Shoot 'em ups give you a single ship, and your goal is to blast away large scale enemies as you fly along a given level. There is also enemy fire to dodge, and the games can deliver vertical or horizontal scrolling. On iOS, many of these games let you guide your ship with your finger with auto firing allowing you to simply dodge, and line up your attack. There are variations, but the heart of the sub genre is to guide your plane to survive and shoot enemies out of the sky.
Highest scored apps in the category
Own the sky by taking out enemies and completing missions in this fast-moving follow up.
In the action-packed shooter Sky Force Reloaded, take out enemies, complete missions, rescue people, and upgrade your plane.
A scrolling shoot-’em-up from the creators Crossy Road
Take to the skies in a shoot-'em-up brought to you by the creators of arcade classic Crossy Road. Shooty Skies features adorable characters, epic bosses, and adorable enemies. This casual game is endless fun, with plenty of variety.
Blast your way through waves of video game invaders in Astro Attack
Blast your way through waves of video game invaders in Astro Attack!
* Lots of video game themed ships to pilot
* Retro shooty space action!
* Chain powerups to become an unstoppable machine of invader destruction
* Simple one touch controls that even your Grandma could use
* Win new ships inside boxes of delicious sugar coated Astro Puffs!
* Show your Grandma who's...
Embrace the Chaos of Space in Steredenn, Now on iOS
Steredenn is the mobile port of the frantic bullet hell shmup that came out on Steam, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 back in 2015. It features randomly generated levels, multiple game modes, and amazing action.
Apps with average score
Toon Shooters 2 is an arcade side-scrolling shooter 'shmup' inspired by the long lost classics of Gradius/R-Type/Salamander and more... Up to 5 Co-Op play available), different characters with various roles and abilities.
Five years after the fall of the Fleet, the Toons are back in action to wreck threats old...
REQUIRES iPhone 6, iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4 or better.
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Glitchskier is bullet hell at its finest: nervewired action, boss fights, rethought game systems and much more! With unique looks, handcrafted effects, and extraordinary music by Tom Schley, Glitc³ki.|r i5 fa ERROR 0x00004f5 ::: ERROR
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Features:
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* 4 bosses
* ∞-mode
*...
R-TYPE, THE CLASSIC ARCADE SHOOTER, RETURNS AS A UNIVERSAL APP!
Revisit the 80's (mesh half-shirts and Keds optional) with this classic, old-school shoot 'em up! One of the decade’s most popular arcade games will awaken fond memories of jangling quarters, Jolt Cola and week-old popcorn. Fire up your iPhone or...
A CLASSIC OLD-SCHOOL GAME
R-Type II is a horizontal scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Irem in 1989. This classic old-school game is the sequel to R-Type and the story takes place two years after. The player controls a ship called the R-9C which is an improved version...
Blast your way through enemy ships, evade fiery asteroids, sneak through blockades and face-off against epic bosses in this action-packed space shooter! Then when the blasting is done, raid cargo ships to find procedurally generated items to customize your fighter.
With a zillion different modules to mix and match (shields, missiles,...
*** Pocketgamer Silver Award Winner ***
*** Featured by Apple as "15 greatest Party Games" ***
*** Featured by Apple at the "What's Your High Score" category ***
Now with NEW SHIPS, NEW ENEMY and a brand NEW POWER-UP!!!
Shoot Once. Die Twice!
Shoot. Kill. Die. BOOM! Welcome to Twin Shooter, the old school space...
GET TO THE CHOPPAAAAAA!
pocketgamer: "HELI HELL gives you a wall to smash into, over and over again"
More powerful than ever, the enemy has holed up on the Island of Vylleña. And now it's up to you to track him down and destroy all hostile activity.
An increasingly powerful arsenal...
Toon Shooters has been updated for iOS 11 - Exclusive to the App Store. Play one of the most memorable classic shmups today!
Featured in the App Store under 'The Best Games You've Never Played' in the US & many other countries.
In a faraway place a long time ago, the Galactic...
The mobile blaster legend is back to celebrate its 10-year anniversary in super-destructive style. Harnessing the intensity of classic arcade shoot-’em-ups combined with the hottest smartphone technology, Sky Force 2014 offers a stunning scrolling shooter experience with an incredible new social gameplay element.
Ten years ago, IGN said, “Put simply, Sky...
The spit is on! Defeat hipster enemies as you collect coins, power-ups and crazy llama costumes. Lllama-tastic scores can land you on the leaderboard, so what are you waiting for? Get spitting!
• Play a REAL game from Season 2 of Nickelodeon's hit show: GAME SHAKERS!
• Swipe and spit to defeat...
RAIDEN LEGACY, a four-title compilation of the mega-popular RAIDEN arcade series, includes RAIDEN, RAIDEN FIGHTERS, RAIDEN FIGHTERS 2 & RAIDEN FIGHTERS JET. Originally developed by Seibu Kaihatsu, each of these classic scrolling shooters has not only been authentically recreated for mobile, but also enhanced with brand-new features!
