Shoot 'em up

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Spacewar! (1962), one of the first computer games

Shoot 'em up (literally "shoot them up" - in English also Shmup for short ) describes a computer game genre . In a broader sense, shoot 'em up describes any game in which the character controlled by the player is supposed to destroy a large number of enemy units with a virtual firearm (also known colloquially as a "shooting game"). In a narrower sense, shoot 'em up is a " shooting game " with restricted freedom of movement.

definition

Game scene of a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up

Historically, the term refers to any type of visualizing media that has shootings and bloodshed as a central element. Merriam-Webster dates the term back to 1947. The first use of the term in the ludoscientific sense is controversial, but can be limited to the mid-1980s; The Gamasutra editor Luke McMillan traces him back in his dissertation to the TED director Chris Anderson, who is said to have shaped him in July 1985 as the then editor-in-chief of Zzap! 64 magazine. The British media scientist James Newman sees the Zzap! 64 issue as well as the game magazine Crash as a possible originator.

In a typical shoot 'em up , the player controls an armed spaceship or airplane and has to fight his way through different levels by destroying attacking spaceships and similar opponents in a clear majority. For this purpose, an on-board cannon with unlimited ammunition is available in almost all genre representatives. In addition, additional weapons can often be collected, sometimes bombs, which destroy all enemies on the screen with one blow.

Most games also have in common that it is not only about mastering as many levels as possible, but also about achieving a high score by shooting as many opponents as possible in order to be able to enter yourself into a highscore table as a reward .

Differentiation between "Shoot 'em up" and "First Person Shooter"

From the 1990s, the designated Gamer jargon shoot 'em up in the narrow sense one of the first-person shooter (ger .: First Person Shooter different) games category, in which the player has no total freedom of movement, the gameplay is largely based on shooting with unlimited ammunition limited. The player usually moves forwards in a certain direction and can only move to a limited extent to the side, sometimes also forwards or backwards, in order to avoid enemy fire or to avoid collisions. Shoot 'em ups usually only allow movement in two dimensions and usually show what is happening in a side view or top view. A first person shooter, on the other hand, is always played from the first person perspective (first person ) and offers a three-dimensional game world that is freely accessible. The resulting game mechanics are more complex and varied than in a shoot 'em up . This is why games like The House of the Dead are more likely to belong to the shoot 'em up genre : Although they are shown in first person perspective, they lack the element of free spatial interaction that is essential for first person shooters.

Since the direction of movement is usually given in scrolling shoot 'em ups , we also speak of horizontal or vertical scrollers, or horizontal or vertical shoot' em ups . Some representatives of the category do not make a classification easy, because they can change their scrolling direction during the game or even in the middle of the level.

Typical game elements and their variations

Scrolling

In connection with shoot 'em ups, the term scrolling refers to the level background moving past. A basic distinction is made in the genre between horizontal, vertical and multidirectional scrolling. In the first two types, scrolling is usually specified, while in the latter type, the player can usually freely choose the movement of his character.

Typically, horizontally aligned games scroll right to left and vertically aligned games scroll from top to bottom. A violation of this order is now and then used as an ironic element, for example in some boss battles in Darius II or when collecting a certain object in Xenon 2 Megablast .

Level design

A typical level in a shoot 'em up consists of a given, scrolling background and a given number of different formations of opponents. In some games the levels also include fixed boundaries or surfaces (walls, mountains, asteroids, etc.), which on the one hand hold off shots, but on the other hand the player can also collide with them. In some cases, downright labyrinth passages are created from this play element . Such sections are typical for horizontally scrolling shoot 'em ups such as the games in the Gradius series, but there are also vertically scrolling games with this element, for example Xenon 2 Megablast .

At the end of the level there is usually an end boss, then an evaluation of the previous level usually takes place. For example, statistics about the percentage of enemies shot down, special objects collected or the time required to defeat the boss are listed and some are rewarded with point bonuses.

