Blazing Lazers

Infobox VG
title=Blazing Lazers


caption=North American box art of Blazing Lazers
developer=Hudson Soft, Compile
publisher=Hudson Soft, NEC
designer=Masamitsu "Moo" Niitani (director)
Tadayuki Kawada (director)
Mikio Ueyama (director)
Hidethoshi Endo (producer)
Eiji Aoyama (producer)
Janus Teramoto (designer)
Nakashima Puppy (designer)
Masatomo Miyamoto (music)
release=vgrelease|JP=Start date|1989|7|7|NA=1989|EU=Start date|2007|5|25
genre=Shoot 'em up
modes=Single player
platforms=TurboGrafx-16, Virtual Console
input=Gamepad

"Blazing Lazers" (nihongo|"Gunhed"|ガンヘッド|Ganheddo in Japan) is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Hudson Soft and Compile. It was released in 1989 for the TurboGrafx-16 (also known as the PC Engine) video game console and later on the Wii's Virtual Console on Start date|2007|5|21 in North Americacite web |year = 2008 |url= http://vc-pce.com/usa/e/index.html |title= Titles > Virtual Console |accessdate= 2008-06-15 |publisher= Hudson Soft] and on Start date|2007|5|25 in Europe. "Blazing Lazers" was directed by Masamitsu "Moo" Niitani — better known as the creator of the "Puyo Puyo" video game series.cite web|last=Dobson|first=Jason|title=Atlus signs 'family-friendly' Wii puzzler Octomania for North America|publisher=Joystiq|date=2008-02-07|accessdate=2008-07-24|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/atlus-signs-family-friendly-wii-puzzler-octomania-for-north-am/]

It is based on the Japanese film "Gunhed" (only referenced in the Japanese version). In the game, the galaxy is under attack by the Dark Squadron, who has eight enemy "Super Weapons" to do its bidding. The galaxy's only hope lies with the Gunhed Advanced Star Fighter to take out the Dark Squadron and its Super Weapons. The player must fight through nine vertically-scrolling levels and destroy the Dark Squadron's armada and its weapons.Instruction Manual, p. 1.] The game features fast gameplay as well as a wide array of weapons for players to use.

"Blazing Lazers" was developed by the same developers who went on to develop other popular games such as the "Puyo Puyo" series, the "Super Bomberman" series, and "". It was one of the first games released for the TurboGrafx-16, and is considered as one of the console's best shoot 'em up games as well as one of its best games overall.cite web |last=Thomas |first=Lucas M. |title= "Blazing Lazers" (Virtual Console) Review |url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/792/792490p1.html |date=2007-05-29 |publisher=IGN |accessdate=2008-06-24] cite web|last=Weiss|first=Brett Alan|title=allgame ((( Blazing Lazers > Overview )))|publisher=Allgame|accessdate=2008-07-24|url=http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=1:2652]

Gameplay

The player takes control of the Gunhed Star Fighter through nine vertical-scrolling areas. The player's mission is to destroy the Dark Squadron and destroy its eight enemy Super Weapons. Every area contains one or more bosses, all which must be destroyed before continuing in the game. Players lose a life if they are hit by an enemy or projectile, with the game continuing at a previously–crossed checkpoint. [However, under special circumstances, gameplay may continue without going back to a checkpoint.] The game ends when all lives have been lost. However, the game awards 1-ups as the player scores a particular number of points; also, the game has limited continues in which players can restart the game at that level in which their previous game ended provided the system is not turned off.Instruction Manual, p. 2.]

The player controls a rapid-fire main cannon which can either be upgraded or changed to other types of weapons by collecting various numbered power-ups and purple orbs called "gel capsules."Instruction Manual, p. 3.] The player can also collect special optional power-ups to also help fight through the game, such as "multibodies" that mimic the ship's movements as well as shoot on their own, homing missiles, shields, and even special firing capabilities known as "full fire."Instruction Manual, p. 5.] The player also carries a limited supply of "cluster bombs." With a press of a button, the player can release a smart bomb and wipe out large quantities of enemies and even bosses within the player's vicinity. Throughout the game, players get many opportunities to collect additional cluster bombs to replenish their inventory.

