Sega Games That Meant Part 2

As I continue with this week’s theme of Sega Games that meant, I going to present to you three games (since I missed due to work) which comes from the Genesis.  Both of these game played a major role for not only me and my brother, but my taste in games and expertise in specific genres I have come to know and love.  So with that in mind I present to you these games: Arrow Flash and Phelios.

 

My brother Genesis library started to grow but at real slow rate since he started falling out of video games.  Me, on the other, beat and perfected some of the games he had in collection.  On this one occasion, we both got money to buy our own games and with that in mind, we hadn’t a clue what we should get.  $20.00 was a lot to us as kids because we felt like we could buy the world and at though we headed to Software Etc., we ran right to the Genesis section at the store.  Talking and debating, we both pick our games and purchase them.  For him, it was Phelios by Namco.  I chose Arrow Flash.  Not realizing that both games were 1 player shmups.

 

Starting with Phelios, a Greek mythological inspired vertical shooter.  Develop by Namco, it was a arcade shooter  where you play as Apollo who flies on his horse Pegasus.  Their mission is save Artemis from the evil lord Typhoon.  7 stages and a game play mechanic of button mashing and charging was the main focal point of my play through but it did something I wasn’t accustomed to.  Having a life bar on the side made me feel off at the time.  I was use to getting shot and destroyed but to have this life bar made me cautious because even though I could take hits and still progress, I was limited to when I would get a energy capsule.  I played the novice difficulty (which was 4 stages), I was able to get through the game but when it came to the hard setting, which was all 7 chapters, I kept dying at a particular point and gave up.  

 

Feeling mad and frustrated, I put the game away and started on Arrow Flash.  Now this is one of the best and balance anime inspired shooters I ever played.  I played it so much, that I could play on all difficulties and wouldn’t continue on any of them.  It was my Sunday sports game.  Arrow Flash really didn’t have a story but Sega and Renovation made a game that really didn’t need it.  With a great music, 2 different styles of playing and having a ship that can transform into a Gundam S style ship was cool and new to me as a kid.

 

Arrow Flash had a mechanic that you could get stock to use for your special shot or you could charge it and use it infinite.  I use to play with the stock but then after playing Phelios, I switch to the charge shot.  Arrow Flash was that old school Gradius and R-Type way of playing without no slow down and I enjoyed it.  My brother though never went  back to these games and soon, he stop playing them.  Well, he stop playing that genre and played mostly sports.

 

I did eventually go back to Phelios and beat it.  Two weeks after playing Arrow Flash almost everyday.  

 

Once again though, it is Treasure who incorporated some their ideas into one game.  Say with me now.  IKARUGA.  The two difficult system became one of the choices to play the game.  Also, you had to play the game vertical or horizontal.  Also, the life bar, which Ikaruga didn’t have, was implemented in the black and white switch ability.  You could use the same color method to shoot your special weapon (almost like Arrow Flash stock option and charge at the same time).  Though Ikaruga is more challenging than the other two, you can see their influences in the game,

 

As the week is coming to the end, I will be covering my last two games.  One for the Dreamcast and a actual arcade game.  Until next time.