The best PC shoot-em-up?

[Dos_Box]

OK, it's lunchtime here in the EduGeek office and I'm bored. Can anyone recommend a side/vertical scrolling shoot-em-up for the PC (W8 compatible) which I can play for 15-20 mins and just put down again?

Sp what are the options, and what is the best out there?

[featured_spectre]

Commander Keen if you can get an emulator going or want to buy it from steam.

[Bananas]

Amiga emulator and Xenon 2

[Dos_Box]

MAME is king. I often play scramble, defender or phoenix when im bored on my laptop.

 

I have MAME, but want a modern Gradius/R-Type type shooter. Not run and guns please. Need BIG space explosions

[featured_spectre]

What about Marvel Heroes then? Free to play, lots of explosions, good to pass the time.

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Xenon 2 - Brilliant!

 

But why go any further than this excellent browser based metal slug effort?

 

Metal Slug 4 - Free online games at Agame.com

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

I have MAME, but want a modern Gradius/R-Type type shooter. Not run and guns please. Need BIG space explosions

 

Sorry! You hadn't posted that when i started typing!

[ICTDirect_Dave]

So how about this?

 

Play Xenon 2 - Megablast rom Game Online - Sega Genesis free gen - Vizzed

[flyinghaggis]

Ikaruga is out on steam just now. It's good but very difficult!

[pcstru]

Something a little retro for sir?

 

LUFTRAUSERS

[Norphy]

Tyrian 2000 was always one that I enjoyed.

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Or this... Steam Community :: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

 

Geometry wars evolved on xbox 360 is like jedi training. great fun, incredibly pretty, and it gets harder and harder and harder until the force is your only chance.

 

 

Definitely worth a couple of quid.

[tmcd35]

In order:

 

1) Galaxian

2) Defender

3) everything else

 

[bushby]

if steam works i would recommend Loadout for a fun game

[Dos_Box]

Ideally I'd like a modern Gradius or R-Type. Many I've seen so far have gone for low colour pallets or clever vector graphics. I do like playing the older shmups on MAME, but surely someone must have brought up to date a classic so it's not lost teh look and feel of the orginal?

[sly888]

Sega Megadrive emulator and Hellfire

[LosOjos]

Psychotic Software's Power Up looks good and you'd be supporting an indie

 

Indie Games | Power Up | Psychotic Psoftware

[tmcd35]

Ideally I'd like a modern Gradius or R-Type. Many I've seen so far have gone for low colour pallets or clever vector graphics. I do like playing the older shmups on MAME, but surely someone must have brought up to date a classic so it's not lost teh look and feel of the orginal?

 

I'd say Resogun, but...(PS4)

 

I know you said no Run n Gun - but Mercenary Kings looks like it'll be this month PS+ game for PS4. AFAIK, it's been on Steam for a while. And it looks uber-fun in a Metal Slug kind of way.

[Dos_Box]

Psychotic Software's Power Up looks good and you'd be supporting an indie

 

Indie Games | Power Up | Psychotic Psoftware

 

 

Now that's more like it

[CHR1S]

http://thecompany.pl/game/search/

 

The most amazing site ever if you grew up with an Amiga

[sonofsanta]

On a related note: the current Humble Bundle (Mobile Bundle 5) includes R-Type and R-Type II for your Android device. Clearly the best shmups ever

 

Bundle runs out in five days, about 6pm next Tuesday.

[Sdrawkcab]

Try this guys page for free side-scrolling/vertical shoot-em-ups with vector graphics:

 

games - ABA Games

 

I'd personally recommend these ones:

 

PARSEC47

Torus Trooper

Noiz2sa

 

They're all pretty good "pick up, play for 10 minutes and then put down again" games and they'll run on ancient machines too (have them all on my 1ghz Celeron/512mb RAM xp laptop). As a fan of Bullet Hell games, I can categorically state that they get incredibly hard on the higher difficulties too.

 

 

If you want to spend money and get something with a little bit more in depth, get Jamestown. I think it's one of the best (only?) Bullet Hell games to come out in the past few years that isn't a remake of Ikaruga.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Sdrawkcab

[3s-gtech]

Despite some questionable imagery, Luftrausers seems okay. Hotline Miami?

[Sdrawkcab]

Despite some questionable imagery, Luftrausers seems okay. Hotline Miami?

 

Hotline Miami isn't a side scrolling shooter.

 

It's very very very good though and you should all play it if you haven't.

[hallb15]

OK for a quick blast:

Vortal Combat - Free HTML5 Game

[hallb15]

This is probably my fave:

Play Heavy Weapons, a free online game on Kongregate

 

But you asked for a quick 15 min game - you could easily play this all day...