Those PC Engine shooters are hard as nails but keep you coming back for more. Every one of these also have amazing music. Top video, looking forward to the next one, great stuff 👍🕹️

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you got to check it out so quickly. A staple of pc engine shooters especially... amazing music!

Damn that penalty zone in image fight is like a kick in the nuts lmao. That’s a gorgeous game dude. I’ve never played it.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Supa Nintendope the original is the best and it’s a hucard game, so you could play it using an Everdrive too at some point. Part 2 in this video is on CD. But yeah that penalty zone sucks. If you kill enough enemies on every level you play it can be avoided. Otherwise it’s purgatory 😂

You absolutely have the Best content!!! I'm always waiting for a new video to arrive! Thanks for getting me back into shooters and teaching me about the PC engine which i always disregarded!

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! A ton of my earliest content was all PC Engine related too as reviewing the Mini was originally why I started the channel. It just kind of took off from there. Really glad you're enjoying them and I will always do PC Engine related stuff on and off, as it's my nostalgic fav along with the NES/Famicom which I haven't given enough love just yet.

Man, I love your channel bro. I grew up in the 90s playing all the shoot em ups/beat em ups and I must say, this is becoming one of my favorite KZread channels. It's exactly what I'm looking for when it comes to this. I have a huge arcade system and some of these I don't have. I'm happy to be adding them today. Thanks again and keep up the good work mate! 💪

@ShmupJunkie

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! And really glad you're finding and enjoying some of my OG, original videos from a couple years ago. Feels like it's been forever but it really hasn't. I'm having a good time making them so look forward to plenty more.

I really enjoy your videos. You speak clearly and concise. I love it!

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

I used to speak really fast too in these older videos, I've tried to slow it down a bit since then haha. But I'm just having fun especially with these early vids so I'm glad it came out well.

Yo your videos are awesome, so much passion and knowledge crammed into each one- As someone who is trying to get into Shmups for the first time your channel is a god-send of a resource!

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

That's awesome to hear thank you. This was one of my very early videos too. So while I've made a lot of improvements in my editing and voice overs since then, I still really enjoy these old ones too as I had a lot of fun making them.

Man i just discover your channel and love it🙃 im a big shmup fan too espacialy the queen pc engine my favorite console🙂😉 Greeting from france

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Alright!!! I love it when new people that love the pc engine too find my channel. I have a lot of great pc engine videos I made in a playlist and I’m working on more. So glad you found me 🤟

I gotta say that you've made the most convincing argument as to why to buy a PCE mini. As a fan of Shmups, it has climbed the list as a must have.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

dr_ubio if you’re a fan of shmups there’s no better mini by a mile. It usually ends up being a gateway drug. You’ll either hack the mini to play others or end up getting the real thing haha. But it’s so expensive to collect sometimes that an emulator is a fair option. I’m a fan 👍🏻. That was my goal to give a fan’s perspective on it.

@niespeludo

4 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie Also wanted to point out, the Option Thieves on Gradius are there to check your rank isn't too high. They're always spawned on the levels with the most hectic stuff happening as to "protect" the player and the CPU speed as well (more options = higher rank = more enemy bullets and higher speed = more load on the CPU = slowdowns). There's a reason the most recommended strat for beginners to get a clear is actually just picking up 2-3 options at most. I personally always go for a no miss clear on Gradius games which is incredibly infuriating but my restart syndrome is too high. Great content man, I seem to remember you from the system11 forums (the farm), hope you're doing well.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

dr_ubio totally right on the options thief. I just can’t help stacking up haha. But I never knew it was to avoid performance hits. I just thought it was the game knocking you down a bit from doing too well 😅. I need to update my avatar on the shmups forum. I try to avoid a lot of elitism that goes on there but it’s also a fantastic technical resource with some great talent and good people there. I’ve been trying to figure out how to change my username on there but haven’t yet.

Hard as nails shooters! Absolutely enjoyed this video and list. That footage!! 🤘🤘💪👊

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I try to make it fun to watch the footage I record and glad you did. I always want to play Tatsujin after watching or hearing that song. Such a happy song for such a brutal game.

How i love that video you made for us... Been just watching it again and it still is as Awesome as the first time

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

My very fist ever hardest shooters video!

"R-Type is the survival horror of shmups" - this is such a perfect description.

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

Haha, I remember coming up with that for the script way back when making the video. That it is.

Your videos are a true joy to watch. Thanx for such quality content

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome, and I'm glad you found some of these older ones. My editing has improved since then but I still had a lot of fun with them.

Holy shit brutal af. All your game play footage here is epic! Man that R-Type music gets me going every time. "Giger style decent into a cold, alien world" 14:55 ...Bravo shmup junkie, bravo! I also enjoyed the Matrix references for Tatsujin

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Minty Retro Hey I’m really glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the great comment. Good Music is such a big deal in shmups it just creates the atmosphere the developer is going for. Hard to imagine some of these iconic games without their respective tunes. The matrix reference kind of made sense for me on tatsujin it doesn’t look bad in my footage but it’s brutally tough. Reflexes aren’t enough you just have to anticipate everything and know it’s coming. Plus the original is like one of my top 5 fav movies 😅

Nice video I'm glad I found this channel! Was playing raiden and got in the mood for shoot em ups! Getting to find some new ones is always a good thing!

