Dimension Drive
For about 20 years I’ve been waiting for that one game that could satisfy my latent Axelay needs. Konami promised us a 2nd part but we were left wanting. Many shoot em ups passed revue these latest year and they were delicious iterations on the R type or ikaruga games. The unique gameplay of axelay remained unique, there wasn’t a single shoot em up game that bought an extra dimension or dynamic or gameplay element to the game like there was in Axelay, and so it remained ….. until Dimension Drive.
– Real player with 63.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Shoot 'Em Up Local Co-Op Games.
Dimension Drive is definitely a unique shmup, even in it’s early Access stage, coming across as a mix between your classic shmups and puzzle games like Portal. The dual-screen mechanic it uses a very simple in concept that, given proper exploration, has a ton of depth, something that the devs are clearly capitalizing on. It shows even in their current levels, gradually adding to each, either through obstacles, enemies, or even an additional mechanic. In fact, much of world 1 feels otherwise fairly polished, with some work still needing to be added to world 2.
– Real player with 60.2 hrs in game
Rival Megagun
Rival Megagun is a very frenetic shoot ‘em up, extremely competitive, and its particular features like firing “special attacks” directly to your opponent and becoming a boss to tear them apart in a direct engagement adds even more pepper to its already intensively competitive gameplay.
It is extremely fun when playing it against your friends, but if you don’t have friends nearby, its Arcade Mode is very enjoyable too, with each character having their own motives to “enter the contest”. The story of this single player mode is simple, as anyone would expect, but it is interesting enough to want me to know better each character involved.
– Real player with 89.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Shoot 'Em Up Multiplayer Games.
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This is a relatively mid-paced, simple chaining and dodging vs. shmup.
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“Gear” shouldn’t have been introduced
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Overall, a good introduction to this niche of this genre, but it might be wise to move on to harder games once you master this.
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Grab it on sale, jump on the discord, ask for a few games.
Rival Megagun is a vs. Shmup. You are on one side of the screen, your opponent is on the other. You both shoot enemy ships and dodge bullets. If you can maintain a chain, you both build up energy and build up drones for your opponent to shoot down. Once your chain drops, the drones spawn, and your energy is banked. If your chain dropped because you got hit, you lose a bunch of that energy. The goal is to make sure your opponent gets hit twice. You have two useful tools at your disposal: you can charge up a shot which fires character-specific objects at your opponents screen, and the ability to transform into a mega gunship, spawning a boss that you control onto your opponent’s side.
– Real player with 28.7 hrs in game
Cassiodora
Princess Cassiodora has been kidnapped by the evil sorcerer Kenzar. To save her the chosen knights Agni, Colden and Luken must face a vast army of witches, ghosts and demons across the Kingdom of Astoria.
To accomplish this feat, the druid Faramix grants Agni, Colden and Luken magic wings and elemental powers to help them on their quest.
Play with your friends or solo and shoot your way through this colorful shoot ‘em up. Earn new items, customize your character, challenge yourself and face huge bosses.
Key features
*** Story mode**
Play solo or with up-to 2 of your friends on the same screen and explore 7 regions through 35 handcrafted levels each one with their own setting, challenges, special rewards and unique items.
*** Enjoyable for all**
Choose between different levels of difficulty ranging from Easy to Hard or define your own experience. Want to be invincible or be revived when you die? That’s done !
*** Replayability**
From the leader to the oldest and youngest knights enjoy 3 different characters, each with their own personality, abilities, moves and unique unlockable items.
*** Elemental powers**
Enemies and environmental puzzles like gates or roots will only react to certain elemental skills. Switch between 3 elemental powers or ask your friends to help you!
*** Fully customizable characters**
Unlock new skins for each character with over 50 cosmetics items to personalize your knight.
*** Awesome boss battles**
Face epic, huge bosses that compel you to find unique ways to defeat them. Fly away and slay these bosses to continue your quest!
*** You can PET your elemental guardian!**
Fly, shoot, slash, but do it with style!
Read More: Best Shoot 'Em Up Side Scroller Games.
Vortex
Got this looking for a party game among friends. Its easy to pick up and tons of fun with 4 players. Once you learn to use the physics to bounce off walls you become much better at manuvering. the retro feels nice without being to much. best played with alteast three players, two can last a little long. mayhem and destruction for everyone. will be playing with friends alot more
– Real player with 3.4 hrs in game
I want to like this game. Visually, I dig what what I’ve seen. But…
And there’s a lot but…
As far as I’m concerned, in this day and age, it’s unforgivable to release any PC game like this without either a single player versus some sort of A.I. mode OR online multiplayer support for the intended experience. The local co-op-only support found in this game reeks of hobbyist game maker software, rendering the game completely worthless for 99% of the intended gaming audience. Really, who the Hell plays and enjoys local co-op? Anyone? I know four-year-olds who despise it. Unless I’m playing a turn-based retro coin-op like Defender or Pac Man, gimme my own effin’ screen: I’m a big boy now wearing big boy pants … so get your grimey mitts off my stuff.
– Real player with 2.8 hrs in game
Spark and Sparkle
Amazing little game that I’m so glad I found out about. Vertical shooter mixed with a jigsaw puzzle? Will that work? Really? YES, yes it does!
