Air Buster – Trouble Specialty Raid Unit (Arcade)

After played the exhausting Mortal Kombat - The Chose One, I feel like I want to play something not overly long and simple. Let’s go with horizontal shoot em up game, yeah. So, here’s Kaneko’s Air Buster – Trouble Specialty Raid Unit (1990).

Pretty cool logo there. I also like the subtitle “Trouble specialty raid unit” that gives the B-Movie feeling. I could be wrong about the reason why there’s Namco’s name on title screen. I assume Namco is the publisher of this game and/or using Kaneko using Namco’s arcade board/cabinet/whatever to make this game. You probably shout through screen “You should check Trouble Shooter. It’s horizontal shmup and it has word “trouble” on the title too”. I may check on that but don’t expect me to make review it within one or two months. Anyway, Kaneko is pretty obscured video game company. It closed on 2006, sadly. It made 39 games according to Mobygames. Including the infamous NSFW Volfield-clone: Gals panic games. Though there’s SFW version of the game with more action theme called Panic Street. Then there are Shogun Warriors and Blood Warriors. I played the latter and I love it. Then there’s The Berlin Wall that I also adore! Later, it gets Sega Genesis port named “Wani Wani World”. It gets rid of Berlin Wall reference and replace the protagonist with crocodile for some reason. Anyway, let’s move on.  

Phase 1. Seaside Front

 

The game starts with your plane taking off on flying aircraft carrier which is the style of the time. The control is as simple as you can get. Joystick to move your ship around. There’s one button to shoot bullet in front of your plane. Then there’s another button to…shoot bullet forward too. No idea why I need 2 buttons for shooting bullet forward instead of just one. Holding either shoot button will charge small bar on top. When you release the button after fully charged the bar, your ship will unleash screen-clearing bomb. It doesn’t do lot of damage but useful to clear the screen from enemy’s projectile. After successfully unleash the bomb, there’s cooldown time before you can charge the bomb again.

 

On the previous screenshot, you can see flying object with huge head. That’s the item container. When you destroy it, various power-up items appear. Usually, 2 shoot upgrade items appear on the top and the rests are 3 sub-weapon items.         

 

I picked “S” sub-weapon item that gives me 2 options besides me. They shoot stronger bullets than mine which is simply nice. I like the design of these enemies: 3 flying gatling guns. Heavy_goodjob01.wav   

 

Suddenly, the lovely town engulf in explosions as something or someone bombard the town with laser barrage. Apparently, this first boss stage is the culprit of town demolition. After dropping lots of bombs at me, it begins to descend so it can shoot me with the gatling laser gun because I assume it runs out of bombs to drop. For the first boss, it fights pretty fair. It bops up and down while firing the gatling laser gun. The strategy works as I get hit by it though it’s barely bullet hell/danmaku. Like in other shmup game, it takes one good hit for my plane to get destroyed as opposed to bosses that takes lots of damage. Though I feel like bosses in this game is not absolute damage sponge. I can defeat the bosses relatively fast even with the peashooter. Getting your plane destroyed doesn’t restart your progress. You continue on the spot where your plane destroyed though your firepower restarts to level 1.

Phase 2. Mechanized Cave

 

I know that blue laser supposed to be laser. But to me, it looks like spray of water. As I make fun of that laser, I get hit by smaller enemy. Sniper_negativevocalization07.wav

 

Suddenly, the game introduces me to speed obstacle course. It triggers my childhood trauma when I played Alladin on Sega Genesis where I have to dodge obstacle while ridding magic carpet. Like in that Alladin game, Air Buster provides you with warning sign which telegraph what kind of course ahead. For example: in this moment, the game warns me that the corridor ahead has narrower passage to lower part.

 

Oh, come on! How can I interpret exclamation mark sign? It could be anything. It could be school zone, road under maintenance, landslide, wildfire, Bigfoot crossing, or volcano. Turns out it just lame zigzag obstacle.

 

Sometime the container spat out all sub-weapons and no bullet upgrade at all. The “H” icon gives an option that fires in 8 directions consecutively. The “6” icon gives you sub-weapon that shoot in 6 directions. The “R” icon gives you additional bullet shoot in 2 diagonal backward directions. Both “M” icons give you missile sub weapon. Not sure what’s the difference between them. At least not yet.

 

I think I regret picked up the H sub weapon. It rotates in counter clockwise while firing its lame bullet that both slow and weak. As for what H stands for. I assume it’s “Horrid” because how lame it is. 

 

There’s another section of fast obstacle! Luckily, I picked this “B” power up that replaces that stupid sub weapon with pair of bumpers. They are useful in this moment because they actually bump into floor or ceiling and correct my flight a bit. They’re not just decoration or something to crash my enemy into. This is rare power up that I don’t think I see it in other video game.

