Released in the West as Truxton for the arcade and Sega Genesis, few are aware of the PC Engine release. As a 1992 release by Taito, the game was released many years after the Genesis/Mega Drive version of the game.
Let's get the obvious out of the way, Tatujin is a hard game, very hard indeed. Even for fans of shooters, this game might leave you in tears. Like many shooters, if you are hit once, you die. When you are facing off against some of the tougher bosses, this will seem insane. If you die more than the lives you have, its game over. Unless you have the option of some sort of save state device or emulation, you will need to repeat this game many times over.
Gameplay consists of the player taking control of a spaceship (surprise!). Your ship changes colour in accordance with your weapon. Blue is a lightning-type weapon, green is a sort of lazer/pulse weapon, and red is bullets. I found the blue weapon the easiest to use, but it will depend on each player. You are given a few "bombs" that can inflict massive damage. However, use the bombs carefully as you will spend periods of time without any in sight. Also, you will try and power up your weapon as much as possible. Often, you power up your weapon, only to die a second later.
Besides the insane difficulty, there is a lot to like about Tatsujin for the PC Engine. Colourful graphics (brighter than the Genesis/MD), brighter sounds (not as tinny/metallic as the Genesis/MD), and solid controls make for a great package. The game isn't especially long, but when a game is this hard, you are literally begging for it to be over. Seriously, you palms with hurt with fatigue from clenching the controller so tight. I haven't spent much time with the Genesis/MD version, but I hear that this version is certainly harder for the Japanese audience.
Tatsujin is a very valuable game in any of its formats. Expect to pay over $100 for this version. Genesis/MD copies go for even more nowadays. Is the game worth the insane price tag? I happen to like this version more than on the Sega consoles. Tatsujin is a great shooter, but I would find it hard to spend the insane asking price.
+Great visuals, bright and colourful
+Very unique and memorable music
+Better-looking and sounding than Genesis/MD version
-Very, very difficult
-Quite rare and expensive to find the game
RATING:8.2/10
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