Alien Crush

~ ALIEN CRUSH ~

Compile / Hudson Soft / NEC

HuCard

1989

I wasn't particularly happy the day I lugged Alien Crush home with me. I had journeyed to the local game store with the intention of picking up the famously intense Blazing Lazers, but some other Turbo-owning bums had apparently beaten me to the punch, as Compile's blaster was no longer in stock. A pinball game, regardless of the theme it was built on and the embellishments it was adorned with, seemed like a rather poor substitute. But it took only a few minutes of ball-and-flippers-style outer-space-creature annihilation for AC to ingratiate itself with me, and presently I find it anything but shameful that this game and its followup, a duo of thematically intense pinball titles, were among the system's most well-received releases.

There's no question about it: both of the Turbo's Crush games rule. But Alien Crush has a certain appeal for me that the formidable Devil's Crush has never had. Nostalgia plays a part in this; I had partaken in eleven years of alien obliteration prior to setting foot in DC's den of iniquity. Also, I prefer the music in AC, repetitive as it may be. The two selectable compositions--one a fast-paced torpedo of a tune and the other an eerie distortion-laden dirge--prove to be very memorable numbers, as do the bonus-round tunes and the brief Game Over track. Most importantly, AC feels better to play, mainly because I don't like the fact that DC's playfield scrolls as the game's camera follows the ball. I know I'm in the minority here, but the "blinking" that takes place in AC as the ball crosses over into a new section of the field has never bothered me; and I like being able to see my flippers at all times, especially when the ball is making a fast trip south.

I wouldn't try to convince anyone that Alien Crush is the better of the two games, as it isn't. Speaking as "objectively" as I can on the matter, Devil's Crush is superior in almost every way, and it's the one I recommend first to people who haven't played either. But if I'm in the mood for a quick, fun thirty minutes of video-game pinball, AC is the title I reach for.

Little alien critters emerge from the brains and cocoons you bust open. Of course, there's another way to come across these creatures: the big purple guy occasionally spits 'em out at you.

A look at Alien Crush's bonus rounds. You can count on playing the "centipede" one about seven trillion times during any given game.

Racking up points isn't a problem, but it can take a hell of a long time to get to 999,999,999.

You never know what sorts of weird creatures will show up...

1943 Kai

~ 1943 KAI ~

Naxat Soft / Capcom

HuCard

1991

I psyched myself up for 1943 more than I should have. The screens I'd seen were nice, and the reviews I'd read were enthusiastic, but I probably should've known better than to get all pumped up for a vert that hails from the Sky Shark era. I ended up extremely disappointed with the title due to its repetitive gameplay, lackluster soundtrack, lame enemies, and dull scenery. A trip back to the shooter stone ages wasn't what I'd had in mind, but that's what I got, with little pink planes to evade, bland warships to annihilate, and boring seas to soar over.

To be fair, while it's quite terrible at first, the game does get better... eventually. After I'd played through countless primitive lookalike levels, a brief "cinematic" sequence relayed the fact that my plane was being reoutfitted.

Once combat resumed, I was greeted with snare-drum battering and dealt a heck of a lot more bullets to dodge and large craft to obliterate. The action picks up significantly, the visuals make quite a leap, and the repetition is alleviated somewhat once you reach Kai's "new" stages (levels that aren't in the original arcade game). Trains and neat little gunboats break up stretches of jets-and-ships tedium. Scenery thankfully strays from dull waters, consisting at times of caverns and lava flows.

Sadly, the journey tends to drag even after you've reached the "good stuff." Weariness felt during the later stages certainly is attributable in part to the doldrums levels that must be endured early on. But while the new-board projectile counts run high, the challenges still fail to indicate that any actual thought was put into them. Ingenuity is absent in the enemy designs and level constructions. There's a lot of dodging to do with nothing present that's really worth remembering.

Air Zonk

~ AIR ZONK ~

Hudson Soft / Red

HuCard

1992

Air Zonk is a treasure-trove of creativity and originality. The basic premise of a futuristic Bonk starring in a shooter is pure gold, and granting the cool-and-cocky hero a group of charismatic, sunglasses-donning allies to fly and fight alongside was a stroke of genius. There's experimentation to be done here, as some of the wacky wingmen perform better in certain locations than they do in others. Fresh methods of attack are to be discovered when Zonk merges with a co-misfit to become a single ridiculous gestalt of destruction. And the enemy cast is as wonderfully wacky and colorful as you'd expect in a game with Bonk ties. But AZ's mid- and end-level giants don't settle for mere cartoony brilliance, measuring up to other great shooter bosses with their numerous attack types (and, in many cases, myriad forms). The power-ups you can utilize against them are awesome and atypical, and Zonk's automatic backwards fire frequently comes in handy.

On top of all that, the prismatic, parallax-laden visuals are about the best that any TurboChip has ever delivered; you really can tell that a lot of effort was put into them. The uptempo music also impresses; in fact, the painfully sweet second-stage tune ranks among the greatest HuCard tracks.

AZ is a really, really cool shooter, good fun from beginning to end, and it gives me very little to complain about. At times, the gameplay can feel a little sloppy because of the chunky sprites and the slowdown/flicker that rears its head every so often (understandably, considering the ambitiousness of this chip project). Also, this is an easy ride until the very last boss (who sends speedy "chaser" devices after you and who would be even more daunting if you weren't sure to have lots of lives left for the fight). But none of this really detracts from my enjoyment of the game. It's one that every TG-16 owner can show off to those who are skeptical of the base system's capabilities.