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome glad you found me too. I can't promise the games in this hardest list are the best choices and won't have you throwing the controller at the wall, but at a minimum you sure can't go wrong with gradius 2 on here. That's one of my fav on the system, both difficult and just plain great. I've been thinking about doing a Raiden video this year with all the different versions... it's been ported to everything at this point.

@digitalworms

3 жыл бұрын

I'm sure they will all be hard I've always wanted to work on and get good at shmups but finally getting around to it! Got a modded nes got done with gradius and life force! If it wasn't for save states I'd probley still be on them! I thought about buying raiden fighting aces for Xbox 360 looks like a nice addition! Looks like a nice selection of ships and 3 games in one!

Really enjoyed this. Need to get back on R Type II now to perfect the last 4 stages.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

I always found Level 5 not bad at all long as you are powered up to start. It's the next couple with the moving factory blocks that gives me fits after not playing... that one is straight up memorization on how to get through all those spots.

Love your reviews! Great work!👍🏼

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Max Riptide Thanks 😊. This was my first top 5 I did I’ve been having fun with these. Aside from the games kicking my ass 😅

Great video man!

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Chad Ballew Hey thank you! Thx for checking it out and glad you enjoyed it.

every one at Irem was a masochist I think

@ShmupJunkie

Жыл бұрын

They focused on arcade games and that was all about eating quarters

just discovered your channel, very cool!

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed this vid. I’ve got quite a bit of pc engine oriented content if it’s something you enjoy.

Great video!!!

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Retro Jash Thanks dude! I think Tatsujin is the most brutal of these both to play and on the wallet haha. But it’s fair at around $100 on the mega drive. Also a bit more accessible if only just slightly 😆

@jszekerj

4 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie That's not too bad, deff not cheap but it's no Silvergun or Sapphire price so that's nice. Ha😅

Well done as always! Rayzanber looks really good from a design and graphics standpoint. I’ve always had a bit more preference for horizontal shooters over vertical ones for that reason. That 1st stage music to Tatsujin has always been a favorite of mine. R type is one of my favorite shooters of all time ! Graphics, music, design. It’s got it all and was a trailblazer for the genre. Bullets look a bit faster than the arcade and definitely faster than the Master system version for sure.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

djf7 Thanks for the feedback and for the great comment. Yeah Rayxanber has a ton of potential and can be enjoyed with a lot of practice, but due to its design flaws that brilliant final stage and music likely had few people to finally enjoy it. I haven’t played the arcade RType in ages I’m not sure how the bullet speed compares 🤔. I just know the arcade always kicked my ass past stage 3. It wasn’t until it came out on the Turbo where I could finally practice it enough to get much farther into the game.

Brutal video Thanks

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you’re going back and enjoying some of my old top 5 hardest videos. They were a lot of fun to make!

Rewatching a ton of your videos just to hear the passion and meme's and see the tips and production again. Thank you shmup junkie. Thank you. Playing Gradius 2 and 3 no slowdown atm having never played a Gradius game and love the quick overviews on this and the snes video! Your skills are too strong! I hope to one day 1cc half the games you have !

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

I’m really glad you’re enjoying the videos and it’s getting you back into trying more. Believe me I’m just alright and have played them a lot. There are others so good I’m a scrub by comparison. And it really all comes down to practice time. Some of these people spend hundreds of hours on a game so don’t compare yourself to superplays. You’re enjoying them and that’s cool. FYI while I have 1CCd a lot of these games in the past, when I make some videos time is short. It’s all about entertainment and getting people into the genre. So I’ll often save the game at the start of each level and play through each a few times before I get a run I’m happy with and stuff I want to use for footage. It’d be impossible to try and legit relearn some of these brutal games I may not have played for years or 1cc’d long ago, plus make and edit the video in a week or two. I’m saying this so you don’t take my gameplay as gospel either or something unattainable. We can all play that well given time and practice, especially in my case when I’ve finished a game before and am just refreshing my memory. Plus using saves at level starts so I don’t have to start all over when I screw up. We all screw up! Lol. Until we’ve practiced enough not to. Anyway I’m really glad you’re enjoying them again. I did have a really fun time making them.

@Epicasfuk

2 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie yes, coming up with a good save system that works is a great way to learn these games. I remember my older brother back in the 90s playing and beating these games without the modern save state practice... I enjoy the single save per stage tactics to help develop a memory for the whole stage and still get that sense of drama if I die I have to reload back to the start. Then of course going back and putting it all together. Learning the 1cc of Gradius 3 has really been a unique experience going for my very first NO HIT in the 28 minute game. Love the videos and the comparisons of version videos on here and for sure pumps me up to take the plunge and learn some of these beasts. Next after Gradius is the MegaDrive Hellfire from seeing your other video on it! I am on the Shmup Junkie path to enlightenment ! See you around !

@nikolasdylan3928

2 жыл бұрын

Instablaster...

The music in Rayxanber is sooooo cool! True melodic-rock with synth touches.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

I especially love that last stage it's an old favorite. Rayxanber is the perfect example of a game that does certain things so well so you see the potential, but other things so wrong that it's hard to get into. I sometimes wonder how much they play tested the game and if they realized how hard some of it was.

