racketboy.com

nes: xevious
gameboy: quarth
sms: darius
snes: axelay
genesis: musha aleste
game gear: GG aleste 2-powerstrike 2
saturn: radiant silvergun or soukiougurentai... i can't decide
n64: bangai-o
ps1: dodonpachi
ps2: espgaluda
dreamcast: ikaruga or giga wing 2... i can't decide too
gamecube: shikigami no shiro 2 - ikaruga plays too slow on gamecube.
gba: gradius galaxies
nintendo ds: bangai-o spirits

GBA: Iridion II
Dreamcast: Karous/Under Defeat
N64: Bangi-O

fastbilly1 wrote:Bangai-o?

I'm not really sure if Bangai-o should really be considered a shmup or not. It's certainly not a traditional one. It's kind of a puzzle/shmup I guess, but not in the same way that Twinkle Star Sprites is.

Personally, I would put it in the puzzle genre.

NES:
Gun Nac -- Prequel to Space Megaforce; and to an extent, launch game Mach Racer (more racer than shooter)

Famicom:
Summer Carnival '92: Recca -- no game you name is more furious on the Famicom

SNES:
R-Type 3 or Axelay -- both are excellently presented; and to an extent, Pocky & Rocky 2 (arena shooter)

Super Famicom:
Jikkyo Oshaberi Parodius (Parodius 3) or R2: Rendering Ranger -- Both masterpieces in their own ways

Genesis:
M.U.S.H.A. -- No competition

Mega Drive:
Panoramic Cotton -- I consider this to be the best flying SHMUP ever; over REZ and Ikaruga

TurboGrafix-16:
Magical Chase -- Which I always thought was the NTSC-U version of...

PC Engine:
Cotton

Why divide systems between Japanese and US/EU?

Breetai wrote:Why divide systems between Japanese and US/EU?

Why not? Would you consider a SFC release only the defining shmup game if you have a SNES? He is pretty much saying this is the best in the US, but over there they have this.

pepharytheworm wrote:

Breetai wrote:Why divide systems between Japanese and US/EU?

Why not? Would you consider a SFC release only the defining shmup game if you have a SNES? He is pretty much saying this is the best in the US, but over there they have this.

I guess I've completely integrated the two for myself. I do see what you're saying now. Seems silly that I couldn't see outside of my own box!

Although, SFC games DO work on an SNES.

My choices...

NES: S.C.A.T.
SNES: UN Squadron
Genesis: Gaiares
N64: Starfox 64
Playstation: Einhander
Playstation 2: Gradius V
Gamecube: Ikaruga
PC: Gridrunner: Revolution

Breetai wrote:

pepharytheworm wrote:

Breetai wrote:Why divide systems between Japanese and US/EU?

Why not? Would you consider a SFC release only the defining shmup game if you have a SNES? He is pretty much saying this is the best in the US, but over there they have this.

I guess I've completely integrated the two for myself. I do see what you're saying now. Seems silly that I couldn't see outside of my own box!

Although, SFC games DO work on an SNES.

Even a PAL one?

Anyway, I might have already replied to this thread (I honestly cant remember), but heres my choices. I'm not a huge shmup guy, so my options might be kinda mainstream :p

NES: Life Force
SNES: Gradius 3
N64: Bangai -O (i cant say I've played this though, but if it's anything like it's sequel, I'd still edge it more towards shmup than puzzle - unlike most puzzle games, where the challenge is in solving the puzzle, which is then easy enough to achieve, bangai-Os challenge relies mainly on surviving the assault thrown at you, whilst trying to solve the puzzles.
GC: Ikaruga
WII - Um..... (not many PAL shmups on wii - maybe Blastworks: Build, Trade, Destroy?) probably the virtual consoles library tbh, Theres loads of great shmups there.
GB - Solar Striker/ nemesis/ trax/ parodius. hard to pick between them.
GBC - I heard recently about a game called project S-11 which looks great.
GBA - Again I havent played any of these, but Iridion 2 would seem to be the obvious choice.
DS - Nanostray 2/Bangai-O spirits. Honourable mention goes to Metal Torrent on DSiWare for being a simple but enjoyable bullet hell for only £4.50
VB - Vertical Force. Not many other options .
SMS - Fantasy Zone and R-Type, alhough I've never played power strike 2.
MD - Thunder Force 3
SAT - Radiant Silvergun
DC - Ikaruga
TG16 - I'll go for Blazing lasers, but what a library to choose from. As I don't have a turbo CD/Super CD I cant choose Lords/Gate of thunder.
3DO - ... Not much to choose from. I'd go with starblade, but its not really a shmup.
PS2 - I don't know for this one. Perhaps Gradius V?
CD-i -

Anyhow, these are for systems I own. Some you may disagree with. I struggled to not choose stuff like starfox, panzer dragoon, X-Scape, Red Alarm and sin and punishment, which aren't what I'd classify as shmups, but are some of my favourite shooters for their respective consoles. If I can choose these games, replace my SNES option with starfox, my dsi option with x-scape, and my n64 and wii options with the 2 sin and punishment games. Red Alarm is good, but I dunno if it's better than vertical force.

Oh, I just realized this was a "defining" thread, not a "your personal favorite" thread. I would change some of my answers, like NES would probably be Life Force or Gradius, for example. I'd probably keep a lot of the others the same though.