test: Aero Blasters

~ AERO BLASTERS ~

Kaneko / Hudson

HuCard

1990

I've noticed that Turbo fans are usually quite fond of this game, while bums who prefer other systems tend to consider it mediocre at best. Partial to the TG-16, I of course have always liked AB. Its light, catchy melodies and parallax-heavy visuals have appealed to me from day one, but AB excels beyond superficials. I like my shooter experiences to involve some strategy, and this game certainly calls for enough to avoid degenerating into something easy and mindless like Thunder Force III.

Indeed, if you invade enemy territory in cocky, reckless “I beat TF3!” fashion, you’ll be knocked on your ass in a matter of seconds. Progress occurs step by step in this adventure. The stages aren’t merely long strips that hurl one villain after another your way; they each consist of brief segments that call for distinct battle plans. Identify the enemies’ methods and patterns of attack, and be prepared to wage war with the proper weaponry. You’ll need to die to figure out how to live. Of course, it helps if your plans are augmented by talent; stratagems alone won't suffice. Persevere, use your head, hone your skills, and you’ll not only be all right--you’ll have a great time as well.

My favorite part has always been the fourth-level fight with a robotic warrior who wields a massive ball-and-chain, hurls boulders, and sends out smaller soldiers. He's like an early version of the awesome Guardian's Knight from Thunder Force V. The fifth stage also features some great battles. You've really gotta concentrate while dueling with a mini-boss who fires repeated spread shots, especially since you have to deal with gravity effects at the same time. His clawed cohort later in the stage is also pretty cool, and I get a kick out of the main boss's colorful attacks.

Along with those fourth- and fifth-stage showdowns, I dig all the stuff that pretty much everyone else likes: Area 1’s beautiful cityscape being annihilated by a barrage of bombs and lasers, Area 2's exciting speed tunnels (which are reminiscent of the final stretch of Thunder Force II's eighth stage, but faster), and so on.

What I don't particularly like is the final level. It starts off well with some giant snakes and uses pastels effectively during the final battle to make the beautiful city in the background really look as if it's glowing. But in between is a stretch of what my old buddy Robanovich would call "crap challenge." I like unusual trials and all that, but the rather unfair "fly through narrow tunnels while the screen wobbles pointlessly" nonsense should've been left out entirely. It seems like a foregone conclusion that I'll lose a bunch of lives every time, and foregone conclusions generally blow. After that comes a boring "moving blocks" section. I can accept that this sort of area was somewhat of a shooter staple back in the day, but the designers at least could have tried to do something unique with it (as Gaiares' did with their third-stage castle). There's nothing interesting or challenging about AB's block-course effort.

Aside from the hiccups near the end, I really like AB and believe it has probably gotten the short end of the stick over the years; many lesser shooters from the 16-bit era receive a lot more attention. I realize that it relies on a tepid alliance of styles that may be rejected by both the Thunder Force III crowd and the R-Type faction, but for the factor of potential enjoyment, the game is undoubtedly worth a try and most likely worthy of purchase.