Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Taito Legends 2: Day Ten.

In 1994 they released Space Invaders DX. This game features pixel perfect recreations of various versions of Space Invaders plus two new modes. When you select Space Invaders you're met with a list of versions to play. The game offers the upright arcade version, the color version, the black and white cocktail version, and the colored overlay cocktail version. Perfect in every way right down to the rainbow glitch. The game offers up a two-player versus mode where your actions have a negative effect on the other player. And the game also offers up a parody mode. In this mode you'll play the game as various Taito game characters on a backdrop inspired by their specific game where you'll be shooting invaders modeled after the enemies from said games.

The year 1994 also saw the release of Elevator Action Returns. The sequel to Elevator Action II evolves into more of the standard action game. You're out to stop a mad bomber by locating bombs and disarming them. It plays with the same basic concepts as the original in that you're going in and out of doors and taking elevators up and down while dealing with enemies by shooting at them. They add in the ability to duck and shoot and a special weapon. You can also select to play as one of three characters with their own speeds and special weapons. If you were to perfectly blend Elevator Action with Namco's Rolling Thunder you'd end up with Elevator Action Returns. It features great graphics and fun gameplay.

Up to 1995 with Cleopatra Fortune. The game is a Tetris variant with an Egyptian motif. You need to rotate the blocks and jewels to position them so you can clear them from the screen before it fills up and ends the game. To clear them from the screen you have to surround the jewels with the blocks on all sides which causes the jewels to vanish leaving the blocks. The blocks then collapse and fill in the space left behind by the jewels. Once you fill up an entire row from left to right the blocks crumble and vanish. So it's a little more complex than Tetris with its twofold concern. It's a fun variant, if Tetris variants are your thing.

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