Please help: looking for a Shmup from my childhood.

[Furyofaseraph]

I cannot remember the name of this game to save my life. I want to say it was around about 15 years ago (not really sure, though). I want to say it was for the sega saturn, but my mind wants to say it could have been for the Genesis/Mega as well.

It is a vertical space shmup. You flew a ship or ship-like-object. Your ship had its guns, and you had a drone that would follow you about throwing out special attacks on its own (I think). There were different colored powerups that would change the drone-ship's special. If you got more than one powerup of the same color in a row, it would upgrade that special attack. Get a different color and you restarted from square one with the new special. I distinctly remember the red powerup was my favorite because it was a homing laser beam thingy.

A slightly more hazy rememberence of mine is that the design scheme was rather technorganic, but, once again, I could be wrong.

I know this isn't a lot to go on, but I'd be grateful if anyone could point me in the right direction.

[kengou]

Sounds possibly like MUSHA for Genesis?

[Furyofaseraph]

'fraid it's not M.U.S.H.A. The animations were quite smooth, still sprite-based I think. I remember the lasers snaked around the screen. I'm about 90% certain that it was a space-setting, too.

[clp]

you cant even remember what system you used to play it on..... srsly?

[Furyofaseraph]

Nope!

it was ~15 years ago at my cousin's house, gimme a break

[Ed Oscuro]

If by drone you mean...two drones, slightly behind the ship at fixed locations, it could well be Truxton (Tatsujin).

The drone is throwing me off...the description sounds vaguely like Fire Shark (in space) if the flamethrower worked like the Raiden (2 or DX and later only right?) toothpaste laser, and again adding a drone in there. The color changing thing is a kind of standard for games of the time. Tempted to say Raiden Fighters (obviously too new) or Task Force Harrier (just because) but neither are space-themed. Viper Phase 1 is still yet too new / never got ported anyway (and the Raiden Fighters games didn't get ported until Aces for the 360, too).

Don't think there are any Genesis / Mega Drive games (or earlier) with a homing laser. Saturn / PlayStation I know less about, but aside from ports of Raiden games I don't think those are a staple there either.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Seirei Senshi Spriggan? That would be PC Engine CD, though.

[Furyofaseraph]

Sorry guys, I know I'm not really giving you a lot to go on.

the toothpaste laser is a pretty accurate thought as to what I remember. The more I think about it the more i'm thinking it was for the Saturn. Damn - I wish i could remember more...

[Obiwanshinobi]

Image Fight perchance?

[BulletMagnet]

When I think "snaking lasers" I tend to recall Blazing Lazers (TG16) or Space Megaforce (SNES) - also possibly Shienryu, though I doubt that's the one you're looking for.

[The Coop]

Robo Aleste?
Space Megaforce?
One of the Raiden Fighters (1, 2 and Jet)?
Raiden II?

[TrevHead (TVR)]

you might wanna try watching a few you tube vids in hope i shows the one youre after. Those 20 best mega drive / pce shmups vids would be the best place to start.

[BPzeBanshee]

Dunno about drones, but what about RayForce? Snaking lasers, Sega Saturn, red upgrade modules.

[dpful]

Toaplans VV? Grindstormer?

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Red-homing-laser-drone-techno-organic-megadrive sounds like Biohazard Battle. You sure it was a vert?

[Ruldra]

I see this one is giving people a lot of trouble. I was going to say Grindstormer but there's no red homing laser in it.

There's one shmup I'm looking for as well. Mind if I hijack the thread for a moment?

This one is a horizontal console shmup. You started off in space and eventually you entered some sort of base and destroyed a big core at the end of the level. IIRC the next stage was exactly like that too, so maybe the whole game is like that.

You could switch forms at will between a ship, a robot and a form in-between. Ship had the fastest scrolling speed but weakest firepower, robot was the most powerful but awfully slow scroll speed, and the middle form was not so strong but not so slow. The stages were timed (the timer had minutes, seconds and miliseconds). I remember well that you couldn't stay in robot form for long or else you'd run out of time.

I could swear the game was for Master System, but I checked every game in this list but it's none of them. The game was all black and white too, so maybe it's for NES or Atari?

Some details may be off, but that's the gist of it. Guess this one and my childhood is complete.

EDIT: Just watched a video of Biohazard Battle and it may be the one OP is looking for. It's a hori but the first stage scrolls vertically.

[kid aphex]

despite the 'distinct memory' of a red powerup, my intuition says blazing lazers

[BulletMagnet]

@Ruldra - The "three forms" thing you described immediately suggest that what you're talking about it some sort of Macross game - in fact, the first title I thought of when I read this was Macross 2, which also has a stage timer, though it never got a home port as far as I know.

[ROBOTRON]

@Ruldra - The "three forms" thing you described immediately suggest that what you're talking about it some sort of Macross game - in fact, the first title I thought of when I read this was Macross 2, which also has a stage timer, though it never got a home port as far as I know.

or Guardian Legend
__________

BioHazard Battle sounds like the first one.

[Ghegs]

This one is a horizontal console shmup. You started off in space and eventually you entered some sort of base and destroyed a big core at the end of the level. IIRC the next stage was exactly like that too, so maybe the whole game is like that.

You could switch forms at will between a ship, a robot and a form in-between. Ship had the fastest scrolling speed but weakest firepower, robot was the most powerful but awfully slow scroll speed, and the middle form was not so strong but not so slow. The stages were timed (the timer had minutes, seconds and miliseconds). I remember well that you couldn't stay in robot form for long or else you'd run out of time.

Sounds very much like Choujikuu Yousai Macross for Famicom. Only the timer is seconds-only and it doesn't start until you enter the Zentradi mothership.

[Ruldra]

Sounds very much like Choujikuu Yousai Macross for Famicom. Only the timer is seconds-only and it doesn't start until you enter the Zentradi mothership.

Yeah, that's the one. Been looking for it for a long time. Thanks

[Drum]

Red-homing-laser-drone-techno-organic-megadrive sounds like Biohazard Battle. You sure it was a vert?

Yeah, I'm going with this - all of the bits that would stick in a young mind seem to fit. I remember watching the TMNT movie and seeing the kids play an arcade game with this amazing skull demon that I thought was the best thing ever. For years I was convinced it was from a spaceship shooter and I tried forever to find it. Turns out it was the final boss from NARC. So you never know.

Other than that ... Darwin 4081? Techno-organic, Genesis. Nothing else fits, though, but it's conceivable you could be conflating two different games.

[Andi]

Red-homing-laser-drone-techno-organic-megadrive sounds like Biohazard Battle. You sure it was a vert?

Third vote for this. Other than it being a hori, it sounds like you are describing Biohazard Battle.

[Specineff]

It is a vertical space shmup. You flew a ship or ship-like-object. Your ship had its guns, and you had a drone that would follow you about throwing out special attacks on its own (I think). There were different colored powerups that would change the drone-ship's special. If you got more than one powerup of the same color in a row, it would upgrade that special attack. Get a different color and you restarted from square one with the new special. I distinctly remember the red powerup was my favorite because it was a homing laser beam thingy.

The closest match I have is Soldier Blade for the TG16. Following Drone, Special attacks, Vertical, different-colored powerups, upgradeable. Perhaps you are also mixing another shmup with it, but the one that meets most of your descriptions is Soldier Blade.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_Blade

There is also a homing attack, but that's the green weapon's special.