discoalucard
i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
The Saturn has a ridiculously large number of excellent shoot-em-ups. The console was seen as the system for 2D fans, thanks to hardware that was (mostly) superior for the PS1 when it came to sprite handling. Plus some arcade shooters were developed for the ST-V hardware, which was almost identical to the Saturn, making for easy ports. To be fair, a good number of these games were also ported to the PS1. As a rule of thumb, the Saturn version is USUALLY better, but there are some exceptions, like with some of the Konami Deluxe packs and Donpachi/Dodonpachi.
Gun Frontier
A 1990 Taito shoot-em-up with a Wild West theme, released as part of the Arcade Gears series. Many of the enemies are designed like flying pistols, which sounds ridiculous but actually looks pretty cool! I hear a lot of people get down on this game because it's referenced as the predecessor to Shinobu Yagawa games like Battle Garegga. It's true that the bomb pickup/attack system is identical and it uses a similar medal scoring system. But I also think it places unfair expectations on the game as a genre milestone - it's still a shooter from 1990, before the danmaku subgenre was solidified, so it's a LOT slower than more modern games. Anyway, I rather like it, and the soundtrack is fantastic.
Metal Black
Another Taito shooter, this one tends to get lumped in with the Darius series since it has aquatic enemies, but it plays entirely differently. The main weapon is an extremely powerful laser which can be used to "duel" boss creatures, an element later reused for Border Down, which is considered Metal Black's spiritual successor.
It's also one of the most atmospheric shooters out there. The first stage, on a post-apocalyptic earth, is easily one of my favorite opening levels of any shooters. The intro indicates the game as "Project Gun Frontier 2" but it has only the barest of relations - from a storyline standpoint, it was pitched as a sequel to management because the development team though their actual plans were too depressing.
This popped up in a Taito Legends collection for the PS2, but the US release has a bug where you can't refocus your laser after you've started using it. It's a minor detail but it's annoying.
Galactic Attack
AKA Gunlock AKA Layer Section AKA Rayforce, this is one of the few shooters that actually made it to North America. It's another Taito game and uses 2D graphics very well, as your fighter descends from outer space through an atmosphere down to the surface of a planet. There's a targeting cursor slightly in front if your ship which you can use to lock onto enemies and attack with missiles. It utilizes some cool pseudo 3D effects since you can use the missiles to attack enemies below you, that your regular shots can't reach. Absolutely essential especially since it's one of the few Saturn shooters that's relatively cheap!
Layer Section 2
The sequel to the above, that moved to 3D and a slightly skewed perspective. The PlayStation version, released in North America under the Spaz label of Working Designs, is slightly better, plus it's available as an HD version on the Xbox 360. The Saturn version isn't remarkably different from the PS1 version, but it is a slight graphical downgrade.
Darius 2
A pretty straight port of the arcade game. I've never played this port so I can't remark on it, but I do know it was released in Europe. It's the only version to include anything resembling the widescreen view of the arcade game, though it's not quite as long. (The picture is from the arcade game, which runs across three screens...I couldn't get Darius II working in SSF for a nice clean Saturn shot.) Unfortunately it's missing the awesome redbook soundtrack of the PC Engine version.
Darius Gaiden
The Darius series, where you fight against mechanical fish, has always been a little weird, but this just goes all out crazy on the trippiness. It's one of the best in the series, next to G Darius, which used 3D graphics instead of 2D. Like Galactic Attack, it was released in North America and can be found at a very reasonably price.
Soukyugurentai
A mish-mash of sprites and polygons, Soukyugurentai by Eighting/Raizing is kind of ugly, but it's a lot of fun to play, mostly due to its targeting system. It plays like an expanded version of Galactic Attack, right down to a scene where the ships descend through the clouds down to a planet surface. I think I like it a little bit better, especially thanks to the soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto.
There are two releases of this game. The original releases has some graphical glitches if you're playing on a US/EU Saturn with a converter cart. This is because the game detects the system region as "English". The game was partially localized (it did see an arcade release under the name Terra Diver) but some graphics are missing and show as corrupted. It's all filler stuff like the messages before and after levels, so it doesn't affect the gameplay negatively. A subsequent release fixes these issues, plus it includes a demo of Battle Garegga.
