Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
There’s something incredibly satisfying about a great retro SHMUP. Pick a ship, start blasting, dodge an increasingly ridiculous number of bullets, and try to make it just a little further than you did last time.
But with so many shoot-'em-ups out there, which ones are actually fun to play today?
In this video, I’m looking at 10 retro SHMUPs that are still an absolute blast, from NES and Game Boy classics to Dreamcast, SNES, and some seriously underrated arcade shooters.
Featured Games:
Gun.Smoke — NES
Gunbird 2 — Dreamcast
Steel Empire — Game Boy Advance
Pocky & Rocky — SNES
Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams — Arcade
Phalanx — SNES
Solar Striker — Game Boy
Strikers 1945 — Arcade
TwinBee Yahho! — Arcade
Blazing Star — Arcade
Some are well-known classics, some are a little weird, and a few deserve way more attention than they usually get. But they all have one thing in common: they're fun to play.
So grab your favorite ship, witch, cowboy, robot, or whatever else these games decided should be flying through space, and let's take a look at some of the best retro SHMUPs worth playing today.
#SHMUP #ShootEmUp #RetroGaming #ArcadeGaming #Nintendo #Dreamcast #SNES #GameBoy
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Square Pegs c/o Jay Malone
6749 S. Westnedge Ave. Ste. K
Box 251
Portage, MI
49002
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Xbox Series X: amzn.to/3qDlFB9
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Hauppauge HD 60 Video Capture: amzn.to/3IWTQtZ
There’s something incredibly satisfying about a great retro SHMUP. Pick a ship, start blasting, dodge an increasingly ridiculous number of bullets, and try to make it just a little further than you did last time.
But with so many shoot-'em-ups out there, which ones are actually fun to play today?
In this video, I’m looking at 10 retro SHMUPs that are still an absolute blast, from NES and Game Boy classics to Dreamcast, SNES, and some seriously underrated arcade shooters.
Featured Games:
Gun.Smoke — NES
Gunbird 2 — Dreamcast
Steel Empire — Game Boy Advance
Pocky & Rocky — SNES
Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams — Arcade
Phalanx — SNES
Solar Striker — Game Boy
Strikers 1945 — Arcade
TwinBee Yahho! — Arcade
Blazing Star — Arcade
Some are well-known classics, some are a little weird, and a few deserve way more attention than they usually get. But they all have one thing in common: they're fun to play.
So grab your favorite ship, witch, cowboy, robot, or whatever else these games decided should be flying through space, and let's take a look at some of the best retro SHMUPs worth playing today.
#SHMUP #ShootEmUp #RetroGaming #ArcadeGaming #Nintendo #Dreamcast #SNES #GameBoy
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCAw79rqWGPb48n6QR13aDqg/join
-----
Patreon: patreon.com/squarepegs
Subscribe: youtube.com/channel/UCAw79rqWGPb48n6QR13aDqg?sub_confirmation=1
Email: squarepegsyt@gmail.com
Merch: squarepegsmerch.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ytsquarepegs
Instagram: @YTSquarePegs
TikTok: tiktok.com/@squarepegsgames
Facebook: facebook.com/YTSquarePegs
-----
Want to send something to Jay?
Square Pegs c/o Jay Malone
6749 S. Westnedge Ave. Ste. K
Box 251
Portage, MI
49002
---
My Gear (Amazon Affiliate Links help support the channel at no extra cost to you!)
Nintendo Switch OLED: amzn.to/36PwYzm
Xbox Series X: amzn.to/3qDlFB9
Retron 5: amzn.to/3IN42p2
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3qEoJx8
Nikon D5600 Camera: amzn.to/3LaHSOM
RODE Shotgun Microphone: amzn.to/36voTzV
Sandisk 128 GB High Speed SD Card: amzn.to/3tE9oyi
Hauppauge HD 60 Video Capture: amzn.to/3IWTQtZ
