Super Turrican

"Better Than Contra, but too short.."

Okay, okay... I know that if you LOVE the 2-d Contras, my title might have you screaming blasphemy right now, but I can assure you, my claims do not go unfounded. Super Turrican is an unbelievable game, and is flawless in almost every aspect of it's presentation. Here's a breakdown of my review.

Graphics 9- For it's time, Super Turrican hung with the best the SNES had to offer. It has plenty of vibrant and colorful backgrounds and enemies, and also large characters that are easy to see on the screen. Nothing really noteworthy in this category, but still well done.

Sound 10- Okay. who ever did the music for this game should be given a free yacht. This game easily has the best music for any SNES title outside of an RPG. The tracks range from very upbeat, to slower paced and more serious, to fast and action packed. Other than the music, it has nice sounds for the different types of weaponry, and a nice "1UP" voice. By far, this is the best part of the whole game.

Control 9- The controls in Super Turrican simple, yet effective. Y Shoots, B Jumps, R fires a shock wave, L fires a ray that petrifies enemies, and pressing down+B turns Turrican into a ball for a limited time. The controls are fast and responsive, which helps when it comes to all of the precise jumping.

Game play 9- Super Turrican takes the frantic run and gun game play of the 2-d Contra titles and fuses it with a bit of Super Metroid. Imagine running along a platform, as in Contra, and then being able to curl into a ball and rain missiles and mines upon your enemies, then standing back up and being able to unleash a shock wave that vaporizes all the leftovers on the screen. Also, your not just running in one direction. There are several platforming parts on each level, including jumping from train to train, and getting out of a narrow space before the opposite wall crushes you, and your timing must be precise. My only complaint about the game is that you can beat it in about 45 minutes to an hour if your good.

Overall 9/10 - If you can find Super Turrican, don't hesitate to buy it. It didn't receive much coverage when it came out, and is pretty hard to find. But if you can get it, it will be an experience you won't soon forget.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/21/05