Great SNES/Retro visuals and soundtrack are just icing on the cake!
Get this game!
EDIT: Would love some updates/DLC for it!!
– Real player with 33.4 hrs in game
Really fun VS Shoot’em up with a twist.
The chaotic combination of puzzle solving and STG gameplay makes for very tense and exciting situations where matches can easily flip from one players advantage to another in a flash.
Art style and soundtrack are fantastic in an adorable cutesy way.
– Real player with 29.1 hrs in game
Tiny Troopers: Global Ops
Attention! Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is a fast-paced arcade twin-stick shooter in which you lead an elite squad of Tiny Troopers on action-packed missions to take down hordes of unscrupulous enemies from all corners of the world!
Yes, the Troopers are ready! Battle-hardened, razer-focused, and raring to take on daring new missions! So, suit-up and lead your squad into explosive battles with epic campaigns against legions of heavily armed adversaries, you’re the best of the best, and it’s time to prove it in Tiny Troopers’ biggest ever ops!
Destropolis
Proof that a twin-stick shooter can be a work of art.
Destropolis’ minimalist art style is bolstered by intelligent gameplay with precision weapon and skill mechanics, and persistent level progression across play sessions.
The aesthetics and gameplay are elevated by LukHash’s beautiful synthwave soundtrack and the integration of tempo manipulation with Bullet Time works to create a beautiful example of digital love.
– Real player with 21.6 hrs in game
The new update is lit.
My old review was still recommended, but I listed a litany of complaints and it was very negative overall.
That old review is wrong, so it’s gone. Of course I still recommend the game, it’s a blast.
So many things have been tuned, changed, and improved across the board.
It’s a bit easy to start now, but it’s sooo fun. Explosions everywhere. More guns, better guns.
If you want a chill game to zone out after a hard day, this is your ticket.
You get to be the conductor of a ballet of destruction, good luck have fun.
– Real player with 20.8 hrs in game
ARKADIANAX
Coming soon to your Commodore 64 and Atari 65xe!
Shoot your way through hordes of enemy ships, tanks, mine fields, wind mills, lazer beams, massive boss fights and software bugs, all in a multidimensional shoot em up like never seen before!
As pilot of the “ARKADIANAX” face both 2D and 3D enemies blended into a whirlwind of nostalgic and modern gameplay, grab items to upgrade your space ship and cannons and take down everything that gets in your way. Discover a colorful multi-dimensional world that requires your expert knowledge in arcade classics to protect and guard the universe; shoot bullets, bombs and massive fists of fury in this explosive space-age and retro-like shmup!
Chewbrick
Year 2048. Planet Brickantine.
Just a simple brickguy Chewbrick lives in a small town of Bricksville. As usual, after work, he was playing video games and was listening to music. But suddenly thunderstorm began, rock shower covered Chewbrick’s house.
It turned out these rocks were Orbital Reducers of the Biosphere (ORBs). Then lightning stroke game console, and it must have short-circuited. This gave him super abilities, which he didn’t possess before. Bullets began to fly out from his head, just like in his game. Also, he’s got the power - Impulse - which could push everything away.
Such disaster wasn’t only in his house, all planet is in trouble. Why did they come? You have to save brickind and find this out in exciting adventures of Chewbrick!
Gameplay
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It’s arcade shoot’em up, in which you need to kill and evade spherical-shaped ORBs.
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Patinas (it looks like crystals, for which you can improve character), as well as positive and negative bonuses, can fall out of them.
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The player can move left-right, and also jump-crouch.
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Before the level start, you can choose weapon and superpower.
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There are different types of ORBs could be, each one has its own characteristics and behavior, but in one they are all alike - they want to kill you!
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If you’ll hit the ORB - two smaller ones will fall out. Then hit smaller ones - another two smaller will fall, and so on, until they are destroyed.
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Every location starts with different mini-game. Every location ends with unique Boss-level.
Power of Seven
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7 various locations
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7 levels on each location
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7 types of ORBs, each one has its own behavior
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7 challenging Bosses
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7 different weapons
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7 unique super-powers
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7 foreign crystals, called Patina, dropped on each level from ORBs
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7 positive bonuses
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7 negative bonuses
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7 years of development (nope)
BlastZone 2
My Grandfather smoked his whole life. I was about 10 years old when my mother said to him, ‘If you ever want to see your grandchildren graduate, you have to stop immediately.’. Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake. He gave it up immediately. Three years later he died of lung cancer. It was really sad and destroyed me. My mother said to me- ‘Don’t ever smoke. Please don’t put your family through what your Grandfather put us through." I agreed. At 28, I have never touched a cigarette. I must say, I feel a very slight sense of regret for never having done it, because this game gave me cancer anyway.
– Real player with 208.4 hrs in game
Apparently the blast zone is actually quite large. BlastZone 2 is a short indie side scrolling shooter (ala R-type but I wouldn’t say this game is that similar to R-type) made by solo developer Mat Edzenga. It features a number of different ships with different load outs, 8 stages filled with enemy ships, interesting 3D graphics and a few extra modes to try your hand at once you have beaten the main game. It also has local 2 players, controller support and costs only a few bucks.
Good
– Real player with 9.6 hrs in game