Toaplan Genesis/Megadrive shooters

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 11:23 pm

OK, I think I played ever single Toaplan Genesis/Megadrive shooter, here's the list that I made:

Twin Cobra (Hardest game of all the Genesis Toaplan shooters)
Twin Hawk (Goes by a different name in Japan, only has a PAL and Japan release)
Tatsujin/Truxton
Hellfire
Fire Shark
Zero Wing (PAL and Japan release)
Slap Fight
Grindstormer / V-5

I'm missing anything else?

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:33 am

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm looking to learn more about Toaplan shooters generally and would love to have a complete list.

Which were your favorites, Fighter17?

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:47 am

professor ganson wrote:Not to hijack the thread, but I'm looking to learn more about Toaplan shooters generally and would love to have a complete list.

Which were your favorites, Fighter17?

We could do that (I must rename the whole tread, but if more people want to learn more about Toaplan, I don't mind

).

My favorites:

Favorite Toaplan shooter overall: Batsugun

Favorite Toaplan Genesis shooter: Hellfire

The hardest Toaplan Genesis shooter of all time: Twin Cobra!

A year ago, I bash Toaplan because of Zero Wing. Some guy here taught me to respect Toaplan because they care for shoot 'em ups while they were still in business. The more I play Toaplan games, the most I respect them. Today, I truly unstandstand why Toaplan were great and why they are one of my favorite shoot 'em up companies of all time (Next to Cave, Raizing, Konami, and Treasure)!

Today, the reminds of Toaplan were in three different companies: Cave, Raizing, and Takumi.

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:53 am

How about Grindstormer / V-5? That got a Genesis port, allegedly a pretty good one.

Damn, it seems like that awesome Toaplan museum site is dead. I think it was toaplan.com? That'd be a great resource to learn more from.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:04 am

Fighter17 wrote:My favorites:

Favorite Toaplan shooter overall: Batsugun

Favorite Toaplan Genesis shooter: Hellfire

The hardest Toaplan Genesis shooter of all time: Twin Cobra!

Of these I've only played Twin Cobra and I absolutely love it. So much to look forward to! I'll probably have to wait til next year to get Batsugun and Hellfire, but they are at the top of my list.

SAM · Post by **SAM** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:19 am

There is one more Toaplan MageDrive Shmups you are missing:

Slap Fight.

Also some said Musha Aleste too

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:21 am

BenT wrote:How about Grindstormer / V-5? That got a Genesis port, allegedly a pretty good one.

Damn, it seems like that awesome Toaplan museum site is dead. I think it was toaplan.com? That'd be a great resource to learn more from.

Yes, that's a Toaplan shooter, let me add that on the list. A shmup forum member told me that there're not many working game carts of the game for the Genesis because the cartridge ROM chip were made of cheap material, and they don't last long.

SAM wrote:There is one more Toaplan MageDrive Shmups you are missing:

Slap Fight.

Also some said Musha Aleste too

Musha Aleste is not a Toaplan shooter! Toaplan just publish the game in Japan only.

Slap Fight is on the list.

professor ganson wrote: Of these I've only played Twin Cobra and I absolutely love it. So much to look forward to! I'll probably have to wait til next year to get Batsugun and Hellfire, but they are at the top of my list.

I played Twin Cobra since I was four, and I still haven't 1CC it (I play it time to time). I just got Hellfire for the Genesis and OMG it's so great! You will love it!

Edit: OK, I just played Slap Fight and the game looks more like a 8-bit/16-bit hybird. The ship kind of reminds me of Star Soldier, and the power up system is soooooooo Gradius.

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:17 am

BenT wrote:How about Grindstormer / V-5? That got a Genesis port, allegedly a pretty good one.

.

I have the Game Players mini review of that game permanently burned in to my memory.

"This game should come in a plain, white box with the word 'Shooter' written on it."

metallica_tyler · Post by **metallica_tyler** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:52 am

an excellent place to search for information is Wikipedia.

http://www.wikipedia.org

I searched on Toaplan and read up on lots of juicy information!

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:55 am

Well had to chime in...

There are of course a few more toaplan shooters (Vimana, Dogyuun) that are pretty inventive, and then there is the simply amazing Truxton 2--but none of these have ports (truxton 2 has a port on the fm towns marty--who the #%@ owns one of those???)

All things considered, I think we are really lucky to have the saturn port of Batsugun (probably Toaplan's best game), given how many of their other games went right down the pooper at the end of their run.

All in all I would rate my favorite Toaplan games as:

Batsugun
Fire Shark
Twin Cobras
Truxton 2
Twin Hawk (sort of an honorable mention, though still great!)

Of these, the fireshark and Twin Hawk ports on the Genesis are well worth checking out, and both are inexpensive (even w/ Twin Hawk being an import). For Batsugun and Twin Cobras I say bite the bullet! The Saturn port of Batsugun is just TOO GOOD to pass up and belongs in any shmup collection, while Twin Cobras should be played on the toaplan shooting battle on the psx, not the squashed genesis port.

