I love those 194x games. I have that collection and I think you can turn the PSP screen sideways to kind of replicate the vertical arcade screen. I like doing that a lot.
BaD #1: 1941: Counter Attack
|
 On 02/01/2018 at 07:04 PM by daftman See More From This User » |
After a few years of BaD iOS games I knew I wanted a new theme for Blog-a-Day. Then I discovered that Capcom Classics Collection Remixed for the PSP has 20 games, exactly. PERFECT. So that's what we'll be doing, playing through the games alphabetically, just as they're listed in the collection's menu. Here we go!
1941: Counter Attack is the first game on Capcom Classic Collection Remixed. It's a vertical scrolling shmup originally published in arcades in 1990 and it's pretty good. I was surprised by the variety of the levels, which begins in the North Atlantic but then takes you to a shipyard hidden between a series of narrow cliffs, an enemy base full of crazy train tracks and flame turrets, an urban setting that I assume is supposed to be Germany (the game's subtitle seems to indicate you're on the offensive but who knows? I didn't see any swastikas), then takes you into the countryside to find the enemy's castle fortress. The bosses are pretty varied as well. Fighting a rocket (like, a space rocket) as it launches might have been my favorite.
The game likes to move from side to side as it goes forward, which isn't my favorite, but the near ubiquitous presence of walls does allow for a cool game mechanic. Rather than taking damage when you bump into a wall, you instead spin all the way around one time, allowing you to shoot in all directions for just a second. The game, of course, has a power up system (though I'm not sure if they were consumable or if I was just dying so quickly lol) but also an energy meter that lets you take a couple hits. You can trade one of your energy hits, however, a bomb. And while you have to continually push the button to shoot, you can hold it to charge up a large missile attack.
The game looks great on the PSP screen, in large part because you can orient the screen sideways, making the PSP's wide screen a tall screen instead. Playing with your hands at the top and bottom of the screen is a little awkward at first but you get used to it, and the option for infinite continues makes doing well a moot point anyway. 1941: Counter Attack is a fun way to spend 30 minutes and holds up pretty well. I just wish it was easier to play the co-op mode but that's the nature of portable collections.
Comments