Shoot 'em Ups & Shooters
Danmaku bullet-hell, side-scrolling shmups, and all games where precision and reflexes meet art.
81 games in this room
Family Computer (Famicom) / NES
Xevious
ゼビウス
Xevious, released for the Famicom in November 1984, was one of the system's earliest third-party releases and one of the…
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▶ Family Computer (Famicom) / NES
Star Soldier
スターソルジャー
Star Soldier (1986) is a vertical scrolling shooter, but that is not what makes it matter. What makes it matter is what …
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▶ Family Computer (Famicom) / NES
Gradius
グラディウス
Gradius (1986) arrived on the Famicom as a port of Konami's 1985 arcade hit — and brought with it something no other Fam…
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Rare Family Computer (Famicom) / NES
Layla
レイラ
Released by dB-SOFT in December 1986, Layla is a Japan-only Famicom action game inspired by the Dirty Pair anime. Player…
Read more →Family Computer Disk System
Zanac
ザナック
Released in 1986 for the Famicom Disk System, Zanac is one of the most technically remarkable vertical shooters of its e…
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Family Computer Disk System
Moero TwinBee: Cinnamon Hakase o Sukue!
燃えろ!!ツインビー シナモン博士を救え！
Released for the Famicom Disk System in November 1986, Moero TwinBee: Cinnamon Hakase o Sukue! is the sequel to Konami's…
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▶ Family Computer (Famicom) / NES
King's Knight
キングスナイト
King's Knight is a 1986 vertical-scrolling action game published by Square for the Famicom — one of the company's earlie…
Read more →Family Computer Disk System
Falsion
ファルシオン
Falsion is a behind-the-ship perspective 3D shoot-em-up for the Famicom Disk System, released in October 1987 — predatin…
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Family Computer (Famicom) / NES
Salamander
沙羅曼蛇
Released in Japan on April 4, 1987, Salamander is Konami's port of their 1986 arcade shooter — a companion piece to Grad…
Read more →Family Computer (Famicom) / NES
Life Force
沙羅曼蛇
Life Force (1987), known in Japan as Salamander, is Konami's Famicom adaptation of their 1986 arcade shooter — a horizon…
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Gradius II
グラディウスII 〜GOFERの野望〜
Gradius II (1988) is the sequel that made the Famicom do more than it was supposed to. Konami brought the arcade game ho…
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Uncommon PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
R-Type
R-TYPE
R-Type for PC Engine is the 1988 home conversion of Irem's landmark 1987 arcade shoot 'em up, ported by Hudson Soft. Due…
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PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Galaga '88
ギャラガ'88
Released for the PC Engine in 1988, Galaga '88 is Namco's ambitious sequel to the classic Galaga, expanding the fixed-sc…
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PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Super Momotaro Dentetsu
スーパー桃太郎電鉄
Super Momotaro Dentetsu (1989) is the PC Engine entry in Hudson Soft's beloved board game series — a game about travelli…
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Uncommon PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Blazing Lazers
ガンヘッド
Co-developed by Hudson Soft and Compile — the studio behind Zanac and the Puyo Puyo series, led by Masamitsu 'Moo' Niita…
Read more →Sega Mega Drive / Genesis
Herzog Zwei
ヘルツォーク・ツバイ
Herzog Zwei (1989) is one of the earliest real-time strategy games in history — and the first to run on a home console. …
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PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Super Star Soldier
スーパースターソルジャー
Released in 1990, Super Star Soldier is the PC Engine entry in Hudson Soft's celebrated Star Soldier shooter series, and…
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Game Boy
Solar Striker
ソーラーストライカー
Released in January 1990, Solar Striker was one of the first Game Boy titles to prove that a small grey screen could car…
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Uncommon Sega Mega Drive / Genesis
MUSHA Aleste
MUSHA アレスタ
MUSHA Aleste, released in December 1990, is part of Compile's Aleste shoot-em-up series but stands apart from its predec…
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Thunder Force III
サンダーフォースIII
Thunder Force III, released in June 1990, introduced a branching stage-select system — players could choose their order …
Read more →Game Boy
Nemesis
ネメシス
Nemesis (1990) is the Game Boy debut of the Gradius series — a horizontal scrolling shooter that arrived just nine month…
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Ultra Rare PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Magical Chase
マジカルチェイス
Magical Chase (1991) is one of the rarest and most visually stunning shooters on the PC Engine, starring Ripple the appr…
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PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Salamander
沙羅曼蛇
Salamander for PC Engine, released in December 1991, is a port of Konami's 1986 arcade shoot-em-up — the companion/spin-…
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Uncommon Game Boy
Contra: Operation C
コントラ
Released in January 1991, Contra: Operation C brought the relentless run-and-gun action of the Contra series to the Game…
Read more →Super Famicom / SNES
Parodius Da!