The sequence of the levels is usually given. However, there are exceptions: For example, in Darius the player chooses one of two possible following levels after each level, whereby the levels are arranged one below the other in the form of a decision tree. In the Thunder Force series, the player himself determines in which order he completes the levels of the game, while the order in Strikers 1945 is drawn at random.

Multiplayer mode

Most shoot 'em ups have a multiplayer mode. It is common for both players to be active at the same time, i.e. to act cooperatively . Less common and mainly found in early games like Defender is a game mode where both players try their hand at the game's levels one after the other. If one player fails, it is the other's turn.

The co-op mode is typically designed so that the two players cannot hit each other, so there is no friendly fire . The games of the Raiden series are an exception : Here shots from the other player ricochet off the player spaceships and scatter in all directions, where they can hit opponents.

Multiplayer modes for two people are common. Games that can be played with up to four players at the same time are not very widespread.

Choice of character

Many more modern games allow the player to choose from a number of possible characters or flying objects at the beginning of the game. These differ not only in appearance, but also in important attributes such as speed and armament. For example, there are four different aircraft to choose from in Battle Garegga, from light and agile fighters to heavily armed bombers .

Vulnerability of the game character

Typical is the easy Zerstörbarkeit the pawn in a shoot 'em up, so already a hit in the loss of a "life", d. H. of a game attempt and all upgrades achieved. This results in the requirement to avoid all enemy shots. In some games, however, this principle is toned down to give the player more chances. Examples of this are optional protective shields that absorb a certain number of shots, or an "energy bar" for the character that has a certain number of hit points .

After death, there are two different options, depending on the game: the player continues the game at the same point with a new attempt, or he has to start the respective game section from the beginning.

If the player has used up all of his "lives", the game is over and the player can enter himself into the highscore table if he has performed accordingly . The possibility of doing but will Continue offered, whereby the players play the game can continue. However, in most cases the number of points achieved is reset or at least one has to "buy one's way" with a certain number of points.

Upgrades and power-ups

So-called upgrades or power-ups enable the vehicle or the player's figure to be better equipped or to access special effects and are mostly to be found in predetermined positions in the levels. Usually certain opponents leave certain upgrades after a hit, which must then be collected by the player in order to be activated. One of the characteristic features for every shoot 'em up is an elaborate upgrade system, examples of which are the R-Type or Thunder Force series . In some games, such as the Tyrian and Raptor released for PC, the player does not collect upgrades in the levels, but rather money that can be used to buy better equipment between levels.

Typical forms of power-ups and collectable items are:

  • Modification of player weapons: Gradual upgrade or change of the type of primary weapon; Adding secondary weapons, such as guided or unguided missiles (e.g. in Raiden )
  • Increasing the movement speed of the character ( speed-up )
  • Equipping the character with a protective shield that can be used for a certain number of hits or a certain period of time
  • Increase in the supply of Smartbombs (see below)
  • Adding accompanying figures ( options ) for the player who help intervene in the game (e.g. in Gradius )
  • Additional game attempts for the player ( 1-up , "life")
  • Point bonuses
  • Collective letters for point and life bonuses. For example, in the Pulstar ( SNK ) game, the player had to collect the letters of the word LUCKY in order to receive bonus points.
  • Short-term continuous fire function for the player, for example in 1943: The Battle of Midway . Otherwise the player is forced to keep pressing the fire button for quick fire .

Weapon selection

In the simplest case, the player in a shoot 'em up only has a primary weapon at his disposal, which is upgraded linearly through power-ups. Typically, such power-ups increase the number of projectiles fired in a salvo, possibly also at a wider scattering angle, and / or increase the effect of a projectile.

It was characteristic of classic shoot 'em ups that there was usually no continuous fire and only one shot was fired per press of the fire button. For quick fire, the fire button had to be pressed in a fairly quick cadence. Newer games defuse this situation to the effect that now every press of the button causes a burst of fire consisting of several shots to be fired . A related stylistic device in newer games is a gradation: For example, in ESP.Ra.De or DonPachi, both individual bursts of fire and a special fire mode with the fire button held down are possible. However, the latter noticeably slows down the characters in these games and thus reduces the potential to dodge enemy fire.

