Your top 25 favorite SHMUPS of all time? Here are mine

[ZenLogikos]

Cave games are awesome, but I just don't see huge differences between them to justify having so many above a unique STG such as Radiant Silvergun. I haven't made a list, so I'm speaking generally here.

[hashiriya1]

16. River Raid

[J T]

I might bother to fill out a full list with rankings later, but for now, here are the games that immediately spring to my mind in this genre:

Ikaruga (GameCube)
Life Force (NES)
UN Squadron (SNES)
Gradius (NES)
Gradius V (PS2)
Asteroids (Arcade)
R-Type III: The Third Lightening (SNES)
R-Type Final (PS2)
Zaxxon (Colecovision)
Space Invaders (Atari)
Defender (Arcade)
Section Z (NES)
Einhander (Playstation)
Gaiares (Genesis)
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved (PC)
S.C.A.T. (NES)
Gridrunner Revolution (PC)

[Original_Name]

I'm not incredibly knowledgeable about shmups, but here's the best I've got:

25. Mars Matrix (Dreamcast)
24. Zero Gunner 2 (Dreamcast)
23. Darius Gaiden (Saturn)
22. R-Type (Master System)
21. Einhander (PlayStation)
20. GleyLancer (MegaDrive)
19. Sexy Parodius (Saturn)
18. Super Fantasy Zone (MegaDrive)
17. R-Type III (Super Nintendo)
16. Under Defeat (Dreamcast)
15. Gunhed (Turbografx-16)
14. Eliminate Down (MegaDrive)
13. Lords of Thunder (TurboGrafx-16 CD)
12. Air Zonk (Turbografx-16)
11. M.U.S.H.A. (MegaDrive)
10. Thunder Force V (Saturn)
9. Battle Garegga (Saturn)
8. Layer Section (Saturn)
7. Blazing Star (Neo Geo)
6. Axelay (Super Nintendo)
5. Soukyugurentai (Saturn)
4. Border Down (Dreamcast)
3. Thunder Force IV (MegaDrive)
2. Radiant Silvergun (Saturn)
1. Ikaruga (Dreamcast)

[Weekend_Warrior]

My Top 12. In order by system:

Galaga (Arcade/NES/PS2)
Gun-Nac (NES)
Gyruss (NES)
Tiger-Heli (NES)
Space Megaforce (SNES)
Galactic Attack (Saturn)
Ikaruga (DC)
Zero Gunner 2 (DC)
Raiden (Arcade/PS1)
Strikers 1945 (PS1)
Raiden III (PS2)
R-Type Final (PS2)

[env963]

Ill just list my favorites, 25? I have played 25 shmups before, but these are the ones, that I hold in the highest regard.

1. Ikaruga
2. Rez
3. Panzer Dragoon Orta
4. Panzer Dragoon Zwei
5. Tempest 2000
6. Radiant Silvergun
7. Panzer Dragoon
8. Skygunner (not sure if this would be classified as a shmup but this game rocks)


I could make a list that would go on, but these I think are total gems, that I can say I have played. I would love to someday pick up einhander though. Sin and punishment 2 is on my radar also.

[BlackDS]

lol, I don't think i even know 25 shmups, Ill go with top ten.

1. Geometry Wars (DS) Because it was the first shmup that I ever played.
2. Aerial Assault (GG)
3. Sonic Wings (NGCD)
4. Every Extend Extra (PSP)
5. Chaos Field (GC)
6. ASO II (NGCD)
7. Halley Wars (GG)
8. Nanostray (DS)
9. Gradius Galaxies (GBA)
10. R-Type Final (PS2)
11. Iridion 2 (GBA)
12. R-Type 3 (GBA)
13, R-Type (GB)

Thats all the shmups I own actually!

[nutbar]

To name just a few...

- Zanac (NES)
- Gun.Smoke (NES)
- Tyrian (PC)
- Earth Defense Force (aka E.D.F.) (SNES)

[crux]

It's amazing Japhei lasted so long on these boards...

As an aside, even though he thankfully isn't here to answer my query, I have no idea how Shikigami No Shiro 3 got on the list with the other games. I haven't played it, but I've played previous games in the series and it just seems misplaced. I own every game on his list except for Shikigami, the PCBs (Guwange and Strikers 1999 being the two I noticed), and any Darius games, and Shikigami 3 just doesn't seem to fit in with the rest. I don't even believe that it's regarded as the best in the series. Opinions and all, I suppose.