Steer by what it is tap once for more of it, twice for none of it
292 games like Z-Out · 1981 – 2011
Nintendo exclusive
Treasure · Wii, Wii U
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is an arcade style rail shooter that allows for a range of movement around the immediate level as the player is funneled along their path. Players can assume the role of either the male or female character,
81 rating4 listsOften paired
Irem · Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Arcade +5
The player's character is a human who rides a large, green, flying Chinese-style dragon. The dragon is invincible, capable of blocking most enemy projectiles and damaging enemies on contact; the human, however, is not, but is armed with a f
80 rating5 listsOften paired
The Bitmap Brothers · Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Arcade +7
Xenon is a 1988 vertical scrolling shooter computer game, developed by The Bitmap Brothers and published by Melbourne House which was then owned by Mastertronic. Xenon was followed in 1989 by Xenon 2: Megablast. The player assumes the role
75 rating3 listsOften paired
Sega exclusive
Telenet Japan · Sega Genesis
Gaiares is a horizontal-scrolling shoot em' up released for the Sega Megadrive/Genesis in 1990. The game bears a striking mechanic similarity to that of the R-Type series, alongside those of other well-known Shoot Em' Ups such as Gradius an
79 rating1 listOften paired
The Assembly Line · Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, Atari ST +6
No-one likes a and loser. And no-one comes more universally despised than Xenites. For a thousand years they have been plotting revenge for their humiliating defeat in the last Galactic Conflict. Now the very fabric of time is in danger. Th
75 rating2 listsOften paired
Timed Sega exclusive
The Bitmap Brothers · Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, Amiga CD32 +11
Speedball is a futuristic football-like game which takes place on a steel walled floored pitch, 160 feet long by 90 feet wide. There are two teams, and the team scoring the most goals wins. There is a goal at each end of the pitch and a bal
76 rating1 listOften paired
Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST +4
X-Out is a horizontally scrolling shoot-em-up with eight levels and an underwater setting. Between levels, the player visits a shop and use their game score to purchase new submarines and equipment. The submarines come in four different va
4 listsDescribed alike
Capcom · Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Arcade +3
A vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up with a land-based vehicle. Players need to take down enemies while avoiding pits and the walls of the course, though they are also capable of leaping over obstacles.
4 lists
Apple II, Apple IIGS, MS-DOS
Catacomb is a 2-D top-down third-person shooter created by John Carmack. It was originally created for the Apple II, and later ported to the PC. It should not be confused with The Catacomb, which is the second game in the series (originally
2 lists
NEC exclusive
TurboGrafx-16
A horizontal shoot 'em up that casts you as a baby dragon out to free a princess from the clutches of an evil....well, you get the idea. Gameplay is traditional, with power-up weapons that include multi-way shot and 'miniature' mode and a s
1 list
Capcom · Amstrad CPC, Arcade, Commodore 64 +7
Gun.Smoke is very similar to Commando, another Capcom game, but with several differences. Whereas Commando is a run and gun game, this game is a scrolling shooter in which the screen scrolls upward automatically and players only have three
69 rating6 lists
Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST +4
Play as Judge Dredd in this side scrolling shooter. Are you the law?
1 list
Bandai Namco Entertainment · PS3, Xbox 360
Aero-Cross is an unreleased platform video game that was in development for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by Namco Bandai Games. It was intended as a modernized sequel to the arcade game Metro-Cross, and the third released under the Namco
2 lists
Vortex Software · Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST +4
A diagonally scrolling shoot 'em up by Vortex Software and Gremlin.
1 list
Sega console exclusive
Raising Hell · Amiga, Atari ST/STE, Sega Genesis
First prize is your life! Suited in limited-protection armor you're the unwilling contestant on The Killing Game Show. In front of a TV audience of millions you must battle your way to the top of 16 Pits of Death infested with hostile arti
71 rating1 list
The Vision Factory · CD-i, Philips CD-i
Alien Gate is a fixed shooter. Each stage consists of the player's ship facing off against a giant head that spawns several smaller enemies. Once all the required enemies are defeated, the player must defeat the head as a boss. The backgrou
2 lists
Sega console exclusiveBizarre Creations · Amiga, Atari ST, Atari ST/STE +1
First prize is your life! Suited in limited-protection armor you're the unwilling contestant on The Killing Game Show. In front of a TV audience of millions you must battle your way to the top of 16 Pits of Death infested with hostile arti
71 rating1 list
NEC console exclusive
TurboGrafx-16, MSX
A vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up in the Xevious franchise. Adds bosses, power-ups and a story to the Xevious model.