I'm usually not a fan of overly difficult games, but I can't deny how good it feels when you overcome a challenge in these. The only one I felt was outright unfair was the later stages in R-Type requiring memorization of the right route through the stage with the moving blocks, however.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

That stage is the one that kicks my ass the most when I haven't played for a while. It's straight memorization like a puzzle game. It's cool once you know how to navigate it, but in advance there is just no way.

i remember Playing Gradius on the psp, forget it, that level where you need the speed is insane, especially in a sps screen.

I would need save states for every single on of these. Rayxanber looks so cool but so scary to play. Kudos to you for beating these!

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

The Nerd Nest TV I did beat them all straight up when I was younger and rented or owned most of them, but they take a ton of work, except for maybe Gradius 2 which I can still run most of the time now. For the vid though I only have a week to do all 5 and I want to show deaths and screw ups in certain spots, so I use saves too at the start of each level so I can replay each area until I get shots I want for the video. As long as I can take a complete level without screw ups I feel good about it. I think you should totally try one day and don’t feel bad about using them it’s how you can learn each level. Better to play and experience them a bit then not at all.

I honestly didnt expect any other game above Rtype!! But when looking at Gradius II and restarting with no power ups or options...better reset the game and start again!! XD Good video again!!!

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Enrique De La Rosa Thx I had fun making it. I didn’t really put them in any particular order as they all have super tough aspects to them. I personally find Tatsujin the hardest it’s a beast but many others say Rayxanber. At some point it’s like choosing which razor is going to skin you 😂 they’re all hard enough.

Excellent video mate! I genuinely enjoyed it!. It was good to see some amazing looking and sounding shooters, which I had little knowledge of, and one of my favourites, R-TYPE, and Darius II, which I have no problem agreeing on their hardness. I've only ever gotten past the 3rd stage boss on R-Type to swiftly be evaporated on level 4 everytime.... Darius II, ahem :0)... Admittedly Iv'e never spent as much time with either R-Type or Daruis games as I have for other shooters like Xenon, Aero Fighters 2, UN Squadron, Axelay, Silkworm, SWIV, Xenon 2 : Megablast or Einhander, which have been staple diets for me coming from an Amiga 500, SNES, and Playstation One background in the early years. This video has definitely made me want to revisit R-Type at minimum to experience the punishment all over again, and reinvigorated my passion for the shmups of old with those amazing soundtracks and love that the developers put in to their titles back then. Oh and I now find myself wanting to watch The Matrix again, for the 5th time :0). Seriously looking forward to the next video.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it man it's good to know it provides some good fun for a lot of people, even if not too many yet. I had fun with it. Level 4 is a tough one in RType very easy to screw up on it. I find it tougher than 5 actually which isn't bad if you are powered up. It's just a fake out though cause then 6 just annihilates anyone that doesn't have that level memorized haha. Better to watch Matrix for the 5th time than any of the sequels for the first time haha. I can rewatch it infinitely it's in my top 5. Not that the sequels were horrendous but not in the same universe as the original. It could have ended there.

@KingLizzardsGameLounge

4 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie Agreed, the first movie is in a different league to the sequels. I thought the second movie was good after the 1st 45 minutes of nothingness at the beginning but the 3rd was a complete waste of footage. Ill probably punish myself with those after The Matrix just to be sure they were really as much of a letdown as I found them at the cinema.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

King Lizzard's Game Lounge 😂 they were don’t set your expectations high. Lots of exposition that doesn’t serve the plot in not so interesting ways. I’m cautiously optimistic on the new one for now.

Rewatching through all these BRUTAL SHMUPS videos, I can't help but wonder about the original Famicom/NES...

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

Oh I've been saving that one because there are some crazy hard old school shooters for sure. I will eventually do an NES episode and it'll be painful lol.

Playing through R Type Complete CD now.

I couod watch these videos all day man! How bout a PS2 brutal list? I'm thinkin Gradius 3 an 5 must be in there!

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

I'm currently working on one for the Dreamcast but the PS2 will come soon enough. Gradius V will definitely be on there. Three I may save for an Arcade special, and also for when I'm feeling extra froggy cause that one ain't going to be pretty lol

I didn't know about Image Fight 2, I'll have to try it some time. Great overall job on highlighting PC Engine shooter legacy, love to see more of this! Kudos for your Matrix integration, caught me by surprise that someone would work that into the material.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

NightWolve1975 Glad you enjoyed it. Matrix is probably in my top 5 all time favs so I’ll work it into stuff every chance I get 😆. I can’t say you’ll love image fight 2 the original is a better game. But it will no doubt kick your ass for a while

@archdukegorgon6782

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Nightwolve heard you got banned at Neo-Geo.com by my enemy trolls no less. Just to show you even they think you're worthless. By the way I preordered Ys IX from XSEED not too long ago. They deserve more support than Sarupro, Bold Games, Aetherbyte...hell even you...I almost felt dirty playing the Ys 4 Dawn of Ys translation. It was so worth checking out Etsy for. 🤡🖕

@NightWolve75

3 жыл бұрын

@@archdukegorgon6782 @@archdukegorgon6782 You can't even do basic level trolling... XSEED Games lost the Ys series with Ys 8... A ruthless competitor known as NIS America took it away from them and they are handling Ys 9... Why is it such a big deal Evil Wasabi banned me for 2 weeks in protecting a crazy doxxing nut like Dox Shroom??? Why is that supposed to be news to your crazy crew and interesting??? I did not do anything wrong unlike you, I just reported his doxxing harassment and asked if they're scared of him... Get over your miserable existence... Everybody thinks and knows you're worthless, always have been, still crying because you got permabanned from PCEFX 15 years ago.... Every mod and admin has banned you everywhere and the only reason you made a PCE Facebook group is that's the one place on the Internet you can't get banned... Quit stalking my KZread account, you have nothing persuasive to say, never have...

