Every TOAPLAN Shoot Em Up Reviewed!

Every TOAPLAN Shoot Em Up Reviewed and Ranked using Real Arcade Hardware. With special guest Tatsuya Uemura of Toaplan and his TOP 5 Picks! An Arcade STG legend that helped define the genre in the 80s, then ushered in a new era of bullet hell in the 90s. Mega Drive, PC Engine, and Sega Saturn ports followed, but Toaplan was born of the arcade. Truxton, Twin Cobra, Zero Wing, Batsugun. Any fan of shooting games knows Toaplan, with famous developers like Raizing and Cave not having existed without them.
#shmup #retrogaming #arcade
Are you a fan of Toaplan? Then don't miss the amazing documentary
"All Your Base are Belong to TOAPLAN":
www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
Chapters:
00:00:00 - All Your Base are Belong to TOAPLAN
00:03:23 - Tiger Heli
00:07:16 - Slap Fight
00:12:56 - Flying Shark (Hishouzame)
00:16:27 - Twin Cobra (Kyuukyoku Tiger)
00:20:18 - Truxton (Tatsujin)
00:26:05 - Hellfire
00:29:24 - Twin Hawk (Daisenpuu)
00:32:29 - Zero Wing
00:36:55 - Fire Shark (Same! Same! Same!)
00:41:28 - Outzone
00:45:36 - Vimana
00:48:57 - Truxton II (Tatsujin Ou)
00:54:11 - FixEight
00:57:58 - Dogyuun
01:02:44 - Grind Stormer (V-V)
01:09:40 - Batsugun
01:14:58 - TOP 5 PICKS by TATSUYA UEMURA!
01:18:36 - The Wild Bunch
Special Thanks to Tatsuya Uemura of former Toaplan for his TOP 5 Picks!
Shmuplations.com for the invaluable translated interviews that make videos like this and others better than they could ever otherwise be.
Huge Thanks to Joseph Pierce for the gameplay footage using original arcade Toaplan PCBs. This video couldn't have existed without your help.
Additional Gameplay Footage Thanks:
Jaimers 1-All Same! Same! Same!
• [AC] Same! Same! Same!...
Flobeamer 1-All Tatsujin Ou
• Tatsujin Ou - 1,362,56...
Jaimers 1-All Dogyuun
• [AC] ドギューン!! / Dogyuun...

[@mattmyers9351]

Congrats on hitting the Kickstarter goal For the Toaplan Documentary! Well deserved for you and your team and the wonderful developers and music composers of these games! Their story deserves to be told!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! We're definitely excited to be able to make it happen and make something that'll blow everyone away in the end. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

[@mattmyers9351]

@@ShmupJunkie it will be worth it!

[@bobbus_74]

Toaplan really did make some of the best shooters around. These days I'm a lot more aware of their catalogue, but back in the day, Flying Shark, Slapfight, Tatsujin and Hellfire were probably the games I played the most. I can honestly say that they have given me hours and hours of entertainment and continue to do so to this day. On another note, it's great to see the Kickstarter reach its goal. This looks like it'll be a fantastic creation. Well done to all involved.

[@ShmupJunkie]

As a kid I didn't pay much attention to the names and developers. I likely didn't even link all these games to the same company. I just played and enjoyed a bunch of them. Not to mention many were released under, Taito, Romstar, etc back then anyway. Only as I got older did I pay more attention and realize so many were by the same devs and it made sense. Now I'm excited just to be part of that awesome project and we're all excited it's going to happen. Now the hard work begins haha.

[@sunderark]

Growing up in Malaysia in the 80s, my dad was really good friends with a couple of operators who brought in machines and boards from Japan (he was the Customs Director at a local branch). So I spent quite a bit of time in the arcades back then. There is a sort of magic to seeing games back then, most especially Slap Fight and KyuKyoku Tiger. There is no way to explain the amount of nostalgia I feel when I see them on a cab. Beautiful games. Also Great video as always.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you. And yes I get what you mean. We can play them at home or emulated, but it's not the same as seeing the machine in a store or arcade along with the original cabinet. It's so rare now and something special. I still feel that way about old RType cabinets I may still come across, having played on them a lot back then.

[@ShmupsOnSwitch]

Awesome stuff, as ever! What I love about these videos is not just that they're fun and fascinating to watch, but that they always get me psyched either for upcoming re-releases or simply to go play the games I already have. The more I hear about the Toaplan documentary, the more incredible it sounds, too - cheers for everything you're doing for the genre!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I really can't wait to start putting it together and seeing some of these great developers and what they have to say. It's a first for me as well and I never thought I'd be able to work on something like it. And thanks to you as well for what you do, I'm always checking out your new videos and reviews. There aren't too many of us making videos for the genre.

[@CC42_]

That's beautifully said man. Exactly why I like these vids.

[@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115]

I've just landed very recently on this channel. It's wondeful watching you full of passion and making things happening. It's an honour being here.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you. I'm glad you found my channel and the algo did it's job. Lots of awesome games so it's easy to be passionate about them. And I hope you enjoy some of my other content now that you're here. I've made a few good history videos similar and plan to make a lot more.

[@retrojoe85]

THIS IS A MASTERPIECE! And I'm saying it as a Toaplan fan. I still use to play Tiger Heli, Kyakyoku Tiger and Truxton respectively on my NES, my Famicom and my Mega Drive! That's a weird thing to say, but they're seriously a huge part of my life in videogames. Cheers for being so near at reaching the Kickstarter campaign, dude! You're the storyteller of Shmups and, from now on, even the keeper of a huge piece of their history!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you so much. It means a lot. And yes we’ve reached our first goal so this amazing doc can happen! Now just a few days left to push for the stretch goals and making it a 3 disc set with a ton more extras. I think we can get there!