In some games, such as B. in R-Type , there is the possibility of "charging" the primary weapon by holding the fire button and firing an extremely powerful shot. In some games, for example in Strikers 1945 , this charged shot is also associated with other peculiarities that depend on the player's chosen flying object.

Shoot 'em ups in which there are several possible weapons clearly delimit these weapons from one another. In Raiden, for example, there is a “red” shot that reaches additional projectiles and a wider angle with each power-up, and a “blue” shot that only fires straight forward in each stage, but more devastating with each upgrade becomes.

In some games - after upgrades or by default, for example in Darius - secondary weapons are also available, for example guided or unguided rockets or (in horizontally scrolling games) free-falling bombs. These weapons are upgraded separately from the primary weapon and in many games are also fired with a separate fire button.

Smart bombs

So-called smart bombs are available to the player as secondary armament in many shoot 'em ups and have a devastating effect on many, if not all, enemies on the screen. For this reason, the number available is usually strictly limited. The player can usually receive additional smart bombs as upgrades. Some games reward the failure to use Smartbombs at the end of a level, with each one not fired, i.e. H. A certain point bonus is credited to the Smartbomb remaining in the armament.

In games like Gun Frontier ( Taito ) or Battle Garegga , Smartbombs are made available by collecting "ammunition" placed in the levels. Some games, such as Raiden II , have different types of Smartbombs. In most games in which the type of character can be selected, each character that can be selected usually has its own type of smart bomb.

Opponents and enemy formations

Usually the opponents face the player in predetermined formations . On the basis of the knowledge they have learned about the formation in question, the player can estimate where the next opponent in the formation will appear on the screen and what the opponents' further attack behavior will look like. One challenge is to shoot down all opponents of a formation and immediately afterwards to devote oneself to the next formation, which typically appears at a completely different point on the screen.

The opponents that the player has to face in the course of the game differ in many ways. Typically, smaller enemy types can be eliminated with just one hit and therefore often compete in large formations. Larger types of opponents, on the other hand, often require numerous hits and are capable of a number of attack patterns that the player must face. These opponents therefore often appear alone or only in smaller groups. Furthermore, in the case of enemy types, there is a difference between movable (spaceships, tanks, monsters, etc.) and immobile, i.e. H. Distinguish between enemies (e.g. turrets) that are firmly anchored in the scrolling background.

Boss

The final boss usually marks the end of a level and is distinguished from the usual opponents by his much more sophisticated behavior. A boss makes several different attack movements and is usually only vulnerable in specific designated areas that the player has to hit as often as possible. Often the bosses go through several phases in the fight with the player, each of which is characterized by the destruction of part of the boss. In each phase, the final boss performs characteristic and different maneuvers that the player must learn to complete the level optimally.

In terms of design, the duel with the final boss is always emphasized. The arrival of the final boss is often announced in advance, for example by means of warnings such as in Darius or DonPachi . In addition, the fight against the boss almost always takes place in optically prominent places that differ significantly from the other graphic style of the respective level.

In addition to the final boss, so-called intermediate bosses appear in some levels. In this case the level continues after defeating the intermediate opponent. Compared to bosses, they are much easier to defeat; in some cases the opponents even disappear on their own if they are not defeated within a certain time.

Weft pattern

The firing pattern is the geometric shape of the spread of numerous enemy projectiles. Typical examples are the concentric propagation of shots away from an enemy or alternating fire in directions separated by a given angle . Here, too, the knowledge of shooting patterns learned by repeating the game is advantageous for the player, for example to find the crucial gap to evade.

Complex shooting patterns are common, especially in danmaku games. Apart from that, they are less widespread and are mostly used by bosses.

Points and bonus systems

The calculation of the scores was initially carried out by simply multiplying the number of enemies shot down with certain factors depending on the size of individual opponents. Over time, however, various methods have been developed to make the game more challenging.