パロディウスだ！ 〜神話からお笑いへ〜
Parodius Da! (1992) is Konami parodying itself. The ship is a flying octopus, or a penguin, or Vic Viper from Gradius — …
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Super Famicom / SNES
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
ストリートファイターII ザ・ワールド ウォーリアー
The Super Famicom port of Street Fighter II, released in June 1992, became one of the fastest-selling home console games…
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Uncommon Sega Mega Drive / Genesis
Thunder Force IV
サンダーフォースIV
Thunder Force IV (1992) is a horizontal shoot 'em up developed and self-published by Technosoft for the Sega Mega Drive,…
Read more →PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Gate of Thunder
ゲート・オブ・サンダー
Released in 1992, Gate of Thunder was the first shoot 'em up developed specifically for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² form…
Read more →PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Soldier Blade
ソルジャーブレイド
Released in 1992, Soldier Blade is the fourth entry in Hudson Soft's Star Soldier series and one of the finest vertical …
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Uncommon PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Star Parodier
スターパロジャー
Star Parodier (1992) is Hudson's self-aware parody of its own Star Soldier vertical shooter series, replacing the hard s…
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Uncommon PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Air Zonk
PCデンジン パンキックサイボーグ
Released in 1992, Air Zonk is a horizontal shoot-'em-up spin-off of the Bonk series, reimagining the stone-age caveman h…
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Super Famicom / SNES
Contra III: The Alien Wars
魂斗羅スピリッツ
Released in Japan in February 1992, Contra III: The Alien Wars — known as Contra Spirits in Japan — is Konami's definiti…
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Uncommon ▶ Super Famicom / SNES
Star Fox
スターフォックス
Star Fox is the 1993 Super Famicom game that demonstrated 3D polygon graphics were possible on a home console — not thro…
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Uncommon ▶ PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Lords of Thunder
ウィンズ・オブ・サンダー
Lords of Thunder — known in Japan as Winds of Thunder — is the 1993 PC Engine Super CD-ROM² shoot 'em up developed by Re…
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Super Famicom / SNES
Super Bomberman
スーパーボンバーマン
Released in April 1993, Super Bomberman brought the series to the Super Famicom and, more crucially, delivered a five-pl…
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Uncommon PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams
コットン ファンタスティック・ナイト・ドリームズ
Released in February 1993 for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM², Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams is a horizontal scrolling shoo…
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PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Street Fighter II': Champion Edition
ストリートファイターII' チャンピオンエディション
Released in June 1993, the PC Engine version of Street Fighter II': Champion Edition was remarkable for one reason above…
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Super Famicom / SNES
Samurai Shodown
サムライスピリッツ
Released in September 1994, Samurai Shodown for Super Famicom is the home port of SNK's seminal 1993 arcade weapon-based…
Read more →Super Famicom / SNES
Wild Guns
ワイルドガンズ
Wild Guns (1994) is Natsume's sharp-shooting action game set in a steam-powered Wild West — a gallery-shooter where cowb…
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Sega Saturn
Virtua Fighter 2
バーチャファイター2
Virtua Fighter 2 sold over 700,000 copies in Japan within its first two days of release in November 1995 — a record that…
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Uncommon Sega Saturn
Panzer Dragoon
パンツァードラグーン
Released alongside the Sega Saturn's Japanese launch in March 1995, Panzer Dragoon was a 3D rail shooter that made an im…
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Uncommon Sega Saturn
Layer Section
レイヤーセクション
Layer Section is the 1995 Sega Saturn port of Taito's 1994 arcade game RayForce — a vertical rail shooter with a mechani…
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Sega Saturn
Virtua Cop
バーチャコップ
Virtua Cop (1995 Saturn) brought the transformative arcade light gun shooter home for the first time. Originally running…
