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BLAZING LAZERS (PCE)
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a.k.a. Gunhed
Publisher: NEC. Developer: Compile. Released: August 1989 (US); July 1989 (JP). Genre: Vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up. Posted 26th July 2020. By Tom Clare © 2020 |
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Look at screenshots of Blazing Lazers, or watch some gameplay footage. Better still, track down a copy, physical or digital, and give it a whirl. Time and again, you’ll have to pinch yourself to believe this was a console video game available to buy, take home and play (in Japan and the US at least) in the 1980s.
The late eighties, granted. August 1989 in the United States, where the shoot ‘em up Gunhed (loosely based around a Japanese action film of the same name) was rebranded and released as Blazing Lazers. On this evidence, the PC Engine was further ahead of the curve than many of us in the west previously appreciated. For context, the SNES wouldn’t retail in Japan for a further fifteen months. For the US, that day was still almost two years away.
Don't blink: Blazing Lazers is non-stop action from beginning to end
What we got was the furiously fast yet ethereally smooth blasting of a coin-op experience, with superb 16-bit visuals. The scrolling shoot ‘em up would become a firm favourite of the PC Engine library, and on the evidence of Blazing Lazers, it’s not difficult to see why. Vibrant, colourful and detailed sci-fi settings? Check. Large, varied and distinctive enemy designs? Check. Accessible and entertaining gameplay? You betcha.
Compile’s shooter stands out immediately thanks to its frenetic action and non-stop excitement. Each level is typified by an almost unceasing barrage of enemy attack patterns. At the heart of every great shooter, there’s always a satisfying set of weapons, and here the game excels. Photon blaster is your common or garden artillery, whilst the ring blaster creates a handy, orbiting barrier effect. More fun however is field thunder, a laser stream that with sufficient upgrades produces a devastating chain effect, and power wave, which offers the dual benefit of a wide firing arc and directional aiming that is extremely handy for avoiding the firing line of trickier bosses. Thanks to a litany of pink orbs floating through the levels, each weapon can be upgraded multiple times and combined with drones, shields and homing missiles. Whilst the Gunhed Star Fighter seems like a rather large target, and particularly vulnerable to diagonal enemy fire patterns, it’s incredibly nimble, making superb use of the PC Engine controller’s responsive D-Pad.
Compile’s shooter stands out immediately thanks to its frenetic action and non-stop excitement. Each level is typified by an almost unceasing barrage of enemy attack patterns. At the heart of every great shooter, there’s always a satisfying set of weapons, and here the game excels. Photon blaster is your common or garden artillery, whilst the ring blaster creates a handy, orbiting barrier effect. More fun however is field thunder, a laser stream that with sufficient upgrades produces a devastating chain effect, and power wave, which offers the dual benefit of a wide firing arc and directional aiming that is extremely handy for avoiding the firing line of trickier bosses. Thanks to a litany of pink orbs floating through the levels, each weapon can be upgraded multiple times and combined with drones, shields and homing missiles. Whilst the Gunhed Star Fighter seems like a rather large target, and particularly vulnerable to diagonal enemy fire patterns, it’s incredibly nimble, making superb use of the PC Engine controller’s responsive D-Pad.
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The early levels follow a recognisable, space sci-fi template, but stand out due to their beautiful, elaborate futuristic designs. Progress beyond the opening handful of stages and you’ll find Blazing Lazers dipping into the biomechanical themes particularly prevalent on PC Engine shooters thanks to the influence of R-Type, as the player battles giant organic lifeforms. Area-8 is especially tricky, as you’re tasked with navigating expanding and contracting bubbles that must be avoided at all costs. It can be frustrating, but makes for a highly unusual experience.
One slight surprise is the absence of an options menu. This means none of the usual sound options to twiddle around with (a missed opportunity given that there’s some nice tunes in here), but also no difficulty tweaks. Fortunately, Blazing Lazers measures the challenge meted intelligently, ramping up by-degrees as you progress. It isn’t easy, but it’s not bullet-hell, either. There are olive branches for less experienced gamers trying to get a foothold in the game: extra lives are awarded for strong points hauls, whilst there’s also an ample supply of bombs which, whilst not quite the screen-clearing maelstroms of some shooters, prove invaluable when the action threatens to overwhelm. Yes, there are some avoidable deaths now and again, as the sheer busyness of the background designs and the pace of the activity can make tracking rogue bullets a bit of a task. Generally speaking though, it’s fair.
One slight surprise is the absence of an options menu. This means none of the usual sound options to twiddle around with (a missed opportunity given that there’s some nice tunes in here), but also no difficulty tweaks. Fortunately, Blazing Lazers measures the challenge meted intelligently, ramping up by-degrees as you progress. It isn’t easy, but it’s not bullet-hell, either. There are olive branches for less experienced gamers trying to get a foothold in the game: extra lives are awarded for strong points hauls, whilst there’s also an ample supply of bombs which, whilst not quite the screen-clearing maelstroms of some shooters, prove invaluable when the action threatens to overwhelm. Yes, there are some avoidable deaths now and again, as the sheer busyness of the background designs and the pace of the activity can make tracking rogue bullets a bit of a task. Generally speaking though, it’s fair.
We at The Pixel Empire are always saying how we love a game with brains
Shield collectibles are a big help and though losing a life might result in a little bit of back-peddling to a checkpoint, there are always plenty of power-ups to get the player back in the action with a fighting chance. Perhaps because of the lack of an instant respawn, the bosses feel a touch sanitised. That isn’t to say they aren’t enjoyable, mind. But whilst there’s a nice mix of foes, these manageable encounters are probably a shade less memorable than the nightmarish beasts seen in some of its contemporaries.
Blazing Lazers remains a remarkable achievement and a reminder of what the PC Engine was capable of, even without the Super CD-ROM additions. Compile managed to create an incredibly modern, arcade-like experience, packed with action and running like a dream from a diminutive HuCard. One of the brightest of a new breed of shoot ‘em ups that would, in a remarkably short period of time, consign iconic blasters such as Galaga, Asteroids and the like, to the history books.
Blazing Lazers remains a remarkable achievement and a reminder of what the PC Engine was capable of, even without the Super CD-ROM additions. Compile managed to create an incredibly modern, arcade-like experience, packed with action and running like a dream from a diminutive HuCard. One of the brightest of a new breed of shoot ‘em ups that would, in a remarkably short period of time, consign iconic blasters such as Galaga, Asteroids and the like, to the history books.
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VERDICT
"Blazing Lazers offers the furiously fast yet ethereally smooth blasting of a coin-op, with superb 16-bit visuals. Compile’s shooter stands out thanks to its frenetic action and non-stop excitement" OVERALL: 8/10 |