Horizontal or vertical shmups?

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 5:29 am

Do you prefer horizontal (side scroling) or vertical (up screen) shooters?

Personally, I prefer the horizontal ones. They seem to be more about playing strategically to get through all the levels in as few lives as possible whereas the vertical shooters are simpler score-attack games. Both are fun but the horizontal ones are more enjoyable to me.

What's your opinion?

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:26 am

That's very hard to decide. I like both horizontal and vertical as long as they're playable, fair and challenging.
My personal favorites: SWIV, Battle Squadron, Silkworm, R-Type, Uridium II, River Raid, Parodius, Dragon Breed, Project-X

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:30 am

Nice choices.

I was playing Darius Gaiden yesterday when I suddenly realised that all my favourite shooters are side scrollers: Gradius, R-Type, Parodius, Project X

I like vertical scrollers too but most of them just feel like crazy bullet throwers to me.

paranoid marvin · Post by **paranoid marvin** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:32 am

For every decent horizontal shooter,there's an equally good vertical.

The same question has also been asked of football games.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:36 am

paranoid marvin wrote:For every decent horizontal shooter,there's an equally good vertical.

The same question has also been asked of football games.

Well, you're right. There are good examples of both but I'm asking which style you prefer.

preownedgames.co.uk · Post by **preownedgames.co.uk** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:44 am

can I be controversial and say that i've never been a massive fan of either ? With the possible exception of SWIV and xenon 2 , so i suppose I would have to say vertical.

paranoid marvin · Post by **paranoid marvin** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:02 am

Ash wrote:
paranoid marvin wrote:For every decent horizontal shooter,there's an equally good vertical.

The same question has also been asked of football games.
Well, you're right. There are good examples of both but I'm asking which style you prefer.

I'm trying to say I don't know!

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:03 am

paranoid marvin wrote:
Ash wrote:
paranoid marvin wrote:For every decent horizontal shooter,there's an equally good vertical.

The same question has also been asked of football games.
Well, you're right. There are good examples of both but I'm asking which style you prefer.

I'm trying to say I don't know!

TMR · Post by **TMR** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:59 am

i put horizontal because my personal favourites are almost all horizontal; Enforcer, Io, Armalyte and far too many more to name on the C64, the Gradius series, the two Thundercross titles, Chronos, R-Type and Transmuter on the Speccy... the list goes on.

paranoid marvin · Post by **paranoid marvin** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:24 am

TMR wrote:i put horizontal because my personal favourites are almost all horizontal; Enforcer, Io, Armalyte and far too many more to name on the C64, the Gradius series, the two Thundercross titles, Chronos, R-Type and Transmuter on the Speccy... the list goes on.

Ah Transmuter-a great R-Type clone on a budget
lovely little game I think by Codemasters (or was it Players?)

stigodump · Post by **stigodump** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:37 am

Well whichever style is your favourite, when confronted with the other style, just turn the moniter on it's side.

Hey presto!

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:06 am

I forgot the Thunderforce series too. Although one of the MD ones wasn't purely horizontal. Tis good stuff.

stigodump · Post by **stigodump** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:13 am

To add to the list (as well as those mentioned in the Chopper games thread)
Truxton, Gunhed and the Soldier series on PC Engine along with Gates and Winds of Thunder on the same machine.

paranoid marvin · Post by **paranoid marvin** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:15 am

Would it be fair to say that vertical shooters are usually harder than horizontal?

My main recollection of most vertical games is having to dodge the huge number of of bullets missiles etc fired at you

stigodump · Post by **stigodump** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:25 am

Well Truxton and Battle Squadron would support that.

But R-Type.

Although Truxton is probably still harder.

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