1 list
Nintendo console exclusive
Graftgold · Acorn Archimedes, Atari ST, Commodore 64 +3
The game is set on a spaceship viewed from a top-down perspective. The ship consists of numerous rooms and levels, each one populated by hostile robots or "droids". The player, in control of a special droid called the "Influence Device", mu
85 rating3 lists
Amiga, Atari ST, Atari ST/STE +1
A top-down, vertical-scrolling shooter from the late 80s.
1 list
Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST/STE +3
Players control a spaceship in this pseudo-3D shoot 'em up.
2 lists
Nintendo exclusive
Winning Entertainment Group · NES
Abadox is a video game for the NES, subtitled The Deadly Inner War. It is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up in the vein of Gradius and R-Type. The game is notable for its unique visual design, as the game takes place inside the intestinal tract
60 rating1 list
Nintendo console exclusive
Tecmo · Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Arcade +8
Humans and aliens are living in harmony in the future, until a tabloid journalist stirs up hatred towards aliens. They respond by invading the planet, and it's down to the protagonist to clear up a situation scarily similar to reality in th
4 lists
MS-DOS
Overkill is a vertical scrolling shooter that was released by Epic Games and Precision Software Publishing in 1992. The game was designed and developed by Tech-Noir Productions and Ste Cork. Overkill was Epic's first vertical shooter. The g
1 list
NEC console exclusiveCompile · MSX, TurboGrafx-16
A vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up in the Xevious franchise. Adds bosses, power-ups and a story to the Xevious model.
1 list
Sega exclusive
Sega Genesis
Arrow Flash is a side-scrolling space shooter. The player controls a female spaceship pilot who is sent on a mission into deep space to save the Earth from an assault by an evil dragon from another galaxy. Moving vertically or horizontally,
50 rating2 lists
Nintendo console exclusive
Data East · Arcade, NES
Battle Wings, known in Japan either as B-Wing (ビー・ウィング) or B-Wings (ビー・ウィングズ), is a vertically scrolling shooter first released as an arcade game by Data East in 1984. The game was ported by Data East to the Family Computer in 1986, and was
70 rating1 list
Dinamic Software · Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Commodore C64/128/MAX +3
Queen Gremla rules over five confederations of planets thanks to a powerful army of Terminators led by Arkos, her most faithful servant, until the queen's contempt caused her to go over to the enemy army led by McKiller. The game is divide
58 rating4 lists
Nintendo exclusive
Hudson Soft · NES
Your ship is equipped with both a standard laser and an independently fired ground weapon, which you must coordinate to defeat ground and aerial enemies. A shield bar keeps track of your damage and you can replenish it by defeating certain
1 list
Nintendo console exclusive
Irem · Arcade, Switch
Is a side-scrolling shooter published by Irem, and similar in style to their earlier R-Type. The game centers around an unusual alien invasion against a colony planet in the year 2249 where the aliens themselves are microscopic creatures th
1 list
Ubisoft Reflections · Amiga, Atari ST, Atari ST/STE +1
Awesome is a science fiction action video game released by Psygnosis for the Amiga and Atari ST in 1990. It features a variety of gameplay styles, from overhead shooting to Asteroids-esque sequences, and a pre-rendered ray-traced intro sequ
2 lists
Nintendo console exclusive
Arcade, SNES
The player is set in control of The Garland TFF-01, a sub-standard space fighter ship that is only armed with a semi-auto or rapid fire laser gun known as the Beam Vulcan and the Tranquilander. Some enemy units can be captured and used in p
60 rating1 list
Atari console exclusive
Parker Brothers · Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 5200 +5
In Frogger II, you need to guide your frog to safety in three different locations. Starting out underwater, reach the top of the pond while avoiding dangerous alligators and fish (you can ride a turtle for safety!). Once on top of the pond,
59 rating5 lists
Banpresto · Arcade
The player controls a constantly bouncing car while driving through various environments including a city, pyramid, and underwater. The height of the jump and speed of a fall can be controlled with the joystick. The player can shoot various
1 list
Nintendo exclusive
Game Boy Color
To the kids at school, you're 8-year-old Billy Blaze. To alien enemies in the galaxy you're superhero Commander Keen and it's up to you to save the Earth from destruction. As you put on your brother's football helmet you'll blast away on yo
80 rating1 list
Nintendo console exclusive
Konami · Amstrad CPC, Arcade, Commodore 64 +6
Overhead run'n gun-style shoot-'em-up. You play as jeep driver and gunner rescuing POWs. More commonly known as Jackal outside the US.
