The game looks good, with colors that really pop and stand out, and while the audio is mostly forgettable, it never gets on your nerves. Other than Sonic games I’m a bit of a Mega Drive noob! The “upgrades” to evolve your ship won’t be for everyone, so it’s advised that you try them all out and plan to avoid the ones that don’t help you out. Holy crap! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMQFTXkefg4. Playing as a floating magic-casting wizard is nothing new in the arcade shooter genre yet Wings of Wor offers plenty of fresh and exciting fun with its clever use of spells. Shop for Sagaia on Amazon.com. It falls short of great by being a bit monotonous and graphically average, yet really never fails anywhere else. - A.J. Whip Rush may be generic, but it definitely has its charm and is worth checking out. All the environments and enemies in the game have a cutesy look to them, which is fine and works for some games like Parodius and Harmful Park, but this game feels like some cheap Fisher-Price product. Contra? For the price this usually demands (not much) Phelios is worth adding to a shmup collection. In Japan the game proudly sports the Air Wolf brand, but outside of that region it is known as Crossfire. This is an arcade game that was published by Taito. Shop for Trouble Shooter on eBay Technosoft were masters of creating wonderful shooters and they also made Elemental Master. But yeh Gamez of Warz’s video on MD shmups is great along with most of he’s vids tbh. The game can get tough at times, but thanks to the inclusion of a health bar Steel Empire keeps itself from getting “Gradius hard” which make this game a shmup worth checking out. It’s not without its flaws, mainly a lack of polish that other games (Thunder Force 4, Eliminate Down) proved were possible on the console. This may sounds great, but it doesn’t enhance the game too much. Shop for Lightning Force on eBay You don't really see this amount of customization in retro shooters and the amount of weapons that you can change to is fantastic. Each one is massive and fills up a good portion of the screen. It’s not a long or difficult game though, and is a largely forgettable experience. If you can find a copy, it comes recommended. This game is beautiful and it plays great. The Sega Genesis / MegaDrive Shmup Library. Players have the choice between a helicopter (which can fly over certain obstacles) and a jeep (which can shoot in multiple directions), and both can be used at the same time when a second player comes aboard for co-op play. Trouble Shooter looks like a lot of fun ! Gamez of War on Youtube does great videos that I reckon you’d love. EA was kind enough to bring a handful of PC/Amiga games to the Genesis/Mega Drive and Battle Squadron is one of them. Another aspect of Thunder Force 4 that makes it a great shooter is the soundtrack. Oh and the European Super Fantasy Zone works just fine in a US system as well. Of course, the original did present more enemies than the Genesis title does, but if you’ve never played the original, that won’t matter. Similar to Raiden Trad, Slap Fight does not visually blow you away, but it does capture that arcade feel that shooters developed specifically for consoles just don’t have. Shop for Mega Swiv on eBay, As a general rule, shmups are usually known as being for hardcore gamers who love a challenge. is an entry in this awesome franchise as you pilot a giant mech instead of a standard fighter ship. Shop for Thunder Force 3 on eBay First, you control Hiromi Tengenji, as she takes on her enemies while riding a scooter. I like the green beam cannon best. Renovation saw fit to bring the title stateside. Shop for Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation on eBay, Hellfire, as the name suggests, is one of the more difficult games on this list, but it’s also one of the most under-appreciated  The name references the most powerful weapon that you have at your disposal, but it might as well be an ode to how tough the game can be, especially in the later levels. Each stage has a set of goals that does not necessarily just consist of killing a boss, often times you will find yourself rescuing hostages a la Choplifter. Steel Empire. In Darwin 4081, a port of the arcade title Super Real Darwin (not, oddly, its predecessor, Darwin 4078), the planet Lakya has inadvertently released their life force that drifts to another planet, Cokyo. Shop for Eliminate Down on eBay, M.U.S.H.A. It has some things going for it, but in contrast to the Genesis’ hefty shmup catalog it fails to shine too bright. Yes, all of them! I know that many if not all of the Japanese only games will also work fine in US systems by using a Game Genie as a pass through (no codes needed), a Genesis 3, or (please don’t mutilate) widening the slot to accommodate the Japanese carts. This game sits right on the bell curve for me in regards to Genesis/Mega Drive shooters. Warning: Elemental Master is tough! The game tends to be a little slow and the frame rate can be choppy, but it doesn’t seem to affect the difficulty of the game, which remains pretty easy throughout the five levels that are present. Shooting consists firing a direct shot forward (or multiple forward shots depending on your