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Release date: 28/02/1991
Metal Storm
Battle station cyberg's massive computer that keeps peace throughout the solar system is no longer user friendly. It's gone wildly out of control. The LaserGun it operates has already destroyed Neptune. Earth is its next target. As a high-tech hot shot, you must enter Cyber's core and activate the system's self-destruct mechanism. Mankind is reyling on your know-how and toughness to see this thing through. But time is running out...
Release date: 01/06/1990
Air Duel
The player selects from a jet fighter or helicopter, shoot enemies in the air and ground, collect power-ups, and defeat bosses to advance levels. The game differs from most others in the genre in that you can change the aircraft you use at the start of each level. The jet fighter always shoots straight forward; power-ups increase the width and strength of its shots. The helicopter fires thinner and weaker shots, but turns in the direction it moves (similar to the later Zero Gunner), giving it great range; powerups increase the strength of shots, as well as the number of bullets per shot (adding a small "spread" effect to the shot while moving around). Both the fighter and the helicopter also start with three bombs which wipe out everything in their path, including enemy shots. These bombs are also unique compared to similar games, in that they produce a line of small horizontal blasts that can be "directed" at the line travels across the ground, by pressing left and right (similar to the helicopter's shots). Additional bombs can be picked up during the course of the game. Losing a life resets your power and bomb count to the amount you start with. "Air Duel" is a challenging game, and later levels can become nearly unplayable if a single life is lost.
Release date: 31/12/1989
R-Type II
The game is the sequel to R-Type, which was first released as an arcade game in 1987 and profoundly influenced later shooting games with its charge shots, unique weaponry, and grotesque enemies. Hudson Soft ported the later 4 levels of the original R-Type to the PC Engine with the title R-Type II, but the Hudson release is unrelated to the game described in this article. The player controls a ship called the R-9C (or R-9 Custom), which is an improved version of its predecessor game's ship; the R-9. The ship's design was changed slightly, and the wave cannon was given homing capabilities. Two new types of weapons (the Search Laser and Shotgun Laser) were added, bringing the total number of weapon types up to five. A new anti-ground unit bomb was also added to the missile inventory. Though the number of levels was decreased from the prequel, the number of enemies, their durability, and the number of bullets they shoot were greatly increased. Enemy movements and terrain were also made trickier, bringing the game's difficulty up considerably. The same revival system is used as in the prequel, where the player is brought back to a checkpoint whenever their ship is destroyed. The controls are mostly unchanged from R-Type, where the 8-way joystick controls the ship's movement, and the shot button fires the ship's main beam. The other button is used to equip or unequip Force; the series' most unusual innovation. Pressing down the shot button causes the blue beam gauge to fill up, and releasing the button causes a wave beam to travel a certain distance depending on the length of time the button was pressed down. If the button is pressed down until the blue gauge is fully charged, a red gauge appears and fills up quickly. Filling up the red gauge causes it to flash blue and red, releasing the shot button at this point shoots an even more powerful beam. Unlike the normal beam that only travels in a straight line, the newly added Shotgun Laser beam explodes in multiple directions after traveling a short distance. This shot causes heavy damage if the player can target a single enemy with it. However, holding the button down after the gauge is flashing causes the beam to return to the normal transverse beam (the gauge alternates between flashing and returning to the normal state while the button is held down), so the player must release the button at the right timing in order to successfully target enemies. The other newly added beam, the Search Laser, is semi-homing, and can bend at angles up to 45°.
Release date: 31/12/1989
Battle Squadron
The destruction of the Barrax Empire... A Whirling Barra ship darts out from the recesses of a dark spiral cave and attacks from the left. You bank hard to escape, but a "chameleon" attacker suddenly appears on the right. The battle is just beginning and this will become your easiest challenge! The toughest opposition awaits! The year is 2400 AD. You have led the squadron to the home planet of the Barrax Empire, prepared to avenge their devastating attack on Earth. Armed with weapons specifically designed for this alien environment, you hope your combat skills are up to the task.
Release date: 31/12/1989
Dragon Breed
The player's character is a human who rides a large, green, flying Chinese-style dragon. The dragon is invincible, capable of blocking most enemy projectiles and damaging enemies on contact; the human, however, is not, but is armed with a forward-firing crossbow. The dragon's body is flexible and responds to the player's movement, enabling the player to use the dragon as a mobile shield or as a whip-like weapon. You can also circle the tail around a group of enemies to kill them. The tail of the yellow or blue dragon can be coiled around the player to offer almost complete invulnerability for a limited time. The dragon can also spit fireballs. By holding the fire button down, the dragon will build up fire in its mouth; the longer the button is held down, the more powerful the fireball will be. There are four levels of fireball power; at its strongest, the fireball resembles a dragon's head. The game also contains some platforming elements - the human is able to dismount on horizontal platforms. Power-ups can be acquired by shooting small green dragons that appear intermittently throughout the levels, or they can be collected from the ground on foot. There are four different power-ups, each of which provides a different weapon to the dragon. Collecting multiple power-ups of the same colour makes that weapon more powerful. The dragon changes colour depending upon which power-up has been collected. Red enables the dragon to breathe a flame. The flame gets longer if more power-ups are collected. Yellow enables the dragon's body to fire crescents in all directions. White enables the dragon to produce up to four miniature dragons, which home in on enemies. Blue enables the dragon to fire downward bolts of electricity from its underside.
Release date: 01/09/1989
X Multiply
Is a side-scrolling shooter published by Irem, and similar in style to their earlier R-Type. The game centers around an unusual alien invasion against a colony planet in the year 2249 where the aliens themselves are microscopic creatures that invade, infect, and kill the colonists. Scientists have deployed the microscopic fighter X-002 into the body of the hapless woman whose body has been invaded by the alien queen.
Release date: 31/12/1988
Image Fight
On a fateful day in 20XX, the Earth's moon exploded into four large fragments and a multitude of meteors. Aliens from afar had succeeded in destroying the West's moon base. One after another, mankind's other military industrial space complexes were being lost. What mankind dreaded had come to pass. Scores of unidentified fighters were in the area. In addition, the moon's main computer, still intact after the explosion, had a strange vegetation coiled around it. Their trademark evil exploits being a dead giveaway, invaders from the Boondoggle Galaxy had arrived to take over the Earth. To counter these evil forces, leading scientists from all over the globe created the "OF-1" Fightership. Combat pilots depart the Earth to fend off the invaders and earn everlasting glory.
Release date: 01/12/1987
Mr. Heli
It is your mission, 'Mr. Heli' our hero, to unmask 'The Muddy' who is hiding deep underground and rescue the planet. Clear all the zones including floating green islands, moving rock beds, mysterious underground temples, and much more! The exhilarating air battle and stunning graphics capture the true character of the arcade machine. Play sharp, steer right, keep up with the fight!