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[[Image:Silvergun.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Radiant Silvergun]]''<br />[[Sega Saturn]] - ©1998 [[Treasure Co. Ltd|Treasure]]]] |
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A '''shoot-em-up''' ('''shmup''' for short in some areas, and also known as '''arcade shooter''', '''twitch shooter''', '''space shooter''', or sometimes simply just '''shooter''', with shoot 'em ups being the most popular subgenre of shooter), is a [[video game]] where the player has limited control of their [[video game character|character]] or machine and the focus is almost entirely on annihilation of their enemies. While the genre can have 3D graphics, the gameplay is almost exclusively in a linear, 2D style. The genre started in the arcades arguably with [[Space Invaders]], and has experienced numerous different games on many formats. The genre still has a following today, with games like [[Ikaruga]]. Shoot 'em ups use a player score ranking. As mentioned previously, the genre is a subcategory of the overall [[Shooting game|shooter]] genre. |
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A '''shoot-em-up''' ('''shmup''' for short in some areas, and also known as '''arcade shooter''', '''twitch shooter''', '''space shooter''', or sometimes simply just '''shooter''', with shoot 'em ups being the most popular subgenre of shooter), is a [[computer and video game genres|computer and video game genre]] where the player has limited control of their [[video game character|character]] or machine and the focus is almost entirely on annihilation of their enemies. While the genre can have 3D graphics, the gameplay is almost exclusively in a linear, 2D style. The genre started in the arcades arguably with ''[[Space Invaders]]'', and has experienced numerous different games on many formats. Popularity expanded with the addition of two-player simultaneous cooperative modes starting the mid-1980s. There are now several sub-genres that have their own particular gameplay characteristics. Shooters have a large following today, most notably in [[Japan]], and many titles utilize the [[Internet]] through online ranking systems. |
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==Types of |
==Types of shoot'em up games== |
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These are what most |
These are what most players refer to as "shooters". Most games of this nature come from the arcade. Some are console specific (e.g. ''[[Axelay]]''), but they retain the structure of the arcade. [[Scrolling shooter]]s usually has the player(s) moving automatically through a level at a mostly fixed speed, while fixed or gallery shooters have a gameplay arena that stays relatively constant. |
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===Non-arcade style shooters/"Action-shooters"/Other shooters=== |
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===Fixed Shooter=== |
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Sometimes non-shoot 'em ups are described as "shooters", particularly because of the extensive amount of gunplay involved in the game. [[Light gun|light gun shooters]] are commonly referred to as shooters, because it is the primary action involved. Similarly, [[first-person shooter]]s are also referred to similarly for the same reasons. [[Run and gun]] games, a hybrid of the shoot 'em up and [[platform game|platform]] genres, are the most commonly confused genre. Run and gun games are popular and distinguishable in their own right and are not considered a shoot'em up. While some shoot'em ups can be referred to as [[rail shooter]]s, this term is an over-arching concept that can apply to [[interactive movies]], light gun games, and action games. |
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A fixed shooter has players only able to control their two-dimensional position on the screen and sometimes the direction they are facing. Fixed shooters have various degrees of movement freedom, sometimes only allowing control on a one dimensional line. Enemies usually also form in a gallery, and the game setup is often in a vertical orientation. |
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==Fixed shooters== |
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Famous fixed Shumps - ''[[Space Invaders]]'', ''[[Galaxian]]'', ''[[Phoenix_(arcade_game)|Phoenix]]'' and ''[[Galaga]]''. |
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===Single screen shooters=== |
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[[Image:Spaceinvaders.png|thumb|right|''[[Space Invaders]]''<br />Arcade - ©1978 [[Taito Corporation|Taito]]]] |
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The [[scrolling shooter]] usually has the player(s) moving automatically through a level at a mostly fixed speed. |
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A '''single screen shooter''', also known as its generic '''fixed shooter''' or '''gallery shooter''' has players only able to control their two-dimensional position on the screen and sometimes the direction they are facing. Fixed shooters have various degrees of movement freedom, sometimes only allowing control on a one-dimensional line. Enemies usually also form in a gallery, and the game setup is often in a vertical orientation. Unlike other types of shooters, the gameplay involves eliminating every enemy on the screen in order to complete the current round or level. Typically, the number of enemies remains constant through each level, only the speed and number of projectiles fired increase in each level. A type of gallery shooters, popularized by ''[[Space Invaders]]'', adds one or several barriers that the player can use to hide behind. These barriers are typically non-replenishable and deteriorate with each absorbed shot. There are often ''bonus enemies'' that move across the screen at the top of the formation which do not count towards level completion, but due yield in a considerable amount of bonus points when destroyed. |
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'''Example single screen shooters''' — ''[[Space Invaders]]'', ''[[Galaxian]]'', ''[[Phoenix (arcade game)|Phoenix]]'', ''[[Galaga]]'', ''[[Gorf]]'' |
