Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 53 minutes ago
Gun Frontier is a bit obscure even among Taito arcade games, but it was a unique shmups in a lot of ways that seemed to become more and more influential over time, inspiring future games such as Battle Garegga. So in this video, I discuss how Gun Frontier helped to change the shmup genre, some of its flaws, and my approach to doing my one credit clear of the game which I had posted earlier this month.
Special shout outs to @JaimersSTG @Chinopolis @M_Knight_Jul and @CPS42069 because their runs were helpful for learning how to play this game well. Highly recommend their channels.
This game is available on PS4/PS5 and Switch thanks to the Arcade Archives series from Hamster:
store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0571-CUSA34261_00-HAMPRDC000000001
nintendo.com/us/store/products/arcade-archives-gun-and-frontier-switch
00:00 Intro
01:28 A Master Class In Presentation
05:30 Surprisingly Small Hitbox
06:32 Unconventional Bullets
08:53 Bomb Fragments!
09:52 Less Memo and Lack of Gradius Syndrome
11:38 The Complex Rank System Explained
15:51 The Flaws Of This Game
19:18 Tips For 1CCing The Game
Sources:
Shmups.Wiki page on the rank system: https://shmups.wiki/library/Gun_Frontier/Advanced_Rank
Jaimers run: youtube.com/watch?v=Ii96536yzWo&t
Interviews with Takatsuna Senba regarding Gun Frontier:
shmuplations.com/gunfrontier
shmuplations.com/takatsunasenba
Music used:
Duff Egan - Can Life Prevail
Mathias Grassow - Epilogue
Gun Frontier is a bit obscure even among Taito arcade games, but it was a unique shmups in a lot of ways that seemed to become more and more influential over time, inspiring future games such as Battle Garegga. So in this video, I discuss how Gun Frontier helped to change the shmup genre, some of its flaws, and my approach to doing my one credit clear of the game which I had posted earlier this month.
Special shout outs to @JaimersSTG @Chinopolis @M_Knight_Jul and @CPS42069 because their runs were helpful for learning how to play this game well. Highly recommend their channels.
This game is available on PS4/PS5 and Switch thanks to the Arcade Archives series from Hamster:
store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0571-CUSA34261_00-HAMPRDC000000001
nintendo.com/us/store/products/arcade-archives-gun-and-frontier-switch
00:00 Intro
01:28 A Master Class In Presentation
05:30 Surprisingly Small Hitbox
06:32 Unconventional Bullets
08:53 Bomb Fragments!
09:52 Less Memo and Lack of Gradius Syndrome
11:38 The Complex Rank System Explained
15:51 The Flaws Of This Game
19:18 Tips For 1CCing The Game
Sources:
Shmups.Wiki page on the rank system: https://shmups.wiki/library/Gun_Frontier/Advanced_Rank
Jaimers run: youtube.com/watch?v=Ii96536yzWo&t
Interviews with Takatsuna Senba regarding Gun Frontier:
shmuplations.com/gunfrontier
shmuplations.com/takatsunasenba
Music used:
Duff Egan - Can Life Prevail
Mathias Grassow - Epilogue
![Midnight Wanderers (3 Wonders) [PSP/Arcade] - 1CC 948,400 pts (Capcom Classics Collection Remixed)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6iW8gju209k/mqdefault.jpg "Midnight Wanderers (3 Wonders) [PSP/Arcade] - 1CC 948,400 pts (Capcom Classics Collection Remixed)
00:31. Stage 1 Area 1
03:11. Stage 1 Area 2
06:17. Stage 2 Area 1
08:03. Stage 2 Area 2
12:15. Stage 3 Area 1
14:52. Stage 3 Area 2
17:19. Stage 4 Area 1
21:25. Stage 5 Area 1
23:27. Stage 5 Area 2
26:59. Stage 5 Final Area + Final Boss
28:43. Ending
3 Wonders was an arcade game from Capcom that was released in 1991, and it was three games on one board with each game covering a different genre. Midnight Wanderers is one of those games and was a run and gun. The other two were Chariot, a horizontal shmup, and Dont Pull, a puzzle game.
Midnight Wanderers is the game that people usually like the most from this collection and for good reason. One, the game has a fairly balanced difficulty. The game allows you to take two hits before you lose a life just like in Ghost n Goblins. The difficulty curve ramps up at a reasonable pace, though it does get pretty challenging by the halfway point. Also, at the end of each stage, you get a hit point back if you down to one. Another reason this game is a favorite from 3 Wonders is because of its presentation. Its definitely one of the best looking 2D games in the arcades from that time period, and the music is no slouch either. Even among CPS1 games, the art style stands out. The short cut-scenes are a nice touch between stages and tell the story of the game quite well.
As far as the gameplay goes, its a slower paced run and gun. You get a few different weapon pickups as well as option pickups to supplement your firepower. Certain weapons are more useful in some sections than others and same for the options, but the winners in most situations are the Hyper gun and the option that shoots flame. That combination does the most raw damage. There is a Super weapon that you can pick up occasionally, as seen in Stage 3 Area 1 and the final area of Stage 5, but that one is time limited unlike the others though extremely powerful.
