[img width=700 height=525]https://blogs-images.forbes.com/olliebarder/files/2017/08/rtype_boss.jpg[/img]
Get ready to blast off and attack the evil Bydo empire! Do you like shoot-em-up games? I do! I'm a long-time fan of the genre, and have spent the better part of the last 20 years, or so, collecting as many of them as I can. While I have played and enjoyed many of these games, I have never felt like I got full enjoyment out of them, because I haven't engaged with other players to talk strategy, compare scores, or revel in the games themselves at the level I would like to. Now's my chance! I'm starting a new monthly series here at RF Generation, where we can play and discuss classic scrolling shooter games! Much like the existing Community Playthrough, we'll focus on a single game each month. There will be a forum topic where we can discuss the game, share high scores, and dig into why each game is, or is not, a great entry into the genre. In addition to traditional shmups, I'm also looking at including games that are related to shmups, such as run 'n gun titles like Metal Slug, shmup-inspired on-rail shooters, like Sin & Punishment, and shooting games that don't scroll horizontally, such as Hyperzone, or Galaxy Force. I plan to include a high score competition, where everyone can compete to be the RF Generation Top Shmupper of the month! So what do you say? Will you join me for this exhilarating adventure? Let's suit up together, and beat back the evil forces threatening to take over the galaxy, as we fly our craft straight into enemy territory and take them on. Full speed ahead! Proton cannons charged! Missiles locked! Let's save the day! Keep your eyes on the forums and front page in the coming days for an official announcement of the first game we'll be tackling! [img width=256 height=238]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/gradius/images/e/e7/Gradius3-BigCoreMkII.gif/revision/latest?cb=20140513144324[/img]
Shoot the core!
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My big claim to shmup fame is being in the top 1000 global scores for the Steam release of Ikaruga, on hard mode, which is basically the normal arcade game.
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Hey, I'm ready! The shmup genre is one that I've always really admired, but am nearly completely unable to play for any period of time. More to the point, I stink that them. Even my two favorites (Demon Attack and Round 42) are nearly inaccessible to me, gameplay wise. Only the ending of Lifeforce, have I seen.
Anyway, looking forward to this.
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@SirPsycho: Impressive! I was just talking with someone last night, and when he mentioned Ikaruga, we got into discussion about my inability to progress. I can get to stage 3 on a single credit, but then I usually bomb out 
@bombatomba: Dude, I love Round 42! I spent a ton of time on that classic as a kid, and have fond memories playing it on the PC. Man, I'm going to have to download that, and get some DOSBOX action going! I am in total agreement with you about Round 42's difficulty, however - it's very challenging! But I think that was kind of the point, as it's meant to be like a lot of early 2600 shooters in that, the difficulty just ramps up after each wave, and eventually, you just can't keep up. That game gets so fast after a few rounds, it's nearly impossible to not die immediately. Also, Demon Attack is great - I actually have a CIB copy of it for the 2600, and it's one of the games my next door neighbor had when we were kids, and we played it a ton. I always loved the "warp" effect, and the game's presentation.
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I'm all for it, let's do it!
Shmups are great! Already in the mid 90s I told everyone that shmups are timeless and will be played in decades when they were still alive and well and one of the most important genres for every console . They age gracefully, graphically and gameplay-wise.
I'm not good at them but I love them nevertheless. I finished in the 80s and 90s Gradius, Life Force, Super R-Type and R-Type III (a neverending last battle!) among others, however, I never finished Axelay or Musha (also among many others!  )
Recently I had a wonderful time with Skyforce Anniversary, an incredible game which conservatively did what lots of other games have done before but first-rate executed; and the reward-system is fantastic.
I hardly miss shmups to buy nowadays. I wish I were better at them, but they just give me the classic gaming feeling of simplicity, authenticity and challenge.
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Sounds awesome! I love a good shmup, even though most of the ones made nowadays are way too hard for me. The Gradius series was always some of my favorites. Gradius III and V specifically are super fun.
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Thanks for the idea and offer!
