(solved) Looking for NES side-scrolling shooter name by DanielBunny < Journal

You mentioning that weird name also reminded me of a much better looking shooter game with a similar name where your ship has a TAIL that you can whip around.

It's called XEXEX, but literally EVERY time I try to remember it and Google search the name I get friggin' XEXYZ instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hOmGnajUdA

Also the other game I can never remember again is GIGA WING.

But in that case, it's more my fault, because I keep mentally mixing it up with Aero Fighters 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPseqx13I-E

sillylilfoxcub

2 weeks, 3 days ago

link

"There's a simple map between levels (maybe branching paths)."

DARIUS GAIDEN?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ubahx7Gec

I really only remember it because the OST had music with FRICKIN' VOCALS!

sillylilfoxcub

2 weeks, 3 days ago

link

@ sillylilfoxcub

"I know there were a ton of side scrolling shooters on the NES..."

oh GAWD DAMMIT, you wanted NES GAMES, not arcade shmups >.<

Sorry bud, lol....

sillylilfoxcub

2 weeks, 3 days ago

link

Edited 2 weeks, 3 days ago by Owner

@ sillylilfoxcub

"I know there were a ton of side scrolling shooters on the NES, but there's one I've been wanting to try again, and I only played it pre-school so memory's a little fuzzy.

There's a simple map between levels (maybe branching paths, but doesn't sound right. I don't think you can move freely on it, it just shows your progress.). Each level starts as a standard side-scrolling space shooter, but then when you finish that segment, the ship lands and you go on foot (still side scrolling) through a base of some kind to destroy... something... before moving on to the next level."

THIS IS A LONG SHOT BUT..... "DESTINATION EARTHSTAR?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0BSLtX2ubU

.

DanielBunny

2 weeks, 3 days ago

link

@ sillylilfoxcub

No, there were no cockpit segments, just side-scrolling.

ArraxShadowfang

2 weeks, 3 days ago

link

I just gave ChatGPT a go by copy the entire conversation in to it

Thanks for that full copy-paste — that clears things up a lot! Based on everything you’ve said and ruled out, this is a **very unusual case** for NES specifically. The whole "each level starts in the ship, then lands and you go into a base on foot (all side-scrolling)" is **surprisingly rare** on NES.

---

### Let's recap what we **know** you want:

✅ NES game (not arcade, not Master System).
✅ **Side-scrolling space shooter to start each level.**
✅ **Side-scrolling on-foot base infiltration after landing.**
✅ **Progress map between levels.**
✅ **No RPG/fantasy elements — straight sci-fi setting.**
✅ No cockpit view (so no first-person segments).

---

### What has already been ruled out:
❌ **The Guardian Legend** - top-down shooter mixed in.
❌ **Xexyz** - too much fantasy/RPG influence.
❌ **Air Fortress** - has some similarities, but not quite right.
❌ **Destination Earthstar** - cockpit views disqualify it.
❌ **Darius Gaiden / arcade games** - not NES.

---

## This is incredibly niche — the closest matches (but none perfect) are:

### 1️⃣ **Air Fortress (1987)**
This still feels **the closest structurally** — the levels do begin with a side-scrolling ship segment, and then you land and infiltrate the fortress on foot.
The **map is simple** (just dots showing progress).
It’s pure sci-fi, no fantasy.
BUT, if you have a clear memory of the on-foot sections being a bit faster-paced (more "run and gun" action), Air Fortress is slower and more about survival.

**Here’s a reminder clip:**
[Air Fortress Gameplay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK7DJfIuVVs)

---

### 2️⃣ **Section Z (1987)**
This is pure side-scrolling shooter (no on-foot sections), so it breaks your description. But, if your memory of "on foot" is actually "in a humanoid mech suit" (common for childhood memory mixing), this fits the *feel* you’re describing better than most.

---

### 3️⃣ **Metal Storm (1991)**
This is side-scrolling, sci-fi, and on-foot, but no ship segment. If your memory merged two games into one (common with young memories — for example, combining a Gradius-like game with a run-and-gun), this could explain the confusion.

---

### 4️⃣ **Guardian Legend (1988)**
It was suggested before, and you rejected it, but if your memory blurred top-down and side-scrolling, **it still fits the "land and infiltrate base after a shooter segment" formula better than almost anything else on NES.**

---

### The Honest Truth
There may be a **forgotten, super-obscure NES title** that fits exactly — maybe a Famicom import or an unlicensed game. But if this was a **mainstream NES game** in the U.S., **Air Fortress** remains the **closest known match** to your description.

---

### What would help confirm it?
Do you remember:
- What the player character looked like on foot? (Humanoid? Mech? Tiny person?)
- Were the base sections **action-heavy** (lots of shooting) or more **exploration/puzzle-like**?
- Did the **progress map** have any kind of labels or themes (planets, sectors, numbers)?

---

### Final Shot in the Dark:
Could this have been some kind of **multi-cart bootleg** or **obscure Famicom import** that was floating around when you were a kid? If you played this **pre-school**, it’s possible you had a weird knockoff cartridge with something rare or altered.

---

If you want, I can dig into **obscure/unlicensed/rare NES shooters** — want me to pull out some deep cuts and see if anything matches? This sounds like a great mystery to solve! Want me to dig further?

DanielBunny

2 weeks, 2 days ago

link

@ ArraxShadowfang

Air Fortress is the one!

ArraxShadowfang

2 weeks, 2 days ago

link

@ DanielBunny

Glad to be of help 😊