While I really enjoyed my time with this game and would recommend it to others looking for a fun side-scrolling run and gun, there are a few things that do hold this game back from being outstanding. One, the controls are a bit loose. While not the worst, they are definitely not as tight as something like Metal Slug which would come out years later. Two, the scoring here is pretty basic as its pretty much collecting items, killing enemies, and not losing lives.There arent a whole lot of mechanics here either, though the dash is a nice touch and is important in certain moments like during the last boss.
I played this on Capcom Classics Collection Remixed on PSP via PPSSPP. It appears that this is ROM-based emulation unlike Commando on the Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded, which was based on Capcoms port from Capcom Generations 4 on PSX. The emulation does suffer from a few small graphical glitches here and there most notably on Stage 3 Area 1, but nothing that has a real impact on the gameplay. The performance is fine overall and would have been an impressive experience back in 2006 on a handheld, PSP controls aside. Input lag didnt seem to be a major issue, but Im not the most sensitive person out there when it comes to that.
#retrogaming #capcom #arcade #arcadegames #1cc #runandgun")
![Fire Arrow X [PC] - 3 Minute Mode No Miss ALL Clear (Fire Arrow Plus)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6k0zyxj0Q4U/mqdefault.jpg "Fire Arrow X [PC] - 3 Minute Mode No Miss ALL Clear (Fire Arrow Plus)
I was testing out some modifications I made to my arcade sticks lever yesterday and while I was playing Fire Arrow X, I decided to start recording and ended up with a No Miss of the 3 minute mode.
This version of Fire Arrow is easier for survival than the original that I posted last month but is harder to play for score IMO. Both are included as part of Fire Arrow Plus:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/509780/Fire_Arrow_Plus/
I do have a few 5 minute mode clears recorded for this version, but I might aim for a higher score before creating another video on this game or do the Survivor mode, which is the same mode but harder because of faster bullet patterns.")
![Wexew Mexem [PC] - 1CC with Commentary 7,253,110 pts. (Free Bullet Hell Doujin Shmup)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/84LaKVMczoE/mqdefault.jpg "Wexew Mexem [PC] - 1CC with Commentary 7,253,110 pts. (Free Bullet Hell Doujin Shmup)
https://zakichi.itch.io/wexew-mexem
Wexew Mexem is a freeware doujin shmup that came out earlier this month on itch.io. It was created by Zakichi, who is known for creating Kaikan, Vastynex, and Zakesta to name a few of his previous shmups. Many of his games pay tribute to older, more famous shmups to one extent or another, and this game is no different.
This game pays quite a bit of homage to Exed Exes and Vulgus in its presentation, two old school Capcom shmups. The mock poster art on the side is a reference to the Exed Exes poster art. The honeycomb like tiles in the background are also an obvious tribute to that game. The big bugs that swoop down are reminiscent of some of the enemies in Vulgus, as well as the swirling circles that drop down occasionally.
However, this game stands out from Zakichis previous works because of its emphasis on scoring. The High Point Mode is pretty much your Hyper, and the bulk of your scoring will come from cancelling bullets while in this mode. Also, enemies killed while in this mode leave behind food, usually fruits, that you can pick up for even more points. You can enter this mode once youve filled up the bar on the left by picking up enough Woops left behind by enemies.
You also want to make sure your multiplier is as high as possible, which is measured by the bar on the right side of the screen. This bar builds up the same way as the High Point Mode by collecting the Woops. However, if you let any of them fall to the bottom of the screen, your multiplier goes down.
Its a good thing that the scoring is really fun because the level design seems to be secondary for the most part. The actual stages are really similar to each other outside of the bullet patterns getting denser and the enemies being more plentiful. The bosses do not show much variation outside of the last boss. Thankfully, the action is pretty exciting despite that, especially in later stages as plenty of enemies and bullet fly around. It also helps that the game is pretty short, making this shortcoming more forgivable and easier to play again for a higher score.
As far as the commentary goes, I tried to react to each level one by one instead of doing a completely scripted commentary all in one take. There are plenty of things happening on screen and it was a bit tough to keep up at times. I know there are a few moments that could have been better, but this is actually my first real shmup commentary since my last two 1CC commentaries covered a racing game and a run and gun.
#shmups #itchio #freeware #freegames #doujin #zakichi")
![Galaga 90 aka Galaga 88 [PC Engine] - Fourth Dimension 1CC 1,082,070 pts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8XEm-BFtY8E/mqdefault.jpg "Galaga 90 aka Galaga 88 [PC Engine] - Fourth Dimension 1CC 1,082,070 pts
00:31. Stage 1
00:55. Stage 2
01:25. Stage 3 (Galactic Dancing 1)
02:06. Stage 4
02:34. Stage 5
03:00. Stage 6
03:28. Stage 7 (Galactic Dancing 2)
04:13. Stage 8
05:37. Stage 9
06:18. Stage 10 (First Boss)
06:47. Stage 11
07:09. Stage 12
07:29. Stage 13
07:55. Stage 14 (Galactic Dancing 3)
08:51. Stage 15
09:10. Stage 16
09:34. Stage 17
09:57. Stage 18 (Galactic Dancing 4)
10:51. Stage 19
11:14. Stage 20
11:32. Stage 21
12:00. Stage 22 (Galactic Dancing 5)
12:40. Stage 23
13:12. Stage 24
13:41. Stage 25
14:28. Stage 26 (Galactic Dancing 6)
15:19. Stage 27
16:29. Stage 28
17:57. Stage 29
18:15. Final Boss and Ending
Galaga 90 is the American release of the PC Engine/Turbografx 16 port of Namcos Galaga 88, which was originally an arcade game that came out in 1987 in Japan. The Japanese PC Engine port came out the next year while Galaga 90 came out in 1989 in the U.S.
