Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
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- Black Ridge
- Posts: 1943
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 4:36 pm
Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
How do you like to play? Ive been playing a fair few shmups recently, despite being terrible at most. I seem to get on better with Vertical scrolling games for some reason. I enjoy both but wondered if anyone else had preference or dislike to one or the other
What's some of your favourites in the genre? Some I've enjoyed a lot
Gynoug (MD)
Soukyugurentai Otokuyo (Saturn)
Layer Section (Saturn)
Espgaluda 2 (Xbox 360)
Gunbird 2 (DC)
What's some of your favourites in the genre? Some I've enjoyed a lot
Gynoug (MD)
Soukyugurentai Otokuyo (Saturn)
Layer Section (Saturn)
Espgaluda 2 (Xbox 360)
Gunbird 2 (DC)
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
Horizontal shooters have always been my favorite. Fun times with Side Arms & Salamander sparked my love of side scrollers though to be honest I dont play them as much these days.
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
Vertical. I hark back to primitive times, so it'll always be about Space Invaders, Galaxian, Phoenix, Galaga and Moon Cresta for me.
The good ol' days
The good ol' days

Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
I'd probably say side scrollers, mainly because I've played far more. Saying that, I loved Gunhed, Terra Cresta and Slap fight way back when. Then there was Dragon Spirit... Turd, more of a close call than I thought it was.
There should be a hybrid option to pick, Salamander is a cracking example of a hybrid.
There should be a hybrid option to pick, Salamander is a cracking example of a hybrid.
- resident paul
- Posts: 4489
- Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:26 am
- Location: Preston, Lancashire
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
Then you got diagonal like Zaxxon or multi-directional like Time Pilot!
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
Verts, as generally you don't have to worry about crashing into scenery. R-Type 1 & 2 are particularly horrible examples of that, though they're undeniably ace. Some favourite shooters, Vert and otherwise, are:
Cotton series
Muchi Muchi Pork
Dimahoo
Eschatos
Parodius series
Gunbird 1 & 2
Deathsmiles
Twinkle Tale
There are a lot of region-free shmups that can be bought for 360 if you're getting into the genre, I'd deffo recommend Eschatos and Bullet Soul.
Cotton series
Muchi Muchi Pork
Dimahoo
Eschatos
Parodius series
Gunbird 1 & 2
Deathsmiles
Twinkle Tale
There are a lot of region-free shmups that can be bought for 360 if you're getting into the genre, I'd deffo recommend Eschatos and Bullet Soul.
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
I voted vertical as going left and right feels more natural in a shooter than going up and down. Xenon 2 and all that...
But then again R-Type...
#dividebyzero!
But then again R-Type...
#dividebyzero!

Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
I do like abit of moon cresta...nokgod wrote:and Moon Cresta
...but not enough to sway my vote to vertical
- thompson9980
- Posts: 332
- Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:43 pm
- Location: Manchester
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
Crumbs. Lots of choice on this one. From the two genres, some of my favourites are
Horizontal:
R-Type (arcade)
Hellfire (MD)
Vertical:
Raiden (arcade)
Psyvariar II (Dreamcast)
Trigger Heart Excelica (XBLA)
I reckon vertical shooters do it for me slightly more. Its a close one god damn it!
Horizontal:
R-Type (arcade)
Hellfire (MD)
Vertical:
Raiden (arcade)
Psyvariar II (Dreamcast)
Trigger Heart Excelica (XBLA)
I reckon vertical shooters do it for me slightly more. Its a close one god damn it!
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Sega 32X
Sega Megadrive, Japanese, mark 1
Sega Megadrive II
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
I like my shoot em ups like I like my women, easy & horizontal & full of pretty colours.
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Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
I have to go with vertical even if the background visuals can get in the way a bit.
For me, Cave are the best at this sort of game so I've got to go with them. Deathsmiles was alright but I do prefer their verts more.
Growing up I loved horizontal scrollers but none of them have stood the test of time for me. My fave back in the day was R-Type but take out levels 1 and 3 and you've got a pretty horrible game there.
For me, Cave are the best at this sort of game so I've got to go with them. Deathsmiles was alright but I do prefer their verts more.
Growing up I loved horizontal scrollers but none of them have stood the test of time for me. My fave back in the day was R-Type but take out levels 1 and 3 and you've got a pretty horrible game there.
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
There's awesome stuff on both sides but I slightly prefer vertical ones, Slap Fight, Dangun Feveron and Raiden 2 being amongst the better arcade ones for me.
Splink!
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
Mostly verts here. Horis tend to be the sort that have walls to crash into, never been fond of those. Particularly in older games. As it is, I almost exclusively play danmaku types only. There are exceptions though.
Favorites are...
Eschatos
Mushihime-sama Futari
Mushihime-sama (original)
Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu
Dodonpachi Maximum
Dodonpachi Saidaioujou
Shikigami no Shiro 2
XII Stag (I think is the name...)
Raiden 4
It's a long list, but I'll stop there.
Favorites are...
Eschatos
Mushihime-sama Futari
Mushihime-sama (original)
Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu
Dodonpachi Maximum
Dodonpachi Saidaioujou
Shikigami no Shiro 2
XII Stag (I think is the name...)
Raiden 4
It's a long list, but I'll stop there.
-
- Posts: 7056
- Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:46 am
Re: Horizontal vs Vertical Shooters
R-Rype and Gradius are hori, I'd say that is enough to sway me towards Hori. Though I don't really care for say, Border Down for example.
Logged out 15/07/2014.
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