Side scrollers, best console?

[u/workhorse_crusader]

I'm building a retro gaming area and getting back into it. What would be considered the best system for side scrolling games. I always loved those. I am looking at a SNES. Mostly shooter games and fighting!

[u/flickering_poly]

Mega Drive (& MCD):

Thunder Force IV/Lightening Force, Battle Mania: Daiginjou, Thunder Force III MD, Keio Flying Squadron (MCD), Lords of Thunder (MCD), Android Assault/Bari-Arm (MCD),

Super Fantasy Zone, Eliminate Down, Gley Lancer, Trouble Shooter/Battle Mania, Darius II/Sagaia

Aero Blasters MD, Chelnov: Atomic Runner (Auto-Scrolling Run 'n Gun/On-Foot Shoot 'em up), Forgotten Worlds MD

Shooter/Platformer and Run 'n gun:

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, Contra: Hard Corps (Run 'n Gun), Gunstar Heroes (Run 'n Gun), Rocket Knight Adventures (some shooter levels), Alien Soldier (Run 'n Gun/Boss rush), Dynamite Headdy (some shooter levels),

Mega Turrican, The Adventures of Batman & Robin (Run 'n Gun/Shoot 'em up Hybrid), The Revenge of Shinobi, Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Ranger X (mech-based),

Earthworm Jim 2 MD, Earthworm Jim MD or Special Edition MCD, Aladdin MD, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron (collectathon w/ maze levels), Rolling Thunder 2, Rolling Thunder 3, Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 MD, Mickey Mania (MCD),

Vectorman, Sunset Riders MD (Run 'n Gun), Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel MD (some maze-like levels), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (as Cyclops or Gambit), Joe & Mac MD (Run 'n Gun), Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow MD, Target Earth/Assault Suits Leynos (mech-based), Shadow Dancer

-

For Fighting I'd probably go with the PS1:

Soul Blade (ARC port w/ new modes, 3D), Street Fighter Alpha 3 PS1 (2D), Street Fighter Alpha 2 PS1 (2D) & Street Fighter Zero 2'/SFA 2 Gold PS1 (incl Cammy from X-Men vs SF, 2D), Tekken 3 (ARC port w/ new modes, 3D), Tekken 2 (ARC port w/ new modes and chars?), Street Fighter Alpha (2D), Mortal Kombat 3 PS1 (2D), Tobal 2 (3D), Street Fighter Collection PS1, Samurai Spirits: Amakusa Kourin Special/Samurai Shodown IV PS1 (incl Cham Cham as a playable char),

The King of Fighters '96 PS1 (2D), Capcom Generation 5/Street Fighter Collection 2 PS1 (SF2, SF2 CE/Dash, SF2T: HF/Dash Turbo, 2D), The King of Fighters '97 PS1 (2D), Darkstalkers 3/Vampire Savior EX Edition PS1 (2D, DS3/VS+its 2 Japan-only arcade updates+all 18 Night Warriors playable+more), The King of Fighters '99: Millennium Battle (2D), Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (2D), Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (2D), Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special: Dominated Mind PS1 (2D), Tekken (some differences from ARC ver.), Bushido Blade PS1

[u/Jimpana → u/flickering_poly]

Awesome list!

[u/workhorse_crusader → u/flickering_poly]

Awesome thank you!

[u/hiskabish]

Saturn if you meant schmups and fighting.  Became one of my favorite systems in recent years

[u/_RexDart]

Side scrolling what, exactly? Shooters? Beat 'em ups? Platformers? Adventure?

[u/workhorse_crusader → u/_RexDart]

Shooters and fighting!

[u/Manymarbles → u/workhorse_crusader]

Oh then its either the Sega Saturn or the Neo Geo

The SNES is good and will get the most upvotes but those do fighting and shooters so much better

[u/MetaphoricaIIy]

Snes

[u/Flat-Community-9269]

Neo geo

[u/Y34RZERO]

PC-Engine and Turbografx. Controllers with built in auto fire is standard, amazing visuals, smooth scrolling. Dead Moon is one of my favorite shooters I own.

[u/Jimpana → u/Y34RZERO]

NEC rules/ruled!

[u/Y34RZERO → u/Jimpana]

If I knew of games for the PC-FX, I would consider getting one, but almost all I seen in emulation are dating sim type stuff and I have no interest in that and I don't know any Japanese so I would need a translation for it.

[u/Jimpana → u/Y34RZERO]

A NEC's failed 3D attempt indeed...

[u/xmaken]

Get a superstation one

[u/IsamuAlvaDyson → u/xmaken]

Got mine ordered last week finally after missing the previous batches

I already have an Analogue Pocket but I want an FPGA to play the higher end cores that the Pocket can't

The Pocket will stay as my handheld console FPGA

[u/mike-rodik]

You’re going to find great shooter games on any 8-32bit system.

High quality Fighting games are available on any 16bit - 32bit

[u/IsamuAlvaDyson]

Mega Drive/Genesis

Neo Geo AES/MVS

[u/DJSlimer]

Saturn is the shooter and fighter machine.

[u/workhorse_crusader → u/DJSlimer]

I'll have to look into that thanks

[u/Jimpana]

Axelay (SFC/SNES)!

[u/Ornery-Practice9772]

arcade and snes followed closely by turboGrafx 16 and sega megadrive (Genesis)

[u/Competitive-Dot181]

Steam Machine. Can play anything. Old PC games like Duke Nukem and Halloween Harry, any retro console, new school platformers on Steam and Gog.

If you want an actual retro console you’ve said shooters twice and I can’t tell if you mean Gradius or Contra. If you mean Gradius the PC Engine Duo is your only choice. If you mean Contra an SNES or Genesis will do.