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Commodore Amiga: Way back when the SNES was a mythical console to be lusted after, I sat playing with my 'Meega' religiously every night. Stupidly, I sold it to get a SNES, and now I miss out on those fab Brit and Euro-shooters like Katakis, Hybris, Battle Squadron and Apidya.


Vertical Scrolling
GAME COMPANY YEAR INFORMATION
1943 U.S. Gold 1989 Awfully bad port of Capcom's Arcade original.
Air Supply Magic Bytes 1990
Apache Flight Atlantis 1992 Raiden clone.
Apano Sin VAK Entertainment 1993 Awesome looking vert scroller.
Banshee Core 1993 Excellent 194X type of game. The graphics are slightly in the Chaos Engine/Steel Empire vein. AGA chipset only.
Battle Squadron Innerprise 1989 One of the best vert scrollers available. There's also a very good Mega Drive version.
Black Hornet Hi-Tec 1991
Black Shadow CRL 1987
Bomber Bob Idea 1988 Very bad cute-em-up in the vein of Twin Bee.
Challenger Anco 1987
Chopper X Mastertronic 1989 Bad Raiden clone.
Dragon Spirit Domark 1989 Awful port. Much better on PCE.
Flying Shark Firebird 1989 Ported from the Arcade. The C64 got a much better conversion.
Foundations Waste Scorpion/Exocet 1989
Frenetic Core 1991 Very nice graphics. A bit hectic, though.
Gemini Wing Virgin 1989 So-so version of the arcade game.
Goldrunner Microdeal 1988
Goldrunner 2 Microdeal 1989
Gunbee F99 Epic Marketing 1998 I haven't played it, but the screenshots suggest that it's a port of Detana!! Twinbee. AGA chipset only.
Hades Nebula Paranoid 1987
Hell Bent Novagen 1989
Hybris Discovery 1988
Intact Sphinx 1990 Mediocre in every aspect.
Insanity Fight Linel/Microdeal 1987
Iridon Kingsoft 1988
Jackal Konami 1988
Jupiter Probe Microdeal 1987
Killing Machine Atlantis 1992
Last Duel US Gold 1989 Racing/shmup-crossbreed. Ported from the Arcade version.
Lethal Xcess Eclipse 1992 Technically impressive follow-up to Wings Of Death. Unfortunately, it's not designed as well as its predecessor.
Leathernecks Microdeal 1988 Awful game by Steve Bak.
Mega Typhoon Islona 1996
Megablast LK Avalon 1998
Outlands Pandora 1989
Plutos Tynesoft 1987 Slow and unoriginal. Not bad, though.
Raiden US Gold 1995 Ported from the Arcade version.
Scorpio Kingsoft 1989 One of the first decent vert scrollers for the Amiga and the only one I know of to feature an R-Type style force device. Dated graphics and sound, but excellent playability.
Scramble Spirits Grandslam 1990 Port of the Arcade version.
Sidewinder Arcadia 1988
Sidewinder 2 Mastertronic 1990
Sky Fighter Rainbow Arts 1987
Sonic Boom Activision 1990 Bad port of the Arcade original.
SWIV Storm 1990 There are updated versions for SNES and MD.
Typhoon Kingsoft 1987 Nice early vert scroller. Has nothing in common with the identically named Arcade game.
Ultra Violent Worlds CIS/Vorlon 1998 AGA chipset only.
Vader Anco 1987
Violator Codemasters 1991
Wanted Infogrames 1989 Boring shooter with a Wild West theme.
Wings Of Death Thalion 1991 Excellently designed game with a strange fantasy theme.
Xenon Bitmap Bros./Melbourne House 1988
Xenon II - Megablast Bitmap Bros./Image Works 1990 Legendary shooter with incredible stylish graphics.
Zyron Kingsoft 1987