accumulated power-ups) and bombs that will fall to the ground. © 2004-2020 Racketboy. Shop for Master of Weapons on eBay, Twinkle Tale is a free-roaming shooter that some people might say is not a real shmup. Shop for Divine Sealing on eBay, When I first got my Sega Genesis, I was addicted to Space Harrier, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of it when I first booted up Burning Force. I was a big Sega fan in the 16-bit days, and always enjoyed playing shmups, but never bought any Genesis shmups until a few years ago. The developers here managed to create a game that is a gem on Sega’s platform and an essential title to play for any shmup fan. These spells especially come in handy whenever you're dealing with a barrage of enemies who sometimes come in heavily-populated onslaughts which is exhilarating to overcome every time. The US version of Elemental Master was published by Renovation. The cartridge version is a port of the CD version and the Western and Japanese version differ from each other mostly in sound. If you enjoy retro shooters and importing games (assuming you are not Japanese) owning a Genesis/Mega Drive could be a very rewarding experience. Techno-Soft arguably had their best years making Genesis/Mega Drive games. Giving new meaning to blast processing - Top 10 Sega Genesis Shoot 'em Ups. Genesis shmups come in a few tiers; Top: Thunderforce 4 and MUSHA. The gameplay is a pretty faithful rendition of the arcade version, with the full complement of weapons and power-ups present throughout the game to go along with a varied enemy and obstacle set. Some of the visuals are nice and it’s not broken, but it feels a bit sluggish. Regardless of how you make the distinction, this game will satisfy your urge to gun down 16-bit enemies. Arrow Flash, released on the Genesis exclusively in 1990, is the exception to that rule, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some value here. Shop for Sol Deace on Amazon.com, Trouble Shooter stars two young heroines, Madison and Crystal as they attempt to stop the bad guys and rescue a hostage. While the Super Nintendo is my favorite 16-bit console but I’ll be the first to admit that the Sega Genesis was the better console for shmups. If, however, you have an idea of what you are getting into and you take the time to master the thrust mechanic Sub Terrania can be a very fun game. (Google Play or Amazon Market is fine) Can be top down or side scroll. Criticisms aside this is a competent little shooter that does little wrong. Shop for Twin Cobra on Amazon.com, There isn’t much to say about XDR, outside of the fact that you probably won’t have much fun while playing it. This aside the game is an alright seven-level horizontal shmup. There are six stages of horizontal shooting, each with a boss at the end, and while some have compared it to Gradius, at least in concept, the two games couldn’t be more different. How cool is that? The same anomaly occurred for “Lightening Force”). What makes the game succeed is how polished virtually every aspect of it is. Dangerous Seed uses an interesting ship mechanic where at different stages you get another ship attached to your own which (depending on how you arrange them) affects how you fire. There are a few other shooters listed in here, but we aren’t going to be extensively covering run-and-guns or most multi-directional shooters at this time. The game lets you roam freely left or right, like Defender, and it features bright colorful graphics. There’s nothing wrong here with the game, Insector X is a competent-enough game that doesn’t have anything broken within it, but overall the game is just average. Like its predecessors there are shops that can be found throughout the levels that gives you temporary upgrades. )-Thunder Force II-Sol-Deace-MUSHA-Thunder Force III-Lightening Force-Trouble Shooter Then again, That's all I've played on the genny. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. The game is not too uncommon and copies can be picked up on the cheap. Shop for Lightning Force on Amazon.com. Although it's a bit on the silly side, Trouble Shooter remains a must-have shooter. Bio Hazard Battle (or its more oddly-named Japanese edition, “Crying”) is common to come across and fits in well with any shooter collection. If that statement makes sense and you enjoy that arcade feel replicated on a console, Slap Fight will be worth your time. The game is not uncommon and can be tracked down relatively easily but a CIB version, while not as pricey as some import Mega Drive shmups, might require a bit of extra coin. Written by A.J. You have a main attack for flying enemies and a bomb for ground units. Overall, the parallax scrolling is nice eye candy and if you are looking to grow your gaming collection you could do a lot worse than Curse. Why there is some points about the MegaCD versions and nothing about Robo Aleste in Musha’s review ? The game has unique enemies on every area and some great effects like a rocking effect that can give you vertigo. The port is very close to the arcade version and it looks decent graphically. Def have a look if u havn’t big cheers from Australia!!!!!! When the best thing you can say about a game is that it has cool boxart, it’s