Since creating IMPLANTgames, shoot-em-ups have slowly become one of my favorite video
game genres.
The simple act of flying around the screen, dodging bullets, and shooting everything that
moves, is inherently fun.
While I feel the 16-bit consoles is where the genre really hit its stride, there were
some solid entries available on the previous generation of hardware.
So on today's episode of 5 Game, I present 5 good, NES Shmups.
Image Fight comes to us from Irem, of R-Type fame.
While this was released on a number of home consoles in Japan, it only managed to see
a release in North America on the NES.
Image Fight has also taken a really long time to grow on me.
When I first played it, I found the game to be lackluster.
The graphics can be extremely basic, and the music ranges from catchy to downright awful.
With time however, I've started to really appreciate the things Image Fight does right,
and I find it easier to overlook its shortcomings.
For example, the weapon system is solid, allowing you to collect up to three pods, which can
either fire straight forward, or in the opposite direction you move.
This allows you a ton of flexibility in how you approach enemies.
Additionally, you can collect different forces which change your primary fire.
These range from ok to broken, but you're stuck with whichever one you grab until you
take a bullet or die.
The 8 levels are relatively short, but very challenging requiring plenty of memorization
and quick reflexes.
Hardcore fans will breeze through it, but the average gamer should find the difficulty
and length just right.
While far from an ideal port, Image Fight on the NES offers a fairly satisfying shooting
experience and is definitely worth a look.
On the opposite end of the NES shmup spectrum is Konami's Life Force.
For many, this is the pinnacle of NES shooting games and it's easy to see why.
First, the upgrade system is unique and fairly deep.
As you collect power-ups, the meter at the bottom of the screen will move to a new item.
Once it arrives at the desired item, you can then select it.
This allows you to prioritize your upgrade path and lets you ignore things you don't
want.
Next, the music is sensational.
Nearly every track is fast and catchy and is exactly what you want in a fast paced shooting
game.
Perhaps most impressive is the graphics.
I love the overall organic yet alien feel and it really stands out against the generally
industrialized feel of most shmups of the era.
They are technically impressive as well.
Backgrounds will change colors, sprites can become pretty massive, and many areas feature
destructible elements.
I find this all fairly impressive for such primitive hardware, but the code ninja's at
Konami pulled it all off beautifully.
If you haven't been playing this game religiously for the past 20 years you'll probably find
the difficulty pretty high, but with the Konami code everything is manageable.
Add in some two-player, vertical and horizontal stages, and you have one of the best shmups
on the NES.
While Image Fight and Life Force are deep and complex, for their day anyway, Twin Cobra
is very simplistic.
Basically you can bomb and shoot.
Much like Raiden and Sonic Wings, I absolutely love the simplicity.
After taking down some enemies, a color changing circle will appear.
Each color represents a different weapon and there is some fun to be had waiting for the
desired color, or avoiding the power-up altogether, while also shooting down all of the enemies
on the screen.
It offers a nice risk versus reward mechanic.
Each weapon can of course be powered up, in this case, by grabbing the S power-up.
For whatever reason, this straightforward upgrade path has always appealed to me and
I find the simple nature of the power-ups fits the simple nature of the genre.
I also like how most enemy bullets are big and chunky, and do a great job standing out
against all of the chaos happening on the screen.
Twin Cobra does have some issues however.
The graphics are basic, even by NES standards, and the frame rate always has a choppy feel.
There is plenty of flicker and pop-up as well, and the game just doesn’t feel as technically
sound as other games on this list.
Twin Cobra’s music follows suit, and it doesn’t feel like it ever uses all of the
sound channels offered by the hardware.
Despite it’s shortcomings, I still adore this game and find the simple mechanics and
straightforward gameplay, irresistible.
Next, we arrive at Zanac.
Without a doubt, this is the absolute hardest game on this list.
Zanac rhymes with panic, or at least I think it does, and perfectly explains how I feel
when playing this game.
While Twin Cobra is slow and methodical, Zanac is absolutely bonkers.
Everything on the screen zips by with an unprecedented pace, and my aging reflexes just can’t keep
up.
Even more amazing, there is virtually no slowdown, flicker, or graphically oddities to be found.
Quite the feat considering this was released in Japan 30 years ago.
What makes the game unique is the power-up system.
Fans of Compile’s later shooters should recognize the numbered power-ups right away.
Each number represents a different weapon and experimenting with each trying to figure
out what works best with your skill level is a lot of fun.
Another high point are the bosses.
These are usually complex with various moving targets and large bullet spreads really challenging
your reflexes.
I also really dig the music, which starts off slow and methodical and then builds into
an epic driving piece.
I really wish the game had unlimited continues, or a cheat code, or something because there
is little hope of me ever seeing this to completion.
Still, if you’re looking for something on the harder end of the difficulty spectrum
with some blazing graphics and sweet music, Zanac is where it’s at.
Last, but not least, is Stinger.
This is part of the Konami’s TwinBee series and the first TwinBee title I have ever played.
As you’ve no doubt noticed, this would fit the modern definition of a cute-em-up, with
bright colorful graphics and a very cartoony appearance.
What makes this game unique is the upgrade path.
You need to shoot at clouds, which will then release a bell.
Then, you need to shoot at the bell before it touches the ground.
Every fifth shot, it will change colors.
If you grab it, you get a power-up.
However, if you shoot it again, it returns back to normal and the juggling continues.
The longer you juggle the bell, the better the power-up.
The juggling aspect of Stinger is something I’ve never experienced before and really
adds a ton of depth to the game.
Stinger forces you to make a lot of quick decisions.
Do you abandon the juggling to shoot down enemies, or do you risk it all in hopes of
a better power-up?
This risk vs. reward mechanic makes Stinger pretty awesome and I’m genuinely surprised
at how much I enjoy this game.
Like many of Konami’s other shooters, Stinger features horizontal and vertical stages, 2-player,
smooth graphics, a rocking soundtrack, and is another must-own for the NES.
So there you have it, 5 good shmups for the NES.
Now, this is not a definitive list, nor is it intended to be a best-of, and the NES has
more than 5 good shooters, so be sure to leave a comment and let me know some of your favorites.