"Shmups."

"Pardon ?" I said, the quizzical look forming on my face.

"Shmups!"

"Oh ! Bless you."

He pulled a face and rolled his eyes at my painfully rubbish joke. To prove his point he strode over to my games collection shelf, ran his finger across the row of titles tapping his finger on the one he wanted. Removing the copy of Ikaruga he waved it in front on my face.

"You know ? Like this one ? Shoot em ups ! Shmups ?!"

The penny dropped.

So this is what the 'leet' kids of today were calling the Granddaddy of gaming genres? It had been a long time since I'd played any such titles, as the layer of dust on the top of the Ikaruga case attested. Lost in a sea of games I'd found myself unable to give Ikaruga the full time and effort it rightfully deserved. To my shame it had been left languishing on a shelf, providing me with little more than a smile whenever I skimmed past it on the way to another title.

I'd always had fond memories of Shoot em Ups... sorry, Shmups... since my early days of gaming. I'd long stopped counting the number of hours that had been lost in Jenny's Corner Shop; the home of not one but two arcade cabs that received a bi-monthly change over when the guy who rented out the machines could be bothered to come and change the PCB. It was there that, long before my first NES, I cut my teeth on titles such as Wonderboy in Monster Land, Pacland, Xain'd Sleena, Double Dragon - infact a whole list of classic titles which included games like R-type and 1944 / 1945.

I, along with dozens of other kids, our pockets sagging with ten pence pieces, would wait our turn; placing our money down to be next in line to try and rack up the highest score and win that elusive £5.00 monthly prize. A prize that was usually given out in ten pence pieces so it could be easily recycled back into the machines that had generated it.

He replaced my copy of Ikaruga, rubbing the dust from his hands in disgust, and tossed me a CD.

"Here you go."

I placed the disc in the CD drive of my PC and booted up the game he wanted me to see, entitled Maru. The screen bust into life, littered with Japanese text. Before I knew it, a small sprite of a girl holding a large white blob was flying across a city scape, taking down bits of flying Soy with blue bullets that appeared to be coming from her head.

He saw the look on my face and rolled his eyes again.

"Why am I now being attacked by telephone directories ?" I puzzled.

"Its homebrew..." he started to explain but was cut short as the screen flashed a warning :

"Caution ! A Huge Soy Food Approaching ! "

I burst out laughing. He took the joypad off me, and kicked the PC back to the desktop with a flick of the Escape key - just as the oversized Soya product launched a devastating laser attack which knocked the little girl out of the sky.

"Look, there are other games on that disc. Hang onto it for a day or two and give them a go."

To keep him happy I promised him I would do that, post haste.

A month passed.

Whilst attempting to install a demo of the latest generic 3D jump and climb action adventure I found his CD still sitting in my drive. I toyed with the idea of just giving it back to him unplayed the following day, but if I did that I knew that I'd struggle when he asked my opinion of the games. Reluctantly I gritted my teeth and decided to give them just 10 minutes of my valuable time.

I looked through the list of the three or four games on the disc, each of them with odd sounding titles. The Maru one I recognised from the month before. I chuckled to myself at the thought of the giant Soy. Taking a game at random I started up one mysteriously entitled Cho Ren Sha 68K. Joypad in hand, my on screen fighter launched in a barrage of explosions and light and the enemies commenced their attack. My right thumb started jabbing wildly at the fire button, my left thumb on the analogue stick working overtime to avoid the oncoming enemies and the hail of fire... and then...something clicked.

My eyes glazed over. I was back in Jenny's, the window blinds drawn to block out the hazy afternoon sun, my hands stuck to the controls of the arcade cab as the alien onslaught plowed forward, my pockets bulging with shinny coins all begging to be spent. Overcome with nostalgia, on screen I died in a shower of neon bullets; but I didn't care. In my mind it was 1980 something and I was going all out for that £5.00 high score.

When I looked at the clock two hours had passed. I stood up, stretched my aching muscles... and then sat back down again to fire up another title. Generic 3D jump and climb action adventure never stood a chance...

In the last few years homebrew Shmups have really come of age on the PC due to the relative ease of programming and the power of the Internet for distribution. For a genre that has wained in general popularity in the West, it is very much alive and kicking in the Far East. The homebrew scene has helped keep it afloat, offering those in territories where the genre is now seen as more of a part of gaming history rather than its continued progress, a chance to test their metal and reflexes.

Dedicated fans, alongside first timers, can now find a Shump game that will suit them, whatever their pleasure. In fact it is surprising how big the repository is and given the plethora of titles availiable, even more surprising how it all manages to retain its underground feel.

