies (or collecting the items they drop) either a) In a specific order or b) In near-immediate succession, without leaving too long a gap between “hits”: the longer you can keep this up, the higher the “chain”, and your point bonus, grows. This technique requires both practice and attention (i.e. to memorize where enemies show up, so as to be ready to pick them off at the right moment), as well as restraint – simply snatching up everything on sight will often lead to a break, so you need to “space out” your maneuvers appropriately, even if this means giving the bad guys additional time to attack. Some “chaining” shooters are infamously strict and can be frustrating to master for all but the most devoted players, though not all are quite so demanding. (Examples: DoDonPachi, Mars Matrix, Radiant Silvergun, Game Tengoku)

” Most commonly associated with Cave’s shooters, the basic idea behind “chaining” is defeating enemies (or collecting the items they drop) either a) In a specific order or b) In near-immediate succession, without leaving too long a gap between “hits”: the longer you can keep this up, the higher the “chain”, and your point bonus, grows. This technique requires both practice and attention (i.e. to memorize where enemies show up, so as to be ready to pick them off at the right moment), as well as restraint – simply snatching up everything on sight will often lead to a break, so you need to “space out” your maneuvers appropriately, even if this means giving the bad guys additional time to attack. Some “chaining” shooters are infamously strict and can be frustrating to master for all but the most devoted players, though not all are quite so demanding. (Examples: DoDonPachi, Mars Matrix, Radiant Silvergun, Game Tengoku) Medaling – Countless shooters wedge some manner of item collecting into their structure, but “medaling”, named for the “medal” items from several Raizing shooters that popularized this system, is a specialized variation meriting further explanation. As you destroy certain enemies or containers, these unusual point-awarding items (“medals”) start to show up: at first they’re only worth a pittance, but for each one you collect the next one’s value increases, and once the sequence tops out the points quickly start to pile up. Most such games require that no “medals” be missed in order to keep the bonus climbing: allowing a single reward to drop off the screen often forces you to start the “medaling” process over. A related “item-based” scoring mechanic requires the moment of collection to be timed precisely (usually in sync with a visual cue) to up the ante. (Examples: Battle Garegga, Gunbird 2, Twinbee, Trizeal)

– Countless shooters wedge some manner of item collecting into their structure, but “medaling”, named for the “medal” items from several Raizing shooters that popularized this system, is a specialized variation meriting further explanation. As you destroy certain enemies or containers, these unusual point-awarding items (“medals”) start to show up: at first they’re only worth a pittance, but for each one you collect the next one’s value increases, and once the sequence tops out the points quickly start to pile up. Most such games require that no “medals” be missed in order to keep the bonus climbing: allowing a single reward to drop off the screen often forces you to start the “medaling” process over. A related “item-based” scoring mechanic requires the moment of collection to be timed precisely (usually in sync with a visual cue) to up the ante. (Examples: Battle Garegga, Gunbird 2, Twinbee, Trizeal) Proximity Bonus ” Sure, keeping a safe distance from threats is usually a good idea, but every once in awhile a shoot-em-up will tempt you to forget everything you know about personal safety in the name of bonus points: “You really gonna let that armed-to-the-teeth battleship say mean things about your momma? Dry those sissy baby tears and get in his FACE!” The most common and straightforward implementation of this seemingly-suicidal gimmick simply awards extra points based on how close you are to enemies when you kill them; other times you’re compensated for hovering near any threat onscreen, including walls and projectiles (exploiting the latter, specifically, is known as “grazing”, “scratching”, “scraping”, or “buzzing”). The constant risk of being “point-blanked” by nearby baddies makes both muscle-memory repetition (you’d better know exactly how long it takes to kill that thing before it unloads on you) and twitch reflexes musts for success. (Examples: Omega Fighter, Ketsui, Silpheed: The Lost Planet, Shikigami no Shiro)

