Your Favorite NES Shooter? [Archive] - Retrogaming Roundtable

klausien

02-13-2008, 03:45 PM

So, what's your favorite shooter for the NES?
Mine? Gun-Nac!!!

Seconded. Gun-Nac is an incredible game and is definitely my favorite shooter on the NES.

My personal dark horse is Star Force, but that is mostly due to nostalgia.

My other favorites have also been mentioned. 1943, Gradius II, Life Force, Crisis Force, Recca, Starship Hector, Gradius... The NES version of Image Fight is also pretty good, as are Zanac, Terra Cresta, Alpha Mission and Thundercade. I also LOVE Jackal, though it is really more of a free-roaming shooter.

diskoboy

02-13-2008, 03:48 PM

Cobra Command and Lifeforce.

And yes, I'll admit it..... I loved Jaws on the NES.

Sotenga

02-13-2008, 04:01 PM

cosmicpsycho

02-13-2008, 04:12 PM

i'd have to say Life Force also, just because it was my favorite as a kid.

DefaultGen

02-13-2008, 04:51 PM

.....

debian4life

02-13-2008, 04:53 PM

Mine would have to be Gradius and Ikari Warriors.

Regards,

Brian

LifeGame

02-13-2008, 05:13 PM

Gradius, Life Force and Abadox are on the podium as far as im concerned.

Superman

02-13-2008, 06:04 PM

My favorite shooter on the NES is the Guardian Legend. There's just something about those flying scenes.

miaandjohnrule

02-13-2008, 06:12 PM

1942 and a close second would be Gun-Nac

ubersaurus

02-13-2008, 06:17 PM

US: Zanac
JPN: Recca

Apollo

02-13-2008, 06:23 PM

I concur with nearly everything said so far, and I can't really give a definitive favorite. However, I would like to add Abadox on top of that. I grew up on this shmup, and even if you're definitely boned unless you try and beat it on one life, I love it alone for the sheer uncharacteristic gruesome design.

Pretty much the same thing here. Abadox was so unforgiving, losing a life pretty much meant trying to survive long enough to get some sort of powerup again.

Also, Life Force.

Sudo

02-13-2008, 07:01 PM

Gotta go with Life Force. I've been meaning to try Recca for a while, I'm gonna have to give it a go next time I'm in a mood for shooters.

diskoboy

02-13-2008, 08:37 PM

Left out Blaster Master.....

XYXZYZ

02-13-2008, 11:13 PM

Left out Blaster Master.....

Does Blaster Master count? Usually when we say shooters in the classic gaming sense, we're talking about the flying shooter, like Gradius, etc.

My favorite NES shooter is also Life Force, such a great game. And I can finish it without using the 30 lives code now! Another great shooter is Dragon Spirit, I think the NES port plays better than the PC Engine or even the arcade version.

1943 is also a game I loved to death on the NES, but after getting to know the arcade port for Sega Saturn, and playing it on a MAME cabinet with a vertical monitor, the NES port kinda leaves me cold nowadays.

drdrew1469

02-13-2008, 11:38 PM

tiger-heli baby. either that or paperboy...

darkhades

02-13-2008, 11:52 PM

Guerrilla War and Life Force.

spoon

02-14-2008, 06:22 AM

Recca is so badass, I swear it is not a Famicom game. Like a voodoo black magic Famicom game.

Super C for me. So many memories.

JerseyDevil65

02-14-2008, 07:00 AM

Recca is my all time favorite, followed by Over Horizon, Exerion and Crisis Force.

Press_Start

02-14-2008, 10:16 AM

From the 8-bit RetroHeartland, the Guardian Legend. ;)

XYXZYZ

02-14-2008, 01:45 PM

I just realized that I forgot to mention Twin Cobra.

lkermel

02-14-2008, 01:51 PM

I personally really like Crisis Force. Awesome game.

Oobgarm

02-14-2008, 01:55 PM

If it's allowed, Contra.

Otherwise, Life Force.

VileRedFalcon

02-14-2008, 04:26 PM

I just realized that I forgot to mention Twin Cobra.

Twin Cobra is one of my favs too. Definitely an underappreciated game.

kaedesdisciple

02-14-2008, 04:37 PM

Twin Cobra is one of my favs too. Definitely an underappreciated game.

