You are a pure celebration of hobbyist passion. Don't stop, it rules. I'm stoked every time you upload something, it gives me the warm fuzzies to just dive into something I love so much.
To this day Lords of Thunder is still my favorite shmup of all time. Probably not the most popular choice but it gets my vote. Can’t wait to see your video though. You have some of the highest quality content on TH-cam imo.
It’s still one of my most played old shooters of all time despite running through it in my sleep. It’s just awesome fun to play on the harder modes. So I’m with you. I lost count how many times I’ve blown through it long ago.
For me this is your best video yet. The uplifting energy and your love for the shooter genre of that era really reignited my desire to play and experience them all once again! Thank you ShmupJunkie
This was a remarkable showing, very well put together! Personally, it doesn't matter how many Shmups any console has, TF4 defined the entire genre and is still IMO the greatest Shmup of all time but it's fantastic to see all these gems on all consoles, perfectly in time for summer 😊.
Thunder Force 4 in european version (less slow down), no doubt about it. Its presentation, its graphics, its nervousness, its music, 10 levels, crazy parallaxes, a beautiful end, a well-balanced armament with the possibility of switching between weapons... In 92/93, we almost had the impression of being on NeoGeo. Knowing that the cartridge is only an 8 meg, that makes it the craziest 16 Bit shooter.
@@TeamVVV The slowdown in the original release happens when the animated Claw sprites are on the screen when things get hectic. Nice thing on the Maniac difficulty are the added enemies not seen on Normal. Choose the Ruin stage (the bottom one) as the first stage on Maniac for a second mid-boss right at the start.
There will always be thunder force enthusiasts it’s extremely popular. You already saw my history of Tecnosoft video right? If not you’d love it. Probably the best history video I’ve made.
Thanks. Even though it’s a competitive video I did my best to focus on how good the games all are and motivate people to seek out playing them all and discovering more. In an entertaining way.
I'm always researching the 16-bt generation for what I have missed growing up, and this compilation is amazing❗ I've been going down a rabbit hole on shmups and this has informed me very well across this whole generation. Thanks!
I just paid $200 for a five terabyte hard drive with all the games throughout the years up to PlayStation 2. Im gonna play every game you talked about today
PC Engine. We had no chance here in the forgotten southern hemisphere loserscape. Not enough population to justify a realease. Thank you, much love brother.
Parodius Da! is engraved in my soul at this point. So happy to have taken part in this voting. Great video, so much info I'm so watching this several times. Thank you for making us shootemup fans so happy with your passionate work.
To me, the Genesis/Mega Drive had the best shooters. TG16/PCE is a very close second. It took a while for programmers to get used to the SNES. Early shooters had crazy slowdown. Had some definite classics later on though. And I agree with TF4 overall. It's just so damn hard to top. Gameplay and soundtrack are incredible. Damn near perfect. I sometimes listen to the soundtrack on the way to work to get me hyped for the day.
"The Sky Line" From TFIV and "Stand Up Against Myself" are prolly my fav's. The whole OST is God Tier but those are my fav picks. The FLAC Remaster is AMAZING! It sounds so crisp and clean and Bass heavy. The Opening to "The Sky Line" sounds so good!
For me it always was the most sought console when I was young. The PC Engine was a jewel in 16bit gaming that was not relatively known in the UK. Playing Lords of thunder for the first time was a true jaw dropping experience and one that hooked me to the NEC machine to this day. Brilliant video, just ordered the bitmap book of PC Engine box art to get a feel for the nostalgia once again. They don't make them like this today.
Now the dust has settled on yesterdays amazing premiere, I’d like to offer a huge congratulations on this culmination of 3 awesome videos over the past 1 1/2 years showcasing all the shmups the 16bit era had to offer! A massive undertaking and one done with so much dedication and attention to detail that they will stand out for years to come. As a fellow chilled of this era, It means so much to me personally to see these games return to the limelight giving a whole new generation the chance to try out the games that shaped a generation!! As for the winners? I couldn’t agree more with the results but the real winners are the players, having a library of over 200 games to enjoy anytime we want. Now the door has closed on the 16bit era, what’s next?? 8bit? 32bit? Arcade through the decades?
The amount of times ive paused the video to look up an OST is nutty. Thanks for making this video it's giving me tons of inspo to get kinda sorta not trash at STGs
The great thing about many of these early console games is how fun they could be for anyone whether trash skills or not lol. I still know plenty of folks who play them casually to a certain stage for fun despite not seeing much improvement. But you’re absolutely right that there’s SO much to enjoy here if you put in the time and practice with certain games you enjoy most. Getting very good at a few translates into being overall skilled at many more.
Thunderforce 4 hands down over everything else. That game was just on another level untouched by anything on the PC Engine or SNES. Love your videos and good job, but we all knew what system you wanted to win from the beginning LMAO. Can't wait to see your next PC Engine video...oops I meant to say fair comparison video.(wink) lol Keep up the awesome work!!
And impressive as it is, and I bought it day one when it came to the US... it's my least replayed game for shumps. There are others on the MD I rather play.
Wow, I am only 15 min in and I can't stop seeing how much of a labor of love this video is. If I could ever make a video half this great.... that be amazing! Great work, great passion.
Thank you. They do take a long time to make for that reason but it’s worth it seeng the final result. I hope this series of videos I made will last a long time as a video form encyclopedia of all the games.
Said it before when you were asking for votes on this, and I’ll say it again: I can NOT wait for the 32-bit version of this! I can already feel my brain frying trying to decide on best music alone😳
Really appreciate the kind words and making videos to keep getting new blood excited for playing them. A lot of people are so competitive in this genre it can sometimes alienate the typical player just wanting to enjoy them in a casual way.
DON'T MISS the EARLY SATURDAY LIVE PREMIERE! Join me LIVE this Saturday, July 1st at 9AM Pacific Time and find out whether the Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, or the PC Engine rules supreme as the all time 16-bit Shooting King! This is going to be ONE SPICY CHATROOM! Hit that notification if you don't want to miss it.
It's gotta be the PC Engine! It's just an endless avalanche of shooters, with so many killer series and Thunder games that match the Mega Drive's (probably that system's peak imo). But I own all three systems and a decent amount of STGs for each, and they all have truly great ones to call their own. It's just too bad Treasure waited until the 32-bit era to start getting into shooters.
Nice, being older with more money means I can just have all three consoles and forget the fanboys stuff but it's still cool seeing all these love for these shooter games.
For those that didn't grow up back then like us, they don't always know that it was very uncommon for anyone to have more than one system and games. it wasn't affordable for most families to have multiples. So we all had to choose (our our parents chose for us) and that was our camp. All the Genesis and SNES games I played were at friend's homes that owned them while I had the Turbo. Possibly what helped stoke all the competitiveness. But even then I loved playing all of them and looked forward to visiting friends to play those games too.
Oh hell yeah! Not going to lie, I have watched your 3 16-bit shmup library videos all the way through, several times each and have made an Excel spreadsheet with notes on each game, so I already know before watching what the best games are going to be. Still going to watch this from end to end. I hope these are generating enough engagement for you to make doing Saturn and PlayStation videos worth the huge effort I know these videos take. Would of course love to see Dreamcast, PS2, and Xbox 360 videos in the future. Your channel, almost single handedly, has gotten me into shmups.
