Shoot Em Ups!

[Cedar]

hey someone recommend me some good shoot em ups, i remember there was some really crazy japanese ones with anime girls, whats the name of those?

[DougClayton4231]

I think that you're thinking of Deathsmiles. Ikaruga, Gradius, and Contra come to mind. Other people probably can think of better ones.

[Fathom Zero]

Touhou Project, Dodonpachi, Mushihimesama Futari, espgaluda, etc.

[darkvare]

guwange

[Fathom Zero]

Guwange rocks. I forgot about it. :(

It was the first one I every tried to get good at.

[Aaarg]

life force/salamander

[Phoenix Gamma]

U.N. SQUADRON :rock

Not one of the anime girl shmups, but still a fucking radical ass game.

I picked up Ikaruga at a Gamestop a few months ago for Gamecube. I'd been emulating the Dreamcast version for awhile, but it had some emulation hiccups. I nearly had a heart attack when I actually saw it in the store (THERE WERE EVEN TWO COPIES!)

[Fathom Zero]

It's something like $10 on the XBLA. I picked it up years ago.

[Phoenix Gamma]

I don't own an XBox.

[Fathom Zero]

I pity you.

[Phoenix Gamma]

Don't. I have a PS3, a Wii, and a high end PC. I can pretty much play any video game on the market save for XBLA releases. And I'd rather not shell out the money for a 360 just for XBLA, especially when its entire retail library is more or less available on PS3/PC as well.

[Fathom Zero]

Sure. I got you.

[darkvare]

whats yor psn phoenix

[Fathom Zero]

Progear No Arashi
Mars Matrix

And

Sin and Punishment and Elemental Gearbolt, to a lesser extent. Depends if you like the rails thing. But if you do, then Rez and Panzer Dragoon are musts.

[Mockery]

Ikaruga is definitely one of the best. Got a copy for my Gamecube ages ago when it came out and it's sooooo good.

That said, if there's one shmup I would recommend over all the others, it would have to be Viewpoint. I'm not gonna type up all the reasons why it's awesome again, so if you're interested in it, you can read my full review of the game here (http://www.i-mockery.com/weeklies/weekly.php?type=games&id=72). It's insanely difficult and as awesome as they come.

[King Hadas]

U.N. SQUADRON :rock

I was gonna say this. Great game.

Is Star Fox 64 a shoot 'em up?

Gunsmoke for the NES.

And then there's the classic freeware game Warning Forever (http://www18.big.or.jp/%7Ehikoza/Prod/index_e.html), an endless succession of boss battles where the subsequent bosses evolve depending on how you beat the preceding ones.