GAME REVIEW: BLAZING LAZERS SYSTEM: TURBO-GRAFX 16 By: GOLGO 14



BLAZING A TRAIL THAT MANY WOULD FOLLOW.....



BLAZING LAZERS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST GAMES TO BE RELEASED ALONGSIDE KEITH COURAGE IN ALPHA ZONES AND LEGENDARY AXE DURING THE LAUNCH FOR THE TURBOGRAFX-16. IT IS A VERTICALLY SCROLLING SHOOTER THAT TOOK MANY BY SURPRISE , AND TO THIS DAY, STANDS ALONGSIDE THE GREATEST SHOOTERS WITH IT'S HEAD HELD HIGH. HERE'S WHY:


GRAPHICS: 9 VISUALLY SPEAKING , THIS TITLE DELIVERED SOME BEAUTIFULLY ANIMATED SPRITES , CREATIVE LEVEL DESIGN AND MEMORABLE BOSS FIGHTS. IT'S THE TINY DETAILS THAT REALLY IMPRESS AND MAKE YOU WANNA JUST PAUSE THE GAME FROM TIME TO TIME AND APPRECIATE THE CARE THE DESIGNERS PUT IN HERE,LIKE HUNDREDS OF TINY LIGHTS SHOWING THE ENERGY INSIDE OF THE GIANT SHIPS , THE BLOOD SPARKLING INSIDE OF A MONSTERS STOMACH, EVEN THE LEVEL DESIGN PRESENTS A UNIQUE THEME;LIKE A STAGE CONSISTING OF GIANT MULTI COLORED BUBBLES OR A BEAUTIFULLY COLORED ICE CRYSTAL STAGE . THE ART DIRECTION AND GRAPHIC DESIGN IS SPOT ON WITH GREAT USE OF COLOR IN ALL THE STAGES, ENEMIES, EXPLOSIONS AND OF COURSE THE GORGEOUS LAZERS THAT BLANKET THE SCREEN TO EVEN THE ODDS


SOUND: 10 IF YOU HAVE A GOOD STEREO..BOY ARE YOU IN FOR A TREAT!!! THE AUDIO EXPERIENCE THIS GAME PROVIDES YOU WITH IS MASTERCLASS. EACH BIG EXPLOSION, EACH SOUND EFFECT, EACH ENEMY THAT YOU DIG INTO, IS MET WITH A SHARP CRACKLE AND YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL IF YOUR WEAPONS ARE WORKING ON AN ENEMY OR NOT WHICH IS NICE. THE MUSIC COMPOSED FOR THIS GAME SHOWS TRUE COMMITMENT BY THE COMPOSER . EACH TRACK SUITS THE STAGE IT WAS DESIGNED FOR GIVING EACH LEVEL IT'S OWN IDENTITY. BLENDING EVERYTHING FROM BASS THUMPING SYNTH ROCK TO XYLOPHONES, BLAZING LAZERS HAS SUCH RICH VARIETY IN ITS INSTRUMENT CHOICES AND TEXTURE THAT IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT WAS COMING OUT OF THAT LITTLE HU-CARD AND NOT A CD!!


ADDICTIVENESS: 8 DUE TO THE CREATIVE LEVEL DESIGN AND WEAPONS DESIGN ON DISPLAY HERE THE MOMENT TO MOMENT GAME PLAY SCREAMS DIVERSITY AND BEGS REPLAY , IF NOT JUST ONLY TO SEE ONE OF ITS MANY UNIQUE BOSSES GO DOWN IN FLAMES AGAIN AND AGAIN . FINDING THE RIGHT WEAPON FOR THE RIGHT SITUATION NEVER GETS OLD AND ALWAYS FEELS SMOOTH AND RESPONSIVE.(EVEN WATCHING THE GREEN HOMING LAZER COIL ITSELF AROUND ENEMIES LIKE A RATTLESNAKE DARTING AROUND ALL OVER THE SCREEN NEVER GETS OLD)


STORY: UMMM ? WELL LET'S JUST SAY THAT IF YOU ARE EXPECTING A STORY IN A GAME LIKE THIS THEN YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED. EVEN IF THERE WAS A STORY IT WOULD MAKE NO SENSE AT ALL AND SEEM OUT OF PLACE.



DIFFICULTY: 7 THIS SHOOTER HAS THE STANDARD AMOUNT OF LEVELS THAT ALL TOGETHER TAKE ABOUT 30 MIN TO COMPLETE. THIS TITLE IS CERTAINLY NOT ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT SHOOTERS COMPARED TO SOME(I'M LOOKING AT YOU GAIRIES!!)BUT BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE PLAYERS SHOULD FIND SOME CHALLENGE HERE (ESPECIALLY THE LAST FEW STAGES!)


CONCLUSION:BLAZING LAZERS REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE SHOOTERS TO COME OUT DURING THE 16-BIT CONSOLE WARS AND IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A PASSIONATE TEAM OF PROGRAMMERS COMMITTED TO HIT EVERY RIGHT NOTE, TO MAKE EVERYTHING COME TOGETHER AS ONE FANTASTIC SHOOTER THAT WILL, NEVER IN MY MIND,GO OUT QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT CAUSE ITS GUNS WILL ALWAYS BE BLAZING FOR MANY YEARS TO COME!!


OVERALL 9/10 MUST PLAY!!

I'm definitly gonna try this one out now.  Nice review as you can see it makes me wanna play the game.  Good work and I like the fonts you used too.

This review is fantastic.
But, can you make your font a bit smaller next time?

Boxia :  You young kids and your small fonts.  I think they add flair plus it is easy on an old man's eyes like mine easy to see.jk

The review is marvelous I have that game and it is awesome!!! keep it up

Thank you for reading and please look for more reviews coming soon!!

fightorace : Same here.  The big font is much easier to read.