” Sure, keeping a safe distance from threats is usually a good idea, but every once in awhile a shoot-em-up will tempt you to forget everything you know about personal safety in the name of bonus points: “You really gonna let that armed-to-the-teeth battleship say mean things about your momma? Dry those sissy baby tears and get in his FACE!” The most common and straightforward implementation of this seemingly-suicidal gimmick simply awards extra points based on how close you are to enemies when you kill them; other times you’re compensated for hovering near any threat onscreen, including walls and projectiles (exploiting the latter, specifically, is known as “grazing”, “scratching”, “scraping”, or “buzzing”). The constant risk of being “point-blanked” by nearby baddies makes both muscle-memory repetition (you’d better know exactly how long it takes to kill that thing before it unloads on you) and twitch reflexes musts for success. (Examples: Omega Fighter, Ketsui, Silpheed: The Lost Planet, Shikigami no Shiro) Kill Bonus ” Now here’s a category which truly taps into that most primal shmupping instinct: blowing lots of stuff up! Of course, if you want to reap maximum profits from all that destruction you’ll have to channel your taste for mayhem in slightly more nuanced directions: for instance, you might want to lure groups of enemies close together and then take them all out in one shot to multiply their value. Alternatively, it might be in your best interests to bring down your adversaries extra-quickly, or simply not let a single member of a particular “marked” group (including non-aggressive “environmental” targets) escape your fury. Sometimes your goal will be to blast away every single “outer” piece of a boss before “shooting the core” for the final kill, while on other occasions you’ll be rewarded for a single “sniper shot” to a well-equipped enemy’s elusive weak spot. Countless variations on this theme exist, so give the manual or in-game tutorial a quick glance before setting off to wreak glorious havoc. (Examples: Layer Section, Vasara, Raiden III, Star Soldier)

” Now here’s a category which truly taps into that most primal shmupping instinct: blowing lots of stuff up! Of course, if you want to reap maximum profits from all that destruction you’ll have to channel your taste for mayhem in slightly more nuanced directions: for instance, you might want to lure groups of enemies close together and then take them all out in one shot to multiply their value. Alternatively, it might be in your best interests to bring down your adversaries extra-quickly, or simply not let a single member of a particular “marked” group (including non-aggressive “environmental” targets) escape your fury. Sometimes your goal will be to blast away every single “outer” piece of a boss before “shooting the core” for the final kill, while on other occasions you’ll be rewarded for a single “sniper shot” to a well-equipped enemy’s elusive weak spot. Countless variations on this theme exist, so give the manual or in-game tutorial a quick glance before setting off to wreak glorious havoc. (Examples: Layer Section, Vasara, Raiden III, Star Soldier) Resource Management ” A relatively recent and somewhat complex addition to the list, these shmups usually require the player to amass and expend (or “cash in”) two or more separate “resources” (items, power meter, etc.) in appropriate tandem to product the best results. For instance, say that taking down targets with your “main” weapon makes them leave behind ammo for your limited-use “super” weapon: defeating enemies with the latter, in turn, causes them to spawn bonus points, but depletes the weapon’s energy faster, leaving you with less to fall back on in a tough spot. How much time you want to devote to either stockpile is up to you: going in one direction often means an easier 1CC, while the other leads to higher scores. “Resource management” can often be tricky to wrap one’s head around at first, but hands-on experimentation can usually clear up misconceptions much faster than reading or hearing about it from outside sources. (Examples: Mushihime-sama Futari (Maniac), Espgaluda, Radirgy, Akai Katana)

” A relatively recent and somewhat complex addition to the list, these shmups usually require the player to amass and expend (or “cash in”) two or more separate “resources” (items, power meter, etc.) in appropriate tandem to product the best results. For instance, say that taking down targets with your “main” weapon makes them leave behind ammo for your limited-use “super” weapon: defeating enemies with the latter, in turn, causes them to spawn bonus points, but depletes the weapon’s energy faster, leaving you with less to fall back on in a tough spot. How much time you want to devote to either stockpile is up to you: going in one direction often means an easier 1CC, while the other leads to higher scores. “Resource management” can often be tricky to wrap one’s head around at first, but hands-on experimentation can usually clear up misconceptions much faster than reading or hearing about it from outside sources. (Examples: Mushihime-sama Futari (Maniac), Espgaluda, Radirgy, Akai Katana) Milking/Leeching ” Not really a “scoring system”, per se, but a loosely-defined “technique” used to squeeze as many points as possible out of adversaries – “milking” usually refers to lengthy battles, like bosses, while “leeching” is a briefer variation applied to minor enemies. Many games enable its use, but a few are especially dependent on it for high score competition. Basically, instead of dispatching nasties immediately, slow down and take “em for all they’re worth: if a boss regenerates destroyed parts, let him live and blast them off a few times apiece for extra points. If a mid-size opponent fills the screen with bullets when allowed to linger too long, tempt fate and summon forth the onslaught before unleashing a special attack to cancel the whole mess into bonus items. This obviously requires patience on the player’s part, so most developers use a timer or other means to limit “milking” to a degree: allowing it to go on indefinitely, after all, gives a skilled player free reign to essentially break the game. (Examples: Giga Wing, Psyvariar, Muchi Muchi Pork!, Border Down)

