Shooties: Vertical vs. Horizontal

[Ceti Alpha]

OK, seems like this poll would have been created here at some point, but in my extensive three minute search I couldn't find one. So, let the ultimate battle between teh shooties styles begin!! 

There are so many great shooties of any type, so it's tough, but I think I'm finally starting to prefer the verts.

[RoyVegas]

I voted vertical.  Mainly because while playing it just feels more natural.

[Joe Redifer]

I enjoy horizontal shooters more as they require more thought in stage design to keep them from getting boring whereas vertical shooters just scroll the same tiles again and again, maybe add a few clouds or stars here and there.  But a properly done horizontal shooter always seems like a much more meatier game.  Keep in mind that I do not give a shit about score attacks or the like.

[Tatsujin]

I choosed other, since I can't decide which I do like the most.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I chose vertical, because they focus more on the blow the flying shit out things and dodge the bullets aspect.

Horizontal often seem to focus on dodge-the-scenery.

however, Dead moon and Aldynes are my favorite horizontals though, but they are less-scenery dodging than others, like samalander and sinistron.

and Sapphire, Steam Hearts, and Tatsujin are my favorite verticals...

They're mostly just no holds barred shoot-everything-until-you-enter-a-fit-of-epilepsy games.

Well, Steam Hearts is more like "shoot stuff til you see tits", but, 

[Tatsujin]

lol.. no GoT & WoT love?

[Arkhan Asylum]

lol.. no GoT & WoT love?

Theyre OK, but not my favorites!  Theyre definitely fun, great looking, great sounding games, but they don't hit me the same way Aldynes does.

Aldynes, IMO, is the pinnacle of horizontal shmups.  It dont get any better than that game

[Joe Redifer]

Yes it does.

What about diagonal shooters like Viewpoint and the much-beloved Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 for the 32X?  What about 360 degree shooters like Thunder Force 2?  What about stationary shooters like Asteroids?  Surely all of these games blow away Gate of Thunder? 

[futurematt]

Good poll.
I voted vertical. My reasons: symmetry, not a fan of dodging backgrounds, prefer the look of firepower fanning up the screen, explosions tend to look cooler from above. Oh and you get craters (oh yeah Super Raiden>>!). Mind you I love PCE shooters, no matter what orientation!!

[Tatsujin]

Mind you I love PCE shooters, no matter what orientation!!

a statement full of truth and wisdom

[TheClash603]

I voted vertical, and oddly enough Air Zonk might be my favorite turbo shmup...

I think my favorite of all time might be Galactic Attack on Saturn.  That game is always overlooked.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I think my favorite of all time might be Galactic Attack on Saturn.  That game is always overlooked.

fuck yeah man!

We only had one saturn controller at my friends, but had the racing steering wheel / pedals also

You can totally play the game with that setup, and its hilarious.

[Tatsujin]

layer section a superb shewty and by very far the best of the 3 parts.
and it is also superb cheap, compared to most of the other good SS shmups.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Man.... this is like Sophie's Choice, only much harder.  I don't know if I can pick a favorite. 

[futurematt]

layer section a superb shewty and by very far the best of the 3 parts.
and it is also superb cheap, compared to most of the other good SS shmups.

Picked it up yesterday in fact! Hope it's better than LS2, the slightly naff Silvergun rip-off with 2/3D backgrounds!

[Tatsujin]

! Hope it's better than LS2

LS [x---------------I---------------] LS2

[saintfu]

I voted vertical, and oddly enough Air Zonk might be my favorite turbo shmup...

I think my favorite of all time might be Galactic Attack on Saturn.  That game is always overlooked.

The stage 2 of Galactic Attack on Sega Saturn lacks the perspective effects, you can check the Arcade version for these amazing effects.

Back to the topic, I think the hardware of PCE is more suitable to handle vertical shooting, for exmaple, the sprite size (32x64) and the display limitation of line (8 sprites per line). The soldier series and GUNHED are good example. However, PCE also has many amazing horizontal shooting games such as GOT, WOT and Gradius II, almost no flicker found in those games.

[Arkhan Asylum]

PC Engine does 16 sprites per line, not 8!

[Joe Redifer]

The stage 2 of Galactic Attack on Sega Saturn lacks the perspective effects, you can check the Arcade version for these amazing effects.

You need to play with your TV tilted on its side or in horizontal mode.  There are many more effects that are present in the Saturn version when played in this way compared to when it is played in the default, windowboxed shrunken mode.