[@ocram83]

What an awesome round up. One of my favorite Toaplan Games in the Arcade was Rally Bike, which I play at least once per year when the moment fells right. I looking forward to the Toaplan Documentary. Keep up the excellent work.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I wish I could have done a short segment for all their other games too, but it was just too much. You can bet you'll see Rally Bike and all their other games in the upcoming doc. I even had some brief clips of it in the trailer a while back!

[@platinumtoofaim]

I'm pretty new to shmups and I just want to say that your channel has been an incredible find. The production value on your videos is absolutely wild. The documentary looks great too and I'll likely back it as well. Keep up the incredible work.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you found me and love hearing when people do and my work has been helpful in rekindling a love for the genre. The documentary is going to be nothing short of amazing and I can't wait to start work on it. Of course any support reaching that final stretch goal so we can make the extended 3rd disc is appreciated. There's only a few days left before the campaign ends. But either way it's good to have you subbed and glad you're enjoying my work.

[@electronjunkie5697]

This project is going to be beyond epic!!! You've got to quit spoiling us Junkie!!! We're getting used to it!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Let’s hope we never have to top this one haha. Epic indeed. And can’t wait to kick it off this Sunday with the video!

[@DontCallMeScooterrr]

Oh man I hope Mark Bussler is narrating from inside a TURBO VOLCANO

[@GreenTeaViewer]

When I played Outzone in the arcade back in the day, the colours popped so much that I thought there was some hardware display innovation. Great graphics.

[@redpandachannel7981]

Flyingshark and twin Cobra were Perfect !

[@JupitersWindySkies]

Damn, I was really blown away by the quality and editing in this video! I loved the interview with Uemura at the end, too! I really feel like the future of shmups is in good hands with people like you at the helm :D

[@ShmupJunkie]

For as long as I'm able to carry the torch 💪 I never thought I'd be involved in this level of project or be able to have a legend like Uemura-san in one of my videos!

[@alfredocanas6802]

Epic video, my first love with shooters started with Twin Cobra back in 1991, I think the music was so uplifting and that had a lot do with it, even if it was too brutal for a little kid I always kept putting quarters just to get a bit better after each beating.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I do feel like the later games lost a bit of that "just one more go" magic once respawns became a thing. A big part of playing a really cool game is wanting to see what was next and trying to get a bit farther every time. I know it was for me in terms of most games back then. If it's fun, great music and entices you to see a little farther, it kept taking your money.

[@Skysmeller1]

The detail and effort put into covering these games and preserving their history is pretty awesome

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks. I really do hope some of these live on for a long while and after I'm no longer making more. These and the history videos I've made have been the most important to me.

[@Catovaria]

This is truly epic! Each time the videos become more interesting. Now we are waiting for the full history of the Gradius series.

[@ShmupJunkie]

In the meantime, just in case you don't know, there's a couple really well done Gradius history videos already out there and why I held off. One is by ChrisB Crisps and the other by dezm101. Both cool in their own way which I watched and enjoyed. In case you're looking for some Gradius entertainment before I get to mine someday. So many great games and devs it's hard to know where to go next!

[@abrslam]

I know next to nothing about toaplan but this video has gotten me very very excited for the documentary! Congratulations again on getting funded, and great work on this video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks man! I just know we’re going to have some really great content and so much to share. There’s so much that’s never been publicly revealed before about them that everyone will have something new to learn and enjoy. Looking forward to getting started on it soon!

[@PEG]

This is top tier content you got here Junkie! Thank you for giving these legendary games the coverage and exposure they deserve!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks a lot. I’m honored a player of your caliber really enjoyed it. Growing up around that time I feel like I have a nostalgic connection to many of the games. A lot of the early games are misunderstood by younger players, seeing the checkpoint system as a cheap and arbitrary way to increase playtime and profits. So I’m often trying to explain how much thought went into the design of well made checkpoint style games and the philosophy behind them. I’m really excited for the documentary and getting to hear the developers directly discuss their design philosophies and specific aspects of each game. I think lovers of the genre will really appreciate it. If it does well maybe it’ll open the door to more of these great devs coming forward and willing to do the same.

[@PEG]

​@@ShmupJunkie Yeah I'm actually learning a lot of things I never new about these games and I can't wait for the documentary!

[@randy7894]

This is great information. I love it how you keep putting immense effort in making video's visually and content wise entertaining from start to end. Cheers.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'm working my ass off to try and grow the genre and channel, absolutely. It's hard to compete these days and the content has to stand out if you're not already a huge channel. But along the way I learned I simply like doing higher quality vids and have been putting in extra time and effort to make them this way, even if I have to take longer before releasing each one. At least for the historical ones like this. It does the games and devs justice and is something I can be proud of making too.

[@randy7894]

@@ShmupJunkie You should be. Always a treat to watch.

[@onemorequarter1087]

Simply amazing content all around,all the time. Big thanks to you and everyone involved🙏cheers👊🍻🕹

[@ShmupJunkie]

And thanks for the kind words along with watching and enjoying. I had a blast making it and it's great knowing it gets out there and enjoyed. Hoping it does well like the similar PCE video I did a while back.

[@BigmanJesusECDJ]

Just wanted to say this video got me into these Toaplan games. Didn’t even know the existence of any of them but now I’m having a really good time with Tatsujin, V-Five, Dogyuun, Same! Same! Same!, and Kyuukyoku Tiger. Great video Junkie.

[@ShmupJunkie]

You're welcome. I think this video came out pretty amazing. And the documentary is coming along really well too with great inerviews. I'm almost done with the special Tsuneki Ikeda interview for backers only that will likely get released soon. He certainly loves Tatsujin like few others do! And it influenced his designs for V-V and Batsugun quite a bit.

