Vertical console/PC games with screen rotation/tate mode

[zerker]

So having hooked up my old 20" 4:3 Dell monitor (which rotates), I was wondering: what PC and console games actually support the rotating the screen in the vertical position?

Here's an example photo from Raiden Legacy:


Granted, most supporting games will be Arcade ports, but I believe there are a few indie shmups that also support the alternate orientation. With rotatable LCD panels being somewhat common nowadays, it's nice to be able to have these games take up the entire viewing area instead of having massive black bars (or filler artwork) on either side.

Of course, most screens will only rotate in one direction, so it's somewhat important that the game rotates in the SAME direction . For reference, mine rotates clockwise, such that the left side becomes the top.

Here are the games I'm aware of so far, along with the direction of rotation:
Raiden Legacy (Windows/Mobile): Either Direction
Namco Museum Vol 1-5 (PS1): Left = Top (going by Mobygames)
Ikaruga (GC): Right = Top. Does the Steam version have more options?
Rayforce/Galactic Attack (Saturn): ??
Atari: 80 Classic Games in One! (Various): Right = Top (on Windows version anyways)

Mame of course supports rotation too, but I'm more interested in commercially available PC/console games.

So, what other games are people aware of?

[Colonel Kurtz]

The following list is extracted from a shmup.org post by EllertMichael, so credit where it is due:



Sega Saturn


Batsugun (J)
Battle Garegga (J)
DonPachi (J)
DoDonPachi (J)
Galactic Attack (U)
- Layer Section (J)
- Rayforce (E)
Game Tengoku (J)
-the Game Paradise
Gekirindan (J)
Gun Frontier - Arcade Gears vol. 2 (J)
Gunbird (J)
Gunsmoke (Capcom Generations 4) (J)
Image Fight (J)
Kingdom Grandprix (J)
-Shippū Mahō Daisakusen Kingudamu-Gurandopri (Arcade mode)
Kyukyoku Tigers 2 Plus (Twin Cobra 2) (J)
Shienryu (J)
Skull Fang: Kuhga Gaiden (J)
Sonic Wings Special (J)
Strikers 1945 (J)
Strikers 1945 II (J)


Sega Dreamcast
Shikigami No Shiro 2 (Castle of Shikigami 2) (J)
Gunbird 2 (U, J, PAL)
Ikaruga (J)
Karous (J)
Psyvariar 2 (J)
Radirgy (J)
Trigger heart Exelica (J)
Trizeal (J)
Under Defeat (J)$


I would add every Cave, Inc. IOS port of their vertical shooters, naturally. (God those ports are SO great.)

[Sturat]

I remember the first home game I ever played with a vertical mode was The Raiden Project on PlayStation.

[lurker]

Playstation version of Sonic Wings Special, as well.

[Weasel]

The Xbox 360 Raiden Fighters Aces has a tate mode as well, fully customizable for both scale, aspect ratio, and which direction to rotate it (even lets you play it upside-down, if you really want to) and has controller settings to suit, so you can play it as if it's a horizontal shooter.

[mitchykins]

I remember Namco Museum being pretty cautious about their vertical mode, stating "We're not responsible for any serious injuries, damages or deaths trying to rotate your display", which made sense given that most televisions at the time were hundreds of pounds. Sort of tells us how far we've come with displays where turning them over was a huge and risky chore, of course, you could also just lay sideways and play the games that way if you don't mind

[Colonel Kurtz]

I'm surprised Capcom went all the way and included tate mode for Gun.Smoke, that's pretty cool for such an oldie. Then again, the Saturn was the master of tate mode. The first time I rotated my (thankfully rather small) Sony Trinitron (remember those? the first really popular 16/9 CRT TVs...), it was for Kyukyoku Tigers 2 Plus (Twin Cobra 2). Then for Gunbird 2. With my XX-Inch Sony flat-screen nowadays, it is completely out of the question, though, that's for sure. plus my Dreamcast is dead, so I have to play classics like Ikaruga in their XBoxLive Arcade version, and it sucks. Ikaruga was my last big love on Dreamcast, and it demanded tate mode. So cool.

