Devyatto
1993
Toaplan #24
This game is dumb, clearly unfinished, the blonde character is broken and levels are one minute long, but I actually had fun, It's far better than Truxton II at least.
This game is dumb, clearly unfinished, the blonde character is broken and levels are one minute long, but I actually had fun, It's far better than Truxton II at least.
1992
Toaplan #23
Maybe it's because Truxton II set my expectations really low, but I think this game is actually really good.
There are no useless power-ups, the checkpoints are fair, enemy attacks and patterns are well thought out, and boss battles are all really memorable.
My only complaint is that the game is too short. Like, sure, there's infinite loops, so you can just keep playing over and over again, but Truxton II was absolutely awful and was twice as long. Minus one point for that.
Maybe it's because Truxton II set my expectations really low, but I think this game is actually really good.
There are no useless power-ups, the checkpoints are fair, enemy attacks and patterns are well thought out, and boss battles are all really memorable.
My only complaint is that the game is too short. Like, sure, there's infinite loops, so you can just keep playing over and over again, but Truxton II was absolutely awful and was twice as long. Minus one point for that.
1992
Toaplan #22
Just when I was starting to have fun, the game ended out of nowhere. This is the equivalent of starting to read a cool novel about special agents with super powers fighting against robots, only for the world to explode after only 10 pages. I kid you not, this game is only 15 minutes long. An absolute Coitus Interruptus.
Just when I was starting to have fun, the game ended out of nowhere. This is the equivalent of starting to read a cool novel about special agents with super powers fighting against robots, only for the world to explode after only 10 pages. I kid you not, this game is only 15 minutes long. An absolute Coitus Interruptus.
1992
Toaplan #21
I beat this piece of dog shit game so I can say whatever the fuck I want about it.
This is one of the worst games ever made. There's no soul, no artistic vision, no desire to craft something beautiful, just bullshit, unfair obstacle after unfair obstacle.
Truxton II was made with the sole purpose to steal as many quarters as it could and thankfully it didn't succeed because Toaplan went out of business so rip bozo.
Do you want me to describe the level design and enemy coreography on this game? well, it's like fighting in a small room against 1000 invisible ninjas with katanas up their asses while they dance the macarena, the outcome is absolutely unpredictable if you survive it's purely out of luck.
I beat this piece of dog shit game so I can say whatever the fuck I want about it.
This is one of the worst games ever made. There's no soul, no artistic vision, no desire to craft something beautiful, just bullshit, unfair obstacle after unfair obstacle.
Truxton II was made with the sole purpose to steal as many quarters as it could and thankfully it didn't succeed because Toaplan went out of business so rip bozo.
Do you want me to describe the level design and enemy coreography on this game? well, it's like fighting in a small room against 1000 invisible ninjas with katanas up their asses while they dance the macarena, the outcome is absolutely unpredictable if you survive it's purely out of luck.
1992
Toaplan #20
- No instant respawn✔
- Shitty shooting types✔
- Impossible final levels unless you have the right power-up ✔
- Wasted mechanics ✔
- Final boss is a complete pushover ✔
Yes, I'm thinking classic Toaplan.
It's a shame because there are some genuinely amazing boss battles and a couple of incredible sections, like Stage 3, where everything goes so fast it feels like blast processing. Or that part when you transform into a giant Mecha, but the frustration levels are too high for me to recommend.
- No instant respawn✔
- Shitty shooting types✔
- Impossible final levels unless you have the right power-up ✔
- Wasted mechanics ✔
- Final boss is a complete pushover ✔
Yes, I'm thinking classic Toaplan.
It's a shame because there are some genuinely amazing boss battles and a couple of incredible sections, like Stage 3, where everything goes so fast it feels like blast processing. Or that part when you transform into a giant Mecha, but the frustration levels are too high for me to recommend.
1992
Toaplan #20
Terrible fucking game. Useless attack, unfair difficulty, and horrible level design.
You could say I'm being lazy by not going point by point and making an in-depth analysis of everything this game does wrong, but quoting AVGN: 'Reviewing this game is like trying to review a pink porcupine with a monkey's head up its butt eating a buffalo's ball sac. Should I describe what it looks like and analyze it? Or should I be so fucking shocked that the thing even exists?'
Terrible fucking game. Useless attack, unfair difficulty, and horrible level design.
You could say I'm being lazy by not going point by point and making an in-depth analysis of everything this game does wrong, but quoting AVGN: 'Reviewing this game is like trying to review a pink porcupine with a monkey's head up its butt eating a buffalo's ball sac. Should I describe what it looks like and analyze it? Or should I be so fucking shocked that the thing even exists?'
1991
Toaplan #19
I must admit, I'm not the right person to review this game because I've never been fond of these breakout-type games.
