Third-Person Shooters - ranked by preference

Release Date: September 9, 1993 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Treasure
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Gunstar Heroes was the rookie effort from the wonderful developers at Treasure...And in their first attempt, they may have created the single best game available on the Genesis. Gunstar Heroes is a great shooter that can potentially be different each time you play through due to the way that you're able to combine weapon power-ups to find a style of firepower that is to your liking. The game also contains one of my favorite boss fights of all-time in Seven Force. Add in the ability to choose the levels you want to play, ala Mega Man, and you've got what many consider to be the best game on Sega's 16-bit console...I think I agree with 'em.

Release Date: March 22, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Team Andromeda
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

The first Panzer Dragoon was a fun rail shooter...The sequel improved on the original in every way and added in a few new features, like levels with multiple paths to choose from and the awesome feature of being able to morph your dragon into a new, more powerful one. When it comes to rail shooters, I consider this game to be the king of the mountain. It looks beautiful, it plays wonderfully, and it's just a fantastic game as a whole. This game alone is worth the purchase of a Saturn, let alone all of the other fantastic titles that the console had exclusively.

Release Date: November 1, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Kuju Entertainment
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is all of the dual-analog shooting fun that you may have loved from the Xbox Live Arcade and then some. This game is a throwback to the days of old with a new coat of paint. The gameplay is simplistic and addicting with your only real reason to continue playing (aside from the enjoyment) is to beat a high score. The colorful graphics and particle effects make it a fun game to watch as well. This gem is easily one of my favorites on the system, and in my opinion, one of the best non-Nintendo-published games on the Wii.

Release Date: May 26, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: SNK
Developer: SNK
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Metal Slug 3 is one of the better Metal Slug games, if you ask me...Which you didn't, but I'm giving you my opinion anyway, dang it. Anyway, Metal Slug 3 is the Metal Slug action that we all know and love, set in a variety of environments including a neat little underwater level. This game helped solidify Metal Slug as one of my all-time favorite game franchises. Metal Slug 3 is 2D, side-scrolling, run 'n' gun action at its best. There aren't too many that do it better.

Release Date: November 21, 2000 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Treasure
Genre: Shooter- Third-Person - Rail

While Nintendo did eventually release this on the North American Virtual Console for Wii owners, I never understood why this title never made it to North American shores in N64 cartridge form seven years earlier. Most of the game is in English, so there wasn't much translating to do...It wouldn't have required much effort for the big N to publish it out here, and with the lack of quality titles on the N64, especially near the end of the system's life, I believe that N64 owners would've eaten this game up. But alas, we were ultimately robbed of this enjoyable rail shooter. If you haven't played it yet, and enjoy games like Panzer Dragoon or Rez, give it a shot. It's now on the Wii's Virtual Console worldwide, so you won't need to spend large sums of money to import it.

Release Date: November 4, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Nicalis
Developer: Nicalis
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

The original Binding of Isaac was a great game...Rebirth, at first glance, appears to just be more of the same. In a way, that's exactly what it is. It's more of the same - plus more. More enemy variety, more level variety, more power-up variety, more playable character variety. It's the Binding of Isaac plus more goodness tossed in. It may not quite have the impact of the original, but it's definitely just as enjoyable.

Release Date: February 28, 1992 (JP)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

The original Contra on the NES was tough, but it was a cakewalk compared to this tough-as-nails, scrolling shooter. Contra III delivers more of what the first game in the series game us - more explosions, more aliens, more weapons, and as previously mentioned, more difficulty. In fact your only reward for surviving through the game on Normal difficulty is the game telling you to beat it on Hard if you want to see an ending or fight the game's true final boss. Despite its increased difficulty, Contra III is a superior game to the original in just about every way and is easily one of the best run-and-gun style games to ever be created.

Release Date: 1985 (NA)
Publisher: Hewson
Developer: Graftgold
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Paradroid really is a game that does not come across as being as great as it is until you figure out what you're doing...And then it feels like it was ahead of its time. Paradroid is a multi-directional shooter...But one major design element really makes it stand out in comparison to games of its day - you can gain control of any enemy robot that you encounter by holding the fire button, ramming into the robot, and completing a mini game...In a sense, half of the strategy in the game is to hunt down more powerful robots so you can steal their body and use it as your own. Playing the game as a simple shooter is fun on its own. Hacking into other robots to use their weaponry just takes this game to a different level.