Limited as my time and ability is, I'm definitely up for trying this. I miss not getting into the RFG Community Playhrough, which is also a fantastic idea that I just can't structure the time for. Shmups though, I can at least give a few rounds and submit a pitiful score just for the fun of it! Much like yourself, the genre is perpetual fav of mine and I try scooping up any I don't already have.
Long live 'Shoot the Core!'
(Ironically, the Vic Viper's fire button appears broken in the lovely image above 😉)
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This sounds great!
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Sounds like a cool thing to follow! I do love shmups but haven't always been great at them. Willing to give it a try each month!
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I'm in. I'm not sure how my reflexes will hold up to games I'm not as familiar with, but I really like that playing these casually doesn't involve giant time commitments. Looking forward to the announcement.
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I'm a big shmup collector and fan. It will be nice to have a bit of a filler to go along with the monthly playthrough. It will also be a nice conversation piece in the "what are you playing?" section of our show.
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Wow, I'm totally blown away and very excited about all the response to this idea! Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm! I hope to get a topic on the forums soon regarding the first game. For those worrying about beating the games or posting pitiful scores, please know that this isn't a traditional play through. Some shmups, because of their difficulty curve, need for memorization (looking at you, R-Type), unique mechanics (Giga Wing), or just overall punishing difficulty (Battle Garegga), they can often take years to complete. There are relatively easy games to beat, or even 1CC, like Legendary Wings (NES), or the NES port of Dragon Spirt, but I wouldn't expect anyone to try and beat some of these games in a month, especially because the challenge level can vary so wildly, and different folks are going to take to different play styles. Some will gravitate toward bullet hell shooters, some to more traditional. Some might prefer horizontal scrollers, some will be vertical fans. Some may not enjoy cute-em-ups, like Fantasy Zone, or Parodius. Either way, it's an opportunity to further explorer the genre, perhaps put some more time into a few games that sit neglected on our shelves, and just have fun with games in a genre we appreciate. I look forward to diving into these games with everyone!
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I'm in! I love shmups but I'm not great lol. I'll at least try and get a high score put up
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@MetalFRO: Don't forget the old wave based shooters. Galaga, Demon Attack, Astrosmash - there are some great games in there.
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I love shmups! I'm not all that great but I still love them. I've actually been buying a lot of them off Switch's e-shop lately just to show support for the genre so they will continue adding them.
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@Duke.Togo: Definitely not! I pulled out Gorf for the ColecoVision a couple weeks back, and was just going to test it out in my new setup, and ended up burning an hour playing it. Demon Attack is one of my favorite 2600 games, along with Spider Fighter, and also Vanguard. I'm a huge fan of Galaga. I know there are a bunch of great early single-screen shooting games from the early arcade and 1st & 2nd console generations, so those will definitely be in the mix as well, though I may elect to lump 2 or 3 similar classics together due to the simplicity of the games, but also because it might be interesting to do some comparisons between like game concepts. Demon Attack and Spider Fighter are similar in many ways, but they also differ quite a bit, so that might be a fun comparison, for example. Anyway, it's an idea I'm kicking around.
@Bear78 & @drag0nsfyre: No need to be good, just enjoy playing them, and post your scores regardless - this won't be so much a competition, though that may factor in at some point, but more just a chance for those of us who love the genre to give it more attention, and to help spread the word, especially with the "shmup renaissance" that's occurring right now, given all the digital releases on Switch and PS4, as well as all the new physical releases via Limited Run Games, Play-Asia, and some Japanese companies reviving classic shmups, like M2 going through classics like Battle Garegga, Dangun Feveron, and soon Ketsui.
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@Deadman: This sounds like a lot of fun and will give me a reason to dig into my collection a bit.
@deadman, maybe we can combine forces as I’m sure you have some titles I don’t.
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Count me in! There are tons of great shoot-em-ups across a wide variety of platforms that I'm eager to dig into. Looking forward to this starting up.
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The official thread is now up, so let me know if you plan on participating this first month!
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=18658.0
Also, I have some interest in doing a podcast to coincide with this project, so if anyone would want to be a part of that, either on a monthly basis, or just to contribute during months you've participated, please let me know, so I can gauge interest - thanks everyone!
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