[Digi.k]

hori... and vert... Salamander spoils for choice

but mostly hori for magical chase, gradius and parodius and a few other shumps I'm too lazy to mention right now XD

[Ceti Alpha]

It really is a tough call and also depends on what games you're comparing. But if I'm comparing my favourite hori vs. my favourite vert, I'm settling on the vert.

hori... and vert... Salamander spoils for choice

but mostly hori for magical chase, gradius and parodius and a few other shumps I'm too lazy to mention right now XD

Yeah, there are definitely some great hori shooties. It almost doesn't feel right to have to choose between the two styles. heh

[Arkhan Asylum]

Yeah, there are definitely some great hori shooties. It almost doesn't feel right to have to choose between the two styles. heh

THEN WHY YOU MAKE POLL!? FOOL!

[TheClash603]

Wow, didn't realize there were so many Galactic Attack fans!

Guess that proves vertical is better.

..but not on handheld systems.  Horizontal is the only way to play on a handheld.

[Tatsujin]

one thing i really don't like on verts (in horiz. tv mode only) is the bad side effect, that the scanlines seems to kinda vanish, while the BG is scrolling, which then let the BG appearing much more pixled.

[Arkhan Asylum]

..but not on handheld systems.  Horizontal is the only way to play on a handheld.

err?


Explain Turbo Express + Blazing Lazers then.

[Sparky]

i am going with vertical...just based on me living longer

Does anyone else find there is less shit coming at you from the sides (right & left) on verticals, always coming from the top and sometimes bottom.  In horizontials it seems to be coming at you from everywhere!!! top, bottom right & left..

or am i just drunk

[Ceti Alpha]

i am going with vertical...just based on me living longer

Does anyone else find there is less shit coming at you from the sides (right & left) on verticals, always coming from the top and sometimes bottom.  In horizontials it seems to be coming at you from everywhere!!! top, bottom right & left..

or am i just drunk

You're just drunk.   

Even still, you're absolutely right. 

Yeah, there are definitely some great hori shooties. It almost doesn't feel right to have to choose between the two styles. heh

THEN WHY YOU MAKE POLL!? FOOL!

I think we're all brave enough, here, to make the tough calls.

[ccovell]

There are fantastic exceptions on both sides, but generally, while verticals are great for bullet-hell adrenaline rushes, horizontals are prone to much more varied themes, interaction and level designs.  There's only so much that you can do with the "bird's eye view over a landscape" constriction, unless you're someone like Treasure or Raizing.

[rag-time4]

I went ahead and voted vertical... only because of how much I love Image Fight and Gun.Smoke... but I tend to agree with Chris... horizontal games do seem to have more variety.

It seems like with vertical shooters terrain is less of a factor.

[Joe Redifer]

Wow, didn't realize there were so many Galactic Attack fans!

Guess that proves vertical is better.

No, that just proves that Galactic Attack is awesome.

[Arkhan Asylum]

There are fantastic exceptions on both sides, but generally, while verticals are great for bullet-hell adrenaline rushes, horizontals are prone to much more varied themes, interaction and level designs.  There's only so much that you can do with the "bird's eye view over a landscape" constriction, unless you're someone like Treasure or Raizing.

yeah you cant do the salamander/sinistron level interaction as well with a vertical game.   It would be a bit wonky.

[JapanTokei]

I'd have to go with Horizontal - IF you are considering both JP and US games...

Konami shooters are just so damn awesome:
Horizontals: 
* Gradius I
* Gradius 2 Gopher CD
* Salamander (I just replayed this game this morning.. had no recollection of how FAST the pace is!)
* Paradius Da!
* Rtype!! 
* GoT + WoT/LoT
* Macross 2036

Verticals:
* Twinbee, Tatsujin, Kyu. Tiger.. Sylphia

[Ceti Alpha]

Here's my top five vertical shooties, in no particular order:

1. Nexzr
2. Raiden
3. Soldier Blade
4. Spriggan
5. Sapphire

Just waiting for a vertical R-Type. heh

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Lemme fix this for you:

Here's my top five vertical shooties, in no particular order:

1. Nexzr
2. Raiden
3. Soldier Blade
4. Spriggan
5. Xevious

Just waiting for a vertical R-Type. heh

[Ceti Alpha]

Lemme fix this for you:

Here's my top five vertical shooties, in no particular order:

1. Nexzr
2. Raiden
3. Soldier Blade
4. Spriggan
5. Xevious

Just waiting for a vertical R-Type. heh

Thank you, Necro!! I was actually going to put Xevious there, but I didn't want this thread to deteriorate into a "how much I hate Xevious" discussion/rant. 

Hilarious. 

