My Top 30 Arcade Shmups - Best Game Each Year! (1978-2008)

30 Years of Arcade Shoot 'em up Games! From Space Invaders to Bullet Hell! One Game per Year!

[@7force]

Finally, a good fucking top shmup list.

[@gez9145]

great list.. Darius is such a crazy game... it's still hard to believe that an 864x224 resolution shootemup came out in arcades in 1986.. crazy bastards :D

[@tahirahmed33]

Amiga version was good

[@loyaltyman2000]

I absolutely love this video! Shmups are one of my most favorite video game genres ever!

[@insomni4csub2]

Same here man. Favorite Genre

[@HyperVanilo]

It's kinda sad that this genre is dying, there is literally no new shmup at all

[@hanhang5086]

Shmups are great from cradle to grave. I can't believe how good they were even with the first few versions. The gameplay is universal. Sad that no one wants to step into this arena. Think ppl are so into other genre there is no money. The only niche is offline coop.. but they don't sell enough to incentivize developers. At least not for a big team. And the new developers (indies) don't understand enough about game design that they know how to make it proper (level design and constant shooting and music). It's a niche for oldies.

[@HyperVanilo]

@@hanhang5086 There is an indie developer called Junya Ota or ZUN, he's been working on Touhou Project for 20 years, i recently enter the fandom and the fans are enjoying the games, sure there are some controversy here and there like one of the games is too hard or ZUN's latest game, Violet Detector, has been criticized for bad mechanic and recycling old pattern, but the musics are good

[@connectiontotheworld]

Agree!! And my younger daughter loooves them too. Kids will grow up and demand shump games. There are some new ones on ps4 including a couple VR ones.

[@blaazepower386]

Very nice vid, but you missed Galaga....A true classic Schmups :)

[@meecob]

Wow, this great help in finding all the great shmups that where missing from my collection. Cheers

[@Sinisteve]

Some great games in there, I would’ve added time pilot in there Great vid

[@danieljester7752]

raiden should have been there...especially raiden 2 with the killer purple homing lazer that rips through everything on the screen

[@cudencuden]

compilation so good that i took time to log into youtube and like the video

[@AfroMozes]

Thank you. Great list!

[@coastercouch4079]

Very nice list! I don't agree with 'Mega Zone' 1983 though - this was a rather lackluster game. In the same year we had Gyruss, Sinistar, Juno First, Exerion and Mad Planets.

[@TeamEmperor1]

Battle garegga and Ibara is there so I’m happy 😂

[@Fajah69]

I just playing these types of games while consuming my beer lol

[@rickdeckard2622]

Didn`t know, that "Gradius" looked that awesome, back then.

[@Luggy_7]

the clip in this video has smoothing

[@originalblob]

The Arcade was way better than the NES version. Arcades in general had superior hardware back then.

[@ownageDan]

As they say... Shooting Game Never Die!

[@realmchat6665]

Cave games are still the best :)

[@gtssage]

I was going down the list to the first person I seen to mention Cave. Cave killed it back then. So many gems. Still worth playing and replaying Cave's catalogue for any self respecting shmup enthusiast.

[@rickylovesyou]

You should do a list with only shooters from that particular year, starting from the most recent!

[@wazzobazzo]

The graphical advances were so huge during those early years. Wasn't alive for it but it has to have been mindblowing. Nowadays...not so much. Also damn Cave really did own the 2000's. Hope they port ALL their stuff to the Switch (the fact they haven't done so yet makes it seem as though they're allergic to money).

[@reyharkyon]

legendary games my favorite - Mushihimesama Futari Black Label

[@moniruzzamanmishu279]

love this !

[@celestialbody6890]

very cool shmup

[@musiciohann]

Great!! Part two anywhere?

[@KDChenStudio]

Dodonpachi still murders all of them.

[@opa-age]

A most excellent list sir. I would have picked Bosconian over Xevious.

[@SPM_STG]

Isn't Bosconian from '81? (I definitely would've picked it over Scramble)

[@maxmclovin4532]

Bullet Soul Infinite Burst and Guwange should be in there too.

[@pipocombo727]

varth from capcom 92 and esp rade from cave 98 was very good .

[@DeadThumbGamer]

pipo combo I agree & liked!

[@DeadThumbGamer]

Great ending mantra...., I’m alwayz n2 SHMuP’N!

[@904PinballZine]

I've got a 19xx on location. Looking forward to putting more SHMUPs out soooooome dayyyyyy!

[@flyfishincrazy]

Vanguard, Gorf, Phoenix, Pleiades were a few of my favorites from back in the day. I can’t understand why Vanguard doesn’t get more love!😊

[@ph_stuff]

A time stamp by year would be nice.

