Abandonware DOS title

The most popular shoot 'em up games

Shoot 'em ups were extremely popular in the '80s and '90s. In a classic shoot 'em up, the player controls a vehicle, a spaceship or an aircraft with the only goal of destroying the largest number of enemies as possible while dodging bullets and staying alive. Through the years, shoot 'em ups evolved to include features like end level bosses, multiple weapons and power-ups. Some of the most popular DOS shoot 'em ups were: Raptor, Tyrian 2000, Xenon 2.

Most popular shoot 'em up games

Raiden
shooterDOS
Tyrian 2000
shooterDOS
Darius Gaiden
shooterWindows XP/98/95
raiden-05

Raiden

DOS19944.1/5 Seibu Kaihatsu Inc.
Raiden is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up game developed by Seibu Kaihatsu and first released in arcades in 1990 and later for many home computers and consoles. Raiden follows the classic vertical scrolling shoot 'em up format. Players control a spaceship known as the R-9C "Red-Ray" and navigate vertically scrolling levels filled with wave...
tyrian2000-02

Tyrian 2000

DOS1999freeware4.1/5 Eclipse Software
Tyrian 2000 is an old DOS science fiction classic shoot'em up, developed by Eclipse Software and designed by Alexander Brandon, Jason Emery, Daniel Cook. Tyrian 2000 is one of the most popular shoot'em ups ever published for DOS and it's still remembered by retro gaming fans to this day.
darius-gaiden-05

Darius Gaiden

Windows XP/98/9519984.4/5 Taito
spacewar-splash

Spacewar

DOS19854.1/5
Spacewar is one of the earliest digital computer games and is often considered the first interactive video game. It was created in 1962 by Steve Russell, Martin Graetz, and Wayne Wiitanen at the MIT. The game was developed on the PDP-1 minicomputer; this is a DOS port, released in 1985.Spacewar! features two spaceships, controlled by players, that ...
xenon2-4

Xenon 2: Megablast

DOS19904.2/5 Bitmap Brothers
Xenon 2: Megablast is a classic shoot'em up developed by Bitmap Brothers and released by Image Works in 1990 for DOS and for a plethora of other systems. Xenon was good, Xenon 2 was far better. Compared to today standards Xenon 2 is perhaps a mediocre shoot 'em up, but at the time every shooter fan loved it. Plus, it was developed by Bitmap Brother...
r-type-4

R-Type

DOS19894/5 Irem Software Engineering
R-Type is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up developed and published by Irem in 1987. The game quickly gained popularity for its challenging gameplay and impressive graphics at the time. R-Type is known for its tough and memorable enemy designs, as well as challenging boss battles. The game features various power-ups that enhance the player...
solar-winds-2-02

Solar Winds 2: Galaxy

DOS19933.9/5 Stone Interactive Media
galactix-02

Galactix

DOS19923.3/5 Cygnus Studios
space-invaders-clone-1

Space Invaders

DOS1995remake4/5
stargoose-1

Star Goose!

DOS19884/5 Logotron
Star Goose is a classic video game developed by Logotron and released in 1988 for various home computer systems of that era, including the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. It is a top-down, vertically scrolling shooter that combines elements of shoot 'em up gameplay with exploration and power-up mechanics.
desert-strike-04

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf

DOS19944.2/5 Electronic Arts
raptor-1

Raptor: Call of the Shadows

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac1994protecteddemo4.1/5 Cygnus Studios
Raptor: Call of the Shadows is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up video game developed by Cygnus Studios and published by Apogee Software. The game was first released in 1994 for MS-DOS and later ported to other platforms. In Raptor, players control a fighter jet through various levels filled with enemy aircraft, ground targets, power-ups and boss...
xenon-2000-05

Xenon 2000: Project PCF

Windows XP/98/952000remake4/5 Bitmap Brothers
Xenon 2000: Project PCF is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up video game and originally released in 2000. It is a sequel to the earlier game "Xenon 2: Megablast," which was developed by The Bitmap Brothers and released in 1989.In Xenon 2000, players control a spaceship and engage in fast-paced shooting action as they face off against waves of enemy ...
astrotit-1

Astrotit

DOS1987NSFW3.5/5 Rudeware
defender-4

Defender

DOS19834.2/5 Williams Entertainment
seek-and-destroy-06

Seek and Destroy

DOS19964.2/5 Safari Software
Seek and Destroy was a shoot'em up published by the well known Epic Megagames in 1996 that tried to change the usual shoot'em up gameplay for the better. Instead of wave after wave of enemies to shoot down, you are given short missions to accomplish with your helicopter or your tank (yes, you can choose). At first, missions could seem a bit repetit...
starcontrol2-11

Star Control 2

DOS1992protected4.2/5 Toys for Bob
river-raid-remake-01

River Raid

DOS1995freewareremake4.1/5
solar-winds-1-2

Solar Winds: The Escape

DOS19934.1/5 Stone Interactive Media
astrofire-3

Astro Fire

DOS1994freewareremake3.8/5 ORT Software
jamesbondlicence-3

007: License to Kill

DOS19894/5 Quixel
Silpheed-02

Silpheed

DOS19884/5 Game Arts
zaxxon-1

Zaxxon

DOS19843.8/5 Sega
Zaxxon is a classic arcade video game that was first released by Sega in 1982 for the arcades and later for a number of platforms. It is considered one of the pioneering titles in the shoot 'em up or scrolling shooter genre. Zaxxon was notable for its use of isometric graphics, which gave the game a unique 3D perspective.
in-the-hunt-02

In The Hunt

Windows XP/98/9519934.2/5 Irem Software Engineering
wings-of-fury-02

Wings of Fury

DOS19894/5 Broderbund
space-invaders-2001-02

Space Invaders 2001

Windows XP/98/952001remake3.5/5
galaxian-2

Galaxian

DOS19834/5 Namco
superspaceinvaders-1

Taito's Super Space Invaders

DOS19914.2/5 Taito
tempest-2000-03

Tempest 2000

DOS1996remake4.1/5 Atari
champ-asteroids-01

CHAMP Asteroids

DOS1997remake3.9/5 ChamProgramming corp.