Pandora's Tower: Emotion and Beauty Caught in a Storm

Wound of a World 

Patched by 13 Towers 

Floating Above a Void 

One Brave Knight 

One Distressed Soul 

Once Upon a Time...

Curse of the Flesh Must be Resolved

Pandora's Tower feels like an old-style epic that focuses on character development as much as it does on action. The two main protagonists are Aeron: a young man who is tasked with conquering beastly masters of thirteen mysterious towers; and his cursed childhood friend Elena: a girl who needs to consume the masters' flesh to rid of her curse.

This is may seem like a creepy premise for a game, but it works because of the evolving relationship between Aeron and Elena. What begins as friendship evolves into a relationship, finally flourishing into love. And this love motif is not some forgetful notion to be used as a mere narrative drive, it's actually ingrained into the gameplay.

Beauty Distressed 

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When not exploring the towers, Aeron is able to talk with Elena. By exchanging some kind words with the lovely maiden their relationship grows, which influences the type of ending you'll get at the end of your journey. Just like real life, having a good report with a girl is pivotal to character development.

How far the couple's bond extends dependents on several neat features: By conversing, selecting the right responses, and sharing information the two lovers sooth and confine each other. Any item in Aeron's possession can be given as a gift -- although, Elena is not interested in weaponry or weird items. She prefers lovely trinkets such as rings, broaches, or household items, which she'll often use to spruce up their hideout.

The towers provide many items that can be turned into useful equipment and fancy gifts. And Mavda, the eccentric merchant woman who carries her monstrous husband inside a large cauldron strapped to her back, is always ready to lend a hand -- at a reasonable price of course. What's neat about the game is that Elena wears her gifts around the hideout, and if you let her curse get too far, her abrupt transformation into a ghastly being will break the items.

Glory of the Chain 

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During frequent visits to the towers the focus is action, searching, and monster slaying. To combat the hostile critters of the towers, Aron can be equipped with various weapons, armour and helpful trinkets. The youth's main tool of combat is an enchanted Oraclos Chain, which can be used to bind, pull, and tear all foes. The chain is also spiritually linked to Elena, and shows how far along her curse is progressing, wait too long and beauty shifts to beast.

By aiming the Wiimote at specific objects an "O" icon appears, enabling you to interact with them by using the chain. The stages are made for fast movement, and offer plenty of opportunities for fulfilling platforming and swinging action. While aiming, the game slows down, allowing for swift targeting of specific parts. Enemies can be bound to objects, or to each other to link their life points, and be disarmed from armour or weapons.

During boss encounters, the chain's mechanics really shine. To avoid being swept into a hellish inferno, Aeron must cling onto a cavernous ceiling, and wait until a gigantic molten master surfaces to tear at its flesh. When facing the plant-like master, the chain is used to pull the boss to prevent it from healing in the sun light. I don't want to give away too much, but trust me, each encounter with a master is memorable and innovative.

Towers of Wonder; Sounds of Doom; You Will Return

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Visually Pandora's Tower is one of the best looking Wii titles available. The textures are smooth, the colours are bright and bold, and each of the towers has challenges unique to its surroundings and constructs. Running around, you'll often loose yourself in the emotive atmosphere of this game. The two recurring issues I had with the overall design, was not being able to control the camera, and noticing reused sections/rooms throughout the towers.

The score for this game is of highest quality. Fully orchestrated, and clearly based on classical opera compositions of grand master composers like Franz Liszt and Caccini. The symphonic arrangements in this game will take you to euphoric highs. Just listen to this Boss Theme. It kind of sucks that the tracks get reused a bit throughout the adventure. And I really wish there was more classical music similar to this score in more games.

The game's world has a very rich back-story that you'll piece together by reading tomes about the towers, conversing with Mavda, and witnessing Elena's vivid visions. There are many subtle, political, and religious overtones that complement the game's focus on turmoil and destiny. And I enjoyed the parallels between a world that's about to be torn apart by war, and the healing bond of youthful love.

