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
Pilot Madison battles enemy ships in this Vic Tokai Mega Drive shoot'em up. Published by Vic Tokai, released in the United States in 1992. Horizontal shoot'em up with two playable ships of distinct styles, varied enemies and galaxy bosses.
Trouble Shooter 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.
Trouble Shooter is the NTSC edition of the Vic Tokai shooter, the American version of the Japanese Battle Mania game (predecessor of the holy grail Battle Mania Daiginjou). Its collector value comes from this unique US naming and from the fact that the US cartridge remains more affordable than Battle Mania Daiginjou while keeping the essence of the Vic Tokai shmup.
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.