” Not really a “scoring system”, per se, but a loosely-defined “technique” used to squeeze as many points as possible out of adversaries – “milking” usually refers to lengthy battles, like bosses, while “leeching” is a briefer variation applied to minor enemies. Many games enable its use, but a few are especially dependent on it for high score competition. Basically, instead of dispatching nasties immediately, slow down and take “em for all they’re worth: if a boss regenerates destroyed parts, let him live and blast them off a few times apiece for extra points. If a mid-size opponent fills the screen with bullets when allowed to linger too long, tempt fate and summon forth the onslaught before unleashing a special attack to cancel the whole mess into bonus items. This obviously requires patience on the player’s part, so most developers use a timer or other means to limit “milking” to a degree: allowing it to go on indefinitely, after all, gives a skilled player free reign to essentially break the game. (Examples: Giga Wing, Psyvariar, Muchi Muchi Pork!, Border Down) End Bonus ” One of the many little pleasures coveted by shooter players is taking a few well-deserved moments to relax after a hard-fought level is finished ” of course, this brief respite is SO much more fulfilling if you get to watch the game tally up a nice long list of awards before moving on. As with “milking”, a ton of games award extra bonuses at the end of each level (and/or the game’s conclusion), though the criteria evaluated varies widely: remaining lives and/or bombs, enemy shoot-down percentage, score item count, secrets discovered, and boss clear time are a few of the more established ones. Though the amount of points given can seem somewhat inconsequential compared to what’s “actively” gained mid-stage, a strong finish to each level can still make or break a high-score run in more than a few cases, so try not to die at a spot where it’ll be tough to recover before the end (or at all, if you can manage it!). (Examples: Viper Phase 1, 19XX, Raiden DX, Blast Wind)

Subgenres

(Though some fans choose to subdivide shmups based primarily on their viewing perspectives [“vertical”, “horizontal”, “isometric”, “uphill”, etc.], most prefer a more detailed and specific grouping method, based on numerous other factors: most of the “accepted” classifications formed in this manner are listed here, though individual games provide plenty of opportunities for overlap.)

Proto-shmup ” A “big tent” category encompassing any and all very early video games which contained, and in some cases pioneered, “shmup-ish” elements before the genre was well and truly founded. These titles (and/or their native hardware formats) tend to place strict limits on how many shots the player can squeeze off at once, so there’s much more emphasis on precision aiming (to make those precious few shots count) than in most of their descendents. Take your pick of just about any “shooting game” released up until Xevious or so ” Space Invaders, Asteroids, Galaga, Centipede, and many more like them all fit the bill.

” A “big tent” category encompassing any and all very early video games which contained, and in some cases pioneered, “shmup-ish” elements before the genre was well and truly founded. These titles (and/or their native hardware formats) tend to place strict limits on how many shots the player can squeeze off at once, so there’s much more emphasis on precision aiming (to make those precious few shots count) than in most of their descendents. Take your pick of just about any “shooting game” released up until Xevious or so ” Space Invaders, Asteroids, Galaga, Centipede, and many more like them all fit the bill. Blast-em-Up ” Straightforward shooters from all walks of life, brought together by their universal lack of “involved” scoring systems ” most any incentive for replay therein is derived from technically-impressive set pieces and multiple difficulty settings. A majority of console-exclusive releases from the 8- and 16-bit eras are “blast-em-ups”: for many longtime fans who experienced the “golden age” of Tecnosoft and Compile firsthand, this subgenre is a heavily nostalgic one. Not particularly “deep” experiences in most respects, but that’s kind of the point ” the ideal choice for those who prefer more “instinctive” or “reactionary” shmup sessions.

