Whats the first shmup you EVER played

[Arkhan Asylum]

THe thought crossed my mind yesterday.   My first one was Dinoriki for NES.

fuck was that game a bitch.

[_Paul]

Probably Space Invaders if you count those old hand held games.

[SignOfZeta]

I guess it depends on what your definition of shooter is. I played Space Invaders (arcade) in 1979 or so (when many arcade games were still b/w) but the first real shooter I played with scrolling and an actual ending was Vanguard (arcade) which would have been around...1983? 1984? Something like that.

Is Defender a shooter? It obviously looks like one, but doesn't really play like one.

[Colossus1574]

I guess it depends on what your definition of shooter is. I played Space Invaders (arcade) in 1979 or so (when many arcade games were still b/w) but the first real shooter I played with scrolling and an actual ending was Vanguard (arcade) which would have been around...1983? 1984? Something like that.

Is Defender a shooter? It obviously looks like one, but doesn't really play like one.

Atari 2600 - Galaxian or Asteroids, can't remember

[termis]

I can remember far back as:

space invaders
galaga
phoenix
time pilot
xevious

All when I used to frequent arcades as a kid... all those games are in my memory as far back as I can remember, so I can't say which one I played first.  There may even be some that aren't as memorable that I still played around with at the same time.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I guess I should have been a bit more specific, hah.

I meant scrolling ones.  The ones that we define as hori/vert shmups nowadays.

The precursor stuff (Defender, Galaxian, Gorf, etc) is an entirely different genre to me.

[bartre]

hmm, i don't think i played a single one until i got my DC.
and I know the first one i played was Zero Gunner 2.
effing awesome game.

[Colossus1574]

then i'm gonnna have to change mine to more NES era games...
it's probably either a shitty game by FCI called Mag Max (i was a kid and the box art had this killer robot on it....)
or
1942 which was one of my earlier vertical shmups....

[blueraven]

Centipede in the arcade. Forever ago.

[TheClash603]

There are a flood of games I played in a relatively small period of time, so I would be lying if I named one.  BUT, Defender scrolls, so I count that.  Then Defender it is.

[Arkhan Asylum]

then i'm gonnna have to change mine to more NES era games...
it's probably either a shitty game by FCI called Mag Max (i was a kid and the box art had this killer robot on it....)
or
1942 which was one of my earlier vertical shmups....

dude, we do not dis the Mag Max.

hory shet that games sweet.

[turbogrfxfan]

Astroids, combat, defender.  is missle command a shooter?

[Joe Redifer]

Centipede in the arcade.  Forever ago +1.

Don't remember what my first horizontal shooter was.  Maybe Transbot.  They don't make 'em that awesome anymore. No game can compare.

I'd have to see a list of shooters listed by date to really answer as I played most of them day and date since I am fucking old.

[Colossus1574]

then i'm gonnna have to change mine to more NES era games...
it's probably either a shitty game by FCI called Mag Max (i was a kid and the box art had this killer robot on it....)
or
1942 which was one of my earlier vertical shmups....

dude, we do not dis the Mag Max.

hory shet that games sweet.

My lil' brother picked that one when our parents let us each choose a game....u couldn't blame him, the box was hella cool...the game not so much 

[BlueBMW]

I remember playing Sky Shark on our DOS computer, I think that was the earliest.  Some time around that same time I first played Zaxxon and Blue Max on our Atari 800.  I guess Galaxian was on there too.

[Arkhan Asylum]

My lil' brother picked that one when our parents let us each choose a game....u couldn't blame him, the box was hella cool...the game not so much 

the game is as sweet as the cover.  youre crazy

[Tatsujin]

I think it was phoenix on a VC-20 or so at my godfathers friends home (was kinda computer crack) . Remember very vague. Next I remember was teh XEVIOUS arcade

[Tablet]

Mine will have to be Transbot on SMS, I love the music on that game along with Alex Kidd in a Miracle World will forever be burned into my memory.

[Opethian]

Arcade: Phoenix
Tandy: Don Pan
DOS: Zaxxon
Famicom: Hector '87

[Nazi NecroPhile]

I'm not sure which was first, but something on the 2600.  River Raid, Chopper Command, or Defender, I suppose.

[Vecanti]

For me the first shooter I remember would have to be Zaxxon for the C64.  I remember that game being really hard.  But I haven't played it in 20+ years. I guess I need to go find a copy.

This is really the only 3/4 view shooter I remember. Kind of cool, does anyone know of any others?

[JoshTurboTrollX]

I'm pretty sure it was playing Zaxxon as well in a Radio Shack on a Tandy CoCo 2! 

[geise]

It was so long ago so it might not be my first virgin shooter experience, but I remember playing Bosconian by Namco. 

[_Paul]

It was doubtless some obscure shoot 'em up on the ZX Spectrum that I wouldn't even remember. The first 'typical' shoot 'em up that I actually REALLY enjoyed (after years of disinterest in the genre) was Super Star Soldier.

[rag-time4]

My first shooter ever was Sidearms in the arcade. My local Straw Hat pizza had it way back when. In fact, I still have in my possession a little story I wrote about sidearms as an elementary school student. The story book we wrote in was a cut-out of an astronaut that totally reminded me of the spaceman in the upper left of the arcade marquee!!