78 rating5 lists
Nintendo exclusiveEidos Interactive · SNES
On the reptilian planet of Tirmat, scientists have discovered a rift in space and plan to use it to transport the planet's inhabitants before the planet is extinguished by sending their elite army through the rift and invade their closest n
1 list
Sega console exclusive
Data East · Arcade, Sega Genesis
Vapor Trail is a shoot-'em-up that features 2 players controlling the jet fighters simultaneously for battle across numerous levels.
1 list
Sega exclusive
Master System, Sega Master System/Mark III
Welcome to Sega Royale, where fortunes can be made or lost with the turn of a card. You have $500 to play the games of your choice. Which will they be? Challenge high stakes gamblers in a game of poker. Beat the dealer in a fast-moving game
1 list
Amiga
Datastorm is a horizontally scrolling shooter for the Amiga published by Visionary Design in 1989. Written by Søren Grønbech, it was inspired by the Defender arcade video game and the Defender-like Dropzone originally released for Atari 8-b
1 list
Sega console exclusive
Takumi Corporation · Arcade, Dreamcast
A prediction is that before human civilization, there was once an advanced civilization on Mars. A sorceress destroyed the civilization and everything that was remembered of it, except a chip called "INFINITY". In 2100, millions of people w
1 list
Nintendo exclusive
M2 · Wii
Blast your way through levels filled with alien spaceships and otherworldly creatures in this retro side-scrolling shooter. Pick your weapons carefully and upgrade them to create a devastating arsenal of space-aged weapons that will aid you
80 rating1 list
PlayStation exclusive
Q-Games · PS3
PixelJunk SideScroller is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3 as part of the PixelJunk series. It was released on the PlayStation Store on 25 October 2011 in North America and 26 October 2011 in Eur
82 rating2 lists
Sega exclusive
Master System, Sega Master System/Mark III
Power Strike II is a top-down vertical shoot 'em up video game developed by Compile. It was published by Sega in 1993, only released in Europe and Brazil. This game moves from the setting of previous games to a steampunk version of the 193
1 list
Nintendo exclusive
Factor 5 · SNES, Wii
The lost colony of Alterra is a completely man-made lifeworld abandoned long ago in a nearby galaxy. Alterra is actually five colonies in one. Each self-contained habitat has been separately bio-engineered by a powerful ecosystem generation
72 rating1 list
Nintendo console exclusive
Namco Limited · Arcade, NES, Switch +1
The gameplay is very much like that of the original Xevious except this time it is a little more difficult. Several new enemies have also been introduced (including a silver Galaxian flagship, a rare silver Galaga "scorpion" ship, two jet p
41 rating2 lists
Commodore 64, Commodore C64/128/MAX
One of the first games from Electronic Arts; players 'teach' musical worm-like creatures to move around a grid.
2 lists
Nintendo exclusive
Hudson Soft · NES
Adventures of Dino Riki is an overhead shooter created by Hudson Soft, similar to games like 1943: The Battle of Midway, where the object is to dodge on-screen enemies. Dino Riki can jump or shoot weapons (rocks, axes, boomerangs, and torch
58 rating1 list