211 · Air Fortress
The Federation of Intergalactic Powers is under threat by gigantic fortress spaceships which have suddenly appeared and destroyed nearby civilization. When conventional defense tactics fail, the Federation looks to find a specially selected person, Hal Bailman and equip him with a special "Lightship".
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SHOW NOTES
Air Fortress Gameplay
Show notes
- A mysterious and powerful AIR FORTRESS is threatening the planet FARMEL. The destiny of FARMEL rests in the abilities of one specially trained person code number 82592-HAL BAILMAN.
- NES Longplay
- Introductions
- SHMUPs are generally associated with spacecrafts so Hudson Soft said what if we go all the way back to the beginning? The prequel to every SHMUP really. You can’t prove Dino Riki didn’t happen in the Gradius universe.
- Yet isn’t this really more like commando/Ikari Warriors?
- Overview
- Half SHMUP/Half Action Adventure. You play as Hal exploring the outside and inside of an air fortress. Your goal is to blow up the core and find the escape ship before the explosion.
- Gameplay
- The first part is a side-scrolling shooter on the surface of the air fortress
- In the Japanese version, if Hal collides with an enemy while on his lightship he must restart the approach sequence from the beginning; however, in the American version the player will automatically be respawned from the same point at which his ship was destroyed, provided that they have extra lives.
- Once docked, you walk the inside of the Air Fortress at your own pace for the action section. Hal is equipped with a jetpack as his jump as well as a blaster weapon and a more powerful bomb weapon.
- Any movement or firing you do consumes energy which is regenerated by standing still.
- Escaping once you blow up the core
- Then this repeats through 8 fortresses
- The first part is a side-scrolling shooter on the surface of the air fortress
- Sequels and Spinoffs
- None! Can we imagine a sequel?I’d like a version more like The Guardian Legend or Blaster Master where it’s not a repetitive loop and instead you have to navigate your way around the air fortress. AKA Air Fortress Metroidvania
- EGL
- NEStalgia Byte - Exerion and Formation Z
- Next week - Back to the Future