Basic bonus systems were developed early on. For example, in 1942 (1984) a balance is drawn after each level of the percentage of opponents that were shot down. Particularly high odds (95–100%) are rewarded with special bonuses. It is also common to reward the shooting down of a complete formation of opponents with a point bonus, as is the case, for example, in Darius (1986). Other systems are based on collecting special objects in the levels. For example, in Raiden (1990) collectable medals were hidden in the levels , which were counted at the end of the level and added to the points account. In other games, however, were z. B. awarded a bonus for a quick victory over the boss or obtainable multipliers for scores. A big step was made in 1995 by DonPachi , which introduced a kind of combo system for defeated opponents: as many opponents as possible have to be shot down with only very short interruptions in order to gain a bonus. In the period that followed, other unusual point-counting methods (so-called “score systems”) were devised.

Due to the increasing importance of the score system, modern shooters are divided into classic, learning-oriented shoot 'em ups (also known as “old school shooters”) and so-called score shooters with sophisticated point systems.

Further subspecies and special forms

Triplane Turmoil
Abuse (Shoot 'n run)

In addition to the usual scenarios that show conflicts with all kinds of military equipment influenced by science fiction , there are numerous other shoot 'em ups. The transitions to other genres are fluid. For example there are:

history

While shooting games were only moderately demanding at the beginning, modern examples are often nerve-wracking constructions made up of complicated formations of enemy projectiles (so-called “shot patterns”) that need to be analyzed and waves of enemies that want to be shot down.

Multiscrolling 1960s

The first computer games like Spacewar ! (1962) were multiscrolling , which means you can steer the spaceship in all directions, from the screen as it were (but not into the depths of the room). Another example is asteroids .

Fixed Shooter 1970s

Slot machine with Space Invaders

In the beginning, shooting was at the forefront of the game. In the early genre representatives like Galaga and Space Invaders , there was no scrolling , but at best starfields passing by. These restrictions were due to technical reasons, because the hardware was unable to move a particularly large number of sprites at the same time. So the developers concentrated on putting wave after wave of new opponents in the way of the player. The paths were always the same or generated randomly so that either the player's reflexes or the ability to learn were put to the test. The player had to adopt the position and appearance of all approaching opponents (especially the final boss) in order to be able to react reflexively without thinking or quickly and flexibly to surprising enemies.

Nevertheless, one of the most essential elements of a shoot 'em up was already there: the high score list on which particularly successful players could immortalize themselves with their initials . The number of points reached allowed direct conclusions to be drawn about the player's performance. As the machines were initially set up publicly, the scores were visible to all interested parties and enabled real competitions between players.

The game arcade genre developed in the 1980s

In the 1980s, technological progress dictated the development of the genre. At the beginning of the decade, the hardware was developed in such a way that instead of a few simple pixel graphics consisting of a few colors, a large number of relatively complex sprites could be displayed on the screen at the same time . One after the other, all the essential innovations that have shaped the genre to this day were achieved. In 1981, games like Defender ( Williams Electronics ) and Scramble ( Konami ) introduced horizontal scrolling. Parallax scrolling , in which various components of the background move at different speeds and thus create an impression of spatial depth, was introduced by Irem in 1982 at Moon Patrol . The horizontal display was taken to extremes by the Darius series ( Taito , from 1986), in which the game took place on three screens arranged side by side, which corresponds to an aspect ratio of 12: 3. Another characteristic of this series is that after each completed level the player has to choose the next section from one of two options and thus has to play through the game several times to see each level.

Controls of the Defender machine
Darius slot machine with three screens

Also noteworthy are games such as Time Pilot (Konami, 1982) or 1942 ( Capcom , 1984), which, instead of space scenarios, use design elements from historical epochs in the depiction of the flying objects. B. the Second World War and equipped with science fiction components.