Ha! Now that's what I'm talking about. If everyone did the same all the videos would blow up haha. Really cool to hear. Some did better the others... not sure why the SNES one started well then just flopped after a week or so. Just how it goes. I was definitely planning on doing Saturn and PS1 next, with maybe a quick pit stop for Neo Geo first. So unless something changes drastically you can look forward to it. I really enjoy making them and think they have long term value for the genre.
@@ShmupJunkie I get it. I really appreciate the SNES video, as it's not a console you think of for shmups. But let's be honest, despite having a few real bangers, it's not a big console for shmups. I watched the SNES video and took notes, and I felt it wasn't as exciting as the PC Engine or Mega Drive videos because of the games, not your presentation. I predict your Saturn video will do better than your PlayStation video for the same reason, though I know with the PS's 4000+ game library, there'll be some real hidden gems, especially among Japanese exclusives. And I know a lot of games the Saturn is famous for are also on the PlayStation.
Musha Aleste is the best shooters overall, the soundtrack is top notch and very memorable, it has a feel to it that you are fighting to save the world. Been playing it regularly till now
@@nelson3639 Huh no i've never even played any of TF's longer than a few minutes :-). I was just saying that Parodius on SNES is basically what is making it register any points in this contest, so even more heavy lifting then TFIV. No problems here, have a nice day sir.
A fantastic piece you've created here Shmup Junkie, S tier all the way and the time flew by like when you used to watch a 80's crappy action flick as a kid. As a mission to educate and entertain you've knocked it out the park and I can't wait to get in the garage and play some Soldier Blade.
Man, the music of these games makes me want to RUN home and dive in to these games again and again. Thanks to this channel and Mark over at Electric Underground, I've spent hundreds of hours and dollars playing pretty much nothing but STGs for over a year. Damn Solider Blade soundtrack has been stuck in my head for months. I'm so glade I found these type of channels. Saved my from AAA bordem and now I spend most of my free time playing STGs or spending hours looking for for what new shumps are coming. Thanks Junkie for such a awesome job of selling me on this awesome genre. Every single game in this video I have played thanks to you guys. That's crazy going from who cares about STGs to OMG I love Toaplan type games. Biggest change in my gaming habits ever.
I'm not even a video editor, but I can't imagine what this video's timeline looks like. So many video clips from so many sources, your voice clips for every single game, tons of illustrative music, and let's not forget extra effects. All of that in addition to your original script that must have taken a lot of time to write as well. Even if this weren't an interesting video, all of that would be an incredible accomplishment, but it is interesting to boot. Thanks for your hard work!
You’re not wrong and why it took me a couple months to put all this together despite much of the gameplay footage coming from the 3 big review videos I did. But I really enjoy making these as entertaining as possible and it’s worth seeing a great end result. Very glad you enjoyed it.
definitely some great selections in all categories! yeah I think Genesis/MD might have been my go-to system for shmups, SNES a very close second. Unfortunately don't have enough experience with more of the PCE shmups to rate it fairly (although Lords of Thunder may be far and away my favorite of the ones I DID try... hard AF, but so was the soundtrack so it all works out, haha.) should've guessed parodius winning for cute-em-up I think Jikkyou is my all time favorite there. (although that one, I would go with the Playstation port so IDK if it counts.)
Agreed on the PS1 ports, they are definitely the superior way to play the later Parodius games even if they are good on the SNES too. Only Da! the original is the least compromised there in performance and arcade accuracy. They're just phenomenal games. Definitely explore more of the PCE lineup someday, you'll dig it for sure. Lords seems hard at first but if you put in just a bit of time you'll be smoking it easily on the default setting. Having the shop is very foregiving and the Earth armor, while not very good at low level, is OP when powered up past a certain point. I pretty much use it exclusively.
@@ShmupJunkie oh thanks for the tips! definitely gonna have to sit down and revisit the PCE library it's been a good while since I did! some of those shmups were pretty fun, no doubt about it.
Gradius 3 with SA1 Hack!! A blast on all Fronts for me! And i have a soft Spot for Super R-Type (preferable with SA1 Hack,too) On PC Engine i love Soldier Blade (Soldier Series in general) And the port of Gradius 2! Thunderforce 3 and 4 of course! And a maybe Eliminate Down!
The SA1 and Fastrom hacks can really optimize those older SNES games to a stellar degree. Contra 3 with the SA1 hack is just amazing; we would have been in a state of awe if that is how the game turned out when it was first released.
This is an awesome video Shmup Junkie. Thank you for all your work. The PC Engine/Turbo16 seems like it was designed for shooters and it is a deserving champion. Question though, the Genesis/Mega Drive also has a massive collection of run and guns. Does the Turbo16 also do those well? I only know of Last Alert and Bloody Wolf so maybe they don't offer a lot in that category? I appreciate any answers anyone might have. Thanks.
No the PCE didn’t have a ton of run n guns by comparison. Both the md and snes were much better in that category. It had some notables but not enough. I’d easily choose either console over the pce there. It also sucked in terms of beat ‘em ups and had very few. It was such a Japan centric console and catered to those tastes. Thus lots of shooters and also a ton of rpg and adventure games. Often very quirky ones haha.
@@ShmupJunkie haha, yeah that makes sense. Thanks SJ. That's kind of what I thought and I appreciate the follow up. I'm still so happy I found the Turbo16. It may be a little short in a few genres but it's just so much fun with so much to offer.
what about Bio Hazard Battle and Empire of Steel on the Sega Mega Drive? Good 16bit graphics and cool soundtracks. Thunder force 4 is one of my all time favourite shot em ups. Awesome video by the way.
I wouldn't disagree especially if you love colorful pixel art. It looks like a straight up Saturn or PS1 game. In terms of that art style it absolutely cleans up. The SNES did that better than anyone.
@@ShmupJunkie I know exactly what is to work months or even years in something you love and that you hope everyone enjoys :) I've been watching your channel for many months while working on my own stuff, so thank you so much for your awesome work in every video you make! ❤
I don't even know how to connect on this content. Some of the very best retro gaming content bar none. Your videos are like watching a great documentary on BBC or PBS. You really need to be on tv. Love your channel brother... You truly deserve even more subs. Thank You 🎉
This was such an awesome video, and I'm really glad I got to vote and participate. I know this is said in ignorance, as I haven't played every game that's discussed in this video, but my personal top 3 favorites would be MUSHA, Super Aleste, and Soldier Blade, although I do want to make time to play Star Parodier more. Air Buster was my first SHMUP ever so I have a place in my heart for Kaneko. When I found out they made other SHMUPs on the PC Engine Mini I had to get it. No regrets there. I know there's so much love for Thunder Force 4, but gosh darn is it such a tough and unforgiving game, right off the bat! I love how Compile shmups at least wine and dine you before they F you in the final two levels. 🤣🤣
Because you enjoy Soldier Blade I've no doubt you'll find a lot to like about Star Parodier. It's just on the very easy side and beginner oriented, so if you find the challenge is yawn inducing crank the difficulty way up. It's just a very charming game with outstanding music that also controls like a Soldier game. So it's hard not to enjoy on some level aside from the default difficulty being way easy.
