Game of the Day 4/15/2016: Terra Cresta

[celerystalker]

The NES is very much a mixed bag for shooters, as it had not only hardware that was inferior to the arcade while being able to create reasonable facsimilies, but also existed during a transitional period in shooter design, with its origins nearer to single-screen classics like Galaga and its end being well into more modern stuff from Toaplan with defined endings and complicated scoring. Terra Cresta, sequel to Moon Cresta, is one of those transitional games with more repetitive elements, but with experimental mechanics and a defined ending. The real question is one of how well it comes together.

A vertical scroller, Terra Cresta starts you off with three lives and a pea shooter, but a sorely unique powerup system to explore. As you blast through rival ships and turrets, you occasionally will find a hatch surrounded by numbered orbs. Shoot all of the orbs when they begin flashing, and the powerup corresponding to that number will be released. These are complimentary ships that snap together like Voltron or Magmax, each adding a new feature such as extra shots, rear cannons, a rear force field, and a penetrating beam. Assemble all five, and you will temporarily transform into an invincible phoenix for several seconds before resuming your ultimate form. Take a hit, and you lose the damaged piece.

Even more interesting, when you collect two or more powerups, you are awarded three "F" icons at the bottom of tge screen. These enable you to launch all of your current powerups into formation, grossly improving your firepower for roughly 8 seconds or so. If your main ship is hit, you'll die, so it's not like a bomb, but it can very much help you clear the screen in a hurry. Yoi can replenish these each time you pick up a new icon. Strategic use of this system is the key to survival. Also, on the NES, you can edit your ship formation, laying out which ship goes where on a grid that will be used in game, which is a neat feature.

This is all pretty cool, and the graphics are pretty crisp right off the back, with music that keeps pace. However, it's not all perfect. The level designs are utterly uninspired, using basically the same terrain types and color palette throughout the entire game, which is totally a missed opportunity. An even bigger waste is how all of the bosses save the last are rehashes of the same boss... shoot the core... yeah. Terra Cresta does keep a frenetic pace, though, with fast enemies in difficult formations, well-positioned turrets, and lots of enemies and bullets on screen with minimal flicker or slowdown. With a little variety, this could have become a bonafide classic, but as is it's just a well-programmed shooter that could have been amazing with a little more love.

Played this one? Maybe the arcade or PC ports?

[Emperor Megas]

I've never played any version, but I have heard the name, as well as the sequel. I'll have to keep an eye out for them. Shooters are probably my favorite genre of games, as retro goes.

[celerystalker]

I've never played any version, but I have heard the name, as well as the sequel. I'll have to keep an eye out for them. Shooters are probably my favorite genre of games, as retro goes.

I think shooters just hold up really well. The challenge and mechanics are timeless. I was really into bullet hell shooters for a few years, and I still like them, but I don't automatically buy them now, as they have kind of a same-ness to them... plus, I always want to 1cc them, which can be a bitch. I was proud of my 1cc clears of stuff like Giga Wing, ESPGaluda, Chaos Field, etc., but over time I've gravitated back to more classic style shooters that have unique mechanics and more methoducal gameplay like Gradius or Super Star Soldier. I'm working on trying to 1cc Gondomania right now, as it's pretty unique with its powerup system and use of rotary sticks. If it wasn't an arcade exclusive I'd have made it game of the day a long time ago.

[Emperor Megas]

I LOVE Gondomania. I can end that game on a single life no problem. It was one of my favorite arcade games in Junior High school.

[celerystalker]

I LOVE Gondomania. I can end that game on a single life no problem. It was one of my favorite arcade games in Junior High school.

I got a pcb a few months ago and have been playing it in my Time Soldiers cabinet. I can get to stage 5 on one credit right now, so hopefully I'll get there soon. I never play more than one credit at a time on most arcade games I own, so it's fun finding out what's next the old-fashioned way.

[Emperor Megas]

I'm principally against continuing in arcade games. If I can't beat it on a single credit, I just won't beat it.

[Garry Silljo]

I'm principally against continuing in arcade games. If I can't beat it on a single credit, I just won't beat it.

I think nearly the same way. I have a Neo-Geo cabinet and when I get a new game for it I play it once all the way through just feeding in as many credits as it takes. After that initial run though I either try to single credit the game or maybe limit myself to "$1" or so. I don't have many perfect runs but with practice its doable in almost any game.

[celerystalker]

Yeah, I've always figures that if I was playing when it was new, I probably didn't have more than a quarter to put in.

[homerhomer]

Oh yes, played the arcade back in the day. And picked up the NES port a few years back. Great game. I always liked the sound is the arcade game.

[Emperor Megas]

The thing about Gondomania is money and weapon's management, which is why I love the game SO much. The only bikes you need are the wide beam bike (the best in the game) and the narrow beam bike (which most don't understand is awesome for bosses). The (single) guided arrow bike comes in handy, too, in certain areas if you're out of ammo in one of the others. Also, fireball and axes are pretty much all you need through out the entire game.

Man, the music in that game rocks.

[celerystalker]

The thing about Gondomania is money and weapon's management, which is why I love the game SO much. The only bikes you need are the wide beam bike (the best in the game) and the narrow beam bike (which most don't understand is awesome for bosses). The (single) guided arrow bike comes in handy, too, in certain areas if you're out of ammo in one of the others. Also, fireball and axes are pretty much all you need through out the entire game.

Man, the music in that game rocks.

Yeah, the axes and fireballs are what I stick to all the way, and the beam bikes as well. Only other things I spend money on are armor, speed booster, and when the 1ups appear. The part that screws me up sometimes is that I've played so much Time Soldiers, and there are 12 rotary positions in that game vs 8 in Gondomania, so I catch myself expecting the wrong angle sometimes, but I'm getting used to the 45 degree angles.

The music is great, like you said... very unique and fitting. I also love how the little sprites look like they crawled out of Gain Ground.

Shit, I should've started a Gondomania thread in Arcade Alley. Terra Cresta is cool, and deserves its own talk, but now I just kinda want to talk Gondomania. I mean, how am I supposed to stay focused when all my women are held captive on the planet of thorns?!

[Emperor Megas]

If I remember correctly, the player characters and princesses are swingers, with the princess that approaches you being whichever corresponds with the side that you're on when you defeat the final boss. You can be the silver rider and receive the blue princess and vice versa.

[celerystalker]

If I remember correctly, the player characters and princesses are swingers, with the princess that approaches you being whichever corresponds with the side that you're on when you defeat the final boss. You can be the silver rider and receive the blue princess and vice versa.

Sounds hot. Heh. That'll be a funny thing to look out for once I finally hit my 1cc run.