Donpachi
Cave's first shooter and predecessor to Dodonpachi. It's closer to Raiden than the bullet hell shooters we know of today, but it's still pretty good. Shooter fans prefer the PS1 version and I can't remember why - I think it has something to do with the way it implements scrolling when played in hori mode.
Dodonpachi
Pretty decent port of Cave's arcade game, the first sequel to Donpachi, and generally regarded as their defining game. Again, the shooter community gives precedence to the PS1 version due to its accuracy (and even that one isn't 100% perfect), but the Saturn one is just fine, and has an extra level exclusive to this version.
Batsugun
Batsugun is credited as being the first danmaku shooter. Its bullet patterns aren't as thick as later games, but you can see the bricks being put into place. I really love that the first level takes place underwater, it's a very unique touch. It also makes me really sad that most of Toaplan's other shooters at the time were ported - I would've loved to see Dogyuun on the Saturn.
Kyokyoku Tiger II
Sequel to the game known as Twin Cobra in English, this was the last game by Toaplan, though it was published by different companies.
Shippu Mahou Daisakusen - Kingdom Grand Prix
A weird combination of a shooter and a racing game. It doesn't REALLY work because the racing elements are applied inconsistently across the human player and their opponents, but it's still pretty neat in principle! Besides, the Saturn version features a mode that lets you play it as a regular shooter. Lots of weird characters with a pseudo-fantasy theme, and some great FM music by Hitoshi Sakimoto. (If you want to see a decent racer/shooter combo, check out the Omake mode in Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius. It's only a single level but it's a better implementation of the idea.)
This is the second in the Mahou Daisakusen series. The first game is similar but is a more standard shooter. The third is, again, more traditional, and was released by Capcom under the name Dimahoo. Neither of these were ever ported.
Cotton 2
Developed by Success, this is a cutesy shooter starring a trio of witches, and sequel to the arcade/PCE CD game. It's been a long time since I've played this so I can't remember much else about it.
Cotton Boomerang
A revised version of Cotton 2 featuring different mechanics.
Hyper Duel
An enhanced port an arcade game by Technosoft. Similar to Thunder Force, except you can switch back and forth between a ship and a mech, the latter of which can aim their shots. One of the priciest shooters on the Saturn, it's a decent game but probably not worth the price it commands. Awesome music by the composer of Thunder Force V.
Blast Wind
A retooled version of an unreleased arcade game called Inazuma Saber, it's one of the only vertical shooters developed by Technosoft. It's also kind of bland and unremarkable, though not really bad. The branching levels are pretty neat, at least, and again, the music is by the Thunder Force V guy so it's excellent. Like Hyper Duel, it's super pricey.
Battle Garegga
Developed by Shinobu Yagawa, this is Raizing's most well know game. It has a cool dieselpunk atmosphere, some incredible spritework reminiscent of Irem/Nazca and a pounding Detroit techno soundtrack by Manabu Namiki. It's a big time favorite for shooter fanatics but might be a little intimidating for newcomers, especially with the oblong bullets and the rank control, but it's still a beautiful game. There's a hidden option menu that lets you tinker with some things, including unlocking characters from Mahou Daisakusen and options to make the bullets more visible.
Radiant Silvergun
Treasure's first real shooter and predecessor to Ikaruga. Your ship has always has six weapons, each with different uses, plus a seventh "sword" weapon which can absorb certain types of bullets to be used for a super attack. There are three types of colored enemies - red, yellow and blue - and killing like-colored enemies three at a time grants score bonuses, which in turn powers up your weapons.
To be honest, the standard arcade mode is only okay. It's a very long and slow paced shooter so it drags in spots. The Saturn mode, on the other hand, is where this game really shines. It adds an absolutely crazy storyline, and makes the leveling of weapons persistent across multiple plays. One of the big issues of the arcade mode was that if you failed to chain enemies properly you ended up underpowered by the end, but since weapon strength carries over with replays it eliminates that problem. It's a perfect shooter for people that aren't into shooters, especially since the bullets patterns are dense, but not particularly fast.