@baronashura4392

3 жыл бұрын

@@NightWolve75 When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie That's amore…🍕🍕🍕🤡

Awesome display of badass brutal shooters. I get a lot of anxiety from watching the last 3 titles 😂

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Supa Nintendope playing them provides plenty of anxiety as well haha. But at least they are pretty great to play too, esp Gradius 2 it’s hella fun. Just gets real tough after the first stages.

Excruating? I don't know that term 😀 incredible video.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Another way of saying extreme torture hahaha

I’m pulling my hair out just watching. Nothing worse than a pea shooter, what you want is a 6 gun shooter. Great vid 😎👍

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Nintendo Arcade 😂 I’m glad you enjoyed it, stress inducing and all. It’s funny how different approaches can make a game hard. You have something like Tatsujin where your weaponry is insane and yet it’s still hard as balls.

Awesome video as always sir! Do you like Cave Bullet Hell style shooters as well?

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Totally, I'm a big fan of quite a few Cave releases. Futari is my favorite, but I really enjoy the first Deathsmiles and of course DDP as well. Could name a good dozen. I'm not a huge score junkie though, so I don't get as into it as some do... especially since those games are all about scoring. Definitely a different experience than the old style shmups, but I've got a spot for them all. Sooner or later I'll get to the XBOX360 for this series which will have a ton of great Danmaku style games to choose from.

Definitely subbed. Can't wait for the saturn neo and genesis

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Neo Genesis Glad you enjoyed it! Same here the mega drive and Saturn were some serious power houses in that dept. too. I’m looking forward to showing some brutal and obscure ones like eliminate down and undeadline if they make the cut. Neo didn’t have a ton but some really awesome and hard ones too like Last Resort and Viewpoint. So it’s gonna be a blast for sure. Some I haven’t played in a long while though so takes time to get back into practice with them 😅

Image fight 1 and 2 are deffo rock hard

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

BillB808 yeah it was a touch choice between one and two. They’re both pretty equal in their brutality. Part 2 was a pc engine exclusive so I went with that one.

I've got to agree with you, Gradius 2 is brutal. That's kind of how I approach any Gradius game though, a no death kind of thing. I've cleared the first and third games without dying, but not the second. Maybe someday.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

That final stage on the second is really tough it’s gotten me more times then it hasn’t. It’s amazing how some loop it over and over so many times. Have you ever tried Gradius 3 using the SA1 hack with no slowdown? It does make it very hard but it’s a blast to play that way too.

@MadPanicGaming

3 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie I haven't tried it yet but I'm sure it'd kick my ass, lol. I occasionally give the arcade version a try at an arcade I frequent that has a floor full of shooters, and I usually don't fare nearly as well as I do on console. That slowdown is a life saver.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

To be fair the arcade version is insane. I can’t beat it normal either. Even with slowdown it’s harder than the no slowdown SNES version 😂

Oh yeah, these games aged about 10 years. Great list.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Ryan AirZonkWorldChamp Thanks man. I love all kinds of shmups including the newer danmaku stuff, but for me these old style shooters will always be top. They’re not just about dodging bullets but feel like complete experiences. Unique world, music, atmosphere the newer stuff misses most of the time. These are always timeless for me 👍🏻

Cool video! Made me want to play Truxton to see how far I would make it this time. But I’m torn between beating R-Type Part I first 😅

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Markus Ulfberg Every time I hear that song I want to play tatsujin again. It’s addicting. Getting through part 1 would be great as once you have that code you can always start on part 2. No such luck with the full US game. Gotta start from level 1 every time 😁

I gotta give also Paranoia an honorable mention because of the fact that dying at any point of the game makes recovery very difficult to impossible, especially at the 2nd loop.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

I remember playing it as a kid on the turbo as psychosis and enjoying the cool aesthetics of it. Creative game and not bad at all. For whatever reason I beat it without a ton of trouble, but I never bothered with loops back then it never crossed my mind. Many games didn’t even have them just harder modes. If we are talking loops I think image fights are some of the nastiest and ridiculously hard one can get. I only ever finished them the first time through.

Don't know about the PC Engine version of R-Type but I think R-Type Dimensions is a good choice for anyone wanting to try and 1CC a shooter . Like you say R-Type is hard as hell and a very technical game to learn, but the thing with R-Type is that the levels are really, really short, and the game itself from start to finish is very short too, so even though its tough to learn there isnt actually a lot of it. The R-Type dimensions collection lets you start from any level and you can use a button to fully power up the ship which is a big help when first trying to learn the enemy patterns. If there was one shmup i was going to try and focus on getting a 1CC it would probably be R-Type.