[@neil1637]

What a wonderfully researched and produced video. Genuine thank you for making this. Off to play some Outzone, now!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! And have fun with Outzone, which I'm sure you will. That game rules.

[@user-ex5wc7fy2d]

Thank you! Awesome top quality content as always. Just WOW! Toaplan is a legend, and i'm waiting for documentary all in goosebumps.

[@ShmupJunkie]

You and me both! I can't wait to work on the doc and see what we are able to put together.

[@RobotPlaysGames]

I just found your channel last night, and I’m already hooked! This is an excellent retrospective, and your commentary-particularly on Tatsujin-is almost poetic at times. Your passion for these games shines through in every minute of this video, and you’re making this casual shmupper seriously think about taking his game to the next level. 😊

[@ShmupJunkie]

Welcome and really glad you found me and enjoyed it. Honestly, playing Tatsujin is poetic for me at this point, or at least zen-like in the way I get into a zone playing. I just love how the game flows and keeps you in that zone without any breaks... or at least as long as I can manage to survive haha. I'll wax poetic about that game any chance I get. I've got a few good videos on entry level shmups and improving your skills in the genre that may help. But really, long as you are enjoying your time with them, that's what matters most.

[@RobotPlaysGames]

@@ShmupJunkie yep, I’ve checked out your beginner shmups video and the 7-day improvement plan one

[@biostem]

I am so excited for the Toaplan documentary. Congrats on getting funded!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yes! We’re all very excited and thank you. It’s going to be one hell of a project.

[@ceberuss_yt8266]

Awesome once again, junkie! And I’m so stoked for the kickstarter documentary ❤️

[@ShmupJunkie]

You and me both! It's going to be a huge task for all of us, but we're going to do our best to make it one of the coolest game docs out there.

[@then1533]

That was your best vid so far and thats saying something.Absolutely brilliant.The documentary is going to be unbelievably good. What a buzz!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Yes this came out really well and I hope it has some legs just like the PC Engine Review video. The documentary is going to be awesome, it has to be!

[@FatDragonHats]

Congrats on the Kickstarter, looking forward to all the juicy Toaplan info

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you! I'm equally looking forward to getting started and helping the team make something special.

[@Midekai]

I've learned so much from this video and your exploration of the Toaplan brand with all your research

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you and I'm glad you did. I tried to take advantage of having the resources to bring some unique info on some of the games. This is small time compared to how in-depth the documentary will be.

[@Midekai]

@@ShmupJunkie I can't wait!

[@neosean9984]

Love these vids. So glad I stumbled across this channel a year ago! TY for everything!!! Looking forward to that documentary!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Interviews coming along slowly on the doc. It’s been a pleasure seeing them translated and how cool it will be putting it all together.

[@danmakuman]

Badass video as always bro! Each one gets better and better. I have to say Dogyuun is my fav Toaplan shmup and glad Uemura-san loves it too. The gameplay is fast and the presentation is god tier. Keep up the good work.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I never even discovered Dogyuun until much later in life due to it's obscurity. Such a beautiful game... perplexing it didn't draw more attention in Japanese arcades at the time. We are trying so hard to get Hayashi Miho more involved in the doc, as it's her incredible art design that really made that game shine. At a minimum, I'm told she will be in the "zine" included in many of the rewards as part of written interviews, for those that may not want to be on camera.

[@rafaelfernandesacti]

The attention and love you put on your video is unrivaled. Keep up the awesome work.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you! I love making them so I'm glad it shows.

[@HitserOner]

Thank you for the backstories presented here! I have a deepened sense of respect for Toaplan thanks to this post!

[@opa-age]

Outzone is still one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Ogiwara-san was an awesome artist and I really dig just about anything he's worked on. Had his own unique style and really made what many think of in terms of Toaplan art style.

[@JetWolfEX]

Thanks for another beast of a video, it's great that the documentary is funded It says a lot that not a single Toaplan shooter was C tier or lower, they clearly had such high standards

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks and yes, I'd have a really hard time believing any of those games deserve a very average C score. Every one has something cool and unique to offer, along with solid gameplay and design behind them. I can see how some just wouldn't like certain games and give them a C, like a gave Daisenpuu a B-. But it's a personal taste thing, as I can see others who would give that game an A if it's their style.

[@yxlplig33]

@@ShmupJunkie I think we both agree that compared to their peers at the time, basically every Toaplan game is a B+ or higher. But I think it would have been useful for the video to employ a Toaplan only scale and utilize at least the C Tier. As it was presented, the video doesn't make it clear that games like Tatujin and Fire Shark are quite a bit better than Daisenpuu and Tiger Heli for example. Regardless, great video. I'm really looking forward to that OutZone re-release after seeing this.

[@VinuShmup]

Such an amazing video as always, you're the GOAT! Looking forward, even more now, to getting those Toaplan games ports by M2.

[@ShmupJunkie]

We all are, especially the eventual collection with Truxton and the sequel! That one is going to generate a lot of excitement.

[@VinuShmup]

​@@ShmupJunkie Indeed Truxten en the sequel are my most anticipated Toaplan shmups followed by Outzone! I also hope M2 will have some time to port Aleste 16 bits games (but maybe I ask too much haha)

[@chrisr529]

I can't wait for the astro city mini V . It has a lot of great Toaplan shooters .

[@ShmupJunkie]

I’m super excited for it too! Can’t believe we are getting something like that. And I’m trying to get my hands on an early Egret II mini early for a review as well.

[@chrisr529]

I'll be looking for your review . I'm looking forward to the egret mini as well . But man the game list on the V is just outstanding!