” Straightforward shooters from all walks of life, brought together by their universal lack of “involved” scoring systems ” most any incentive for replay therein is derived from technically-impressive set pieces and multiple difficulty settings. A majority of console-exclusive releases from the 8- and 16-bit eras are “blast-em-ups”: for many longtime fans who experienced the “golden age” of Tecnosoft and Compile firsthand, this subgenre is a heavily nostalgic one. Not particularly “deep” experiences in most respects, but that’s kind of the point ” the ideal choice for those who prefer more “instinctive” or “reactionary” shmup sessions. Cute-em-up ” Occasionally called “shtick-em-ups”, the term refers to any shooter, regardless of play style or structure, whose presentation is composed primarily of cute, silly, and/or humorous subject matter. Though this aesthetic is most frequently tapped for relatively “casual” titles, at times a surprisingly challenging experience awaits beneath the goofy exterior: either way, the light-hearted atmosphere helps to take a good deal of the edge off, and tends to appeal to a more diverse audience than their comparatively “serious” cousins. The cartoony Twinbee and Cotton are obvious candidates, not to mention pie-in-the-face spoofs like Parodius, Star Parodier, and Game Tengoku.

” Occasionally called “shtick-em-ups”, the term refers to any shooter, regardless of play style or structure, whose presentation is composed primarily of cute, silly, and/or humorous subject matter. Though this aesthetic is most frequently tapped for relatively “casual” titles, at times a surprisingly challenging experience awaits beneath the goofy exterior: either way, the light-hearted atmosphere helps to take a good deal of the edge off, and tends to appeal to a more diverse audience than their comparatively “serious” cousins. The cartoony Twinbee and Cotton are obvious candidates, not to mention pie-in-the-face spoofs like Parodius, Star Parodier, and Game Tengoku. Bullet Hell ” Perhaps the most immediately-recognizable breed of shmup, thanks to its signature blanketing of most of the screen with scads of relatively slow-moving, un-aimed bullets: precise impromptu movements and a small hitbox are essential for weaving through the chaos and living to tell the tale. Once a niche-within-a-niche, a decided majority of contemporary shmup releases fit this description: most of Cave’s output certainly qualifies, alongside that of Takumi, Treasure, and a number of others, though many of these owe some measure of debt to late-era Toaplan and Raizing. Those which feature especially dense patterns, like the “Touhou” series, are sometimes given the label of “danmaku” (literally, “bullet curtain”), though the word is sometimes “retconned” to refer to “bullet hell” shooters in general.

” Perhaps the most immediately-recognizable breed of shmup, thanks to its signature blanketing of most of the screen with scads of relatively slow-moving, un-aimed bullets: precise impromptu movements and a small hitbox are essential for weaving through the chaos and living to tell the tale. Once a niche-within-a-niche, a decided majority of contemporary shmup releases fit this description: most of Cave’s output certainly qualifies, alongside that of Takumi, Treasure, and a number of others, though many of these owe some measure of debt to late-era Toaplan and Raizing. Those which feature especially dense patterns, like the “Touhou” series, are sometimes given the label of “danmaku” (literally, “bullet curtain”), though the word is sometimes “retconned” to refer to “bullet hell” shooters in general. Oldschool ” In many ways the polar opposites of “bullet hell” shooters, these rough-and-ready stalwarts tend to be, or embody the characteristics of, older (but not proto-) shmups, and demand a completely different play style to attain success. Relatively few enemy shots are sent your way, but they move very quickly, and are almost without exception aimed directly at you ” your ship’s hit area is too large to get away with very many close calls, so you have to almost constantly be on your toes and in motion to avoid getting picked off. If you’re seeking a shooter of this sort to try, one shouldn’t be hard to find if you’re willing to go back a few years, though the most iconic pick of the lot is probably the Raiden series.

