1. Battle Garegga (Arcade): This shooter is solid through and through; very atmospheric, great graphics and enemy variety, fun and challenging bosses, and quite possibly the best soundtrack in any SHMUP I've ever played. The gameplay is pretty good too aside from one huge flaw which dampened my experience more than anything; most of the bullets are a plain metallic color, making them very difficult to see, resulting in a lot of cheap deaths. Overall an outstanding shooter, just maybe a tad bit overrated though. (1/1/17)
2. Armed Police Batrider (Arcade): The best word I can use to describe this game is just plain fun! It is very colorful, the music is upbeat, and stages are awesome, this is just an all around awesome game. The gameplay is substantially improved over Garegga too which is saying a lot since that game was also very good. (1/3/17)
3. Mortal Kombat XL (PS4): While I didn't like this game as much as the 2011 Mortal Kombat, the game was still a blast and definitely worth playing. On top of that the graphics are among the best I've seen on the PS4 yet. The addition of the Predator and Alien as playable characters are an excellent touch to an already awesome game as well. (1/5/17)
4. 1080 Snowboarding (N64): At the time this game came out it was hands down the best snowboarding game, however it has been outdone by so many other Snowboard games since. Even games like Tony Hawk Pro Skater which share aspects with this game is significantly better. But for what it is, it is a fun little sports game, albeit one with very little content. At least for me, it's best quality is its heavy load of nostalgia as it reminds me of simpler times over at my friends house on winter break, trying to land the coveted 1080 trick with little success.(1/5/17)
5. Wild Guns Reloaded (PS4): Having heard so many glowing reviews for this game on the SNES, I had really high hopes for it, but overall was let down by frustrating and bulky gameplay; I hate how you can not move and shoot at the same time! Other than that, the game looks incredible and I think the theme is great, but sadly this one was meh in terms of fun. (1/14/17)
6. Mortal Kombat (Arcade): Playing this game over 20-years after it originally came out it is easy to see the reason why it became such a hit was because of the novelty of its then ultra gore. The gameplay is very basic and boring, and while I understand it was the very first game, it lacks variety in stages and characters. Speaking of characters, they are more or less the same aside from name, appearance and special moves. While I'd be lying if I said I didn't have heavy nostalgia for this game, that is about all there is left that makes me enjoy this game. (1/14/17)
7. Me and My Katamari (PSP): I will start by saying that I've never played a bad Katamari game including this one, however this is definitely the weakest game in the series due to difficult controls on the PSP and stages that are 100% recycled 5+ times. I feel like most of the console versions got both of these right, but probably due to hardware limitations this game did not. (1/16/17)
8. Virtua Fighter 2 (PSP): I am genuinely surprised that Sega was able to pull of the feel and most of the gameplay of the 3D Virtua Fighter 2 into a 2D fighting game on the Genesis. I also really enjoyed the Genesis versions of classic songs and stages from this game as well. I was not a fan of all the frustratingly cheap characters in this game, but that is sort of a staple of this entire franchise at this point. (1/17/17)
9. Mortal Kombat 3 (PSP): This was actually a very good port of the arcade version via Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play.The graphics, animation, and gameplay were crisp and accurate, and the only fault I found was the sound which is largely due to the limitations of the PSP's speaker. Despite all this, it falls victim to the same issue I have with the original Mortal Kombat which is its lack of depth and generic character templates (see above). Still, MK3 is a much better, more enjoyable game than the first and this is definitely the best way to enjoy it on a handheld. (1/22/17)
10. Batsugun Special Version (Arcade): This game was one of the most amazing, balanced, and fun shooters I've ever played, until it looped, and then again, and then yet again! Each time, not only did I have to replay through most of the levels I had just completed, but they became more and more ridiculous, and I mean that mostly negatively. If this game had ended after its first five stages this would have no doubt become one of the best SHMUPs I have ever played, but by the time I actually beat it (Stage 15, aka stage 5, 4th time) I just wanted it to be over mostly. Other than that it is easy to understand why this game is considered one of the great classic shooters and the grandfather of the bullet hell genre. (1/22/17)