Gradius , which also scrolls horizontally , introduced a much-noticed upgrade system in 1985: the player collects power-ups that fill a bar at the bottom of the screen. Each level of the bar stands for a special type of upgrade, for example higher speeds of your own spaceship ( speed-up ), missiles as secondary armament or drones accompanying the player's spaceship , so-called options , are possible. The game series continues to this day (2011) and has kept this upgrade system. Adaptations of this system can be found, for example, in the vertical scrollers Slap Fight ( Toaplan , 1986) and Star Monkey (Small Rockets, 2001, for PC).

Another milestone in the development of the genre is R-Type ( Irem , 1987), which was able to convince with its detailed, stylistically surreal graphics and a well thought-out level design. R-Type brought innovations to the use of options in a playful way . Such an object accompanied the player continuously and could optionally also be coupled to the player spaceship in order to serve as an additional shield. Next led R-Type for the possibility to keep the fire button pressed and thus recharge the primary weapon for a more powerful shot. Other games of the time also came up with innovative concepts; so could z. B. in the Thunder Force series from Technosoft, the player can change weapons during the game and let the spaceship fly at various speeds. Similar was z. B. in Hellfire (1989) by Toaplan the selection of different fire modes is possible.

In the 80s there were also some attempts to give the genre a 3D component. A pioneer was the game Zaxxon by Sega , published in 1982 , in which the player looked at the action from an isometric perspective and always had to pay attention to the altitude of his spaceship in order to avoid obstacles, for example. Sega later developed other games that combined the shoot-'em-up game principle and pseudo-3D graphics consisting of bitmaps that were scaled to create the illusion of spatial depth . The most prominent examples of this are the games in the After-Burner series (from 1987), Galaxy Force (1990) and Thunder Blade (1988). Apart from this, there are other games in which the player and the opponent are on different levels and cannot collide, but the player must shoot at them with special weapons. The game Xevious (1982) by Namco deserves a special mention, in which the player has to aim at ground targets with a crosshair . In 1993 Taito took up this idea in RayForce (also published as Gunlock or Layer Section ) and developed it further: The player now uses the crosshair to activate up to eight targets, which are shot at with a secondary weapon at the touch of a button. With each hit, the number of points obtained is doubled, which should be an incentive to fight more targets with the crosshair and the secondary weapon.

Achievements from the 1990s to the present day

In the 1990s, the technology became even more sophisticated. This made possible an even larger number of moving sprites on the screen, which in the early 1990s paved the way for the danmaku or bullet-hell genre that is widespread today . The pioneers of this sub-genre were the games by Toaplan such as Truxton II (known in Japan as Tatsujin O ), published in 1992 , Summer Carnival '92: Recca and Batsugun (1993). The development studio closed in 1994 for financial reasons, but the developers founded new development studios such as CAVE or Raizing . These companies should be releasing more novel shoot 'em up games in the coming years. In addition to the playful innovations, the technical progress also benefited visually unusual games. In this regard, the developer Psikyo , for example, stood out, who optically based his series Sengoku Ace on Japanese mythology and drew an anime scenario in Gunbird. Another visual highlight was In The Hunt by Irem, published in 1993 , which relied on elaborate comic graphics. However, this development studio also closed its doors the following year. The developers of In The Hunt then continued the visual style at SNK Playmore in the Metal Slug series, which is still successful today .

CAVE set standards in 1995 with DonPachi , which can be counted as the first danmaku game. A distinctive feature was the point system, in which kills were added up to a combo within a certain time interval and rewarded with bonuses. This achievement, together with the tendency towards sophisticated geometrical patterns of the opposing characters and their projectiles, had a lasting impact on the development of the genre. Another influential game was Radiant Silvergun (1998) by Treasure , the level design of which required a very specific selection of weapons. In addition, Raizing, another Toaplan successor, set new standards with Battle Garegga (1996). The handling of options , which can be fixed in different positions by the player, is again remarkable. In terms of play, Battle Garegga also stood out for its ranking system, which regulated the level of difficulty depending on the player's successes and therefore required an unconventional approach - the player was sometimes forced to commit “suicide” and use smart bombs so as not to make the game too difficult.