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Vertical shmups come into two more varieties: ''tate'' shmups are those that are played on a vertically oriented monitor, and ''yoko'' shmups are those played on a standard horizontal monitor set-up. Tate shmups usually start as arcade games, with custom cabinets. But the screen orientation becomes a serious issue when the game is ported to home consoles with regular TVs. |
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<br style="clear: right;" /> |
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There are four ways to adapt a tate shmup to home consoles: |
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===Multi-directional shooter=== |
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* turning the TV to the side - ''maximum fidelity to the original game; turning a big [[CRT]] TV may damage it.'' |
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[[Image:Robotron:_2084.png|thumb|right|''[[Robotron: 2084]]''<br />Arcade - ©1982 [[Williams Electronics]]]] |
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* black borders on the sides - ''hassle-free, but sacrifices screen size.'' |
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[[Image:Time_Pilot.png|thumb|left|''[[Time Pilot]]''<br />Arcade - ©1982 [[Konami]]]] |
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* zooming into game area - ''seriously modifies gameplay; detested by most shmup aficionados.'' |
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'''Multi-directional shooters''', also called '''area shooters''', allow complete freedom of movement (and shooting) in a 2D environment. This subgenre originated with [[Atari]]'s ''[[Asteroids]]'' in [[1979]]. The playing field may or may not be restricted. These games are unique from other shoot 'em ups in that they often use two [[joystick]]s as the input; one (left) joystick used for movement, and the other (right) used for firing. This style was popularized by [[Eugene Jarvis]] in the several titles he created for [[Midway]]/[[Williams]]. This unique input configuration often left console ports with only a crude approximation of the arcade controls, resulting in the use of four buttons as directional firing, or the use of both the first and second player controllers to achieve the desired effect. Many modern [[video game console|console systems]] have two analog joysticks on the controllers, which yields congruent control scheme. |
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* turning it into a horizontal shmup - ''radically modifies gameplay; very rare, an optional mode in a few games such as'' Ikaruga''.'' |
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Many multi-directional shooters, such as the [[Massively multiplayer online game|MMOG]] ''[[SubSpace (computer game)|SubSpace]]'' and ''Asteroids'' utilize a different control scheme utilizing thrust. In these games, there is more a physics-based movement based upon thrusting in directions to either increase or decrease velocity. The games where this system is used are not [[manic shooter]]s, and generally focus on some other goal. |
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Famous vertical shmups - ''[[Raiden (arcade game)|Raiden]]'', ''[[Ikaruga]]'', ''[[1942_(video_game)|1942]]'', ''[[Radiant Silvergun]]'', ''[[Star Soldier]]'' |
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Titles in this genre are often considered manic shooters, due to the large quantity of enemies on screen at any given time. The player has to avoid being surrounded by "carving" a hole out of the swath of enemies, while traversing the gameplay area. These games require extensive [[coordination|hand-eye coordination]], as the player has to look and shoot in different places while analyzing the attacks of over a hundred enemies simultaneously. Today, the [[Xbox 360]], through its [[Xbox Live Arcade]] has brought resurgent popularity to the multi-directional shooter subgenre. ''[[Geometry Wars|Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved]]'' has become the top selling game on the service, with over 45,000 purchases and downloads as of [[January 13]] [[2006]] [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7793]. Several other Eugene Jarvis-created shooters are also available on the service, including enhanced versions of ''[[Smash TV]]'' and ''[[Robotron: 2084]]'' |
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===Horizontal Scrolling Shooter=== |
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Most horizontal shmups are played on a horizontally oriented screen, but there are a few exceptions - such as ''[[Darius (arcade game)|Darius]]'', which uses more than one monitor to create an extremely long playfield, and ''[http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=S&game_id=9788 Stinger]'', which uses a vertically oriented screen. |
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'''Example multi-directional shooters''' — ''[[Robotron: 2084]]'', ''[[Time Pilot]]'', ''[[Bosconian]]'', ''[[Smash TV]]'', ''[[Geometry Wars]]'', ''[[Sinistar]]'' |
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<br style="clear: right;" /> |
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== |
==Scrolling shooters== |
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Multi-scrollers are a combination of horizontal and vertical oriented shmups. |
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===Vertical scrolling shooter=== |
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Famous multi-scrolling shmups - ''[[Life_Force_(video game)|Life Force]]'', ''[[Axelay]]'' |
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[[Image:Raiden (game).png|thumb|right|''[[Raiden (arcade game)|Raiden]]''<br />Arcade - ©1990 [[Seibu Kaihatsu]]]] |
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[[Image:Rayforce game.png|thumb|right|''[[RayForce]]''<br />Arcade - ©1994 [[Taito Corporation|Taito]]]] |
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'''Vertical scrolling shooters''', or '''vert shooters''' for short, are largely similar to horizontal scrollers, but the direction of scroll tends to force a different viewpoint on the game: vertical scrollers are nearly always viewed from above. This means that it is less common to have solid obstacles in these games, as the player is usually above them. Perhaps because of this difference, vertical scrollers tend to be more intense, focusing on shooting and dodging copious amounts of projectiles. |
