Toaplan gets credit for being one of the pioneers of the Danmaku style of shooter, what we westerners know as the “bullet hell” shmup, and games like Donpachi and Mars Matrix are great examples of this fast paced and ultra twitch style of play. What’s interesting is that it got its roots in a Toaplan game that was eventually ported to the Genesis. Grind Stormer was the first game done by Ikeda Tsunemoto, who eventually went on to work at another shmup haven, Cave. Tengen handled the porting job, and sadly the game suffered in the transition. Flickering graphics hindered what could have been a great game, and our full review has the whole story.
Reviews
Dahna Megami Tanjyo
Nothing makes me angrier than sending off for a game that looks absolutely incredible in screenshots, only to have the actual product be a plodding stinker. Only two games ever really burned me this way: Fantasia and today’s review choice – Dahna Megami Tanjou. Who knew that she’d be a minisucle little thing running around, hacking fruitlessly at enemies and sliding off cliffs? Who could have anticipated the sedating gameplay or the dreary visuals?
Black Hole Assault
After Capcom’s Street Fighter II exploded onto the scene, dozens of copycats popped up on consoles everywhere. Among them was Black Hole Assault, an early Sega CD brawler that was only slightly less yawn-inducing than most of the other imitations out there. Even the cool cut scenes and CD soundtrack couldn’t save this one from obscurity. Read our full review, and remember that we play bad games so you don’t have to!
UndeadLine
In the realm of Genesis shmups, there are games that are brutally difficult, but balance the challenge with great gameplay and awesome level design. These are the shmups that make you want to suffer, and you continue to be abused until the table is turned, and you’ve finally beaten that last boss. Then there are those that are hard because of the way they’re designed. Weak weapons and cheap enemies add an artificial layer of challenge, and the true victim ends up being your poor control pad. Which of the two best describes UndeadLine?
Prince of Persia
Few platformers are as enthralling and challenging as Prince of Persia. If the jumps and sword duels didn’t get you, you still had to contend with time limit. It was lots of trial and error combined with lots of patience and skill, and gamers loved it. Thankfully, Tengen came up with a pretty decent port for the Genesis.