Legendary Wings
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| Legendary Wings | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, NES |
| Release date | November 1986 |
| Genre(s) | Scrolling shooter, platform |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players, simultaneous |
| Input methods | 8-way Joystick, 2 buttons |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| CPU | 2x Zilog Z80 (6 & 4 MHz) |
| Sound | 2x YM2203 (1.5 MHz) |
| Display | 240 × 256 |
Legendary Wings, released in Japan as Ares no Tsubasa (アレスの翼 Aresu no Tsubasa?, "The Wings of Ares"), is a 1986 vertical shooting game released for the arcades by Capcom featuring side scrolling segments.
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[edit] Overview
Legendary Wings takes place 20,000 years in the future in a Greek mythos-themed world. The player controls a soldier wearing mechanical wings who flies across the landscape while shooting various flying and stationary machines with a weapon that improves with power-ups. At the end of each level, the player must defeat a dragon;after which the players land and walk into a palace. At this time a message is displayed, "The Devil is waiting for us inside the palace. Rush courageously." Once inside the palace, the player walks and flies horizontally along various platforms, shooting enemies before reaching the boss, which resembles a giant ship that shoots eyeballs ("the Devil"). The game features 5 separate levels, which loop upon completion.
Each level featured the opportunity to be sucked into two horizontal platformer mini-levels. One chance occurs when the player flies over a giant mechanized face on the ground, which shoots spirals that instantly transport the players into a non-beneficial level (preceded by the message "Danger!"). It is possible to avoid these spirals, but their speed increases each new level. The other chance occurs when a player attacks a certain ground enemy on each level, which will shoot one spiral at the players. If this Spiral touches either player, both are instantly transported to a bonus level (preceded by the message "Lucky!"), featuring numerous items worth points as well as several weapon powerups)
[edit] Weapon upgrades
At various points in the game, a flying capsule will appear that can be shot, leaving a weapon powerup. There are 5 weapon levels, but after the player takes any damage he will drop to the next lowest level, until he loses a life. There are no extra powerups when in 2 player mode, therefore the players must share the powerups.
Level 1 Firepower This consists of a semi-automatic air-to-air weapon that travels straight ahead of the player and an air-to-ground weapon that travels slowly over a short distance. The air-to-air weapon is considerably weak and does not penetrate beyond the first target.
Level 2 Firepower This consists of rapid twin column semi-automatic air-to-air weapons and air-to-ground weapon slightly faster than level 1.
Level 3 Firepower This consists of a single-stream, constant blast air-to-air weapon and an air-to-ground weapon considerably faster than level 2. The air-to-air weapon can penetrate its targets.
Level 4 Firepower This consists of a unique, slower air-to-air weapon that splits and bounces outward to each side (or top to bottom on horizontal levels) simultaneously before rejoining and moving forward. The air-to-ground weapon is slightly faster with a longer range than the previous levels.
Level 5 Firepower This level causes the transformation of the player into a flaming bird with rapidly flapping wings. The air-to-air weapon is a wide swath of flame that travels rapidly and can be fired in quick succession. It is as wide as the level 2 twin columns, and penetrates its targets like the level 3 weapon. The air-to-ground weapon is not a great improvement over level 4. As an added bonus, the player can take damage one time and retain level 5 firepower.
[edit] Arcade variants
Three versions of the arcade game were produced. The original Japanese version (Ares no Tsubasa) and two distinct western versions. The Japanese version features a female protagonist named Michelle Heart, with a male partner named Kevin Walker as the second player character. One of the western versions retains the two main characters, but changes the color of Michelle's outfit from red to green. The other western version replaces Michelle and Kevin completely with unnamed male soldiers wearing golden wings.[1]
[edit] Ports
- A version of Legendary Wings was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System on July 1988 in North America. This port features several significant changes from the arcade game.[1]
- An emulation of the arcade game is featured in the compilation Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox and Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded for the PlayStation Portable.
[edit] In other games
- In the 1998 fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom, Michelle Heart is included as a "striker" character. She fires a machine gun at opponents when called upon.
- In the 2005 strategy game Namco x Capcom, Sylphie (the shopkeeper from Forgotten Worlds) transforms into Michelle both as part of her super attack and as part of a combination attack.
- Falcon from the Power Stone series has a Michelle Heart design on the back of his jacket, with her name written beneath.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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