From: buffa@delos.inria.fr (Michel Buffa)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
Subject: SNES SHOOTERS REAL BEST-OF LIST!
Date: 31 Aug 92 16:40:22 GMT
Reply-To: buffa@sophia.inria.fr
Organization: Inria Sofia Antipolis

Well, I got really fed-up when I read all these messages about the SNES
shooters. Apparently people who post are not professional players. It's always
the same. When somebody asks 'what is the best shoot'em up for the SNES' or
for any machine, how can you answer: 'This one is very good' if you only
played 3 shooters among 10 availables ? What reference do you have ? I played
A LOT of shooters on the SNES and here is my verdict:

1?) To come: AXELEY. I saw a preview. WOW! WOW! WOW! I bet my dollards on that
one! A Konami game can't be bad. And reviews in magazines said it's the best
shooter with Super Aleste.
 
1) Super Aleste by TOHO. No slowdowns. Thousands of sprites on screen. Perfect
playability. Zooming and rotating effects of background bitmaps + ennemies in
seome levels. This is a vertical shooter by the authors of Gunhead on the NEC
PC engine. The first shooter on the SNES with lots of animated objects,
multiparallax scrolling and NO SLOWDOWNS! And a top game! Same quality as real
arcade games. 12 levels, 6 difficulty levels, really a lot of fun with arcade
quality.

2) Parodius: a Konami horizontal shooter. It takes best parts of R-Type,
Gradius III, other shooters. A real psychedelic experience with a top game. No
Slowdowns and LOT LOT of levels. Very funny game, like if Konami said to their
programmers and designer: do what you want! The most crazy game on the SNES. I
love it!!!

3) Super EDF: this one has some slowdowns when the weapons become too
powerful, but it's still a great game. Very nice graphics. I loved it in the
time I got it. But once completed I stopped playing it. I still play parodius
and Super Aleste even I completed them.

4) PHALANX: a brand new game. 16 megabits. Same company who has made Top
Racer. Very classic horizontal shooter, slowdowns very rare and not very
noticeable, huge sprites, fun to play, secret levels... A good game.


FOR THE FOLLOWING GAMES THERE IS A GAP IN QUALITY! All the above ones are worth
buying. For these ones, I'd advise you to rent them or to buy them for 10$. 

			    |
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			   \ /
			    .
Gradius III: there are slowdowns but I'm an old fan of the game. Nice but poor
graphics.

Darius Twin: you can play 2 at the same time but it's got slowdowns and poor
gameplay. Very hard game. I won't recommend it.

Blazeon: this one is crap, slow and unplayable. I hate it. Don't even rent. An
insult to the customer!

R-TYPE: nice graphics but LOTS of slowdowns make it rather unplayable.

Thunder Spirits: the SNES adaptation of Thunderforce III from the genesis.
There are slowdowns but it's not a bad game. Less good than the genesis
version. Worth trying but not buying.

Un Squadron (Area 88): Not bad. Not very fast, not very colorful graphics, but
funny for a while. But compared to Super Aleste or Parodius, hmmmm looks
pretty bad Hu!

Syvalion: an horrible Taito shooter. You play a dragon in a multidirectionnal
scrolling. The animation is not smooth at all and the graphics are UGLY.

Raiden Trap: Looks like it's been written on an Apple II. Avoid!


CONCLUSION: buy Super Aleste and Parodius. Save your dollards for Axeley! Buy
Phalanx if you want a very good classic one. AVOID ALL THE ONES AFTER THE
WARNING! 


-- 
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Michel Buffa:       Projet Robotvis, INRIA, France

    Internet:       buffa@sardaigne.inria.fr
Surface Mail:       Michel BUFFA, INRIA - Sophia Antipolis, 
                    2004, route des Lucioles, 06565 Valbonne Cedex -- FRANCE
 Voice phone:       (33) 93.65.78.39, Fax: (33) 93 65 77 65
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Newsgroups: rec.games.video