Best Famicom shooters

[satoshi_matrix]

A game I discovered by random chance that's really worth a look: Chuka Taisen! It's a shooter that really has an asian feel to it and isn't some wonky sci-fi you vs aliens get up. You guys should check it out.

[Nintega]

A game I discovered by random chance that's really worth a look: Chuka Taisen! It's a shooter that really has an asian feel to it and isn't some wonky sci-fi you vs aliens get up. You guys should check it out.

Insector X also from Taito has the same gameplay except you shoot cartoony Mario-like bugs.

[Agent X]

BUMPING THIS OLD THREAD but I was really looking for a List of every type shooter that this community might be aware of, that exists on the Famicom.  I'm a huuuuuuuge "shooter" fan/gamer but was never really up to speed on just what was out on the Famicom/NES?  I mostly got my fix on the PCE DUO and Mega Drive, but I'd like to get a sizeable collection of *worthy* shooters for my AV Famicom.

Currently I have:
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Crisis Force (The best of the shooters I own)
Gradius
Gradius 2
Salamander
SDF Macross (a major dissapointment for a Macross shooter  )
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I'm aware of the awesomeness of RECCA, one I'll likely track down, but outside of that game, what's really what many would consider kick ass shooters?  I prefer vertical scrolling to horizontal, but both are more than welcome in my collection .  Crisis Force has proven to be pretty good, though I definately see a stage that rips off stage two of the Mega Drive games ALESTE (M.U.S.H.A. in the US).  While I love me some Gradius, I'm looking for stuff primarily that's faster paced and sleek looking ala' Crisis Force, Recca etc.  Any help on this is much appreciated.

[ericj]

Fantasy Zone is a good side-scrolling shooter, too.

[satoshi_matrix]

I find the Famicom version of Fantasy Zone to be confusing and not nearly as much fun as many others.

[vgthing]

Crisis Force is definitely one of my favorites, but it's kinda hard to find for anything less than $20 to $30.

[Agent X]

Crisis Force is definitely one of my favorites, but it's kinda hard to find for anything less than $20 to $30.

True enough.  I guess what I was trying to say was that I'm looking for "kick ass" shooters more in the vein of Crisis Force or RECCA, over all else.  It's really too bad a game like AREA 88 or even the SMS's "Aerial Assault" (an AREA 88 rip off) didn't appear on the Famicom, to my knowledge anyhow.  It's been forever since I've played Star Soldier or 1943: Battle for Valhalla,  but those are two that now coming to mind I'm going to have to re-procure soon.  The one I'm wondering about is Gerry Anderson's THUNDERBIRDS   The Super Famicom game was a let down, but I understand that the Famicom/NES version is a shooter?  I'm a huge supermarionation fan (mostly Captain Scarlet over Thunderbirds, but whateva) but if the game is cool that be enough for me.

[mezzanine]

I'm looking for stuff primarily that's faster paced and sleek looking ala' Crisis Force

You'll probably like Gun-Nac then.

[vgthing]

Also Gradius and Gradius II are lodes of fun! hard as hell, and may take a few tries. Music is good too.
I hate it when you die and have to get all the options and stuff back.

I just beat Gradius II for the first time yesterday, in fact. I like the ending theme.

[thegreatgonzo]

I'm looking for stuff primarily that's faster paced and sleek looking ala' Crisis Force

You'll probably like Gun-Nac then.

I second that. Gun-Nac is a stellar shmup

[Agent X]

Also Gradius and Gradius II are lodes of fun! hard as hell, and may take a few tries. Music is good too.
I hate it when you die and have to get all the options and stuff back.

I just beat Gradius II for the first time yesterday, in fact. I like the ending theme.

I own both Gradius games already, I beat the first one bitd as a kid, still have yet to beat Gradius II though.  Some of these games were just hella hard once you died ONCE with everything, just as you mentioned.  In that regard I do believe some *shooters* were too challenging for the wrong reasons. 

I'm looking for stuff primarily that's faster paced and sleek looking ala' Crisis Force

You'll probably like Gun-Nac then.

I second that. Gun-Nac is a stellar shmup

Hmm... well then it looks like I'll be procuring me a copy in the future.  The cart label doesn't really grab me, so had I not had (2)  people recommend it, I'd have probably never bought it.  Even in 2008, I'm still sold off of great box and/or label artwork for a video game.  Guess it's how I got "sold" on a lot of Atari 2600 games back in the day too, but of course the artwork was a guhgillion times better than the on screen presentation back then.  Still power up that system though from time to time.  Thanks for the recommendation guys.

[UglyJoe]

Hmm... well then it looks like I'll be procuring me a copy in the future.  The cart label doesn't really grab me, so had I not had (2)  people recommend it, I'd have probably never bought it.

If you liked the shooter portions of Guardic Gaiden / The Guardian Legend, then you'll like Gun-Nac, as it's pretty much the same engine being used.

[VileRedFalcon]

I am looking to expand my Famicom shooter collection. So far I'vg got: Gradius II, Crisis Force, and Dezaemon.

What other Famicom exclusives are out there that are worth playing?

[FamicomFreak]

Recca

[shoggoth80]

Are you only after exclusives?
If not:
Gradius
Salamander (Life Force)
Argus?