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We’ve got some more import shooter goodness for you. Today’s review is for the Genesis port of the obscure coin-op Bio-Ship Paladin. It has a decidedly different firing mechanism, compared to other shmups, and one of the big features is that your ship “evolves.”
Taito’s Fire Mustang may not have set the world on fire, but it was a decent little game that may be worth looking into if you can find it on the cheap side.
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.
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?
One thing Genesis owners could count on was a steady stream of games, courtesty of Renovation. The prolific publisher covered all the bases, from action/RPGs like Arcus Odyssey and Wanders from Ys to that most recognizable of Genesis genres: the shmup. The company that gave us Gaiares also released a few arcade ports, and among them was Vapor Trail, a vertical shooter that was big on action and bosses. Is it worth adding to your library?