It's worth noting that after beating the game once, you'll gain access to more rooms and items, which will help you get the best ending, if you did not do so the first time around.

Just like Pandora's Box, Pandora's Tower was destined not to be played with. However, because of some dedicated North American fanfare Nintendo's decision not to localize the game for the American audience was overturned. Thanks to the fine people who spoke up, we can all witness Aeron's resolve to keep his lover from loosing her humanity to the hungry beast within.

Pandora's Tower gets 92 sturdy chain links out of a 100. 

Developer: Ganbarion
Publisher: Xseed Games
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action RPG
Released: 2013

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Tomb Raider: Explorer's Journey into Cult of Croft

If your only recollection of Tomb Raider is the two marginal flicks staring Angelina Jolie, do yourself a favour and look up Lara Croft. Long story short, she's an intelligent, athletic, explorer of ancient tombs, who happens to collect valuable trinkets—a total everyday woman.

This time the party responsible for unhinging the crypt again is Crystal Dynamics: a company famed for creating Gex and the Legacy of Kain games. If you're expecting a hot-pants sporting, dual-pistol wielding Lara of old, you may be a little surprised.

For this title, Crystal Dynamics chose to focus on the origin story of fan favourite English archaeologist, Lara Croft. A time when she seems less experienced, yet determined to make her mark nevertheless. Proving once again that archaeology can be a very demanding trade.

Will of Yamatai

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After a violent shipwreck, Lara finds herself bound and hanging upside down in a confined cave. In a frenzied attempt to escape her predicament, Lara lands on a protruding spike which punctures through her abdomen (good job freeing her). Bloodied and hurt, she stumbles through the darkness into a gory sacrificial chamber. Her discovery indicates a beginning of a malicious struggle she must overcome to escape the mysterious Yamatai island, and its brutish inhabitants: The Solarii Brotherhood.

In an attempt to flee a volatile roundup of her crew-mates, Lara is forced to kill for the first time. This scene is absolutely brutal and not for the squeamish. It also sets the tonality of the entire game: you must learn to survive at all cost. In fact, the entire game engine is set up on that premise. And that's a good thing. You'll hunt, collect artifacts, explore puzzle-filled tombs, and combat waves of crazed enemies.

Every enemy that you neutralize can be searched for items. And many weapon upgrades can be found as you progress. Your movement is not restricted by a preset path, as the stages intertwine and change in layout as the story moves on. There's also plenty of opportunities to back-track with new weapon upgrades to uncover more areas and story tidbits. My favourite way of traversing is using Lara's bow to shoot ropes across great chasms and then zip-lining away.

Crafting with Croft

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Reaching a campsite provides opportunity for respite, and enables Lara to use gained experience points to unlock skills and abilities. Those can range from survival skills, such as, arrow recovery and more space to carry ammo, to combat upgrades that make you more proficient at stealth kills. (Stabbing a foe in the toe with an arrow just to axe him in the head never gets old.) The best part about this experience-based upgrading is that it feels like a natural way of gaining skills as the game progresses.

The game's design esthetic borrows from Eastern cultures, and integrates imposing statues, temples, and modern scavenged technology to create a distinctive tapestry of memorable visuals. The island itself is prone to extreme and changing weather patters which prevent you from reaching your goal safely. The environmental conditions in this game are stunning, especially when coupled with the highly detailed and realistic structures of the ancient island.

Blinding winds blanket the landscape, tearing apart everything that's not bolted down. Lightning bolts strike mountains, moving the very ground you're on—swiftly providing some inverted platforming travel. And there are plenty of crazy action sequences: Lara crushes through a falling B-52, and smashes into its glass cockpit with just enough time to reach for a parachute before the glass cracks, then free-falls through a dense forest canopy hoping for a safe landing. I hope you like quick-time events because there are many.

