Every PC ENGINE SHOOT EM UP Reviewed and Ranked! Did you know NEC’s PC Engine had over 100 Shooters on the system? More than any other game console in history! Yes, more than the Mega Drive, Sega Saturn, Playstation or any other console. This video will help you explore the entire PC Engine library by reviewing and ranking every shooter in a massive, epic shmup compilation!
You’ll see real hardware including the original PC Engine CD System, Coregrafx, Duo-R, SuperGrafx, US based systems like the TurboGrafx16 and TurboExpress handheld, and even a PC Engine LT! Along with the physical games, cataloging their cover art and whether they are HuCard, CD, SuperCD or Arcade Card.
Limited releases like the Hudson Soft Caravan Competition Special HuCards for Gunhed, Final Soldier and Soldier Blade along with hidden shoot em ups within other games like Force Gear and Cychorider. Mail order only Darius Alpha is here too. Even the Pioneer LaserActive PC Engine PAC Vajra games are here!
From arcade conversions like Konami’s Gradius and Parodius to system exclusives like Gate and Lords of Thunder, the PC Engine shooting library wasn’t just quantity, but high in quality. So prepare for the Ultimate PC Engine Shooter video leaving no stone unturned! Every PC Engine Shoot Em Up Reviewed!
CHAPTERS
- 00:00:00 – The Greatest Shooting Library of All Time?
- 00:01:42 – 1940s and A
- 00:17:44 – B is for Blazing
- 00:22:50 – C is for Cotton
- 00:35:02 – D is for Darius
- 00:56:38 – F is for Final Soldier
- 01:04:55 – G is for Gradius
- 01:12:46 – H is for Hana Taaka Daka
- 01:22:53 – I is for Image Fight
- 01:26:47 – K is for Kyukyoku Tiger
- 01:30:55 – L is for Lords of Thunder
- 01:38:26 – M is for Macross
- 01:48:16 – N is for Nexzr!
- 01:52:22 – O is for Override
- 01:55:14 – P is for Parodius
- 02:04:14 – R is for R-Type
- 02:18:02 – S is for Soldier Blade
- 02:50:16 – T is for Tatsujin
- 03:02:20 – V through Zero Wing
- 03:10:11 – Special Version Competition Cards
03:11:01 – Pioneer Laseractive PC Engine PAC - 03:12:37 – Shooters in Other Games
- 03:13:19 – The Amazing PC Engine!
Games Shown in this video:
- 1941 Counter Attack – 1943 Kai – AeroBlasters – After Burner II – Air Zonk Super Air Zonk – Aldynes – Alzadick – Armed Formation F – Atlantean – Atomic Robo Kid Special – Avenger – Barunba – Blazing Lazers (Gunhed) – Burning Angels – Cho Aniki – Ai Cho Aniki – Cloud Master – Coryoon – Cotton Fantastic Night Dreams – Cybercore – Cychorider – Daisenpuu – Daisenpuu Custom – Darius Alpha – Super Darius – Darius Plus – Super Darius II – Dead Moon – Deep Blue – Detana Twinbee – Download – Download 2 – Dragon Spirit – Dragon Saber – Fantasy Zone – Final Blaster – Final Soldier – Force Gear – Forgotten Worlds – Galaga 88 – Gate of Thunder – God Panic – Gradius – Gradius II Gofer – Hana Taaka Daka – Hani in the Sky – Hawk F123 – Heavy Unit – Hellfire S – Hypernova Blast – Image Fight – Image Fight II – Kiaidan 00 – Kyukyoku Tiger – L-Dis – Legion – Lords of Thunder – Lost Sunheart – Macross 2036 – Magical Chase – Metamor Jupiter – Metero Blaster DX – Monster Lair – Mr. Heli – Nexzr – Ordyne – Override – P-47 – Parodius Da! – Power Gate – Psychic Storm – Psycho Chaser – Psychosis (Paranoia) – RType – RType Complete CD – Rabio Lepus – Raiden – Super Raiden – Rayxanber II – Rayxanber III – Rock On – Saint Dragon – Salamander – Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire – Sidearms – Sidearms Special – Sinistron (Violent Soldier) – Soldier Blade – Space Harrier – Space Invaders – Space Invaders: The Original Game – Spriggan – Spriggan Mark 2 – Star Parodier – Steam Hearts – Super Star Soldier – Sylphia – Tatsujin – Terra Cresta 2 – Syd Mead’s Terraforming – Thunder Blade – Toilet Kids – Toy Shop Boys – Veigues Tactical Gladiator – W-Ring – Xevious Fardraut Saga – Zero Wing – Vajra – Vajra 2
Review and ranking is a matter of opinion. I took presentation, music, gameplay, longevity, and port quality all into account. This is not an overall tier list comparing them to games on later, modern consoles like Battle Garegga or Dodonpachi, but ranked within it’s own library and compared to other consoles of the time like the Mega Drive, Super Nintendo and Neo Geo. While most footage is mine, replaying over 100 games to completion is impossible in a timely manner. Some footage was recorded by others using software emulation or FPGA via MiSTer. Thank you to those that allowed me to use their gameplay. I’ve linked their channels in the original video description.
Looking for more great PC Engine videos? Check out my History of the Amazing PC Engine here: https://shmupjunkie.com/2021/04/history-of-the-amazing-pc-engine-part-1/