How could the spiritual successor to Gate of Thunder improve on the original? Perhaps realizing this, Red Company took Lords of Thunder in a very different direction, turning to a fantasy setting rather than a sci-fi one. This time you get to choose what order you tackle stages in, as well as which of four elemental-based armors you equip before each level. Having a sword for automatic close-range attacks is also a brilliant gameplay addition. The soundtrack is phenomenal, loaded with heavy metal guitar riffs and beats that get your adrenaline pumping. Despite all of this, Gate of Thunder is probably just as awesome as Lords. The levels

I always knew R-Type would claim a spot at the top of this list, but which R-Type? That was the tough question. The original remains as perfect and brilliant as when it was first released—over 20 years ago!—and there are excellent ports for the TG-16 (split into part I and II in Japan) and Sega Master System. With R-Type III, Irem for the first time brought an original game—not an arcade port—into the homes of shmup fans. Irem deepened the original's gameplay, adding different force types and the hyper wave cannon. The result is a sequel that manages to improve upon the near-perfect original; just be sure to avoid the horrid Game Boy Advance port.

Released a full three years before Thunder Force IV, this Compile masterpiece has aged very well, especially considering how early it was released in the lifetime of the Genesis. Short for Metallic Uniframe Super Hybrid Armor, what we really have here is another installment of the Aleste series. The medieval Japan theme provides a unique and beautifully rendered atmosphere. With weapons whose behavior you can customize on the fly, a rocking soundtrack, and you have a cart that is even better than the Sega CD sequel.

No other title in this list makes as good a use of your arsenal as this one. You start with three different primary weapons and a secondary weapon. No need to gather power-ups. It's a novel approach, and thoughtful level design insists that you're going to have to carefully choose the right weapon for the job. Weapons also double as life points. Your ship can take a few shots before exploding, but each one will knock a main weapon offline. Of course, severe collisions, will totally wipe you out. Levels alternate between vertical and horizontal scrolling. Graphics and sound are just as excellent as you'd expect from Konami—clearly a developer that mastered the shoot 'em up.

Sequels on more advanced consoles followed, but this one stands out as the franchise's zenith. Being able to switch between five different weapons and adjust your ship's speed in 1% increments are merely two of the ways that Thunder Force IV sets an incredibly high standard for gameplay. True to form, TechnoSoft produced an exceptional soundtrack and what must be the best graphics to ever grace a Genesis shmup. I also recommend checking out Thunder Force III, but it is neither as challenging nor as refined as this installment.

How did Compile make such a gorgeous game while pioneering the console CD-ROM format and grappling with the limitations of an 8-bit processor? The best answer I can come up with is that, well, Compile was one of the most insanely talented shoot 'em up developers ever. Despite its title, Spriggan is actually part of the Aleste series, and it represents probably the best title in the whole series. Not only does it have Compile's quality control and level design, it also features one of the deepest and most varied power-up systems I've ever seen in the genre. There are four different colors of power-ups, but you can hold any combination of three of them at a time, resulting in an insane array of firepower. Did I mention that the graphics are amazing, too?

Try as I might, I can't prevent Compile from dominating this list. Blazing Lazers was one of the earliest games for the TG-16, and it's also one of the best. The power-up variety and complexity is unusually deep. Naturally, there's a really cool laser weapon, too, which snakes across the screen in an increasingly impressive pattern as you crank up the juice. The level design is also brilliant and refreshing, from empty space to deserts filled with pyramids hiding missile batteries. All this excellence, and the sound is also spot on. Everything from the adrenaline-infused rock sounds you'd expect to haunting melodies that make you anticipate the dangers ahead. In short, a masterpiece.

Take the rock solid concept of Gradius, then improve the basics (better music and graphics), deepen the gameplay (2-player co-op, and vertical stages), and shift the atmosphere to one that's less metallic and more organic (i.e. creepier), and voilà you have the best—and only—half-horizontal, half-vertical shmup of the era. This was also ported to the PC Engine, where it's known as Salamander, but that was a whole four years later. Life Force is exemplary of Konami's programming skills and familiarity with the NES hardware—even as early as 1987! I also highly recommend Parodius (for the TG-16 and SNES) and Gokujou Parodius, which use the same power-up system—any of the three could have filled this top 10 slot equally well.

That there are seven games better than this one proves that you have some wicked awesome shoot 'em ups in this list. This power-up system is similar to Spriggan, but not as complex. Graphically, you've got the best-looking vertical shooter available on heard, and the music represents some of the best chip tunes I've ever heard. Beyond this, you're not going to find anything revolutionary in game design here. Every stage moves vertically and includes both a mid-level and final boss. What makes this game so great is how refined each element is. From the multi-sectional bosses to the different combinations of weapon pods to the brilliant shading and get-you-pumped music, this is the top dog of Hudson's impressive Soldier franchise.