I'll third that nomination. Only problem with that game is it goes on for-freaking-ever!

Slightly off-topic, I seem to remember gun-nac being featured on some video game playing game show. Anyone happen to remember the name of said show?

Sudo

02-14-2008, 04:47 PM

I'll third that nomination. Only problem with that game is it goes on for-freaking-ever!

Slightly off-topic, I seem to remember gun-nac being featured on some video game playing game show. Anyone happen to remember the name of said show?

That would be Nick Arcade. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Arcade) I remember watching that show every time it was on when I was a kid.

evil_genius

02-14-2008, 04:50 PM

I never really thought of Paperboy as a shooter till now but it kinda is...

DigitalSpace

02-14-2008, 04:56 PM

I just realized that I forgot to mention Twin Cobra.

I prefer the Genesis version, but the NES version holds up pretty well.

Rob2600

02-14-2008, 09:30 PM

Life Force and Legendary Wings.

Gun-Nac is good, too.

TheDomesticInstitution

02-14-2008, 09:38 PM

I guess it's been mentioned dozens of times but whatever... 1943 and Lifeforce are tied for me. I got so much mileage out of them when I was a kid.

spoon

02-15-2008, 03:39 AM

If I can't pick Super C, I'll nominate Dragon Spirit. Although not as good as the Tg-16 version, I played the shit out of that game.

Icarus Moonsight

02-15-2008, 04:31 AM

I can't choose between Zanac and Gun-Nac for my favorite NES shooter. Fami is worse... Gradius 2, Crysis Force and Recca but, OMG they are the monies! Damn butter.

Run n Guns are easily locked up by Contra. Followed by Super C, a very close second.

XYXZYZ

02-15-2008, 05:22 AM

Aw, what the hell... I just realized I forgot to mention Star Soldier. I love Star Soldier. Can't wait for the Wii version...

Eternal Champion

02-15-2008, 10:58 AM

Is Contra really a shooter?
Anyway, I was always limited to U.S. releases, so:
Zanac - the most intense, hardest-without-being-R-Type-III-ridiculous shoot-'em-up ever made.
1943

sidnotcrazy

02-16-2008, 11:07 AM

Aw, what the hell... I just realized I forgot to mention Star Soldier. I love Star Soldier. Can't wait for the Wii version...

Oh yeah! I love Star Soldier. The way you could fly under and over parts of the playfield was awesome. I really hope we will see the Wii Ware version appear in the states.

bangtango

02-16-2008, 05:26 PM

Life Force.

First of all, it has a difficulty level which allows for gamers of all skill levels to play it. Not very good? Use the 30 lives code and a continue or two if need be. An expert player? Play through it with 3 lives. While it may make the game too easy to some people, I also appreciate being able to regenerate from the very spot you die instead of being moved back to an earlier spot of the level. Anyone can enjoy the game, despite being a fast-paced shooter it is still a very accessible game.

Second of all, it is really fun shooting through waves of enemies with the laser powerup. The Konami fanboy in all of us agrees that thing is awesome, especially when you got the two Options activated.

I had just picked up a Life Force NES cart at Goodwill earlier this month and played through the game again a couple of days ago, before I even spotted this thread. I have to use the 30 lives code because I can make it through all of the levels without dying except Level 3. I always lose upwards of ten lives in the fire level alone. I have never gotten the hang of that stage.

Life Force was the very first NES game I ever rented as a kid. Can anyone else make that same claim? :)

TurboGenesis

02-16-2008, 05:41 PM

My favorites:

Recca

and

Compile (Zanac, Gun-Nac, The Guardian Legend)

Rev. Link

02-16-2008, 07:55 PM

Twin Cobra, definitely. My friend and I used to play that all day long. Sometimes the music will still pop into my head.

Aussie2B

02-16-2008, 09:15 PM

Not only is Dragon Spirit my favorite NES shooter, it's my favorite shooter period. I love, love, LOVE that game to absolute pieces. I've played a little bit of the arcade original and the PC Engine version, but I still think the NES conversion is the most playable and enjoyable. The music is sheer bliss too. It's usually what inspires me to give the game a replay every few months, but the creativity of the stage design doesn't hurt as well. Every stage has something unique going on, and the variety is increased even further with the factor of enemies being both in the sky and on land. I'm a sucker for shooters where you need to shoot and drop bombs at the same time, which is why, after Dragon Spirit, my favorites are the entries in the TwinBee series on NES/Famicom Stinger and TwinBee 3 (I've yet to play the first one).

killersquirel

02-16-2008, 09:58 PM

The answer is Zanac.

all others are wrong!

