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Sega’s screaming fighter shmup is back, and this time it’s on your iPhone! Everyone loves After Burner, and Sega’s made the classic franchise portable again. Going from the arcade to consoles and then to the mobile market seems like quite a trek for even a fighter jet to make, and this one sadly loses some of its speed along the way. Some games simply weren’t made for a phone.
Unlicensed Mega Drive games are actually quite common outside the U.S., and many come from Taiwan. Over the last few years, many have surfaced in some form or another, allowing western gamers to finally get a chance at playing them. Among them was this shmup by Gamtec, which is worth a glance, despite its sweet look and derivative gameplay.
The Genesis has lots of shooters, including many that never made it to all territories. This has given them a special type of charm that makes import buyers eager to get their hands on the next great foreign hit, like Gleylancer or Panorama Cotton. Unfortunately, some, while not as exceptional, are still worth playing for a low price, providing one takes the trouble to track them down.
With all the shooters that came to the Genesis in its first two years, it seems strange that some would be left behind. Kaneko’s Heavy Unit was one shmup that missed the boat, most likely because it was seen as too generic compared to powerhouses such as Thunder Force III and Gaiares. Is it worth tracking down now? Read on and see!
What is widely considered to be a classic Amiga shooter comes to the Genesis in notably worse shape. Horrible slowdown, dodgy power-ups, and missing stages are just some of the problems plaguing this sub-standard port. If you really want to experience Xenon 2, stick with the Amiga original.