Release Date: October 1, 1988 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Compile
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

R-Type is one of my favorite scrolling shooters of all-time, so I naturally wanted it when I saw it was on the Master System. While it's in 8-bits and may be one of the least-impressive variations of the game in the graphics department (and it's still not that bad, honestly), the gameplay is all fully intact, bringing a fantastic, third-person shooter experience to your living room.

Release Date: September 28, 2011 (NA)
Publisher: Edmund McMillen
Developer: Edmund McMillen & Florian Himsl
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

The Binding of Isaac is a unique blend of twin-stick shooter and NES Legend of Zelda-style dungeon crawling that works really, really well. It's also a game with a dark story and some horror elements tossed in, which may make it even more appealing to some. It certainly was for me, as I found myself absolutely hooked to this game. With randomly generated dungeons, the repetition of starting from scratch whenever you die in this rougelike is minimized. Plus, there's secrets to discover along the way, as well. The Binding of Isaac is a game that you need to check out of even one thing mentioned above sounds interesting to you. It won't disappoint.

Release Date: April 28, 1995 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Media Vision
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Gunners Heaven is basically Media Vision's attempt at creating a Gunstar Heroes game - the games are very similar in several ways. Despite the similarities, however, Gunners Heaven isn't quite as good as the game it seems to emulate. That said, this game is still incredibly fun and highly addicting. Known as Rapid Reload in Europe, it's a crying shame that this entertaining shooter never made its way to North America. If you like games like Contra, Metal Slug, or of course, Gunstar Heroes, then you'll probably fall in love with this game just like I did. It's very good.

Release Date: February 9, 1988 (JP)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Contra is notoriously difficult...Until you begin to notice and memorize patterns of the enemies, that is. After you catch wind of the patterns, it's not too bad. But anyway, the run-and-gun gameplay is a blast still to this day and the variety of weapons helps make each playtthrough a little different...Unless you're the guy that sticks only with the spray gun like my neighbor. If you want a great third-person shooter for the NES, Contra is one of the best you can get.

Release Date: July 28, 1995 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: G Artist
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

I'm a huge fan of Philosoma and what it tries to do. Basically, Philosoma is a little bit of every kind of third-person shooter that you can think of - vertical scrolling, side scrolling, rail....different perspectives, different angles, shooting ahead and backwards, changing up and leveling up weapons on the fly...It's a beautiful mess of just about everything you can think of from other shooters you know all crammed into one game - and it's even got a story to boot! This was one of the better early Playstation One games to come out, and one of the better games on the console, period. If you like shooters and want a variety of levels that all play differently from one another, then give Philosoma a try. I bet you'll fall head over heels for it like I did.

Release Date: February 1988 (NA)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Gun.Smoke is an interesting scrolling shooter in that it doesn't take place in outer-space like most of them seem to...And you're not controlling a space ship, but a regular human being with a pair of guns at his side. In Gun.Smoke, you walk around the wild west and try to take down wanted criminals and fill them and their followers full of bullet holes. The game is unique in that each level will simply loop endlessly unless you talk to a specific person in the level during the gunfights and buy the wanted poster they're selling, which will allow the boss to spawn. You also have the ability to purchase other firearms and even obtain a horse, which kind of doubles as armor, making this a scrolling shooter that doesn't just stand out due to its setting - it stands out because it's a very good game.

Release Date: 1979 (JP)
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Genre: Shooter

Galaxian was the first game release by Namco, and it was the company's answer to Space Invaders...And it improved on the Taito classic in just about every aspect. Not only do the enemy spaceships move back and forth like in Space Invaders, but some ships will leave the formation and dive-bomb your ships. It also featured full-color graphics and a theme tune that played. In comparison to its better-known sequel, Galaga, that came out a few years later, Galaxian may not be all that impressive...But for its time, this game raised the bar for what a shooter should be.

Release Date: November 19, 1998 (JP)
Publisher: Agetec
Developer: Irem
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

R-Type Delta isn't just one of the best games in the R-Type series, it's one of the best bullet hell-type scrolling shooters that I've ever played. Graphically, everything is gorgeous and on top of that, everything is easy to see. No cheap deaths. If you die, it's your fault - you don't feel like a bullet blended in with the background to cause a cheap death. On top of that, the enemies are varied and interesting to look at, as are the various kinds of firepower that you can equip your ship with. The speed is also ramped up in comparison to previous R-Type games, which makes everything more hectic than usual, which makes for some fun times. If you're a fan of scrolling shooters and have an opportunity to give this game a shot, or feel like picking it up on PSN, I highly recommend doing so.

