The original Xbox failed to do as well in Japan as it did in North America. This was partially due to the library of games which consisted mostly of games with American sensibilities or Japanese games built more for a western audience. Microsoft knew that if they wanted to compete with Sony on their home turf, they would have to start bringing more Japanese oriented games to their next console.
One genre that has survived far longer in Japan than in North America is the shoot em’ up. Arcades in Japan are alive and well, as opposed to arcades in North America which fell into obscurity by the mid-2000s. Shoot em’ ups and fighting games are the main genres of games you will find in these arcades so it’s safe to safe Japan appreciates the genre.
While only around 5 shoot em’ ups were released in North America for the Xbox 360, there are close to 20 games from the genre that are exclusive to Japan on the system - so to celebrate the library of shoot em’ ups on the console, here is a list of 10 of the best.
10 Omega 5
Omega 5 is a twin-stick shoot em’ up that plays similarly to Capcom’s Forgotten Worlds or Vic Tokai’s Battle Mania series, and developed by Natsume and released on the Xbox Live Marketplace in 2009. You have a selection between 3 different weapons which all control rather differently and can be upgraded. The player is also equipped with some special abilities such as the dimensional field which brings your character into another dimension where they are incapable of taking damage at the cost of some life. There is also the ultimate burst move which releases a bomb that will destroy all smaller enemies on screen and cause a lot of damage to bosses.
9 Under Defeat HD
Under Defeat, like most shoot em’ ups, got its start in the arcade before later being ported to the Sega Dreamcast. The game later got the HD treatment as was ported to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 exclusively in Japan, and was called Under Defeat HD.
Unlike typical overhead shoot em’ ups, in Under Defeat HD, you can rotate your ship 360 degrees. The gameplay compliments your ability to rotate your ship and will have enemies coming from all angles, forcing you to use the ability in order to survive.
8 Shikigami no Shiro III
Shikigami no Shiro III, or Castle of Shikigami III in North America, is a shoot em’ up developed by Alfa System and Arc System Works in 2005. Though the game saw release on the Nintendo Wii in North America, the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were exclusive to Japan.
Like previous games in the series, the game emphasizes a risk versus reward system - the closer you get to enemy bullets, the more points you accumulate. There are 5 stages, each with 2 parts, and a boss at the end of each part.
7 Dodonpachi Resurrection
Dodonpachi Resurrection is the fifth game in the DonPachi series and was developed by the legendary shoot em’ up developer Cave. Cave had a strong showing on the Xbox 360 with releases that would take the original arcade version and add some bells and whistles to both add more gameplay and for some quality of life improvements.
If you complete the Dodonpachi Resurrection, you unlock the original Dodonpachi which is said to be the best version of the arcade brought home. The game has also been released on PC and phones.
6 Raiden IV
Developed by MOSS in 2008 for the Xbox 360, Raiden IV is a home conversion of the 4th game in the long-running Taito shoot em’ up series. The game was later re-released with a few updates called Raiden IV: OverKill for the Playstation 3 and PC.
Like previous games in the series, Raiden IV offers a quality shoot em’ up experience with few frills or gimmicks. You simply destroy all in your path, collect power-ups, and take on increasingly difficult levels until you reach the credits at the end of the game.
5 R-Type Dimensions
R-Type Dimensions brings together the first 2 games in the series and was released for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game was later re-released for the Playstation 4, Steam, and Nintendo Switch as R-Type Dimensions EX.
The compilation does not only bring together the first 2 games in the series R-Type and R-Type II but it also offers 3D graphics and an updated soundtrack. If you prefer the old style of graphics, you can switch between the old and new style at the press of a button.
4 Akai Katana
Akai Katana is a bullet hell, horizontal, sidescrolling shoot em’ up from Cave. Like with many other Cave games, your hitbox is not represented by your character as a whole but instead by a small glowing dot in the middle of your character. The game is designed around your incredibly small hitbox and will send waves and waves of bullets at you in fast succession. The large number of bullets that are sent at you at one time will take a lot of adjusting and eye training, especially with all of the flashing colors and explosions happening in tandem - but once you get it, you feel at one with the game and its insanity.
3 Death Smiles
Death Smiles is Cave’s second shoot em’ to use a horizontal, sidescrolling perspective rather than the overhead, vertical perspective most of their other games use. Deathsmiles has a gothic, occult theme and stars young witches that can turn both left and right to allow them to shoot enemies that approach from in front and behind you. The special edition of the game came with a collectible faceplate that could attach to the front of Xbox 360s. Deathsmiles was later released on Steam where it is swarmed with very positive reviews and received a sequel that was released in arcades and the Xbox 360.
2 Ikaruga
Ikaruga was developed by the team that brought the world great games like Gunstar Heroes and Alien Soldier. First brought home on the Dreamcast exclusively in Japan, the game received such high praise that fans begged for a release in the west. After some time, the game was released in North America on the Nintendo Gamecube.
The version released on the Xbox 360 had enhanced visuals and audio with the same release later brought over to Steam. In Ikaruga, you switch your ship from black to white in an attempt to correlate the color you attack with, with the color of the enemy to gain more points and deal more damage.
1 Radiant Silvergun
The spiritual predecessor to Ikaruga, Radiant Silvergun never seen release outside of Japan on the Sega Saturn until it was brought over to the Xbox 360 with enhanced graphics and audio. Unfortunately, the port was never brought over to Steam but can still be purchased on the Xbox One.
Unlike other shoot em’ ups, in Radiant Silvergun you do not pick up power-ups, instead, you have all of the power-ups already at your disposal at the start of the game and must find the right situation and time to use each.
NEXT: 10 Best Shoot-Em-Ups On Switch (According To Metacritic)
