Fantasy Zone

~ FANTASY ZONE ~

NEC Avenue / Sega

HuCard

1989

During a very brief period when I was a dopey little kid, this was actually my favorite video game. Well, I'm a dopey adult now, and FZ no longer holds that lofty status, but I'm still a sucker for its jolly music and pretty pastels. And I think it's awesome when little Opa Opa sprouts tiny legs to run across planet surfaces. To top it all off, the TurboChip is PINK!

Well, I guess that all might sound kind of lame. But FZ's action is actually pretty heavy, with plenty of projectiles and oddball villains for players to worry about as they hunt down enemy outposts in each eternally looping level; and things can get really tight during some of the boss fights.

Still, as nostalgic as I am for the game, I must concede that there are no particularly thrilling stages or sequences, mainly due to the shoot-the-outposts-and-move-on formula. Said outposts take more shots, and the small-fry become more aggressive, as the game goes on, but the aesthetic aspects stand out more than anything that has to do with the actual shooting. Whenever I revisit Fantasy Zone, it's to see the pastels and hear the tunes, not to dodge the bullets.

I must admit I dreaded these bosses back in the day.

I usually don't even bother with the shops except to buy fire bombs for the final level.

Speaking of the final level, it pits you against some old, angry foes.

The end boss shoots these snake-like things at you, one at a time. The last one is extremely fast; use the fire bomb to kill it.