 

But the bumpers don’t work for separator on forked route. Fair enough. Because it’s right in front of me.

 

The boss level is this giant robotic snail that has orbiting orbs that protect it while firing bullets. The boss moves around the screen fast. But the background moves even faster that may cause seizure if you get distracted by it and not focus on boss fight.

 

After I destroy all the orbs, the boss left unprotected but not less dangerous. Now, it sprays homing missiles at me. They can be destroyed but with level 1 firepower that I have, it’s hard to destroy them all in time.

Phase 3. Scramble

 

The stage starts with canyon area and then fly up to the higher sky. This reminds me of U.N. Squadron very much. I think I picked the red M sub weapon which is homing missile. High damage yet low maneuverability.

 

This is really similar to dogfight mission in U.N. Squadron. I like these weird planes with big sack that launch missile. Quite memorable enemy design.

 

I didn’t expect we fly above stratosphere and into outer space. I don’t like these space balls that suddenly teleport and ram into me. They’re horrible enemy.

 

Then there’s this space worm. I can’t destroy it on time but I can avoid its squeeze.

 

Here’s the boss stage. I have hard time describes it in words. I go with space egg. It opens its shell to fire hot plasma. But that’s not the only attack that the boss can do. Its shell can spawn drone and fires homing laser. Strangely the red laser can be destroyed with my bullet.

 

Now that I destroy the shell, the boss left defenseless but attack more aggressively with the hot plasma bullets and (destroyable) homing laser. Nice try to bait me with R sub weapon in the middle of intense firefight there, buddy. But it won’t work because I’m smart enough to know that the reverse sub weapon doesn’t help me in this situation.  

Phase 4. Out of Gravity (!!!!)

The space balls are back. I hate them. Then there’s bunch of flying bottomless robots. I assume they’re mass production units so that’s why they don’t have lower body and also any weapon. They’re made to ram into me. Hopefully, they’re automated robot. Otherwise, suck to be pilot of legless and unarmed flying robot. To make things worse, there’s “ice physic” in this stage so my plane keeps slipping anywhere. Maybe the “ice physic” is to simulate zero gravity as the stage’s name suggests but I don’t think zero gravity works that way.

 

There’s not much interesting on the stage so let’s skip to the boss stage that’s way more interesting. It looks like Gundam rejects and it attacks me with spiked ball on chain.

 

So, he stops attacking me with spiked ball on chain due to limited range. He can reverse his own gravity and throw rocks at me. Nice try, bud. But I can destroy the rocks with ease.

 

After all those efforts fail, he resorts to jumping kick at me. God bless him. Then he mixes everything he got: gravity manipulation, throw rocks and jump kick. He can hit you on the corner during jump to either ceiling or floor. To avoid his jump kick, you should fly very high or low depends on the gravity his on. When his gravity is normal, you fly very high. When his gravity is reversed, you fly very low. When he uses the spiked ball on chain, he always floats in the middle, on same exact position regardless the gravity. 

 

After sustain heavy damage, he begins using his mini clones. Same thing like the rocks, they can be destroyed with bullets. Nor really nice try there, friend.

Phase 5. The Borderline

 

I think we’re moving to space station. As you expect from enemy space station, there are lots of turrets installed and security drones. The “ice physic” exists here too for some Goddamn reason.

 

More robots and space rocks. No idea why they need more throwing rocks inside their space station.

 

The enemy deploys their latest shield technology: the flying ☹. Seriously, these emote bastards sturdily block my projectiles to protect their allies.

 

I think I pick the green missile sub weapon. This one can turn pretty well but deal less damage than the other missile. I think it’s slightly faster too.

 

This sub-boss design is pretty unique.  It covers entire length of corridor. Look at those wheels on the ceiling and floor. Cute. What not cute is the pair of grabby claws. Although as long as you fly in the corner, the claws can’t reach you. When I destroy one of the claws, the base of the claw begins to launch missiles although they’re destroyable.

 

I destroy the robot. In display of bad sportsmanship or sportsroboship, the legs still exist and fires some bullets at me. This sub-boss is big sore loser.   

 

On a slope, I encounter this bipedal robot that launches missile while constantly hopping. God bless this giant robot.

 

The fight still goes on to flat surface. Apparently, this giant robot is the stage boss. I didn’t expect that. It doesn’t launch missiles anymore. It launches 3 pods that later launch gumballs into the air. In addition, the giant robot also launches additional gumballs. They will fill the entire screen unless you destroy them.

 

Another display of bad sportsroboship, the boss leg still alive, and hopping energetically while sprays more gumballs even though I destroy the giant robot’s whole body. I like my plane is not immediately destroyed when get hit, it slowly drops while it’s smoking. Nice visual feature.