Tyrannosaurs and lobster monsters are no match for the card spreadshot and the might of mini-Zonk.

You're sure to run into a few pals from the olden days...

...as well as some very nutty bosses.

Zonk assumes wacky new forms upon merging with his allies.

You've gotta love POWER DUMP.

You needn't worry much about these, uh, whatever-the-hell-they-ares, but...

...this guy can put up a fight.

After Burner II

~ AFTER BURNER II ~

NEC Avenue / Sega

HuCard

1990

This into-the-screen shooter is a bit of a fan favorite, but while I like it well enough, I'm not crazy about it. It's very reminiscent of Space Harrier, but it doesn't stand up well in comparison. SH gives players lots of cool enemies to deal with, and its levels are delightfully wacky and colorful. After Burner II's jets-and-fields theme just isn't as appealing to me.

More importantly, I need to utilize a little strategy while I'm playing SH. AB2's gameplay, even outside of this comparison, is too facile: shoot and dodge and shoot and dodge and--SPEED BURST--and shoot and dodge. When I first beat SH, I felt like it was the ultimate result of the practice and planning I had put into the game. No, it wasn't especially difficult to do, but I did feel that the experience was a rewarding one. By contrast, when I first beat AB2, I felt like it was simply because I had bothered to start up the game enough times that making a successful (and perhaps lucky) run through all twenty-three stages was an inevitability. I didn't feel like I had pulled off anything particularly significant or that I had achieved something as a result of earnest effort.

Still, AB2 certainly has its merits as a fairly exciting little pick-up-and-play title and delivers some really nice music, most notably the catchy bit that typically accompanies the transition from the second stage to the third.

The game offers decent action (but lacks SH's cyclopean mammoths, unfortunately).

Nighttime scenes and neat explosions do help a bit.

Make pit stops and receive aid from friendly giant aircraft.

Bust shit up in the bonus stage, and streak through the last few levels.

Enjoy the action for what it's worth, touch down safely, and go play a better Sega game... like Space Harrier.

Aero Blasters

~ AERO BLASTERS ~

Kaneko / Hudson

HuCard

1990

I've noticed that fans of the Turbo are usually quite fond of this game, while bums who prefer other systems tend to consider it mediocre at best. Partial to the TG-16, I, of course, have always liked Aero Blasters. It won me over at once with its light, catchy melodies and parallax-heavy visuals, but AB excels beyond its superficial elements. I like it when my shooter experiences involve some strategy, and this game certainly calls for enough to avoid degenerating into something easy and mindless like Thunder Force III.

Indeed, if you invade enemy territory in cocky, reckless “I beat TF3!” fashion, you’ll be knocked on your ass in a matter of seconds. Progress occurs step by step in this adventure. The stages aren’t merely long strips that hurl one villain after another your way; they each consist of brief segments that call for distinct battle plans. Identify your enemies’ methods and patterns of attack, and determine the weaponry most suitable for each leg of the trip. You’ll need to die to figure out how to live. Of course, it helps if your plans are augmented by talent; stratagems alone won't suffice. Persevere, use your head, and hone your skills, and not only will you be all right, you’ll have a great time as well.

Particularly enjoyable is the fourth-level fight with a robotic warrior who hurls boulders, wields a massive ball-and-chain, and dispatches smaller troops. The impressive mecha is like an early version of Thunder Force V's awesome Guardian's Knight.

The fifth stage features more great battles. You've really gotta concentrate during a duel with a mini-boss who fires repeated spread shots, especially since you have to contend with gravity effects that tug your ship in every which way as you fight. Survive the showdown and you'll have to face the spread-shot soldier's clawed cohort, another pretty-cool piece of machinery.

Along with those fourth- and fifth-stage showdowns, the most memorable parts of the game are Area 2's exciting speed tunnels (speedy space-limiting sequences reminiscent of the final stretch of Thunder Force II's eighth stage, but faster) and the annihilation of Area 1’s beautiful cityscape by a barrage of bombs and lasers.

The final level is also memorable, but primarily for the things it doesn't do well. It starts off in intense fashion by pitting the player against some cool giant snakes, and it uses pastels effectively during the final battle to make the beautiful city in the background really look as if it's glowing...

...but in between is a stretch of what my old buddy Robanovich would call "crap challenge." I often enjoy unusual trials, but AB forces players to navigate a rather unfair "fly through narrow tunnels while the screen wobbles pointlessly" sub-stage of nonsense that should've been left out entirely. It seems like a foregone conclusion that I'll lose a bunch of lives every time I play through the strip, and foregone conclusions generally blow. After that comes an extremely boring "moving blocks" gauntlet. I can accept that this sort of area was something of a shooter staple back in the day, but the AB designers at least could have tried to do something unique with their block-course effort (as Gaiares' did with their third-stage castle). There's nothing interesting or challenging about what they came up with.

I really like AB aside from its near-the-end hiccups, and I believe it has gotten the short end of the stick over the years; many lesser shooters from the 16-bit era receive a lot more attention. I realize that it relies on a tepid alliance of styles that may be rejected by both the Thunder Force III crowd and the R-Type faction, but for the factor of potential enjoyment, the game is undoubtedly worth a try and most likely worthy of purchase.