Where are my Arcade shmup fans at?

[Varyag]

Where's the love for one of the most classic genres of arcade gaming? The venerable "little ship games" the shoot 'em ups, the bullet hells!
From the early days of Toaplan games and Raiden, to Taito, Konami, Capcom and the legendary CAVE! And many more. What are your favorite oldschool shmup titles, your obscure (for this niche genre) gems? Your white whales that you never could clear?

I have to say my favorite arcade shmup to fire up and clear on a chill night, is Batsugun Special (look at my avatar), and I love going around the later CAVE games and usually dying at stage 4. Rayforce, Giga Wing, Mushihimesama, 19XX, Strikers 1945...

 

[fake]

I like Darius Gaiden.

 

[Varyag]

I still need to play more of the Darius series! Gaiden and G-Darius are great.
"I always wanted a thing called tuna sashimi..."

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

 

[DunkeyKong]

Gradius and Ikaruga! I love the Gradius ports on almost every console it was ported to, even Ikaruga on Dreamcast is great!

 

[Stingy Perry]

Strikers 1945 1 & 2
19XX
Gunbird
Aero Fighters/Sonic Wings by Snk

 

[stealthRUSH]

Here! shoot'em ups are my 2nd favorite arcade style games besides fighting. Amazing devs listed I'd also include Technosoft. My favorite is Image Fight, for niche Down Load, and white whale is Battle Garegga.

Oh and.. ESP ra.de, Shikigami no Shiro I/II (haven't played III yet), Soukyugurentai (+Oubushustugeki), Sengoku Blade I/II, Override, Psyvariar series, Twinkle Star Sprites (+La Petite Princesse).

 

[Jeanfranc]

If we're talking favourites, mine is probably Deathsmiles.
Also, even if can't hold a candle to CAVE's best games, i really like The Cotton series by SUCCESS; the Turbografx CD port of the Arcade Game made me fall in love with the genre: the best ones are Cotton 2 and Cotton Rock 'n' Roll/Fantasy. It's kinda amazing that they are still making Cotton games in 2025.

 

[Yousef]

If we're talking favourites, mine is probably Deathsmiles.
Also, though they can't compare to CAVE's best games, i really like The Cotton series by SUCCESS; the Turbografx CD port of the Arcade Game made me fall in love with the genre: the best ones are Cotton 2 and Cotton Rock 'n' Roll/Fantasy. It's kinda amazing that they are still making Cotton games in 2025.
View attachment 9137View attachment 9138

Both excellent games.

 

[Varyag]

If we're talking favourites, mine is probably Deathsmiles.
Also, even if can't hold a candle to CAVE's best games, i really like The Cotton series by SUCCESS; the Turbografx CD port of the Arcade Game made me fall in love with the genre: the best ones are Cotton 2 and Cotton Rock 'n' Roll/Fantasy. It's kinda amazing that they are still making Cotton games in 2025.

Oooh yeah Deathsmiles is amzing, and I really want to get into Cotton. I grabbed one of the games on the Switch but didn't get much into it. I feel like I can't as into hori shmups as regular vertical ones. With the exception of CAVE horis, apparently.

I didn't even begin mentioning the great console or modern shmups either! Could go on and on about those too. I'll say my current favorite modern shmups, which match or surpass the level of the old classics, are Gunvein, Blue Revolver: Double Action and Crimzon Clover World EXplosion.

 

[RetroLaw]

They're busy being salty because almost every shmump release on modern system has input delay ?

 

[Jeanfranc]

They're busy being salty because almost every shmump release on modern system has input delay ?

You've got me, but it doesn't really matter to me as I don't care for leaderboards that much. RetroArch with RunAhead on a CRT is the best way to play these games aside from the original PCB or an M2 port.

 

[Varyag]

They're busy being salty because almost every shmump release on modern system has input delay ?

yeah the new Dodonpachi SDOJ port is..... very much not ideal.