Turrican
| Developer: Factor 5 | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Rainbow Arts | Sound: |
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| Year: 1990 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Action-platformer | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
7/10 | |
The quintessential run and gun game from the Commodore 64 (1990), ported to the Amiga the same year. This genre is well-represented in arcades (Xain’d Sleena, also known as Soldier of Light (1986), Psycho-Nics Oscar (1988), Metal Slug (1996)) and on consoles (Metroid (1986), Contra (1987), Cybernator (Super Nintendo, 1992)).
It stands out for its fast-paced, explosive gameplay, sprawling areas to explore, rifle in hand, and of course, secret passages packed with bonuses to upgrade your weapons. It’s not uncommon to encounter shoot’em up sequences, given how closely related the two genres are (the difference being that the hero flies instead of walking).
On the Amiga, Turrican has no serious competition. It’s a hugely popular series that, frankly, leaves me scratching my head. There’s something about Mega Man that keeps me hooked, while Turrican just bores me. Maybe it’s the level length (no saves or passwords) or the limited arsenal (everything’s available from the start, making the novelty wear off quickly). The lack of visibility doesn’t help either, nor does the overly labyrinthine level design, at least for my taste (I gave up on level 4, unable to find the exit).
As for the music, it’s memorable, sure, but hardly worth howling at the moon over, if you ask me.
In short, it’s not my favourite blue robot.
Update:
I gave it another shot and couldn’t find the level 3 exit this time! I suspect my cracked version is to blame. Avoid this one: “Turrican (1990)(Rainbow Arts)[cr PNA]”.
For something similar, check out Valfaris (2019).
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