[@msjb1976]

@@ShmupJunkie will you be doing a video to showcase the games of the Sega Astro mini 'V' and Egrett II before their release? You'd increase sales of both units! ;-)

[@EdWalker]

I love this video! I would also love to see a broader 'road to bullet hell' encompassing all the companies that made these games through the 80's and 90's

[@joshczoski8693]

This is why I luuuuuuv the Shmup Junkie. Thanks for the hard work and letting us enjoy your thoughts on your experiences.

[@deceiver444]

This youtube channel is a real gem. The Tatsujin review was epic and beautiful. You sure know how to bring the poetry out of these brutal shooters.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I always found Tatsujin to be poetry in motion. And it’s not something one picks up until they really figure out how the game is played. Still my fav Toaplan game ever for that reason.

[@shiningphantasy1393]

Superb video and lots of great background information; I never get tired of reliving my video gaming past and also learning new tidbits in the process. Really enjoying this one, and Toaplan isn't even my favorite developer of shoot em ups, but of course they are a very important source of them.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I have to thank shmuplations.com as well, they are such a tremendous resource for old interviews and helpful to me in my videos. I really enjoy that combination of game and insight into their development. I'm really looking forward to working on the documentary.

[@hellykerbert2838]

As a huge Toaplan fan this is an EPIC video! Subbed and tip my cap to you sir 🍻

[@ShmupJunkie]

I’m glad you found me. If you loved this I’m sure you’ll find the eventual documentary required viewing. Honestly any Toaplan fan would with what’s planned. It’ll be a while but will also be worth the wait.

[@reagandow850]

Damnit dude!! Somehow you manage to continue to outdo yourself week after week. I didn’t think you could, but you’ve it done yourself once again. A masterpiece in every sense of the word!!! You ROCK my brother!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Ha! Thanks man. I just do my best with each one and hope these special videos keep improving. I can't outdo 110+ games on the PCE, but here I was able to spend more time with each game due to the smaller amount. And of course I'm lucky to have someone like Tatsuya Uemura do this for the video! Never did I think that would ever be possible.

[@ree2449]

Thank you for this very elite video . It cemented what I already knew and that's Toaplan was and is top shelf . Oh and these videos are "S" tier . Keep em coming.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I love making them so you can count on it! Still tons of content left for me to work on and explore and I’m excited to do it.

[@shanecorning5222]

STILL CAN'T WAIT for this documentary! I keep finding more people that enjoy the old SHMUPS yes like "Aleste" on MSX , business !!!!!!! Oh HELL yes !!!!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

The interviews are almost all done and I’ve already started on some editing. It’s definitely coming and going to be good. We’ve got some killer material.

[@shanecorning5222]

@@ShmupJunkie .. . .. . :-O .. . . . Holy Smokes I want to even "X" , "JMPG", the damn stream thing to put it RIGHT in to the RasPi WHRER IT BELONGS TO BE , right !!!!

[@JimEXP_]

Great video Junkie! Really dig your project, I will consider supporting it!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! And if you do decide to help us reach that stretch goal, we certainly appreciate it. Plus I hope you'd find some worthwhile options in there for the backer exclusive rewards too.

[@passingbreeze173]

Master class video. You should be doing something like this every week. Jokes aside, your work is amazing. One of the really best youtube channels. Best regards from Spain.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Haha, yes if there was more of me, and I could do one every week, my channel would have blown up crazy by now. YT is a harsh mistress. I enjoy taking my time with them and making it the best it can be. This can stand now along with the PCE video as something people can come back to over time as reference, and I hope they do!

[@noop9k]

@@ShmupJunkie Quality over quantity, and gradually your audience will grow anyway. Awesome work, BTW!

[@jonatana.4540]

Just outstanding work, man. I want to play every one of their games.

[@ShmupJunkie]

And you should! Each has something cool and unique to discover. You just have to set your mindset for the era it was produced. Even Tiger-Heli can be quite fun and replayable. You'll gravitate to some more than others, but all are worth checking out.

[@jonatana.4540]

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah, I own a number of their games for the Mega Drive, but all of them kick my butt. I was fascinated but the arcade only titles, but hopefully they will get released for home consoles soon. I the mean time I need to select one game and finally get good. I gravitate towards Truxton, but it is so intimidating!

[@Insanabiliter_In_Linea]

I'm super late, just started watching this channel because I've been getting back into shmups lately, but it's cool as hell to see you get the funding to make an actual, professional documentary. Congrats, man!

[@ryan_d.v]

Hey SJ, I just found your channel the other day and just wanted to say thanks for the amazing videos and keeping the community strong. I used to love shooters as a kid (my first true one being RAIDEN that was at a local Papa Gino's) and within the last few years have been into them on/off. Just a few minutes ago I finally 1cc'd my first game, Crimzon Clover, and would not have been able to do it without a lot of the tips you have given out in your videos. I can't wait to get my hands on another game! Currently looking at RagingBlasters and have had DoDonPachi:Resurrection in my library for quite a bit now. Thanks again! Looking forward to more uploads.

[@ShmupJunkie]

That's awesome to hear and welcome to the channel. I'm glad you found me and you're finding some other good content to watch here. CC isn't an easy game so congrats on that. Even the Novice mode takes practice and Original is a serious challenge. You'll have no problem at all getting the 1CC of Raging Blasters... or his brand new game Moon Dancer. They're just both very easy to get into and enjoy for beginners but also fun for better players on Expert mode. DDP is another story, not many Cave 1CCs are easy aside from maybe Deathsmiles. Long as you're enjoying it that's all that matters. It's my love for these games as a kid that brought me back several years ago and eventually to start making videos for them. And it's been so cool to see people coming back into it and my videos being a small part in driving it.

