Though dated by today's
standards, Tac/Scan was a very visually impressive game for it's
time. It featured some of the best vector graphics until the debut
of Nintendo's failed Virtual Boy. There were other vector games
out at that time, but few were given the attention to detail that
Tac/Scan was. One thing that was different is that unlike any other
comtemporary shmups in 1982, this game actually scrolled vertically,
and then switched to a pseudo-3D view (like Silpheed). Now, back
then I was really into Asteroids, Defender, Centipede, and the newer
Galaga and Zaxxon, but when I saw a Tac/Scan cabinet at my local
arcade it definitely caught my eye.
The sounds were also
notable for the era. There was, of course, no background music,
but the sound effects actually sounded like the things they were
supposed to sound like (a rarity in '82!). No voice sample here,
though, as were in Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back
At a period in gaming
where there really were no well defined game genres, Tac/Scan still
comes across today as very shmuppy. Your movement is limited to
the bottom of the screen like Galaga, but, unlike Galaga, you could
swivel your squadron of seven ships left and right via a dial. The
control itself is quite responsive, and you never find yourself
blaming the dial for your own shmupping blunders. If a ship did
happen to be destroyed, you could replace it immediately from a
ship in your own reserve or wait to score another 20,000 points
so a couple spare ships would float down from the top of the screen
for you to skillfully dock with. If you lost all your ships, your
game was over, and your quarter was obviously sacrificed to te shmup
gods. Once you make it through a certain amount of enemies the viewpoint
switches to behind and slightly above your ships, and you cut down
more enemy hoardes from a new vantage point. Once that's done, you
navigate your way through a warp tunnel, and do it all over again
with a new squadron formation. Pretty cutting edge for 1982.
In retrospect, Tac/Scan
was definitely one of my favorite early shmups. It's not one of
the famous classic shmups like Defender or Galaga, but it is a classic
nonetheless. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is into collecting
old carcade games (if you can find a PCB that works). If you can't
do that, then you can always play it on MAME. Even if you're fairly
new to shmupping Tac/Scan is still worth playing. You can see what
shooters were like before fancy new play mechanics like boss encounters
and roaming freely around the screen. Not a lot of old games pass
the test of time and remain as enjoyable today as they were when
they were released, but Tac/Scan surely does. If you haven't played
it, try it. To be fair, the graphics and sound scores below are
Tac/Scan compared to other games out in the early 80s. Gameplay
and enjoyment, however, are timeless.
 |
|
Graphics:
8.5
Sound:
8.5
Gameplay:
8.5
Overall:
8.5 |
Sega - Tac/Scan
