Vertically Scrolling shooters are timeless: they were one of the first widely-played games and gamers continue to play them even today. If you haven't played these yet, we recommend trying them out today:

Strikers 1945

Take a step back into the past after World War II and defend the peace against C.A.N.Y., who threatens the order with their superweapons. Take your pick among different planes available, each having its own set of normal and charge attacks as well as a bomb. Pick-up upgrades to strengthen your damage and additional bombs you can use to disintegrate small opponents and bullets thrown at you. Battle against waves of enemies and stage bosses possessing additional mechanics as you shoot your way through and use the bomb skillfully to avoid danger. Pick up gold bars from destroyed buildings and structures to rack up more points.

Raiden

Light up the sky with the two-player arcade shooting game Raiden. Stop the Crystals, aliens who took control of Earth’s military units to use in their invasion. Pilot the Fighting Thunder, state-of-the-art aircraft which allows you to equip yourself with new weapon systems and missiles you pick up along the way. Also, aim to get some bombs that do widespread damage and make you avoid enemy fire for a few seconds. Destroy their land and air units while also taking out boxes and crates full of medals and items inside of them. Eliminate their stage bosses having additional skills to finish the game with a top score.

Twin Bee

Get into fantasy aerial battle on Twin Bee, a two-player shoot-them-up game by Konami. Have fun playing its unique power-up feature of shooting bells out of clouds to get your buffs. You change the color on every hit, and it bounces up every time you do so. Leaving it alone makes it fall, and then you can choose to catch it or let it go. The color of the bell determines the buffs. If it lights up yellow, you get bonus points, white upgrades your gun into double barrels, blue increases your speed to a maximum of five, green gives you mirror images that also shoot the enemy, while red provides you with a shield. Some power-ups can be found when killing enemies on the ground, like a bell that gives you a gun that shoots in three directions and a star that acts as a bomb and destroys every enemy in sight. The power-ups add up, and taking on more bells strengthens you more, with the exception of red and green as their features don’t mix. Collect all the colors that you can, and killing the boss will be a walk in the park.

Strike Galaxy Attack 2021

Step into the future in Strike Galaxy Attack 2021 and battle against an alien armada to defend your planet from being invaded. Have fun shooting down 2D animated chickens with your space fighter in Adventure or in Endless mode, which unlocks at level 5. Weave your way through the enemy fire as you collect coins and power-ups. Each one is represented by a unique colored and designed icon that modifies your ship and changes your attacking pattern and style. However, if you pick a different buff from your current one, it will be over-written, and your new power will take over. Witness a colorful barrage of bullets and explosions when you are fully upgraded. Enjoy the thrill of the challenge of ever-changing attack patterns of the enemy while randomly inserting a dive bomber.