IGN writes: "The contents of an "ultimate shooting collection" might differ from gamer to gamer, but there are some highlights everyone might expect to see included. Ikaruga, Gradius, Raiden, R-Type, 1942, Mars Matrix, Dodonpachi… There are loads of beloved shmups out there. But publisher UFO's idea of the Ultimate Shooting Collection is apparently just three obscure games from one developer. Karous, Radio Allergy, and Chaos Field are all arcade shooters from developer Milestone. Only Chaos Field was released in the U.S. -- it arrived on the GameCube in 2005 (IGN gave it a 6). So right from the start, this game gets off on the wrong foot with a very misleading title. In Japan, the compilation is called Milestone Shooting Collection -- a much more appropriate name."
Milestone is a pretty rare beast: a company completely focused on arcade shooters (well, other than that hula game) at a time when arcades and the old shoot 'em up game genre are both practically extinct. They were putting out Dreamcast games after that system died, so perhaps they just have a morbid obsession with dead game systems. In any event, Ultimate Shooting Collection is the Western name for the Milestone Shooting Collection released in Japan more than 18 months ago and a nice example of the "bullet hell" subgenre of shooting games.
Gaming Target reviews UFO Interactive's three-game collection of Milestone-developed overhead shooters.
From the review:
"None of the games in the Ultimate Shooting Collection can hold their own against the true giants of the genre. But they are a trio of stylish and mildly interesting shoot 'em ups in one cheap package. And if that's enough for the shooter fan in your life, Ultimate Shooting Collection is worth rescuing from the bargain bin. Just don't expect it to hold your interest for very long."
The Laser writes: "Combining three classic vertically scrolling shooters in a single package, Ultimate Shooting Collection from UFO Games on the Wii offers gamers a solid dose of high-intensity bullet shredding action. Each title delivers a unique spin on the genre, with elaborate power-ups, multiple shooting planes and excellent play mechanics that are challenging and highly entertaining. Visually, the games run the gamut from high-tech sophistication to light-hearted humor. The games share certain play mechanics and styles, making for a cohesive collection that brings solidly entertaining arcade shooting to the Wii in a diverse and affordable package."
