Favorite Dreamcast Shoot 'em ups (shmups)

[treismac]

I'd like to get some recommendations for some worthwhile Dreamcast shoot 'em ups.

[FOnewearl]

Border Down followed by Mars Matrix

[SpaceHarrier]

I always really enjoyed Giga Wing 2, it was my introduction to bullet hell.

[Tanooki]

Gunbird, Gigawing, Cannon Spike and Ikaruga I recall being pretty slick, Mars Matrix too. I'm sure I'm missing some good stuff but I haven't had a DC in like 10 years. There are days I'm tempted when I see one cheap somewhere around on or offline.

[FoxNtd]

Hmm, is there a DC STG that isn't good?

[VACRMH]

I always liked Zero Gunner 2.

[Koa Zo]

I always liked Zero Gunner 2.

This was my answer :P

Little story time: I ordered both Zero Gunner 2 and Ikaruga from NCSX. Well, Ikaruga was preorder. So after waiting weeks for the ship date, and finally getting the games I of course put Ikaruga in first considering it is "Project R.S.2" how could I not be hyped to play this new masterpiece from Treasure?!
I can't explain how it happened, but before long I had to try out Psikyo's helicopter shmup, and somehow I was hooked. That's just the style and intensity of game I love to play. So it ended up that I played Zero Gunner 2 almost exclusively and let Ikaruga collect dust for the first couple weeks I owned it.

other favorite Dreamcast shmups:
Gunbird 2
Border Down
Radirgy
Under Defeat
Trizeal

Most of those are avilabel on other systems (all except Border Down)
yet the Dreamcast is my preferred system to play them on - it is the native hardware for most of them, and the Dreamcast interface (game saves, streamlined menus, etc) provides the best arcade feel and immediacy.

[SpaceHarrier]

Here is one I'm actually still looking forward to, as it's still in development. NGDEV Team's NEO XYX. Recalls the best of Toaplan games such as Dogyuun or Truxton. Obviously, I've not played it, but it looks cool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5zM6_YqWeU

[bb_hood]

Gunbird 2 is good, so is bangai-o.

[gameofyou]

My favorites are:

Mars Matrix
Zero Gunner 2
Ikaruga
Shikigami No Shiro 2

[gamebaka]

Sturmwind seems to be quite good as well.

Review scores are high, some of my friends like it a lot. It's an indie shmup released in 2013.

I've ordered a copy last week, hope it will arrive soon...

[BricatSegaFan]

Sturmwind seems to be quite good as well.

Review scores are high, some of my friends like it a lot. It's an indie shmup released in 2013.

I've ordered a copy last week, hope it will arrive soon...

Someone watches classic gameroom. I saw that episode and made me want sturmwind

[o.pwuaioc]

Sturmwind is good. In fact, it's great. I really enjoy the pacing, which is not something I can say about a lot of bullet hell and bullet hell-like types. You should also check out for indie shmups Dux 1.5 and Redux, Fast Striker 1.5, and Last Hope: Pink Bullets. They're a good dev team. The games aren't at the very top, but they're worth playing. You may also like Chaos Field, but I haven't played that yet.

Everything else worth getting has already been mentioned.

[blue lander]

I found Trizeal to be very enjoyable. Most shmups at the time were of the bullet hell style and it was nice to place something more in the style of a Toaplan or Psikyo title. It was the last Dreamcast game I ever bought, at the time I was buying every post-Ikaruga shmup released for the system, but it was getting too expensive. I'll have to take a look at some of the newer ones.

[treismac]

Karous is really fun. Unique cell shaded graphics and humanly dodgeable bullet patterns make this bullet hell standout.

Of all of the suggestions, so far, Mars Matrix is my favorite, by the way.

[jboybdayboy]

I agree with the other posters on here, Mars Matrix is the best game ever. Theres so much you can in it and it just looks really nice.

Was there ever an official Arcade cabinet for it? Anyone send me a pm if you find a google image of it.

[jammajup]

I liked Gunbird 2 best out the few I played,Mars Matrix was good but there are way too many objects on screen to see what to avoid.

[Tron 2.0]

Border Down
Gunbird 2
Trigger Heart Excelia
Under Defeat
Ikaruga

[LaughingMAN.S9]

Someone watches classic gameroom. I saw that episode and made me want sturmwind

Lol literally the reason i just bought my copy off playasia.


Saw the review last night, bought my copy 5 minutes ago. Going off that video review, if someone had told me it was a treasure shmup for xbox 360, I would believe them, it looked THAT good


Edit. For those interested, playasia seems to have the cheapest price for sturmwind stateside at around 40 dollars. Its 50-75 on the ebay etc 2nd hand market. If youre in Europe its cheaper to buy it direct from the developers at around 34 euro