SHOOTING!

January 25, 2009 7:32 PM

Three browser-based shmups for channeling your internet rage: Blueshift, Arcanacra and Rapture Capture. Tips inside.

Blueshift: Use arrows to move, A to fire, S to activate your shield, and D to switch weapons. The larger, slower ships contain additional weapons - the guided missiles are especially nice. Your ships moves have a momentum to them - something to keep in mind as you dodge enemy bullets.

Arcanacra: Use arrows to move, Z to fire, and X to bomb. I recommend clicking the "DISPLAY x2" link for a larger game display in a pop-up window. Moves FAST.

Rapture Capture: OK, technically not a shmup because you don't shoot. Instead, you use your mouse to fling about a giant whip that lashes bullets and captures enemies. Games takes a while to load.

posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing (9 comments total)

Blueshift: Uh, the enemies shoot waaay too much and therefore the bullets are nigh-undodgable, in addition to the fact that the ship controls are squirrelly.

Arcanacra: I might like it if it was 3 times as big or 3/4 as fast. Unfun as is.

Rapture Capture: Decent idea. Subpar execution. By far the best of the 3.
posted by TypographicalError at 8:13 PM on January 25, 2009

WHO YOU CALLIN A SHMUP... Oh, wait. These are fun!
posted by Faux Real at 8:17 PM on January 25, 2009

Blueshift: Uh, the enemies shoot waaay too much and therefore the bullets are nigh-undodgable, in addition to the fact that the ship controls are squirrelly.

With infinite lives, the point of the game isn't so much to dodge everything as it is to level up your weapons. With enough patience, you can tailor the difficulty to whatever you want it to be. Playing the first level with that tracking-lightning-bolt weapon is suicide when it's Level 1, but quite easy when it's Level 3... you just die a lot until it gets there.

It reminds me of Radiant Silvergun's weapon-leveling system. Of course, the two games are very different otherwise.
posted by Maxson at 9:07 PM on January 25, 2009

Arcanacra: I might like it if it was 3 times as big or 3/4 as fast. Unfun as is.

While I can't attest to preferences for how fast the game is, try clicking the "DISPLAY x2" link - this opens a much larger window for gameplay.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 10:22 PM on January 25, 2009

If you think that shmups are all macho dickwaving, Rapture Capture will not change your mind.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:01 PM on January 25, 2009 [1 favorite]

Metafilter needs more dakka!

Seriously.
posted by Samizdata at 12:52 AM on January 26, 2009

I'm a shmuck at 2D topview shmups apparently.
posted by BrotherCaine at 6:32 PM on January 26, 2009

most difficult shmup of all time
posted by tylerfulltilt at 6:57 AM on January 27, 2009 [1 favorite]

most difficult shmup of all time

That's a bold statement. Yes, it does look pretty hard. I don't where I'd put my superlatives in that category. Samidare is insanely rough. Stage 6 of Mountain of Faith in Lunatic mode just looks nuts. I only play Normal mode, and that's difficult enough for me. Ikaruga looks awesome, though. I'm going to have to check that out.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 8:09 AM on January 27, 2009