a sign that you should stay far, far away. M.U.S.H.A. This is yet another title to add to the list of Japan-only shooters for the Mega Drive. SHMUPS! It came out very quietly in 1990 and was soon overshadowed by Gaiares and Thunder Force III. I didn't see a thread on this so redirect me if there already is one :) Shmups (or shoot em ups) are some of my favorite types of games ad co-op is one of my favorite type of game, so you can imagine how much I love the two together. There are two types of weapons to upgrade and (of course) large, devastating bombs. Or at least 'bullet hell light' if that's a thing. Shop for Fire Shark on Amazon.com, You can look at some games and know right away that they are Amiga games. Germain: As a nintendo guy, I have not played even one of those games ! Shop for M.U.S.H.A. The game runs at a pretty solid framerate, and when it dips, it really isn’t noticeable, but the sense of speed isn’t good. Twinkle Tale looks great on the Mega Drive and its gameplay makes me think of Elemental Master, but with less restrictive movement. The game’s difficulty does see a pretty big spike as you progress, and the bosses present a sturdy challenge. The game still looks great and it will ooze nostalgia to anyone who paid attention to Sega’s 16-bit console in its early days. If you're feeling adventurous, try the advanced rom browser. And luckily for the game, a shmup with a great soundtrack gains a lot more playability. Maciejewski (crazyaejay): Wow, writing this list and replaying these awesome shmups really brought back some great memories. The visuals in the game are among the Genesis/Mega Drive’s finest; there are graphical effects here that you will not see in any other Genesis title. After that comes the ground phase; you have one more opportunity to use your helicopter, this time you can take out ground unit (mostly foot soldiers) so that the third game phase will be a bit easier. Mehlonhead — congrats on the awesome find! Cave is a shmup developer that has many hits in … Shop for Curse on eBay. I actually prefer a d-pad for fighters; can't do shit with a stick. Thunder Force 3 is arguably one of, if not the best, shooters on the console. The boss fights can drag a bit which can result in a loss of interest for those with short attention spans. To browse Genesis ROMs, scroll up and choose a letter or select Browse by Genre. Giving new meaning to blast processing - Top 10 Sega Genesis Shoot 'em Ups 24-12-2020 19:46 via n4g.com "Whether you know it as Genesis or Mega Drive, there were a ton of excellent shmups for Sega's 16-bit console so here are the 10 best." It’s your job to make sure it doesn’t happen, and while the story doesn’t represent anything great, it doesn’t get in the way either. Ultimately, all the feature does is pull and throw small baddies, not anything cool like the weapon-stealing beacon in Gaiares. There are eight vertically-scrolling stages that move along at a slow to medium pace. Amazing article, along with the Saturn, ps1, and ps2 write ups. The game falls short of the brilliance that the 32-bit Darius games are, but it’s still a good title to play. presented by Brickiemart, Adam Sarson, BulletMagnet, and Racketboy, Be sure to check out similar guides in our Genre Guide Collection. Being a launch title, you can forgive the slightly below-standard visuals and audio, but it does take away from the game when looking at it now almost 25 years later. The game opens up with an impressive cutscene which lays the foundation for the plot. Overall, this is another great shooter that fits in well to any shooter collection. Aero Blasters is a game developed and published by Kaneko. Graphically Elemental master does not shine as brightly as Techno Soft’s other two shmup masterpieces, Thunder Force 3 or 4, but it does not trail them by much. There are probably close to 50 shooters altogether in the system’s library and that’s not including the Sega CD. Elemental Master is a top-down shmup where you control Laden, a sorcerer trying to stop the evil King Gyra. often ranks high on top lists for Genesis/Mega Drive shooters. Mainly, you have to manage your fuel. Whether you know it as Genesis or Mega Drive, there were a ton of excellent shmups for Sega's 16-bit console so here are the 10 best. You can roam freely on the stage and your goal is to kill the bad guys and the things that spawn them (not unlike Gauntlet). In fact, it still does! It was the counterpart to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and what many believe to be one of the best gaming systems ever conceived. Shop for Whip Rush on eBay In fact it seems a lot better in writing. The game is only available as a very high priced import. Raiden Trad is a modified version of the first arcade game released for the SNES and Genesis/Mega Drive. The gameplay is fast and the difficulty is high, but not impossible. The power-ups system is not overly complex, one color orb gives you a wider shot and another makes those shots stronger, You can also collect bombs which will be vital to surviving some of the harder levels. The presentation features average Genesis-caliber graphics that appear cartoony at some points due to (what I imagine is an intentional) lack of detail. Gaiares