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The first vertical scrolling shooter was ''[[Xevious]]'', released in [[1982]]. This game introduced many concepts that are standard in scrolling shooters today, such as an episodic level structure, and [[boss (video games)|boss]]es. It can be argued that very early games like ''[[Galaxian]]'' can be considered vertical scrollers, as they are set against a constantly scrolling starfield. However, they are generally classed as fixed shooters along with ''Space Invaders'', as the stars are purely for visual effect and add nothing to the gameplay. |
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===Tube Shooter=== |
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Tube shooters comprises of games where players move forward through a "tube", essentially a 2D scrolling shooter plane rolled into a cylinder or extended to a three dimensional volume. Movement is usually restricted to the ring formed by the edge of the curved plane. |
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When the "top-down" or "overhead" names are used, the line becomes blurrier. By this definition, ''Space Invaders'' would likely be the first game of the type – and indeed, many consider it the first true top-down shooter. As with their horizontal counterparts, some vertical shooters may allow a degree of free horizontal movement. |
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Famous tube shooters - ''[[Tempest_(game)|Tempest]]'', ''[[Gyruss]]'' |
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'''Example vertical shooters''' — ''[[Raiden (arcade game)|Raiden]]'', ''[[Ikaruga]]'', ''[[1942 (video game)|1942]]'', ''[[Radiant Silvergun]]'', ''[[Star Soldier]]'' |
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===Multi-directional Shooter=== |
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Multi-directional shooters allow complete freedom of movement (and shooting) in a 2D environment. The playing field may or may not be restriced. |
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===Monitors and orientation=== |
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Famous multi-direction shooters - ''[[Robotron: 2084|Robotron 2084]]'', ''[[Time Pilot]]'', ''[[Bosconian]]'', ''[[Smash TV]]'', ''[[Geometry Wars]]'' |
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''Vertical scrolling shooters'' come into two more varieties; '''Tate''' shmups are those that are played on a vertically oriented monitor, and '''Yoko''' shmups are those played on a standard horizontal monitor set-up. Tate shmups usually begin as standard Jamma cabinets with Tate monitors. However, the screen orientation can be a potential issue when the game is ported to home consoles with regular TVs. |
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There are four known ways to adapt a tate shmup to home consoles: |
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===3/4 View Shooter=== |
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Also known as an [[Isometric projection|isometric]] shooter; a vertical shooter's playing field is tilted, so that upwards/forwards is diagonal. The player simulates moving diagonally through the scroll. These shmups aren't a popular choice to create, although there have been a handful of popular titles. |
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* Black borders on the sides – the most common form of adaption but sacrifices screen size |
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Famous 3/4 view shmups - ''[[Zaxxon]]'', ''[[Viewpoint]]'' |
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* Turning the TV on the side – a practice that may damage some TVs |
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* Zooming or stretching the game area |
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* Horizontal gameplay orientation – an optional mode in some games, such as ''Ikaruga'' |
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<br style="clear: right;" /> |
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==Styles of Arcade Shooters/Shmups== |
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===Horizontal scrolling shooter=== |
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===Standard=== |
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[[Image:Gradius 04.png|thumb|right|''[[Gradius]]''<br />Arcade - ©1985 [[Konami]]]] |
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[[Image:Rtypescreenshot.png|thumb|right|''[[R-Type]]''<br />Arcade - ©1987 [[Irem]]]] |
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Most '''horizontal scrolling shooters''' are played on an epynomously oriented screen, but there are a few exceptions - such as ''[[Darius (arcade game)|Darius]]'', which uses more than one monitor to create an extensive playfield, and ''[[Stinger (arcade game)|Stinger]]'', which uses a vertically oriented screen. As well as battling enemies, much of the challenge in horizontal scrollers tends to come from navigating the environment, as invariably contact with the level results in either the immediate death of or damage to the player's character. Some games, such as ones in the [[Gradius series|''Gradius'' series]] always feature a maze-like level that is almost solely focused on avoiding collisions. Enemies are more likely to come from behind the player's ship in these types of games than their vertically scrolling counterparts are. |
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Typically, the scrolling in these games is continuous, such that the player is led through a level by the game. There is also sometimes a degree of vertical freedom, in which the player can move up or down on a playing area which is taller than the screen itself. (''[[Thunderforce|Thunderforce IV]]'' and ''[[Dragon Breed]]'' are two games which take this to extremes). |
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This is the shooter most people think of when they think of a 'Shooter'. Periodical enemies, firing at the player or simply being hazards themselves. This style is the normal amongst many shooter series. |