Don't get me wrong, I'll never say no to a quick game of Breakout or Arkanoid, 'quick' being the keyword here, since after ten minutes of it, the enjoyment wears off for me.
Ghox, on the other hand, just goes on and on for what feels like an eternity. I do have to say that the game does try to make the experience feel fresh at all times by throwing all kinds of different enemies at you and adding new twists to its level design, but most of the time I'm just waiting for the damn ball to go down so I can bounce it up again, which bores me to death.
I do, however, encourage people who like these types of games to give it a try; maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did.
I must admit, I'm not the right person to review this game because I've never been fond of these breakout-type games.
Don't get me wrong, I'll never say no to a quick game of Breakout or Arkanoid, 'quick' being the keyword here, since after ten minutes of it, the enjoyment wears off for me.
Ghox, on the other hand, just goes on and on for what feels like an eternity. I do have to say that the game does try to make the experience feel fresh at all times by throwing all kinds of different enemies at you and adding new twists to its level design, but most of the time I'm just waiting for the damn ball to go down so I can bounce it up again, which bores me to death.
I do, however, encourage people who like these types of games to give it a try; maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did.
1991
Toaplan #18
It's a shame that 'Vimana' is not as popular as their other shoot 'em ups, because this might be their best one yet.
You can definitely see that, at this point in time, the team already had a lot of experience developing these kinds of games; the enemy coreography is tighter than ever before, with multiple kinds of enemies all with their own unique behaviors; the level design is their most ambitious yet, adding all sorts of gimmicks; and even the bosses are very distinct from each other and require a decent level of strategy to defeat.
As always, the latter stages are almost impossible to beat if you don't have your lasers at full power, but I'd still consider the overall experience to be quite enjoyable.
It's a shame that 'Vimana' is not as popular as their other shoot 'em ups, because this might be their best one yet.
You can definitely see that, at this point in time, the team already had a lot of experience developing these kinds of games; the enemy coreography is tighter than ever before, with multiple kinds of enemies all with their own unique behaviors; the level design is their most ambitious yet, adding all sorts of gimmicks; and even the bosses are very distinct from each other and require a decent level of strategy to defeat.
As always, the latter stages are almost impossible to beat if you don't have your lasers at full power, but I'd still consider the overall experience to be quite enjoyable.
1991
Toaplan #17
This one kinda sucks.
This one kinda sucks.
Toaplan #16
When talking about videogame masterpieces, both the press and gamers alike usually mention the same names.
Final Fantasy VII, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, and GTA: San Andreas have been, for many years, some of the most popular titles when referring to the top of the pyramid in terms of quality, and most recently, games like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Elden Ring, to name a pair, have managed to enter that exclusive category.
If one were to analyze the reason why, they'd soon find a recognizable pattern: these are all, of course, adventure games with a heavy focus on exploration. Games designed to be explored have a deep lore and feature numerous and endearing characters. They are also mainly story-driven games, titles that explore human themes such as war, love, betrayal, or struggle, topics that we can find not only in real life but in better-treated artistic forms, such as movies or books.
Yet, rarely do games like 'Snow Bros.' get the same amount of praise. In all my years discussing videogames, I've noticed that people usually treat arcade games as nothing more than toys, mundane diversions that have absolutely nothing to offer in terms of artistic value.
But I beg to differ.
For me, 'Snow Bros.' is and always will be a complete masterpiece. Its gameplay could not be any more simple: you are a snowman that shoots small amounts of snow at enemies until you turn them into big snowballs, then, by getting close to the enemy turned into a snowball and pressing the attack button, you can throw them, creating a snowball effect that can wipe up entire waves of enemies. By defeating enemies using this technique, you'll get multiple objects that will increase your score, eventually giving you an extra life. You can also obtain power-ups that will upgrade your character in various ways, making it faster or improving both your attack range and its power. There's also a very rare but amazing cyan-colored power-up that will turn your character into a giant for a short period of time, instantly defeating any enemy that will stand in your way.
The control is perfect; your character moves, jumps, and shoots just at the right speed; there's no clunkiness or input delay of any kind that can ruin the experience.
The music is absolutely delightful, with cheerful tunes enveloping each level in perfect sync with the joyful nature of its gameplay.
But what really sets this title apart from others—very similar games like Twin Pop or Parasol—is its fantastic level design.
Every new floor feels like a puzzle, in which the top objective is to clear every single one with just a single shot. In order to achieve this, you'll have to analyze the layout and enemy behavior. You'll often have to lure enemies to a specific spot, wait for the right time to shoot, and perform some risky jumps. Succeeding in this will give the player a massive score bonus, again giving the player more continues and extra lives, which will be necessary for overcoming the latter levels.
Boss battles are huge and challenging; they are everything you'll expect, and just as with the regular levels themselves, they require both quick thinking and reaction time from the player, making victory feel earned and not taken for granted.