” In many ways the polar opposites of “bullet hell” shooters, these rough-and-ready stalwarts tend to be, or embody the characteristics of, older (but not proto-) shmups, and demand a completely different play style to attain success. Relatively few enemy shots are sent your way, but they move very quickly, and are almost without exception aimed directly at you ” your ship’s hit area is too large to get away with very many close calls, so you have to almost constantly be on your toes and in motion to avoid getting picked off. If you’re seeking a shooter of this sort to try, one shouldn’t be hard to find if you’re willing to go back a few years, though the most iconic pick of the lot is probably the Raiden series. Memorizer ” Though every shooter requires some degree of rote learning to play properly, memorizers, as the moniker suggests, are shmups which place an especially strong emphasis on very precise actions, executed in a particular order at exact intervals. To put it bluntly, the first time you encounter a major challenge in a memorizer you’re almost certain to fail it, and will continue to fail it until you commit the relevant patterns and other essential actions to memory, then go on to crank them out as required. Definitely best-suited for those with long attention spans, the R-Type series is this subset’s undisputed gold standard.

” Though every shooter requires some degree of rote learning to play properly, memorizers, as the moniker suggests, are shmups which place an especially strong emphasis on very precise actions, executed in a particular order at exact intervals. To put it bluntly, the first time you encounter a major challenge in a memorizer you’re almost certain to fail it, and will continue to fail it until you commit the relevant patterns and other essential actions to memory, then go on to crank them out as required. Definitely best-suited for those with long attention spans, the R-Type series is this subset’s undisputed gold standard. Caravan ” Shooters built around brief, action-packed “score attack” sequences, in which the player is tasked with racking up as many points as possible within a fixed-duration course and/or time limit. Relatively few shmups over the years have devoted themselves exclusively to this compressed, “bite-sized” play style, but a more substantial number have included so-called “caravan” modes as extras to complement a more traditional “main” game. The name is derived from a series of “Caravan Festival” tournaments held by Hudson Soft from 1985 to 1992; the most prominently-featured titles at those events, the Star Soldier games, are appropriately the best-known “caravan” shmups.

” Shooters built around brief, action-packed “score attack” sequences, in which the player is tasked with racking up as many points as possible within a fixed-duration course and/or time limit. Relatively few shmups over the years have devoted themselves exclusively to this compressed, “bite-sized” play style, but a more substantial number have included so-called “caravan” modes as extras to complement a more traditional “main” game. The name is derived from a series of “Caravan Festival” tournaments held by Hudson Soft from 1985 to 1992; the most prominently-featured titles at those events, the Star Soldier games, are appropriately the best-known “caravan” shmups. Euroshmup ” Casually serves as a designation for any shooter created in (duh) Europe, but more specifically references a particular design mentality especially prolific among Commodore-era developers; the connotation is usually negative. While these games’ detailed hand-drawn artwork often elicits praise, other elements have rarely received as much time or attention – weaponry is by turns either over- or underpowered, enemy patterns repeat too frequently, movement is sometimes hobbled by inertia, and damage is frequently unavoidable, prompting many to tack on health/shield meters in a half-hearted attempt to compensate. While not all “Euroshmups” are roundly detested by the fan community (Soldner-X 2’s recent release was pretty well-received), the word tends to set many denizens on edge.

” Casually serves as a designation for any shooter created in (duh) Europe, but more specifically references a particular design mentality especially prolific among Commodore-era developers; the connotation is usually negative. While these games’ detailed hand-drawn artwork often elicits praise, other elements have rarely received as much time or attention – weaponry is by turns either over- or underpowered, enemy patterns repeat too frequently, movement is sometimes hobbled by inertia, and damage is frequently unavoidable, prompting many to tack on health/shield meters in a half-hearted attempt to compensate. While not all “Euroshmups” are roundly detested by the fan community (Soldner-X 2’s recent release was pretty well-received), the word tends to set many denizens on edge. Dodge-em-Up ” The rarest and most unusual variation on this list, “dodge-em-ups” are best-described as “shooters” with little to no actual shooting going on: pretty much all gameplay emphasis is placed on the simple but deceptively challenging art of defensive relocation, i.e. staying the heck out of harm’s way. Most “full-fledged” dodge-em-ups are homebrew projects, the best-known of which is almost certainly Omega’s Every Extend (you can and will attack enemies here, though you have to blow yourself up to do it), but a handful of commercial releases feature segments or scoring systems which discourage or outright disable shooting: Treasure’s Ikaruga, for example, recognizes and awards non-aggressive “dot eater” play, and suddenly disengages your weapons during the final boss encounter.

