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showing 11 games

name	publisher(developer)	year	description
Moero TwinBee: Cinnamon Hakase o Sukue!	Konami	1986	With Moero TwinBee Konami released an original game for the Famicom, not based on an arcade version. The game is similar to its predecessor, but instead of only vertical-scrolling top-down levels you will also fly through a couple of horizontally scrolling levels. The game didn't change its extra weapons upgrade system. You shoot bells, which lets them change their color and thus upgrade your ship. The levels and enemies are again really crazy and cartoony. Some enemies are even everyday items like shoes. The game plays really well and does not slow down. The difficulty level is on the easy side, so beginners will have their fun with it.
Zanac A.I.	Pony Canyon (Compile)	1986	Zanac is an early Famicom/NES shooter from developer Compile, the team that would eventually program some of the best classic shmups ever. And already they show their skills with this game. It is highly playable with a "modern" extra weapon system and very fast, fluent graphics that don't flicker at all. Only the background graphics are the typical nondescript shapes that many old shooters have. The music is also well done. I dare say that at the time of its release this was the best vertical scrolling shoot'em up game for the Famicom (Disk System) so far.
Gall Force: Eternal Story	HAL Laboratory	1986	Gall Force: Eternal Story is based on the anime movie of the same name. Since it is a straightforward early Famicom Disk System vertical scrolling shoot'em up game there is not much to be expected from the story however. Technically the game is very well done. Many sprites, big boss sprites and no sprite flicker at all. The game runs very smoothly. On the other hand your own ship is rather large and clumsy. Although you can take multiple hits until you loose a life it is extremely hard to avoid being hit, because the enemies and their shots appear and move very fast. Also the screen is often too overloaded with background graphics. You can barely make out projectiles. After each level you rescue one of your comrades which opens up a special power-up like more firepower, armor oder side-shots. All in all a nice game but not amongst the best games of its kind.
Ai Senshi Nicol	Konami	1987	Another good title by Konami. From the screenshot it resembles [game=#9176]The Legend of Zelda[/game], but it is a fast-paced run and gun game in seven maze-like stages. The stages itself are not too complicated and don't feature necessary, but impossible to find hidden objects like in many other games around that time. Nice intro, good graphics and music. Suprisingly - with the exception of the title screen - the game is completely in English. Unfortunately there is no story or at least some friendly NPCs in the game. In the end its only plain shooting and running action, mixed with some jumping here and there.
Section Z	Capcom	1987	"Section Z" is a non-linear shoot'em up game. After most levels (sections) you have the choice which section you want to do next. Sometimes you have to destroy generators in certain sections to open up warps to further sections. The player can switch between shooting to the right and to the left; a method Capcom would also use for the better known [game=#185]Side Arms: Hyper Dyne[/game] and [game=#72]Forgotten Worlds[/game]. Graphics and playability are generally ok and the game always runs smoothly. But with a total of 60 sections many levels have a repetitive feel to it. I'd prefer they would have created 5 unique and diverse levels instead of 60 rather similar ones.
Topple Zip	Bothtec	1987	At first I thought "Topple Zip" would be some sort of [url=http://www.uvlist.net/game-157332-TwinBee]TwinBee[/url] clone, but it's not a pure shooter. The game is about a racing event and you fly with your "ship" against other opponents. You can pick up weapons and shoot them down. From time to time you can enter a warp window to teleport to another stage. What you actually have to do to finally win the game I couldn't find out. The quality of the game is rather low. Flickering sprites, bad controls, sub-par music. It doesn't take half a minute that you feel that this game is a fail. Well from what I have seen the original MSX version is pretty bad as well. So bad that I wonder why they decided to bring this game out for the Famicom as well.
TwinBee	Konami	1988	The Twinbee Famicom Disk System version could only be obtained via the Disk Writer method where you bought an empty disk and could copy a game for a small fee at certain copy stations. A regular version with box and manual was never available. The game of course is identical to the Famicom version which appeared two years earlier. Twinbee is a colorful and well playable vertical scrolling shoot'em up game. Technically a few steps below the arcade version but still a well done conversion. Gameplay reminds a bit of Xevious with switching between shooting airborne enemies and bombing ground targets, but TwinBee looks and sounds better and is more varied. Power ups are gained by finding and collecting bells in clouds after shooting them until they change to a certain desired color. The five implemented stages are rather short. Only the last two levels are relatively difficult. Beginners will like the easy first half of the game.
Donkey Kong	Nintendo (Intelligent Systems)	1988	Donkey Kong has kidnapped Pauline, and it is up to Mario, the fearless carpenter, to come to her rescue. Throwing fate to the wind, Mario tries desperately to climb the labyrinth of structural beams from the top of which Donkey Kong taunts him. Help our hero ascend the metal structure by dodging an assortment of fireballs, steel beams, and exploding barrels the angry ape hurls at him. Prepare yourself for a never-ending adventure as Donkey Kong takes Pauline away to the next level every time Mario gets to the top. Based on the arcade game of the same name, this classic will keep hardcore and casual gamers entertained for hours.***The "Donkey Kong" Famicom Disk System version could only be obtained via the Disk Writer method where you bought an empty disk and could copy a game for a small fee at certain copy stations. A regular version with box and manual was never available. You could order an extra foldout manual though. The game of course is identical to the Famicom version which appeared five years earlier in 1983. I think it lost a bit of its appeal over the time and the only reason to get it in 1988 was the lower price of Disk Writer games. Still playable but really short and there were many much better games around then.
Akuu Senki Raijin	Square	1988	Only released via disk writer kiosks.
Big Challenge!: Dogfight Spirit	Jaleco	1988
Halley Wars	Taito (ITL)	1989

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