It has a very dreary atmosphere considering the post-apocalyptic setting, but the 3D visuals are some of the best on the Saturn. The music by Hitoshi Sakimoto is basically the Final Fantasy Tactics soundtrack reappropriated as a shooter. Considering how long the game is, it gets a little repetitive, but you'll be guaranteed to be humming the main theme after playing this game for any semblance of time.
The XBLA port features better graphics and all of the features of the Saturn mode, so it kind of makes the original release redundant. The only change I can note - in the Saturn version, you gained an extra credit per hour of play, while in the XBLA one you only get an extra life per hour of play.
Choaniki
The third in the "super big brother" series, this is the weirdest-of-the-weird, thanks to the digitized graphics. As a shooter it's pretty average, but it's worth it for the unnerving experience alone, and the music is weirdly catchy. There is a PS1 version that's available on the NA PSN, it's the same game, though I think there are some tweaks between them.
Guardian Force
A conversion of an ST-V game by Success, the same makers as Cotton. You control a tank rather than a spaceship, and you can aim its turrets with the trigger buttons.
Konami Deluxe Packs
Each release contains ports of Konami arcade shooters. Generally pretty solid ports, but you're probably better off getting the PlayStation versions of some of these games. The older ones (Gradius, Salamander) run in a lower resolution that the Saturn doesn't support, so the visuals are either pillarboxed or really blotchy when stretched out. On the other hand, the PlayStation supports these resolutions just fine.
Gradius
Gradius Deluxe Pack has Gradius and Gradius II. Solid ports but I prefer the PC Engine versions of both games - Gradius has better graphics and music, and adds another stage, while Gradius II isn't as brutally difficult, and also has an extra stage.
Salamander / Life Force
Salamander Deluxe Pack has Salamander, its revised edition Life Force (the Japanese version, not the North American version), and Salamander 2. I prefer the NES version (for the extra stages) and PC Engine version (for the revised balance) of Salamander, but Salamander 2 is decent, if short.
Parodius
Parodius Deluxe Pack has Parodius and Gokujou Parodius. These versions are missing some of the bonuses of the home ports, like the extra characters in Gokujou, but the first game does has an extra hidden level, and the second game features the two player mode that was excised from the SFC port.
Twinbee
Detana Twinbee Yahho Deluxe Pack has Detana Twinbee and Twinbee Yahho!, two famous cute-em-ups. Unlike the others, Detana Twinbee here is better than its PCE port, and Twinbee Yahho! was never ported. Both are fantastic games, but Detana Twinbee is missing a tate mode, sadly. (The screenshot is from the arcade version.) Twinbee Yahho! is a vertical shooter but was made for a horizontal monitor, so it doesn't need a tate mode to begin with.
Most of these ended up ported to the PSP with various extra games. Other than having to play them on a portable system, they're all great ports, but the Parodius ones had to change some of the music since they were worried some tracks infringed on music that wasn't in the public domain.
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius
A port of the Super Famicom game, the main gimmick is the digitized voice of the announcer, who comments on the action. It's a little tough to appreciate this without knowing Japanese. The 32-bit ports have (slightly) enhanced graphics and better sound, plus some changes were made to a few levels and bosses. The PlayStation version has extra "accident" stages which uses polygon graphics. The Saturn version instead offers an "extra" mode which changes the enemy layouts and some boss attacks.
Sexy Parodius
This is one of my favorite shooters ever, a ridiculously fun game full of energy and goofy cheesecake. Most of the stages have a goal, whether to collect a certain number of tokens or defeat a certain numbers of enemies. Whether you succeed or not changes the levels you play. Both the Saturn and PS1 versions are basically identical.
Sonic Wings Special
Also known as Aero Fighters, this version combines the three games in the series into one big mega game. It's made by Psikyo, and most of their shooters play more or less the same. They're a little bland to be honest, but they have their fans. This was released on the PS1 too and the import version is available for download on the US PSN.