Horizontal Scrolling
GAME TITLE COMPANY YEAR INFORMATION
Agony Psygnosis 1992 Beautiful graphics, weird theme (you control an owl!). Gameplay not quite as hot.
Aladdin's Magic Lamp New Line 1989 Nothing special except for the player's ship: you control a lamp.
Alien World Hi-Tec 1992 Strongly influenced by Mr. Heli, but in no way near as good.
Anarchy Psyclapse 1991 Substandard Defender clone.
Apache Team 17 1993
Apidya Kaiko/Blue Byte 1991 A true masterpiece. Despite having been created in Germany, it looks and plays very Japanese. Top-notch graphics, a weird theme (you control a bee) and awesome music by Chris Hülsbeck. Arguably the best sidescroller for the Amiga.
Apocalypse Virgin 1993 Similar to Choplifter.
Aquanaut Addictive 1990 Underwater Defender rip-off.
Armalyte Thalamus 1992 Average port of the highly overrated C64 original.
Cardiaxx Electronic Zoo 1992
Carcharodon - White Sharks Demonware 1991 Very good graphics and sound. Smooth gameplay.
Darius+ Ace 1989 Arcade conversion.
Dark Fusion Gremlin 1991
Datastorm Visionary Design Technologies 1989 Excellent Defender clone.
Defender Wicked Software 1987
Defender 2 Arc 1988
Denaris Factor 5/Rainbow Arts 1989 Renamed re-release of Katakis.
Disposable Hero Gremlin Graphics 1993 Very nice gameplay. Excellent graphics.
DNA Warrior Ace 1989
Dominator System 3 1989
Dragon Breed Activision 1991 Lacklustre port of the Arcade original.
Dragon Fighter Idea 1992
Dyter 07 Reline 1990
Eggminator - It's Jokement Day MKS 1994
Enigma Centillian/OTM 1997 AGA chipset only.
Evolution Cryser Kingsoft 1990
Fantastic Voyage Centaur 1992
Fire! New Deal 1990 Probably the worst Defender clone ever.
Forgotten Worlds US Gold 1989 Port of the Arcade game.
Galactic
1994 Only released as a special edition on a coverdisk, very rare.
Hostile Breed Palace 1992
Hunt For Red October 2 AVM/Grandslam 1990
Hyperdome Exocet 1989
Ilyad Ubi Soft 1989
Inferior Ego 1996
Insects in Space Hewson 1990 Defender clone.
Intruder Ubi Soft 1990
Jetstrike Rasputin/Alternative 1993
Kamikaze Code Masters 1989
Katakis Factor 5/Rainbow Arts 1988 Early R-Type rip-off. One of the first games to feature 50Hz scrolling. Graphics and sound do not have aged well, but the gameplay is still at par with later releases. C64 version is a completely different game.
Legend Of The Lost Impressions 1990
Menace DMA/Psyclapse 1988
Mortal Weapon Mirage 1995
Necronom Linel 1992
Outzone Lankhor 1991 Similar to Defender, with some puzzle elements added in.
Overkill Mindscape 1993 Like Defender.
P-47 Firebird 1990 Average Arcade conversion.
Pegasus Gremlin 1991
Phalanx II - The Return Kingsoft 1987
Phantom Fighter Emerald/Martech 1988
Phobia Image Works 1989
Plexu New Line 1990
Powder Epic Marketing 1989
Project X Team 17 1992
Project X Special Edition '93 Team 17 1993
Protector Virgin 1989
R-Type Factor 5/Rainbow Arts 1988 Featuring a fantastic newly composed title theme by Chris Hülsbeck
R-Type II Activision 1991 Average port that doesn't do the game justice.
Return To Genesis Firebird 1988
Revenge Of The Mutant Camels Mastertronic 1988 Typically weird game by Jeff Minter.
Saint Dragon Ocean 1990 Conversion of the Arcade original.
Sarcophaser Rainbow Arts 1988
Silkworm Random Access/Sales Curve 1989 Fabulous port of the Arcade version.
Slayer Hewson 1989
Space Assault Magic 1991
Space Ranger Mastertronic 1988 Miserable Defender clone.
Starray Logotron 1988 Superb Defender clone.
Star Breaker Arc 1989
Starrush Ubi Soft 1992
Steigar Screen 7 1989
T-Zero Clickboom 1998 Awesome and super-detailed shooter. AGA chipset only
The Oath Attic 1992 Pretty decent game with very good graphics and sound.
Thunderjaws Domark 1991
U.N. Squadron US Gold 1991 Arcade conversion.
Uridium 2 Graftgold/Renegade 1993 Excellent sequel to the 8-bit classic.
Wings Of Fury Broderbund 1990
Wizball Sensible Software/Ocean 1988 Weird, but cool.
X-Out Rainbow Arts 1989 Innovative shooter with wonderful graphics and music. Still, the gameplay lacks some finetuning.
XR-35 Anco 1988
Ziriax Software Business 1989 Nice graphics.
Z-Out Advantec/Rainbow Arts 1990 Excellently crafted gameplay. One of the best sidescrollers ever released for the Amiga. Second only to Apidya.
Zynaps Hewson 1988 Okayish Amiga version. Great on Spectrum and Amstrad CPC.

Other Shmups
GAME TITLE COMPANY YEAR INFORMATION
Amnios Psygnosis 1991
Atomic Robo Kid Activision 1990
Battlestorm Titus 1991
Better Dead Than Alien Electra 1988 Nice little Space Invaders sort of game.
Blastar Core 1993 Strange and confusing.
Blasteroids Image Works 1989 Good port.
Blood Money DMA/Psygnosis 1989 Overrated game. And very frustrating, too. Much better on C64.
Cabaret Asteroids Vertical Development 1991 Perfect conversion of the original Asteroids.
Custodian Hewson 1989
Cybernoid Hewson 1988 Strange shooter without any scrolling. Improved version of the C64 original.
Cybernoid II - The Revenge Hewson 1989 Even better than the first one.
Dragonscape Wicked 1989
Emetic Skimmer Kingsoft 1987 Badly programmed clone of Survivor.
Firehawk Codemasters 1993
Fortress Underground Kingsoft 1987 Similar to Fort Apocalypse.
Fusion Bullfrog/Electronic Arts 1988
Future Tank Time Warp 1988
Galaxy '89 Kingsoft 1989 Clone of Galaga '88.
Galaxy '93 Kingsoft 1993 Remake of Galaxy '89.
H.A.T.E. Gremlin 1989 Isometric shooter reminiscent of Zaxxon.
Jug Microdeal 1989
Leviathan English 1987 Horrible Zaxxon clone.
Mega Phoenix Dinamic 1991
Mr. Heli Firebird 1989 Poor conversion of Irem's semi-cute Arcade classic. Better get the excellent PCE version.
Netherworld Hewson 1988
Nightdawn Magic Bytes 1987
Phalanx Kingsoft 1987 Awfully bad game.
Photon Storm Arc 1990
Quartz Firebird 1988
Renaissance Impressions 1990 Four-in-one collection containing exceptionally bad ports of Asteroids, Centipede, Galaxians and Space Invaders.
Return Of The Jedi Domark/Tengen 1988
Rotor Arcana 1990
Seek And Destroy Mindscape 1993
Sidearms US Gold 1989 Ported from the Arcade version.
Space Battle Anco 1987
Space Pilot '89 Kingsoft 1989
Super Space Invaders Domark 1991
Super Stardust      
Venom Wing Thalamus 1990 Levels scroll vertically and horizontally, just like in Salamander.
Vortex Visionary Design 1988
Warp Thalion 1990 Similar to the overhead levels of Thunder Force II.
XP-8 Weathermine 1996  

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