Journey-Woman Lives
 

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The story is fantastic, and structured with tight and mature writing. A forgotten ancient tribe that worshiped a supernatural queen, a violent and raging cult, fearsome bloodthirsty Japanese demons, and plenty of emotional scenes to tie it all together. Indeed, the mysterious dark island possess many dreadful secrets for Lara to uncover as she progresses. The voice acting is great, and the entirety of the dialogue feels like a well crafted script. Penned by, Rhianna Pratchett, and voiced by English actress, Camilla Luddington, this new young Lara is in the right hands. Or vocal chords I should say.

The music in the game tends to build tension, and feels like a natural extension of the environments you travel through: chimes, woodwind instruments, subtle piano parts, and some very strange horror-like FX—made by a homemade steel contraption, used for all the intense encounters in the game. This standout score was composed by Jason Graves, whose work can be heard in the Dead Space series and Star Trek: Legacy.

The multilayer component of the game is also worth a mention. There's the standard PvP combat, Private Rescue where teams must move medical supplies to marked locations, and Cry for Help, which involves exploring the map to retrieve batteries and defending radio beacons from scavengers by setting traps. All the mechanics from the main game carry over to multilayer, making this—first-ever—addition to Tomb Raider functional and fun.

Gloom and Shine

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My only issue with the game was the graphic depictions of Lara's numerous deaths. When Lara dies, she really dies in agony. What's really unsettling about it, is that the game auto saves right before dying. This repeats the fatality until you get the timing of the button press, or become proficient at avoiding lethal objects. I don't have issues with gory content if it delivers a more believable experience, but some of the scenarios got a bit daunting for my taste.

Also, the survival skills that seemed interesting in the beginning, like gathering meat from killed animals, were rendered useless rather quickly. Mostly because Lara's health regenerates fast, and combat becomes more predominate later on. And there's the guide markers: Ledges marked with flashing lines, which tend to stand out too much from the environment and delude the immersion factor.

Putting the gory bits and shinny delusions aside, I'm happy to say that playing this revival of the Lara Croft franchise was like stumbling upon a valued historical artifact in my backyard: an experience definitely worth treasuring. Marooned on a mysterious island, Lara must learn to survive in a very hostile environment. Driven by her astounding inborn determination she must overcome her vulnerabilities and become a survivor. Will you help her find her way?

Tomb Raider gets five benevolent Japanese figurines out of five. 

Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: PS3/4, Xbox 360/One, OS X
Genre: Action Adventure
Released: 2013

kitguru.net

Christmas With The Batman, an Origins Story

When I first heard that the new Batman game would focus on the masked crusader's origins, I was ecstatic. Now here's a hero with an extensive back story and lots of flying mammal skeletons in his closet. Plenty of material to choose from for a new game, I said. And patiently waited.

An origin story, almost

The creators of Batman Arkham Origins chose to stick to the well crafted formula set by Arkham Asylum and Arkham City games. The combat is still smooth and dynamic, gadgets are aplenty, and the atmosphere is galvanizing. Unfortunately, beyond that, the game does not stray out of its comfortable and preset foundation. A pity, since the title Origins states a beginning of something new in development.

Let's have a closer look under the cowl, because Arkham Origins is still a solid noteworthy title.

A relentless kingpin known as The Black Mask puts out a hit on Batman. Moments later (literally) a slew of shady foes answer the call to kill: Deathstroke, Bane, Copperhead, Deadshot, Anarky, Firefly and Penguin. Looks like there will be no Christmas dinner for Bruce Wayne. Alfred will have to feed the bats again, alone. And on his Birthday no less—OK, I made that one up.

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A night in Gotham 

Out of the cold winter night Batman descends on a criminal-infested Gotham City. Swiftly proving that the production values in this game are staggering. The large gloomy city is designed to mirror characteristics of Tim Burton's Batman flicks: many archways, domed structures, tall steeples, grimy alleyways, odd statues, and rooftops. And the best part: By using his famed grapnel gun, Batman can easily scour the entire impressively detailed Gotham City landscape.