Konami takes the classic combo of main weapon plus bomb and adds a wonderful innovation: You can morph your ship into three different forms, each with its own distinct arrangement of firepower. There are also gold power-ups. Gather five of them and you transform into an uber-powerful ship for a limited time period. The graphics are phenomenal, approaching the appearance of early 16-bit games, and there's no doubt that this is the best vertical shoot 'em up available for the NES. Of course, like so many hidden gems for the NES, Crisis Force was never released outside of Japan. It remains a fine example of just how unstoppable Konami was during the 8-bit era.

You will find many a cute 'em up on the TG-16. Two other great examples that come to mind are Air Zonk and Star Parodier. Nevertheless, Coryoon is probably the best of the bunch. You've got fantastic parallax scrolling and a unique take on a genre that consists of all too many imitators. Every enemy you destroy dies in a puff of smoke that lobs a fruit (banana, kiwi, watermelon, etc.) on to the screen. Grabbing these fruits is essential for pumping up your score, but the screen rapidly becomes overwhelmed with a combination of enemies, bullets, and fruits. It's sensory overload, yet the challenge to score more points (by grabbing the fruit) is brilliant. The brilliant colors and furious, flicker-free, gameplay are a bonus.

Developer: Sega / Bits Laboratory / Sunsoft

Publisher: Sega / NEC Interchannel / Sunsoft

Released: 1986 / 1988 / 1987

The boss battle to the left is misleading; Fantasy Zone's levels are actually very detailed and colorful. Indeed, many a person has accused this game of having a tripped-out, drug-inspired look. Fantasy Zone stands out as the only multi-directional horizontal scroller in this list, channeling the spirit of Defender II. It's also the only game I know of where power-ups are entirely dependent on collecting coins from fallen enemies and spending them at shops. Be sure to check out the sequels on the Sega Master System and Genesis.

The third Compile title to make this list—whether it was the TG-16, Genesis, or NES—this developer knew how to create shmups that set the standard for the hardware. In this highly under appreciated NES game, you'll find graphics and sound that are good, but not great—neither can compete with Life Force or Crisis Force. What you will find, though, is astonishingly excellent gameplay. Not only are there five distinct main weapons that you can power up. You can also grab four different types of special attacks, each with a unique style and area of effect. I can't think of any other developer that dominated a genre across three different consoles like Compile did. How I wish that Compile were still around today...

TG-CD

NCS

Horizontal

1995

TG-16

Red Company

Horizontal

1992

TG-CD

Success, Hudson Soft

Horizontal

1993

NES

HAL Laboratory

Horizontal

1987

TG-16

Konami

Vertical

1992

Genesis

Aprinet

Horizontal

1993

SMS

Sega

Free-Scrolling

1987

TG-16

Hudson Soft

Vertical

1991

Genesis

Toaplan

Vertical

1990

TG-16

Namco

Vertical

1988

TG-CD

Red Company, Hudson Soft

Horizontal

1992

TG-CD

Hudson Soft

Vertical

1995

Genesis

NCS

Horizontal

1992

SNES

Konami

Horizontal

1994

NES

Konami

Horizontal

1986

NES

Konami

Horizontal

1987

TG-CD

Konami

Horizontal

1992

TG-16

Palsoft

Horizontal

1992

TG-16

Irem

Free-Scrolling

1989

TG-CD

Naxat Soft

Vertical

1992

NES

Hot B

Vertical

1991

Genesis

Success

Horizontal

1994

SNES

Konami

Horizontal

1992

TG-16

Konami

Horizontal

1992

SMS

Compile

Vertical

1988

SMS

Compile

Vertical

1993

TG-16

Seibu Kaihatsu, Hudson Soft

Vertical

1991

Sega CD

Compile

Vertical

1992

SMS

Compile

Horizontal

1988

TG-16

Irem

Horizontal

1988

TG-16

Irem

Horizontal

1988

Sega CD

Game Arts

Vertical

1993

SNES

Compile

Vertical

1992

SNES

Argonaut Software

Vertical

1992

TG-CD

Hudson Soft

Vertical

1992

NES

Naxat Soft

Vertical

1992

Genesis

Sega

Free-Scrolling

1993

TG-CD

Hudson Soft

Vertical

1992

TG-16

Inter State Software, Hudson Soft

Vertical

1990

TG-CD

Right Stuff

Horizontal

1993

Genesis

Techno Soft

Horizontal

1990

NES

Compile

Vertical

1986