"One of the Most Underrated Shooters on the 16-bit Consoles."

Summary:
Zero-Wing is a side scrolling shooter released on the Sega Mega Drive in Japan and in Europe. It is a very close port of the arcade game by Toaplan. Unfortunately, due to the poor translation of the opening screens for the UK release, the game is largely considered a joke and overlooked. This is a shame because it is a very close translation of the arcade game, which was popular in arcades all over the United States in the late 1980's. This is a fantastic game, especially for those who enjoy shmups and late 1980's arcade games.

Note: Aside from the text in the introduction, the Japanese and European releases are identical. This review could be used to describe either or them.

Story (?):
As I do not speak or read Japanese and an well aware that the game's introduction cinema is not translated accurately for the European release, I can only guess at the story. It appears that an organization known as CATS (comprised of rude cyborgs piloting giant organic ships) is trying to take over the galaxy. Their leader rudely sends a holographic projection to the bridge of a space craft and threatens to kill everyone for no apparent reason. The space terrorists attack some sort of Space Federation. During the chaos, several experimental ships, known as Zigs, are dispatched in a last ditch effort to save the galaxy. Only one valiant Zig fighter survives and must run the gauntlet.

I will say that the presentation of the introduction story, graphically, is excellent. There are several dramatic story boards that are very well drawn. Only the bad dialog prevents them from being particularly compelling. I personally liked the introduction, except for the translation, which was astonishingly terrible. The PC Engine CD version features animated cut scenes for an introduction and between the levels, but they introduction is not well drawn or interesting as the Mega-Drive version.


Gameplay (8):
Zero-wing is quite difficult but does offer interesting power ups and some novel features, such as being able to trap enemy ships and use them as shields. Each weapon has several levels of power. The control is quite good. Many of the features of the game-play seem common place in later shooters, but first appeared in Zero-wing. For instance, being able to power each weapon to unique levels using specific power ups was novel at the time. I feel that the game controls slightly better than the PC Engine CD version. I did not discern any slowdown.

Graphics & Sound (9):
The graphics on this game are very, very good. Despite the Mega-drive's pallet limitations, the sprites and backgrounds are colorful and vivid. Though not as colorful as the PC Engine CD version, the actual sprites and backgrounds tend to be more intricate and detailed. There are a large assortment of enemy ships and levels that do not get repetitive and are not overly recycled. The boss characters are often huge and are very original designs. I would say that graphics on the game are nearly roughly equal to the PC Engine CD; more detailed and intricate, but less colorful.

The sound track is fantastic and virtually the same as the arcade port. However, the Mega-Drive version is clearly inferior to its PC Engine counterpart in this category as it lacks the remastered soundtrack with redbook audio.

Replay Value (8):
Just as the arcade game was an addictive quarter-muncher, the home port is equally addictive. The frantic pace, vivid graphics, and varied power ups offer great challenge. The game can be played over and over again, each time finding new patterns to exploit.

Overall (9):
The bottom line is that Zero-Wing is a fantastic and accurate translation of a long forgotten, yet classic, arcade game that was very popular in the arcades over 20 years ago. As a home port it is superior to almost all shooters released for the Genesis in the United States, with only the Thunderforce series and Gaiares being of similar quality. This is another fantastic gem that was never released due to the idiots running Sega of America during the early 1990's.

The game (in its Japanese variety) can be purchased on eBay for as low as $20, and that can be played on Japanese Mega-drives or the early Sega Genesis systems that did not have region lock. Those systems go for as low as $40 used. The price is well worth it for fans of classic 16-bit shooters. Adversely, the PC Engine CD version is usually a bit more pricey and requires a considerable investment in the Turbo Duo, which can be as expensive as $300 (used and incomplete) as of this writing in 2011.

For those interested in great Mega-Drive shooters never released in the USA, two others to check out are Gleylancer and Eliminate Down. These are both superb shooters that also never saw the light of day in the United States.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/16/11

Game Release: Zero Wing (EU, 1991)