Release Date: February 24, 1995 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Treasure
Genre: Shooter - 3rd Person

If you've never played Alien Soldier, think Gunstar Heroes, but a little slower, with a darker tone, and a greater difficulty level. Treasure somewhat revisited the Gunstar Heroes formula with Alien Soldier and while it's a very good game, I personally never understood the folks that claim that this is one of the top ten Genesis games ever made. It's very good...it's not top ten. I do recommend checking it out, though. It's a very solid game and it's worth hunting down a copy to play.

Release Date: May 27, 1999 (JP)
Publisher: SNK
Developer: Ukiyotei
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Metal Slug: 1st Mission is a little different in comparison to the other Metal Slug games that came before it. In this handheld entry in the series, there is a health meter. No more one-shot kills, you can keep playing so long as you have some health left in your meter. Also worth noting are the branching paths. Branching paths weren't new to the series when this game was released, but the number of branching paths in this game really brings up the replay factor. It's not as pretty as previous entries in the series, but it's just as fun. If you own a Neo-Geo Pocket Color, this is definitely a game that you should have in your collection.

Release Date: May 21, 1998 (JP)
Publisher: Working Designs
Developer: Technosoft
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

I've always enjoyed the Thunder Force games, dating back the the 16-bit Genesis. This entry in the series looks a little bland at first (compared to other PSOne shooters like R-Type Delta, anyway) and the difficulty may feel a little overwhelming, but a little practice and memorization is all you need to start plowing your way through levels. There are also a decent number of unlockables to obtain by working your way through the game on each difficulty, which may make perfecting the game worthwhile for some. Basically, if you're into scrolling shooters, the fifth entry in the Thunder Force series is definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Release Date: April 10, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Cave
Developer: Cave
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Espgaluda II is a third-person shooter that mildly fits into a category that some call "bullet hell." Games that fit into that category are called as such due to the amount of bullets that are on the screen at once, where the game transforms from one where you're trying to shoot the enemy to one where you're shooting blindly while trying to find any gap you can in the enemy's bullets so you can dodge and weave your way through to survival. Espgaluda isn't always that bad, but a few enemies, particularly later on in the game, turn the screen into a sea of bullets for you to frantically try and escape from. The game is also visually stunning, and it's just fun watching everything explode as you play.

Release Date: November 20, 1992 (JP)
Publisher: Hudson
Developer: RED Entertainment
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Air Zonk mildly reminds me of the Parodius series - a solid, fun, third-person, scrolling shooter with a comical, cartoony touch to it. I like a game that doesn't take itself seriously. Anyway, Air Zonk is the first TurboGrafx-16 game that I ever beat...And I've beaten it more than once. The gameplay is solid, the levels are varied, and each weapon at your disposal is totally unique, both in appearance and in their effects. As far as scrolling shooters go, I easily place Air Zonk near the top of the list of my personal favorites.

Release Date: 1983 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Activision
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Seaquest is easily one of my favorite Atari 2600 games. The gameplay is simple enough - shoot the fish or enemy subs in your way while saving any scuba divers you see swimming around. This alone would be fairly fun, but Seaquest adds in another element, that being the need to rise to the surface for oxygen. That adds just enough strategy to an already fun concept to make this an absolutely great game for its time.

Release Date: November 1, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Majesco Games
Developer: BudCat
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

I love Katamari Damacy. I also happen to enjoy scrolling shooters. What happens when you combine the two? You get Blast Works, a game that was, unfortunately, mostly ignored at retail shelves....I saw it in $10 clearance bins within four months of its release. It's a shame because this innovative title, while rough around the edges, was a neat concept that had never been done before. I was completely addicted to this gem for a while...And really disappointed when it became apparent that it sold poorly. My dream of a Blast Works sequel will likely never become a reality.

Release Date: June 7, 1990 (NA)
Publisher: Technosoft
Developer: Technosoft
Genre: Shooter - 3rd Person

Thankfully, Technosoft removed all overhead stages that held back Thunder Force II when they created Thunder Force III. The end result is the fantastic, side-scrolling shooter that we wanted. With excellent boss fights and various weaponry to select to batte them with, Thunder Force III is one of the best scrolling shooters of the 16-bit era. If you haven't played it, I recomend giving it a chance.

Release Date: October 10, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Takumi Corporation
Developer: Takumi Corporation
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Night Raid is an enjoyable bullet hell-style, third-person, scrolling shooter that unfortunately, never made it out of Japan. It features some colorful backgrounds and effects which help you look on in awe as a flood of bullets rain towards you and you try to weave your way through them all to stay alive. It's not nearly as difficult as some other scrolling shooters I've played from Japan, but it's still challenging and well worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre.