Since the entire city is under martial law, there are lots of criminals to bust and stalk. This allows plenty of opportunities to utilize Batman's silent take-down techniques and gadgets like batarangs, explosive gel mines, smoke bombs and numerous other crime-busting devices. The majority of fights are executed using the fluid combat system established by Origins predecessors. You'll counter, dodge, and flow from one foe to the next, gain experience, unlock more abilities, and feel great about it. It's awesome. Except, it was all done in previous games.

Now you may point out—as my friend did—that this is a beat 'em up game after all. Yes, that it is. And a fine one at that. However, this is a third entry in the Batman franchise. And for a game that promises to present a “young, raw, more unrefined” Batman, it still feels like you're controlling an experienced master crime-buster we all know from the previous games.

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Opportunity cowed 

Playing through certain parts of the game, I felt like there were many opportunities for the designers to come up with something different. When the anti-authority angst-y youth, Anarky, threatens to blow up Gotham's economic centres of power, Batman is tasked with disarming the bombs. After doing so, Batman engages Anarky in combat and busts his face. I would have gotten more enjoyment trying to convince Anarky to join my side, and have him target some of my foes.

Mad Hatter makes a brief appearance, offering a brief respite from combat. He forces Batman into a 2-D dreamworld where the Dark Knight has to rely on his platforming skills. This could have been a perfect side-quest to inject more puzzle-like elements into the gameplay. I would love an opportunity to use Batman's legendary computer—you know, the one takes up half the Bat Cave. Instead, we are, once again, tasked with finding collectibles, and doing missions to unlock extra content and additional moves. Not a very creative way to extend play time.

justpushstart.com

Diving into delights 

Fortunately there are plenty of great moments in the game: Free-gliding through all the numerous structures will give you a feeling of total immersion and non-linear progression. It's fun. It's functional. It's all about being a powerful kick-ass hero. You now have an option of setting objectives according to your priority. By doing so, a giant Bat Signal will mark the spot you need to get to. This makes navigation a breeze, and you are never left wandering astray. You can also use Batman's slick jet to move onto drop off points, providing you disable Riddler's jamming towers. Nygma!!

I really enjoyed investigating crime scenes using Batman's scanner, and seeing the entire crime in a virtual reality state, where I could rewind time to see past actions and study the area for all possible clues. In a true Batman game tradition, the original tone-setting music is simply incredible, and can easily match any big budget Hollywood score. Also, the boss battles use the foundation of the solid combat engine, and allow you to exhibit all of Batman's skills and gadgets. I especially like how Batman scavenges his foes' weapons, and converts them to his cause.

It's hard to recommend this game to a newbie. If you never played Batman: Arkham Asylum, or Arkham City, I suggest you try those out. For the price of this game you could have both. And lets face it, you'll still probably get this game to complete your collection. Most likely at a lower cost, since you'd have to blow through two Batman games before getting to this one.

Batman Origins gets four scuffed Bat-cowls out of five. 

Developer: Warner Bros Games Montreal

Publisher: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment

Platform: PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360

Genre: Beat-'em-up

Released: 2013

Happy Holidays, Hope It's Pure West!

Thunder Force V, Glimpse of Shooter Heaven

To enjoy this review fully you'll need to put on a pair of nostalgia specs. If your monitor becomes a bit finicky and rough around the edges, don't fret, that's just the early 1998 resolution: a way-back realm of low polygons and rough CG compression.

Today we enter the house of PlayStation. Pop the flap open, place the black disk onto the reel—make sure to hold it by its sides—and press in the circular Power button. Let's begin our venture into another classic shooter: Thunder Force V.

Touted as the greatest shooter series amongst its numerous fans, Thunder Force V first came out on Sega Saturn in 1997, and got its well deserved PS1 port the following year. Thunder Force V deserves its spot in the limelight for three reasons: it has wickedly articulate mechanical designs—a la Gundam, lots of gnawing skirmishes, and a kick-ass hard-rocking soundtrack.

