One
of my favorite video-game-related platitudes is that "the shmup
is only as good as its weapon system". Generally speaking, I'm
(most other people probably are too) likely to have a heck of a
lot more fun with a shooter that gives the player plenty of fiendish
ways to splatter large numbers of attacking aliens (Super
Aleste and Zanac
being two prominent examples), rather than one where that standard
straight-firing vulcan is all you've got. Aero Blasters (also seen
on the Genny as Air Buster, I believe...doubt it looks quite as
good though) is a bit of an oddity as far as this rule is concerned
though; while there ARE secondary weapons (about ten of them, if
I'm not mistaken), none of them is particularly useful, and nine-tenths
of the time it's just your little plane's main cannon that stands
between life and flaming wreckage.
Nonetheless,
Aero Blasters continues to be my fix of choice among the TG's vast
shmup library, outdoing notable contenders like Salamander, R-Type
2, and Gunhed in the process. Why, you ask? Well it's simple, really.
Exemplary graphics and such aside, Aero Blasters is a rarity in
the shmup world, in that it emphasizes pure technique and reflexes
over simply grabbing scads of power-ups and roasting everything
in your path (Radiant Silvergun also seems to do this) and still
manages to be quite fun (to be fair, the anemic Heavy Unit also
works on this principle) in the process. A far cry from the Compile
school of shooters, certainly, but this unique approach to the genre
is particularly well-executed here, at least for awhile.
I'm sure there's some sort of perfunctory storyline in the instructions
someplace, but all I've got is the ROM image (heretical, I know,
but TGs seem to be hard to come by here in Delaware), so I really
couldn't say for sure. All I know is that you can choose between
Blaster #1 (a badass-looking red and black fighter jet that you
wouldn't want to encounter in an alley after midnight), or Blaster
#2 (a somewhat less badass-looking yellow jet that would probably
get beaten up for its lunch money if jet planes went to elementary
school) from the title screen, both of which play identically aside
from the cosmetic differences. If you're not the antisocial type,
you and a friend can each grab a jet and take on the evil hordes
(either Marxist reformers or aliens, I think, but who knows?) together
a la Salamander.
In any case, things start off over a nice little seaside city (*snicker*),
eventually moving on to a nasty cave, a climb into Earth's orbit,
deep space, a space station, and other levels that I've yet to see
because I just plain rot at the game (and because of factors mentioned
later in the review). The look is vaguely reminiscent of Capcom's
U.N. Squadron, but the enemies trend more toward the "Macross" end
of things; big mechs, little mechs, bulbous aircraft, and impossibly
huge "boss" ships abound. Everything looks quite nice (even for
the TG, known for its nice-looking shmups); enemies, backgrounds,
and your ship alike use a bright, well-defined color scheme to achieve
that neat "anime" look not often seen outside Capcom's later fighting
games these days. Unfortunately, the sound is less inspired, but
it doesn't actively grate and the music has its moments of brilliance
(stage 4), so think twice before you go muting it.
Aside from one critical flaw (which I'll get to), Aero Blasters
plays (lack of superweapons be damned) nigh-on perfectly. Control
is flawless (for the first few stages..coming to that in a minute
though), and the scroll speed ranges from "pretty fast" to "mild
nausea" without ever a touch of slowdown, hail of bullets or no
hail of bullets. Pick-uppable weapons aside (they really aren't
worth detailing, though it should be noted that the blue "M" power-up
[homing missile] is probably the best of the bunch to grab), your
ship's stuck with an upgradable (grab the "P" icons in the flying
power-up cans) forward-firing vulcan cannon and unlimited use of
a smart bomb that's really only good against the weakest of enemies
(it does clear the screen of most projectiles though) and takes
a bit of time to recharge between blasts. As you'd expect, such
a setup is wholly inadequate to counter the numbing onslaught of
the alien/Commie fleet, but therein lies Aero Blasters' charm. From
the get-go, bullets are flying all over the place; while this can
be alleviated somewhat with the smart bomb, very precise dodging
is still necessary if you plan on surviving very long at all (single-hit
deaths, three lives, five continues, and absolutely no extras are
all you've got - as in real life, try not to die unless it becomes
absolutely necessary). Additionally, most of your bigger enemies
(bosses especially) can both dish out and take quite a beating,
and the straightforward (pun intended) nature of your plane's main
cannon will usually make it necessary to place yourself in the line
of fire to do more than infinitesimal damage; again, it's all about
technique and coordination, not grabbing six Power Beams and atomizing
boss after boss after boss (though don't get me wrong- there's a
time and a place that too. After chemistry exams, for instance...).
If Aero Blasters kept up the formula established in stages 1-3,
it would be perfection embodied; tragically though, such is not
the case. From stage 4 on (4 and 5 anyway..maybe it isn't true in
later stages), the control goes inexplicably soggy (a la Tyrian
or Stargunner on the PC), apparently to simulate the vacuum of space
or somesuch. Unfortunately, all it really manages to do is seriously
crimp the mirth; just when the whole projectile issue becomes truly
intense, your ship is stripped of its ability to maneuver well.
It doesn't render the game unplayable (far from it; I actually thought
the effect was a nice touch the first time through), but not being
able to properly negotiate a hail of bullets just because the game's
trying for cheap "realism" is quite frustrating, to say the least.
Aside from that small point, and the fact that this entire take
on shmups is a bit of an acquired taste in itself, Aero Blasters
is one heck of a game; good-looking, fast-moving, and for the most
part quite intense. Though those weaned on the likes of Super Aleste
(yes, I KNOW I keep mentioning Super Aleste. You'd be hard-pressed
to find a more weapon-centric shmup though...) may not immediately
enjoy it (or do very well at it...it's a bit of a gear-shift technique-wise),
hardcore shmup fans looking for a test of pure, unadulterated skill
won't be disappointed in the least (until they hit stage 4, at any
rate).
Aeroblasters
- Hudson