Once again, my only tate shmups these days are IOS Dodonpachi and Espgaluda or Bug Princess 2 ports (But, once again, they are sooo cool, they almost justify buying an IPad for the HD version, which look astonishing on an Ipad Air, and the touch controls completely reinvent the gameplay, it's miraculous!)...

[Colonel Kurtz]

This list comes from Nextlevel.com, post by "Yoshi". Credit where it is due etc...


PlayStation
Capcom Generation 1 - 1942, 1943, 1953 Kai (J)
Capcom Generation 4 - Commando, Gunsmoke, Mercs (J)
DoDonPachi (J)
Image Fight (J)
Raiden Project (U/C w/ yoko, J)
Raiden DX (J)
Strikers 1945 (J)
Strikers 1945 II (J)
Twin Cobtra (J)
Xevious (U/C, J)

PlayStation 2
Castle Shikigami 2 / Shikigami no Shiro II (U/C, J)
DoDonPachi Dai-Ou-Jou (J)
Dragon Blaze (J)
Espgaluda (J)
Homura (J)
Ibara (J)
Mushihimesama (J)
Psyvariar (J)
Psyvariar 2 (J)
Raiden III (U/C, J)
XII Stag (J)


I had never heard of 1953 Kai before...

Mercs in tate mode must be very cool.

[Aoi]

I play Crimzon Clover (pc/steam) in tate(any which way) as much as I can. I'd love to play my 360 Cave games that way, but I'm too lazy to shehulk my living room entertainment center.

Aside from what's been pasted, pretty much every modern shooter has the ability.

[Colonel Kurtz]

Mar 31, 2015 1:21:06 GMT -5 Aoi said:

Aside from what's been pasted, pretty much every modern shooter has the ability.

Absolutely. That's why I chose to import lists for consoles from the good old days, when tate mode was considered a feature that was not systematically there with every game...

[zerker]

Mar 30, 2015 19:33:08 GMT -5 Colonel Kurtz said:

I had never heard of 1953 Kai before...

Mercs in tate mode must be very cool.

Probably a typo for 1943 KAI, which *IS* a real game. Also, that list is seriously Japan-only . I'm starting to lean towards getting an import PS2 slim...

And yes, Mercs in tate mode is glorious. I've sorta given in and set up games in Mame if I already have the game in a collection, and that is one of the games I tried out.

I also played Marble Madness with my computer trackball, and that was pretty rad too

[Colonel Kurtz]

Ha ha! Lol I knew, that's why the name "1953" made me laugh. It reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, the only Indy game to take place in the fifties (obviously). I love 1943 Kai. (1942 is one of THE arcade games of my childhood... "midway, 32 stages left" forever!

I bought a Japanese PS2 slim for Virtua Fighter 4 and, mostly, Ridge Racer 5, so that I had them all (which I more or less do now, including the almost gaiden RR64, AND it's DS version, which really looked like Hell, and played wonderfully. I only miss RR7, which I will acquire someday, I'm not in a hurry).

So buying a slim to gain access to a sizeable collection of shmups is certainly not too much... It's simply hardcore! 101!

Also, Yeah, for tate-compatible shmups, MAME seems pretty unbeatable, eh...

[Colonel Kurtz]

Mar 30, 2015 17:27:48 GMT -5 mitchykins said:

I remember Namco Museum being pretty cautious about their vertical mode, stating "We're not responsible for any serious injuries, damages or deaths trying to rotate your display", which made sense given that most televisions at the time were hundreds of pounds.

hundreds of pounds is slightly pushing it, lol.

[llj]

What I'd like to know is what non-shmup games are there that can be played vertically? I figure there must be at least a few vertical scrolling platformers that tried it.

[Colonel Kurtz]

Apr 2, 2015 14:54:44 GMT -5 llj said:

What I'd like to know is what non-shmup games are there that can be played vertically? I figure there must be at least a few vertical scrolling platformers that tried it.

Excellent question. The first game that springs to mind is "Bad Dudes vs. dragon Ninja", but I feel there must be quite some games in that format... Really good question.