If you played Turrican on some other video game system, you're gonna be blown away! The best in side-scrolling action just hit the SNES. It's Super Turrican, and if you want game play with awesome intensity and a perfect merging of sound and graphics, you've gotta get this game!
Super Turrican 2 is the last official title in the series and goes out on a high note. As a pure action title Super Turrican 2 is one of the best of the 16-bit generation. I can understand the disappointment of long time Turrican fans as it loses the series focus. But what it gains more than makes up for it.
Turrican Can
Super Turrican by Seika is a single-player, side-scrolling action/adventure game that goes completely seismic the minute you fire it up. You start off as Turrican, a space ranger who is answering a cry for help from the planet Landorin. The brave people there defeated an evil satellite/moon called 'The Machine,' but its mutants and malevolent robots continue to spread tyranny across the planet's surface. The Landorins need help from a courageous hero... you!
You blast your way through five Worlds (each with multiple levels) in order to restore peace to Landorin. You invade a treacherous snowy paradise, an underground hell swarming with mutant creatures, a factory whose workers have a devilish purpose in mind (and it ain't assembling cars), and a freaky, alien- infested spaceship. Keep a sharp eye out for the entrances to a mess of secret levels, too!
ProTip: You can stomp some enemies by repeatedly jumping on their heads. This is especially useful in the alien level, which has pods everywhere.
Manhandle the Machine
Super Turrican will give you one of the worst beatings of your video game life. The Machine's minions come at you by air, sea, and land. You even have to put up with the elements in a few stages, where constantly changing winds and snowstorms hinder your progress. You fight mutant plants, snowball-rolling beasts, gigantic fish, dog-like aliens, and a gruesome assortment of deadly robotic creatures, including mechanical bees, sentry robots, and huge fire-spitting robot guardians. Waiting for you at the end of each world are some of the biggest, baddest bosses to ever infest the SNES, such as the giant, mechanical fist and a angry mother alien. At least the game /gives you a fighting chance against these formidable foes by equipping you with effective weapons. You get a Gun, a Freeze Ray, and three screen-clearing Zap bombs. You can also spread mini-bombs across the floor. The game can't, however, help you generate skill and luck.
You soup-up your gun by shooting at Pods that release weapon power-ups, including a laser, powerful energy spheres, and a three-way shot. You can also grab Hearts that restore energy to your life meter (which takes a serious licking) and, of course, lots of 1-ups.
If an extra Turrican looks inaccessible, try jumping and shooting in midair to activate Pods. Use them like 'stepping stones'. If that doesn't work, try jumping through walls or even through pipes in the factory stage.
Turrican's controls are crisp and amazingly simple. The Y button shoots, B jumps, X fires the Freeze Ray, and A ignites Zap bombs.
Super Graphics & Sound
One characteristic common to all classic games is seamless interaction between graphics and sound. Well, the graphics in Super Turrican are amazing! Every color is vivid and alive, and the sprites are small but fast. All the enemies are well detailed, and the huge bosses look fantastic! The game has a great depth to it, too, with a 3-D feel that is especially apparent in the winter scenes, where the lush backgrounds scroll beautifully.
In scenes were the winter wind blows, the gusts can actually carry you to the next level. Wait until you see the snowflakes change direction, and then jump.
The sounds in Super Turrican will amaze you as well. The game is presented in Dolby Surround Sound with sampled music striking every chord and every note clearly. All the sound effects, from the gun firing to the explosions, are nicely complimented by a rich and moody music score. You gotta hear it to believe it.
To strip the gears of the Factory Boss, jump and shoot until his head turns, then use the lower-left comer to escape his bombs. Repeat the process until you are victorious.
Turrican Time
If you like your action hot and heavy, Super Turrican delivers. Secret levels and hidden bonuses ensure that the fun never stops. This is one of those rare games where you discover something new each time you play. That makes the challenge suitable for beginners and advanced players. Will you beat the Machine? If you can't, Turri-can!
Overall rating: 8