The defination of Shmups

[flux=rad]

I don't really understand the need expressed here to fit all games into clearly defined categories. Cannon Spike is the same game whether we call it a shmup or a borderliner. Personally, I call it a Smash TV rip-off...

[MrKasualUltra2000]

Originally posted by Swirly
How would you define shmup and which games would and wouldn't you define as a shmup? I know there's a lot of border line games.

Dodonpachi, NightRaid, Raiden, Souky, Radiant, Garegga, Shienryu, Guwange, Blazing Lazers, R Types, Bakraid, In the Hunt, Galaga, Dimahoo, 1942, Strikers 1945 series, Formation Z, SideArms, Gradius, Shikikami, Thunderforce, MUSHA, Truxton, Dimahoo, Psyvariar, Ray Storm, Ordyne, Blazing Star, Kingdom Grandprix,Xevious,Lords of Thunder, etc, etc....wooh!!!


and i think the closest cousin in the feeling of killing and devastation to the shmup i grew up with is the modern manic FPS, weird uh?

[Ranji]

Are the Space Harrier games shmups?

Anyway, I tend to consider Contra and even Cannon Spike (and yeah, Smash TV) as action games, but I agree with flux=rad that genre's are only a convenience, not immutable catagories set in stone.

One other point: if 3D titles like Panzer Dragoon or Starfox aren't really shmups, then I don't see why Mario 64, Sonic Adventure, or Jak and Dexter are true platformers.

[Josh]

Shmup = 2D scrolling game in which you shoot everything, and dodge bullets.

Contra is not, Metal Slug is not, Starfox is not.

Giga Wing is, Darius is, In the Hunt is.

[Swirly]

All of you have good answers to what a shmup is, but still the word has different meanings to a lot of different people. When we throw Cannon Spike into an action genre, does that mean that Zero Gunner 2 isn't a shmup but a Smash TV rip off? I don't like to consider games as rip offs of other games because then every game would be a rip off of Pong. All shmups could be a rip off of Combat, but I think Combat is Pong-like.

[rezo]

Originally posted by Swirly
All of you have good answers to what a shmup is, but still the word has different meanings to a lot of different people. When we throw Cannon Spike into an action genre, does that mean that Zero Gunner 2 isn't a shmup but a Smash TV rip off? I don't like to consider games as rip offs of other games because then every game would be a rip off of Pong. All shmups could be a rip off of Combat, but I think Combat is Pong-like.

Swirly is right. All Shmups are a rip off of pong.

[Ranji]

Oh well. Who cares what the definition of a dead genre is, anyway?

[MrKasualUltra2000]

Originally posted by Ranji
Oh well. Who cares what the definition of a dead genre is, anyway?

you must die.

[Swirly]

I highly doubt the genre is dead since there have been a few new shmups and future release of Ikaruga.

[MrKasualUltra2000]

Originally posted by Swirly
I highly doubt the genre is dead since there have been a few new shmups and future release of Ikaruga.

i have a feeling Ikagura will not be seen on a home console anytime soon.

but alas, Night Raid is being released July 25th.