Unlike most game genres, 3D graphics have barely established themselves in the shoot 'em up genre. Notable exceptions from the 1990s were the sequels RayStorm and G.Darius (both Taito, 1997) and Thunder Force V (Technosoft, 1997). Despite the 3D effects, the basic game principle remains two-dimensional in all three games. Larger developers such as B. Seibu Kaihatsu or SNK, on ​​the other hand, continued to produce games in sprite graphics well into the 21st century, although the sprites were now mainly created using pre-rendered models.

Current situation

In examples like ESP.Ra.De or DoDonPachi from CAVE, or Dragon Blaze from Psikyo , shooting the enemy has become a minor matter. Although you still equip your ship or mount with better and better weapons and stronger laser beams, the most important thing is to dodge. In such a game it is not uncommon to find several hundred opposing projectiles on a screen at the same time, which move according to geometric patterns. Recognizing this pattern and keeping your ship safe is the real appeal of the game. The further you go into the increasingly difficult levels, the more concentration is required.

Last but not least, newer games also attract with innovations in game mechanics. So dumb gunshots don't bring big scores. In the DonPachi mentioned above , as many opponents as possible have to be shot one after the other without interruption, in ESP.Ra.De a complicated combo system dominates, which operates with the interaction of the two different armaments of the player. At Ikaruga, on the other hand, there are both white and black projectiles - your own ship can change its color between black and white at any time and thus becomes immune to projectiles of the respective color. The color of your own balls also changes, and white opponents are more sensitive to black shots, while black opponents are more sensitive to white. That doesn't only sound complicated, it really is, and demands the last bit of skill and concentration from the player.

Shooting games are currently almost completely extinct in Europe, which is also related to the massive decline in arcades and home console hardware, which has been growing ever stronger since 1995 . In Japan, however, the genre is still very popular. Manufacturers like Psikyo, CAVE and Treasure are always finding ways to introduce innovations. So shines z. B. Guwange with an extraordinarily stylish presentation, while new combo systems are used in other games.

Developments on the PC and home computer

Mu-cade, a freeware shoot-'em-up

Due to their simplicity in implementation, shoot 'em ups were one of the most common games on home computers in the 1980s . Relatively simple games like River Raid or Katakis set standards in every respect; so the former achieved fame as the first video game to be indexed by the BPjS . The genre was so popular that the C64 , Atari ST and Amiga even had their own editor for such games, the so-called Shoot-'Em-Up Construction Kit . The highlight of the development in 1989 published applies Xenon 2 Mega Blast the Bitmap Brothers .

However, technical developments, which above all made more complex games possible, led to a significant decline in the genre in the 1990s, in the early days of the Internet. You could count the games (including e.g. Tyrian 2000 ) on one hand. However, absurdly designed games such as The Last Eichhof or shareware products such as Raptor from Apogee Software became famous .

However, with the advent of the Internet, higher CPU and graphics performance, the genre slowly returned via shareware and online distribution. Especially in Japan with the so-called doujin games from freeware z. B. Genetos and Warning Forever up to and including commercial products cover a wide area.

For personal computer current games like make Jets'n'Guns gold along with about 67 minutes of music with retro mix, DoveZ Inter geniuses scavenger of Pi Eye Games or Guardian of superluminal, Inc. (a Defender - clone ) and Starscape (an Asteroids - Clone) from Moonpod represent contemporary shoot 'em ups. The genre lives on, especially in the low-cost shareware area.

literature

  • Kurt Kalata (Ed.): Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: The Guide to Shoot-Em-Ups Volume 1 . CreateSpace, North Charleston 2016, ISBN 978-1-5398-5564-4 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Merriam-Webster.com: Definition of shoot-'em-up. Retrieved March 30, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Gamasutra.com: The Origin of The 'Shmup' Genre: A Historical Study. Retrieved March 30, 2018 .
  3. ↑ James Newman: Videogames . Routledge, London 2004, ISBN 0-415-28192-X , pp. 11 .
  4. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from July 28, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tatsuya-koyama.com