[@lulekpijanko20]

Geniales Video.

[@user-yp8pl1df4y]

Nice

[@pannonianbrute]

ESP Ra.de. Is my current favourite.... when Im not caught up in Touhou-land that is :) Also, Area 88 just never gets old.....Lt. Shin Kazama all the way!

[@arupian666]

This man is obviously a true Shmupo... nice list... of course it's all subjective... as much as I love the Vasara games, I think Ikaruga was the best of (late !!) 2001... I'd also put Mars Matrix at the #1 spot a year earlier. Having said that, nice list nonetheless. We're all shmupos together. It's all good.

[@wazzobazzo]

Happy he put those two games because I had blanked on them:P Time to check them out. I would've possibly put Dragon Blaze to compete with MM (despite not liking Psikyo that much). Edit: and maybe put VIper Phase 1 or Gekirindan in 1995 because the strikers series sucks imho.

[@geoffreyjohnstone5465]

Great video, takes me back to my youth but a few omissions Robotron 2084, Tempest, Asteroids and Phoenix should all be in any list off historical Shmups.....I appreciate they may have been released the same year a some of your choices but even so, they should be in, but thats just my opinion

[@SCORP1ONF1RE]

Defender, Ikaruga, Radiant Silvergun

[@akko0296]

plz make an update or a part 2 to this

[@GameMaster_84_]

How does it come to this top 30? Personal meaning or statistics from selling / arcade income? However, no Raiden II ;{

[@blehblehbleh7575]

Where are you Radiant Silvergun???

[@cr4sh3dfpv66]

Brave blade and ikaruga also?

[@tahirahmed33]

How did you film all these arcades? Did you use a pc emulator

[@marioangeletti2413]

my favorite game Death Smile from CAVE

[@connectiontotheworld]

Damn those 90's games!!! Someone please put out a collection for ps4!! Thanks for posting this.

[@inrptn]

Make part 2!

[@colinm5548]

At cue 2:10 is that not darius 2 instead of 1 ?, i have played alot of them on your list.

[@ulfricsombrage]

For me nothing beat Akai Katana and Cryptark.

[@tahirahmed33]

Where can I get some of these games , some look amazing

[@Haglegnomen]

several are on shmup collections or stand alone releases on playstation or Switch. Most are also available on steam.

[@felipebrasil5]

in my opinion, psyvariar 1 is the best shumup ever, you can play it on mame folks ;)

[@naofumiosato3911]

no mention of Raiden DX, Donpachi, Raiden fighters jet and Sorcer Striker either.

[@tubbiele2]

Donpachi is historic but IMHO the one that is ground breaking is Dodonpachi. What a game

[@davidgt5004]

R Type 2 /raiden 1 & 2/LAST RESORT snk/sine mora ps3 👍👍👍

[@marianobonifazi6147]

raiden series? under defeat?thunder force 4? and more

[@ml2167]

List invalidated by its omission of Gorf, which is perhaps the greatest shmup of all time.

[@the72u7h4]

Ya'll need some VIEWPOINT up in here

[@DJDanceClassic]

Where are TWIN COBRA , GALAGA 88 , FLYING SHARK , CARRIER AIRWING, UN SQUADRON, DRAGON SPIRIT

[@wolfen337]

Sorry, not my favorites.

[@BlueflagAlpha]

+Don Tango Aww man you re missing some good games

[@ruslansmirnov9006]

Xenon 2 is no doubt the best since 1989 unbeaten! Best graphics, best color harmonics, best music, best scenario, best gameplay, best bosses! Then goes after him Interpose, Overkill, Knightmare.

[@jkemp6791]

Dragon Spirit? Gimme a break.

[@jkemp6791]

+Joey Ford Yep. And having music done by the same guy who did the music in Ibara is what makes a great shmup, amirite? What a completely nonsensical point.

[@RECHOOSENONE]

i more prefer sorcer striker and kingdom granprix.

[@pedromiguel7719]

The title should be "My best game…" Where is Raiden DX? You didn't like it?

[@wolfen337]

I love Raiden DX. But i prefer the PSX version.

[@pedromiguel7719]

Never played in the PSX, just watched videos. The only difference that I saw was the music, besides that is there any more differences?

[@Systemsprenger82]

Hello, ist there a way to Play mushihimesama on a Android Smartphone? I dont found a Emulator in the Play Store that work

[@cparoli1111]

Cave released some shmups for Android but nobody bought it. They don't even update it for the current Android versions.

