Psychosis

~ PSYCHOSIS ~

Naxat Soft / NEC

HuCard

1990

My favorite aspect of this game is its compelling soundtrack, not just for the excellence of the compositions themselves, but also for the distinct audio quality. It's not the same sort of stuff that you can hear from the lauded Dungeon Explorer and The Legendary Axe II soundtracks--in fact, it's very different from any other HuCard musical material I can think of--but it's extremely impressive and a good reference point for misguided fools who think the TG-16's aural capabilities don't extend beyond NES-caliber music. Aside from the tunes, Psychosis is probably best known for its unique "inside a mind" concept, and it really takes advantage of the theme with an awesome ship design, bizarre enemies, and a generally abstract feeling about the levels (augmented by the intense, atmospheric score).

There are also some interesting allies that you can recruit. Protect a little caterpillar at the beginning of the first stage, and a battalion of butterflies will aid your efforts against the boss. Reach the fourth area without dying, and a giant turtle will come wafting along to defend your ship.

I first played Psychosis back when it was originally released, and every time I revisit it, I find myself pleased to discover that it holds up extremely well. In fact, I enjoy it now more than ever. However--and back when I was a kid, I never thought I'd be saying this--it's cake for a good shooter player. Nowadays, I can blast through it without dying and with no practice, and at five stages, it's far too short. (Of course, "World II" [the loop] is another story. The bullet speed is insane, and some of the enemies can really take a pounding.)

Some enemies make themselves more conspicuous than others.

The fox boss shouldn't present much of a challenge, but the guy with the large knives will be a totally different story until you figure out his pattern.

Safe spots this obvious should be outlawed.

Not that the last fight is much tougher.