Blazing Lazers
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| Blazing Lazers | |
|---|---|
 North American box art of Blazing Lazers |
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| Developer(s) | Hudson Soft, Compile |
| Publisher(s) | NEC |
| Platform(s) | TurboGrafx-16, Virtual Console |
| Release date | JP July 7, 1989 NA 1989 |
| Genre(s) | Shoot 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Input methods | 8-way joystick, 2 buttons |
Blazing Lazers (Gunhed (ガンヘッド Ganheddo?) in Japan) is a shoot 'em up video game created in 1989 by Hudson Soft and developed by Compile (software company) for the TurboGrafx-16 gaming console. It is based on the Japanese film Gunhed (only referenced in the Japanese version), and features a ship set out to destroy the enemy space-fleet's armada. Blazing Lazers was one of the first games for the TurboGrafx-16, and it is still considered one of the best shoot 'em up games in the genre as well as one of the best-known games released on this console.
The game was released on the Wii's Virtual Console on 21 May 2007 in the US[1], and was released in Europe for the first time on May 25.
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[edit] Gameplay
The player controls a spaceship known as the GUNHED through nine vertical-scrolling areas. The object is to simply destroy the enemy space armada by fighting through all nine areas and finally destroying the enemy's fortress at the end of the final area. Every area contains one or more bosses, all which must be destroyed before continuing in the game.
The gameplay in Blazing Lazers is very similar to that of other Compile games. The player loses a life if he/she is hit by an enemy or projectile; gameplay then continues at a checkpoint the player has already crossed. (However, under special circumstances, gameplay may immediately resume without going back to a checkpoint.) The game ends when the player has lost all his/her lives. However, Blazing Lazers awards 1-ups as the player scores certain various amounts of points; also, the game has limited continues in which the player can restart the game at that level in which he/she's previous game ended.
[edit] Weaponry
The player controls a rapid-fire main cannon which can either be upgraded or changed to other types of weapons by collecting various numbered power-ups and purple orbs called "gels." The player can also collect special optional weapons to also help fight through the game, such as "multibodies" that mimic the ship's movements as well as shoot on their own, homing missiles, and even greatly enhanced firing capabilities known in the game as "full fire."
[edit] Smart Bombs
The player also carries a limited supply of "smart bombs." With a press of a button, the player can release a smart bomb and wipe out large quantities of enemies and even bosses within the player's vicinity. Throughout the game, the player will get many opportunities to collect additional smart bombs to replenish his/her inventory.
[edit] Shields
As the player collects many gels, or if the player collects a special power-up, the player can develop a shield which can absorb one or more sustained hits from enemies and projectiles. However, if the player gets hit, he/she may also lose some of his/her accumulated firepower, as well.
[edit] Player Speed
As also featured in a similar [[Compile (software company)|Compile] game Gun-nac, the player has the unique option to control the speed of his/her ship by the press of a button. This allows the player to customize of speed of his/her ship to his/her preference and comfort/control. There are four speeds in which the ship can move, which can be cycled through at any time during the game with the press of a button.
[edit] Reaction
It was generally considered by critics to be the best shooter released on any console system in 1989, based on reviews by several magazines[citation needed].
UK magazine C&VG gave it a score of no less than 96%, praising gameplay, difficulty, graphics and sound, calling it "utterly incredible" and stating "Anyone on the quest for the ultimate shoot 'em up — this is it! THIS IS IT!!".[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Titles > Virtual Console (Hudson Soft)
- ^ Glancey, Paul (September 1989), “Gunhed”, Computer and Video Games (no. 94): 100
[edit] External links
- Blazing Lazers at MobyGames
- Instructions on gameplay and weaponry[1]