You see, video games are unique. They deliver a direct, instant interaction between the game and the player, allowing you to have complete control over your character, and our actions affect everything inside it. And what makes them special for me is how rewarding it feels to improve at them.
I don't care if I lose and go back to the first level, because the game rewards a skilled player. I can easily go back where I left off, this time knowing I will do better. And the joy I feel after seeing how I finally cleared that level that seemed almost impossible never wears off. It's a victory you can only achieve through analysis, practice, and execution. That's what makes video games different from any other medium.
In short, video games excel at being fun, and 'Snow Bros.' is one of its primary examples. And that, for me, is art.
When talking about videogame masterpieces, both the press and gamers alike usually mention the same names.
Final Fantasy VII, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, and GTA: San Andreas have been, for many years, some of the most popular titles when referring to the top of the pyramid in terms of quality, and most recently, games like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Elden Ring, to name a pair, have managed to enter that exclusive category.
If one were to analyze the reason why, they'd soon find a recognizable pattern: these are all, of course, adventure games with a heavy focus on exploration. Games designed to be explored have a deep lore and feature numerous and endearing characters. They are also mainly story-driven games, titles that explore human themes such as war, love, betrayal, or struggle, topics that we can find not only in real life but in better-treated artistic forms, such as movies or books.
Yet, rarely do games like 'Snow Bros.' get the same amount of praise. In all my years discussing videogames, I've noticed that people usually treat arcade games as nothing more than toys, mundane diversions that have absolutely nothing to offer in terms of artistic value.
But I beg to differ.
For me, 'Snow Bros.' is and always will be a complete masterpiece. Its gameplay could not be any more simple: you are a snowman that shoots small amounts of snow at enemies until you turn them into big snowballs, then, by getting close to the enemy turned into a snowball and pressing the attack button, you can throw them, creating a snowball effect that can wipe up entire waves of enemies. By defeating enemies using this technique, you'll get multiple objects that will increase your score, eventually giving you an extra life. You can also obtain power-ups that will upgrade your character in various ways, making it faster or improving both your attack range and its power. There's also a very rare but amazing cyan-colored power-up that will turn your character into a giant for a short period of time, instantly defeating any enemy that will stand in your way.
The control is perfect; your character moves, jumps, and shoots just at the right speed; there's no clunkiness or input delay of any kind that can ruin the experience.
The music is absolutely delightful, with cheerful tunes enveloping each level in perfect sync with the joyful nature of its gameplay.
But what really sets this title apart from others—very similar games like Twin Pop or Parasol—is its fantastic level design.
Every new floor feels like a puzzle, in which the top objective is to clear every single one with just a single shot. In order to achieve this, you'll have to analyze the layout and enemy behavior. You'll often have to lure enemies to a specific spot, wait for the right time to shoot, and perform some risky jumps. Succeeding in this will give the player a massive score bonus, again giving the player more continues and extra lives, which will be necessary for overcoming the latter levels.
Boss battles are huge and challenging; they are everything you'll expect, and just as with the regular levels themselves, they require both quick thinking and reaction time from the player, making victory feel earned and not taken for granted.
You see, video games are unique. They deliver a direct, instant interaction between the game and the player, allowing you to have complete control over your character, and our actions affect everything inside it. And what makes them special for me is how rewarding it feels to improve at them.
I don't care if I lose and go back to the first level, because the game rewards a skilled player. I can easily go back where I left off, this time knowing I will do better. And the joy I feel after seeing how I finally cleared that level that seemed almost impossible never wears off. It's a victory you can only achieve through analysis, practice, and execution. That's what makes video games different from any other medium.
In short, video games excel at being fun, and 'Snow Bros.' is one of its primary examples. And that, for me, is art.
1990
Toaplan #15
Ok, so this is more like it!
Out Zone is the first of Toaplan's games, which I can confidently call really good.
It's a frenetic top-down, run-and-gun game in which you have to fight numerous waves of enemies while avoiding countless bullets.
The action is just top-notch, offering a lot of variety on each level and delivering very cool boss battles.
On the negative side, as is usual with Toaplan games, the final levels get unreasonably hard; there are just too many enemies coming at you at once, and there's barely any time to react, so just spamming your bombs is by far the best strategy.
On the other hand, the last boss battle was a complete pushover and offered almost no challenge at all. Again, classic Toaplan.
That aside, I found the experience to be quite enjoyable—definitely a Toaplan classic.
Ok, so this is more like it!
Out Zone is the first of Toaplan's games, which I can confidently call really good.
It's a frenetic top-down, run-and-gun game in which you have to fight numerous waves of enemies while avoiding countless bullets.
The action is just top-notch, offering a lot of variety on each level and delivering very cool boss battles.