I was going to write how utterly and undeniably awesome Thunder Force V is, but as soon as I started playing it an unprecedented nostalgic feeling swept over me.

It's 1998, I'm 18 and chilling at my friend's house. He tells me to check out this new Japanese shooter he just got, and plumps the game disc into his PS1. He takes a few steps towards me to hand me a controller, but accidentally trips on the system's power cord, pulling the entire PS1 off of the TV shelf...

We spent the next 20 minutes trying to secure a near busted flap so the laser would read the disk. Two well placed Hobby Japan magazines later, and we're finally playing Thunder Force V. An hour into the game, we're staring at the screen mesmerized by the game's up-beat tempo, iconic design, while thumping our feet to some of the most irresistible rock/metal tunes to grace a video game.

I wasn't kidding when I told you to put on those nostalgia specs.

Playing shooters on the PS1 was almost ceremonial in my friend circles. Because everyone I knew had their system “chipped” to play imported and copied games; our combined game libraries were overflowing with obscure titles. We'd play games before and after school, sometimes popping into a friend's abode at lunch or during a spare class.

Sometimes the good ol' Playstation would get finicky and not load certain games, or unplugging a controller would delete the memory card, but that didn't matter to us. Replaying games would mean more time spent with our favourite hobby. Sometimes we would stop playing to scrounge for some leftover pasta in the kitchen—which we would usually overcook due to not paying attention. Most times though, it was all about gaming till dawn.

jeuxvideo.fr

Getting together for some gaming was a familiar scene for the entire PS1 life cycle. It was a time of socializing in smaller less intrusive groups. And a time when the gaming industry was at the pinnacle of innovation—not technologically by creatively. Although I do not resent today's focus on sharing of our digitized persona, I do believe that to appreciate something artistic to a greater length one must observe and share the experience of it with another person present. Passively playing video games with close friends seems to be a forgotten hobby these days. Luckily my PS1 is still spinning all its games.

I hope you enjoyed spending time dodging bullets in the Den of Shooters. If you're curious about this often overlooked genre of games check out my feature on the origin of shoot 'em ups: Inside The Bullet Hurricane.  

Developer: Technosoft

Publisher: Technosoft, Working Designs

Platform: Sega Saturn, PlayStation

Genre: Shooter

Released: 1997

Raiden 3: Den of Red Thunder and Blue Lightning

Hi there reader. Do you like score-based vertical shooters? Are your digits dexterous enough to withstand onslaughts of virtual bullets? Is your PS2 getting kinda lonely sitting between its two fresher siblings?

If you answered yes to even one of those questions, you're cool enough to glide with the dual player lightning called Raiden 3. Place your PS2 vertically, unravel its controller cords, and sit down comfortably. Time to ride the lightning.

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The Raiden series is probably the most recognizable arcade-style game in shooter history. One or two players control either the red or the blue ship, and blast away clusters of enemy spacecraft. This formula has served the series well since its 1990 inception, and Raiden 3 is no different.

This is the type of game in which you'll spend many lives trying to figure out enemy patters. You'll chase elusive floating weapon upgrades. And you'll dodge waves of bullets shot from fleets of futuristic war machines like jets, choppers, submarines, spaceships, and huge menacing bosses. It's fun. It's frantic. And the best part: it can all be shared with another player, because the game can be played simultaneously.

All the classic Raiden weaponry is here too: the Vulcan shot which spreads broad, the piercing blue laser that's injected with lightning for good measure, and the good ol' Proton blast used to incinerate foes in a sweeping wave. There are also three different missile types and, of course, your ship is equipped with a projectile clearing, and very destructive, cluster bomb(s). Unleash the payload and let 'em rust in peace!

