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Everyone knows Zero Wing. What’s ironic is that the most famous Genesis shmup of all time isn’t known for its gameplay, visuals, or sound. What makes it so special is a hilarious mistranslation in the opening of the PAL version. Toaplan’s “All your base” line will live in infamy for sure, but how does the game itself stand up?
Ah shmups. Call them shooters or what you will, there’s no denying their appeal. Dashing through space, killing all in your path…it’s a most satisfying way to spend an afternoon; however, sometimes the glory isn’t worth the pain. Take Taito’s Master of Weapon, for instance. If ever a game should have stayed in the arcade, this was it.
Talk about shmups to any gamer, and one company is sure to come up: Toaplan. It’s been around forever and has created some of the best games in the genre, which have virtually all found a home on one console or another. Twin Cobra arrived on the Genesis in 1991, and while it didn’t set the world on fire, it was a pretty decent play.
Air Buster, a Kaneko arcade game that also saw a great release on the Turbo Grafx-16, looks and plays great on the Genesis. As it just so happens, we have a full review for it. Two-player simulataneous gameplay for the win!
One of the more unique shmup concepts was the use of insects as ships. Though Insector-X tried to pull it off, it was Sega’s own Biohazard Battle that came the closest to conveying the coolness of using a raging hornet as your craft. Sound weird? It should, as this is one weird game.