Bangai-O

If you've been around since the 16-Bit days, the name Treasure should resonate deep sentiments of awe and respect. Treasure's heyday was exclusive to Sega's 16-Bit Megadrive/Genesis. Games like Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy and YuYu Hakusho were more than just gameplay and aesthetic purity-they pushed the Megadrive further and harder than anybody thought was possible.

Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaio, Treasure's second game on the N64, is a straightforward, side-scrolling shooter firmly rooted in the old school. The game centers around brothers and sisters, Riki and Mami, a sibling power duo in control of the Bangaio mech. Depending on who is in the pilot's seat, your mech will dish out either swarms of auto-targeting missiles or volleys of green reflective bolts which ricochet off walls and corridors. Each weapon has a strategic purpose: Riki's fire-and-forget missiles are good in most open areas where enemies surround you 360 degrees; Mami's reflective bolts always shoot straight so you know you're going to hit what you aim for. Switching between Riki and Mami throughout the game will be one of the first things you pick up as you learn the game.

Bangaio's gameplay revolves around the level designs and the movement/weapon controls. There are a number of control setups to choose from, but it basically amounts to moving and firing independently of each other--a bit like Robotron. Since Bangaio is heavily score-oriented, your ultimate goal is to blow stuff up, collect the fruit left behind and dust the boss. Fruit also replenishes your "special" meter which becomes really useful as the action gets heavy. The levels themselves have a slight "puzzle" feel to some of them. There are objects in the game that behave a certain way when shot at or touched, and you'll often find yourself racing against a clock.

Only 10,00 copies of this limited-edition cart were released in japan, so good luck trying to import one. Hopefully, someone will pick up the rights to publish Bangaio in the States...but don't hold your breath.