A vast number of these titles as only demos and need to be purchased for the full experience, but there are more than enough quality full freeware titles avaliable. Below are the cream of the crop of the free homebrew titles which demand some of your time, whether you class yourself as hardcore or just casual.


Cho Ren Sha 68K:



Mentioned above, the game oozes a wonderful sense of nostalgia from the very beginning, even running in a prehistoric 320x200 resolution for that extra charming touch. Everything screams "RETRO!" from the frenetic music that pumps through the speakers to motivate you during the levels, right through to the boss music which is designed to give that sense of urgency and danger. The Old school sound effects of your blocky fighters main weapons and the meaty explosions also push this forward effortlessly.

The action is certainly frantic, with things reaching a heady blur half way through the first stage. In keeping with the 'good old days' theme there is only a primary method of firing and a smart bomb attack, but power ups are offered by downed enemies to increase your attack power and bomb supply.

The downside to Cho Ren Sha 68K is that it can feel a little similar after a while. While certainly part of its retro charm, the game's backgrounds are quite simplistic and repetitive. However these points are certainly redundant for the most part since the player will spend most of their time concentrating on dodging and firing. Overall it certainly provides a good starting point for Shumpers, or just those hungry for the warm glow of the 80's.


Galax:



Reminiscent in appearance to the SNES classic of Axeley, Galax by MasaHG will provide another nostalgic hit for many, but with an added twist. Along with the primary fire, the secondary weapon includes a lock on device which can be used to target multiple enemies at the same time. Once the enemies are locked on a countdown begins during which the player must perform a set sequence of key presses. The desired combo will vary depending on the type of lock on colour (either yellow, purple, blue or green)

To further complicate things, once the countdown is initiated the players ship cannot move, meaning that the combination must be done quickly if they are to avoid taking damage. Additionally the player must remember these combo's with no on screen prompts given. While certainly difficult to get to grips with at first, once familiar with the system players can chain together some spectacular attacks and rack up the points.

The backgrounds, graphics and music are all well done, with a wide range of enemies to spray with hot laser death. The game even comes with its own (purposely ?) badly translated intro. All these combine with the interesting lock on mechanic to raise the title above the shoulders of others games and make it stand out in the crowd.


Warning Forever:



A quintessential ingredient of any Shmup is a massive end of level guardian to block your progress. After wave upon wave of relentless enemies there is usually nothing more likely to make your mouth go dry with anticipation than some hulking behemoth armed with enough weaponry to take a slice out of the planet. Hikware's Warning Forever turns this staple component of the genre on its head by actually making every level an encounter with an end of level meanie.

Using a slick Vector-like appearance, Warning Forever dumps impressive scenery for more than a passing resemblance to Tron. On this green hued battle grid, wave after wave of interlocked enemies boasting grandiose names such as Octabeamed Pure Heart and Tetra Forced Wide Attacker assault the players lowly ship.

As levels progress the attackers become more complex in both size and armaments, to the point where they take up most of the screen space and force the player to be as quick with their movements as they are with their firing.

Players are armed with little more than a standard weapon, but have a directional lock on to help focus their fire when the enemy begins to move around. Continued assault on the bosses will cause bits of them to fall off, eventually exposing the relatively weak core which can be finished off and allowing them to be replaced with an even more menacing, fully tooled up guardian.

Warning Forever's simple but sleek exterior belies the sheer enjoyment that the title provides. It encapsulates the very essence of the boss encounter phenomenon with some unique and fiendish creations making an appearance. A title well recommended to all those who wish to hone their Boss bashing skills.


rRootage:



Warning Forever doesn't have the monopoly on the boss orientated shooter. rRootage by ABA games takes Warning Forever's concept and gives it a unique angle. With a similar graphical feel and still centreing on boss battles rather than waves of enemies, rRootage makes a bold attempt to be all things to all Shmup fans.

rRootage includes modes which emulate the main principles found in the commercial titles of Psyvariar, Ikaruga and Gigawing, along with its own Standard mode.

In Standard mode the game is played like any other, with a primary fire and smart bomb attack. Psyvariar mode introduces the Buzz Bar which fills up the closer you get to enemies bullets (or by holding down the smart bomb button mode and causing the ship to roll). When the bar is maxed out the player becomes invincible for a short period of time. Ikaruga mode uses the different polarity of the enemies bullets and your shields to allow you to absorb damage, while Gigawing allows you to reflect incoming bullets and damage the boss using the smart bomb button.

rRootage does an excellent job of cramming the three games into one highly playable package. With its similar Vector styled graphics to Warning Forever, the ability to play through the bosses encounters in any of the styles means that it will take even the most hardened Shmuper a while to get bored with it. Having mastered one style, another mode will take everything you've learned and throw it out the window (but not before stomping on it with size 10 regulation army boot and then setting fire to it ).

rRootage is highly recommended and guaranteed to keep you occupied for hours whatever your Shmup tastes.