Borderliners and Offshoots

(Since shmups were the very first type of “shooting” game to come into existence, it could be argued that EVERY “shooter” to follow, including the third- and first-person shooters currently dominating the industry landscape, technically counts as an (again, pardon the pun) “offshoot”, but in the interest of brevity this section will limit itself to the shmup’s closest “traditional” relatives, sometimes referred to as “borderliners”.)

On-Rails Shooters ” “Rail shooters” for short, the phrase is actually something of a misnomer: technically, this designation best fits “light gun” shooters like Time Crisis and House of the Dead, which force the player along a very strict linear path, allowing little to no independent motion outside of aiming. The games we’re talking about here, however, like shmups, generally implement full-screen 2-D freedom of movement but shift the third-person camera to your character’s back, instead scrolling the screen “inward” towards a distant horizon from which enemies emerge and must be picked off. Occasional, limited use of the z-axis is perhaps the only dynamic definitively separating them from the rest of shmupdom: one early “shooting gallery” ancestor, Star Fire, is actually credited as the first video game to implement both full-featured high score tables and dynamic “rank” difficulty adjustment, while another, Starship 1, had limited-use “smart bombs” several years before Defender. Sega in particular has wielded a great deal of additional influence in this area, as its Space Harrier and Panzer Dragoon traditionally carry the banner for the group, alongside Nintendo’s Star Fox.

” “Rail shooters” for short, the phrase is actually something of a misnomer: technically, this designation best fits “light gun” shooters like Time Crisis and House of the Dead, which force the player along a very strict linear path, allowing little to no independent motion outside of aiming. The games we’re talking about here, however, like shmups, generally implement full-screen 2-D freedom of movement but shift the third-person camera to your character’s back, instead scrolling the screen “inward” towards a distant horizon from which enemies emerge and must be picked off. Occasional, limited use of the z-axis is perhaps the only dynamic definitively separating them from the rest of shmupdom: one early “shooting gallery” ancestor, Star Fire, is actually credited as the first video game to implement both full-featured high score tables and dynamic “rank” difficulty adjustment, while another, Starship 1, had limited-use “smart bombs” several years before Defender. Sega in particular has wielded a great deal of additional influence in this area, as its Space Harrier and Panzer Dragoon traditionally carry the banner for the group, alongside Nintendo’s Star Fox. Run-n-Guns ” Basically a crossbreed (see following subheading) of shmups and side-scrolling platformers, players traditionally control a humanoid character who uses projectile weapons (“guns”, to normal people) to fight enemies, but cannot fly freely around the screen ” bound to terra firma by gravity, he/she/it must complement shooting and dodging fundamentals with skillfully-applied “jump n’ run” techniques. The Contra and Metal Slug series are undoubtedly the most famous “certified” run-n-guns, though the more “mainstream” likes of Mega Man and even Metroid sometimes find themselves invited to family reunions.

” Basically a crossbreed (see following subheading) of shmups and side-scrolling platformers, players traditionally control a humanoid character who uses projectile weapons (“guns”, to normal people) to fight enemies, but cannot fly freely around the screen ” bound to terra firma by gravity, he/she/it must complement shooting and dodging fundamentals with skillfully-applied “jump n’ run” techniques. The Contra and Metal Slug series are undoubtedly the most famous “certified” run-n-guns, though the more “mainstream” likes of Mega Man and even Metroid sometimes find themselves invited to family reunions. Arena Shooters ” Usually viewed from an overhead “bird’s eye” perspective, your character is trapped within an enclosed area, and must fend off waves of enemies streaming in from all sides to earn access to the exit door ” many times a “twin-stick” control scheme (one joystick to move, one to aim and/or shoot) is implemented in lieu of individual button commands to make on-the-fly adjustments easier. Robotron 2064 and Smash T.V. are the ones that most gamers remember best, though a surprisingly robust shot of new blood has been added to the scene in recent years, especially by downloadable developers.