Accurate list! PCE best system for shoot em ups

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Hell yeah it is! Bar none I still love it the most. Saturn may have had awesome ones, but I have the most nostalgia for these. A shmup could be simple without bullet hell and still brutal as heck.

Don't forget about Formation Armed F with its 1 hit deaths.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

I remember that one was on my list when I was putting this together. The real question was... would it replace any of these 5 as even tougher. Aeroblasters was another that nearly made it... that game is so damn hard on the final stage.

I've recently been playing through a lot of the PC Engine vertical shooters and the one that gave me the most trouble was Psychic Storm. Just kidding! That one is obviously a breeze. It was actually Namco's Final Blaster. It gave me a lot of trouble and not even the bosses, which are rather well designed, with clearly-defined and dodgeable attack patterns,. It was the stage fodder, which is all very fast and always straight out kamikazeing for you. I especially "liked" the stage with moving obstacles and scored of little amoeba things that cling to your ship, restrict its movement and cause it to crash into the said obstacles. Plain diabolical! I did finally beat it, but it took a lot of retries and swearing like a sailor.

@ShmupJunkie

Жыл бұрын

No surprise at all Final Blaster is a hard game. Arcade included. It’s a surprisingly cool game and underrated. Now that you’ve finished the pc engine port it’s worth checking out the arcade game. It’s definitely much improved despite being even harder lol.

Tatsujin. Good pick.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

It had to be there. Still one of the most brutally tough games imo.

RAYXANBER looks awesome! hopefully there is an easy mode you forgot to mention ;) once you die in gradius, furgeddabout it! start again! but once you do you always end that touch further than last time! what a game! and the best music ever in any shooter ever! 👍👍👍👍

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Rollerxcore yeah I personally like this game more than most especially the final level. It can be cheap at times and it’s very hard lol but it gives you continues to keep trying and practice. I love that final level music ❤️. I’m not sure if it has an easy mode though I never looked 😂.

hey bro i cleared Gradius 2, Rtype, Darius series and Aeroblaster all no death run during the early days.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Not me dude, I still don't no death clear them most of the time. That's some serious dedication. I was just happy to beat them and enjoy it along the way. The exception is Gradius 2 which pretty much becomes a no death run after a certain point. Die in the wrong spot and may as well start over haha

I love shmups...but I do hate extremely difficult shmups...but I do love R-type (thank God for emulation save states)... One thing it's certain, I do love you're videos.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Haha well we all hate extremely hard shmups especially the great ones like RType that keep you coming back just to tear you a new one. Thank god for save states indeed playing the original on my turbo back in the day took more hours and attempts then I can remember.

Love your content but u should have mentioned the Truxton connection love from Dublin Ireland 💚🇮🇪🍀

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Truxton connection? 🤔 What I miss?

The turbografx 16 was definitely a next gen 8 bit console capable of producing 16 bit graphics!!! It was to powerful of a next gen 8 bit monster to be considered to be 8 bit!!! Probably because of its dual 16 bit graphics processors!!!!

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

You said it! It’s why I just did a whole history video about it and part 2 is almost done. If you love the turbografx it’s a good one 👌

The first time I played Image Fight, I said, “Oh, you’re going to do me like R-Type without doing it for me like R-Type.” The second time time I played Image Fight...there was no second time. Image Fight II looks pretty interesting though. I forgot Rayxanber II existed. Which is weird because I now remember really enjoying it at the time.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Image Fight II is not as good as the original, so if you didn't like it don't bother. It doesn't have much new to add. Rayxanber has a lot to like, and I have fun with it too, but it's not quite there. Brilliant in moments. I think it's just notorious for being the hardest game on the system which is saying something. When it gives you unlimited continues you know you're in trouble haha.

@robertrada6040

3 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie Re-watching Rayxanber footage, it does seem pretty...just there. I forgot I owned it...and possibly the III game, too. So that may say a lot. The second level of the first Image Fight looks pretty rad, tbh. Maybe I should make it a mission to see it through?

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

The original image fight is well designed in terms of gameplay and a classic, but it’s too brutal for most to see through. Knowing you already made it through the penalty zone you made it over the hump though. It’s something you can overcome given enough time if it’s worth it. But if it’s not fun to you why bother. The third rayxanber isn’t nearly as hard by all means give that one a shot again too. Neither are perfect but have their charms. Honestly part 2 had me at the title screen where it sounded like the devs are at a drunk Xmas party all trying to pronounce the name at the opening haha.

@robertrada6040

3 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah, I remember doing a double take at the title screen. So I sat down and played through Image Fight over breaks the last couple of days. Ohhhhhhhh myyyy goooood. Without Hamster’s save interrupt, it would not have been possible. 😂

Love how difficulty is indicatedif.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Yes these games are crazy hard, but someone has to do it 👌

Bravo sir.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the vid. I see you got a pc engine mini video up yourself I'll have to check out later today!

@JeffYPbPr

4 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie ah its just me messing around. Its nothing special. Thanks tho!

I love Image Fight¡!!!!!!!!