Release Date: 1981 (NA)
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Atari
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Yars' Revenge is a unique little shooter only spans one screen, and is pretty repetitive...But so dang addicting that the repetition doesn't affect it much. You control a Yar, which is the fly-lookin' thing, and you want to destroy the shield in front of the Quotile hiding behind it, avoiding the deadly swirl and using the Ion shield (the multi-colored stripe on the screen) to shield yourself from the Quotile's regular, homing fire. After destroying the Quotile by using the Zorlon Cannon, you get a screen-sized explosion...Followed by another Quotile to destroy. The difficulty increases as you survive, which doesn't make it too repetitive...But as I stated earlier, the game is good enough where repetition could be seen as something to look forward to.

Release Date: June 1990 (NA)
Publisher: American Sammy
Developer: American Sammy
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Silk Worm is basically two versions of the same game in one - you play the same levels with the same enemies, but you've got an option of shooting from the skies in a helicopter, or shooting from the ground in a jeep. Both vehicles play differently giving you a different experience in each mode of transportation and firepower that you use. It's not a perfect shooter by any means, but the unique choice of totally different vehicles and how you need different strategies in the level depending on which vehicle you choose is enough to really increase the replay value in Silk Worm as well as the overall enjoyment as you play.

Release Date: August 26, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Cave
Developer: Cave
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Espgaluda II is a cakewalk compared to this game. This is the definition of a bullet hell shooter...In fact it's even more than that. It's a bullet and laser hell shooter...There is so much firepower to try to avoid in this game, there are times that it seems like it's absolutely impossible to not get hit. Well, that is unless you trigger one of a couple special abilities that lets you not only survive an otherwise deadly situation, but it also gives you a brief breather from all the chaos around you. Despite the difficulty, it's still a very enjoyable game. If you like scrolling shooters, this one is very much worth a purchase.

Release Date: March 10, 1995 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Team Andromeda
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Panzer Dragoon was the first really good exclusive game for the Saturn. This interesting rail shooter was, and still is, an extremely fun experience that was unlike anything that you'd find on the competition's systems. The second Panzer Dragoon totally blew this game away, and Panzer Dragoon Saga blew them both away...But that says more about how great those games are than anything; the original is no slouch, either.

Release Date: 1977 (NA)
Publisher: Midway
Developer: Midway
Genre: Shooter

Imagine Pong if it was a shooter, and you've got Boot Hill; a basic, but pretty dang fun, early arcade game. In Boot Hill you either battle a friend or a computer opponent in a wild west shoot-out. The goal is to hit your opponent before they hit you. The Pong aspect of bullets bouncing off of the top and bottom of the screen help add a little chaos to the battle and a limited number of bullets ensures that anyone who just blindly shoots at the beginning of the fight is going to find themselves out of bullets and defenseless as their opponent takes aim at them. It's one of the better (and lesser known) arcade games of the 70's, and it really deserves more attention than it gets.

Release Date: April 20, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Taito
Developer: Taito
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Space Invaders: Infinity Gene is a game that attempts to resurrect the Space Invaders franchise to the popularity it had 30 years ago. While it's definitely a great game, it just doesn't have the mass appeal that, say, Angry Birds does. But as far as third-person shooters go, Space Invaders: Infinity Gene plays like most other games in the genre, but is unique due to the approach on 'evolving' each level from the basic, 2D beginnings of the original Space Invaders to fancy-looking 3D models and visuals. It may not have sparked the Space Invaders frenzy like the original did a few decades ago, but it's definitely my personal favorite entry in the history of the series.

Release Date: June 29, 1990 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Compile
Genre: Shooter - 3rd Person

I've heard a lot of negative things about Ghostbusters...But I'm not seeing it. I've heard that levels are long, boring, and very difficult...I think I beat the first level in about five minutes and died once...and most importantly, I enjoyed my time with this game a lot. So, I may be in the minority, but I feel that Ghostbusters is a very enjoyable third-person shooter with interesting bosses and enough personality to put a smile on most fans of the film.

Release Date: 1977 (NA)
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Atari
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Combat is a simple game, but a blast to play when you've got friends around to compete with. Combat is a multiplayer-only game that sees players try to shoot each other with tanks, jets, and airplanes. The most "kills" at the end is the winner. That variety in vehicles to control, and the noticible difference in how each one controls helps bring longevity to a game that may otherwise get old quick. In regards to the early Atari 2600 games, Combat stands tall among the best games of its time.

