RF Generation Message Board

Looking to focus on shooters for the Gamecube and PS2 for a little while and need some suggestions. I have Ikaruga and Raiden III, but looking for more. Let me know what your favorites are!

Ikaruga rocks!

Every Japanese Dreamcast release since 2004 has been a shooter, and all have been pretty good quality.  The only problem is that most were printed in limited quantities to a very niche hardcore audience so they will keep their $60 price tag over time.  Otherwise, they're a good mix of 2D and 3D shooters.  These include:

Trizeal
Chaos Field
Karous
Radilgy
Trigger Heart Excellica
Last Hope
Boarder Down
Under Defeat

Other menionables are anything by Treasure (who made Ikaruga as you know).  That adds Bangai-O (Dreamcast, N64), Silhouette Mirage (Saturn, PS1), and Gradius V (PS2).

Two more I'ld recommend are of a special variety.  They are Tube Shooters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube_shooter#Tube_Shooters).  Nitrous Oxide (PS1) and Torus Trooper (freeware, download it here (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/windows/tt_e.html))are outstanding ones from this tiny genre.  I'ld also recommend Gyruss (NES) if you haven't tried it already.

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There's also an survey from Moss to gauge interest in porting Raiden IV from the arcades, and the Dreamcast is an option in one of the fields.  The survey itself (http://raiden.mossjp.co.jp/raiden4/arcade/opiniondemand.html) is in Japanese, but there is a guide (http://www.dreamcast-scene.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=1496) at Dreamcast-Scene.com.  I'ld say go vote, but the link isn't working for me now.  I don't know what to say.

Thanks a lot. I have Silhouette Mirage and Gradius V on my want-list, but was unaware of Bangai-O.

Here's a quick video review for Bangai-O by the GaGaMan from the Dreamcast Junkyard. 

http://the-dreamcast-junkyard.blogspot.com/2007/07/rummage-new-dcjy-video-review-series.html

He gives it its due credit.

There's a good amount of Sega nerd nonsense on the site, but also some good Dreamcast related info and forgotten nuggets.

-GC-
Chaos Field
Ikaruga

Of the gamecube stuff I'd only recomend ikaruga.  The problem with chaos field is that it's basicly one boss battle after another.  many people love it but then, many people also hate it.  Ikaruga isnt without it's problems as you know (as you have it) but that's the one i'd recomend of the two we got for it.

-PS2-
Gradius III/IV
Gradius V
Mobile Light Force 2
Castle Shikigami 2
Raiden 3
Silpheed
Rez
Amplitude
R-Type Final
Frequency

Plenty of shooters here.  The gradius games dont realy change things up much but as they have almost always been solid, they are well worth it.  The next two games (mobile light force 2/castle shikigami 2) are a series of games that got a budget release in the states.  Dont mistaken that to mean they are bad, just that like raiden 3 they were released on the cheap side.  There was another in the series (mobile light force) released for the ps1.  Also, dont let the cover art fool you.  It looks gimpy but the gameplay is still good.  Rez is better on the dreamcast simply for the VGA support but as it only saw domestic release on the ps2, it's still good.  Amplitude and frequency are both more rail shooters.  R-type like gradius is an old school shooter.  To me it's the better of the 3 if only for all the unlockable content.  You've got over 100 ships and weapons you can unlock with a number of endings and alternative levels.  It's difficult to beat and some of the ships and weapons feel weak but for the $$, it's very good.

-DC-
Giga Wing 1
Giga Wing 2
Mars Matrix

Of the 3 games only mars matrix would be recomended.  The other two are ok but the comparison between the three is so drastic.  The difficulty, the beautifull graphics of matrix, as well as the unlocable content just out do the giga wing series in every way.  If you have mars matrix though, the giga wing games arnt half bad.  They just dont live up to mars matrix.

There are plenty of import shooters for the three systems.  So far of them I'd say the ps2 has the best selection if only for the compilation releases from atlus/cave and other companies big in shooters.  The dreamcast definitly comes in second though as they've had too many great ones released in the past four years.

Thanks for the great list, Fuyukaze. I am familiar with some of the games you mentioned (Gradius, R-Type, Frequency), but I will certainly look into some of the others you listed.

Ikaruga on the GC.  :)

Aegis Wing: A fun and free game on Xbox Live Arcade (not epic, but really fun)

I dont really know if its a shooter or not, but you shoot in it.  The MGC remake for GC. or unreal tournament or quake 3 for dreamcast.

unless you include homebrew, then quake (the first one) for dreamcast.

By shooter he means the traditional overhead type.

Wut?

Yeah, not really a fan of FPSs. Really looking for more overhead types a la Ikaruga :) God I love that game.

Anyone try The Red Star yet, I heard that it was a shooter with some other elements mixed in.  Haven't tried it or read much about it though so it could be closer to a Contra style shooter.

Einhander for the PS2 is incredible. Fantastic side-scroller.

Brett Weiss: Words of Wonder (http://brettweisswords.blogspot.com/)

Speaking of great shooters on the PSX, G Darius is a must own shooter.  It's great fun blowing up gigantic fish with an alpha beam that almost fills the entire screen!

Well, I picked up Raiden III this week, and Bangai-O arrived today.  I've sure got enough schmup gameplay to last me a while.