Dan! Da! Dan!:



Abstract may not be the first thing that spring to mind when you think of Shmups, but Dan! Da! Dan ! by Omega is certainly that - an abstract game which leaves you with an aching feeling that its all zooming over your head and that you're only really jabbing the fire button in a vain attempt to stay alive; and thats certainly true, at least until you figure out whats going on.

Sticking with the typical star-fighter vessel with which to blaze a high scoring trail, Dan! Da! Dan! looks much more crisp and colourful than any of the shooters mentioned so far. With its clinical, smart backgrounds and type face, the pastel coloured blocks that obstruct your minimalistic fighter present a real treat for the eyes.

The player is give a standard laser weapon that can be charged up to unleash a circular reticule. This reticule can be used to deal continuous damage to blocks and will even slow or repel any bullets it comes into contact with.

Essentially the game is played to a 3 minute time limit (although this can be extended as play progresses), the challenge being to get the highest score possible within the time allowed. Points are awarded for destroying blocks, and destruction of blocks which adjoin those of a similar colour can be chained together resulting in a bonus. While the players ship starts off moving forward at a snails pace, obliterating blocks increases the rate of advance.

When destroyed, blocks release either blue triangles which increase your score or red/yellow triangles which increase your ships Hyper bar. Initiating Hyper mode will then turn all enemy bullets into blue triangles, as well as giving your ship limited use of a wider firing arc which can hit more blocks. The more blocks that are destroyed using the Hyper attack, the greater the score awarded.

Depending on their markings, eliminating some blocks cause a number of different counterattacks to be released. These range from blocks with arrows that rotate to follow your ship meaning that you're always in the firing line, to those marked with an asterisk that spit out multi-directional fire. Some blocks also feature mounted cannons which fire even when intact, meaning that the game can throw a spanner in your tactical block bashing plans by forcing you to avoid enemy fire when you least expect it.

However not all blocks are dangerous when destroyed. Those designated with a question mark release coins which increase the alloted time limit.

Dan ! Da! Dan ! is a quirky Shmup which is designed to offer a quick fix but at the same time housing a complex system for those who wish to devote more time to mastering it. This is emphasised by the inclusion of the time limit, and that the game basically consists of only three levels (after the third boss encounter the game goes into an infinite loop). Ultimately this means its appeal may be limited to some, but those who like to put their heart and soul into racking up the highest scores possible will find a big enough challenge to keep themselves enthralled.


Tumiki Fighter:



Moving away from the spaceship trend for a moment, ABA Games Tumiki Fighter is a colourful Polygonic romp into toy town. Not that you'll see much of it during the course of the game as you'll be sailing high above it in your dinky little toy plane whilsy trying to avoid the adversary's which generally happen to be a lot bigger than you.

Tumiki Fighter clings to the proverb of "If you can't beat them, join them" and after blasting enemies out of the sky if your quick enough to catch them they become part of your own plane. This can lead to some pretty wacky and sometime grotesquely shaped creations as you progress through the levels. The added components increase your score but more interestingly they effectively act as a shield, allowing your plane to take more hits and also providing additional firepower. However this increased protection comes at a price. As the fighter becomes larger and larger, it naturally becomes more and more unwieldily making it difficult to dodge fire and manouver through gaps between enemies.

There is the option to suck the collected parts into your fighter reverting it back to its tiny original form for as long as the relevant button is pressed. However this has to be used cautiously as obviously the craft reverts to its naturally vulnerable 'one shot = death' state.

Essentially thats all there is to it, but the game is a pleasure to play due to its unique style. The need to collect parts if you wish to stand any chance of survival is a nice twist which forces you to get in close to enemies in order to catch them when they crash and burn. As collected parts fire in a certain direction depending of which way they are facing when caught, this adds a certain tactical element if you wish to add additional firepower to any particular angle.

Tumiki Fighters vibrant childlike styling's should not deter anyone from trying it. Beneath the infantile facade the title is a solid and likable Shmup.


Torus Trooper:



Another title courtesy of ABA Games, fans of the legendary Tempest series will find themselves at home with Torus Troopers. While not as psychedelic as Jeff Minter's seminal classics, Torus Trooper is certainly a colourful experience.

