Blazing Lazers
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
If nothing else, the Turbografx-16 was always a reliable
system to look towards if you were seeking a good shoot 'em
up. From Psychosis and Sinistron to Soldier Blade and the
mind-blowing Gate of Thunder, NEC constantly made sure that
the Turbo had a healthy lineup of shooters (even if it was
at the expense of every other genre). The best of the bunch
was a game called Blazing Lazers, which happened to be one
of the first few games released for the Turbo. That was over
ten years ago - and to this day, no other shooter has
managed to match the speed and intensity of what was one of
NEC's finest video games.
Blazing Lazers is primarily a vertically-scrolling shooter,
although you can cause the screen to move an extra inch to
the left or right while you're playing. Not only does this
give you a bit more space to maneuver, but it also means
that you can't see the entire playing field at once, giving
your enemies a bit of an advantage over you. You need to be
on your toes for every second of this game. The enemy
onslaught is relentless and the pace is frantic.
You won't be defenseless, however. There are numerous
power-ups that you can attain, most of which can be
strengthened further as long as you can stay alive. These
aren't simple cannons or missiles that we're talking about
either; your ship can be decked out with a number of
devastating weapons. Whether you prefer lazer blasts, wave
beams, or any of the other assorted weapons, as long as you
keep building up its strength, your ship will become an
absolute wrecking machine in no time.
For a shooter, the game is relatively long (it's comprised
of nine lengthy levels). While the action is nonstop, the
game is very beatable. There will be times when there is
just so much going on that you won't be able to avoid
destruction; there will even be many instances where your
ship is blown to shreds and you have absolutely no idea what
caused it! However, I doubt that anyone would label the game
unfair. The thrills and excitement brought on by the intense
pace more than make up for the few times when the screen
becomes a bit too cluttered.
While the enemy attackers (specifically the bosses) are very
detailed, the background graphics in Blazing Lazers are
lackluster at best. This is probably for the best however;
tons of colors in the background would only make the more
action-packed levels seem even more cluttered and confusing.
Most players will need to divert all their attention to the
battles at hand, anyway; there really isn't any time to
admire the backdrops.
While the graphics are generally solid, the music is nothing
less than spectacular. While most of the tracks are exciting
and intense, they can also be quite catchy (the title screen
theme), and even beautiful (Stage Two). Somehow, it all
comes together perfectly.
Best of all, Blazing Lazers is an extremely addictive title
- even for those gamers who don't usually enjoy shooters.
While later shooting games that appeared on the SNES (namely
Axelay and Space Megaforce) blew Blazing Lazers away
visually, none were quite as much fun to play as NEC's
premier shooter. And nothing can match its intensity.
Overall: 9 out of 10
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