B-Wings
| B-Wings | |
|---|---|
 North American arcade flyer | |
| Developer(s) | Data East |
| Publisher(s) | Data East |
| Designer(s) | Akira Sakuma |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Family Computer |
| Release date(s) |
Arcade‹See Tfd›
Family Computer‹See Tfd›
|
| Genre(s) | Scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 players (Alternating turns) |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system | Millennium 95085 Microsystem Emulator |
| CPU | M6809 |
| Sound |
Sound CPU : DECO Sound Chips : AY8910, DAC |
| Display |
Raster 240 x 256 pixels, 64 colors |
B-Wings (Ｂウィング B-Uingu) is a vertically scrolling shooter first released as an arcade game by Data East in 1984. The game was ported by Data East to the Family Computer in 1986, and was Data East's very first home release for this platform.
Gameplay
The game consists of 45 levels (30 in the Family Computer version), and no background story or plot is given. The player controls a starfighter called the FX-1, and collects weapon power-up parts (called a "wing") to progress through the levels and ultimately destroy a series of enemy bosses known as the Gobunasu at every end of the level. The game consists of two different top-view screen levels, where the player can press the second button to descend to the ground whenever they do not have a power-up. The player is unaffected by attacks from airborne units while they are playing on the ground level, but the ship is automatically brought back into the air after a certain period of time. The player can still be hit by attacks from ground units while they are on the ground level, and can also lose their ship by crashing into obstacles. The 8-way joystick controls the player's movements, and one button is used for shooting, and the other is used for descending to the ground (or un-equipping wings). The background image continues infinitely when the player scrolls in the horizontal directions.
The game was remade to the Family Computer in 1986, but many changes were made to power-ups, sound effects, enemy attack patterns, and enemy appearances, making the gameplay considerably different from the arcade version. New additional background music was also included, and it also became possible to rapid-fire shots. Several warps and hidden items were also added, along with an ending screen. Also, the ability to descend to the ground is absent, replaced by a control that allows the ship to temporarily "shrink" when no power-ups are equipped.
Weapons
Unique from other scrolling shooters of its time, B-Wings features a variety of weapons that can be equipped onto the player's ship by collecting power-ups that corresponds to certain weapons. Weapons come in the form of "wings" that attaches to the ship's sides and each has different abilities.
When the player has no weapon, the ship will simply shoot two small projectiles at the front.
- Cannon: Shoots three projectiles and provide a machine gun-like firepower.
- Wide: Single-shot weapon that shoots five projectiles that spread apart like a shotgun.
- Multi: A variant of the Cannon that changes direction between four different angles after every shot
- Van: Rapid-fire weapon that shoot small beams that travels for an extremely short distance, forming a defensive barrier.
- Side: Shoots three projectiles each to the left and right, allowing the ship to attack in horizontal directions and destroy special obstacles that cannot be shot normally.
- Anti: Shoot forwards and backwards at the same time, allowing the ship to attack enemies coming from behind.
- Ground: Drops bombs to the ground platform and can be used to attack enemies lower than the ship. Only appears in the original arcade version.
- Jump: Another variant of the Cannon, but one projectile is capable of penetrating solid objects, allowing it to destroy indestructible obstacles.
- Hammer: Shoots six projectiles forward and comes with a rotating shield that grants partial invincibility. Only available in the Family Computer version.
- Dyna: Shoots a short-range beam that destroys all enemies on its path. Only available in the Family Computer version.
- Fire: A powerful version of the Dyna that shoots faster and capable of destroying bosses quickly. Only available in the Family Computer version.
Special weapons
In the Family Computer version, there are three additional weapons that can only be obtained by destroying certain obstacles;
- Hammer-Psycho: Shoots green rings that behave similarly to the Dyna, and it has shield similar to the Hammer.
- Wave-Net: Shoots four energy beams, each to every directions around the ship.
- Multi-Hammer: Shoots eight projectiles around the ship in all directions.
Items
In the Family Computer version, several items are scattered throughout the levels, usually hidden underneath certain obstacle structures or randomly flying around the screen. Certain items disappears when shot, while others will change its effect.
- VOL: Allows the player to store spare weapons, which can be used anytime when pausing the game. This can only be used once, unless if one collects more than one VOLs.
- Shooting Star: Teleports the player four level ahead, skipping any bosses at the cost of extra points.
- Floating Wings': A random weapon that floats at certain intervals throughout a level. To obtain it, the attached flying pods must be destroyed to release the weapon.
- Diamond: A floating diamond with a letter that changes randomly when shot. Each letter corresponds to a specific weapon when picked up.
- Card Decks: Grants the player an extra life or additional protection for the ship.
External links
- Data East games (Japanese)
- B-Wings at the Killer List of Videogames