11. Battle Bakraid (Arcade): While there are definite improvements, specifically to the gameplay, with this sequel to Battle Garegga, this game lacks nearly everything that made Garegga so memorable, enjoyable and special. I found this game to be good at everything, but wasn't amazing at anything. Overall it came across as a fairly generic SHMUP, albeit a well made one. (1/24/17)
12. Hyper Duel (Arcade): The fact that this game lets you toggle between a nimble Thunder Force-like space ship and a Mech with a giant gun automatically makes this game awesome, but the fact that the levels, bosses, music, and overall gameplay was amazing as well just makes this game incredible! I feel like over time Technosoft games have grown on me more and more, and in terms of the classic late 80s/early 90s titles, this ranks up there with Thunder Force IV as one of the best. It very well could be Technosoft's best. (1/26/17)
13. Strikers 1945 Series (Arcade): Technically these are three games (Strikers 1945, Strikers 1945 II, and Strikers 1999), but they were all very similar in so many ways, including how fucking awful they all are that I rolled them all up into the same review. First off, the gameplay is terrible; throws far more at you than is possible to dodge and avoid, especially towards the end of the game and on the second loop. Soundtrack is forgettable, sound fx are very basic so nothing there to get excited about. Graphics were meh, with 1999 having the best, but still nothing special. This series will go down as one of the worst SHMUPs I've ever played. (1/27/17)
14. Gekioh: Shooting King (PS1): For those who are unaware, this game is actually a fairly desired SHMUP called Shienryu in Japan. While I will say that the graphics are fairly impressive and it has pretty cool bosses in general, the game is terribly flawed in that it has some arbitrary checkpoint system that I have never seen in another shooter. Pretty much if you die you have to replay a small subsection of a level over and over again until you play it flawlessly, and you reach the start of the next subsection. Another flaw that I had a hard time dealing with is how if you die you often are not given enough power ups to get through certain parts, making getting through them very challenging sometimes. A cool game in a way, but let down severely by some really dumb game design.(1/30/17)
15. Ketsui (PS3): While this game is undeniably good and has a killer soundtrack I might add, the game lacks the balancing needed to make maniac shooters like this excellent games. Pretty much if I am put in situations that seem like my only chance of survival is pure luck then there is definitely an issue. I had far too many moments like this in this game and it really dampened my overall fun while playing. (2/5/17)
16. Nintendo World Championships 1990 (NES): While this probably does not have to be stated I do not own a real NWC cart nor did I play one when trying out this game. I was able to play a reproduction several times through to see what this game was like, which it was exactly like I expected it to be. If you are to break 100k you'll need to play through Mario and Rad Racer perfectly so you can ramp up as many points as possible during Tetris. At least from my experience you'll be lucky if you even have time to complete one Tetris, let alone 3 or 4 single lines. But then again I have never been the best at Mario Bros or Rad Racer either. As a repro I can see this being fun to play with other gamers, but its place is really during the actual competition. What I'm trying to say this game is a way more a piece of gaming history rather than a game you'd really play extensively in 2017. (2/7/17)
17. ESP Ra. De. (Arcade): Definitely one of the better games I've played released by Cave, this game deviates from your typical spaceship to a physic teenage of sorts shooting one of three types of spells at your opponents. Between juggling these spells and the energy, cool down, and quantity you have for them, this game was a pretty fun, balanced shooter. I did have a bit of issue with the controls being a tad bit floating and there being a slight delay, but overall it didn't hinder the experience that much. (2/25/17)
18. Guwange (Arcade): I liked this game well enough, however I found it to be very gimmicky for a shooter which definitely dampened my enjoyment of it throughout the game. Because your character is walking on the ground you do not have free movement as you would in most other shmups of this type. You often have to compete with barriers to attack various enemies that you can only hit with either a specialized shot that you can guide, but slows you characters down a ton, or you can use one of your limited special attacks. Aside occasionally frustrating gameplay, the music, art and concept were pretty cool, however it was not enough to make this game great, just okay. (2/26/17)