[@VinniePaz]

What a great video. Awesome job man

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you, appreciate it. I had a great time making it!

[@RHZZ]

Awesome and very passionate video!! Enjoyed it a lot!! And your Truxton/Tatsujin review feels like poetry!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks. Yeah, simply playing Tatsujin and getting into a zone feels like poetry in motion, and I tried to recreate that. You can tell I really love that game haha. It's simply brilliant.

[@DEXTROBILL]

​@@ShmupJunkie Hey SJ! You're amazing. Please help a guy out and let me know what that first tune is please?

[@CrossoverGameReviews]

How do you keep topping yourself? Just when I thought I've seen the best episode tet, you bring out another winner! And this is just an appetizer for the upcoming documentary! This all so epic for a genre that has been forgotten by the masses. True passion, this is it! My hats of to you Junkie for making all this happen. It's just incredible. And yes, I contributed to the Kickstarter. It's not much, just a buck as I'm on a budget, but I just had to be a part of this. Plus, you already reached your goal by the time I got to donating, so I guess it's just one more buck for the next stretch goal. Either case, I'm hyped! Shmups continue to live on!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Honestly I have on idea lol. I think this was the only next step, having the actual developer involved to top what's come before. But there'll certainly be no topping the documentary once it comes out, that's going to be something. And thank you, every little bit helps. I feel bad it's not enough to gain access to the actual film once it's out, at least not early. But once it's officially released, all kinds of ways to watch will become available whether physical or digital. And I hope you're able to once it does.

[@deany2274]

I just found your channel a few days ago and was incredibly impressed to see such comprehensive, quality and detailed analysis of Toaplan! And that's just for starters! I've got tons on videos to get through now, so massive cheers to you, Sir from an 80s arcade child nut, especially shmups! It was the mighty, addictive Flying Shark masterpiece that initially hooked me in as a child in the UK arcades ( and most my pocket money, lol 😆 ) which led me to every other Toaplan shoot em up! And then beyond! Cheers 🍻

[@ShmupJunkie]

Welcome! Love to hear when new enthusiasts find me especially those that appreciate what made Toaplan such a great developer of STGs. You definitely found the right video! And I’m sure you’ll love the documentary when it comes out. Enjoy exploring the channel and some of my other history stuff. It’s a great community here which you can see by the comments and it’s good to have you.

[@princegroove]

What a magnificent documentary. Congrats!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you. The documentary is still in the works and will hopefully be done sometime next year!

[@albertomillangh]

Genial, como siempre. Gran trabajo. Creo que con los años servirá de referencia para los estudios que se realicen del género. Enhorabuena.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Muchas gracias. ¡Yo tambien lo espero! Este video y el futuro documental deberían ser un gran recurso para los fanáticos y los nuevos jugadores potenciales. Me alegro que hayas disfrutado.

[@flobeamer1922]

Great video, Junkie! Looking forward to the documentary!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks man! And thx for having me use a bit of your gameplay. No other way we could’ve shown some of the late game stuff.

[@ben01623]

Really great video, thanks for the depth of information.

[@ruebensfilms]

What an absolute fantastic channel. Thank you.

[@ShmupJunkie]

You’re welcome. Really glad to know you’re enjoying it. I love making vids like this that I hope will be important long after I’m done.

[@luisrivera7991]

Absolutely loved the video, great work junkie… thanks

[@ShmupJunkie]

You’re welcome and glad you enjoyed it. This is one I hope ages well and tides people over until the documentary is complete.

[@mulliganxable]

Yeah, I can't deny my hoping that Thruxton is gonna be number 1

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'm doing the rankings like I did for the PC Engine video, using letter grades. I think everyone knows my love for Truxton by now. But Uemura-san will actually be doing a Top 5 countdown yeah! And I'm excited for people to see it.

[@GiulioMa]

Man!Using the original Pcb is awesome. Truly passion, great contents. Keep it up plz

[@ShmupJunkie]

It’s awesome Joseph owns all these games so we could do it!

[@baileywatts1304]

This was a good look at some shmups I overlooked completely back in the day. I was into some euro stuff wayback and had no patience for anything checkpoint based. I'll have to revisit some of these with new eyes.

[@MultiDanzig]

Looking forward to this ! Let’s Go!

[@HypnoGenX]

The production quality on these massive videos never ceases to amaze me.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It was really good only have 16 games to worry about on this one, so I could more time and effort into each one. I really like how this video came out even if it's more niche than something like mega drive. Really an incredible developer.

[@ChrisSmith-cd7uw]

Bravo to the mighty Junkie once again; an S-Tier video! I enjoy popping in Twin Hawk every now and again; love the kamikaze helper ships and relaxed pace. The music reminds me a bit of some early 80’s King Crimson. Your commentary of the “ballet” with the devil in Tatsujin really painted the picture of its brilliance. A little surprised Uemera-san didn’t have it in his top 5, but what a testament to the level of quality of all the games! What breaks my heart is that I have 2 copies of Grind Stormer/V-V for my Genesis that I can’t get to work anymore and it’s killing me! I just don’t have the balls to try my soldering skills on one of them! Sad times...

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yes my copy of Grind Stormer was already "fixed" as I didn't do it myself either. So I feel you on that. Maybe there's someone on my discord or community that does that kind of work and can hook you up.

[@ChrisSmith-cd7uw]

@@ShmupJunkie Your fantastic video and my sad comment inspired me to reach out to someone already to repair it for me. Depending on the outcome, I may seek your guidance on which category I should post my request!