Phase 6. Death Circus

 

Death circus? Are we going to see clown car and lion jump into ring of fire or whatever animal abuse performance? Instead, there are space snakes impede my flying space. I don’t know how to deal with them. I peeled of their body and I can’t make further destruction on them. Shooting the head seems futile but maybe I can destroy their head if my firepower is strong enough. Thanks God that the "ice physic" is gone for this stage.

 

Then there’s section inhabited with snake eggs that can launch missile.

I was so dumb. I though my plane can go down there to get the score items safely but apparently not. Either my plane is too slow or my skill is bad. Most likely, the latter.  

 

Although that score and bullet upgrade items are very enticing, I didn’t try to pick them up. I can learn from my mistake but I’m no wiser as I hit just the tip of that cube. Needless to say, that my plane doesn’t have lots of maneuver capability.

 

Ok, this is just ludicrous. No way, I can pick that 1up item. I would rather spend more (imaginary) credit than picking up any 1up item. I forget to tell you that the cubes with yellow outline, they’re moving obstacle.

More cubes either moving or not. I picked some bullet upgrade along the way. Each bullet upgrade item you pick, simply adds 1 bullet. I think this is the most upgrade bullet that I had: 4 bullets in total.  

 

Suddenly, the area changes into this soothing-blue place. Also, bunch of enemies appear from behind ramming me. Scout_negativevocalization03.wav

 

 Here’s the stage boss. It looks like belong in Gradius or R-Type. The pincers appear from floor and ceiling so you most likely trapped inside like me here. The pincers generate laser wall between them periodically. You can get pass the pincers safely within perfect timing. Rather you must pass through the pincers because they move left or right, hoping to trap you. But the real threat comes from the numerous plasma ball that fired randomly. The weak point of this boss is definitely the center orange thing there.

 

Of course, there’s second phase. Much like 3rd stage boss, the center can fly and shoot destructible homing laser from its backside. To be honest, this is easier fight than the in previous phase.

 

That’s it? That’s the end? The death circus is the last stage? I once played this game to finish but I can’t recall the game is this short. Or the last stage is just not memorable.

But before I end the review, I like to complaint something. The demonstration cheats! They don’t lose their firepower when their plane destroyed! And they don’t even lose their sub weapon! The game arguably become more fun when my firepower doesn’t reset to level 1 every time my plane destroyed. Maybe the firepower reset is meant to make the game more challenging. Or -should I say- making the player put on more credit in rather unfair way. -You know- the usual tradition of Arcade game. Anyway, let’s wrap things up.

 

Kaneko’s Air Buster – Trouble Specialty Raid Unit (1990) is simple horizontal shmup but with some interesting feature. The power up is pretty generous. Though I hate the firepower reset every time my plane destroyed. It should reset after using credit instead. Sub weapons are various in function and usefulness. Bumper only good for that speed course and nowhere else. The side options are generally good. The 8 shot is quite terrible but it fires bullet in many directions. The reverse shot sub weapon, only good to hit enemy behind. The green missile is pretty good and accurate though it lacks in power a bit. The red missile is powerful but less accurate. The H option is stupid. It’s both too weak and too slow to be useful. It will be nice if you keep the sub weapons after death because they are not overpowered or anything and you can accidentally replace it if you’re not careful. The bosses are all unique and memorable. My personal favorite is the not-Gundam robot, proving that being stage boss in shmup game doesn’t require big size. The “ice physic” is interesting concept but it’s more of hassle in player’s perspective. Because you constantly slipping, you have hard time to dodge enemy’s attack. My only tip is, you fly backward to the left edge. That way, your plane’s position is more consistent. The game consists of 6 stages and can be finished relatively fast. Around an hour or so. The music vaguely exists. While the sound effect is mediocre.   

 

I prefer Air Buster – Trouble Specialty Raid Unit (1990) over U.N. Squadron (both version) even though it’s made by my favorite game company Capcom. Probably the biggest complaint of this game is the way to unleash the bomb. You have to hold down the shoot button for a couple seconds before the bomb actually come out. During charging, you left defenseless. They should make one of the buttons unleashes the bomb instantly with automatic charging timer if they don’t want to implement the usual limited number of bombs. And maybe upgrading the bullet also make the charging rate faster. That will be nice. As it is the game is quite serviceable and unique. Any horizontal shmup game that allow me to attack enemy behind without huge restriction always get my A grade recommendation. Since there’s no in-game story exposition, you can pretend that you are fighting alien invasion of Killer Clown from Outer Space and that last boss is piloted by Jojo the klownzilla himself. If the last stage’s name Death Circus is anything to go by.