What are the best horizontal shooters on the NES?

[Anthony1]

I need to get some NES games, and I was wondering if the NES had any really good horizontal shooters like AeroBlasters on the Turbo or Gradius on the SNES?

Which horizontal side-scrolling shooters should I look out for?

[Ed Oscuro]

Well first off...they're not really good like on the SNES in terms of graphics. NES, for me, is good enough to handle lots of things, but not fighters or vertical SHMUPS, IMO ;O. Good question, though, I'll be interested to see what's recommended.

[Anthony1]

Oh, I didn't know that the NES couldn't do shooters very well. I just figured that since the Turbo is so good at shooters, that the NES would have been pretty good too, considering they are from a similar era in videogaming.

[ddockery]

Well, there's massive slowdown at times, but I just can't stay away from a Gradius game, so Gradius and Life Force both get my vote. Also, it's not in the same vein, but you can't go wrong with Contra.

[chadtower]

Oh, I didn't know that the NES couldn't do shooters very well. I just figured that since the Turbo is so good at shooters, that the NES would have been pretty good too, considering they are from a similar era in videogaming.

That's an excellent point, with one basic flaw: It's wrong. The NES is an 8 bit console, the TG a 16 bit console. The TG was released years after the NES.

[SoulBlazer]

Well, there's Section Z -- that's the only good one I can think off, but I know there were others made.

And if you don't mind a top down shooter, both Legendary Wings and Dragon Spirt are da bomb, with Guardian Legend also being a blast.

[ubersaurus]

I like NES shooters...slowdown there may be, but there's some quality ones. Check out Sky Kid-one of my all time favorite shmups, and its a horizontal scroller. Also Gradius and Life Force rock, as does the port of Defender II, and if you don't mind vertical ones, check out Zanac, 1942, Legendary Wings, and the always good galaga.

[Gamereviewgod]

3rd vote for Legendary Wings, but be ready for the difficuly level which is legendary.... :-D

[Kid Fenris]

Sky Kid is boring and inane. Then again, I don't care for the original Gradius either, even though I enjoy Life Force. Over Horizon is also pretty good, but it was released only in Japan and Europe, if memory serves.

Strangely enough, the NES has little in the way of great horizontal shooters, but it has several excellent vertical shmups, such as Gun-Nac, The Guardian Legend, or the import-only Crisis Force.

[rbudrick]

Gradius II was a Japan only release, but it is truly amazing. It has the graphics and sound quality of a SNES game. Abadox is very good....very underrated...awesome music and very tough (pssst...invincibility code).

Fantasy Zone is always classic. Oh, and don't forget Parodius (Europe and Japan only).

-Rob

[jaydubnb]

Even though it alternates between vert and hori level layouts, you cant go wrong with Lifeforce which IMO is better than Gradius.

Oh and about the tg16-/pce family of systems-- Its the only system that I can think of where you can see the evolution of gaming as a whole in its library. Some games look only slightly better than 8bit, some look as good as the SNES and Genny, and then of course is that CD technology that would eventually become popular with the PS and Saturn.

[wberdan]

stinger and gradius were always my two favorites

willie

[Rolland]

For NES, of course flying dragon its got tons of special power ups and gameplay features, you can't miss it (aka Fists of the flying dragon for famicom? )

edit: Daragon Spirit - I'm sure I posted somewhere already

[Balloon Fight]

Classic galaga, gradius, and defender 2. Those are my picks.

[Lost Monkey]

That's an excellent point, with one basic flaw: It's wrong. The NES is an 8 bit console, the TG a 16 bit console. The TG was released years after the NES.

Another excellent point, with one basic flaw: It's only half right. They both have 8 bit CPUs. :P

[NE146]

The horizontal shooters I remember..

BURAI FIGHTER: If I remember correctly, this game got excellent reviews on EGM.. I never picked it up though but it's supposed to be a cross of Fogotten Worlds and Side Arms with Side and overhead shooting.

ABADOX is often overlooked. Great game though.. sort've "Life-Forcish"

STARSHIP HECTOR is another one.. Never played it though.

[lendelin]

1. Life Force
2. Gradius
3. Burai Fighter
4. Abadox
5. Legendary Wings
6. Guardian Legend

All of them are wortwhile playing! Actually I enjoyed Guardian Legend as much as Life Force; however, it's not quite just a space shooter. It's one of the few successful hybrid games. It's a hybrid between a apace shooter and an adventure game. In between the space shooter sequences you have to explore labyrinths for power ups and fight enemies, and there are even stores where you can buy power ups. It truly stands out. It's one of the games which the labyrinths sections are just good, the space shooter sequences are just good, but put them together and you have a GREAT game.

[Dire 51]

For NES, of course flying dragon its got tons of special power ups and gameplay features, you can't miss it (aka Fists of the flying dragon for famicom? )

Wasn't that a martial arts game? If not, that's one NES shmup I've missed.

Anyway, I have to second every single game mentioned so far. If you can snag Gradius II or Crisis Force, then you should congratulate yourself. :)

One game to stay away from: Alpha Mission by SNK. I can't recall playing a worse vertical shmup for the NES ever.

Speaking of Gradius, anyone seen the ROM hack Gradius AC? It proves that Gradius on the NES could have looked and sounded very close to the original arcade, rather than what it ended up being.

[Zubiac666]

as it goes for vertical shoot'em ups
you must see/play RECCA
I don't really know how they did manage to create a shooter on NES with hundrets(no joke) of bullets,bosses sized a screen,even flawless rotations without ANY flicker and slowdown

I don't think u can get the card anywhere(I think it was some game just produced for some sort of competition!?).....I have just the rom myself

[ubersaurus]

I'd be all about paying someone to make me a Recca cart, but I'm not sure I'd have the dough. God only knows what compatible mappers you'd find for something like that. As for the bosses, they did the old NES standby of making them background characters, save for their weak points. But Recca...THE Radiant Silvergun of the Famicom. Not the NES though. I still stand by Zanac for that ;p

[Dire 51]

From what I've heard, a SMB3 cart may work to make a Recca cart. I'll be finding out soon enough...

[Dire 51]

Oh, and I just looked up Flying Dragon - it is a martial arts game, not a shmup.

[Ruudos]

There's also a Parodius game for NES released in Europe. Also released for the Famicom (maybe more too).

[NE146]

Speaking of Gradius, anyone seen the ROM hack Gradius AC? It proves that Gradius on the NES could have looked and sounded very close to the original arcade, rather than what it ended up being.

No I've never seen it.. Know a good place to get NES rom hacks? (none of that patching stuff) :P

[Anthony1]

Okay, here is the voting so far



Lifeforce and Gradius are tied with 5 votes each


Legendary Wings has 4 votes


Guardian Legend and Abadox each have 3 votes


Zanac, Defender II, Galaga, Crisis Force (import), Gradius II (import), Paradious (import), and Burai Fighter, each have 2 votes



These games each got one vote:

Section Z
Dragon Spirit
Sky Kid 1
1942
Gun - Nac
Fantasy Zone
Stinger
Over Horizon (import)
Starship Hector


So right now it appears that I should try to go get Lifeforce and Gradius.

[Dire 51]

Absolutely go for Gradius and Life Force first.

If I can find a decent place to host that Gradius AC ROM, I'll let you guys know.