Pop 'n TwinBee Longplay (SNES) [QHD]

Game Info
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Developer: Konami
Publisher: Palcom Software
Year of Release: 1993

Game Review & Impressions
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I recall seeing clips of Pop 'n TwinBee on TV and in magazine previews at the time of its release, and even then, I was struck by just how gorgeous the game looked. The pastel colour palette, cutesy art style, not to mention the plethora of sprite warping and transformation effects on show, make for one of the best looking video games on the SNES, at least in my opinion. The game was only released in Japan and Europe at the time, with no official U.S. release at all. Quite why one of the better shooters on the system didn't get a release Stateside seems rather odd to me - maybe Konami figured it wouldn't find an audience.

I suppose this is a possible theory, given how weird it is. Blasting wandering pineapples and bunches of grapes is a far cry from aliens, monsters, and the typical kind of enemies you usually see in this kind of game, but despite its quirkiness, this is a very cool shooter. Each stage involves blasting legions of both air and ground-based enemies with an assortment of weapons, with various power-ups and upgrades on hand to give you the edge. Shooting those fluffy white clouds found throughout the levels causes a bell to be jettisoned into the air, and these changes both the colour of the bell, as well as which power-up you'll receive once collected. For example, green bells equip you with an additional follower/side-shot, while pink bells grant a damage shield, which both damages enemies on contact and allows you to soak up some extra hits.

Despite it's cute 'n cuddly aesthetics, Pop 'n TwinBee can be a fiendishly tough game at times. Later levels literally swarm you with enemies, so you'll need speedy reactions if you hope to survive, something the sometimes garish colours and cycling background animations can make particularly difficult. There's so much going on at times that it's quite easy to lose sight of your own craft in the ensuing chaos.

Pop 'n TwinBee is an excellent shoot 'em up that looks amazing, so if you're up for a challenge, definitely give this a shot.

Chapters
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