@@ShmupJunkie thanks again for the video! You truly are a video game historian, preserving the memory of what will probably one day be considered art by professors and students alike in prestigious universities.
When I played Sonic 3D Blast on the Mega Drive back in 1996, the bonus stage backgrounds have a very similar effect like the Axelay and Spriggan for the SNES/SFC. Even as a kid I thought that effect was really out of place, like a homebrew effort or something, the perspective is broken and the effect is just a simple melting of the background. This is probably not a popular opinion for those who enjoy these games, and I think the rest of Sonic 3D Blast is a showpiece visually for the Genesis, it looks great, better than the supposed 32-bit upgrades for the Saturn and PC, which lost all color and charm in comparison, but those bonuses backgrounds and the bridge Sonic runs on, they're weird effects. As for music, I find Biohazard Battle to be one of the most unique soundtracks on any system, it's so alien, dreary, wonderous, menacing, moody and atmosferic it's hard to find similar composition and instruments selection quite like it. So for visuals and sound, art direction and composition should be contemplated as very important aspects of the evaluation as well. Many games have unique bestiaries, weaponry, scenery and so on and so forth, it's not always about sprite sizes, background layers/effects, amount of colors, these are important too, but they're not whole by themselves.
What a beautifully crafted video, my goodness! I wont even speak about the core subject of the video (which is great obviously) but about the form. Gosh everything is prefect from the added animation , graphic perfect space editing, what a marvel of video you did (again). Dear Junkie thank you so much for your hard work and for sharing it! Warm regards.
TF4 FOR THE WIN!!!! 🤘 it has a superb presentation, magnificent soundtrack, interesting, non-trivial levels etc. etc. and yet it feels like your classic horizontal shmup we all know and love^^ As for the 16-bit console that had most of great shmups? Well, I guess it will be either Genesis/Mega Drive or PCE, and the later has more chances solely 'cause of it's CD extention. But I'm still by the Genesis side, SEGA FOR LIFE! 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Honestly a banger list, and it's tough competition considering so many shooters in this era were absolute bangers. I'm happy with all the acknowledgement
@@ShmupJunkieThis!!!!!! This guy's comment is why I'm concerned Junkie. The Sega fanboys are going to hijack this list. It doesn't matter if Gate of Thunder and Lords of Thunder out-thunderforced Thunderforce with better designed gameplay with less cheap deaths or superior metal soundtracks. It doesn't matter how good Gradius 1, 2, 3, Salamander/Life Force, all of the Parodius games, R-Type 1, Super, 3, Axelay, U.N. Squadron, Space Megaforce, Super Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie, etc. are. The internet is just going to reinforce what it already believes and yet another video will exist that reflects that, further reinforcing it. I really, really hope I'm wrong, but will I bet any money on Soldier Blade finishing in the top 3 of best soundtracks, or any of the innovative and creative level, weapons, or enemy designs of Axelay or Star Fox mattering in the end? Nope! P.S. I swear I'm not trying to be negative and I'm not trying to put a damper on things. 😊
@@davidaitken8503 Have faith and you’ll be pleasantly surprised come tomorrow. TF4 certainly stakes a serious claim in terms of presentation, graphics and music… even in my mind. But there’s way too many other great games that trump it’s good (but not great or the best) mechanics. So there’s lots of categories for many games to shine. I also was afraid it would end up very skewed and was mostly wrong. I was happy to see a lot of parity in the various results and certain games or consoles win in categories they clearly deserved. The fanboys weren’t able to outnumber the objective voters… for the most part lol.
@@davidaitken8503 Say what you will about Thunder Force IV pound-for-pound it has the absolute best graphics of any shmup from the genre (minus the AES). As far as Gate of Thunder and Lords of Thunder out rocking Thunder Force IV....they needed the Duo or CD ROM ROM to do it. Graphically they don't touch Thunder Force IV. Maybe you weren't there when the game dropped here in the US. I was... I remember how hard that game hit and despite its goofy name change it blew our minds. By 1994 I had moved on from the shmup genre mostly. Oh but Thunder Force IV brought me right back into the fold. This was a game that defied all conventional wisdom of what could be done on a Genesis and it was done on bone stock hardware. There is no helper chips, CD ROM ROM attachments, System Cards, FX chips or any of the other devices used to add functionality to aging hardware. It is pure 68K and Zilog Z-80 power. The game wouldn't look out of place on the Neo Geo AES/MVS. For reference- I started gaming back in 1986 with the Nes and Master System. I got my Genesis in 1989, my Snes in 1991, and Sega CD in 1992. I was there for all of it. I play everything across all platforms, genres, and generations of gaming. We (fiancee and I) have every console from the 1984 Atari 7800 test release all the way through the Xbox Series X and PS5..I love all the games you posted but better than Thunder Force IV, no chance.
Been a while since we've seen Timmy. It was nice to see him for a second in the intro. Amazing video as always, man. I'm always blown away by your videos.
@@ShmupJunkie oh for sure, but I wish I had more to time to put effort into playing with them (especially the hard ones with limited continues). Well, that’s what save states are for, hahahaha! This is making me want to revive my Core Grafx II. Just need an AV cable and power adaptor.
I just finished watching the video, congrats on another top notch and accurate ranking! I love how Parodius Da was very well recognized, also the special mention for Salamander and how strong TFIV and the MD began in your video!! I have yet to explore more of the PCE library so in the meantime my vote will still be for the Genny/MD 😊. Also, I would have loved to see the killer soundtrack from Hellfire featured…man I love it!
Hey buddy! Glad you enjoyed it and yes, you still have a huge library of pc engine games to explore! For a fan of the NES you’ll feel right at home with the vibe of many of them.
Great video as always SJ. It will seemed like the Sega Genesis and PC Engine was neck n neck in most categories. It was great to see Soldier Blade get lots of recognition.
Awesome video. You reminded me why I loved the old consoles so much. There were so many shooters and the music and intensity of some of these games pulled me in. This is such a detailed and focused review. Definitely going to have pull out some of these games and reply them. They sure don't make em like they used to,. Thank you.
Very welcome and glad you enjoyed it. Getting folks to get back into these games and enjoy them again is reason enough to make these vids. I'm just glad there are some good devs out there making some new 16bit style games for us these days. Did you see the new Mega Drive game coming with Yuzo Koshiro doing the music?
@@ShmupJunkie Yah your review summed up my feelings so well and why i picked up the pc-engine back in the 90's. Something about the music on the pc-engine. Wow I didn't know Yuzo Koshiro was making a new game for the Mega Drive/Genesis. I will definitely be picking up a copy of it. Thanks for the info 😀.
As someone who also had a Neo Geo in the '90s, I'd say that out of all these games Thunder Force 4 is the only one that wouldn't have felt out of place on the Neo Geo. Overall though, Mega Drive vs. PC Engine is a battle between two shmup titans. My heart said MD, but I still voted for PCE. I generally owned way more games for the MD, as the PCE wasn't officially released here in Europe, so I had to rely on expensive grey imports. The Konami shooters, R-Type and the Star Soldier series give the PCE an edge, despite the MD having the Technosoft and Toaplan games. As for the SNES, I feel like UN Squadron once again got a bit sidelined. For me it's top-tier in every way - visuals, music and gameplay.