[@jordanbenson2980]

Firstly, your videos and love for this genre is infectious and you single handedly got me excited to play more shmups. Secondly, after following your 7 day guide, ive managed to get through stage 3 of Blazing Star on 1 credit without using a continue. Considering how poor i am at this genre, i feel o haveade progress because of you. Cheers mate!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Super glad to hear it and congrats on slowly getting farther in Blazing. Long as you’re enjoying the process and the game, hopefully revisiting it regularly will have you getting farther each time. I have an old Shooter 101 video I did… my first one actually that focuses mostly on Blazing Lazers and some tips for the game. Definitely make sure you’re stocking up on the golden lives on the easy first couple stages before it gets a bit harder on three. And most importantly just have fun with it. I know a few folks that still get smashed a level or three into Raiden but never stopped playing it for fun.

[@jordanbenson2980]

@@ShmupJunkie cheers mate. I've got a Mayflash F300 Elite arriving in a few days, hopefully when I get time to use it, that might speed the learning up a little. Also, arnt the golden lives in Blazing Lazers not Blazing Star? Seems in the video you mention, Blazing Lazers has the golden lives.

[@DenkyManner]

Your channel is invaluable. I'm trying to get into shmups and you keep explaining where I'm going wrong and why I keep bouncing off them. I tried Truxton because it's well known and this video perfectly shows why that's a mistake. I'll follow your advice in your beginners video.

[@ShmupJunkie]

That’s awesome to hear! Yes truxton is great but not for beginners. However you can enjoy it a good bit more on the mega drive as it ramps slower and the early stages ease you in. Anyone can enjoy that version for at least the first 2-3 stages and it’ll ramp from there. If you are into the m2 ports at all, these collections are amazing for beginners to discover the games since they have easy and custom modes, plus the ability to save, rewind, practice stages etc. I’m really stoked for these collections.

[@charlenemaximum]

another excellent video, Junkie!

[@ShmupJunkie]

haha, you're welcome to use whatever you like. But once that doc comes out, it'll be a mountain of info for the wiki and then some! The biggest thing is hopefully they'll correct all the errors in the regular wikipedia articles too. There is a ton of misinfo out there about them and who worked on what aspect of certain games.

[@tekmate]

Amazing video. I can't imagine how long it took to put together.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I can imagine haha, a long time. But it was worth it as usual. I'm really pleased with how it came out as well.

[@joshthefunkdoc]

Thank you so much for all your effort on this! Funny enough, the Toaplan game i've put the most time into isn't any of their shmups, but their one attempt at a beat-em-up: Knuckle Bash. If you ever wanted to mention that game, i'd be willing to join you and help out! i have the speedrun record for it and find it misunderstood by most (albeit for very understandable reasons)

[@ShmupJunkie]

Do you really? That's pretty awesome as I've yet to actually play it. You can bet I will be as we are covering every one of their games for the documentary. But now I know who I can go to for a netplay session. I'm not all that great at beat em ups in general, but I've wanted to try Knuckle Bash for a while now. If anything, I'd enjoy hearing your take on the game and what makes it misunderstood. Those are the great angles for if I do a segment on the game. And I'd gladly get your input.

[@dingo535]

The opening to Twin Hawk gives me the feels big time! It’s so good

[@ShmupJunkie]

For a game with such modest presentation the game opening with the runway sure is awesome!

[@darkridearts]

One of my favorites

[@NewAgeOfAces]

Another stellar vid as expected! So much to look forward from M2 ShotTriGgers. It’s feels like ages ago that I sold my Saturn copy of Batsugan as I expected to be playing a perfect version on PS4. Still waiting… Can’t rush perfection I suppose. With the recent beta of Zero Wing on Mister. Maybe we can get more Toaplan cores as well.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yeah man that Saturn release is like gold, I'm holding on to it for the foreseeable future. Having the special version which is my favorite is really great. I'm sure M2 will get to it eventually toward the end but it could be a while. I'm looking forward to finally trying out that Zero Wing core soon! It's really exciting to see and the prospect of more to come.

[@kbxthegamemaster06]

Excellent video. this is just as incredible as your ranking all the PCE shmups video. Absolutely...I'm gonna make up a rank here, XSP Dash+ tier content. Long live Toaplan.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It was nice having a bit more time to spend on each game since there weren't so many to go through. Add some fun facts and history without going too detailed into mechanics.

[@sofianehaba]

Hello Shmup Junkie, Fantastic review and video. Like ALWAYS. Thank you so much for this work. Like all your videos, you’ re on the top. My favorite shoot from Toaplan ? …hard choice but it is Twin Cobra/Kyūkyoku Tiger. More than 20 years I’ m hardly trying to reach the end, so brutal and vicious bullets… And I’ m glad to have discover OutZone and Vimara now due to your video. Toaplan games are so bad ass games … Keep going and cheers from France !

[@ShmupJunkie]

You’re welcome! And cheers from California. I await the day I can return to France as I loved my last trip there. Very happy I could introduce you to some new games from them. Kyu Tiger is truly a well designed and good game which you’ve discovered playing for so long. I can’t finish the arcade version either but I enjoy playing it. I hope you enjoy Outzone I absolutely love that game.

[@davorz.5762]

I really liked this. Thank you for your effort!

[@ShmupJunkie]

You’re welcome. I enjoyed making it just as much.

[@DMC_stg]

Informative as always. First screen-clearing smart bomb probably goes to Williams Defender. Very much ahead of its time, that game.

[@Poibos]

Outstanding video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I'm really pleased with how it came out as well.

