Does this thing have a name?
 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...p%20thingy.png

You'll find them in many side-scrolling shoot 'em up games, but do they actually have a common name? POD? SAT? Gizmo?

Pod.

Yes, some kind of Pod. In R-Type it's called "the Force". The Z-out it's a "Drone".

http://rtype.wikia.com/wiki/Force

Thanks! In the article above, they also mention that even though the technical name (in "R-Type") is The Force, it's also been referred to as Force Pod, and Power Pod, so I guess pod is what most people call them ...

Gradius calls that sort of thing an "Option", although options tend to trail behind the player instead of sitting in front of you blocking bullets

I have nothing useful to add. I just wanted to say nice job pointing out exactly what you were referring to. That's genius! :great

Bumper?

For shmups enthusiasts, this is called " Pod ", while "Force" is acceptable because of R-Type. But it's usually "Pod" indeed.

The Shmups glossary on the shmups.com forum is offline for some reason, but that's how this is explained there.

an "Option" or a "Multiple" like the Gradius/Nemesis series is different, it doesn't attach to your ship and usually doesn't absorb bullets. Multiple its accepted because thats how Nemesis ( USA/PAL version of Gradius) calls it. But most people refer to it as Option indeed. You also usually can have only 1 pod at time while you may have lots of options.

Last Resort (an arcade gamy by SNK) for example has a POD you can move around, but you can also fix it in a position and it does absorb bullet. Since you can only have one and it does absorb bullets, it's a POD, not an OPTION.

Videogame Theory its a lot of fun :)

What about the ones that are sort of attached to the side? On R-Type they are called BIT I think. They absorb bullets and also shoot them.
(I Know, I should know this as I am one of the shmups.com people, but go on, pitchfork me :D. I'll look into the glossary being offline btw)

That's a good point; I'd say "orbs" ;)

Orb is something that orbits you, isn't it? Like in Cybenoid or Cybernetix.

Yeah maybe... Orb / sphere whatever :D

...according to the interweb definitions:

Orb:
a spherical object or shape.

Sphere:
a round solid figure, or its surface, with every point on its surface equidistant from its centre.