-mike

spoon

02-16-2008, 10:03 PM

I like what Aussie2B mentioned about Dragon Spirit. God is the music great! I also enjoy the fact you can build yourself up so as not to die in one hit.

It is also fun to just die on the first stage and play as the Gold Dragon. I used to think this had awesome cut scenes when I was little. Used to think the part where the guy jumps up off the mountain, (Which has a face that looks like George Washington to me), and turns into a dragon was bad ass. Dragon Saber is pretty cool too. Not sure if that got a Fami release. I have the Tg-16 import.

Rick 2007

02-16-2008, 10:38 PM

Gradius has always been a favorite of mine.

I Never thought of paperboy as a shooter but I
guess it is. So many fun shooters have been listed.
I will be trying to play them all in the next few weeks.

Rick :-P

8bitgamer

02-16-2008, 11:03 PM

Donkey Kong 3
Contra
Gun.Smoke

cracked8ball

02-16-2008, 11:08 PM

Would definitely be a close tie between Zanac and Life Force.

Rob2600

02-17-2008, 01:35 AM

Am I the only one who likes Legendary Wings?

I'm not surprised nobody has mentioned Alpha Mission. I used to play it at my friend's house and it was bad. I couldn't stand it.

Sky Shark seems decent.

spoon

02-17-2008, 01:42 AM

I totally forgot about Sky Kid. Also one of my favorites. I always wondered if this game had an end or if it went on and on?

Bloodreign

02-17-2008, 08:00 AM

Gradius, Life Force, and Abadox, with a dash of Crisis Force.

Sky Kid has an end, can't remember how many levels it is, but it's fun, just got Legendary Wings from a friend of mine, I like the arcade original and find the NES version pretty entertaining as well. Gradius 2 FC, bliss, and it even has the announcer calling out weapon names like the arcade version. Recca, all I can say is holy smokes, a manic on an 8 bit machine, incredible.

Blitzwing256

02-17-2008, 09:06 AM

nothing can even compare to Zanac!
http://www.green-ranger.com/lj/zanac2.jpg

Zanac is not only my favorate nes shooter of all time it is my favorate game of all time. I absolutely love the ai system, the gameplay the stages the music, everything about it screams awesome. The game has so many little tricks and secrets in it, and its hard, but not unfair hard (I can beat it without continuing now) and it also has the most bizzare trick i've ever seen!

I like the game so much I hunted down a prototype of it and its the centerpiece of my collection :-)

http://www.green-ranger.com/nes/finds/zanacproto1.jpg

also 1000th post yay me!
(felt it was apt making it about Zanac)

ubersaurus

02-17-2008, 02:12 PM

I totally forgot about Sky Kid. Also one of my favorites. I always wondered if this game had an end or if it went on and on?

Oh, Sky Kid kicks total ass.

I never got past level 20. If memory serves(it's been like 13 years) there was no airstrip, and you just crashed.

Nophix

02-17-2008, 05:46 PM

Life Force hands down!

adaml

02-18-2008, 07:27 PM

Blitz, which bizarre trick in Zanac are you referring to?

mills

02-18-2008, 11:00 PM

Blitz, which bizarre trick in Zanac are you referring to?

I'm guessing it's the one where you mash the reset button over and over and it starts you in the last level.

Blitzwing256

02-18-2008, 11:10 PM

nope even wierder then the reset trick and eve wierder then the area zero glitch.

its the debug mode trick :-)
it can only be done on a toaster nes.

boot up the game and slowly lower the cartridge and raise it slowly till the highscore becomes garbled on the title screen. carefully lower the game again.

and if done right you'll be in debug mode with lots of fun tricks like being able to pause and select your weapon . also if you plug the zapper into port 2 it will allow you to skip stages.

heres a few screenshots of it in action:
(glitched highscore)
http://www.green-ranger.com/nes/zanac9.jpg
weapon select screen
http://www.green-ranger.com/nes/zanac2.jpg

a few more pictues as well just change the number ;-)

god i love that game :-)