A third button, besides the customary fire and bomb ones, has the function of selecting the speed of the player's ship among five possibilities (the button cycles between them in order). This allows players to customize the behavior of their ship at any time, trading off freedom of movement against ease of control: a faster ship is more agile, a slower ship can be maneuvered precisely.

Development

"Blazing Lazers" was co-developed by Hudson Soft and Compile. Notable developers include Masamitsu "Moo" Niitani, president of Compile and creator of "Zanac", "The Guardian Legend" and the "Puyo Puyo" series; Mikio Ueyama, director of the "Super Bomberman" series for the Super Nintendo, [cite web |url= http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/data/588720.html |title= "Super Bomberman" Release Date |accessdate= 2008-06-25 |publisher= GameFAQs] and Tadayuki Kawada, designer of the popular Super Famicom game "". [cite web |url= http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/data/569361.html |title= "Do Re Mi Fantasy: Milon no DokiDoki Daibouken" Release Date |accessdate= 2008-06-25 |publisher= GameFAQs] The game was released as "Gunhed" on Start date|1989|7|7 for the Japanese PC Engine console as a tie-in to the animated film of the same name. It was subsequently released in North America as "Blazing Lazers" later that year, with the game localized for the North American audience by removing the references to the "Gunhed" film. [cite web |url= http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/turbo16/data/588902.html |title= "Blazing Lazers Release Date" |accessdate= 2008-06-15 |publisher= GameFAQs]

"Blazing Lazers" was rereleased on the Wii's Virtual Console service on start date|2007|5|21.

Reception

VG Reviews
IGN = 8.0 of 10
GSpot = 7.0 of 10cite web |last= Provo |first= Frank |date= 2007-05-22 |accessdate= 2008-06-25 |title= "Blazing Lazers" for Wii Review |publisher= GameSpot |url= http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/gunhed/review.html]
CVG = 96%Citation | last = Glancey | first = Paul | author-link = Paul Glancey | title = Gunhed | newspaper = Computer and Video Games | pages = 100 | date = September 1989 | issue = 94]

"Blazing Lazers" has been considered by game reviewers as one of the better shoot 'em up video games in the genre as well as one of the best games on the TurboGrafx-16 gaming console. Brett Alan Weiss from Allgame considers this game as "one of the most highly regarded games in the TurboGrafx-16 library." Lucas Thomas from IGN refers to the game as superior to other shoot 'em up games such as "Super Star Soldier", "Gradius III", and the "R-Type" series. Thomas further asserts that the game had "pushed the [TurboGrafx-16] to its limits." Frank Provo from GameSpot also gave very good reviews for "Blazing Lazers", saying that the game, despite the plain graphics and aesthetics, makes up for it with intense gameplay and a "ridiculous orgy of firepower." He also lauds the game for its diverse weaponry, lack of graphical slowdown as observed in some older console games, and the superior, futuristic audio which he says has an "optimistic quality" to it.

Jeremy Parish from the site 1UP.com praises "Blazing Lazers", saying that the game is "drowned in goodness." [cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|title=Retro Roundup 5/28: "Actraiser", "Donkey Kong Country 2", "Streets of Rage 2", more!|publisher=1UP.com|date=2007-05-28|accessdate=2008-08-12|url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3159873] Justin Leeper from Gamespy especially praises the game also for its lack of slowdown, claiming that prior to vgy|1989 players could only experience the same in arcades. He claimed that the game surpassed any game on the Nintendo Entertainment System at that time. He lauds the smooth scrolling, lush background graphics, and catchy tunes. [cite web |last=Leeper |first=Justin|title="Blazing Lazers"|publisher= Gamespy|date=2004-02-29|accessdate=2008-08-12|url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/501/501617p1.html] Paul Glancey from the UK-based magazine Computer and Video Games gave it a score 96%, praising the gameplay, difficulty, graphics and sound, calling it "utterly incredible" and stating "Anyone on the quest for the ultimate shoot 'em up — this is it! THIS IS IT!!".

References

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External links

*moby game|id=/blazing-lazers
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* [http://www.hudsonentertainment.com/ Hudson Soft homepage]
* [http://vc-pce.com/usa/e/title/blazing_lazers.html Online Instruction Manual]