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Although the game is 2-D, all moving sprites and all the structures in the backgrounds have been skillfully sculpted with polygons—adding surprising depth to the scrolling battlefields. All the battlegrounds are scenic and enjoyable to fly by: beaches, cities, asteroid colonies, and metallic fortresses with confining corridors; everything in the game is well detailed and clearly defined. I almost feel bad for shooting down all those shiny jets and impressive bosses.

When two players are playing simultaneously, the screen can become splattered with bullets decreasing visibility and amplifying the inertia. This is what classic shooting action is all about. If you or the person you're playing with is new to shooters, the game has several difficulty levels that can either, ease you in, or grind you down.

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After finishing a stage, you can select to practice on that stage or try gunning for a higher score; you may even choose to fight any boss after beating the game once. There's a gallery of production artwork, and a feature to watch your saved replays. All the options make the game very user friendly and re-playable. For some added wackiness, I recommend the Double Play Mode where one player can control two ships with one controller.   

Classic arcade games like Raiden 3 are all almost gone and forgotten. I found my copy while cottaging in a small lake-side town, and payed $10 for it. It was worth every dollar. Anyone who still recalls the lure of the arcades will get a kick out of this classic. Filled with fast-paced action, easy to understand mechanics, and armed with catchy techno-synth tunes, Raiden 3 will take you on a memorable flight. Don't be afraid to clip your wings, and shoot down all incoming ships.

Developer: Moss Ltd.

Publisher: UFO

Platform: PS2

Genre: Vertical Shooter

Released: 2007 (US)

hardcoregaming101

R-Type III: Legendary Lightning Strikes

A vortex of dark matter swirls fast as its secret curtain is forced to part. Inside it, a graceful dark-blue pulse of the Ion Hub appears. The throbbing energy source blows out plasma in an organismic explosion of hidden cosmic synergy.  

Stars begin to fade as each piece of the Anti-BYDO Dimension Drive assembles, piece by piece, onto the core of the Ion Hub. In mere seconds an entire frame appears. Metal twists and bends, encasing the vital BydoChip components: cockpit, wings, and thrusters glow, signaling a release of stored energy.

With a swift thrust of its anti-matter engine the R-90 soars to skirmish once more.

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R-Type III: The Third Lightning was released in 1993. This SNES exclusive is rightly considered to be the greatest of the R-Type series. Nineties shooters were a staple of the 16-bit era, some were good, some not so much, others quite unique. This game belongs to the fourth kind: absolutely brilliant. 

To stop the BYDO Empire invasion you take control of Earth's deadliest vessel: R-90 Ragnarok. Just like in every R-Type game before it, the R-90 is armed with an indestructible spherical attachment called the Force: a living weapon that can operate independently from the main ship.

Having a free-floating module injects strategy into the regular shoot-'em-up formula. By positioning the Force behind or in front of the ship, players can take out enemies by trapping them in a cross-fire. If the screen fills with too many projectiles the Force can be attached onto the rear or front of the ship, and act as an impenetrable shield. You can select three different Force modules, with each one having different weapon power-ups and effects when detached.

Blue Pow

The game has six challenging stages which crank the difficulty the farther you progress. Each stage has memorable and unique mechanics that hinder your flight: moving corridors, acidic droplets that eat away parts of the level, giant furnaces spewing fire, plots of enemies, and direction-reversing shifts in specific spaces. The foes come relentlessly, and often fill the screen leaving a speck of space for movement. Speed-ups are scarce. Meaning, it's sometimes prudent to start the game from the beginning hoping your nerves hold up.

Each level has a distinctive ecology, mirrored in its enemy design. The vivid backgrounds have an amazing degree of depth, clarity, and detail -- quite uncommon for 16-bit shooters. This is the only shooter I know that scrolls, forwards, backwards, up and down. In the third stage, you fly downwards a mechanical tunnel, then move forwards and up. The level ends with a spider-like boss that can freely ascend and descend the tunnel's walls. Madness!