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 5:22 am

Fighter17 wrote:A shmup forum member told me that there're not many working game carts of the game for the Genesis because the cartridge ROM chip were made of cheap material, and they don't last long.

Yeah, I read that on Digital Press forum or something. Troubling. I never saw any hard info on it. I guess I'll find out for myself whenever I finally get around to buying Grindstormer and Gauntlet IV.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:54 am

Here's my opinion of all the MD Toaplan ports (in case anybody is interested):

- Kyuukyoku Tiger/Twin Cobra
A really bad port. The colors are all messed up and the game became way too hard. I play the PCE port of this, which is really nice, but I'm still looking for a copy of Toaplan Shooting Battle Vol. 1 for PSX, which is the ultimate package for all the Tigers.

- Daisenpuu/Twin Hawk
Very cool game, and a really nice port, supposedly better than both PCE HuCard and CD-Rom versions. It's kind of weird tho that all enemies in this game are ground based.

- Tatsujin/Truxton
There's an ongoing debate as whether this or the PCE HuCard is the better port. IMO, the game really isn't all the special anyway, kind of bare bones. Just fire up Tatsujin-Oh in Mame, that game improves on its predecessor in every aspect.

- Hellfire
I HATE this game. I mean technically it's not bad or anything, it's just that the control setup is awkward and it's frustrating to no end. Also, stay away from the PCE version.

- Same! Same! Same!/Fire Shark
I think in a poll this would win as people's most favorite Toaplan game on MD. Really competent port, and the game is really well balanced and fun. I've already seen a number of arcades in Japan that still have this game, testament to its popularity and its status as a true classic.

- Zero Wing
I think this is the easiest Toaplan game I've played. It's a nice port (better than PCE) and fun to play, if only a bit bare compared to other horis from the same era.

- Slap Fight
It's technically a really nice package, containing a nearly 1:1 port of the original Slapfight (well, it's an old game), plus a remixed version just for Megadrive in which all the music is ripped straight out of Gradius II, which really kind of pissed me off. I've only played this on emulator, so I'm not sure if this was a patch or what. Anybody have an original and care to clarify?
Anyway, the Slapfights aren't really that good though. There's this weird system where everytime you power up, your ship gets wider and wider, obviously making it terribly hard to dodge anything at all. Seeing as this game can cost around $150,- for a complete copy, I'd just skip over it.

- V-V/Grindstormer
This is my favorite Toaplan game on Megadrive! It's a good port, but more than that, it's the only late-era Toaplan game to make it to a console before Batsugun (iirc). This game really shows the direction in which Toaplan and arcade shooters in general were going. The guns have gotten BIG and there is a greater focus on bullets and directing the direction in which they fly. The game is super hard and the checkpoint system can be really frustrating, but I think no Toaplan fan should miss this.

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 10:41 am

I know everybody is making fun of Twin Cobra, but to tell you the truth, I like the port. I been playing the Genesis port since I was six OK, and when you been playing one game for long, none of the other ports matters. I just played the PCE version and it's better (better colors and shorter Blue spread range). Still, because the game is waaaaaaaay too hard, I'm not going to purchase the Genesis ersion, or else I'm going to have a heart attack!

Edit: Did V-V/Grindstormer ever have a Megadrive Japanese release?

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:33 am

What is amazing to me is how with twice as much screen, the psx version of twin cobras isn't any easier than the genesis version!

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:55 am

Fighter17 wrote:Edit: Did V-V/Grindstormer ever have a Megadrive Japanese release?

Yes, in Japan it's "V-V" and in the US it was "Grindstormer". The power up system is different in each version in the arcade. However both JPN Megadrive and US Genesis versions include both versions. So you're getting two games in one. Or rather, one and a half games in one.

llaoyllakcuf · Post by **llaoyllakcuf** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:29 pm

overall I'd say Fire Shark, Flying Shark, Kyukyoku Tiger, Tatsujin, and V-5 are my favorites of Toaplan.

about the V-5 (JP) and Grindstormer (World) power up systems:

V-5 is like Gradius, you pick up energy icons in order to select between speed-ups/shot-type/power/shield on a menu, and you can't stock bombs.
in Grindstormer the different power up items appear by themselves on screen and you can hold and use bombs anytime, like in most shooters.

a code exists in the arcade version that can change the system in V-5 to that of Grindstormer's.

P.S. the end credits of V-5 show one of the chief programmers is T.Ikeda, who now works at Cave.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:17 pm

Seven Force wrote: I'm still looking for a copy of Toaplan Shooting Battle Vol. 1 for PSX, which is the ultimate package for all the Tigers.

I got this because CMoon praised it in the past, and it completely rules. Only thing is: you need a Jap PS1; on a PS2 it won't work properly. So I bought a Japanese PS1 (used and reasonably priced) just to play this and it was well worth it. Twin Cobra is likely to become my focus once I get tp wherever it is I'm going with Dragon Blaze (which I'm absolutely loving-- there are some things that Gunbird 2 does better but on the whole this is my favorite Psikyo shooter right now).

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:26 pm

While the rest of Toaplan shmups left me quite cold (and getting worse with newer titles), I enjoyed Twin Hawk (Daisenpuu) and Fire Shark (Same!Same!Same!).

