Dragon Breed brought numerous innovations to the shoot-em-up category, both in its fantasy setting and its unique gameplay mechanics. The player controls King Kayus, on a mission to save his kingdom from the King of Darkness, Zambaquous (who was released by the people in a Brexit-like moment of bad judgment). Kayus rides atop Bahamoot, a serpentine dragon whose body can be used as both a shield and a weapon. Kayus fires a crossbow, and holding the fire button causes Bahamoot to release fireballs of increasing power, while picking up power-ups changes the dragon's color and weapon. Though not the most complex shoot-em-up of its time, Dragon Breed's dragon riding mechanics and occasional platforming sequences made it stand out from the crowd.

In the Hunt sends players into the deep in the helm of the Granvia, a submarine going to battle with the excellently-named Dark Anarchy Society. In the Hunt is thought of by some as a cross between R-Type and Metal Slug, and if it reminds you a bit of the delightfully cartoony violence of the latter, it should, as it was designed by the team that went on the create the Metal Slug series. Being underwater, the game has a somewhat slow motion feel compared to some of its bullet hell peers, and it takes full advantage of its unique setting with beautiful animations and a range of actually believable weapons. There's a lot going on at once on the screen and it can get a little confusing, but it's a standout in the shoot-em-up genre that's worth diving into.

Perhaps the most amazing Japanese-sounding game concept that was actually conceived by an American, Ninja Baseball Bat Man was the brainchild of Drew Maniscalco, who combined several pop culture touchpoints (ninjas, baseball, Batman) into a beat-em-up that oozes character and humor. Tasked with retrieving several stolen artifacts from the Baseball Hall of Fame (so the stakes are clearly world-altering), up to four bat-wielding heroes battle side-by-side against similarly baseball-themed enemies to recover the relics. The gameplay features fantastic character designs, a series of colorful stages, a wide range of power-ups, bizarre bosses and other touches that have made the game a cult classic despite its relative obscurity.

Developed by Irem and released by Nintendo, R-Type brought a level of depth and sophistication to both the graphics and gameplay of the growing shoot-em-up category, with huge organic-looking aliens and environments brought to life with realistic animations. The mission of the game's spaceship-piloting protagonist is to destroy the Bydo, an alien race that is (apparently) bent on the destruction of humanity. The game's key innovation was the Force, a floating shield and weapon platform that can attach to the front or back of the player's ship or detach and float ahead while shooting, which added numerous tactical possibilities to the game. Complex, ever-changing stages and imminent threats from all sides give R-Type a high level of difficulty, but the addictive shoot-em-up gameplay brings players back for one more assault.

"Space was ripped by hatred and desire to counterattack and take revenge," proclaims the flyer for R-Type II, which translates to: the Bydo are back, baby, and they're pissed off. R-Type II picks up after the apparent defeat of the Bydo, and Earth forces are called upon once again to defend against a resurgence of the galactic evil empire. This time, players control an upgraded ship, the R-9C, which adds a second charge level to its main cannon in addition to new laser weapons and bombs. Everything about the original game has been amped up, with tougher enemies, more projectiles and more complex environmental hazards, adding a new level of difficulty to an already challenging game. Can you save us from the Bydo? With enough virtual quarters, yes you can! (Probably.)

What to do when you've defeated an alien empire not once, but twice? Why, you build a mechanical planet and then undertake a daring mission to destroy its malfunctioning, homicidal supercomputer core! At least that's what humanity did in R-Type Leo, a spiritual successor but not quite sequel to the first two R-Type games. The biggest difference here is that the Force, your faithful pal and offensive/defensive sidekick, has been replaced by two floating satellites called Psy-Bits, which aim in the opposite direction of your movement and can be launched to attack enemies (mostly because the game was not originally conceived as an R-Type game). You also continue where you die (with so little fanfare you can miss that you actually died), which combines with other aspects of the game to make it a fair bit less punishing than its predecessors. Our overlay features original art elements derived from the Japanese promotional materials.