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Even the penalty zone? You’re a bigger man than I 😒🤣

Most Hardest Shmup i ever play is Eliminate Down on Hard mode a Megadrive

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

By Urien84 ED is an awesome game too. I never tried it on hard mode but just the normal is tough enough for me 😅. I had that one in my Top5 hardest mega drive shooters video. It’s so good though one of my favorite on the system.

Nice video. Music 12:44 from ? Please 🙏

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

That is the actual game music from the game I am showing, Rayxanber II final stage.

Just use three options and the option thief does not come in Gradius 2. I am proud to say i have beat it in 1 life on arcade, haha.

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah it took me forever to realize that trick. It's usually OK until that final stage where it comes in those tight corridors. Nearly impossible to stay away from it stealing a couple of them.

I just played Image Fight 1 for the first time, I managed to get through the penalty zone after about half an hour of learning the enemy patterns but the stage after it wasn't much easier! I got to the boss but kept dying over and over so threw in the towel. Maybe next time...

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

You still got through one of the nastiest parts so congrats on that. You’ll get it eventually it’s s terribly hard game. The damn penalty zone is even more ridiculous here as it doesn’t give you a single power up and you have to finish it with a pea shooter. Totally sucks lol. The really good players avoid it entirely by playing well enough in the early stages. The original is still the best tbh I’d stick with that one as well.

I’m playing Rtype on pc engine and without the instant save function I don’t know how anyone could possibly beat that game it is next to impossible

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

With an endless amount of practice and repetition. It’s no picnic 🤣. Would you believe it’s slightly easier than the arcade. Now how anyone beat it in arcades putting in quarters to practice is the real mystery!

That cover is pretty great. The Truxton cover is special for being so cool in an age where NA releases did not have cool covers. The PCE version seems primitive compared to the other ports. I was surprised how catchy the music is, but the sound effects are too far removed from the arcade for my tastes. Also, the missing graphical details like the flames of the damaged large enemies is a bummer. I was lucky to have an amazing Arcade in my town as a kid, and I got to play Truxton there first. It will always be what I love the most about the Genesis, the arcade fidelity, it was as close as you could get. Burned in my mind: The arcade version's instructions call the green beam "Expert Beam."

Why not mention Gunhead @ Blazing Lazers? It is one of the best shmups 🙂

@ShmupJunkie

Жыл бұрын

One of my favorite but not even close to the hardest. It’s actually a great game for beginners! It was for me too. I mention it in a lot of my videos it’s an old favorite, but this one was specifically for the crazy hard ones 😅

I really liked R type

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

GB Games Amazing port and a great launch title. Blew my mind I could finally play it that way when it came out. And it kicked my ass for a long time haha

Rayxanber 2 soundtrack reminds me of Hyakutaro Tsukumo's work(Thunder force V, Blast Wind, Hyper duel) is Rayxanber 2 is also his work as well?

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Not that I know of, the music composer in the credits is a different name. The Rayxanber music is definitely more jazzy and laid back versus the more aggressive TF tracks. Maybe they just took some inspiration from the early series, as I'm sure his music inspired many others.

@RuV9999

3 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie ahh i see. and maybe hyakutaro take the inspiration by the original Rayxanber 2 composer of his work.

man you are not kidding about r-type 2. fuckin brutal. i prefer tatsujin or soldier blade. r-type is a bit beyond my patience

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Tatsujin is about as brutal yeah but I enjoy it immensely. Soldier Blade isn’t even in the same universe but it’s probably my all time favorite shooter. And you can turn up the difficulty and it’s still a blast!

I totally hate Rayxanber II XD

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

DANMAKUMAN VGM 🤣 you and most everyone. At this point I wouldn’t look forward to any part of it again except the final level. It’s got a rhythm to it and once you get into the groove... and you have just the music playing and no sound effects, it’s like this trance state it’s awesome. But I’d rather just keep a save state there and not play through the torture to get to it 😆.

How did I beat these games as a kid?! They kick my butt now 🤕

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

We had better reflexes. So did I. It's much more difficult for me now and it's only getting harder 😢

@xenrich147

3 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie It looks like you're playing just fine to me 😂 I ask going to try these recommendations of yours. I was able to beat Gradius 2 so I'm hoping the other 4 are manageable.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

@@xenrich147 Congrats on beating Gradius 2! That’s not an easy game man. But it’s reasonable. I can promise you that Rayxanber 2 is NOT manageable lmao don’t kill you’re self on it. But it does have unlimited continues to torture yourself so there’s that. Tatsujin is also insanely hard on PCE vs mega drive, but at least it’s also a sick game. Image Fight is fair until the penalty zone at which point you may as well restart the game haha. I don’t remember how many hours it took me to luckily get through that stage.

@xenrich147

3 жыл бұрын

I feel like I get frustrated more easily than I did as a child, so maybe I'll save Rayxanber for last. I think it might kill any willpower I might have to continue, and just make me feel like I'm wasting time with no headway. I do appreciate unlimited continues though. I think that the developers understood that the whole point of a game is to be given a fair chance to improve in order to complete the game.