Sidearms was one of the main reasons I wanted a Duo and one of the first games I got.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

In fact, I still have in my possession a little story I wrote about sidearms as an elementary school student. The story book we wrote in was a cut-out of an astronaut that totally reminded me of the spaceman in the upper left of the arcade marquee!!

Sounds cute.  Scan and share? 

[rag-time4]

For me the first shooter I remember would have to be Zaxxon for the C64.  I remember that game being really hard.  But I haven't played it in 20+ years. I guess I need to go find a copy.

This is really the only 3/4 view shooter I remember. Kind of cool, does anyone know of any others?

Viewpoint for the Neo Geo is another.

In fact, I still have in my possession a little story I wrote about sidearms as an elementary school student. The story book we wrote in was a cut-out of an astronaut that totally reminded me of the spaceman in the upper left of the arcade marquee!!

Sounds cute.  Scan and share? 

HAHA If I can clear it I'll post scans of the Sidearms storybook! Sidearms is definitely one of my first true loves in terms of video games. I could barely reach the buttons back then.

[Tatsujin]

My first shooter ever was Sidearms in the arcade.

Sure? may I ask for your age, rag?

[nat]

My first shooter was Space Invaders (known as "Aliens" to prevent copyright infringement) on the Kaypro 4.

[Colossus1574]

Sounds cute.  Scan and share? 

I second that emotion!!!
SideArms was/still is WICKED, i remember it was the closest thing to Robotech in the arcade, and being 2 players was even more kickass!
It's so awesome that it goes from horizontal to a vertical scroller, music on the CD version was incredible too. 

[rag-time4]

My first shooter ever was Sidearms in the arcade.

Sure? may I ask for your age, rag?

Born in the summer of 1980 (30 years old as of this posting)

[Starfighter]

I played 1942 when I was 11 or 12 at an arcade in Spain of all places but I didn't care all that much - it was just the only cab they had on the hotel. The first shmup I got a hold of with score-intentions was Strikers 1945 II.

[Gogan]

Had to be Blazing Lazers for me.

Turbo to the bone

[Arkhan Asylum]

Had to be Blazing Lazers for me.

Turbo to the bone

Blazing Lazers gives me a turboner

[Digi.k]

probably space invaders in the arcade... others like GORF and moon buggy and scramble

for home console I think it was berzerk on atari 2600.. but would you class it as a shmup ?

[SignOfZeta]

I think his idea of shooter is "scrolls by itself, either vert/hor/diag, you shoot everything that comes at you, there is probably an ending". If we include every game from the 70s and 80s where you shoot something...that would be about %95 of the games from that period. Centipede, Bezerk, Space Invaders, etc are not shooters. Defender and Chop Lifter are *almost* shooters. Fantasy Zone pretty much is a shooter. Even though the user controls the scrolling, there is nothing to do but shoot. In other words, when you buy a "shooter" today, from Cave or whoever, the types of shooters that the PCE, Saturn, and DC (and now, 360) are famous for, that kind of game. They first really came to form in mid-late 80s.

I'm pretty sure Vanguard was the first shooter if this type. It scrolled by itself and even had an ending (which was just a vertical bar that said "END" in big letters. When you touched it the game was over.

Not shooters:

Battle Zone
Hogans Alley
Doom
Ikari Warriors
Space Harrier
Hyperball
Asteroids

Shooters for sure:

Aero Blasters
Zaxxon
Side Arms
Xevious (even though it suuuuucks)
Gate of Thunder
Ikaruga
Twin Cobra

Grey area:

Choplifter
Fantasy Zone

[OldRover]

First one ever was Defender in the arcade. I remember being severely disappointed by the Atari 2600 version. My first TG shmup was Fantasy Zone, but before that, I had written a few of my own on the Commodore 64... including one that I might someday port to our beloved PCE.

[Starfighter]

No way Fantasy Zone is in the gray zone!

[Arkhan Asylum]

No way Fantasy Zone is in the gray zone!

I imagine its in the FANTASY ZONE.

fuuuuuck yeah

[TR0N]

Spaceinvader,Galaga,Galaxian i think.

[blueraven]

For the Compaq 286 I had Galaxian. 4-color graphics mode was the only one that worked.

[Starfighter]

I imagine its in the FANTASY ZONE.

[DragonmasterDan]

Space Invaders or Galaga

[guyjin]

I think my first shmup was Demon Attack, but that may just be the first memorable one. It could also have been Vanguard; Vanguard was definitely my first Scrolling shmup.

[OldRover]

Fantasy Zone is pwnage. It somehow manages to pull off cute and hardcore at the same time, and it does it without bullet-hell.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Demon Attack is a pretty sweet game

so was demons to diamonds.

[Alt-Nintega]

Astro Warrior for SMS. Either that or R-Type for the same system. I don't remember exactly.

[SignOfZeta]

Demon Attack is a pretty sweet game

so was demons to diamonds.

One game that impressed me from back then, and I still find a lot of fun, is Megamania. A friend of mine started a DS remix for that and never finished it. It ran, and I made some music for it and everything. It just fizzled. Bummer.

Any 2600 game that is still playable post-NES is a rare thing indeed. Most of them are about as fun as walking to summer school on a 97º day in orthopedic shoes.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Every activision game was great on the 2600.

I loved Star Master.  Shit was that game awesome. 

and Seaquest

[MotherGunner]

For me it was LifeForce on NES aka Salamander.

Fell in love with shooters ever since.  Today I enjoy games like Ikaruga, R-Type, Soldier Series, and too many more to list.