@@Prizrak-hv6qk The Neo Geo AES and CD sold about a million units combined, so for sure there were Neo Geos in Europe. You could also rent some of its games back then, which made it more affordable.
I don't play a lot of shumps but I think they look, sound, and seem cool. I play a few random ones. When I was young I was really into Gunbird 2 on Dreamcast. I don't know if I have the fortitude for precise evasion and memorization some of these titles require but I'd like to still play more in the genre.
Awesome video bro, as I always say, your content gets better and better with each new one. Aside from the results let's be honest here, if anyone happen to skip any of these consoles they'll miss some great games, sure we all have our favourite systems but all of them have something unique the others didn't and that's great! In the end and as cheesy as it sounds lol we all are the real winners here ;D
Hey buddy! It's an early premiere this time, Saturday and starting in just a few hours! I know if you miss it you'll catch it eventually. Going to be a fun one.
Overall if I had to pick two favorites (one vertical, one horizontal) from each system it would be Gate of Thunder and Spriggan for the PC Engine/Super CD, Thunder Force IV and MUSHA for the Genesis/Sega CD, and R-Type III and Super Aleste for the SNES. That being said there are still plenty of shmups on these consoles that I have not gotten to; mainly the ones that didn't get released outside of Japan and were too much hassle and expense for me to seek out back then, so when I do get to them I know that there are a plethora of other games right up there with the aforementioned ones. The 16-bit era was just incomparable, but of course the 32-bit shmup haul was great too. Edit after watching 70% of video; so you pretty much made the same picks for the most part, but these games are truly undeniable and should all be played and replayed.
I still think the Genesis Thunder Force III was graphically beautiful. Gameplay was great! The underwater level was insane! Man, the bubbles! Lawrence Welk would have been impressed.
Although I was a Megadrive kid through and through, if the PC Engine had gotten a proper European release back then it may well have ended up being my console of choice.
Literally clicked on this so that you could tell me what the name of that SNES game I played all those years ago was. Axelay! I was 90% sure it would show up here, for the music if not for other reasons.
I've been playing Soldier Blade, and holy cow is it fun! Its music made my top 5 of the greatest 16-bit shmup tunes. I'm addicted to the 5 min run and the hard mode as well.
Bravo on such a thorough, well conceived, and expertly executed video. I feel very grateful to have grown up owning MUSHA (an under $10 flea market find) and TF4, while still having some exposure to several of the flagships on SNES and PCE. I'd like to give one personal nod to Katsumi Tanaka for his work on the Robo Alesta (1992) OST which included elements of rave/techno and traditional Japanese drums and melodies blended seamlessly. I feel the OST is extremely underrated and it's simply mind blowing to think that it pre-dates Platypus Records' debut release Union Jack 'Art of Trance' (1993).
Heck yeah. Lords is one of the few games I own that's the original I had as a kid. I never sold it just so I could listen to it in my CD player at the time... even after my Duo was long gone and the next generation had hit. That soundtrack is timeless.
I discovered your channel just recently and it is top!! I'm recently obsessed with shmups and this is the perfect channel to discover all about them!! 🔝
Welcome! You certainly found the goldmine if shmups and arcade style games are what you’re looking for. I’ve made some really fun videos, compilations and even histories of some top developers. So please take your time and enjoy what you find.
You are a pure celebration of hobbyist passion. Don't stop, it rules. I'm stoked every time you upload something, it gives me the warm fuzzies to just dive into something I love so much.
Thank you. That’s exactly what I’m going for and enjoy the heck out of making them. I only wish I could make them faster.
Yeah man ...they're infectious
I can’t even imagine the amount of work you put into this videos. They’re so tightly edited. No fat whatsoever. Amazing work.
Yes it's great but man...what about those crappy filters?
To this day Lords of Thunder is still my favorite shmup of all time. Probably not the most popular choice but it gets my vote. Can’t wait to see your video though. You have some of the highest quality content on TH-cam imo.
It’s still one of my most played old shooters of all time despite running through it in my sleep. It’s just awesome fun to play on the harder modes. So I’m with you. I lost count how many times I’ve blown through it long ago.
For me this is your best video yet.
The uplifting energy and your love for the shooter genre of that era really reignited my desire to play and experience them all once again!
Thank you ShmupJunkie
This was a remarkable showing, very well put together! Personally, it doesn't matter how many Shmups any console has, TF4 defined the entire genre and is still IMO the greatest Shmup of all time but it's fantastic to see all these gems on all consoles, perfectly in time for summer 😊.
Thunder Force 4 in european version (less slow down), no doubt about it.
Its presentation, its graphics, its nervousness, its music, 10 levels, crazy parallaxes, a beautiful end, a well-balanced armament with the possibility of switching between weapons... In 92/93, we almost had the impression of being on NeoGeo. Knowing that the cartridge is only an 8 meg, that makes it the craziest 16 Bit shooter.
Definitely one of the most impressive audiovisually, but the gameplay isn't all that great imo
The slowdown is by design. Put the game in Maniac mode and it turns the slowdown off.
@@edy1361 Myth? Pop it in your MD, set the difficulty and see for yourself.
@@TeamVVV thx gonna try that now
@@TeamVVV The slowdown in the original release happens when the animated Claw sprites are on the screen when things get hectic. Nice thing on the Maniac difficulty are the added enemies not seen on Normal. Choose the Ruin stage (the bottom one) as the first stage on Maniac for a second mid-boss right at the start.
It's nice to hear when 2023 there are still Thunder Force series enthusiasts. Thank you to all of you !
There will always be thunder force enthusiasts it’s extremely popular. You already saw my history of Tecnosoft video right? If not you’d love it. Probably the best history video I’ve made.
@@ShmupJunkie : I left a message about it. Good continuation comrade !
Thunder Force 4 sarà per sempre il TOP
As much as I love the Thunder Force series (especially 3 & 4 ) my favourite shooters on the Megadrive will always be Gynoug and Gaiares.
Bro kudus
This must have been a massive amount of work to put together. Thanks for this, S.J. Will keep watching as long as you keep making them.
Mega Drive shmup fans gotta try Elemental Master and Atomic Runner. Hidden gems!
Been somewhat considering Elelmental Master just based on the music.
Elemental Master is amazing
I love your thorough and infectious enthusiasm for these games, Junkie. You are so respectful, fair, positive about these developers' great work.
Thanks. Even though it’s a competitive video I did my best to focus on how good the games all are and motivate people to seek out playing them all and discovering more. In an entertaining way.
I'm always researching the 16-bt generation for what I have missed growing up, and this compilation is amazing❗ I've been going down a rabbit hole on shmups and this has informed me very well across this whole generation. Thanks!
Hope you've got deep pockets! But it is fun finding new games.
I just paid $200 for a five terabyte hard drive with all the games throughout the years up to PlayStation 2.
Im gonna play every game you talked about today
I'm still blown away by Soldier Blade's music, especially when you consider it coming from a HuCard, not CD.
Personally one of the best chip tune soundtracks of all time imo. For how great CD tracks can sound my old favs are all still chip tunes.
@@ShmupJunkie they're pure and within limits. Cd audio has no limits. The only limit on cd are to the artists. Agree on chiptunes. Love em.