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Almost all horizontal scrolling shooters view the player's avatar from the side, and present the level in cross-section, such that the player appears to be flying 'through' something, such as a landscape or a mothership. The first horizontal scroller was arguably ''[[Defender (arcade game)|Defender]]'', released in [[1980]], although it shares few features with other horizontal scrollers. Horizontally scrolling shooters, along with their vertical counterparts, remain very popular today. |
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Famous Standard Style Shmups - Anything above. |
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'''Example horizontal shooters''' — ''[[Gradius]]'', ''[[R-Type]]'', ''[[Darius (arcade game)|Darius]]'', ''[[Thunderforce]]'', ''[[Blazing Star]]'', ''[[Scramble (arcade game)|Scramble]]'' |
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===Bullet Curtain=== |
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===Tube shooter=== |
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A bit more obscure than what most people know. While standard shooters generally have a comparably few amount of bullets and a huge hitbox for the player, Bullet Curtain style shooters are the exact opposite. Many bullets fill the screen, while the player has a very small margain at which they are hit. Shmups of this style are almost always 'Vertical shooter' types, however, other types are known to exist. |
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[[Image:GyrussArcade.png|thumb|right|''[[Gyruss]]''<br />Arcade - ©1983 [[Konami]]]] |
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'''Tube shooters''' comprises of games where players move forward through a "tube", essentially a 2D scrolling shooter plane rolled into a cylinder or extended to a three dimensional volume. Movement is usually restricted to the ring formed by the edge of the curved plane. This is considered more of a niche variety of shooter, appearing mostly in the early 1980s. The reason for this is because, this type of shooter came at a time when [[arcade hardware]] had not progressed enough to allow full three-dimensional movement. This type of game is a pseduo-simulation of that. The only recent games to utilize this type of gameplay are ''[[Tempest 2000]]'' and its sequel ''[[Tempest 3000]]''. |
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'''Example tube shooters''' — ''[[Tempest (game)|Tempest]]'', ''[[Gyruss]]'' |
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Famous Bullet Curtain Shmups: The '[[Tōhō|Touhou]]' series, Moedan |
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<br style="clear: right" /> |
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===Multi-scrolling shooter=== |
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[[Image:Salamander 02.png|thumb|right|''[[Salamander (arcade game)|Salamander / Life Force]]''<br />Arcade - ©1986 [[Konami]]]] |
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'''Multi-scrolling shooters''' are a combination of several different types of scrolling shooters. Typically, it involves the combination of vertical and horizontal levels, but examples exist that utilize other types. For example, ''[[Gradius III]]'' has two levels that where the player must guide the ship through a tube-like tunnel, avoiding collisions. |
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'''Example multi-scrolling shmups''' — ''[[Salamander (arcade game)|Salamander]]'', ''[[Axelay]]'' |
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This style of shooter features two players playing simultaneously. But instead of working together, the two players are trying to outlast and thwart the other player. The field is usually split-screen with a Vertical shooter type. |
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===3/4 view shooter=== |
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Famous Competitive Shmups: '[[Twinkle Star Sprites]]' |
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[[Image:Zaxxon game.png|thumb|right|''[[Zaxxon]]''<br />Arcade - ©1982 [[Sega]]]] |
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Also known as an [[Isometric projection|isometric]] shooter, a '''3/4 view shooter''' utilizes vertical shooter's playing field that is modified for perspective, such that upwards/forwards is diagonal. The player simulates moving diagonally through the scroll. This perspective limits the size of the playing field, so generally there is much more focus on avoiding obstacles than shooting enemy ships. |
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These shmups have not been a popular choice to date, although there have been a handful of popular titles. This type of shooter, much like the ''tube shooter'', is more of an anachronism in today's games. These titles were remarkable in their times for their pseudo-3d graphics; when the hardware became sophisticated enough to fully render such graphics, these games had lost their appeal, in favor of the more traditional vertically and horizontally scrolling types. |
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==Non-Arcade Style Shooters/"Action-Shooters"/Other Shooters== |
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Sometimes non-shmups are described as "shooters". Although several of these types of games were released in arcades, these aren't always associated among hardcore shooter lovers as arcade shooters, and because of their non-arcadeish nature are often dubbed "action-shooters". This includes [[run-and-gun_shooter|run-and-gun shooters]] and [[rail_shooter|rail shooters]]. There are also [[first-person shooters]], and [[light gun|light gun shooters]]. |
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'''Example 3/4 view shooters''' - ''[[Zaxxon]]'', ''[[Viewpoint]]'' |
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==Screenshots of Arcade Shooters/Shmups== |
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===3D shooter=== |
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[[Image:StarFox_SNES_Screenshot.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Star Fox]]''<br />[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] - ©1993 [[Nintendo]]]] |
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<gallery> |
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'''[[3D computer graphics|3D]] shooters''' pertain to the same gameplay elements that occur in a standard shooter (hordes of enemies, obstacles, bosses, moveable protaganist ship) but occur in a three-dimensional environment. Because the player does not have ultimate choice in where the protagnoist moves, these games are often known as [[rail shooter]]s, although that term eclipses a number of genres. They generally offer the most variety of any type of ''shoot'em up'', composed of levels that contain mass differences in environment, which result in varied gameplay. For example external areas, such as space fields, tend to be more composed of shooting action. While interior areas focus more on navigation and collision avoidance. Ship speed is more of a factor in this type than others, as many obstacles have to be correctly timed to be avoided. However, the main gameplay difference from other types of shootings is that targeting must occur on a two-dimensional grid, where in other types it is strictly one dimensional. Gameplay is usually presented in a [[third-person perspective]], but with first-person sometimes used (often toggable). |
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Image:Spaceinvaders.png|[[Space Invaders]]<br>Arcade - ©1978 [[Taito Corporation|Taito]] |
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Image:Galaga.png|[[Galaga]]<br>Arcade - ©1981 [[Namco]] |
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</gallery> |
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3D shooters are result of advancements made in arcade hardware that allowed scalable graphics to be presented. The first 3D shooters utilized [[vector graphics]], the earliest way of representing true three dimensional environments. The most notable example of this game is the [[Star Wars (arcade game)|''Star Wars'' arcade game]], which became extremely popular do to the corresponding release of the film ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi]]''. [[Sprite (computer graphics)|Sprite]] based shooters have also been developed, such as Williams' ''[[Blaster (arcade game)|Blaster]]'' and ''[[After Burner II]]''. Adding to the immersion, these games often used elaborate cockpits with an assortment of authentic-feeling controls such as yokes and throttles. 3D shooters received a huge boost and development of popularity during the late [[1980s]] and throughout [[1990s]], as advancements in technology allowed texture-mapped, polygon-rich environments. The mid-90s saw the beginning of this genre on home consoles with the establishment of franchises like ''[[Star Fox]]'' and ''[[Panzer Dragoon]]''. 3D shooters are still prevalent in the arcades today, as they draw crowds and are very expensive to play. |
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===Horizontal Scrolling Shooters=== |
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<gallery> |
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Image:Gradius_04.png|[[Gradius]]<br>Arcade - ©1985 [[Konami]] |
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Image:Rtypescreenshot.png|[[R-Type]]<br>Arcade - ©1987 [[Irem]] |
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</gallery> |
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'''Example 3D shooters''' — ''[[After Burner II]]'', ''[[Red Baron (arcade game)|Red Baron]]'', ''[[Panzer Dragoon]]'', |
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===Vertical Scrolling Shooters=== |
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<br style="clear: right;" /> |
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<gallery> |
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Image:Raiden_(game).png|[[Raiden_(arcade_game)|Raiden]]<br>Arcade - ©1990 [[Seibu_Kaihatsu|Seibu Kaihatsu]] |
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Image:Rayforce_game.png|[[RayForce]]<br>Arcade - ©1994 [[Taito Corporation|Taito]] |
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</gallery> |
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== |
==Styles of Arcade Shooters/Shmups== |
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<gallery> |
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Image:Axelay.png|[[Axelay]]<br>SNES - ©1992 [[Konami]] |
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Image:Salamander_game.png|[[Salamander_(arcade game)|Salamander/Life Force]]<br>Arcade - ©1986 [[Konami]] |
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</gallery> |
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=== |
===Standard=== |
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This is the shooter most people think of when they think of a 'Shooter'. Periodical enemies, firing at the player or simply being hazards themselves. This style is the normal amongst many shooter series. |
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<gallery> |
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Image:Arcade-atari-tempest1.png|[[Tempest_(game)|Tempest]]<br>Arcade - ©1980 [[Atari]] |
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Image:GyrussArcade.png|[[Gyruss]]<br>Arcade - ©1983 [[Konami]] |
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</gallery> |
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Famous Standard Style Shmups - Anything above. |
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===Multi-Directional Shooters=== |
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<gallery> |
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===Bullet Curtain=== |
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Image:Robotron:_2084.png|[[Robotron: 2084]]<br>Arcade - ©1982 [[Williams Electronics]] |
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{{main|Bullet hell}} |
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Image:Time_Pilot.png|[[Time Pilot]]<br>Arcade - ©1982 [[Konami]] |
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A '''bullet curtain''' or '''bullet hell''' shooter is a more obscure sub-genre, that has only seen streaks of popularity in Japan. While standard shooters generally have a comparably few amount of bullets and a larger hitbox for the player, Bullet Curtain style shooters are the exact opposite. Many bullets fill the screen, while the player has a very small margin at which they are hit. Shmups of this style are usually 'Vertical shooter' types, however, other types are known to exist. |
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</gallery> |
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'''Example Bullet Curtain shooters''' — The ''[[Tōhō]]'' series |
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===Manic shooter=== |
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{{main|Manic shooter}} |
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A manic shooter is similar to a bullet curtain game except that the area of impact of the protagonists' ship is not reduced. In order to deal with the screen-filling bullets, there is usually some kind of bullet-absorbing power that can be periodically used. Bullet absorbing is used in some titles as an offensive and defensive capability, while in other titles it serves more of a scoring function. |
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'''Example Manic shooters''' — ''[[Giga Wing]]'', ''[[DoDonPachi]]'' |
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===Competitive=== |
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This style of shooter features two players playing simultaneously. Instead of working together, the two players are trying to outlast and thwart the other player. The field is usually split-screen with a vertical shooter type. |
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'''Example competitive shooters''' — ''[[Twinkle Star Sprites]]'' |
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===3/4 View Shooters=== |
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<gallery> |
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Image:Zaxxon_game.png|[[Zaxxon]]<br>Arcade - ©1982 [[Sega]] |
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Image:Viewpoint_game.png|[[Viewpoint_(arcade_game)|Viewpoint]]<br>Arcade/Neo-Geo - ©1992 [[Sammy]] |
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</gallery> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.shmups.com Shmups] |
*[http://www.shmups.com Shmups] Archive of shooter listings, including reviews and forums. |
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{{VideoGameGenre}} |
{{VideoGameGenre}} |
Revision as of 12:19, 3 February 2006
A shoot-em-up (shmup for short in some areas, and also known as arcade shooter, twitch shooter, space shooter, or sometimes simply just shooter, with shoot 'em ups being the most popular subgenre of shooter), is a computer and video game genre where the player has limited control of their character or machine and the focus is almost entirely on annihilation of their enemies. While the genre can have 3D graphics, the gameplay is almost exclusively in a linear, 2D style. The genre started in the arcades arguably with Space Invaders, and has experienced numerous different games on many formats. Popularity expanded with the addition of two-player simultaneous cooperative modes starting the mid-1980s. There are now several sub-genres that have their own particular gameplay characteristics. Shooters have a large following today, most notably in Japan, and many titles utilize the Internet through online ranking systems.
Types of shoot'em up games
These are what most players refer to as "shooters". Most games of this nature come from the arcade. Some are console specific (e.g. Axelay), but they retain the structure of the arcade. Scrolling shooters usually has the player(s) moving automatically through a level at a mostly fixed speed, while fixed or gallery shooters have a gameplay arena that stays relatively constant.
Non-arcade style shooters/"Action-shooters"/Other shooters
Sometimes non-shoot 'em ups are described as "shooters", particularly because of the extensive amount of gunplay involved in the game. light gun shooters are commonly referred to as shooters, because it is the primary action involved. Similarly, first-person shooters are also referred to similarly for the same reasons. Run and gun games, a hybrid of the shoot 'em up and platform genres, are the most commonly confused genre. Run and gun games are popular and distinguishable in their own right and are not considered a shoot'em up. While some shoot'em ups can be referred to as rail shooters, this term is an over-arching concept that can apply to interactive movies, light gun games, and action games.
Fixed shooters
Single screen shooters
A single screen shooter, also known as its generic fixed shooter or gallery shooter has players only able to control their two-dimensional position on the screen and sometimes the direction they are facing. Fixed shooters have various degrees of movement freedom, sometimes only allowing control on a one-dimensional line. Enemies usually also form in a gallery, and the game setup is often in a vertical orientation. Unlike other types of shooters, the gameplay involves eliminating every enemy on the screen in order to complete the current round or level. Typically, the number of enemies remains constant through each level, only the speed and number of projectiles fired increase in each level. A type of gallery shooters, popularized by Space Invaders, adds one or several barriers that the player can use to hide behind. These barriers are typically non-replenishable and deteriorate with each absorbed shot. There are often bonus enemies that move across the screen at the top of the formation which do not count towards level completion, but due yield in a considerable amount of bonus points when destroyed.
Example single screen shooters — Space Invaders, Galaxian, Phoenix, Galaga, Gorf
Multi-directional shooter
Multi-directional shooters, also called area shooters, allow complete freedom of movement (and shooting) in a 2D environment. This subgenre originated with Atari's Asteroids in 1979. The playing field may or may not be restricted. These games are unique from other shoot 'em ups in that they often use two joysticks as the input; one (left) joystick used for movement, and the other (right) used for firing. This style was popularized by Eugene Jarvis in the several titles he created for Midway/Williams. This unique input configuration often left console ports with only a crude approximation of the arcade controls, resulting in the use of four buttons as directional firing, or the use of both the first and second player controllers to achieve the desired effect. Many modern console systems have two analog joysticks on the controllers, which yields congruent control scheme.
