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by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/30/2026, 9:34am PDT |
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92. Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi
Creator: Cave
Genre: Shoot 'em Up, Bullet Hell
Year: 2003
Platforms: Arcade, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Nintendo DS
Mobygames link
Available through: Playstation 4 Store
Last year, in researching this series of posts, I asked Mischief Maker what he thought the greatest shoot 'em up of all time was. My experience in the genre is that of an extremely casual individual. I played many of these games on Turbo Duo (ZeroWing is insanely difficult but a good game - it doesn't have the "All Your Base" intro, but stands up on its own) and I suppose an R-Type has gotten into the mix over the years. I probably spent the most time with 1942 and 1943: The Battle of Midway. I didn't have the experiences that MM did.
I'm happy to say that I could recognize the excellence of Ketsui. There are thought experiments regarding the different major professional sports along the lines of - if you had never seen a basketball game, could you recognize that Michael Jordan or Shaq or LeBron was the best player in the sport? The best player in the game? Probably we could all say yes to that. It is trickier in hockey. I think you'd be able to watch a game if Gretzky or Hasek were playing and point to them. I don't think it can happen at all in baseball or football. I played a few other games in the last year leading up to this and yeah, I think that if MM didn't prime me, I would have picked Ketsui as the best one.
My personal criteria for a shoot 'em up is:
1. Can I see what is going on?
2. How nice are the pixel graphics, was it done with CRAFT and FOCUS?
3. Are there cheap deaths?
It is extremely easy to see what is going on with Ketsui. I don't know if it was intentional, but the tanks look like the Tiananmen Square tanks to me. The way you shoot, you don't have to worry about destroying enemies on the ground or in the air. Your gunship just blows them all away. The graphics do look like it took a person or team time to make them look incredible. And I have the ability to detect what is being shot at me, and if I can do it and I suck at games, a better player will have no troubles. The only suggestion I have to improve the game would be the music, which is strictly functional. I have read some other lists from enthusiasts and Ketsui is always at the top, if not the #1 "shmup." So here we are.
I was able to get it working in MAME (the ROM is "ket.zip" for some reason) and it's emulated perfectly as far as I can tell. The PS store wants 35 god damn dollars for it, and I will admit I can't tell how many games that includes. I wish there was a way to be notified when the Playstation store runs a sale, but I also wish they didn't work on code to take your games away if you go a week without playing them.
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The 100 Greatest Video Games of All-Time NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/16/2026, 10:56pm PDT 
Re: The 100 Greatest Video Games of All-Time by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/16/2026, 11:27pm PDT
Finally the definitive, objectively true, list NT by E. L. Koba 06/18/2026, 2:56pm PDT
My middle name was going to be "Objective" before by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/18/2026, 5:30pm PDT
In an alternate universe with a different phonetic alphabet... by Entropy Stew 06/23/2026, 12:29am PDT
100. Scorched Earth (1991, DOS) by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/16/2026, 11:28pm PDT
I loved this one as a kid. There was a Mac version which was pretty good. by blackwater 06/20/2026, 3:11pm PDT
Re: I loved this one as a kid. There was a Mac version which was pretty good. by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/22/2026, 10:06am PDT
I was playing this shit on a Commodore in like second or third grade before that by Entropy Stew 06/23/2026, 12:35am PDT
99. Mine Storm (1982, Vectrex) by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/17/2026, 10:26am PDT
Yeah, no emulator gets that iconic vector look right. by Mischief Maker 06/17/2026, 1:04pm PDT
It will appear later in the list! by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/17/2026, 1:30pm PDT
98. NASCAR Racing 4 (2001, Windows 98) by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/17/2026, 11:20pm PDT
A phenomenal choice. by pinback 06/18/2026, 5:46am PDT
Puppygames made a version of that: by Mischief Maker 06/18/2026, 5:59pm PDT
Dammit! That was supposed to be a reply to the paradroid post. NT by Mischief Maker 06/18/2026, 6:00pm PDT
Oi! by Jerry Whorebach 06/30/2026, 1:13pm PDT