I've been trying to casually beat Tatsujin for a few years now... this is the hardest game I've ever played- people say Cuphead is hard, but that game doesn't hold a candle to Tatsijin. The whole endless scrolling, mini boss hell makes this game really unique so it's hard with a purpose. There are some later sections that I crumble on, but using the slo-mo option on my AvenuePad makes it clear that I just need to play 4d chess with my moves (slo-mo is cheating, but I don't use save states so I use it more to learn certain parts). It's clearly possible to get through these parts, but it's just insane the level of focus that's needed to avoid everything on screen and find those momentary safe spots.

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone use Tatsujin and casually in the same sentence lol. Getting good at that game is never a simple or casual experience haha. It kicked my ass for a long time back then and over the years I’ve maybe legit finished the first loop a couple times. At least the pc engine version which is insanely tough right from the start. But it’s just damn fun at least for me. So I just like to pick it up and see how far I can get. Still my favorite Toaplan game.

@bstar777777

2 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie I just noticed, are you using unlimited bombs in the footage???

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

@@bstar777777 no I don’t even know how to get that or if there is a code. The game just gives you a lot of bombs in certain segments and I save them for the really crazy parts especially the stage 5 tanky enemies. Like the two large ships, and then the mini boss that comes in three. I pretty much try to bomb my way through them and burn 2-3 each vs getting nailed. Their bullets are so damn fast on the pc engine.

@bstar777777

2 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie thanks for clarifying… the furthest I’ve gotten is right after that first spot where the huge bomb depot is. So hard to know when to strategically use them when you hit new areas.

@Shmup Junkie - IMO Making it almost impossible to recover from a death is a bad game design mechanic. It makes you need to play perfectly for through a long stretch of the game, but how are you supposed to practice those difficult passages? If you blink and die you will have to start from the top and play for several minutes to get another (single!) shot. Thank gosh we have savestates today! @Shmup Junkie Were you able to beat those 5 games back in the day on original hardware? How did you pratice back then? I was able to beat PC Engine's Gradius I, Salamander and Parodius Da on original hardware but first I had to practice like crazy with savestates on a emulator. I don't think I would have the patience to practice on real hardware.

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

tbh that's just how it was back then and we got used to it. Had a lot more free time on our hands as kids than we do now. It was impossible in arcades, but RType on the turbografx was the first time I learned and figured it out at home. I did finish some of these back then yeah, mainly RType, Gradius II, and many others not on this list. But I had to own and not rent them which was rare. So games like Rayxanber II and Image Fight II I only had for a weekend or two rental to enjoy, but not enough time to complete. The ones I owned I eventually worked through, but it was the old school way for sure.

You made a few car analogies. You a car guy.( I am that's why I'm asking)

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

In a previous life, I did a lot of road racing with friends at local tracks so yeah, I totally was. Still am... it's just a crazy expensive sport so I don't own the hardware like I used to. We get our kicks going karting from time to time and some of my old friends still have their shifter karts. But I used to track a few of my cars back in the day. Likely explains the shooter obsession... have to get my adrenaline from somewhere haha. Funny thought though... those days is how I came up with the shooter crackpipe name. We used to call going to the track, smoking the go fast crackpipe! lol

@fictionsgamepad3497

4 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie yeah cool. I used to do some rallying/sports car time attack. But now with kids it ain't easy.

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Fiction's Gamepad it’s hard to replicate the rush you get from that speed and racing. That’s why we used to use that crack analogy. Once you get a taste you keep wanting more 😆. Yeah I know it’s tough. I found that just finding a local kart track you can rent one for a few hundred for the day, and spend that full day out with friends racing wheel to wheel. Like once a year we try to do it.

Ever played Sinistron? The Japanese version is a lot easier but Sinistron is brutal.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Totally have. The last stage is really tough. It would make the top list on most consoles, but the pc engine has so many. Sinistron and Aeroblasters were both in the final running to get that last spot. I ended up choosing Gradius in the end simply because if you die anywhere past mid way you may as well start over haha

My preferred way to play R-Type is with the Japanese edition. Having to switch Hu-Cards halfway allows for a nice breather, like flipping to the other side of an LP. 😅 The CD remix is horrible too. The Hu Card music was already perfect. But it's so nice to put in the codes for Part II and get right back into that fifth stage, especially when I only have twenty minutes to spare after work. The cover art is also nicer than the American version.

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

That's a very good point. I always preferred the US release because that's what I grew up with. It's nice to have it on one card. But now that I think about it, having a code and being able to start any time from stage 5 is really great! I own the Japanese hucards also and agree the cover art is awesome. I never did like the CD remixes either. It was cool the first time but now I don't play it any more really.

@user-ow3hz8wx2k

3 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah, I don't have any interest in the CD version after watching Let's Plays of it. I grew up a Nintendo/Sega/PlayStation kid, so I never got into the Turbo, unfortunately. It was always that "weird, ugly-looking console with Bonk" (I wish they had kept the perfect original PC Engine compact design, by the way--it was really ahead of its time). I only started collecting the games as an adult, and the Japanese versions are both a lot cheaper and have better artwork, and so.... As I'm sure you know, the PC Engine and Mega Drive are mirror images of each other as far as Japan/US reception/popularity goes. In Japan Mega Drive carts are often ridiculously expensive. Whereas in America it's the Turbo versions that are. The thing that makes the PC Engine scene so nice too is you often find games complete in box because of the jewel cases. Whereas with Famicom and Super Famicom the cardboard box was so often tossed. Leading to the manuals and stuff getting lost also. Also just like with the Genesis in America, some more "adult" games were released on the PC Engine that Nintendo would have never allowed.