Strikers 1945
Another Psikyo shooter series, the title suggests that it takes place during World War II, but considering some of the enemies are mechs, it has more of a futuristic feel. The second game, Strikers 1945 II, was brought to North America on the PS1 and renamed Strikers 1945. Try not to get confused!
Gunbird
Another Psikyo game, which plays almost identically to the above two. It seems to be their most popular game due to the roster of unique characters. There's a lot of fan artwork and other supplementary stuff on the disc. The PS1 port was brought to North America in heavily butchered form as Mobile Light Force. The sequel was published by Capcom and was ported to the Dreamcast.
Sengoku Blade
Yet another Psikyo game, but a bit different from the rest since it's a side-scrolling shooter. It's also one of their better titles, and the feudal Japan/mecha combination is pretty cool, reminiscent of MUSHA and Robo Aleste. The Saturn version includes an extra disc with some fan art and other bonuses.
Most of the Psikyo games were released as compilations on the PS2, and some of them made it to Europe too, though not North America. Generally though, they're juddery messes, even though it has a few games that were never ported before, like Sengoku Ace, the predecessor to Sengoku Blade.
Twinkle Star Sprites
A competitive shooter game that takes inspiration from puzzle games. The screen is split in two, with each player indirectly competing against the other. You shoot various enemies on the screen in order to create combos, which sends a hailstorm of fireballs at your opponent. But your opponent, if they're crafty, can send them back if they create another combo. It gets incredibly hectic in trying to overwhelm your opponent while attempting to stay alive too. A must play title.
This game originated on the Neo Geo, but the Saturn version has arranged music (also used on the Neo Geo CD version) plus a bonus disc with fan art and such. There are other ports for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, but they're comparatively barebones. There was also a sequel to the PS2, but it uses ugly 3D graphics instead, and has character artwork by the same guy who later did the Doki Doki Majou Shinpan games (those DS witch touching games).
Thunder Force V
The last "real" Thunder Force game. (TF VI, made by Sega, is rather crap.) Pretty similar to the Genesis games but even faster paced, with 3D graphics and a rocking guitar soundtrack. The PS1 version made it to America under the Spaz label of Working Designs. Some of the graphical details from the Saturn version, like some backgroun layers, are missing in the PS1 port, but in turn it has less slowdown.
Gun Frontier
A 1990 Taito shoot-em-up with a Wild West theme, released as part of the Arcade Gears series. Many of the enemies are designed like flying pistols, which sounds ridiculous but actually looks pretty cool! I hear a lot of people get down on this game because it's referenced as the predecessor to Shinobu Yagawa games like Battle Garegga. It's true that the bomb pickup/attack system is identical and it uses a similar medal scoring system. But I also think it places unfair expectations on the game as a genre milestone - it's still a shooter from 1990, before the danmaku subgenre was solidified, so it's a LOT slower than more modern games. Anyway, I rather like it, and the soundtrack is fantastic.
Metal Black
Another Taito shooter, this one tends to get lumped in with the Darius series since it has aquatic enemies, but it plays entirely differently. The main weapon is an extremely powerful laser which can be used to "duel" boss creatures, an element later reused for Border Down, which is considered Metal Black's spiritual successor.
It's also one of the most atmospheric shooters out there. The first stage, on a post-apocalyptic earth, is easily one of my favorite opening levels of any shooters. The intro indicates the game as "Project Gun Frontier 2" but it has only the barest of relations - from a storyline standpoint, it was pitched as a sequel to management because the development team though their actual plans were too depressing.
This popped up in a Taito Legends collection for the PS2, but the US release has a bug where you can't refocus your laser after you've started using it. It's a minor detail but it's annoying.
Galactic Attack
AKA Gunlock AKA Layer Section AKA Rayforce, this is one of the few shooters that actually made it to North America. It's another Taito game and uses 2D graphics very well, as your fighter descends from outer space through an atmosphere down to the surface of a planet. There's a targeting cursor slightly in front if your ship which you can use to lock onto enemies and attack with missiles. It utilizes some cool pseudo 3D effects since you can use the missiles to attack enemies below you, that your regular shots can't reach. Absolutely essential especially since it's one of the few Saturn shooters that's relatively cheap!
