GBA shoot em ups

[robotriot]

I want to make a shoot em up for GBA, and I'm currently doing some research. Afaik, there's really a lack of shmups on GBA, here are the few titles I could come up with, does anybody else know games to add to the list?

I'm not counting Iridion and similar "3D" games, only classic vertical/horizontal scrolling shmups.

Darius R
Gradius Advance/Galaxies
Invader/Kaisertal
Phalanx
R-Type III
Robotech: The Macross Saga
Steel Empire
Strike Force Hydra
Tyrian 2000 (unreleased)
Xevious (NES Classics)

[thetoxicone]

Darius R (never reached the U.S. though)

[evilmess]

Kaisertal AKA Invader. European Release
Gradius Galaxies (same as Gradius Advance?)
Steel Empire

IMO Iridion II is shmuptastic! It plays like a classic vert shmup.

[Gamereviewgod]

Star X, on rails 3-D like Star Fox:

http://www.digitpress.com/reviews/starx.htm


Edit: Doh! Sorry, didn't read the initial post thouroughly enough..... :embarrassed: Still, some people might want to know.

[ddockery]

Invader, but it's impossible to find.

[robotriot]

Thanks for your replies so far! I updated the list.

I went right ahead and bought Invader and Darius R, Steel Empire is still a bit expensive atm :/

[ubersaurus]

R-Type III came out in the US, though I hear the port could've been done ALOT better, shmups a shmup.

[bluberry]

Iridion II was actually a vertical shmup, not some lame behind the ship affair a la the original.

[esquire]

I'd include:

Contra Advance
CT Special Forces
CT Special Forces 2
Medal of Honor Infiltrator

While not space ship shmups, I'd still consider them vertical/horizontal shmups like Metal Slug.

Also don't forget:

Air Force Delta Storm
Desert Strike Advance
Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits (Defender, Sinistar, Robotron 2084)
Konami Collector's Series Arcasde Advance (Time Pilot, Scramble, Gyruss)
Activision Anthology (Chopper Command, Laser Blast, Megamania, River Raid)

and these non-scrolling shooters

Space Invaders
Namco Museum (Galaga)
Atari Anniversary Advance (Centipede, Asteroids)

[evilmess]

I'd include:

Contra Advance
CT Special Forces
CT Special Forces 2
Medal of Honor Infiltrator

While not space ship shmups, I'd still consider them vertical/horizontal shmups like Metal Slug.

Run and gun



Air Force Delta Storm
Desert Strike Advance
Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits (Defender, Sinistar, Robotron 2084)
Konami Collector's Series Arcasde Advance (Time Pilot, Scramble, Gyruss)
Activision Anthology (Chopper Command, Laser Blast, Megamania, River Raid)

These are tough. Some I'd call shmup and others are shooters but not really a shmup by my own def. It's robotriot's list so I'll let him make the call


Space Invaders
Namco Museum (Galaga)
Atari Anniversary Advance (Centipede, Asteroids)

I'd say shmup

[esquire]

Air Force Delta Storm
Desert Strike Advance
Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits (Defender, Sinistar, Robotron 2084)
Konami Collector's Series Arcasde Advance (Time Pilot, Scramble, Gyruss)
Activision Anthology (Chopper Command, Laser Blast, Megamania, River Raid)

These are tough. Some I'd call shmup and others are shooters but not really a shmup by my own def. It's robotriot's list so I'll let him make the call


Space Invaders
Namco Museum (Galaga)
Atari Anniversary Advance (Centipede, Asteroids)

I'd say shmup

Yeah, I know. I only listed them because Xevious had been mentioned and I thought other classic shooters should be included.

[robotriot]

Cool, thanks for all the new suggestions ^^

I agree on the "run&gun" thing, those are not the classical shmups I'm searching for.

About the other games:

Air Force Delta Storm: have to test this one first

Desert Strike Advance: That's a multi-directional isometric shmup, so it doesn't count for my conservative little list ;)

Iridion II: this one includes sprite-scaling techniques, thus it doesn't count for me once again ;)

Midway/Konami/Activision compilations: I guess these should count, as long as the games are scrolling (unlike Robotrion 2084 for example)

Space Invaders/Namco/Atari Anniversary: while they are indeed shmups in my eyes, they don't qualify for my list because they're not scrolling :)

[hydr0x]

Iridion II: this one includes sprite-scaling techniques, thus it doesn't count for me once again ;)

makes no sense to me, sorry

[robotriot]

Well, for my research I need mostly unscaled sprites and obviously tiled backgrounds, the 3D-videos in Iridion aren't that easy to analyze.

[Oobgarm]

No one ever remembers Strike Force Hydra. I don't know a lot about it, as I've only played it briefly, but it's a top-down vertically scrolling shooter involving hovercraft. A neat game.

Was this game actually released here in the US? I found a mint boxed copy at a somewhat local used CD shop last year. Multiple posts here have yielded no information, nor have any web searches. There's been one copy on Ebay for quite some time that hasn't sold, the seller is in Los Angeles. Also saw one pop up from the UK.

http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/games/coverg/99/665299_full.jpg

[hydr0x]

Strike Force Hydra was also released on PSOne in Europe btw

[ddockery]

For that matter, did Invader get released here? I only see copies from European sellers. I've only played it via emulation.

[racecar]

i lke the - raiden- series

[bargora]

I'm glad to see that there are at least a couple of vertically scrolling shmups for the GBA. I know that the screen's aspect ratio favors side-scrollers, but I prefer verts.

Maybe you should separate your list into horizontal and vertical?


i lke the - raiden- series
Oh, and I like Raiden, too, but I didn't think there was a GBA version of it?

[Jive3D]

R-Type III came out in the US, though I hear the port could've been done ALOT better, shmups a shmup.

R-Type III for GBA was complete crap!

There was no Raiden for GBA, not yet - There's a cell phone Raiden, so It's not impossible.

[Iron Draggon]

Didn't either Phalanx or Tiny Phalanx come out for the GBC a few years ago?

[ClubNinja]

No one ever remembers Strike Force Hydra....

Was this game actually released here in the US?

It *is* a neat game - reminds of old shareware PC shooters, actually. I picked up my copy for $12.99 at a local EB. Haven't seen one since.

[Crush Crawfish]

My local Costco used to have a pile of strike force hydras, along with some karate game and some puzzle game I'd never seen before. I hope Hydra's still lying around. I'd like to buy it now....

[KJN]

There was also a GBA version of Tyrian 2000 in the making (and even a GameBoy Color version (http://www.cyclopsx.com/Archives/Tyrian2000-GBC/index.html) as well) but it was never published. You can download it here (http://members.iinet.net.au/~vannevar/tyrian/index.html).

[slownerveaction]

For that matter, did Invader get released here? I only see copies from European sellers. I've only played it via emulation.

I'm pretty sure it was Europe-only. My copy is European. (I think most people know this, but there's no regional lockout whatsoever with the GBA.)

It's an alright game, although not top-tier shmup material. My main problem with it is that it's very difficult to see bullets on an actual GBA (and I'm playing with an SP in good lighting). It's definitely one of those games played best through a GB Player!