[@undefinedopcode520]

Nice to see love for V-V! I've loved this game for a while and never fully understood why it was so obscure compared to Toaplan's other releases. Maybe the fact that the arcade board is pretty rare and the MD port is a mixed bag? It was the first game that really got me hooked enough to play for score, routing to collect all the gems and get the end-of-loop NO-MISS PERFECT bonus was so much fun! As for the loop, I've never gotten past 2-3, but I know I'll revisit it some day because it just keeps pulling me back. I also found it to be super approachable WRT to recovery, I don't think there's a single checkpoint that can't be learned, and the second loop even hands out MAX-POWER items. I hope more people can try this hidden gem after watching your video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I hope so too! It's pretty much in my Top 3 along with Tatsujin and Outzone. The MD version always kicked my ass, I found it to be the hardest game on the system though I still really liked it. And yes, it's very fair despite being hard and learnable. Just finishing the first loop was the farthest I ever went, but I know sooner or later I'll get more into playing it farther. I only recently started messing with the arcade original around time for this video. It's just a great game!

[@ynotwalk7391]

@@ShmupJunkie iirc you can improve the md port using mister fpga turbo

[@dr_ubo]

So well done and so much effort went behind this. Don't have much to add from Toaplan itself other than the influence it had over the genre after it broke down (something you did an excellent job already in this vid). Getting even better every vid. Now that you've covered the story of Compile (and to a certain degree their offsprings in Rizing, Milestone and all of that in a way), it would be fun if you reviewed Taito's and Takatsuna Senba's defining games for the genre: Gun Frontier and Metal Black. There's a ton of information from Senba's OWN blog around that not many people know of. Keep up the good work Junkie!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hey man! Good to see you here. Really funny you mention Taito and those two games, as I may just have an early copy of the Egret II Mini on the way. Which of course means reviewing my favorites on the system including those 2 games! Among many others. I've been wanting to do a segment for Metal Black for a while now so I'll finally get a chance. Believe it or not I've never played Gun Frontier, along with some others shmups on there. So it'll be both highlighting old favorites and discovering new ones for me. Please be well man I'm glad you got to watch and enjoy this one.

[@KevenLC]

Great video as usual ! :) I'm happy also that M2 is going to release all these games on current console in the future.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yep, M2 is releasing them. And we are even getting some MiSTer cores coming down the pike. Even the upcoming Astro City V Mini will have a bunch of these rare games on there. It's going to be a good year for Toaplan I hope.

[@manualmartin]

I lift my digital hat and doing endless deep bows. What a compilation! Epic walkthrough.

[@ShmupJunkie]

This great developer deserved nothing less than the best!

[@ChojinDevil]

Fantastic video. Your channel is heaven on earth for a shmup-fan like me!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I’m pretty proud of how this one came out too. I was hoping it would be a great resource for fans of the Toaplan library.

[@futureskeletons66669]

I'm old enough to remember Tiger Heli when it was new. For context, you have to remember that Capcom's 1942 was released less than a year previously. I'm based in Ireland and it was very popular here. I get that it seems archaic now, but like I said look at 1942 and how that plays. Tiger Heli was a leap forward at the time. Slap Fight was also a leap forward, it's obviously an interpretation of Gradius, but a vert. They were very quick to get that out. I wasn't really aware of Toaplan at the time, only Taito and you could tell that the Slap Fight team also developed Get Star. Flying Shark was a big deal at the time. It was my first STG 1CC. I can't put my finger on it, but that game just has something special about. I think it's the audio, it's almost as though you can feel the audio feedback from the shots and explosions. We had Twin Cobra here and it was a co-op credit feeder for sure, especially with the fact that it featured respawns. I thought it was a little merciless at the time and kinda skipped it. I do enjoy the M2 version now though. I gave STGs are wide berth after that really. The difficulty just started to get crazy and I really did not like Hellfire at the time. I remember playing a credit of Fire Shark and thinking Fuuuuuuck thaaat, that they'd just become a cash grab to get you to credit feed. I got back into playing them about 20 yrs ago when I first put MAME 2003+ on a PC and haven't looked back, playing catch up with Truxton, Esp.Ra.De and all that. Your videos are very handy for reminding me to try particular games. Thanks! Glad you made your goal for the doc. I haven't seen X'ain D'Sleena in any of your videos - it's by Technos for Taito. A hybrid between scrolling action and a horizontal stg. It's a bit dated now, but you might like it.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Sorry for the late reply. Yeah, I've had a few people recommend Xain'DSleena to me now so I'm going to check it out sooner or later. You're right about some of the later games. Fire Shark was nuts and just nuts in the arcade, thankfully the MD port was much more playable. I never finished any of those arcade releases at the time, too hard and required too much money to master haha. But once they came out for home play, I really got into them more and enjoyed most.

[@TheSocialGamer]

It's movie time! Off the the 50" OLED ..! Fantastic as always!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Ha, funny choice of words. Movietime is the name of my business actually that I've had since the early 2000s. Watching this one on a nice proper setup is definitely cool vs a small mobile screen.

[@danieldutch8621]

Excellent production once again. Now I want to complete my PC-Engine Toaplan shooter collection. Still missing Tatsujin, Hellfire-S and Daisenpuu.

[@ShmupJunkie]

On the plus side, Hellfire and Daisenpuu aren't too expensive yet. Definitely stick with the hucard version for Daisenpuu, the CD port is actually worse. Unfortunately Tatsujin now costs an arm and a leg. But man that cover art is just awesome!

[@danieldutch8621]

@@ShmupJunkie Thank you for the tips on Daisenpu. Will definitely go for the HuCard as that's by far my preferred medium. Saw it for ¥2600 a few weeks ago. Should've picked it up then and there. Tatsujin is going for around ¥34000 now though. Yikes. Anyway, thanks again for the awesome videos! Really enjoying them. Good luck with the Toaplan documentary.