MORE OPTIONS!
Each RAIDEN LEGACY...
This stunning shoot ‘em up (or shmup) game combines the classic arcade elements with the new modern rendering and incredible electronic soundtrack.
"Galactic Attack: Alien" offers gorgeous 3D graphics, intense gameplay and a lot of features. The options to boost up your spaceship are incredible.
Fire up your spaceship - enter this...
***** TouchArcade 5/5 - Game of the Week - "Stunning Shooting" *****
Sequel of Award Winning next-gen top down air combat shooter with stunning 3D graphics and amazing orchestral soundtrack.
Enjoy the classic atmosphere of WW2 arcade shoot-'em-ups in modern rendering.
Prepare your plane and destroy the axis of evil with Flamethrower, Tail...
Survive the diabolic battlefield!
A modern remake of classic arcade shooter action that puts you right in the middle of the infamous battlefield on the coast of Normandy. Awake your rage hidden underneath! And Survive!
Features:
- Classic shooter action with modern touch controls
- Fascinating characters, cool stage designs, and mind-blowing effects!
-...
Taito's classic arcade shooting game blasts its way to iOS.
RAYCRISIS, the final installment in TAITO’s classic RAY series of arcade shooting games, locks on to iPhone!
TAITO is famous for arcade shooting games, and the RAY trilogy is one of its most beloved series! Its final work, the evolutionary evolution and the popularity of graphic RAYCRISIS appeared at iPhone /...
9/10 Eurogamer --- Game of the Week - “Perhaps the most visually stunning shooter ever made”
9/10 IGN --- “Everything fans expect is here in Sine Mora.” 8.5/10 Gamespot --- “One of the best XBLA titles this year.”
9.5/10 Destructoid --- "One of the most aesthetically-pleasing, fun, and thought-provoking games...
Could be good for special cases
Asteroids AR is an amazingly simple but fun arcade sci-fi shooter that lets you open a wormhole right in your living room using latest augmented reality technology.
* Beautiful Visuals
Full 3D graphics with dynamic lighting effects and a lot of attention to detail.
* Addictive Gameplay
Asteroids AR will test your reaction rate and fine motor skills. Be careful, it gets addictive very quickly.
* Plenty of Upgrades
You start off with a single gun turret mounted on your space ship, but you can quickly upgrade your craft with various weapons and gadgets.
* Augmented Reality Technology
Using AR technology you can merge the game with your real environment. Just print out the singularity marker at www.mabulous.com/asteroids/marker and you are good to go!
* Classic Gameplay Mode
If you prefer to play Asteroids AR without augmented reality features, classic mode is here for you.
Fire your super weapons and destroy the enemy in the hottest new shmup to hit the store!
Air Force One Domination will have you blasting enemies, discovering new worlds and upgrading your jag ships.
Features Include:
- Fast paced action game play with just one touch!
- Powerful weapons, ammo, powerups and enemies to kill
- Planes, tanks, ships with multiple guns and explosions to keep you on your toes!
- Epic boss battles, outlaw fighters, soaring oceans and vast dune deserts to conquer
- Humorous pilot avatar with a fun and surprising attitude to your flying skills!
- Multiple ship upgrade and jag weapon systems - powerup your quad pulse lasers with endless ammo and blast enemy ships with bombs, missile launchers and cannons!
DOWNLOAD AND FLY TODAY!
** Attack with your sky force and show your real power to the enemies in this game of war**
There are many scrolling shooters but none of them is like "Sky Force Battle". This stunning shoot ‘em up game combines the classic arcade elements with the new possibilities offered by current technology. The new installment in the series just came out in a spectacular style.
"Sky Force Battle" was a huge success, acclaimed by gamers and critics. "Sky Force Battle" gives players more of what they loved in the previous "Sky Force Battle". Get ready for your device getting hot and your finger getting sore. Prepare yourself for exciting new missions, more powerful enemies and breathtaking boss battles!
"Sky Force Battle" offers gorgeous graphics, intense gameplay and a lot of new features. The options to boost up your planes are incredible. Yes, that’s right, PLANES! There’s a satisfying number of planes to choose from. Each with different strengths and weaknesses. Cater to your inner collector by hunting in-game buff cards and unlocking a number of achievements.
FEATURES
* Beautiful and atmospheric levels with diverse missions to complete.
* Memorable battles with enormous bosses.
* A set of buff cards and new planes to collect.
* Upgrade your shields, guns, missiles, lasers, mega-bombs and magnets.
* Put your mission at risk to rescue stranded civilians.
* Boost your final score by completing in-game objectives on several difficulty modes.
* Rescue fallen friends to win extra lives and stars.
* Accessible to casual gamers, as well as die-hard shooter addicts.
* Full voiceover and incredible electronic soundtrack.
WARNING! "Sky Force Battle" is ridiculously addictive. Not typically addictive… This game will make your sweethearts upset with you. Fear not... Just show them "Sky Force Battle" so they’ll get sucked up too! Good hunting!