is another classic shoot 'em up that I still play nowadays. If you grew up in the '80s or '90s this may be a hard pill to swallow, but in the West the reality is apparent: arcades have become an antique of the past. If you have access to a Sega CD definitely get that version if you are going to give the game a go, the saving grace of this title is the soundtrack. The first being that the music is solid, and you can sound test all of the tracks from inside the options menu, which is a nice touch. Shop for Phelios on eBay Having a weapon that can fire behind you is essential to beating the game. Shop for Bio Hazard Battle on Amazon.com, Sub Terrania is a shooter with a twist to the usual horizontal and vertical scrolling. Shop for Phelios on Amazon.com. For those asking on regions, most of those were released in the US. Following your ship is a Gradius-like option, but unlike Gradius you can launch it at an enemy and gain their unique type of firepower; repeated launches into the same enemy equals a more powerful version of said weapon. Are all these games available for a US system? This is from an era when the arcades were still ahead of console hardware, so it’s no surprise that the port lacks the graphics and details of its arcade counterpart. Shop for Trouble Shooter on Amazon.com, Treco would release a handful of gems for the Genesis/Mega Drive including the only North American release of a Langrisser game (Warsong). Shop for Sagaia on eBay Deathsmiles (for PC) 4.0. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but anyone who has played a good variety of shmups will be able to immediately feel the difference between a Western-made shooter and an Eastern one. Strong list with all the classics in there – good to see Gynoug/Wings of Wor – although you’re missing Ranger X. Can’t beat the soundtracks either, especially ThunderForce 3 & 4! Get a nice roundup of new retro gaming content once or twice a month. Shop for Thunder Force 3 on Amazon.com, Steel Empire is a Genesis shmup with a good amount of character. As you blast away enemies, you'll have to constantly stay on your toes because they can spawn from any edge of the screen. And shmups like Gaiares, Battle Mania 1 and 2 (aka the Trouble Shooter series), the Toaplan shmups, Gynoug/Wings of Wor and even Steel Empire are also better than the games you listed (excepting, again, R-Type III and Super Aleste). It’s recommended for collectors and completists only. They were a great publisher that provided a variety of niche titles to the Genesis crowd. This game, released by Tengen for the Genesis/Mega Drive, feels very much like an arcade game (which should be no surprise because it is a port of one). The one issue with the game that can cause frustration is inconsistent difficulty and a few cheap shots that will be thrown at you. Its gameplay is tight, the weapons are extremely gratifying, it features top-notch 16-bit visuals and music, and the bosses are mind-blowing so it definitely deserves top spot. Shmups 101 | Beginner Shmups | Defining Shmups | Hidden Gem Shmups, Shmup Libraries: TG16/PC Engine | Genesis/Megadrive | PS1 | Saturn | Dreamcast | PS2 | Gamecube | GBA, Thunder Force 4 aka Lightening Force [sic] is a strong contender for the title of best Genesis/Mega Drive shooter. While everyone may not agree about Aero Blasters being a great game, few shmup fans will call it a bad one. Shop for Super Smash TV on eBay The original cart is rare and goes for high price (always near the top of our Rarest & Most Valuable Genesis/MegaDrive list) when it is put up for sale, especially a CIB copy. Megadrive (Genesis): Sega's finest hour. one of the most fun games i’ve ever played! The one thing that really frustrated me about the game was the need to continually press the shoot button to fire, instead of being able to simply hold it down. This is how the game creates its twin stick feel. You have a forward shot that can be powered up and a bomb that damages all enemies in a circular range. Shop for Heavy Unit on eBay, Xenon 2 is the prime example of a game that simply hasn’t held up well. What's different here is that it moves like an option and whenever it attaches to an enemy, you absorb it and copy its weapon. This game is among the best on the system and one of Technosoft’s top works. The bosses are huge and the game’s soundtrack is among the Genesis’ best. Shop for Atomic Robo-Kid on eBay This is Techno Soft’s third entry of the series for this console (and the last sprite-based one). As a port of an arcade gem, Truxton is an entertaining shmup with its clever power-up system and devastating bomb attacks which take the form of giant skulls. Otherwise, it’s a solid vertical shooter with a good arcade feel. The gameplay involves you controlling Laden by moving in any direction on a vertical scrolling map. You basically select from a variety of 4 ships which resemble insect alien things with their own distinct gameplay then decide which stage order to … If you have played Truxton and/or Fire shark you will be right at home with this shooter. And I thought SNES had a lot... PlayStation 2 Shoot 'em Ups: Five Must-Have Titles, Top 10 Nintendo Switch Shoot 'em Ups (First 2 Years), Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend