Best Top Down (Twin Stick) Shooters

[GrouchoGlasses]

I love popping in Gradius and Ikaruga, but when I have my friend over, our clear favorites are the twin stick shumps! Unfortunately, Google isn't proving useful in finding a good "top 10" or similar list of great top downs.

Let me make sure I'm using the correct term. When I say "twin stick shooter," I'm referring the the gameplay style of Super Smash TV and Total Carnage on SNES. Jackal and Ikari Warriors on the NES. But those 4 are the only ones I know! The dpad/analog controls the character and the right analog/face buttons shoot in a 360 degree of different directions in each of these games. There seems to be no side/vertical scrolling like we see in classic shumps.

I own most of the popular consoles (all generations of Nintendos, Segas, Playstations, and Xboxes), so these are the platforms I'm looking for--arcade, wiiware, etc ports are acceptable too!

Of my limited experience, my favorites are

1. Jackal (NES)
2. Total Carnage (SNES)
3. Super Smash TV (SNES)

What are your favorites?

Which system has the most games of the dual stick/twin stick/top down shooters?

[prfsnl_gmr]

I suspect we have a thread about this somewhere...I just can't find it right now...

On topic, my favorite twin stick shooters - in addition to the aforementioned Smash TV - are Geometry Wars and Robotron 2084.

[REPO Man]

There's an indie PC twin-stick shooter called Voxatron. Got it ages ago from Indie Game Stand.

[o.pwuaioc]

In addition to Robotron 2084, there were two sequels for it, one for the N64 (Robotron 64), which is the superior one, in my opinion, and Robotron X for the PS1, which isn't that great.

[ExedExes]

So you're looking for top-down 360 degree run n guns, if I have that correct? Heavy Barrel on the NES is pretty solid.

[CRTGAMER]

I suspect we have a thread about this somewhere...I just can't find it right now...

On topic, my favorite twin stick shooters - in addition to the aforementioned Smash TV - are Geometry Wars and Robotron 2084.

Not sure if you were referencing my Twinstick Guide, I included info on how to get other games into Twinstick mode undocumented either thru the Game Menu or a simple mod to an Arcade Two Player unit.

Geometry Wars and Robotron are my favorites, imagine Wii Geometry Wars played like Robotron with the red ball Arcade style Twinsticks. For a different game that works well with a Twinstick arrangement, try Sierra Cross Fire. Games such as this is where emulation has a nice benefit when coupled with a mod. The Commodore and Atari computer 8 key versions playable on the Dreamcast with a Twinstick!

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Beat Hazard Ultra is a twin stick shooter that generates its levels based on your MP3 files. Available for PC, XBLA and PSN I think.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I just remembered...Centipede Infestation on the Wii plays almost identically to Geometry Wars Galaxies. Since you are using the pointer as the second stick, neither game is really a twin-stick shooter, but the gameplay is very similar.

[CRTGAMER]

I just remembered...Centipede Infestation on the Wii plays almost identically to Geometry Wars Galaxies. Since you are using the pointer as the second stick, neither game is really a twin-stick shooter, but the gameplay is very similar.

Both also have a Classic Controller option as well, the small analog sticks working as Twin Sticks. Weird how they integrated Robotron style gameplay into Centipede Infestation. Not a great game, but not too bad. Both also work great with the Arcade Stick mod hooked up with a Classic Controller adapter.

[fastbilly1]

I have never seen a twin stick version of Jackal.

Voxatron is a indie pc game that is twinstick. It is a really clever concept: