shmup index

If you're into shmups, shmup index is a catalog from the 1970s to today. Look up games, ports and releases across arcade, console and PC, check current sales, and find indie shmups still in development. https://shmupindex.com #shmup

StealthRUSH ranked 100 favourite shooters on Giant Bomb, and 66 are in the index. Soldier Blade is first, then Gradius, Lords of Thunder, Image Fight and Gate of Thunder. Three of that top five are PC Engine games. https://shmupindex.com/lists/stealthrushs-top-100-favorite-shooter-games

If you like comparing tier lists, u/Spydar05 on r/shmups ranked the 68 shmups they've played, and 27 are in the index. Mushihimesama and DoDonPachi DaiOuJou are in S+, DoDonPachi Resurrection and ZeroRanger in S. What's in your top tier? https://shmupindex.com/lists/deep-dive-into-68-shmups

For console shmup collectors, Hiroyuki Maeda's The Complete Book of Shooting Games: Home Consoles 1981-1999 covers over 700, from Epoch's Cassette Vision to the Dreamcast. It's in Japanese, from Sansai Books. Its page searches eBay and Amazon. https://shmupindex.com/books/9784866734873

If you're new to Touhou, Team Shanghai Alice remade its 2002 Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, with new graphics and ZUN's rearranged music. It's on PC, Switch, Switch 2 and PS5, with 97 from 4,175 Steam reviews. https://shmupindex.com/game/touhou-koumakyou-new-classic-the-embodiment-of-scarlet-devil

Commodore 64 kids may remember Uridium. Andrew Braybrook's 1986 shooter has fifteen levels named after metals, ending with Uridium, a made-up metal. On the NES it became The Last Starfighter in 1990, with the same levels. https://shmupindex.com/game/uridium

If you want something creepy for Halloween, try Irem's 1989 X Multiply. Your tiny ship flies inside a body infected by an alien queen. Instead of R-Type's Force, it has two tentacles that enemy fire can't hurt. Hamster put it on Switch and PS4 in 2019. https://shmupindex.com/game/x-multiply

Amiga fans, have you played Apidya? In Kaiko's 1992 shooter, a man uses magic to become a bee and find an antidote for his poisoned wife. A 24-bit pixel remake, Apidya' Special, came out this year from ININ Games, with 94 from 35 Steam reviews. https://shmupindex.com/game/apidya

If you play on Switch, four Cotton games are on sale on the US eShop until Nov 4. Cotton Fantasy is 88% off at US$4.79 and Cotton Reboot! is US$7.99. Rainbow Cotton is US$5.99, and 1994's Cotton 100% is US$1.99. Prices can change, so check first. https://shmupindex.com/sales?store=eshop

70s robot anime fans, try 70s-style Robot Anime Geppy-X. It came out only in Japan in 1999, on four PlayStation discs with over 8,000 hand-drawn frames. Now it's on PC, Switch, PlayStation and Xbox, with 96 from 50 Steam reviews. https://shmupindex.com/game/70s-style-robot-anime-geppy-x

If you love arcade shmups, CBR's Tyler Werrin ranked the 10 best, and nine are in the index. Ikaruga is first, then In the Hunt and Darius Gaiden. Batsugun, Radiant Silvergun, DoDonPachi, R-Type Leo, Giga Wing and Raiden II follow. https://shmupindex.com/lists/cbr-10-best-arcade-shmups-ranked

The oldest game in the index is Galaxy Game, from 1971. Bill Pitts and Hugh Tuck built it on a PDP-11 for Stanford's student union. Two players dogfight around a star, Spacewar!-style, at 10 cents a game or 25 for three. https://shmupindex.com/game/galaxy-game

If you like playing close to enemies, Devil Blade Reboot is built around it. Close-range kills raise your multiplier, and Berserk mode raises it more but makes enemies tougher. Easy mode starts you with a shield. It scores 98 from 831 Steam reviews. https://shmupindex.com/game/devil-blade-reboot

If you grew up on Compile's shooters, or missed them, AV Club's Marc Normandin ranked the studio's 20 best. Our Lists page has the 12 of them that are in the index, from M.U.S.H.A. and Blazing Lazers to Robo Aleste, Zanac and GG Aleste. https://shmupindex.com/lists/compiles-20-best-shoot-em-ups

Which shmup boss still creeps you out? Pictured is one from Gynoug, the 1991 Mega Drive game by NCS and Masaya, called Wings of Wor in North America. You play an angel fighting demons, and it was re-released on Switch, PS4 and Xbox One in 2021. https://shmupindex.com/game/gynoug

If you collect ports, the In Numbers page lists Commando and Impetus as the most-ported games in the index, on 24 systems each. Commando is Capcom's from 1985. Inofuto's Impetus came out from 2021 to 2024 on the Apple II, Sharp X1, WonderSwan and more. https://shmupindex.com/stats

If you like your shmups creepy, Ominous Descent takes your sub into an alien ocean with a headlight on a faulty battery. Lit enemies take extra damage, and some die only in the light. It has local co-op and is due on Steam in spring 2027. https://shmupindex.com/indies/ominous-descent-5a6d98

If you want to know which shmups the Shmups Forum rates highest, the Lists page has the top 25 from their 21st annual vote. Battle Garegga is first, then Mushihimesama, DoDonPachi and Ketsui. R-Type is 12th. How close is it to your top five? https://shmupindex.com/lists/top-25-shmups-of-all-time

If you want something strange for October, try Zombie Nation, KAZe's 1990 NES shooter. You fly a giant samurai head that shoots eyeballs at a zombified United States, and the Statue of Liberty comes to life to fight you. In Japan it was Abarenbou Tengu. https://shmupindex.com/game/zombie-nation

If you shop on Steam, three shmups are at record lows. Genome Guardian, a roguelite turret shooter with 92 from 712 Steam reviews, is US$4.79 to about Oct 25. NeuroVoider is US$1.39 (90% off) and Cassiodora is US$2.24 (85% off), both to about Oct 24. https://shmupindex.com/sales?store=steam

Making your own shmup? The Development page gathers 87 links and 22 videos. Start with Boghog's bullet hell shmup 101 and Sparen's Danmaku Design Studio, then go on to engines, bullet pattern tools and the source code of finished games. https://shmupindex.com/dev

If you like flying close to bullets on purpose, SynthEscape is built around it. Grazing enemy fire grows a field that slows bullets and raises your combo. It's a synthwave shmup with five stages, co-op and a no-death Vibe Mode, due Q1 2027. https://shmupindex.com/indies/synthescape-49d195

On Switch or PlayStation? Sonic Wings Reunion, from the Aero Fighters series, is half price on the eShop at US$14.99. Psyvariar 3 is US$12.99 on the PlayStation Store and US$14.99 on the eShop. Sine Mora EX is 85% off on the eShop at US$4.49. https://shmupindex.com/sales

If you want a shmup with an October mood, try Deathsmiles, CAVE's 2007 gothic shooter. Enemies come from both sides, so there's a fire button for each direction, and you choose the difficulty before each stage. It scores 95 from 574 Steam user reviews. https://shmupindex.com/game/deathsmiles

Gamest readers voted for the year's best shooting game, and the Lists page has their results from 1988 to 1998. Gradius II won 1988. In 1995, TwinBee Yahho! beat DonPachi 218 to 210, and in 1996 RayStorm beat Battle Garegga. Any you'd overturn? https://shmupindex.com/lists

If you buy shmups on Steam, two record lows end next week. Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is US$16.49 (45% off) to about Oct 20, and Valfaris: Mecha Therion is US$3.99 (80% off) to about Oct 21. Rainbow Cotton and X-Out: Resurfaced are US$9.99, half price. https://shmupindex.com/sales?store=steam

What's the first shmup you remember playing, and where did you play it? An arcade, a home console, a friend's computer? Pictured: Namco's Galaga from 1981, right as it steals your fighter. https://shmupindex.com/game/galaga

Battle Garegga plays by its own rules. Raizing's 1996 arcade game gets harder the more you shoot, power up and collect, and its bullets are coloured to blend into the scenery. M2 brought it back as Battle Garegga Rev.2016 on PS4 and Xbox One. https://shmupindex.com/game/battle-garegga

Gley Lancer first came out in 1992. Its gunner satellites let you change your weapon setup as you play. https://shmupindex.com/game/advanced-busterhawk-gley-lancer

Cataclyzm is a heavy metal shmup from Dogroach Games, with demonic guitars, beer and a lot of bullets. It's inspired by Raiden, Thunder Force IV and Cho Ren Sha, and it's due October 29. The beta is open, and you can sign up from its page. https://shmupindex.com/indies/cataclyzm-5db16f

On Steam right now: Radiant Silvergun is US$7.79, its lowest price on record. Rolling Gunner is 70% off at US$5.99, also a record low, and Raiden V: Director's Cut is US$8.99. If you like twin-stick shooters, Assault Android Cactus is US$3.99. https://shmupindex.com/sales?store=steam

A few good shmups are cheap on the Nintendo eShop right now. Locomalito's Super Hydorah is 80% off at US$3.99, and Sophstar is down to US$1.99, its lowest price on record. Sol Cresta is half price at US$8.99, and Arcade Archives Darius is US$5.59. https://shmupindex.com/sales?store=eshop

Nintendo Life picked the best shoot 'em ups on Switch. Our list has the 40 games from their guide that are in the index, from Aero Fighters 2 and Blazing Star to Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun. Which would you start with? https://shmupindex.com/lists/best-nintendo-switch-shmups

Recently added to the Books page: interviews with Space Invaders creator Tomohiro Nishikado, CAVE Shooting History, and D30, a doujin book on 30 years of Darius. That makes 93 books, guides and magazines about shoot 'em ups. https://shmupindex.com/books

ZeroRanger came out in 2018 from System Erasure: a vertical shooter in green and orange, packed with nods to other shooters and anime. White Vanilla, a second mode, arrived in 2020. It's Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam, and there's a free demo. https://shmupindex.com/game/zeroranger

Could Earthion come to the Neo Geo? On Sept 23, Yuzo Koshiro said on X that he's personally interested in bringing his Mega Drive shoot 'em up to SNK's hardware. Nothing is announced yet. https://shmupindex.com/game/earthion

The Indies page now has 12 shmups, shared by the developers making them. Bullet Banshee, a roguelite with stacking items, lists September 29 as its release date. Ominous Descent, Plasma Sky, Cataclyzm and Wirehawk have open betas. https://shmupindex.com/indies

Fanatical has 68 shoot 'em ups on sale. Strikers 1945, Gunbird 2, Dragon Blaze and Tengai are US$4.29 each, their lowest recorded price. Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours is 70% off at US$14.99. https://shmupindex.com/sales?store=fanatical

Which shmup deserves more attention? Tell us the game, the version and what you like about it.

What was your first 1CC, and what finally helped you get it? One credit, no continues. Near misses count as stories too.

Interstellar Sentinel is an indie shmup from Uplifting Goat, with eight stages and music by Chris Huelsbeck. https://shmupindex.com/game/interstellar-sentinel

Some listening for a break from playing: ZeroRanger's GREEN ARRANGE, by Resonant Union with System Erasure. https://resonantunion.bandcamp.com/album/zeroranger-arranged-album-green-arrange

QuakedoomNukem clears Interstellar Sentinel on Heroic in version 2.4.0. The full run is linked in the game's 1CC section. https://shmupindex.com/game/interstellar-sentinel#sec-runs

SHMUP INDEX catalogs shoot 'em ups from the 1970s to today. Browse by era, platform or screen orientation, then look through each game's releases. https://shmupindex.com

When you're choosing a shmup port, what matters most? Stage practice, screen rotation, input response, or the version of the game it includes?

Ikaruga lets you absorb bullets that match your ship's colour and use that energy for homing lasers. Switching at the right moment takes practice. https://shmupindex.com/game/ikaruga

Perth Shmup Club is playing Viper Phase 1 this September, with a shared leaderboard at Friday Night Fights. Their post has the details. https://bsky.app/profile/perthshmupclub.bsky.social/post/3muqsx55fkk2l

In Xevious, the zapper handles airborne enemies and the blaster hits ground targets. Keeping track of both is the hard part. https://shmupindex.com/game/xevious

What's the hardest 1CC you've pulled off so far? Here's a great one for inspiration by Blinge's full Ikaruga walkthrough. Ten years old and it still holds up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjai9ebv-fg

Gradius Origins includes seven games, with Salamander III among them. Training Mode, quicksaves and rewind give you ways to work on a difficult section. shmupindex.com/game/gradius...