Dude, is it possible to beat 120 PC Engine Shmups? I just beat the only one on Sega Genesis, and it was the easiest one - Task Force

@ShmupJunkie

9 ай бұрын

I’m sure it’s possible I started back when I was a kid so I had a long time to do it lol. Some are super hard. But most are very manageable. Beating all of them on the Genesis isn’t much easier, that’s still like 80+ games. I never worried s out beating them. Just play the best ones for fun and you’ll finish your favorites over time as you play them more. That’s what I did.

i wonder if anyone beat gradius when it was originally released. so far i see videos on youtube done 30 years later or so and its probably save state roms

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

There are plenty of old videos I have seen of people beating it fair and in the arcades yeah. And plenty legit runs today too.

Aeroblasters is god awfully hard. Even playing it on the Ayn Odin with save states doesn't help at all. I started to laugh at the impossibility of its difficulty.

@ShmupJunkie

Жыл бұрын

I won't argue, especially on PCE the game is brutal. But man I always loved it and kept going. Believe it or not the arcade original may have been easier than the home ports.

@RedLP5000S

Жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie agreed. Even though it's hard as nails, the game is beautiful and worth the effort.

I've always wanted to play Lords of Thunder but can't get it to work either on PSP emulator or Retroarch grrr. Actually, I can't get any turbogrx games to run.

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

That's unusual as they normally emulate so easily. Retroarch and the Beetle Fast PC Engine core works for most, but we all know finicky Retroarch can be with certain things. I hope you find a way to emulate them at some point, there are a lot of options out there. Aside from stuff like the mini or MiSTer of course, but you shouldn't have to resort to that when emulation is also an option.

@krissymarklewis1793

2 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie cheers, I try it with them cores:)

@krissymarklewis1793

2 жыл бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie Oh I missed this post, will have a go tomorrow, thanks. I always found the Psikyo shmups a nightmare.

👏👏👏

@ShmupJunkie

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you buddy, hope you enjoyed it.

stage 4? i cant get past stage 2 on GRADIUS 2 (saturn version) ahah...yes r-type is quite hard...i own both the hu-cards (PCE) ^^ tatsujin..i own the md version and cant get past stage 3 on easy xD

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

No matter how hard they are we keep coming back for more punishment. We all have our threshold. I don't think I could beat arcade Gradius 3 but I will keep trying 😅

AIR ZONK

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

The final boss in Zonk is actually really hard... a lot of people have trouble once they get to him with lots of lives.

gradius 3 arcade...discussion over

@ShmupJunkie

2 жыл бұрын

Save that for an arcade video. It’s not the hardest of all time but definitely insane. I’m just not looking forward to being slaughtered by it if I ever make that video 🤣

You forgot one -- Death Ephemera, from the one who made GalShell and Yakouga.

@ShmupJunkie

5 ай бұрын

Death Ephemera isn’t a pc engine game it’s on the Sharp 68K computer. Funny you mention that game as I just showed it in a pretty recent video last year called Best PC action games you never played. Check it out if you haven’t… it’s in there! Personally Galshell 2 is my fav of these. I had a good time with it. That one I had to show with a lot of stuff blacked out haha… in an old video called Weird Shmups. Have you played his most recent release Angel at Dusk? It’s quite good and beautifully creepy as always.

@ZatohRondohoon3227

5 ай бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie Shoot, my bad. 😂 Just forgot what console it ran on in the heat of excitement. But if you have played it, epic. I would love to hear how the game is in your perspective.

@ZatohRondohoon3227

5 ай бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie Also, Angel at Dusk.... I don't think my PC would even run that. Maybe it needs a 64-bit processor, and I have, what people call, a potato x86 processor that would not run 64-bit programs. 😭

@ShmupJunkie

5 ай бұрын

@@ZatohRondohoon3227 No worries. Unfortunately almost nobody has played it because the rom is inaccessible. The dev doesn’t want it out there and has moved on. So it’s locked down to the select few people that have it. I had to use footage from one of those folks who posted it on KZread and said it was cool. But the dev asked them not to share the rom. Too bad.

@ZatohRondohoon3227

5 ай бұрын

@@ShmupJunkie So, I just tried my luck out at Twitter (yes, I still call it Twitter), and no response, yet. I think we will never get the sweet sweet soundtrack he has made for the X68000 or the game even. But at least it's worth the try.

I agree about Gradius 2. Fuck that game! Lol! I thought i was a seasoned SHMUP guy, until i tried that game. Which sucked as i LOVE the Gradius series, but that speed stage is THE worst thing to happen to any Gradius game. I have never beaten this game to this day, and it's regretful because of my love for it, however i just do not posess the time or patience for it.

Image fight 2 is easily the hardest shmup I've ever played. Such a cramped play field!

@ShmupJunkie

3 жыл бұрын

Paul Dobson Yeah both of them are hard as hell. Large hit box and small play area. The Saturn version is no freaking joke either. It’s like Irem was looking for a way to make something even more evil than Rtype 😅