TSR compo vol.5 - shut up and Sprite 'em up - Gaiden

[Cobalt Blue]

YEP! i won. this time we're going to duke it out in space. this time i'll divide the challenge in three tiers so you can take whatever degree of challenge you're ready to take.
You can always try for a higher level, but consider all entries will be voted on equal terms at the end of the challenge -picking expert mode doesnt grant you additional points by default, it just makes your life harder, just like in shmups.

Each higher level adds to the previous level's restrictions.
<EASY>
◘Sprite a shoot em up sprite and its nemesis/counterpart/rival/enemy. you are required to sprite them in the following canvas facing each other.

○you're free to rotate the image if you prefer, but the canvas should not be modified in its size.
<NORMAL>
○Colors: 4~8. not less than 4, no more than 8.
○Animation: 3~6 frames max. note that restrcion is applied to the canvas, not to the ships.
<EXPERT>
○You must pick an existing company/franchise/character rivalry and portrait it as a duel of shmup sprites. it MUST be clear what company/franchise/characters are.
○Also, you must sprite the background and animate it accordingly.

sidenote: remember, the SHMUP genre is not restricted only to spaceships.

DEADLINE: one week from the moment this gets posted [SATURDAY 29].

[Hoeloe]

awful_entry.jpg.

Spoiler

8 colours excluding background. Also yes, I used my own characters. Sue me.
Also will probably redo a lot of this.

[Garamonde]

You took on Normal, then? I think people should state what tier they're taking.

[Virt]

Is there a color limitation on the expert challenge?

[Kami]

Yes, expert follows the normal & easy rules that don't conflict with it.

You should be able to figure out the rest.

Edit: You may correct me If I'm wrong.

[Hoeloe]

You took on Normal, then? I think people should state what tier they're taking.

Well, no, I did no animation, so it's technically easy. It just so happened the first ship fit the colour limit, so I felt like introducing that restriction. I'll probably redo it at a later date.

[Sevenstitch]

I know it has been stated that we aren't restricted to space ships, but are we restricted to flying shmups?

Are we only to make something in the style of gradius and the ilk, or are shumps like contra acceptable as well?

[Hoeloe]

Attempt 2. Now with more colours, and more detail.

Also references, for those who care

[Hiynastrike]

I personally like the nemesis ship better

also its on EASY mode

[Sengir]

very wip:

[Cobalt Blue]

very wip:

commander here, read the restrictions for this challenge again and reconsider your craft.

also

Are we only to make something in the style of gradius and the ilk, or are shumps like contra acceptable as well?

by "the shmup genre isnt restricted to spaceships only" i precisely stated that you're free to use whatever sprite may work on a shmup-based gameplay. contra is closer to a platformer than to a shmup.

take Ikari Warriors, for example.

[Kitsu]

I guess the question is, is the compo restricted to just the basic shmup core concpet or will it also accept Borderliners, as defined on Shmups.org's forums:

Borderliner: Broad term used to describe “shooting” games that many, but not all, players do not consider to quite qualify technically as shmups. Examples include “Run n’ Gun” shooters (Contra, Metal Slug), “Rail” shooters (Panzer Dragoon, Star Fox), and “Light Gun” shooters (Lethal Enforcers, Time Crisis).

Source

[Keiang]

Shoot 'em up (also known as shmup or STG) is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what design elements constitute a shoot 'em up. Some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of character movement; others allow a broader definition including characters on foot and a variety of perspectives. Shoot 'em ups call for fast reactions and for the player to memorise levels and enemy attack patterns. Newer "bullet hell" games feature overwhelming numbers of enemy projectiles.

You might want to define shmup for your compo, since it doesn't have a solid definition, as Kitsu pointed out.

I might do something, I'll have to think of a good idea first.

[NICKtendo DS]

The shortest and most obvious route, where you have to break through an armada, is for some reason the easiest.
Be that as it may, Hunter Phantron is there to protect the gate to Venom's core and, ultimately, Andross' lair.

Going for Expert, but I already have 8 colors, which doesn't include transparency. I also lack a background.

[SKELTON S. SKELETON]

Ikari Warriors is a bad game.

Here's an example of good looking games that are shootemups, that didn't use spaceships.

shock troopers

Musha