Galaga 90 might start out looking like a Galaga remake in the first few stages, but it does a lot more than the original game. One, you start off with the option to use the double ship at the very beginning if youre willing to sacrifice a spare life. Two, you can get a triple ship if your double ship gets captured by a Boss Galaga, giving you a lot of firepower with about the same hitbox at the double ship. Three, once you get beyond the initial stages, theres a bit of variety in the level design, as this game introduces new enemies as it goes on, has a couple of boss battles, and even some autoscrolling sections.
On top of all that, this game has a rank system based on dimensions. You can hop to another dimension by gathering two blue capsules before you get to a Galactic Dancing stage. Warping to another dimension grants you a nice point bonus but makes the next stages harder. Once you get to the fourth and last dimension, the rank maxes out. You can game this system for survival early on by waiting to gather these capsules until after the first boss, making that fight a lot easier because it gives you an easier boss. One other thing about these capsules is that they have generous invincibility frames when grabbing them. I utilized that to my advantage in later stages whenever I could.
The key to playing this game is mastering misdirecting not just the bullets but also the enemies. Since this is a fixed shooter, you do not have a lot of room to do this so you need to tap dodge pretty carefully to avoid getting stuck in a corner. Also, getting the triple ship is important as you can mow down rows of enemies pretty quickly with it, even later on in the game. Youll even get a red capsule at the end of Stage 25 to get a triple ship so make sure you grab it if youre down to double or single ship.
Also, the last boss is extremely hard if you do not have at least the double shot. You need to be able to do a lot of damage quickly in order to survive him.
This is actually my first Namco shmup 1CC ever. Also, it is only my second PC Engine shmup 1CC, as the only one Ive done prior is Blazing Lazers, my first ever shmup 1CC.
#galaga #namco #shmups #pcengine #turbografx #turbografx16 #retrogaming #arcadegames #classicgames")
![Choplifter [Sega Master System] - First Loop Playthrough](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9UoTaZWEOWc/mqdefault.jpg "Choplifter [Sega Master System] - First Loop Playthrough
Choplifter was originally a horizontal shmup created in 1982 by Dan Gorlin for the Apple II, but was ported over to many different systems after that. Eventually, Sega did a remake of the game for arcades in 1985. Then, they developed and released a port of that remake for the Sega Master System in 1986 in North America, one of the first games released on the system in that region.
To call this a horizontal shmup may be a bit misleading. This game has very little to do with arcade shmups from this time period. Its probably closer to a euro shmup in some ways. For instance, this game has inertia in the movement, probably to better simulate the movement of a helicopter. Thats normally a no-no for arcade shmups. Also, the main goal of this game is not to kill the enemies but to rescue hostages. Just about all the scoring in this game comes from doing that. Last, the game does not auto scroll.
However, despite not being a traditional shmup, this game still succeeds because of its focus on rescuing hostages and being a rudimentary 2D helicopter simulator. Its designed well enough to know what it is and what it is not. This game is also very fair for the most part especially in the first loop, outside of a little bit of RNG. The movement does feel believable for a helicopter and moves reasonably fast once you get going. You also get a minimum of three lives for each stage, meaning that you can screw up in one stage a little bit and not necessarily have it affect you later on. Plus, you can get an extend per stage if you rescue 20 hostages.
Speaking of rescuing hostages, the goal of each stage is to rescue 40 hostages. Whenever you bring them back to base, you get points and the bonus multiplies by two with each consecutive hostage dropped off. At the end, you can get a 100,000 point bonus if no hostages die during the stage. You can still get this bonus even if you die once or twice. Unfortunately, if even one hostage dies, that end of stage bonus almost entirely disappears, which is a bit harsh but encourages clean play for scoring.
As far as this port goes, it does make some changes compared to the arcade version. One, the city level is cut from this version. You get the first three stages (desert, sea, and cave), and those repeat again with some small variations before you get the short ending screen. The game does loop infinitely after that ending though. Two, the fuel gauge is gone, so players dont have to worry about that in this port. There are other differences as well, but those are the main ones I can think of. Obviously, the graphics are scaled down going from arcade to console, but the results are very impressive for an early Master System game. The parallex scrolling on Stage 1 is excellent and a great showcase of what the system could do. The music and sound effects dont stand out a whole lot but get the job done.
00:00 Intro
00:19 Stage 1
03:19 Stage 2
06:28 Stage 3
10:29 Stage 4
14:00 Stage 5
17:00 Stage 6
20:49 Loop 2")