Guiding your ship through a wire-frame tunnel against the clock, speed is key if you are to reach the next level before time runs out. Intent on stopping you are various other 'racers', that lay down a trail of fire in a bid to catch you out by slowing you down and knocking seconds off the timer. However by nailing them first or just simply overtaking, you get a chance to add time.

It all sounds quite simplistic until you consider that the track twists, turns and even splits at a giddying rate and collision with the barriers to the sides means the ship will stall and more time is lost.

Throw in the fact that the game features three difficulty levels and an amazing sense of speed that rivals F-Zero GX (leading you on time to believe that your eyes are actually bleeding) and Torus Troopers is a fine Shmup experience bound to rekindle that retro feel.


Every Extend:



Part puzzler, part Shmup once again Omega deliver the goods. Possibly the only Kamikaze shooter, this game is an absolute must for all those who are obsessed with the chaining of attacks as well as Shmup fans in general.

Every Extend puts you in charge of a limited number of bombs. Essentially you must guide these bombs as they descend onto the playing field, placing them amid the swirling groups of blocks that speed by before triggering the bomb and causing an explosive chain reaction. The bigger the chain, the more points are harvested and the more chance there is of gaining extra playing time and bombs.

Once a bomb has been detonated, and providing the player has more at their disposal, another will descend, to begin the process all over again. Though care needs to be taken than an unexploded bomb does not come into contact with any blocks, resulting in a penalty and wasting of valuable time.

As well as standard white blocks, there are a number of different colours which will drop item pellets when destroyed. Green pellets give bonus points and can be used to multiply scores, red pellets increase the speed at which enemies spawn and move, and the valuable yellow pellets increase the timer.

Every Extend is quite simply a blistering title. Graphically and sonically the game is immediately appealing but it is the simple yet engrossing gaming mechanics that really draw you in and keep you hooked. The satisfaction obtained from chaining together a massive explosion never gets old, even with extended playing. The game also manages to provide an immense feeling of pressure too, and the descending bombs will never seem to move quick enough, leaving you cursing the blocks that have sailed by undestroyed and lamenting a magnificent chain that has gone unexploited.

The game even manages to throw in some enemies which sneakily pack some firepower and even boss encounters to keep you on your toes. All in all Every Extend may have been designed as a 3 minute wonder and with the tea break gamer in mind, but ultimately it manages to hold your attention for much, much longer. Simply a must play for any gamer.


Perfect Cherry Blossom:



If all the above leaves you snorting through your nose for not being `hardcore` enough, then the rather dodgy sounding homebrew team Shanghai Alice has just the thing. Perfect Cherry Blossom is certainly one for both Shmup and Anime fans alike.

Throwing aside the staple diet of starship's and marauding alien hoards, Perfect Cherry Blossom put you in control of a wide eyed young maiden who must shoot down an immeasurable number of fairytale enemies. In fact even the mid and end level guardians are adorable looking girls packing enough firepower, nestled under their frilly smocks, to fill the screen with bullets.

Why? Who knows. How did this bevy of females learn to fly? That's largely irrelevant. All that matters is picking your difficulty level, character and shot type (from a choice between rapid fire and homing bullets) before trying to survive the frantic on screen action without becoming too distracted by the scenery.

The game is a treat to watch and play thanks to its bright, bold and vibrant visual appeal. Effects, such as snowflakes and fractals, all look strikingly beautifully and hand crafted, as well as being on show regularly to fill the eye candy meter to breaking point. It also contains one of the most engaging soundtracks to grace a homebrew title, with some heavy piano medleys that not only fit in with the Anime-drenched theme, but that will actually have you humming along. In fact they're so good you'll find yourself actually using the Music Room mode incorporated into the game to listen to the tracks. Perfect Cherry Blossom is a title with so much polish and shine that it begs to be played.

As if to counteract all this sweetness and light, the punishing gameplay will be enough to enchant even those who usually prefer the smoking laser cannons of a spacecraft. Featuring a variety of barrages and (thankfully) having some forgiving collision detection to avoid frustration, this title will appeal to casuals as well as the unwashed Otaku.

If you do nothing else today, follow the links below and download at least one of these great titles. Its guaranteed there'll be something to suit your taste in one form or another. The Shoot 'em Up is dead. Long live the Shmup!

Links:

Most of the titles can be found at ShootTheCore

Maru can be found at NagoyaCool

Dan! Da! Dan ! can also be found at NagoyaCool

Interviews:

NTSC-uk interviewed AMA Games and Omega to get developers' perspectives on the homebrew Shmup scene:

ABA Games Interview

OMEGA Interview