[@JoeyLamontagne]

Too bad Einhander and Gradius Gaiden weren't AC releases...

[@alpineracerr]

Kei Nanjo personally I think Einhander and macross scrambled valkyrie are likely the best side view shumps ever created

[@naofumiosato3911]

no mention of Raiden which was released 1989 Dec in Japan.

[@rosstee]

Naofumi Osato Agreed, it should definitely have made the list IMO.

[@naofumiosato3911]

Raiden sold 30000 copies of PCBs which is twice as much as Xevious sale.

[@tubbiele2]

@@naofumiosato3911 perhaps the market was larger back then? I know Xevious was another masterpiece, Raiden is very smooth and competent , that's for sure

[@naofumiosato3911]

i really dont think so. The chief executive of Seibu kaihatsu would go to overseas to sell PCBs which probably contributed to the sale.

[@tubbiele2]

@@naofumiosato3911 thanks for the informed reply

[@handlessuck589]

Why is Pink Sweets in this list though. Pink Shits.

[@japu6906]

Great Video! Still, I think Thunder Force IV is better than all of these,

[@astrobollo]

Thunder Force is not an Arcade game series.

[@musicbox702]

🎮🕹️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@bonesjackson81]

No Thunderforce equals a voided list. Darius Gaiden too.

[@astrobollo]

This is an Arcade Shmups list. Most of the Thunder Force games are console exclusives.

[@miguelcic1875]

ikaruga''?

[@ronimendessantos1421]

Olá.! Os jogos mais novos estão com a tela muito suja, muita explosão, destroços, fumaça e atrapalha um pouco. Faltou terra cresta .kkk mas são bons .

[@BuzzaB77]

are these like 360 arcade versions? 'cause most o' those ain't the original graphics

[@wolfen337]

MAME Plus! with XBRZ or HQ shaders + bilinear filtering

[@houseofmeditation8945]

Thumbs up for Ibara, but no Sonic Wings, really?

[@jkemp6791]

I love how every game from 2002 - 2008 was from Cave. Best shmup developer of all-time. Treasure's overrated, imo. Great video. You have phenomenal taste.

[@jkemp6791]

And??? I didn’t suggest Treasure had made more than two shmups. I said I thought they were overrated as a shmup developer. I also put in “IMO” so snowflakes wouldn’t get butthurt, and yet you still did.

[@carlopepi]

Actually vertical m8

[@aretard7995]

how 'bout ZUN

[@chigimonky]

Ikaruga isn't side scrolling you plebe.

[@danielv9574]

where is Radiant Silvergun??

[@danielv9574]

......and Ikaruga? Best Shooters ever

[@daviddefortier5970]

The original truxton was far better than truxton 2, and the original esprade was far better than any of its sequels.

[@hamstrungharry259]

Bro, Cyvern over Batrider?

[@capc1979]

Where is Raiden II?

[@reztoc]

Great collection of shooters. However I will address my pet peeve: poor emulators. Yours does fine with 2nd gen games. But, it does horribly with everything afterwards. For example, Gradius Arcade was not in widescreen. Hell, it even stretches vertical shooters. Even Gen 7 games look ugly. Sorry, had to get that off my chest.

[@vagnerms8263]

Faltou Radiant silvergun e Ikaruga

[@astrobollo]

No sé cual es el criterio del creador del video, pero esos juegos son más que nada populares, sobre todo Radiant Silvergun con sus exorbitantes precios en su versión de Saturn, más que por ser un shooter imprescindible..

[@chilli0n]

So..where is tyrian 2000 ?

[@wolfen337]

lol

[@Missilius73]

Slap fight 1986 and Raiden 1990 miss ;)

[@chrisgardiner2215]

yup

[@silcho1972]

1985 Armored Scrum Object (A.S.O) SNK corporation

[@the72u7h4]

1984 - 1942 comes out. Take away the 19 and then multiply 42 x 2 = 84. I don't know why I find that funny, but I do.

[@avabethmcghee3048]

List fails without Tyrian 2000. *ducks*

[@wolfen337]

Tyrian 2000 is not an arcade game!

[@avabethmcghee3048]

Oh... but it is an *amazing* game.

[@mattyeomans7936]

Raiden 1 > all other shmups combined.

[@rickylovesyou]

You = never played any other shmup combined.

[@mattyeomans7936]

@@rickylovesyou Not true. I've played most of them.

[@astrobollo]

@@mattyeomans7936 Raiden 1 is good but most of the games in this list are way better.

[@anhnhatnguyet4628]

Share me link download Deathsmile?

[@Haglegnomen]

it is on steam

[@mariogallegos]

Nice