Though the latter is perhaps an overall better game, it also features a more mainstream shmup concept, and feels kinda funny that your red biplane is packed with some HUGE weapons that would embarass the most modern mecha.

Therefore Twin Hawk struck me the most, for the aforementioned uniqueness of you facing ground enemies only... Plus, Twin Hawk has one of the most controversial smart bombs/special attacks I've ever seen... A kamikaze squadron (zero planes I believe) for support! Amazing stuff.

I do hope that www.toaplan.com will resurrect: it was just too polished as a webpage to waste it.

btw

Daisenpuu = Great Hurricane
Same!Same!Same! = Shark!Shark!Shark!

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:05 pm

Thanks Turrican, i was wondering why nobody had posted that link yet. Toaplan.com is the shizzy hizzy.

Or something.

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:08 pm

Shit... actually it's gone.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:51 pm

Surprised there isn't more praise for Batsugun (as it is easily my favorite), but Turrican is right about Daisenpuu, there is something up with that game.

It is a bit hard to describe, but the game has a unique mood that just doesn't feel like any other shmup. The all-ground-based-enemies makes it very unique along with the multi-use-bomb (I find myself using the squadron more than suiciding or smart-bombing them). Perhaps the most bizarre thing I can say about it is how it reminds me of Raizing games (an idea I can't entirely explain). The mood to me feels more like Garegga with its drabness and strict military feel. Well, I'm probably alone in these sentiments.

One other thing though about Twin Hawks, the power-up system makes it among the least punishing of Toaplan shmups since you never become insanely powered up, and each power-up icon actually raises you a power level. While there is a lack of diversity in weapons, the fact that you actually stand a chance after dying once (unlike most other toaplan games) is a huge factor in the playability department.

Not Toaplan's best, but highly unique and memorable--certainly not deserving of its relative obscurity.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:41 am

CMoon wrote:Perhaps the most bizarre thing I can say about it is how it reminds me of Raizing games (an idea I can't entirely explain). The mood to me feels more like Garegga with its drabness and strict military feel. Well, I'm probably alone in these sentiments.

No, you're not. It totally reminds me of Garegga as well. Not just the visuals though, I think it's also the way your plane controls/shoots. Maybe the game is also a bit faster than the usual Toaplan stuff, I'll have to play it again though, to say for sure.

llabnip · Post by **llabnip** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 3:28 pm

Seven Force wrote:- Slap Fight
It's technically a really nice package, containing a nearly 1:1 port of the original Slapfight (well, it's an old game), plus a remixed version just for Megadrive in which all the music is ripped straight out of Gradius II, which really kind of pissed me off. I've only played this on emulator, so I'm not sure if this was a patch or what. Anybody have an original and care to clarify?

I own Slapfight MD and think it's really a phenomenal port (probably the best 16-bit port of a Toaplan game). The remixed version music does sound like Gradius II but I haven't played G2 in a while so I'll have to do a better comparison some other time.

Seven Force wrote:Anyway, the Slapfights aren't really that good though. There's this weird system where everytime you power up, your ship gets wider and wider, obviously making it terribly hard to dodge anything at all.

The wideness allows you to cover more ground quickly - a necessity in this game. But being bigger does have the dodge disadvantage... so you need to get the shield first! It's a good system - and a hard game until you come to grips with the order in which you should powerup. The remixed version feels pretty different so you're getting 2 games here. But the price is very steep... I somehow believe that this would be much better received as a $10 game.

Speaking of $10 games... I agree with the praise of Daisenpuu. A very solid shooter that holds up well today and can be had for a very reasonable price. Toaplan remains one of my favoriate developers for shooters - just about everything they've done for the genre has its charms. It's too bad they no longer exist (well, bits and parts of the Toaplan crew went off to help with the modern era of shooters).

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:03 pm

circuitface wrote:Shit... actually it's gone.

Not with the power of the Internet Archive:

http://web.archive.org/web/200406290808 ... aplan.com/

All the info, minus the images though.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:04 pm

anyone who wants to complain about slap fight, play cybercore on pc engine. totally off subject i am.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:13 pm

I've been playing Truxton a bit for the first time. Nice game, though it feels a bit sedate after Twin Cobra. No doubt it picks up pace as you go along. The bomb is very memorable, and the weapon power-ups look nice against the cool blue screen.

llabnip returns!?

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:19 pm

professor ganson wrote:llabnip returns!?

haha his screenname is pinball spelled backwards...

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:21 pm

captain ahar wrote:
professor ganson wrote:llabnip returns!?
haha his screenname is pinball spelled backwards...

mystery solved-- thanks capt.!

yojo! · Post by **yojo!** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 8:38 pm

Slapfight rocks. Easier than the PCB (even on hardest) mainly because of the shield that never timeout; but still an awesome port.

All toaplan games (except for FixEight, well there is always one exception to any rule isn't it ?) deserve praise and love.

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:16 am

I try out Slap Fight again and I'm still not fond of it. I agree with llabnip, more powerups = bigger hitbox.