PC Engine. We had no chance here in the forgotten southern hemisphere loserscape. Not enough population to justify a realease. Thank you, much love brother.
Parodius Da! is engraved in my soul at this point. So happy to have taken part in this voting. Great video, so much info I'm so watching this several times. Thank you for making us shootemup fans so happy with your passionate work.
To me, the Genesis/Mega Drive had the best shooters. TG16/PCE is a very close second. It took a while for programmers to get used to the SNES. Early shooters had crazy slowdown. Had some definite classics later on though.
And I agree with TF4 overall. It's just so damn hard to top. Gameplay and soundtrack are incredible. Damn near perfect. I sometimes listen to the soundtrack on the way to work to get me hyped for the day.
"The Sky Line" From TFIV and "Stand Up Against Myself" are prolly my fav's. The whole OST is God Tier but those are my fav picks. The FLAC Remaster is AMAZING! It sounds so crisp and clean and Bass heavy. The Opening to "The Sky Line" sounds so good!
For me it always was the most sought console when I was young. The PC Engine was a jewel in 16bit gaming that was not relatively known in the UK.
Playing Lords of thunder for the first time was a true jaw dropping experience and one that hooked me to the NEC machine to this day.
Brilliant video, just ordered the bitmap book of PC Engine box art to get a feel for the nostalgia once again. They don't make them like this today.
Now the dust has settled on yesterdays amazing premiere, I’d like to offer a huge congratulations on this culmination of 3 awesome videos over the past 1 1/2 years showcasing all the shmups the 16bit era had to offer!
A massive undertaking and one done with so much dedication and attention to detail that they will stand out for years to come.
As a fellow chilled of this era, It means so much to me personally to see these games return to the limelight giving a whole new generation the chance to try out the games that shaped a generation!!
As for the winners? I couldn’t agree more with the results but the real winners are the players, having a library of over 200 games to enjoy anytime we want.
Now the door has closed on the 16bit era, what’s next?? 8bit? 32bit? Arcade through the decades?
The amount of times ive paused the video to look up an OST is nutty. Thanks for making this video it's giving me tons of inspo to get kinda sorta not trash at STGs
The great thing about many of these early console games is how fun they could be for anyone whether trash skills or not lol. I still know plenty of folks who play them casually to a certain stage for fun despite not seeing much improvement. But you’re absolutely right that there’s SO much to enjoy here if you put in the time and practice with certain games you enjoy most. Getting very good at a few translates into being overall skilled at many more.
Thunderforce 4 hands down over everything else. That game was just on another level untouched by anything on the PC Engine or SNES. Love your videos and good job, but we all knew what system you wanted to win from the beginning LMAO. Can't wait to see your next PC Engine video...oops I meant to say fair comparison video.(wink) lol Keep up the awesome work!!
And impressive as it is, and I bought it day one when it came to the US... it's my least replayed game for shumps. There are others on the MD I rather play.
@@TurboXray I totally get it. That's how I felt about Lords of Thunder a damn good game but it didn't do anything for me. So What's your favorite?
R-Type 3 is my fave. I like its depth, and it's up there with the rest in terms of presentation, level design, and sound.
This is perfect timing!! Setting up a Miyoo Mini + for a 8 hour flight and this guide will help me pick some killer games out!!
Wow, I am only 15 min in and I can't stop seeing how much of a labor of love this video is. If I could ever make a video half this great.... that be amazing! Great work, great passion.
Thank you. They do take a long time to make for that reason but it’s worth it seeng the final result. I hope this series of videos I made will last a long time as a video form encyclopedia of all the games.
Said it before when you were asking for votes on this, and I’ll say it again: I can NOT wait for the 32-bit version of this! I can already feel my brain frying trying to decide on best music alone😳
Im playing shmups and loving the genre for the first time in my life as a gamer all because of your guidance man. Thanks. Amazing channel.
Really appreciate the kind words and making videos to keep getting new blood excited for playing them. A lot of people are so competitive in this genre it can sometimes alienate the typical player just wanting to enjoy them in a casual way.
DON'T MISS the EARLY SATURDAY LIVE PREMIERE! Join me LIVE this Saturday, July 1st at 9AM Pacific Time and find out whether the Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, or the PC Engine rules supreme as the all time 16-bit Shooting King! This is going to be ONE SPICY CHATROOM! Hit that notification if you don't want to miss it.
It's gotta be the PC Engine! It's just an endless avalanche of shooters, with so many killer series and Thunder games that match the Mega Drive's (probably that system's peak imo). But I own all three systems and a decent amount of STGs for each, and they all have truly great ones to call their own. It's just too bad Treasure waited until the 32-bit era to start getting into shooters.
meanwhile, ray’z arcade chronology was released a few hours ago.
@@ricosimon1057 I saw! I can’t keep up. We need more junkies! 🤣
@@ricosimon1057 oh crap, M2 just released something new?
Your videos are always a joy to watch! You deserve so many more subscribers. Thanks for helping to keep this genre of video games alive.
I remember losing my hecking mind when I got GAIARES. I really loved almost all of those RENOVATION games.
same! Gaiares was just insanely awesome when it came out.
Gaiares is Number 1.
All your base are belong to us.
- Zero Wing, Megadrive
Nice, being older with more money means I can just have all three consoles and forget the fanboys stuff but it's still cool seeing all these love for these shooter games.
For those that didn't grow up back then like us, they don't always know that it was very uncommon for anyone to have more than one system and games. it wasn't affordable for most families to have multiples. So we all had to choose (our our parents chose for us) and that was our camp. All the Genesis and SNES games I played were at friend's homes that owned them while I had the Turbo. Possibly what helped stoke all the competitiveness. But even then I loved playing all of them and looked forward to visiting friends to play those games too.
Fantastic video as usual...ur editing skills are godly and ur contribution to the the shmup community is immense..keep up, bro ^^
Oh hell yeah!
Not going to lie, I have watched your 3 16-bit shmup library videos all the way through, several times each and have made an Excel spreadsheet with notes on each game, so I already know before watching what the best games are going to be.
Still going to watch this from end to end.
I hope these are generating enough engagement for you to make doing Saturn and PlayStation videos worth the huge effort I know these videos take. Would of course love to see Dreamcast, PS2, and Xbox 360 videos in the future. Your channel, almost single handedly, has gotten me into shmups.
Ha! Now that's what I'm talking about. If everyone did the same all the videos would blow up haha. Really cool to hear. Some did better the others... not sure why the SNES one started well then just flopped after a week or so. Just how it goes. I was definitely planning on doing Saturn and PS1 next, with maybe a quick pit stop for Neo Geo first. So unless something changes drastically you can look forward to it. I really enjoy making them and think they have long term value for the genre.
@@ShmupJunkie I get it. I really appreciate the SNES video, as it's not a console you think of for shmups. But let's be honest, despite having a few real bangers, it's not a big console for shmups. I watched the SNES video and took notes, and I felt it wasn't as exciting as the PC Engine or Mega Drive videos because of the games, not your presentation.
I predict your Saturn video will do better than your PlayStation video for the same reason, though I know with the PS's 4000+ game library, there'll be some real hidden gems, especially among Japanese exclusives. And I know a lot of games the Saturn is famous for are also on the PlayStation.
