Help to identify an NES shmup

[Sotenga]

There's a friend of mine who's trying to find this one game. Here's what he remembers:

- for NES
- scrolls left to right
- had a purple cartridge label
- ship extends into a v-shape (it gets bigger and more vulnerable)
- first level was a green garden thing iirc
- another level looked like a garbage yard
- the level scrolling was choppy, like 15fps
- it was an official licensed cartridge
- it also might have had a vertical stage

Does anyone know any games that comes close to fitting this description? I'm at a loss here. Thanks.

[aiko]

Over Horizon?

[savageone]

Kinda sounds like Mag Max

http://www.mobygames.com/game/mag-max

[Sotenga]

aiko: Strangely enough, I also immediately thought it was Over Horizon. Unfortunately, my bud said that wasn't it, but good to see we're on the same wavelength.

savageone: Ooh, that just might be it. It fits nearly every description... I'll show it to my pal. If it's the right one, I thank you much! Even if it isn't, thanks for a damn good guess. ^_^

[Aussie2B]

Well, not all the descriptions match up, but it does sound a lot like Stinger too.

[Sotenga]

BUMP

Unfortunately, the game was not Mag Max. However, Aussie, I'll take that suggestion of Stinger into mind...

Also, here's another clue: My friend tells me that he recalls "pterodactyl-like enemies" in the game. The ship is also larger than the one in Mag Max.

[HayakawaKen]

Sounds like Terra Cresta to me actually..

[HayakawaKen]

oops, double post.

[djsquarewave]

Thundercade? The comment "the level scrolling was choppy, like 15fps" makes me think it's a Micronics game, but I don't think they ever did any hori shmups, and that's the closest I think you'd get.

Probably not it, but hey.