If there was one shmup that I could lock myself in a crypt with for eternity, Cyvern-The Dragon Weapons would be my first choice without a second thought. Not only is the name ubersexy, but the game play is a bold nod to Cave style overhead shooters from a company who might only be known for the largest list of unknown games (I make no apologies to fans of the Chester Cheetah series). Kaneko released this gem back in 1998 for lucky Japanese arcade dwellers, but I have heard reports of sightings in California and Hawaii. Even more rare is a "plus" version that has eluded my clutches for years. 
In Cyvern, you control one of three artificially enhanced dragons and battle against tons of enemy airships and hulking bosses. Each dragon has a distinct style of attack (fire, beam and lightening) and a "banish attack" that inflicts massive damage once it is charged and unleashed. The graphics and sounds are top notch and make one wonder why more quality titles such as this weren't churned out, but sometimes it takes years of crap to drop a diamond. While many shmups can seem cookie cutter in design and execution, Cyvern serves a technoserpentdestructohappyfunjoy royal sampler of awesome fun. Here's the arcade intro:Skull Score