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Ultra Rare PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
Sapphire: Ginga Fukei Densetsu
銀河婦警伝説サファイア
Released in November 1995 as the PC Engine's lifespan neared its end, Sapphire is simultaneously one of the most technic…
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Uncommon ▶ Sega Saturn
Darius Gaiden
ダライアス外伝
Darius Gaiden is the 1994 horizontal shoot'em up developed by Taito, known for its fish-themed mechanical bosses, multip…
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Uncommon Neo Geo
World Heroes Perfect
ワールドヒーローズパーフェクト
World Heroes Perfect (1995) is the fourth and final entry in ADK's World Heroes fighting game series for the Neo Geo. Re…
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Uncommon Sega Saturn
Panzer Dragoon Zwei
パンツァードラグーン ツヴァイ
Panzer Dragoon Zwei is a 1996 rail shooter developed by Team Andromeda for the Sega Saturn — the sequel to the original …
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Sega Saturn
Virtua Cop 2
バーチャコップ２
Following the success of the original Virtua Cop in arcades and on Saturn, Sega AM2 returned in 1995 with a sequel that …
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Sega Saturn
Fighters Megamix
ファイターズメガミックス
Fighters Megamix is a 1996 crossover fighting game developed by Sega AM2 exclusively for the Sega Saturn — the first maj…
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▶ Nintendo 64
Star Fox 64
スターフォックス64
Star Fox 64 was the first home console game to ship bundled with the Rumble Pak — the first force-feedback device for ho…
Read more →Sega Saturn
Thunder Force V
サンダーフォースV
Thunder Force V is the 1997 Sega Saturn shoot 'em up developed and published by Technosoft, the fifth and final mainline…
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Uncommon PlayStation
Einhänder
アインハンダー
Einhänder (1997) is the most unexpected title in Square's catalog — a side-scrolling 3D shoot-em-up from a company almos…
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Uncommon Sega Saturn
DoDonPachi
怒首領蜂
DoDonPachi — literally 'Angry Boss Bee' — is Cave's 1997 masterpiece and the game that crystallised the bullet hell sub-…
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Uncommon Sega Saturn
X-Men vs. Street Fighter
エックスメン VS. ストリートファイター
X-Men vs. Street Fighter is Capcom's 1996 landmark crossover fighting game that brought Marvel's X-Men characters — Wolv…
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Uncommon Sega Saturn
Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams
コットン2 マジカルナイトドリームス
Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams, released on Sega Saturn in December 1997, is the sequel to Success's Cotton: Fantastic N…
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Uncommon Sega Saturn
Dead or Alive
デッドオアアライブ
Released for the Sega Saturn in Japan in October 1997, Dead or Alive is the first entry in Tecmo's fighting game series …
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PlayStation
Bushido Blade
ブシドーブレード
Released in March 1997, Bushido Blade is Square's most unconventional fighting game — a 3D swordfight where there is no …
Read more →Nintendo 64
Doom 64
ドゥーム64
Doom 64 (1997) is not a port — it is a wholly original N64-exclusive entry in the Doom franchise, built from the ground …
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Rare Sega Saturn
Radiant Silvergun
レイディアントシルバーガン
Released in 1998, Radiant Silvergun is widely considered one of the greatest shoot 'em ups ever made — and one of the de…
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Dreamcast
Virtua Fighter 3tb
バーチャファイター3tb
One of four launch titles for the Sega Dreamcast in Japan on November 27, 1998, Virtua Fighter 3tb was Sega's opening st…
Read more →Sega Saturn
Battle Garegga
バトルガレッガ
Released for the Sega Saturn in February 1998, Battle Garegga is the Saturn port of Raizing's 1996 arcade masterpiece — …
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Uncommon Sega Saturn
Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire
ヴァンパイア セイヴァー THE LORD OF VAMPIRE
Released for Sega Saturn in Japan in April 1998, Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire is the third and most celebrated en…
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Uncommon ▶ Nintendo 64
Super Smash Bros.