Musha Aleste is the best shooters overall, the soundtrack is top notch and very memorable, it has a feel to it that you are fighting to save the world. Been playing it regularly till now
As far as home shooters go, 8-bit systems had some greats... but the 16-bit home shooters is when they really got great. Awesome video.
ThunderForce IV was doing some heavy lifting in this competition!
You mean Parodius on SNES lol
@@barryschalkwijk9388 you seem to have a dislike for TFIV, it's not bad I'm just noticing
@@nelson3639 Huh no i've never even played any of TF's longer than a few minutes :-). I was just saying that Parodius on SNES is basically what is making it register any points in this contest, so even more heavy lifting then TFIV. No problems here, have a nice day sir.
A fantastic piece you've created here Shmup Junkie, S tier all the way and the time flew by like when you used to watch a 80's crappy action flick as a kid. As a mission to educate and entertain you've knocked it out the park and I can't wait to get in the garage and play some Soldier Blade.
Man, the music of these games makes me want to RUN home and dive in to these games again and again. Thanks to this channel and Mark over at Electric Underground, I've spent hundreds of hours and dollars playing pretty much nothing but STGs for over a year. Damn Solider Blade soundtrack has been stuck in my head for months. I'm so glade I found these type of channels. Saved my from AAA bordem and now I spend most of my free time playing STGs or spending hours looking for for what new shumps are coming. Thanks Junkie for such a awesome job of selling me on this awesome genre. Every single game in this video I have played thanks to you guys. That's crazy going from who cares about STGs to OMG I love Toaplan type games. Biggest change in my gaming habits ever.
I'm not even a video editor, but I can't imagine what this video's timeline looks like. So many video clips from so many sources, your voice clips for every single game, tons of illustrative music, and let's not forget extra effects. All of that in addition to your original script that must have taken a lot of time to write as well. Even if this weren't an interesting video, all of that would be an incredible accomplishment, but it is interesting to boot. Thanks for your hard work!
You’re not wrong and why it took me a couple months to put all this together despite much of the gameplay footage coming from the 3 big review videos I did. But I really enjoy making these as entertaining as possible and it’s worth seeing a great end result. Very glad you enjoyed it.
@@ShmupJunkie Thanks! I appreciate all the work!
definitely some great selections in all categories! yeah I think Genesis/MD might have been my go-to system for shmups, SNES a very close second. Unfortunately don't have enough experience with more of the PCE shmups to rate it fairly (although Lords of Thunder may be far and away my favorite of the ones I DID try... hard AF, but so was the soundtrack so it all works out, haha.) should've guessed parodius winning for cute-em-up I think Jikkyou is my all time favorite there. (although that one, I would go with the Playstation port so IDK if it counts.)
Agreed on the PS1 ports, they are definitely the superior way to play the later Parodius games even if they are good on the SNES too. Only Da! the original is the least compromised there in performance and arcade accuracy. They're just phenomenal games. Definitely explore more of the PCE lineup someday, you'll dig it for sure. Lords seems hard at first but if you put in just a bit of time you'll be smoking it easily on the default setting. Having the shop is very foregiving and the Earth armor, while not very good at low level, is OP when powered up past a certain point. I pretty much use it exclusively.
@@ShmupJunkie oh thanks for the tips! definitely gonna have to sit down and revisit the PCE library it's been a good while since I did! some of those shmups were pretty fun, no doubt about it.
Gradius 3 with SA1 Hack!! A blast on all Fronts for me!
And i have a soft Spot for Super R-Type (preferable with SA1 Hack,too)
On PC Engine i love Soldier Blade (Soldier Series in general)
And the port of Gradius 2!
Thunderforce 3 and 4 of course! And a maybe Eliminate Down!
The SA1 and Fastrom hacks can really optimize those older SNES games to a stellar degree. Contra 3 with the SA1 hack is just amazing; we would have been in a state of awe if that is how the game turned out when it was first released.
Come on indie devs. We need shmup junkie as a playable character in a shooter. Imagine him in Gunvein
I think Timmy should be some kind of funny boss villain in a cute em up with the tinfoil hat lol
This is an awesome video Shmup Junkie. Thank you for all your work. The PC Engine/Turbo16 seems like it was designed for shooters and it is a deserving champion. Question though, the Genesis/Mega Drive also has a massive collection of run and guns. Does the Turbo16 also do those well? I only know of Last Alert and Bloody Wolf so maybe they don't offer a lot in that category? I appreciate any answers anyone might have. Thanks.
No the PCE didn’t have a ton of run n guns by comparison. Both the md and snes were much better in that category. It had some notables but not enough. I’d easily choose either console over the pce there. It also sucked in terms of beat ‘em ups and had very few. It was such a Japan centric console and catered to those tastes. Thus lots of shooters and also a ton of rpg and adventure games. Often very quirky ones haha.
@@ShmupJunkie haha, yeah that makes sense. Thanks SJ. That's kind of what I thought and I appreciate the follow up. I'm still so happy I found the Turbo16. It may be a little short in a few genres but it's just so much fun with so much to offer.
I was SO hooked on Air Zonk back in the day…
what about Bio Hazard Battle and Empire of Steel on the Sega Mega Drive? Good 16bit graphics and cool soundtracks. Thunder force 4 is one of my all time favourite shot em ups. Awesome video by the way.
Battle Mania 1 and 2 feels so underrated, I always loved them tho! Especially 2!
I personally find Pop'n TwinBee to be the most gorgeous looking shoot-em-up on the 16-bit systems (with TwinBee Yahho! looking even more beautiful).
I wouldn't disagree especially if you love colorful pixel art. It looks like a straight up Saturn or PS1 game. In terms of that art style it absolutely cleans up. The SNES did that better than anyone.
@@ShmupJunkiesnes the best .
Man this was insane!! big respects for your hard work, excellent video, already added to my favorites! 🔥
Thanks! Took a couple months of work so I hope everyone enjoys it as much as you did.
@@ShmupJunkie I know exactly what is to work months or even years in something you love and that you hope everyone enjoys :) I've been watching your channel for many months while working on my own stuff, so thank you so much for your awesome work in every video you make! ❤
What an immense video that was, watched the whole thing in one sitting, great job, I’ll be sharing this across a load of Facebook groups
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it so much and please do. I could always use all the help getting the word out.
Now I see why this took two months...another labour of love, top quality video that spoils us shmup fans rotten! Thanks for all the hard work Junkie!
Incredible video as always, one of the ones I'm going to watch many times more. Thank you very much for the content, from a fan of yours from Brasil.
You're welcome! Cheers from CA. Always love to see my friends from Brazil here. You have a big shmup community there and some wonderful developers.