Release Date: January 31, 1991 (JP)
Publisher: Kaneko
Developer: Inter State
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Air Buster would just be a so-so scrolling shooter if it wasn't for how it changes up its levels...Aside from the typical side-scrolling levels, there's also high-speed levels as well as zero gravity levels, which prevent the title from feeling too repetitious. So, if you're into scrolling shooters and like a little variety in how the levels play, Air Buster is well worth tracking down.

Release Date: November 18, 1991 (NA)
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Genre: Shooter - 3rd Person

Rolling Thunder 2 is a pretty enjoyable shooter. You basically walk through each level, shooting various enemies along the way, switching between balconies and solid ground...and it's rather fun as you do so, if I do say so myself. Why Namco never attempted to resurrect this series for modern consoles is beyond me - I imagine that this formula, if done right, would be quite a hit today. It's well worth playing if you're able to find a copy.

Release Date: November 21, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: O3 Entertainment
Developer: The Behemoth
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Alien Hominid is a pretty dang good throwback to the 8 and 16-bit days of scrolling shooters, with enough of its own personality and charm shining through to make it a little different. This is mostly your standard run-and-gun shooter, but with a few features like charging your shots or burrowing underground to surprise attack your enemy added in to keep the game from feeling like some sort of clone. If you're a fan of older games with challenge, you'll fall in love with Alien Hominid. Get it and enjoy.

Release Date: November 15, 2013 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: XDEV
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Resogun is a horizontal-scrolling shooter where your goal is to not just shoot up the enemy, but to also save the humans that pop up on screen. Saving folks helps boost this up from being a basic shooter into something with a little more depth. It was a very good launch title for the PS4 and one of their best exclusives thus far.

Release Date: November 11, 1999 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Takumi Corporation
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

A lot of reviewers were hard on this game when it came out, and aside from the graphics seeming like they were a generation behind, I'm not really seeing the problems that they saw. Actually, I really enjoyed my time with Giga Wing. Is it flawless? Nope. Is it original? Not really. Is it fun? Indeed, it is. Fans of scrolling shooters will likely enjoy Giga Wing. If that genre has never really impressed you, well then you may have the same opinion as those reviewers from back when this game came out.

Release Date: November 20, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Digital Reality
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Sine Mora is not what I had expected. I had the game on my Vita for a while and I just knew it as the game with the icon with a rose on it. I dunno what I expected, really, but it wasn't a game that's kind of like a side-scrolling Star Fox. That's what Sine Mora is, too...a side-scrolling, third-person shooter with animals piloting ships. Okay, so the only real similarity is animals piloting ships, but Sine Mora is still a solid game in its own right. If you're into scrolling shooters from the days of old, you should definitely check Sine Mora out.

Release Date: June 23, 2000 (EU)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Fur Fighters seems to generally be overlooked on the Dreamcast due to its cutesy appearance. Don't let the adorable-looking graphics fool you, though...There's a reason this was rated "Teen" rather than "Everyone" by the ESRB afterall. This game is also kind of hard...Not so much the game itself, but trying to get used to the control scheme. Most games have the movement of characters controlled on the left side of the controller. Fur Fighters is controlled on the right side, with the left side controlling the camera. It takes a while to get used to, but after you're used to it, it's not incredibly bad. But anyway, Fur Fighters is a solid third-person shooter in single player, but it also shines in multiplayer deathmatch-style shootouts. If you're looking for a solid shooter and have patience and time to get yourself used to a unique control scheme, Fur Fighters is an excellent choice.

Release Date: September 21, 2000 (JP)
Publisher: Working Designs
Developer: Treasure
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Silpheed: The Lost Planet is a decent little scrolling, third-person shooter brought to North American shores thanks to the wonderful folks at Working Designs. It's a very solid, very beautiful shooter with various weapons to unlock and use, along with "refuel" stations to break up the combat in each level, which allow you to swap weapons for the appropriate situations. It seemed to be largely ignored upon release, which is a shame 'cause this really is a worthwhile game to play - especially if you're into scrolling shooters.

Release Date: November 30, 1990 (JP)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

What happens when you take a good, solid shooter, make a parody of it with large, colorful, detailed enemies to shoot down and unique environments to fly through? Why you get Parodius, of course. The first entry in the Parodius franchise is a solid one with plenty of weird boss fights and beautiful visuals to encounter as you fly around and shoot stuff up. Some later games in the franchise improve on everything found here, but the original Parodius (known as Parodius Da! in Japan) is still a solid shooter well worth checking out.