A dream! What a week for dreamers ;) by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/02/2026, 10:26am PDT
Best played via wide screen NT by Lonnie 07/02/2026, 10:54am PDT
Driving shitboxes is my favorite part of racing games! by E. L. Koba 07/02/2026, 2:33pm PDT
This week's free Epic Games Store game is I Have No Mouth and I Can't Scream by Jerry Whorebach 07/02/2026, 6:32pm PDT
Re: This week's free Epic Games Store game is I Have No Mouth and I Can't Scream by Mysterio 07/02/2026, 9:01pm PDT
Gah! That was me again. NT by Mischief Mysterio 07/02/2026, 9:02pm PDT
I knew it was you. by Jerry Whorebach 07/03/2026, 2:45pm PDT
Jerry is an expert on compliant asian women NT by Houseboat moored in Angeles City 07/03/2026, 7:08am PDT
I saw the box before I knew what Ellison looked like in real life NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/06/2026, 11:53am PDT
97. Paradroid (1985, Commodore 64) by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/18/2026, 5:29pm PDT
96. The Legend of Zelda (1986, NES) by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/19/2026, 9:07pm PDT
Did any other games get the gold cartridge treatment? NT by Mischief Maker 06/20/2026, 1:06pm PDT
Z2 NT by judgement day 06/20/2026, 1:35pm PDT
Action 52? NT by hehehe 06/20/2026, 9:29pm PDT
95. Fatal Frame (2001, Playstation 2) by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/22/2026, 10:08pm PDT
94. Metal Slug (1996, Neo-Geo) by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/26/2026, 8:09am PDT
93. Rocket Jockey (1996, Windows 95) by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/26/2026, 9:09pm PDT
92. Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi (2003, Arcade) by Ice Cream Jonsey 06/30/2026, 9:34am PDT
You should probably mention Ketsui's gimmick: by Mischief Maker 06/30/2026, 11:41am PDT
A cruel gimmick. Toying with them first! NT by Dan Flashes Boss 06/30/2026, 3:24pm PDT
91. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995, Arcade) by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/02/2026, 12:03pm PDT
Enter the Ultimate Kombat Kode by Noob Saibot 07/04/2026, 2:39am PDT
canned combos + run button NT by suked 07/04/2026, 2:59pm PDT
Where can I listen to music that sounds like the MK3 soundtrack? Is it a genre? by Lobo 07/10/2026, 1:46am PDT
Good question by Noob Saibot 07/11/2026, 2:38pm PDT
Thank you. by Lobo 07/29/2026, 10:20am PDT
Re: Good question by Gary 07/29/2026, 11:36am PDT
Re: The 100 Greatest Video Games of All-Time by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/06/2026, 10:13am PDT
Re: The 100 Greatest Video Games of All-Time by pinback 07/06/2026, 3:48pm PDT
90. Paperboy (1985, Arcade) by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/06/2026, 9:12pm PDT
Do you just find these on Craigslist? NT by Yaris 07/07/2026, 12:27pm PDT
Re: Do you just find these on Craigslist? by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/07/2026, 9:15pm PDT
This was one of the greats, I agree. by blackwater 07/07/2026, 4:16pm PDT
89. Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars (1996, DOS/Windows 95/Mac) by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/09/2026, 8:52am PDT
How many spots above this is HoMM3 then? NT by the obvious question 07/09/2026, 8:19pm PDT
Well. Shit. NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/09/2026, 8:57pm PDT
Five second rule! He can still change it if it happens before NT by the next entry! 07/11/2026, 5:39am PDT
There are people who stick by HOMM2 over 3. Especially the music. NT by MM 07/11/2026, 5:55am PDT
HoMM2 is the one I played when it came out, but, regarding franchises by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/11/2026, 9:11am PDT
88. Links LS (1996, DOS) by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/13/2026, 8:51pm PDT
87. Devil Daggers (2016, Windows 10) by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/13/2026, 9:12pm PDT
86. Counterfeit Monkey (2012, Inform 7) by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/21/2026, 9:13pm PDT
I know Jonsey mentioned the numerous interpreters available by But I play on Chromebook or phon 07/22/2026, 10:06pm PDT
This is great, thank you NT by Mysterio 07/23/2026, 9:27am PDT
You too?? NT by Lonnie 07/25/2026, 8:21pm PDT
Ha, no this is ongoing by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/26/2026, 11:26am PDT
85. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Windows 10 / Playstation 4 / Xbox One) by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/28/2026, 11:16am PDT
Re:What is your historical "importance" score weight for this list? NT by PC Gamer 07/29/2026, 2:30pm PDT
84. Rollercoaster Tycoon (1999, Windows 98) by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/05/2026, 6:28am PDT
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