大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ
Super Smash Bros. is the game that Masahiro Sakurai built in secret. Working without Nintendo's knowledge, Sakurai creat…
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Dreamcast
Power Stone
パワーストーン
Power Stone (1999) by Capcom is a fully 3D arena fighting game that originated on Sega's NAOMI arcade board before its D…
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Dreamcast
Soulcalibur
ソウルキャリバー
Soulcalibur (1999) is a 3D weapons-based fighting game developed by Project Soul for Sega Dreamcast, and one of the most…
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Dreamcast
The House of the Dead 2
ザ ハウス オブ ザ デッド 2
The House of the Dead 2 (1999) is the Dreamcast's definitive light gun shooter and the game that made the console's laun…
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Uncommon Game Boy Color
R-Type DX
R-TYPE DX
Released in 1999, R-Type DX is a Game Boy Color compilation that bundles enhanced colour versions of both R-Type and R-T…
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Uncommon Dreamcast
Bangai-O
爆裂無敵バンガイオー
A frantic multidirectional shooter from Treasure, released for the Dreamcast in December 1999. Players pilot the mecha B…
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Dreamcast
The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999
ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ DREAM MATCH 1999
King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999 is an enhanced Dreamcast port of The King of Fighters '98: Dream Match Never Ends — i…
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Nintendo 64
Jet Force Gemini
スターツインズ
Released in December 1999 in Japan as Star Twins, Jet Force Gemini was Rare's science-fiction third-person shooter for t…
Read more →Dreamcast
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
マーヴル VS. カプコン2 NEW AGE OF HEROES
Released in 2000, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 assembled 56 characters from Marvel and Capcom universes for the largest fighting …
Read more →Nintendo 64
Perfect Dark
パーフェクトダーク
Perfect Dark is the 2000 Nintendo 64 first-person shooter developed by Rare as a spiritual successor to their landmark G…
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Rare Nintendo 64
Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth
罪と罰〜地球の継承者〜
Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth is the 2000 Nintendo 64 rail shooter developed by Treasure and published by N…
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Uncommon Dreamcast
The Typing of the Dead
ザ タイピング オブ ザ デッド
The Typing of the Dead (2000) is one of gaming's most audacious concept games: a complete reimagining of House of the De…
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Dreamcast
Dead or Alive 2
デッド オア アライブ 2
Team Ninja's follow-up to Dead or Alive, released for the Dreamcast on February 29, 2000 — a leap day release that match…
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Uncommon Dreamcast
Power Stone 2
パワーストーン2
Power Stone 2 (2000) expanded everything that made the original remarkable: where the first game was a two-player arena …
Read more →Dreamcast
Project Justice
プロジェクト ジャスティス 燃えろ！正義学園
Released in December 2000, Project Justice is the sequel to Rival Schools: United by Fate and the last major Capcom figh…
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▶ Nintendo GameCube
Super Smash Bros. Melee
大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズDX
Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) is the second entry in the Smash Bros. series and the best-selling Nintendo GameCube game…
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Uncommon Dreamcast
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001
カプコン バーサス エス・エヌ・ケイ 2 ミリオネア ファイティング 2001
Released in September 2001, Capcom vs. SNK 2 arrived months after Sega had officially discontinued the Dreamcast hardwar…
Read more →Dreamcast
Ikaruga
斑鳩
Ikaruga (2002) is a vertical scrolling shoot 'em up developed and self-published by Treasure, released for Dreamcast in …
Read more →Nintendo GameCube
Star Fox: Assault
スターフォックス アサルト
Star Fox: Assault (2005) is a GameCube action game developed by Namco and published by Nintendo — one of the era's most …
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