[@druiz1370]

Holy hell, this is epic bro 😃 👍 🎮

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hey dude! Thanks for watching and commenting, and I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I had a great time working on this one.

[@isaacaubert6457]

Your channel is awesome! subscribing right now! I've started to play shmups recently and i'm learning its ways hehe! Finished 2 Mega Drive games until now: Steel Empire and Gynoug

[@ShmupJunkie]

Welcome! Glad you found me and hope you're enjoying all the content. I've only been doing this for a couple years now but I've put together some really great resources. A Shmups recommendation video for Beginners and a lot more. Please enjoy and take your time. Steel Empire was actually one of the two MD games I recommended in that beginner video. And congrats on finishing Gynough as that game gets properly hard toward the end of the game, that's a solid accomplishment. You've got this for sure.

[@isaacaubert6457]

@@ShmupJunkie I love Steel Empire's Steampunk style and is atruly beatiful game! I had Gynoug cart when was a kid anda I made i bet with myself that I would finish it - It took me a hellish effort lol! The penultimate level is pretty long and unforgiving!

[@dark2deeds]

amazing video superbly done

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! It was a ton of labor but very worth it. Loved putting it together.

[@billcashman5900]

Incredible video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Appreciate it and really enjoyed making it.

[@davidjames5043]

What am amazing video, really great work. Top class. Off to try and find a few of these on Mame.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Please do, they're amazing. A great way to try some and see which ones you enjoy most.

[@MultiDanzig]

This is going to be great! With Mark from Classic Game room on board this will be good! Hello from Western Pa keep it up! Good content bro!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Yeah we all thought it would be awesome to have his familiar voice for the documentary. It's almost not right to have a Toaplan video and not have him take part.

[@GameBoyGuru]

Great stuff, Junkie! This must have taken you quite some time to put together. I don't have as much experience with some of the lesser known Toaplan games, but I'm glad M2 got the rights to do the ShotTriggers ports, so we can get excellent console versions for everything.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yeah it always does ha, but I enjoy it. Nobody else would do them as right as M2 so I'm glad as well. I know some aren't happy they are coming so slowly and in segments, but I really don't see how they could do it right any other way.

[@digitalchameleon1884]

Mr Junkie I absolutely love your videos. Always a trip down memory lane with so much knowledge. you bring so many things to the table, so many games I have to play again like slapfight damn I must have never played that correctly. Thank you sir for your knowledge. You are epic :)

[@ShmupJunkie]

Really glad you enjoyed and get a lot out of them. I never played Slap Fight to it's fullest either until I learned much more of it's design and how Yuge-san intended it. It's really one of Toaplan's most interesting games and underrated if there ever was one to choose.

[@felixfranzen7318]

One of your best videos this one, Junkie! Awesome presentation of one of the coolest developers ever. You just got to do one of these on Compile as well.

[@felixfranzen7318]

Answering my own comment here. I just realized that you in fact did one of these on Compile a while back. Watching it now.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hahaha yes I sure did! In fact, the Compile history was the very first one I ever did. It was so popular that it kicked off me doing so many more of them, like I also did for Technosoft and RType. Compile is an all time fav so it was a natural first choice. And thank you. I worked hard on this one for Toaplan and was really happy with how it came out.

[@sickanboy]

Tiger Heli was the first TOAPLAN shooter I played back in the arcades. Twin Cobra was the one that made me forever in love love with the company. Amazing video, you're the best junkie-man!

[@sickanboy]

And I love the Slap Fight soundtrack. Brilliant.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yes! It started it all and I played it both in arcade and NES at the time. It's hard for younger players to see it's appeal coming in later, but back then it was a big deal. And yeah, Slap Fight music is amazing all around. I love the original tunes for the nostalgia, and the MD music is bangin'. Such an expensive game to find and own physically, but so so good.

[@mr.gamerdanger1641]

Grats to the community for successfully backing the All Your Base Are Belong to Toaplan project! Thank you to everyone involved for making this the most exciting event I've ever been able to contribute to. Looking forward to the Top Ranked Toaplan Shooter video! Good luck to all the contestants, regardless we're all winners in just having this treat of a video.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks for joining us on the chat man, and all the extra support throughout to help reach our goal. Time to keep plugging away and see how close we can get to the stretch goals now in the last few days. I think it's possible!

[@noop9k]

@@ShmupJunkie Lost access to my old Kickstarter account, still trying, but will register a new one just for this if everything else fails.

[@SpaceDave3000]

This is seriously epic!

[@ShmupJunkie]

An epic vid for an epic developer. They deserve every bit of it and they will get it.

[@MrDirkles]

i learn so much from your videos i feel the need to have a pen and paper nearby so i can take notes.

[@ShmupJunkie]

If not at least you can always go back to rewatch a chapter too! I hope these have a long life over the years and help spread some more STG love.

[@thewingedavenger1007]

Having released this video and the one on Compile, you are now the leading expert on the two best creators of vertical shmups! I wish someone would port some of the arcade exclusives to the Nintendo Switch, as some of them have sound problems on MAME (especially Vimana, which has no sound at all when emulated).

[@ShmupJunkie]

M2 is porting every single one to the Switch far as I know. Or at least as long as they aren't losing money on them. It's taking some time since they are coming in collections, a couple a year or so. But it's exciting we are getting them, let alone from M2.

[@kerryannmurray4167]

You sir you are the best shmups reviewer on KZbin I've seen the other reviewers but you have true passion for the genre .

[@ShmupJunkie]

I don't even consider myself a reviewer, I'm not very objective. It's mainly my personal opinions. But I do know and love the games so I try to include lots of fun facrs and details for each one. I had a ton of fun putting this one together despite the amount of work involved.