Thanks to the Virtual Console, the Wii has become a haven for shooters. But the DS, with no Virtual Console, hasn't. There are very few original shmups on the DS, as well -- pretty much just the Nanostrays and Ketsui. We are of the opinion that any system that can handle a shooter -- which is any system -- should be loaded with them. This is especially true for a platform like the DS, which is both extremely cheap to develop for and ubiquitous. If a niche game is going to do well, it'll be on the DS.So why hasn't the DS become a shooter's paradise? Is the screen gap really that much of a problem? Are shooters too hardcore? Or is there some other reason, do you think, that the DS has yet to fill up with shmups?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-13-2007 @ 9:14AM
JBGUY2K said...
Man... I've been thinking the exact same thing. That's another thing that I thought about when the DS first came out. I wish that Zun would at least make a short demo version of a Touhou game for the DS, it would fry my brain if it ever did come out, I love that series.
If I had the higher-up knowhow, I would definitely program nothing but shmups, one of the greatest classic genres of arcade goodness.
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11-13-2007 @ 9:25AM
Raymond Turrell said...
The main reason I'd say is that the d-pad is too inaccurate, diagonal movement seems to be especially difficult.
I recently played Gradius on the best of Konami collection. I'm normally pretty good at this game but after numerous attempts, I still struggled to complete level 1! Either that or I'm just getting old.
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11-13-2007 @ 10:15AM
nil said...
Shmups are one of my favorite genres of all time. I've spent many hours with Raiden, Macross and the 19xx series in arcades. Unfortunately, shooters are not nearly as popular as they once were. I always find it sad when I ask at a game store about a shmup like Radio Allergy or Ikaruga and am answered with a blank stare. Homebrew is fairly easy on the DS, but there are not many people willing or capable of making shmups, for some reason.
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11-13-2007 @ 11:03AM
Pizza Pasta said...
I would love to play DoDonPachi or Radiant Silvergun on my DS.
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11-13-2007 @ 11:21AM
tamriel said...
There are some good space shooters coming up, though they are not of the exact shmup genre. By the end of the month, we'll have Geometry Wars Galaxies. Japan will receive Bangai-O Spirits sometime next year, with a little luck other locales will do too. So, shooters aren't too hardcore; they might be less popular these days and thus have been long in the coming, but we're there.
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11-13-2007 @ 1:14PM
Brello said...
How many shooters do you really need on 1 console? They all give pretty much the same experience, no need to have more than a handful, I would think. Nanostray 2 is looking better and better, too!
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11-13-2007 @ 2:50PM
stickmanfc73_ said...
They do not all give pretty much the same experience. That's blasphemy dude! You ain't hardcore!
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11-14-2007 @ 2:23AM
Xian B. said...
Raymond Turrell's comment got me thinking. What if they made a shmup that requires you to turn the DS upside down, or at least sideways? You control your craft with the buttons, and aim with the stylus. Or maybe I haven't thought it through enough.
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11-14-2007 @ 6:37PM
RedDR said...
Bottom line, I would put a lot more money/time into my DS if there were more shmups.
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11-18-2007 @ 7:31PM
nintendolover said...
Nanostray 2 looks like a must-buy.
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1-15-2008 @ 11:50PM
KnuxTheFox said...
I've been craving a decent shmup on the DS like an accident victim craves medical help. The DS is a perfect platform for shooters, IMO. I honestly think it could handle a port of Ikaruga, though the graphics might be dumbed down a little, but it's possible. Shoot. I'd be content with a decent MAME/Neo Geo emulator so I can play games like Aero Fighters, Blazing Star, or DoDonPachi. Now, looking to the future, games I was drooling over a few months ago, are getting less-than-stellar ratings (Nanostray 2), but that's not going to stop me from getting it, because I have that niche to fill!
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