Layer Section 2
The sequel to the above, that moved to 3D and a slightly skewed perspective. The PlayStation version, released in North America under the Spaz label of Working Designs, is slightly better, plus it's available as an HD version on the Xbox 360. The Saturn version isn't remarkably different from the PS1 version, but it is a slight graphical downgrade.
Darius 2
A pretty straight port of the arcade game. I've never played this port so I can't remark on it, but I do know it was released in Europe. It's the only version to include anything resembling the widescreen view of the arcade game, though it's not quite as long. (The picture is from the arcade game, which runs across three screens...I couldn't get Darius II working in SSF for a nice clean Saturn shot.) Unfortunately it's missing the awesome redbook soundtrack of the PC Engine version.
Darius Gaiden
The Darius series, where you fight against mechanical fish, has always been a little weird, but this just goes all out crazy on the trippiness. It's one of the best in the series, next to G Darius, which used 3D graphics instead of 2D. Like Galactic Attack, it was released in North America and can be found at a very reasonably price.
Soukyugurentai
A mish-mash of sprites and polygons, Soukyugurentai by Eighting/Raizing is kind of ugly, but it's a lot of fun to play, mostly due to its targeting system. It plays like an expanded version of Galactic Attack, right down to a scene where the ships descend through the clouds down to a planet surface. I think I like it a little bit better, especially thanks to the soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto.
There are two releases of this game. The original releases has some graphical glitches if you're playing on a US/EU Saturn with a converter cart. This is because the game detects the system region as "English". The game was partially localized (it did see an arcade release under the name Terra Diver) but some graphics are missing and show as corrupted. It's all filler stuff like the messages before and after levels, so it doesn't affect the gameplay negatively. A subsequent release fixes these issues, plus it includes a demo of Battle Garegga.
Donpachi
Cave's first shooter and predecessor to Dodonpachi. It's closer to Raiden than the bullet hell shooters we know of today, but it's still pretty good. Shooter fans prefer the PS1 version and I can't remember why - I think it has something to do with the way it implements scrolling when played in hori mode.
Dodonpachi
Pretty decent port of Cave's arcade game, the first sequel to Donpachi, and generally regarded as their defining game. Again, the shooter community gives precedence to the PS1 version due to its accuracy (and even that one isn't 100% perfect), but the Saturn one is just fine, and has an extra level exclusive to this version.
Batsugun
Batsugun is credited as being the first danmaku shooter. Its bullet patterns aren't as thick as later games, but you can see the bricks being put into place. I really love that the first level takes place underwater, it's a very unique touch. It also makes me really sad that most of Toaplan's other shooters at the time were ported - I would've loved to see Dogyuun on the Saturn.
Kyokyoku Tiger II
Sequel to the game known as Twin Cobra in English, this was the last game by Toaplan, though it was published by different companies.
Shippu Mahou Daisakusen - Kingdom Grand Prix
A weird combination of a shooter and a racing game. It doesn't REALLY work because the racing elements are applied inconsistently across the human player and their opponents, but it's still pretty neat in principle! Besides, the Saturn version features a mode that lets you play it as a regular shooter. Lots of weird characters with a pseudo-fantasy theme, and some great FM music by Hitoshi Sakimoto. (If you want to see a decent racer/shooter combo, check out the Omake mode in Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius. It's only a single level but it's a better implementation of the idea.)
This is the second in the Mahou Daisakusen series. The first game is similar but is a more standard shooter. The third is, again, more traditional, and was released by Capcom under the name Dimahoo. Neither of these were ever ported.
Cotton 2
Developed by Success, this is a cutesy shooter starring a trio of witches, and sequel to the arcade/PCE CD game. It's been a long time since I've played this so I can't remember much else about it.
Cotton Boomerang
A revised version of Cotton 2 featuring different mechanics.