⬅⬅Thunder Force IV
I don't even know how to connect on this content. Some of the very best retro gaming content bar none. Your videos are like watching a great documentary on BBC or PBS. You really need to be on tv. Love your channel brother... You truly deserve even more subs. Thank You 🎉
This was such an awesome video, and I'm really glad I got to vote and participate. I know this is said in ignorance, as I haven't played every game that's discussed in this video, but my personal top 3 favorites would be MUSHA, Super Aleste, and Soldier Blade, although I do want to make time to play Star Parodier more. Air Buster was my first SHMUP ever so I have a place in my heart for Kaneko. When I found out they made other SHMUPs on the PC Engine Mini I had to get it. No regrets there. I know there's so much love for Thunder Force 4, but gosh darn is it such a tough and unforgiving game, right off the bat! I love how Compile shmups at least wine and dine you before they F you in the final two levels. 🤣🤣
Because you enjoy Soldier Blade I've no doubt you'll find a lot to like about Star Parodier. It's just on the very easy side and beginner oriented, so if you find the challenge is yawn inducing crank the difficulty way up. It's just a very charming game with outstanding music that also controls like a Soldier game. So it's hard not to enjoy on some level aside from the default difficulty being way easy.
@@ShmupJunkie thanks again for the video! You truly are a video game historian, preserving the memory of what will probably one day be considered art by professors and students alike in prestigious universities.
When I played Sonic 3D Blast on the Mega Drive back in 1996, the bonus stage backgrounds have a very similar effect like the Axelay and Spriggan for the SNES/SFC. Even as a kid I thought that effect was really out of place, like a homebrew effort or something, the perspective is broken and the effect is just a simple melting of the background. This is probably not a popular opinion for those who enjoy these games, and I think the rest of Sonic 3D Blast is a showpiece visually for the Genesis, it looks great, better than the supposed 32-bit upgrades for the Saturn and PC, which lost all color and charm in comparison, but those bonuses backgrounds and the bridge Sonic runs on, they're weird effects.
As for music, I find Biohazard Battle to be one of the most unique soundtracks on any system, it's so alien, dreary, wonderous, menacing, moody and atmosferic it's hard to find similar composition and instruments selection quite like it.
So for visuals and sound, art direction and composition should be contemplated as very important aspects of the evaluation as well. Many games have unique bestiaries, weaponry, scenery and so on and so forth, it's not always about sprite sizes, background layers/effects, amount of colors, these are important too, but they're not whole by themselves.
What a beautifully crafted video, my goodness! I wont even speak about the core subject of the video (which is great obviously) but about the form. Gosh everything is prefect from the added animation , graphic perfect space editing, what a marvel of video you did (again).
Dear Junkie thank you so much for your hard work and for sharing it!
Warm regards.
TF4 FOR THE WIN!!!! 🤘
it has a superb presentation, magnificent soundtrack, interesting, non-trivial levels etc. etc. and yet it feels like your classic horizontal shmup we all know and love^^
As for the 16-bit console that had most of great shmups? Well, I guess it will be either Genesis/Mega Drive or PCE, and the later has more chances solely 'cause of it's CD extention. But I'm still by the Genesis side, SEGA FOR LIFE! 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Honestly a banger list, and it's tough competition considering so many shooters in this era were absolute bangers. I'm happy with all the acknowledgement
The 4th gen had TONS of amazing shooters! Also, I love the intro, it was hilarious! 😂
Thanks! I always have a really fun time making the intros to my videos. One of the most fun parts of it all and something I look forward to.
COME ON THUNDER FORCE IV!
I think we can all expect Thunder Force IV to take home some trophies on Saturday 😅
Totally AGREEE!!!!!!
TF4 FOR THE WIN!!!! 🤘
@@ShmupJunkieThis!!!!!! This guy's comment is why I'm concerned Junkie. The Sega fanboys are going to hijack this list. It doesn't matter if Gate of Thunder and Lords of Thunder out-thunderforced Thunderforce with better designed gameplay with less cheap deaths or superior metal soundtracks. It doesn't matter how good Gradius 1, 2, 3, Salamander/Life Force, all of the Parodius games, R-Type 1, Super, 3, Axelay, U.N. Squadron, Space Megaforce, Super Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie, etc. are. The internet is just going to reinforce what it already believes and yet another video will exist that reflects that, further reinforcing it. I really, really hope I'm wrong, but will I bet any money on Soldier Blade finishing in the top 3 of best soundtracks, or any of the innovative and creative level, weapons, or enemy designs of Axelay or Star Fox mattering in the end? Nope!
P.S. I swear I'm not trying to be negative and I'm not trying to put a damper on things. 😊
@@davidaitken8503 Have faith and you’ll be pleasantly surprised come tomorrow. TF4 certainly stakes a serious claim in terms of presentation, graphics and music… even in my mind. But there’s way too many other great games that trump it’s good (but not great or the best) mechanics. So there’s lots of categories for many games to shine. I also was afraid it would end up very skewed and was mostly wrong. I was happy to see a lot of parity in the various results and certain games or consoles win in categories they clearly deserved. The fanboys weren’t able to outnumber the objective voters… for the most part lol.
@@davidaitken8503
Say what you will about Thunder Force IV pound-for-pound it has the absolute best graphics of any shmup from the genre (minus the AES). As far as Gate of Thunder and Lords of Thunder out rocking Thunder Force IV....they needed the Duo or CD ROM ROM to do it. Graphically they don't touch Thunder Force IV. Maybe you weren't there when the game dropped here in the US. I was...
I remember how hard that game hit and despite its goofy name change it blew our minds. By 1994 I had moved on from the shmup genre mostly. Oh but Thunder Force IV brought me right back into the fold. This was a game that defied all conventional wisdom of what could be done on a Genesis and it was done on bone stock hardware. There is no helper chips, CD ROM ROM attachments, System Cards, FX chips or any of the other devices used to add functionality to aging hardware. It is pure 68K and Zilog Z-80 power. The game wouldn't look out of place on the Neo Geo AES/MVS.
For reference- I started gaming back in 1986 with the Nes and Master System. I got my Genesis in 1989, my Snes in 1991, and Sega CD in 1992. I was there for all of it. I play everything across all platforms, genres, and generations of gaming. We (fiancee and I) have every console from the 1984 Atari 7800 test release all the way through the Xbox Series X and PS5..I love all the games you posted but better than Thunder Force IV, no chance.
Been a while since we've seen Timmy. It was nice to see him for a second in the intro. Amazing video as always, man. I'm always blown away by your videos.
This was a blast to watch! Had all three consoles but barely touched this apparently deep rabbit hole of shooters 😂
It’s never too late to start! 😉
@@ShmupJunkie oh for sure, but I wish I had more to time to put effort into playing with them (especially the hard ones with limited continues). Well, that’s what save states are for, hahahaha!
This is making me want to revive my Core Grafx II. Just need an AV cable and power adaptor.
Amazing video and dedication, keeps me entertained and learning about shmups
Hey, thank you so much for contributing! Lots more entertainment incoming for as long as I'm able.
Cannot wait to see how this plays out, every vid you put up is top tier. Many thanks.
Awesome video man! This just lets me know that I have plenty of shumps to play catch up on that I didn't know about.
Been waiting on this one...16-bit systems and arcade have some of the best shmups I've played!
Thunder force IV!
I just finished watching the video, congrats on another top notch and accurate ranking! I love how Parodius Da was very well recognized, also the special mention for Salamander and how strong TFIV and the MD began in your video!! I have yet to explore more of the PCE library so in the meantime my vote will still be for the Genny/MD 😊. Also, I would have loved to see the killer soundtrack from Hellfire featured…man I love it!
