Taito helicopter shmup, spiritual sequel to Tiger Heli. Solid and fast-paced gameplay, good enemy variety. Less famous than other Saturn shmups but comparable quality. A good addition to any Saturn library.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player12+
Co-op
Description
Intense vertical shoot-'em-up featuring combat helicopters with customizable arsenals. Published by Taito, released in Japan in 1996. Two helicopters with interchangeable weapon configurations, power-ups collectible during missions, monumental multi-phase bosses, simultaneous two-player mode and frantic arcade action. An enriched Saturn port of the Twin Cobra II arcade.
Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The lineage of helicopter shooters is recognisable from the first screen: detailed rotors, green and brown camouflage, operation zones seen from above with their runways, bunkers and convoys. The bosses, by contrast, tip into mechanical excess and occupy whole screens, creating a sharp contrast between the rigour of the scenery and the exuberance of the fights.
The music cultivates a military tension without grandstanding: continuous bass, regular percussion, synthetic motifs turning over like a running engine. The themes do not chase a memorable melody but a sustained accompaniment, and the boss tracks add saturated brass that raises the pressure without ever breaking the cadence already established.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Average"
Technical info
💾0,4 GB📅13/12/1996
Published by Toaplan
Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus (Saturn) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
Compare prices
Loading eBay listings…
Alert active — budget
$
Collector interest
Japan exclusive Saturn port of Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus, distributed by Toaplan in December 1996, an arcade conversion of Twin Cobra II with Plus levels added exclusively to the Saturn printing. The title is one of the last Toaplan signed before the studio's dissolution, which makes it for Toaplan enthusiasts a transition archive object. Toaplan Japan run was short, jewel case with intact obi, complete with obi clearly sought after among Toaplan completists attentive to the last in house titles.
An underrated gem
Combat helicopters, swappable arsenals, and monumental bosses: this Toaplan vertical shooter cultivates old-school efficiency without showing off. Stuck in Japan under its original title, it slipped beneath Western radars. Direct and punchy, it'll appeal to fans of classic shmups who prefer clarity over a flood of projectiles.
Is Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus still worth playing in 2026?
A direct sequel to the Toaplan classic, Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus offers a nervy vertical shoot with military helicopters in intense missions. The polished military art direction, readable patterns and progressive difficulty make it a vertical shoot reference on Saturn. The Plus version enriches the content. For anyone fond of Toaplan vertical shoots or seeking a sequel to the famous Twin Cobra, a warm recommendation still valid today without any hesitation on the Sega machine for military shoot genre fans truly here indeed.