Alien(s) R-Type Style

The end level guardians are all hideously monstrous abominations spawned from the seed of man-made BYDO organic weapons. These rampant and vicious foes were initially made to propel man's universal dominion over the universe, but now stand in your way ready to devour. The BYDO bosses are unmistakable. There's, H.R. Giger's Alien-influenced, Dobkeratops; something somewhat reminiscent of reproductive organs called Gomander, the elusive Mother Bydo, and many more. (See R-Type Wiki.)

And there's the music... Incredible. Clearly arranged by an imaginatively deranged musical mind. My best description would be: catchy progressively rocking tunes, filled with Jazzy elements  that flow through percussive bass grooves. Inspired by techno, industrial, rock and Eastern influences. It's something totally unique, and at times, very energetic--especially the boss music. The cartridge is filled with must-hear arrangements that will imprint its sonic forces on your ears long after you get blown to bits by this classic's difficult onslaught.  

The game is hard. Really hard. I'm not sure if I'm a patient person by nature, or if this game made me very... meticulous. Either way, you can spend many hours playing this game, and that does not even mean you'll get to the end of the Advanced Mission scenario. R-Type is a long running series with its own extensive lore, and Third Lightning is one of the best in that gorging embryo of wickedness. A must play for any fan of side-scrolling shooters.

Developer: Irem

Publisher: Irem

Platform: SNES, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console

Genre: Shooter

Released: 1993

hardcoregaming101

Blastin' Away Lords of Thunder

Cold November currents come upon us and bring corroded winds. Something wicked begins to stir. Lords of Thunder must be near.

Time has come for rain, rigid cold, and tornadoes to instill fear. Kick-ass classic shooter action elevate this sphere.

Elemental Armour Awaken!

 

Released in 1993, Lords of Thunder is a shooter that has ascended to the pinnacle of classic 2D gaming. Are you ready for a furiously fast, ball-crushing, heavy metal ride, that will incinerate your mind?

In this side-scrolling shooter, you adorn a magical flying armour of your legendary ancestors. Have cool and rip through the skies to thwart your enemies plan to revive "The Dark One." No need for elaborate tales -- this is a 90s game tried and true.

Before blasting off, you can select from six stages and four different armours: wind, water, earth and fire. Each armour has different types of attacks and packs a massive screen-clearing projectile. Picking the right armour for a specific stage is key to smoothly progressing through this bullet grinder.

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The game has very distinctive and vibrant style influenced by medieval fantasy themes. While a bit static, the backgrounds are clear and smooth. And the varied enemies you'll encounter add another layer of visual flair to pull your eyes in. A whole kingly court of biological and technological life is here: fire dragons, wizards, knights, living vyvern gondolas, and huge armoured-clad demonic bosses all await your blade.

The game's pacing is fast, with hectic patterns of baddies stuffing the screen. Your armour has a weapon power/life bar, but those can be drained rather quickly in the harder stages. To balance the difficulty, you can collect gems from fallen foes to power up your main weapon, or buy additional lives and shields. The ability to shop for upgrades before each stage is a marvelous idea and a cool feature that injects strategy into this title.

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While most shooter games use various techno/industrial musical schemes, this game has a very dedicated and awesome soundtrack. All tracks in Lord of Thunder sound as if played by a professional band. Furiously fast rhythm guitars, pulsating bass, crushing drums and dizzying solos are all part of this game's repertoire of sound. No mere chip-tune music in this venture, just balls-to-the-wall heavy metal.

My only complaint is that the sound FX can drown out the music at times. Oh well, there's always music test in the option menu. If arcade style shooters are your thing, this is a game you'll definitely want to play often, and loud. For mere $8 bucks you can get this game on Wii Virtual Console, and establish your own thunderous hegemony. Go ahead, capture this lightning in a bottle. I dare you.

quebecgamers.com

destructoid.com

Developer: Hudson Soft, Red Entertainment

Publisher: Hudson Soft

Platform: TurboDuo, Sega CD, Virtual Console, PS Network

Released: 1993

Genre: Shooter