Favourite & Recent Shareware Shooter

[Nexic]

I'm doing a bit of research for my next project. What I wan't to know is the names of any shareware shooter games (any kind) that you have bought in the last couple of years, and which of those were your favourite and why. I'm especially interested in hearing about games you like that have a non standard theme (ie, not space).

I realise I asked a similar question some months back, but this time around I'm only interested in hearing about downloadable ones that have been released recently.

Also, can each of you tell me, which *kind* is your favourite? IE. 360 degrees, top down vertical, side scroller etc. And whether you prefer a standard space theme, or are open to others. Would you be drawn to a very humour style shooter for example?

[digriz]

The ones that stick in my mind are Space Tripper, UltraTronand GridRunner++.
Derelict was alright too, it reminded me of Alien Syndrome by Sega from many moons ago.

I don't have a particular favourite style but they tend to be the vertical
scrolling ones, Star Monkey is a particular favourite because of that.

For me any kind of shooting game has to have feedback rewards for the player. Big explosions, particle effects and sound effects also play a big part of this too.

Humour in a game is difficult to achieve. And it can get irritating after a while.

A different theme from space might give you a bit of an edge...There aren't too many that aren't involving space

[princec]

Mutant Storm, Crimsonland, GridRunner++, Freedroid, Supreme With Cheese. An overwhelming preference for 8-way scrolling here. Very difficult to pinpoint a favourite, so I shan't.

The themes are not really an issue. It's all about great gameplay. I may not be a typical player though.

Cas :)

[svero]

There haven't been any very very recent titles that I've liked, but the ones Ive bought/played over the last few years were... Platypus, Space Tripper, Alien Flux, Star Monkey, and Crimsonland.

Theme is not important to me, but I think I'd like to see more bright non-space shooters. I'd definitely be drawn to a shooter with colorful or brighter graphics. Heavy Weapon had a nice graphical feel and I bought it, but in the end the gameplay was a little weak so I can't list it as a favorite, but I think it was a step in the right direction.

I think something of key importance to me is that the shooting game, whatever it is, should have some really well thought out skill and balance elements. I don't like to shoot lots of stuff for the sake of shooting. I liked Alien shooter, but can't list it among my favorites because there didn't seem to be a whole lot of skill involved. It was just mindless shoot shoot shoot. I loved for instance in Doom 2, when I discovered that spiders can't fire at you if you use the shotgun on them and constantly hit them every time you shoot. They can't recover fast enough to get their chain guns going. So suddenly a monster in the game that was a nightmare became an easy kill and as a player I felt I'd improved and gained some skill. These sorts of things add a little depth to a shooter and make it a much more interesting game for me.

Star Monkey used ship upgrades to create depth. There were so many ways to upgrade your ship it kept the game interesting for me. Crimsonland was similar. Tons of upgrades and having choose what to take first.

I love big bosses. Platypus is king there. The huge trains and ships that end the sections really add something for me. Not enough shooters throw a really really big monster at me.

[digriz]

I love big bosses. Platypus is king there.

I forgot about platypus....I'd have to agree with svero.


It is a classic scrolling shoot-em-up..

[Ricardo C]

I haven't bought any shareware shooters, to be honest. It's been a while since a shooter has really caught my attention. What I'd really like to see (I may be the only one though) is a Starfox 64-inspired game that featured a solid deathmatch mode.

I know, this answer doesn't conform to the question, but if there's any chance I'll someday see my dream shooter, I might as well campaign for it :o

[Hamumu]

I never buy anything, but someday I dream of buying Warblade. And of course, always Mutant Storm. And Jets n' Guns. In fact, except for Zombie Smashers, that's my entire indie wishlist (well, all the ones I had the presence of mind to write down at the time)! I guess I like shooters.

[z3lda]

Mutant Storm was the only indie game I've ever bought, and it was for XBox Live :)

[Dylan Fitterer]

I also bought Mutant Storm on Xbox. And I've been playing Gunroar (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/windows/gr_e.html).

[terin]

Crimsonland and Jets and Guns by huge leaps and bounds.

-Joe

[HarmonicFlow]

I've bought Jet's N Guns and Platypus where Platypus is my favorite for sure. Very nice graphical theme and great gameplay + music. If I should say one thing about Platypus then it would be that it's too short.

Some stuff to learn from that game is very good balance etc and it also build my curiosity up and each stage has something new to it. Some new way of doing it.

For me to like a game it has to be good gameplay and something new all the time and very good balance. I really don't care about 1 million different weapons.. I care about the purpose of each weapon.

Each stage should offer something new, it should build up the curiosity of what's next. And all stages final goal is the boss which only can be completed in a certain way. The music should have the feel of now it's boss time etc.

Each stage so to speak is nice to have in a unqiue graphical theme. This way I want to see what's next all the time. And the journey should lead to the final final boss which really has something special to it. And when you think the game is completed it isn't, then another boss shows up :)

You should always be able to complete the game. The difficulty level is also important. Say you try a boss and die a couple of times before you figure out the pattern to kill him. In that way gameplay should be executed. Not random stuff to much. Each enemy could have it's own tricks where certain weapons works better etc.

As a side note it would be very interesting to utilize some multiplayer elements to a shooter somehow. In a funny way, collaborate mode over the net or something.

This could be done in the casual context I think, even with limitations such as download size etc.