What are your favorite VERTICAL games?

[theCoder]

Idle hands...  Attached is an Excel file containing the top 300 vertical games, as rated by voters at mameworld.net.  The list contains many game duplicates due to romset variations.  I'll start with this list and purge out the porn, dups, and games I don't like.  I'm hoping to get the list down to around 100 games or so for if/when I build a dedicated vertical cab.

[javeryh]

Thanks Coder (got your PM).  This list will make a great starting point.  I guess I need to play around with MAWS too.  I am ready to finish everything (new computer is here, arcade is inside the house and 99% complete) but for some strange reason *coughnewbornbabypluscrazyhormonalwifecough* I just can't find the time.

[leapinlew]

One of my least favorite aspects is going through the game list and verifying everything works as needed. Once I've done it - I copy out the Mame and Mala folders as a backup.

[Crowquill]

I agree with most posted. Here's a couple that havent' been mentioned:

Kangaroo
Mr Do's Wild Ride
Game Paradise-Master of shooting (A parody of many games. A blocky enemy from Exerion is even one of the bosses).
Lock N Chase
Detana! Twin Bee
Dragon Blaze (Psykyo shooter)
Namco Classics 1 & 2 (arrange modes can be a nice change of pace)

[theCoder]

... but for some strange reason *coughnewbornbabypluscrazyhormonalwifecough* I just can't find the time.

The absolute best time (if you can be quiet) is when they are both napping.  Any other time, you are scum of the earth, selfish, and lazy.  And by the way, it's your fault.  No, really, treat them well, and it comes back in spades.

I'd be interested in seeing which games you settle on, either here or your project thread.

Good luck finding time.

[NoOne=NBA=]

The one I didn't see on anyone's list was Quantum.

[CheffoJeffo]

JUNO FIRST!!!!!!

Seconded ... I had never heard of it until Ray did his restoration.

Fun. Freaking. Game.

[Crowquill]

JUNO FIRST!!!!!!

Seconded ... I had never heard of it until Ray did his restoration.

Fun. Freaking. Game.

Does that make it Juno Second? 

Anybody else ever think that Konami was trying to make a more invaders-esque version of Defender?

[MaMeNnO]

Nobody played Elevator Action? That's a great game!

[vidmouse]

A few from my lists..

Assault
Batsugun
Battle Bakraid
Battle Garegga
Dangar UFO Robo
Dangun Feveron (one to play w/ the lights off and sound pumped up)
Dogyuun
Guwange
Hotdog Storm
Ikari Warriors
Krull
Lethal Thunder (kinda neat gimmick here, the faster you shoot, the more powerful your shots are)
Mazinger Z  (love those giant robots)
Mercs
Twin Cobra

Most of the other ones I'd play have already been listed...
Some of these are the more modern Japanese ones that
you omitted but they are well worth the play...
Good luck building your dedicated cab!

[NoOne=NBA=]

Nobody played Elevator Action? That's a great game!

Elevator Action is a horizontal game.

[koolmoecraig]

Speed Coin

[hbm*rais]

Lots of the above, but if you're looking for non-classics:

Try a game called Kid no Hore Hore Daisakusen (otherwise known as Booby Kid on the NES, it seems). I found myself completely addicted to that game some months ago.

Also, a game called Trick Trap (a.k.a. Labyrinth Runner). It's another game I find myself strangely attracted to. Don't know why really, I think it reminds me some old Konami games I used to play on my MSX. Maybe it appeals to you too.

edit: Oh, I forgot: Rally Bike / Dash Yarou! One of my first non-classic discoveries on MAME. Still one of my favorites.

On the classics front, I think there was a vertical version/hack of Rally-X. I don't know what's the status of its emulation. It seems it was on MAME some versions ago, but was removed.

[Zebidee]

"The Speed Rumbler"

this fantastic vertical game only recently became available in Mame 112 or thereabouts.  It is a great game that I remember from my youth, even though I only actually saw it twice in the 80's, both times at the same skating rink on the far side of town. 

You drive a car (top view) around shooting up bad guys' cars and rescuing good guys.  Rescued guys give you bonus health, speed, power etc.  Very addictive and fast paced game play. 

Because the game has 384 vertical lines and is 'drawn well', it looks absolutely fantastic vertically.  However, it looks pretty average on a horizontal arcade monitor as they are not normally capable of displaying more than about 280 vertical lines without interlacing.  Therefore you end up using 640x480 and it looks like sh!t.

I am currently trying to put together a dedicated upright vertical cabinet with a 26" monitor (converting a Loewe SCART TV) , and I dream of being able to play "The Speed Rumbler" on it.   

[MaMeNnO]

Nobody played Elevator Action? That's a great game!

Elevator Action is a horizontal game.

I suffer from narrow vision I guess

[ARTIFACT]

that one with a weird name... "Baluga Something" ... my 5 year old and I have a TON of fun playing it...

Of course Ms Pac Man rocks as well...

DoDon Patchi, 19(..),

Dig Dug

[Hornpipe2]

Someone posted a link to RomLister, which I've found to be the best way to come up with a list of ROMs to match a given cabinet setup.

Note that RomLister has an option for 'cocktail' vs 'upright' - cocktail will choose all games with a dipswitch for 'cocktail' and upright will simply select all games (no restriction).  So you will have cocktail games in your upright listing.

Using RomLister I was able to locate nearly 800 games for my cocktail table with 'imperfect' or better status, and the only thing I wish I had now was a way to filter out results that require a rotary joystick.  (I use version 0.104 of advanceMame which means I have to fiddle with the search patterns as the XML has changed since then, but it works great)

That link again:
http://www.waste.org/~winkles/ROMLister

[NOP]

thanks for the plug!

>I wish I had now was a way to filter out results that require a rotary joystick.

Just add a "& !rotary" the end of the list of options in the -find window at the bottom of the application.   (This is assuming you're using a merged xml file with all the controls.dat info added in)


The wizard is merely a guide to get you started in building search criteria.  Since there was no way I could put in buttons and checkboxes for every single combination of things, it was there to show you how to build -find command that gets passed into the search engine.

-jeff!