[Arkhan Asylum]

Xevious is the Hydlide of shmups.

few love it! MANY HAET IT.


lol

[rag-time4]

Just waiting for a vertical R-Type. heh

How about Image Fight?

[Tatsujin]

R-Type[x--------I--------]Image Fight

though Image fight is still a 8/10 game

[rag-time4]

R-Type[x--------I--------]Image Fight

though Image fight is still a 8/10 game

I give both 10/10 but Image Fight is my personal fave.

[JapanTokei]

I too go with R-Type over Image Fight.. something magical with R-type I can't explain...

Twin Bee is also fun as heck though for a vertical shooter!

[CrackTiger]

Horizontals are much more enjoyable for me, no matter how good any particular Vertical shooter is. They're basically separate genres to me as much as either is separate from platformers or sports games. I just can't connect with a vertical oriented player sprite of any game type the way I do with characters in horizontal based games, even arcades with "tate" screens. I prefer side scrollers to overhead perspectives in general. Many multi-directional scrolling games with player sprites that face and attack in 4 or 8 directions wind up categorized in my mind as horizontal just by how they feel. Bloody Wolf and Forgotten Worlds are examples that are horizontal games to me. I consider Ikari Warriors/Last Alert/Mercs type games as overhead and although I can enjoy them, they always feel somewhat inferior or less than they could be. I was so disappointed when I fired up X-Men NES the first time and found it to be a crappy overhead game. If it had at least been a crappy sidescroller I would've been so much more entertained.

[Tatsujin]

I too go with R-Type over Image Fight.. something magical with R-type I can't explain...

Yeah. R-Type has that typical but very rare "I really can't explain why" magical touch since the first time I saw/touched it, and which will remain till the end of my days.

It's name alone is already magic pure!!

[esteban]

I have to go to the beginning of the thread to see if I can add anything substantive that has not been said already.

However, I can provide a few basic thoughts on vert vs. hori shoot-em-ups:

1. I love both, but, echoing CrackTiger, I think of vert and hori as two distinct subgenres.

2. From a design aspect, I think it is EASIER to create a mediocre vertical game... the mechanics and gameplay formulas just seem easier to implement. When I was a kid, I created a basic vert shoot-em-up for the Apple II and it actually was kinda fun to play (it was a bit choppy, though). For whatever reasons, I had a much more difficult time making a horizontal shoot-em-up that was actually fun to play. I am talking about pure mechanics here, since both games were aesthetic equivalents and had "polished graphics" (courtesy my brother!). As a result, I have more respect for a well-executed horizontal shooter. Call me crazy.

3. There are exemplary titles in both subgenres, so I have no preference. They each provide good times. But, if you take #2 above to heart, I have soft-spot for well-made horizontals. ALTERNATIVELY, I have lower standards for verticals. See? I don't know.

4. Thunder Force II, though, defies #2. The "vertical" stages are lame. I appreciate what Technosoft was trying to do, but the execution had a lot to be desired. The horizontal stages were clearly the game's strong point.

5. MegaZone (Konami) Rules!

6. See number 5.

[rag-time4]

I was so disappointed when I fired up X-Men NES the first time and found it to be a crappy overhead game. If it had at least been a crappy sidescroller I would've been so much more entertained.

Have you ever tried Wolverine for NES, or Spider-man and the xmen for SNES? If so, what did you think of them?

BTW, nice to hear from you!

[Arkhan Asylum]

I too go with R-Type over Image Fight.. something magical with R-type I can't explain...

Yeah. R-Type has that typical but very rare "I really can't explain why" magical touch since the first time I saw/touched it, and which will remain till the end of my days.

It's name alone is already magic pure!!

ever since the first time I popped that bastard in, and heard that riff at the start of the level 1 music, I have loved me some R-Type

[Joe Redifer]

CrackTiger, you really do need to post more.  The forums aren't the same without ya!

[Tatsujin]

There are fantastic exceptions on both sides, but generally, while verticals are great for bullet-hell adrenaline rushes, horizontals are prone to much more varied themes, interaction and level designs.  There's only so much that you can do with the "bird's eye view over a landscape" constriction.

THIS, is so very true!

[Ceti Alpha]

Black Tiger, you really do need to post more.  The forums aren't the same without ya! 

Agreed!

[BlackandBlue]

I must say when I was younger I was all about the horizontal shooters like Gradius and R-Type, but that was before I played any good vertical ones.  The soldier series games are great and I absolutely love Blazing Lazers.  I have definitely found a new love for bullet hell style games like Mushihimesama Futari 1.5, Espgaluda II and Gigawing (love DC!).