Release Date: August 17, 1987 (JP)
Publisher: Hal Laboratories
Developer: Hal Laboratories
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Air Fortress is an interesting blend of scrolling shooter levels that lead up to action levels inside of fortresses, where the player is essentially free to float around in the level wherever they may like. The gameplay isn't perfect, but it's still very good and the interesting blend of gameplay styles work well together. Air Fortress isn't without its flaws, but in my opinion the good greatly outweighs the bad.

Release Date: April 25, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Virgin Interactive
Developer: Digital Frontier
Genre: Shooter - Third Person - Rail

When I started to play a Gamera game, the last genre that I thought it would be was a third-person rail shooter...But that's what this Gamera game is. In Gamera 2000, you control a aircraft vehicle and shoot your way through the levels in very similar fashion to the Panzer Dragoon games. The only difference being that your lock-on attacks result in Gamera (who is always flying by your side) attacking your enemies with its atomic breath rather than you using any extra firepower from your ship. Like Panzer Dragoon, it's a very solid rail shooter, and the Gamera gimmick adds some fun to the overall experience. If you're a fan of the Gamera films or of rail shooters, Gamera 2000 is a decent game to get your hands on.

Release Date: November 14, 2000 (NA)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Psikyo
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Cannon Spike is a different kind of shooter, where you're basically enclosed in an area and expected to shoot and/or brawl your way through all of the opponents that come your way. The controls take a little while to get used to since once you begin firing, you're unable to change the direction of your aim until you stop. If the shooting aspects were a little more like a twin-stick shooter, I feel like this game would be at least a tad better. Anyway, as it is, it's still a solid shooter and worth checking out for fans of the genre.

Release Date: May 31, 1991 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Toaplan
Genre: Shooter - Third Person

Known more for its poor English translation than anything else, Zero Wing is actually not a terrible shooter. While it feels WAY too easy at times, it has its moments of enjoyment...Unfortunately, it also has its moments of boring, tedious gameplay to even it out. Zero Wing wouldn't be my first pick for playing a scrolling shooter on the Genesis...but it certainly will be my first pick for watching introductions. "All your base are belong to us." came from this title, afterall.

Release Date: December 22, 1992 (JP)
Publisher: Natsume
Developer: Natsume
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

With a name like Pocky & Rocky, and looking at the box art, one may assume that this would be a cute-looking 2D platformer...That assumtion would be wrong. Pocky & Rocky is a scrolling, third-person shooter...And don't let the cute characters fool you, this game is far from a cakewalk. The thing (aside from the cute character models) that separates Pocky & Rocky from the rest of the scrolling shooter pack is that the screen doesn't automatically scroll - you control the scrolling. It can feel a bit weird at first, but you'll eventually get the hang of it. If you're a fan of scrolling shooters, but want something a little different, Pocky & Rocky is an excellent choice.

Release Date: November 29, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Santos
Developer: Santos
Genre: Shooter - Third Person

AirGrave is a neat, scrolling shooter that blends the traditional third-person shooter gameplay with a lock on system that kind of reminds me of the Panzer Dragoon games. Basically, if you tap the button to fire, you shoot bullets like normal. Hold down the fire button and a window of sorts appears on the screen. Anything in that window gets marked as a target, so once you let go of the fire button, the marked targets get a buncha missiles exploding in their faces. It's a neat concept, but the overall game could be better. As it is, though, it's still very solid and fun to play every now and then.

Release Date: February 15, 2012 (US)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: XDEV
Genre: Shooter

This Playstation Network download is a fantastic purchase for new owners of the Playstation Vita, especially for those looking for a cheap, new game to play with their expensive, new handheld. Fans of Super Stardust on the Playstation 3 will be glad to see that Delta is just as fun as the original, plus with some new features tossed in for good measure. It's not quite as good as Geometry Wars, in my opinion, but it's definitely a great alternative for Playstation Vita owners.

Release Date: September 27, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: D3 Publisher
Developer: Taito
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

D3 Publisher teamed up with Taito to create a Space Invaders game for their bargain bin Simple 1500 Series franchise, and it's actually pretty good. Not only does the game have the museum-like option to play Space Invaders in just about every way its been visually presented in the arcades with overlays and such, but it's got a new version of Space Invaders included in the package as well; Space Invaders 3D, where you play the game like you normally would, but on a colorful, 3D plane. This is a great tribute to one of the most influential games in video game history, and well worth checking out.