Hyper Duel
An enhanced port an arcade game by Technosoft. Similar to Thunder Force, except you can switch back and forth between a ship and a mech, the latter of which can aim their shots. One of the priciest shooters on the Saturn, it's a decent game but probably not worth the price it commands. Awesome music by the composer of Thunder Force V.
Blast Wind
A retooled version of an unreleased arcade game called Inazuma Saber, it's one of the only vertical shooters developed by Technosoft. It's also kind of bland and unremarkable, though not really bad. The branching levels are pretty neat, at least, and again, the music is by the Thunder Force V guy so it's excellent. Like Hyper Duel, it's super pricey.
Battle Garegga
Developed by Shinobu Yagawa, this is Raizing's most well know game. It has a cool dieselpunk atmosphere, some incredible spritework reminiscent of Irem/Nazca and a pounding Detroit techno soundtrack by Manabu Namiki. It's a big time favorite for shooter fanatics but might be a little intimidating for newcomers, especially with the oblong bullets and the rank control, but it's still a beautiful game. There's a hidden option menu that lets you tinker with some things, including unlocking characters from Mahou Daisakusen and options to make the bullets more visible.
Radiant Silvergun
Treasure's first real shooter and predecessor to Ikaruga. Your ship has always has six weapons, each with different uses, plus a seventh "sword" weapon which can absorb certain types of bullets to be used for a super attack. There are three types of colored enemies - red, yellow and blue - and killing like-colored enemies three at a time grants score bonuses, which in turn powers up your weapons.
To be honest, the standard arcade mode is only okay. It's a very long and slow paced shooter so it drags in spots. The Saturn mode, on the other hand, is where this game really shines. It adds an absolutely crazy storyline, and makes the leveling of weapons persistent across multiple plays. One of the big issues of the arcade mode was that if you failed to chain enemies properly you ended up underpowered by the end, but since weapon strength carries over with replays it eliminates that problem. It's a perfect shooter for people that aren't into shooters, especially since the bullets patterns are dense, but not particularly fast.
It has a very dreary atmosphere considering the post-apocalyptic setting, but the 3D visuals are some of the best on the Saturn. The music by Hitoshi Sakimoto is basically the Final Fantasy Tactics soundtrack reappropriated as a shooter. Considering how long the game is, it gets a little repetitive, but you'll be guaranteed to be humming the main theme after playing this game for any semblance of time.
The XBLA port features better graphics and all of the features of the Saturn mode, so it kind of makes the original release redundant. The only change I can note - in the Saturn version, you gained an extra credit per hour of play, while in the XBLA one you only get an extra life per hour of play.
Choaniki
The third in the "super big brother" series, this is the weirdest-of-the-weird, thanks to the digitized graphics. As a shooter it's pretty average, but it's worth it for the unnerving experience alone, and the music is weirdly catchy. There is a PS1 version that's available on the NA PSN, it's the same game, though I think there are some tweaks between them.
Guardian Force
A conversion of an ST-V game by Success, the same makers as Cotton. You control a tank rather than a spaceship, and you can aim its turrets with the trigger buttons.
Konami Deluxe Packs
Each release contains ports of Konami arcade shooters. Generally pretty solid ports, but you're probably better off getting the PlayStation versions of some of these games. The older ones (Gradius, Salamander) run in a lower resolution that the Saturn doesn't support, so the visuals are either pillarboxed or really blotchy when stretched out. On the other hand, the PlayStation supports these resolutions just fine.
Gradius
Gradius Deluxe Pack has Gradius and Gradius II. Solid ports but I prefer the PC Engine versions of both games - Gradius has better graphics and music, and adds another stage, while Gradius II isn't as brutally difficult, and also has an extra stage.
Salamander / Life Force
Salamander Deluxe Pack has Salamander, its revised edition Life Force (the Japanese version, not the North American version), and Salamander 2. I prefer the NES version (for the extra stages) and PC Engine version (for the revised balance) of Salamander, but Salamander 2 is decent, if short.
Parodius
Parodius Deluxe Pack has Parodius and Gokujou Parodius. These versions are missing some of the bonuses of the home ports, like the extra characters in Gokujou, but the first game does has an extra hidden level, and the second game features the two player mode that was excised from the SFC port.
