A snappy, demanding Japanese horizontal shooter starring a bounty-hunter duo. Short but well crafted, underrated and genuinely enjoyable for shmup fans.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter2 players7+
Description
A bounty hunter battles enemy waves in this Victor Interactive Mega Drive horizontal shoot'em up. Published by Victor Interactive, released in Japan in April 1991. Horizontal shoot'em up with demanding gameplay, varied enemies forming patterns and imposing bosses.
Battle Mania review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The pair of hunters is drawn in a humorous manga style, with exaggerated expressions appearing as insets during the action. The scenery alternates military bases, ruins and mechanical interiors, and the visual tone refuses the genre's usual seriousness by slipping gags into the very silhouettes of the enemies.
The writing stays lively and melodic, with themes easily remembered and very mobile bass. The musical tone follows the game's mood, brisker than dramatic, and the boss pieces introduce metre changes that pleasantly upset the regularity established since the start of the stage.
Horizontal shoot'em up by Vic Tokai led by a pair of bounty huntresses, short but snappy and long left in the shadows. Its collector interest climbed in the wake of its sequel, Battle Mania Daiginjo, now one of the most expensive Mega Drive cartridges in the world: this first entry, Japan-exclusive, benefits from that aura by ricochet. More accessible than its sequel yet far from common, it is sought by fans of rare Japanese shmups.
An underrated gem
Two strong-willed bounty hunters, offbeat humor, and a horizontal shooter that never takes itself seriously: this is a Vic Tokai production with endearing personality. Timidly distributed, it quickly fell off the radar. Its light tone and playable duo make it a charming curiosity for fans of shooters with a bit of a twist.
Better with friends
A vertical shooter where two heroines team up to sweep the screen of enemies, one firing, the other in close support. Mutual aid is the engine: covering each other and coordinating tight passages turns survival into real teamwork. Punchy and colorful, it rewards communication, and clearing a hard wave together brings a shared satisfaction you want to relive at once.