On the negative side, as is usual with Toaplan games, the final levels get unreasonably hard; there are just too many enemies coming at you at once, and there's barely any time to react, so just spamming your bombs is by far the best strategy.
On the other hand, the last boss battle was a complete pushover and offered almost no challenge at all. Again, classic Toaplan.
That aside, I found the experience to be quite enjoyable—definitely a Toaplan classic.
1989
Toaplan #13
So, Fire Shark it's just like Tiger-Heli...and Sky Shark!... and Twin Cobra... and Twin Hawk...
So, Fire Shark it's just like Tiger-Heli...and Sky Shark!... and Twin Cobra... and Twin Hawk...
1989
Toaplan #12
Aw man, why did this game not get more popular? It's so obscure; it only got a very rare and limited PC-Engine CD release when I think it deserved an international Mega Drive one at the very least.
Anyway, Demon's World is a fun run-and-gun game with an auto-scroll where you beat the unliving heck out of horror creatures such as zombies, skeletons, and Japanese yokai.
The controls take a little time to get used to, especially the double jump, which is a bit finnicky, but the level design is good enough to make up for it, and its quality is consistent.
It gets a bit silly with its difficulty at the end, but the checkpoints are super fair for the most part, so I will excuse it.
It's neither Cuphead nor Gunstar Heroes, but I think it deserves more love.
Aw man, why did this game not get more popular? It's so obscure; it only got a very rare and limited PC-Engine CD release when I think it deserved an international Mega Drive one at the very least.
Anyway, Demon's World is a fun run-and-gun game with an auto-scroll where you beat the unliving heck out of horror creatures such as zombies, skeletons, and Japanese yokai.
The controls take a little time to get used to, especially the double jump, which is a bit finnicky, but the level design is good enough to make up for it, and its quality is consistent.
It gets a bit silly with its difficulty at the end, but the checkpoints are super fair for the most part, so I will excuse it.
It's neither Cuphead nor Gunstar Heroes, but I think it deserves more love.
1989
Toaplan #11
This is the first time going through Toaplan's titles where I had to switch from the original arcade release to its Mega Drive port because the former has an almost unbearable flickering effect every time you destroy an enemy ship, the whole screen turns red, and there's no way to get rid of it—super bizarre stuff.
Anyway, I have to say, it saddens me to see so many people giving negative reviews of this game.
It's a perfectly serviceable, horizontal shoot 'em up with a killer soundtrack and good-level design. Instead of having to switch between four different shooting styles, like in Hellfire, Zero Wing offers a selection of three: A homing one, a penetrating laser (I know you guys like this one), and a spreading attack that works pretty much like a shootgun.
It also has a very fun gimmick in which you can abduct enemy ships and use them as shields; you can even throw them back and use them as projectiles—great stuff.
There's also a PC-Engine CD version, and that one looks outstanding for its time, with CD music quality and enhanced graphics. I will definitely give that one a chance once I finish my journey going through every single Toaplan title.
This is the first time going through Toaplan's titles where I had to switch from the original arcade release to its Mega Drive port because the former has an almost unbearable flickering effect every time you destroy an enemy ship, the whole screen turns red, and there's no way to get rid of it—super bizarre stuff.
Anyway, I have to say, it saddens me to see so many people giving negative reviews of this game.
It's a perfectly serviceable, horizontal shoot 'em up with a killer soundtrack and good-level design. Instead of having to switch between four different shooting styles, like in Hellfire, Zero Wing offers a selection of three: A homing one, a penetrating laser (I know you guys like this one), and a spreading attack that works pretty much like a shootgun.
It also has a very fun gimmick in which you can abduct enemy ships and use them as shields; you can even throw them back and use them as projectiles—great stuff.
There's also a PC-Engine CD version, and that one looks outstanding for its time, with CD music quality and enhanced graphics. I will definitely give that one a chance once I finish my journey going through every single Toaplan title.
1989
Toaplan #10
I was going through my review of 'Zero Wing' when I suddenly remembered I never wrote one for this one.
That's mostly because, well, Twin Hawk is a super forgettable experience all around. I will say it's a slight improvement over Flying Shark, offering a cool gimmick that lets you summon multiple ships to help you out, but it's not on the same level of quality as Twin Cobra or Tiger-Heli. The loop is also a lot shorter, and there aren't any interesting boss battles, just re-skins of those games.
Nothing to see here, folks.
I was going through my review of 'Zero Wing' when I suddenly remembered I never wrote one for this one.
That's mostly because, well, Twin Hawk is a super forgettable experience all around. I will say it's a slight improvement over Flying Shark, offering a cool gimmick that lets you summon multiple ships to help you out, but it's not on the same level of quality as Twin Cobra or Tiger-Heli. The loop is also a lot shorter, and there aren't any interesting boss battles, just re-skins of those games.
Nothing to see here, folks.