19. M.U.S.H.A (Genesis): While this game is fun and one of the best shooters on the Genesis, it has some annoying quarks which decreased my enjoyment while playing, specifically how the game pretty much screws you if you die and lose your power ups. The game becomes too difficult too quickly for you to adjust accordingly if you die and lose your power ups. This is especially true of the last three or four stages which being as powerful as possible is kind of essential. Aside from that complaint, the game looks awesome, has a good variety of stages, enemies, and bosses, and the soundtrack is amazing! (3/17/17)
20. Progear no Arashi (Arcade): I honestly just felt bored playing this game despite the gameplay being mostly good and the steampunk art style reminding me of Metal Slug. I guess there was nothing particularly interesting or remarkable to set it apart from other STG games, and I felt like I was forcing myself through the game despite it being over and done with in half an hour or so. (3/17/17)
21. Caladrius Blaze (PS4): I feel like this game tried to be an RPG too much at the expense of it being a good shooter. The gameplay, whether in easy or normal mode (I can't even imagine how frustrating hard mode is), was very imbalanced and just lacked mostly any fun. I will give this game credit for having cool bosses and the 3D backgrounds are cool, but overall I found this game to be a mess of arbitrary gameplay elements, poor balancing of difficulty, and a story that really no one needed. Probably one of my least favorite SHMUPs I've played. (3/18/17)
22. Ikaruga (Gamecube): This game gets massive brownie points for being one of the most unique and fast paced shooters ever made, as well as it being very well made, albeit extremely difficult to master. While this game is very fun to play through just for the sake of beating, its true value is in its scoring system, which for better or worse somewhat overshadows the rest of the game. Aside from that, the art direction, graphics and music are all great. While not as good as its predecessor, this game is a worthy successor to Radiant Silvergun, aka the best SHMUP ever made. (3/21/17)
23. Donpachi (Arcade): Being that Dodonpachi is one of my favorite SHMUPs of all time I had very high hopes for this one. While I didn't expect to like it as much as its successor, I at least thought it would be highly enjoyable. I ended up being pretty wrong in the end between the boring, badly designed gameplay, the bland backgrounds, and below average soundtrack. This game just lacked all the polish of Dodonpachi, in fact it almost felt like a very rough draft of what Dodonpachi would become. Moral of the story, just skip this game and play Dodonpachi, you'll be happy you did. (3/23/17)
24. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch): I will begin by saying Breath of the Wild is the greatest game I played since Half Life 2, which I first beat over 10-years ago. Almost without exception, from start to finish I was in love with nearly everything about this game; I always found myself wanting to do at least ten different things all at the same time, with a new mini adventure taking its place as soon as I finished one task. From beginning to end I found myself surprised by parts of this game, and mind you this is around 80-hours into the game. While the game does have some flaws, for every one fault this game has, there are easy 25 amazing things to make up for it. With the game beat and me feeling a sense of satisfaction I have not felt after beating a game in many years, I am currently thinking about something I never thought possible; do I like this game more than Ocarina of Time? Even if the answer ends up being no, this game has at least secured its spot as my third favorite game of all time. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an unmitigated masterpiece that I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to play and enjoy in my lifetime. (3/28/17)
25. Viper Phase 1 (Arcade): Aside from some bland metallic space themes and somewhat non-memorable bosses, this is a pretty balanced, fun shooter. It is on the easy side for a SHMUP, but it provides a good amount of difficulty to make the gameplay exciting. The soundtrack is great and a lot of the destruction animations are very well done. Overall, a good time to be had with this one. (4/1/17)
26. Dragon Blaze (Arcade): I will give this game credit for possibly being the best designed Psikyo STG I've ever played, however this is not saying a lot since I cannot think of one game they developed that wasn't terribly flawed in terms of gameplay. Like the other Psikyo shooters I've played, this game is extremely difficult, mostly due to poor design in terms of enemies, projectiles and your character's abilities. Unlike the other titles they've made, this game had more balancing, however cheap and unavoidable deaths were still abundant. The sound in this game is nothing special and the graphics are slightly above average, but overall it didn't do much to make me enjoy this game more. (4/2/17)
27. Dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou (Arcade): My initial thoughts upon playing and beating this game was that it was finally a Cave game on par with the original Dodonpachi, one of my favorite SHMUPs of all time. After about 10 playthroughs, several which I played right after or before playing the original Dodonpachi, I have to say this game is almost as good as the original, but doesn't quite do it for me as much in the music or gameplay department, which overall creates a slightly less enjoyable experience for me. Don't get me wrong though, this is a top notch shooter and one that any die hard bullet hell enthusiast must play at some point! (4/4/17)
28. Dangun Feveron (Arcade): Sadly this game fell mostly flat for me. Despite being newer than Dodonpachi (my gold standard for Cave games), the game feels and looks like a much older game, almost as if it was supposed to come out around the time Batsugun or Donpachi were released. I will give this game some credit for having a cool ship customization which allows you to select a few more options than just shot patterns for your ship. Other than that though, this game was just boring and forgettable for me. (4/18/17)
29. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch): While there is no doubt that this is the definitive version of this game, I wasn't as blown away by all the added content as I was expecting, mostly because after all the included DLC (which I had purchased already on the Wii U version) there isn't a lot more here. The revamped battle mode is undeniably better, but it was never a mode in any Mario Kart game I was super into. I did notice the updated gameplay mechanics were were mostly improvements with the exception of some god awful driving assist mode which is turned on by default, but luckily you can turn it off and never have to worry about it again. Overall this game is as solid and fun as it ever was, but I wish they would have added in a bit more for this release like a a dozen new tracks or at least 8 new racers as well. (4/30/17)
30. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PS3): If you are a fan of the South Park show, you will LOVE this game, just as I did! This game had me busting out laughing countless times with all the fan service to series' jokes and references, as well as the original content which made this game feel like a giant interactive South Park episode. I honestly can't think of how they could have better implemented South Park into a video game, this game just nails it. With all that said, this game was a bit light on the gameplay depth and did not really break any ground with the RPG mechanics, in fact in many ways it was a below average RPG in that regard. Despite all this, the game's source material and humor carries it and makes it a highly enjoyable game. (5/17/17)
31. Grand Theft Auto V (PS4): Decided to replay this game not because of the added first person view, but mostly the slightly updated visuals and the fact that this game was a blast when I first played it on the PS3 a couple of years ago. I actually ended up enjoying the game more the second time around more, possibly taking the top seat as my favorite GTA game. The game, particularly the story mode for each of the characters is by far the best part of this game, but so is being a depraved D-Bag and stealing cars, hiring prostitutes, and killing random people, as well as all the other sick, depraved things this game allows you to do. Fun fact, GTA5 on the PS3 was the first game I beat and reviewed as part of the 52-games challenge when this all started back in 2015. (5/20/17)
32. DariusBurst Chronicle Saviours (PS4): There were things I liked about this game more than Darius Gaiden, as well as things I didn't like as much as Gaiden, but I have to give this game the edge over Gaiden do to its vast amount of content and levels to choose from. Unfortunately a lot of this content is recycled or slightly altered, but overall there is enough if it to keep me engaged in the game. Gameplay is mostly solid as well, with some zones being significantly better than others in terms of design, although none of the zones I played through were particularly memorable. Not the best horizontal SHMUP I've ever played, by definitely not the worst either; overall it was a pretty good game. (5/21/17)
33. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4): This game is among the most poorly designed, boring, uninteresting FPS games I've ever played. About the only thing I can say that was decent about this game was the graphics, but other than that I cannot find many good things to say about this game. Definitely the worst in the series I've played. (5/26/17)