Many multi-directional shooters, such as the MMOG SubSpace and Asteroids utilize a different control scheme utilizing thrust. In these games, there is more a physics-based movement based upon thrusting in directions to either increase or decrease velocity. The games where this system is used are not manic shooters, and generally focus on some other goal.
Titles in this genre are often considered manic shooters, due to the large quantity of enemies on screen at any given time. The player has to avoid being surrounded by "carving" a hole out of the swath of enemies, while traversing the gameplay area. These games require extensive hand-eye coordination, as the player has to look and shoot in different places while analyzing the attacks of over a hundred enemies simultaneously. Today, the Xbox 360, through its Xbox Live Arcade has brought resurgent popularity to the multi-directional shooter subgenre. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved has become the top selling game on the service, with over 45,000 purchases and downloads as of January 13 2006 [1]. Several other Eugene Jarvis-created shooters are also available on the service, including enhanced versions of Smash TV and Robotron: 2084
Example multi-directional shooters — Robotron: 2084, Time Pilot, Bosconian, Smash TV, Geometry Wars, Sinistar
Scrolling shooters
Vertical scrolling shooter
Vertical scrolling shooters, or vert shooters for short, are largely similar to horizontal scrollers, but the direction of scroll tends to force a different viewpoint on the game: vertical scrollers are nearly always viewed from above. This means that it is less common to have solid obstacles in these games, as the player is usually above them. Perhaps because of this difference, vertical scrollers tend to be more intense, focusing on shooting and dodging copious amounts of projectiles.
The first vertical scrolling shooter was Xevious, released in 1982. This game introduced many concepts that are standard in scrolling shooters today, such as an episodic level structure, and bosses. It can be argued that very early games like Galaxian can be considered vertical scrollers, as they are set against a constantly scrolling starfield. However, they are generally classed as fixed shooters along with Space Invaders, as the stars are purely for visual effect and add nothing to the gameplay.
When the "top-down" or "overhead" names are used, the line becomes blurrier. By this definition, Space Invaders would likely be the first game of the type – and indeed, many consider it the first true top-down shooter. As with their horizontal counterparts, some vertical shooters may allow a degree of free horizontal movement.
Example vertical shooters — Raiden, Ikaruga, 1942, Radiant Silvergun, Star Soldier
Monitors and orientation
Vertical scrolling shooters come into two more varieties; Tate shmups are those that are played on a vertically oriented monitor, and Yoko shmups are those played on a standard horizontal monitor set-up. Tate shmups usually begin as standard Jamma cabinets with Tate monitors. However, the screen orientation can be a potential issue when the game is ported to home consoles with regular TVs.
There are four known ways to adapt a tate shmup to home consoles:
- Black borders on the sides – the most common form of adaption but sacrifices screen size
- Turning the TV on the side – a practice that may damage some TVs
- Zooming or stretching the game area
- Horizontal gameplay orientation – an optional mode in some games, such as Ikaruga
Horizontal scrolling shooter
Most horizontal scrolling shooters are played on an epynomously oriented screen, but there are a few exceptions - such as Darius, which uses more than one monitor to create an extensive playfield, and Stinger, which uses a vertically oriented screen. As well as battling enemies, much of the challenge in horizontal scrollers tends to come from navigating the environment, as invariably contact with the level results in either the immediate death of or damage to the player's character. Some games, such as ones in the Gradius series always feature a maze-like level that is almost solely focused on avoiding collisions. Enemies are more likely to come from behind the player's ship in these types of games than their vertically scrolling counterparts are.
Typically, the scrolling in these games is continuous, such that the player is led through a level by the game. There is also sometimes a degree of vertical freedom, in which the player can move up or down on a playing area which is taller than the screen itself. (Thunderforce IV and Dragon Breed are two games which take this to extremes).
Almost all horizontal scrolling shooters view the player's avatar from the side, and present the level in cross-section, such that the player appears to be flying 'through' something, such as a landscape or a mothership. The first horizontal scroller was arguably Defender, released in 1980, although it shares few features with other horizontal scrollers. Horizontally scrolling shooters, along with their vertical counterparts, remain very popular today.
