Arcade shooter games gave players a lot of thrills in their heyday, and the memory lingers with newer titles like Pawarumi, Devil Engine, and Sky Force Reloaded. Back in the day however, shooters were breaking new ground that would give players awesome new experiences, and a reason to keep plunking quarters in to the cabinet!

Today we’re taking a look at 10 truly awesome coin-op shooter games from the past! We’re purposely ignoring obvious hits like Galaga and Space Invaders in favor of a few you may not have heard of, but deserve a glance!

10 1941: COUNTER ATTACK

The 1940-series of games by Capcom have always been instrumental in the progression of the shooter genre, but 1941: Counter Attack is probably the best in the series. Released in 1990, it’s a prequel to the one that kicked the franchise off - 1942. 

1941 takes all the elements of the WWII-era series and amps the game up with spectacular explosions and effects, heavy power-ups and some truly stupendous boss fights! Running on CPS-1 arcade architecture, it was advanced for its time and a definite step up for the franchise.

9 AIR GALLET

Released in 1996, Air Gallet is essentially a jet fighter shooter on steroids. It’s frantic and intense; challenging, yet rewarding to play. One of the game’s standout features are the insane weapon power-ups that can be leveled for over-the-top damage.

Air Gallet’s effects are spectacular to behold, as well. Vertical parallax backgrounds are packed with detail, and the explosions are so intense that those suffering from epilepsy might want to steer clear! Definitely one of the better arcade shooters from a lesser-known developer.

8 BATTLE GAREGGA

This is one shooter that truly smokes the competition! Released in 1996, Battle Garegga focuses on the story of an engineer who must fight against the evil Federation he once developed technology for, using his own attack vehicle.

It’s the stuff of shooter dreams, with an excellent musical soundtrack pushing the frantic gameplay along. It’s challenging without being cheap, and there’s so much to see (and blow up) on every level. It’s also one of the few shooters to get a second lease on life, via a 2016 update simply titled Battle Garegga Rev.2016.

7 BLAZING STAR

This Neo Geo arcade shooter was released in 1998 and features side-scrolling action reminiscent of Gradius. The game feels like it was inspired by the Metal Slug series, with the same anime-inspired technical graphics.

This is a beautifully detailed game, with fluid, silky ship and enemy animations, explosive special effects, and a ton of imaginative level design. Where else can you do battle against a creepy, giant cyborg baby that morphs into a horrendous and twisted piece of machinery?

6 CYVERN: THE DRAGON WEAPONS

This 1998 shooter made our list not just for its spectacular gameplay and visuals, but because it’s based on dragons! Who doesn’t love dragons? Cyvern lets you choose from several decked out beasties to do battle with a horde of enemy ships, tanks, and bosses.

It’s one of the more intense shooters on our list, but that’s part of the fun! Boss fights are a highlight, with multi-stage attacks that force you to adapt several times through the fight. Level design and enemies are detailed and imaginative, putting this one in a class all its own.

5 ECO FIGHTERS

Capcom’s 1993 shooter Eco Fighters is one of the more unique games on our list. It’s one of the very few side-scrolling shooters (maybe the only one) to feature a 360 degree rotating gun as the main weapon, which not only opens up combat possibilities but adds an extra degree of challenge to the game, as well.

The eco-friendly theme of the game is evident in its lush, colorful backgrounds which contrast with darker, industrial levels full of evil baddies wishing to do the environment harm. Quite imaginative!

4 LIFE FORCE

Many of you probably played Life Force on the NES, but the arcade version has quite a lot going for it. It plays faster than its console sibling, and its power-up system is a bit more in-depth as well. It also features a few extras, such as digitized voice bytes and far more detailed backgrounds (especially in its vertical stages).

Life Force sprung from the loins of the Gradius series, and that same style of play carries over in full. The stacking power-up system was one of the more ingenious ways to customize your play style, and the varied level design, although extremely challenging, was imaginative enough to keep coming back to. It’s not every day you get to do battle inside the body of a gigantic alien life form!

3 R-TYPE LEO

This spinoff of R-Type was released in 1992 by Nanao and served as a fitting end for the arcade series of R-Type games. It follows the storyline very loosely, suggesting it may be set in an alternate universe. The gameplay was also changed a bit for this release.

The stages vary from desert planets to dense asteroid fields and ancient cave systems, with imaginative enemies bounding at you from every which way. The entire game feels well balanced in terms of difficulty vs. skill, and it’s certainly one of the more colorful shooters from that particular time period.

2 SAINT DRAGON

There’s nothing else quite like Saint Dragon! Released in 1989, it remains one of the most unique looking (and playing) shooters ever created. It’s also one of the loudest, with speaker-busting sound effects that made everyone in the arcade stop and take notice.

The player controls a mechanical dragon that breathes plasma shots that can be upgraded continuously for maximum damage. The dragon’s multi-sectional tail follows the player’s movements, and can be used to block certain incoming shots from striking its head, which adds a level of complexity to the game. The dark, industrial feel of the game is flanked by brilliant stage design, a charming soundtrack, and excellent combat. It’s also quite a bit more difficult than many shooters, which means you’ll need to exercise a degree of patience to make it far!

1 U.N. SQUADRON

Capcom’s classic U.N. Squadron was initially released in 1989 before it was ported to the Super NES in 1991. It’s a colorful shooter inspired by a manga series, with three distinct players and planes to choose from.

One of the trademark standouts of U.N. Squadron is its health bar system, which exists in contrast to the one-hit deaths common in many other shooter titles. A purchasing system precedes each level, allowing you to buy weapon upgrades and defenses from the money acquired through previous battles. It’s easy to learn, and very fun to play!

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