Twinbee
Detana Twinbee Yahho Deluxe Pack has Detana Twinbee and Twinbee Yahho!, two famous cute-em-ups. Unlike the others, Detana Twinbee here is better than its PCE port, and Twinbee Yahho! was never ported. Both are fantastic games, but Detana Twinbee is missing a tate mode, sadly. (The screenshot is from the arcade version.) Twinbee Yahho! is a vertical shooter but was made for a horizontal monitor, so it doesn't need a tate mode to begin with.
Most of these ended up ported to the PSP with various extra games. Other than having to play them on a portable system, they're all great ports, but the Parodius ones had to change some of the music since they were worried some tracks infringed on music that wasn't in the public domain.
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius
A port of the Super Famicom game, the main gimmick is the digitized voice of the announcer, who comments on the action. It's a little tough to appreciate this without knowing Japanese. The 32-bit ports have (slightly) enhanced graphics and better sound, plus some changes were made to a few levels and bosses. The PlayStation version has extra "accident" stages which uses polygon graphics. The Saturn version instead offers an "extra" mode which changes the enemy layouts and some boss attacks.
Sexy Parodius
This is one of my favorite shooters ever, a ridiculously fun game full of energy and goofy cheesecake. Most of the stages have a goal, whether to collect a certain number of tokens or defeat a certain numbers of enemies. Whether you succeed or not changes the levels you play. Both the Saturn and PS1 versions are basically identical.
Sonic Wings Special
Also known as Aero Fighters, this version combines the three games in the series into one big mega game. It's made by Psikyo, and most of their shooters play more or less the same. They're a little bland to be honest, but they have their fans. This was released on the PS1 too and the import version is available for download on the US PSN.
Strikers 1945
Another Psikyo shooter series, the title suggests that it takes place during World War II, but considering some of the enemies are mechs, it has more of a futuristic feel. The second game, Strikers 1945 II, was brought to North America on the PS1 and renamed Strikers 1945. Try not to get confused!
Gunbird
Another Psikyo game, which plays almost identically to the above two. It seems to be their most popular game due to the roster of unique characters. There's a lot of fan artwork and other supplementary stuff on the disc. The PS1 port was brought to North America in heavily butchered form as Mobile Light Force. The sequel was published by Capcom and was ported to the Dreamcast.
Sengoku Blade
Yet another Psikyo game, but a bit different from the rest since it's a side-scrolling shooter. It's also one of their better titles, and the feudal Japan/mecha combination is pretty cool, reminiscent of MUSHA and Robo Aleste. The Saturn version includes an extra disc with some fan art and other bonuses.
Most of the Psikyo games were released as compilations on the PS2, and some of them made it to Europe too, though not North America. Generally though, they're juddery messes, even though it has a few games that were never ported before, like Sengoku Ace, the predecessor to Sengoku Blade.
Twinkle Star Sprites
A competitive shooter game that takes inspiration from puzzle games. The screen is split in two, with each player indirectly competing against the other. You shoot various enemies on the screen in order to create combos, which sends a hailstorm of fireballs at your opponent. But your opponent, if they're crafty, can send them back if they create another combo. It gets incredibly hectic in trying to overwhelm your opponent while attempting to stay alive too. A must play title.
This game originated on the Neo Geo, but the Saturn version has arranged music (also used on the Neo Geo CD version) plus a bonus disc with fan art and such. There are other ports for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, but they're comparatively barebones. There was also a sequel to the PS2, but it uses ugly 3D graphics instead, and has character artwork by the same guy who later did the Doki Doki Majou Shinpan games (those DS witch touching games).
Thunder Force V
The last "real" Thunder Force game. (TF VI, made by Sega, is rather crap.) Pretty similar to the Genesis games but even faster paced, with 3D graphics and a rocking guitar soundtrack. The PS1 version made it to America under the Spaz label of Working Designs. Some of the graphical details from the Saturn version, like some backgroun layers, are missing in the PS1 port, but in turn it has less slowdown.