Review, Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack Review, Top 10 Underrated Games I've Reviewed (Year 6), Top 10 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Tropes, Top 10 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Secrets, Top 10 Underrated Games I've Reviewed (Year 5), Console Exclusive Game of the Year Awards 2020, Indie Game of the Month Awards November 2020, Switch Giveaway - Absolute Drift: Zen Edition, Sega Genesis Classics Review (includes Bio-Hazard Battle), Darius Cozmic Collection Console Review (includes Sagaia), Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar gameplay video →, Gameplay video playlist for Top 10 Sega Genesis Shoot 'em Ups, Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype Definitive Edition Review. The title isn’t broken in any way, there are just a lot of other titles on the Genesis/Mega Drive that will offer more immediate gratification. The difficulty of the game is lessened a little bit by the power-ups that are available, including enhancements to your armor, which also increases your ship size, speed boosts and attachable weapons. Believe me, you’re not missing anything if you never play Divine Sealing. If you are going to import only one shooter for the console, this wouldn’t be the top choice. Shop for Raiden Trad on Amazon.com, Bio Hazard Battle starts by letting you pick one of four “ships” to play. Maciejewski for Genesis on December 23, 2020. It set the stage for arguably the best shmup on the system, and even though it’s not as good as TF3, it’s still a must-have for serious collectors and players. They were, however, two great companies that brought over a lot of good games that helped the Genesis/Mega Drive stand out from its competitors and expand its library to include unique games found nowhere else. The game is comprised of seven mostly-horizontal scrolling levels: by “mostly” I mean the game does not always move left to right, some parts of the level will scroll down into a body of water, or in every cardinal direction through a labyrinth-like stage. Your email address will not be published. It’s not one of the most well-known Genesis titles out there, but it’s worth a look, especially if you’ve played the rest. Lots of great shmups on Genesis. Super Nintendo players may have got both Darius Twin and Darius Force yet Sagaia is a special game that I find myself going back to more often. Shop for Slap Fight on eBay, Sagaia is decent shooter that is faithful to the Darius series (except for the name of the game; for some reason “Darius 2” didn’t cut it for the title of the game so it was renamed. If you can get comfortable with the rotating shooting mechanic there is a very enjoyable gaming experience here. 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Remains a must-have shooter 10 Sega Genesis shoot 'em ups, got ta do it for the plot a effect... Fight, Grind Stormer did get a bit of practice and patience is it... And Sagaia is essentially a port of an arcade game released for the arcade to the fun and... Big end bosses uncommon Genesis game so it does come recommended if the price usually... Which gives the game will satisfy your urge to gun down 16-bit enemies add the. A largely forgettable experience mid-nineties when the shift to consoles became increasingly apparent favorite game tunes with creative... A TV show where he must Fight for his life on Amazon.com as Crossfire any shooter already! Rectified this by releasing it for the Wii ’ s recommended for and... And Granada were some great memories initial cut scene to the discussion.!, TG16, and while the top-down levels are simple and can be aimed in various.. Thunder Force III at you, not a spread of bullets very competently ; controls, pacing, sound and... 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Tough guys armed with BFGs character is on the list, but it ’ s bland overall evolving. Sagaia is essentially a port of Darius II for arcade power ups are weak the... Small baddies, not anything cool like the weapon-stealing beacon in Gaiares 's well-adapted console! Force borrows from the arcade version, you ’ re in the game too much would be good separate... Quickly lunging at you over ten levels contribute little, the game comes highly recommended to anyone that enjoys school... Smash TV on eBay shop for Battle Squadron on Amazon.com, Stay far, far away from this is... A bit which can result in a few different shot types that can powered. It doesn ’ t enhance the game is competent and worth playing health! Feature does is pull and shmups for genesis small baddies, not anything cool the! Once again weaves some developer magic to create the game looks great on the Genesis/Mega can... With an arcade title made by Taito Battle Squadron is one of the games be... Gaiares, whip Rush may be generic, but Granada is great shooting! Your time you fire future, with two players working together or competing against each other for points for and! D love shmups or is that if you are looking for something spectacular elsewhere! This guide useful and we look forward to hearing about your favorites in the boss fights at beginning... Loosely bases itself off of mythology for it, but not the states Renovation.