Hey buddy! Glad you enjoyed it and yes, you still have a huge library of pc engine games to explore! For a fan of the NES you’ll feel right at home with the vibe of many of them.
Great video as always SJ. It will seemed like the Sega Genesis and PC Engine was neck n neck in most categories. It was great to see Soldier Blade get lots of recognition.
Awesome video. You reminded me why I loved the old consoles so much. There were so many shooters and the music and intensity of some of these games pulled me in. This is such a detailed and focused review. Definitely going to have pull out some of these games and reply them. They sure don't make em like they used to,. Thank you.
Very welcome and glad you enjoyed it. Getting folks to get back into these games and enjoy them again is reason enough to make these vids. I'm just glad there are some good devs out there making some new 16bit style games for us these days. Did you see the new Mega Drive game coming with Yuzo Koshiro doing the music?
@@ShmupJunkie Yah your review summed up my feelings so well and why i picked up the pc-engine back in the 90's. Something about the music on the pc-engine. Wow I didn't know Yuzo Koshiro was making a new game for the Mega Drive/Genesis. I will definitely be picking up a copy of it. Thanks for the info 😀.
That was awesome. Great work again! Love the community which has built up here. Genuine gamers.
As someone who also had a Neo Geo in the '90s, I'd say that out of all these games Thunder Force 4 is the only one that wouldn't have felt out of place on the Neo Geo. Overall though, Mega Drive vs. PC Engine is a battle between two shmup titans. My heart said MD, but I still voted for PCE. I generally owned way more games for the MD, as the PCE wasn't officially released here in Europe, so I had to rely on expensive grey imports. The Konami shooters, R-Type and the Star Soldier series give the PCE an edge, despite the MD having the Technosoft and Toaplan games. As for the SNES, I feel like UN Squadron once again got a bit sidelined. For me it's top-tier in every way - visuals, music and gameplay.
Wow. I didn't know that anyone in Europe owned a Neo-Geo. Wealthy parents?
@@Prizrak-hv6qk The Neo Geo AES and CD sold about a million units combined, so for sure there were Neo Geos in Europe. You could also rent some of its games back then, which made it more affordable.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing this. I respect THE GRIND good sir! May you never lose your passion for shmups!
There are so many good ones, but Thunder Force IV is king!
This is going to be so much fun. Go Sega!!!
I don't play a lot of shumps but I think they look, sound, and seem cool. I play a few random ones. When I was young I was really into Gunbird 2 on Dreamcast. I don't know if I have the fortitude for precise evasion and memorization some of these titles require but I'd like to still play more in the genre.
Love your videos thanks for another great one.
I think Super SWIV (Firepower 2000) should be considered as one of the best SNES soundtracks ever. Fantastic work, as always!
Awesome video bro, as I always say, your content gets better and better with each new one.
Aside from the results let's be honest here, if anyone happen to skip any of these consoles they'll miss some great games, sure we all have our favourite systems but all of them have something unique the others didn't and that's great! In the end and as cheesy as it sounds lol we all are the real winners here ;D
phalanx was kinda fun on the snes. weapon selection worked decently, plus each weapon had a one time use that helped. music was atmospheric...
this is a perfect video, wow, so much effort put in, very neutral reviews, that's what we love! love all the shmups on all of the 16bit consoles
Awesome stuff mate. Looking forward to Sunday, hopefully I can stay awake. I still need to catch up with the best of SNES but will soon.
Hey buddy! It's an early premiere this time, Saturday and starting in just a few hours! I know if you miss it you'll catch it eventually. Going to be a fun one.
@@ShmupJunkie Cool dude. I'm pretty burned out today so will catch it tomorrow. Seriously looking forward to it.
There can be only one.
Parodius Da! (SNES)
How right you are in so many ways 🤣
I'm a Big fan of Shooters game. And I can say I love all the games in this video. Great review sir ❤❤❤❤
Overall if I had to pick two favorites (one vertical, one horizontal) from each system it would be Gate of Thunder and Spriggan for the PC Engine/Super CD, Thunder Force IV and MUSHA for the Genesis/Sega CD, and R-Type III and Super Aleste for the SNES. That being said there are still plenty of shmups on these consoles that I have not gotten to; mainly the ones that didn't get released outside of Japan and were too much hassle and expense for me to seek out back then, so when I do get to them I know that there are a plethora of other games right up there with the aforementioned ones. The 16-bit era was just incomparable, but of course the 32-bit shmup haul was great too.
Edit after watching 70% of video; so you pretty much made the same picks for the most part, but these games are truly undeniable and should all be played and replayed.
These videos always get me so excited to turn on my retro systems or MiSTer!
I still think the Genesis Thunder Force III was graphically beautiful. Gameplay was great! The underwater level was insane! Man, the bubbles! Lawrence Welk would have been impressed.
Although I was a Megadrive kid through and through, if the PC Engine had gotten a proper European release back then it may well have ended up being my console of choice.
Literally clicked on this so that you could tell me what the name of that SNES game I played all those years ago was. Axelay! I was 90% sure it would show up here, for the music if not for other reasons.
man i can't wait for the neo geo, saturn, ps1 version of this, shits gonna be epico
You deserve a lot more subscribers ❤
Im looking forward to new shmup junkie vids almost as much as i would a new killer retro shmup
I take forever making them as fun as I'm able so I gotta make each one count!
I've been playing Soldier Blade, and holy cow is it fun! Its music made my top 5 of the greatest 16-bit shmup tunes. I'm addicted to the 5 min run and the hard mode as well.
Bravo on such a thorough, well conceived, and expertly executed video. I feel very grateful to have grown up owning MUSHA (an under $10 flea market find) and TF4, while still having some exposure to several of the flagships on SNES and PCE.
I'd like to give one personal nod to Katsumi Tanaka for his work on the Robo Alesta (1992) OST which included elements of rave/techno and traditional Japanese drums and melodies blended seamlessly. I feel the OST is extremely underrated and it's simply mind blowing to think that it pre-dates Platypus Records' debut release Union Jack 'Art of Trance' (1993).
Air Zonk was so much fun. I owned a Turbo Duo and they had a ton of great shmups. I still listen to the Lords of Thunder soundtrack from time to time.
Heck yeah. Lords is one of the few games I own that's the original I had as a kid. I never sold it just so I could listen to it in my CD player at the time... even after my Duo was long gone and the next generation had hit. That soundtrack is timeless.
Best Shmup video I've ever seen. Great job putting that together . Old man loves Shmups 🚀
Thanks! There’s certainly no shortage of shmup content on this channel to enjoy. I’ll be playing them as long as I can hold a controller.
Great video with some great twists!
I discovered your channel just recently and it is top!! I'm recently obsessed with shmups and this is the perfect channel to discover all about them!! 🔝
Welcome! You certainly found the goldmine if shmups and arcade style games are what you’re looking for. I’ve made some really fun videos, compilations and even histories of some top developers. So please take your time and enjoy what you find.
@@ShmupJunkie I did watch some videos already and keep checking rest for sure!! Thanks for your great content amigo! Greetings from Spain!
Very nice yet again! I will watch this a few times over as usual!!!
MUSHA's sound track has been in my head since day one. Hope there will be a Compile collection 2 including it 😊😊😊