” Usually viewed from an overhead “bird’s eye” perspective, your character is trapped within an enclosed area, and must fend off waves of enemies streaming in from all sides to earn access to the exit door ” many times a “twin-stick” control scheme (one joystick to move, one to aim and/or shoot) is implemented in lieu of individual button commands to make on-the-fly adjustments easier. Robotron 2064 and Smash T.V. are the ones that most gamers remember best, though a surprisingly robust shot of new blood has been added to the scene in recent years, especially by downloadable developers. Tube Shooters ” Most closely akin to the “rail” shooter, “tube” shooters adopt the same behind-the-back “shoot into the screen” viewpoint but limit the player’s movement area to a single line, a la Space Invaders ” in this case, however, this line snakes roughly along all edges of the screen, allowing for full rotation in a circular pattern. Gyruss stands as this segment’s “main event”, though some more recent offerings like Torus Trooper have carved out a spot for themselves; certain “vector shooters” like Tempest are sometimes lumped in here too.

” Most closely akin to the “rail” shooter, “tube” shooters adopt the same behind-the-back “shoot into the screen” viewpoint but limit the player’s movement area to a single line, a la Space Invaders ” in this case, however, this line snakes roughly along all edges of the screen, allowing for full rotation in a circular pattern. Gyruss stands as this segment’s “main event”, though some more recent offerings like Torus Trooper have carved out a spot for themselves; certain “vector shooters” like Tempest are sometimes lumped in here too. “Thrust Shooters” – As the name suggests, these are games in which player movement is controlled primarily via some sort of manual “thrust” button which propels your craft/character forward and/or upwards: the very first shooting game, Spacewar!, is one of these, so it’s not inaccurate to state that everything truly started here. Though Asteroids is almost certainly the most famous, long-time gamers in particular may recall gravity-based “jetpack shooters” like Solar Jetman and Baraduke, though a few more recent up-and-comers like Bangai-O do exist. This category tends to cross paths with the “run-n-gun” rather frequently, thanks to “semi-floor-bound” curiosities like Atomic Robo-Kid and Act-Fancer.

Crossbreeds and Crossovers

Despite their not-entirely-undeserved reputation as an “exclusive” genre, over their long lifespan shmups have mixed and mingled with the rest of the gaming spectrum on an unparalleled scale ” shooting-tinged “crossbreeds” litter the shelves, as do countless references and tributes to the medium’s venerable forefathers. Here are some of the more notable cross-pollinations out there, including a few combinations you probably weren’t expecting to see.

Platformer ” The well-known “run-n-gun” fusion has already been covered above, but developers have combined shooting and platforming in less-orthodox ways on several occasions: both Jaleco’s Formation Z and Game Arts’ Thexder, for example, give the player control of a robot that can switch between “humanoid” and “jet” forms at will, though the former pits you against straightforward side-scrolling levels while the latter prefers the confines of free-roaming maze-like caverns. Then there’s Capcom’s Legendary Wings, which routinely changes up the action from Xevious-style shooting and bombing to simplified run-n-gun interior segments and back again.

” The well-known “run-n-gun” fusion has already been covered above, but developers have combined shooting and platforming in less-orthodox ways on several occasions: both Jaleco’s Formation Z and Game Arts’ Thexder, for example, give the player control of a robot that can switch between “humanoid” and “jet” forms at will, though the former pits you against straightforward side-scrolling levels while the latter prefers the confines of free-roaming maze-like caverns. Then there’s Capcom’s Legendary Wings, which routinely changes up the action from Xevious-style shooting and bombing to simplified run-n-gun interior segments and back again. Adventure ” Boomerangs and arrows have always been part of The Legend of Zelda and its many imitators (doujin developer Murasame’s Engage to Jabberwock plays like a “bullet hell” riff on an overhead Zelda dungeon), but Compile’s Guardian Legend, a comparatively obscure NES gem, exchanges the usual sword-wielding fantasy hero for Alyssa, a girl who just so happens to be able to transform into a space fighter (seriously, how huge a turn-on is that?). Your journey is thus split between overhead exploration segments and vertically-scrolling shmup stages, complete with boss fights. Many years later WayForward’s Sigma Star Saga took a similar tack on the GBA, though this time the shoot-em-up portions occur as “random encounters” – as you walk around various areas, occasionally you’re beamed up to a waiting vessel in the atmosphere for a quick blast.

” Boomerangs and arrows have always been part of The Legend of Zelda and its many imitators (doujin developer Murasame’s 