Example horizontal shooters — Gradius, R-Type, Darius, Thunderforce, Blazing Star, Scramble
Tube shooter
Tube shooters comprises of games where players move forward through a "tube", essentially a 2D scrolling shooter plane rolled into a cylinder or extended to a three dimensional volume. Movement is usually restricted to the ring formed by the edge of the curved plane. This is considered more of a niche variety of shooter, appearing mostly in the early 1980s. The reason for this is because, this type of shooter came at a time when arcade hardware had not progressed enough to allow full three-dimensional movement. This type of game is a pseduo-simulation of that. The only recent games to utilize this type of gameplay are Tempest 2000 and its sequel Tempest 3000.
Example tube shooters — Tempest, Gyruss
Multi-scrolling shooter
Multi-scrolling shooters are a combination of several different types of scrolling shooters. Typically, it involves the combination of vertical and horizontal levels, but examples exist that utilize other types. For example, Gradius III has two levels that where the player must guide the ship through a tube-like tunnel, avoiding collisions.
Example multi-scrolling shmups — Salamander, Axelay
3/4 view shooter
Also known as an isometric shooter, a 3/4 view shooter utilizes vertical shooter's playing field that is modified for perspective, such that upwards/forwards is diagonal. The player simulates moving diagonally through the scroll. This perspective limits the size of the playing field, so generally there is much more focus on avoiding obstacles than shooting enemy ships.
These shmups have not been a popular choice to date, although there have been a handful of popular titles. This type of shooter, much like the tube shooter, is more of an anachronism in today's games. These titles were remarkable in their times for their pseudo-3d graphics; when the hardware became sophisticated enough to fully render such graphics, these games had lost their appeal, in favor of the more traditional vertically and horizontally scrolling types.
Example 3/4 view shooters - Zaxxon, Viewpoint
3D shooter
3D shooters pertain to the same gameplay elements that occur in a standard shooter (hordes of enemies, obstacles, bosses, moveable protaganist ship) but occur in a three-dimensional environment. Because the player does not have ultimate choice in where the protagnoist moves, these games are often known as rail shooters, although that term eclipses a number of genres. They generally offer the most variety of any type of shoot'em up, composed of levels that contain mass differences in environment, which result in varied gameplay. For example external areas, such as space fields, tend to be more composed of shooting action. While interior areas focus more on navigation and collision avoidance. Ship speed is more of a factor in this type than others, as many obstacles have to be correctly timed to be avoided. However, the main gameplay difference from other types of shootings is that targeting must occur on a two-dimensional grid, where in other types it is strictly one dimensional. Gameplay is usually presented in a third-person perspective, but with first-person sometimes used (often toggable).
3D shooters are result of advancements made in arcade hardware that allowed scalable graphics to be presented. The first 3D shooters utilized vector graphics, the earliest way of representing true three dimensional environments. The most notable example of this game is the Star Wars arcade game, which became extremely popular do to the corresponding release of the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Sprite based shooters have also been developed, such as Williams' Blaster and After Burner II. Adding to the immersion, these games often used elaborate cockpits with an assortment of authentic-feeling controls such as yokes and throttles. 3D shooters received a huge boost and development of popularity during the late 1980s and throughout 1990s, as advancements in technology allowed texture-mapped, polygon-rich environments. The mid-90s saw the beginning of this genre on home consoles with the establishment of franchises like Star Fox and Panzer Dragoon. 3D shooters are still prevalent in the arcades today, as they draw crowds and are very expensive to play.
Example 3D shooters — After Burner II, Red Baron, Panzer Dragoon,
Styles of Arcade Shooters/Shmups
Standard
This is the shooter most people think of when they think of a 'Shooter'. Periodical enemies, firing at the player or simply being hazards themselves. This style is the normal amongst many shooter series.
Famous Standard Style Shmups - Anything above.
Bullet Curtain
A bullet curtain or bullet hell shooter is a more obscure sub-genre, that has only seen streaks of popularity in Japan. While standard shooters generally have a comparably few amount of bullets and a larger hitbox for the player, Bullet Curtain style shooters are the exact opposite. Many bullets fill the screen, while the player has a very small margin at which they are hit. Shmups of this style are usually 'Vertical shooter' types, however, other types are known to exist.
Example Bullet Curtain shooters — The Tōhō series
Manic shooter
A manic shooter is similar to a bullet curtain game except that the area of impact of the protagonists' ship is not reduced. In order to deal with the screen-filling bullets, there is usually some kind of bullet-absorbing power that can be periodically used. Bullet absorbing is used in some titles as an offensive and defensive capability, while in other titles it serves more of a scoring function.
Example Manic shooters — Giga Wing, DoDonPachi
Competitive
This style of shooter features two players playing simultaneously. Instead of working together, the two players are trying to outlast and thwart the other player. The field is usually split-screen with a vertical shooter type.
Example competitive shooters — Twinkle Star Sprites
See also
- Scrolling shooter - more specific information about scrolling shooters.
- Shooter game - more general information about shooting games.
External links
- Shmups Archive of shooter listings, including reviews and forums.