Parodius Deluxe PackReview by: Frank Provo Bottom Line: 8.3 (A quirky, fun, and endearing shooter) I'm not a huge shooter fan, but I'm fan enough to try as many as I happen to run across. Although late on the upkeep, I finally got the nerve to try the import version of Parodius Deluxe Pack for the Saturn. I probably should have reviewed this game a year ago when it was released, but admittedly, I was pleasantly surprised at how well an "old" game held my attention. Parodius Deluxe Pack comes with two games. The First is Ultimate Parodius, which is the better looking of the two games--complete with multiplane parallax, orchestral music, and a choice of 8 ships in 1 or 2 player modes. The second game, Parodius Da! is simply the SNES version of Parodius in all its splendor. Da! is 2 player alternating, only has 4 ships, and isn't visually enjoyable in this age of eye candy and sprite bombardment. Don't get me wrong, it is a solid and challenging game, but not exactly something to write home about in 1996. With that said, this review focuses mainly on the marquee title on the disc, Ultimate Parodius. However, most of what goes for Ultimate Parodius translates well unto Paroidus Da!--just imagine you're in a longer game which happens to be less graphically/aurally impressive than its enhanced cousin. As a game, Parodius is a lot like Gradius in that you pilot your ship through a variety of two dimensional levels avoiding obstructions. Your ship "powers up" via little orbs that keep moving your power options up a notch until you decide to use them. Some power ups can be activated multiple times, usually resulting in multiple "options" (circa Gradius) surrounding your ship and adding to its firepower. Unique to Parodius however is something called a "bell power," which is activated when you obtain a colored bell from an enemy. You shoot these little buggers and depending on their color you get a nifty power up--anything from a few bucks to a much needed shield. Weapon-wise Ultimate Parodius is great, as long as you don't get killed often. You have unlimited continues, but some levels will eat you alive if you lack necessary power ups. You will only gain frustration if you rush so fast as to have a weakly powered ship. Obtaining green bell power ups is also a good idea, as they give you a good 5 seconds of invincibility and resting time. It takes skill and a fast eye to survive the hordes of enemy this game will throw at you, and patience is a requirement if you're to survive. Compared to most shooters, Ultimate Parodius possesses many endearing qualities, yet lacks graphically. Yes, there are a ton of enemies on-screen at various times, and indeed the game has a nice hilarious feel to it. Unfortunately, very little is done to tax the Saturn hardware, and 99% of the visuals come across as being possible on the Genesis. Don't get me wrong though, everything is drawn very well, albeit simplistically. Though both games don't shatter you with visuals, both have their own "blissfull" charms. A bakery level, a city level complete with Deer crossing signs and falling deer, and a Japanese garden level with it's own Geisha boss are just a few of the many bizarre stages you will come across. To top it off, you can choose a penguin, an Octopus, the Vic Viper, and many other aircraft to take you on your journey. "Gradius on acid" is what my first thought was, and after seeing the paper airplane's condom shield, yours just might be too. While the graphics may be iffy, Ultimate Parodius sure doesn't disappoint aurally. The sound effects are about what one would expect from a shooter, replete with various booms and bangs. What shines through the various near 16-bit sound effects though is the music. I have to give kudos to the folks at Konami who chose the music to this game. Hearing "Ride of the Valkyries" or the Can Can while playing through a surreal city-scape is succinctly thrilling. Needless to say, I know now that if I had to pilot a penguin through a huge bakery, I'd want to be doing the Can Can as well. Before I sum up, I'd at least like to say something more about Parodius Da!, the second title on this disc. It may be old, but it's just as good as any existing 16-bit shooter, if not better. Being only 2 player alternating hurts, but being able to choose your sex and race in the initials screen is kinda neat. Parodius Da! has about twice as many levels as Ultimate does, which lends to even out the difficulty levels somewhat. Ultimate Parodius is the more difficult of the two games, but Parodius Da! is long enough to seem just as tough. Ultimate Parodius is also much easier with automatic weapons, while Da! stays just about as difficult with auto set. All in all Parodius Deluxe Pack is two shooters in one, with little 32-bit to show and yet much to challenge. Diehard shooter fans will rejoice at the difficulty (and cringe at the # of continues), while borderline fans like myself will enjoy the game's cartoony charm and hilarious Konami in-jokes. Those who aren't into shooters might also wish to take notice of this game, as much if its difficulty can be muted by playing on easy with auto weapons. (When you die, you come back where you were, with bells on) Finally, while this review is of the Saturn version, PSX users can take it to heart as well. I've seen the PSX version and it's the exact same as the saturn one, just with slightly more audible sound and a little bit more slowdown in spots. My ratings hold for both the Saturn and PSX incarnations. Ratings Graphics: 7.5
+ Quirky, cartoon-like sprites decorate and populate the levels. Sound: 9
+ HAHAHAHAHA, Ride of the Valkyries!!! The music fits bigtime. Gameplay/Control: 8.5
+ Very easy to control (Use "Speed Up" as soon as you can though) Replay Value/Fun Factor: 8.5
+ 2 Full games. There's a lot of nostalgia and challenge to overcome. Overall: 8.3 Parodius Deluxe Pack Tips/Cheats: *The Konami Code (Pause, tap Up,Up,Down,Down,Left,Right,Left,Right,B,A) gives you full weapons. Be warned though, it works limited times, and is useless in Parodius Da! Also, don't press the L and R buttons in the above code, unless you like your ship at baseline weapons/speed. *The Walking Showgirl in Ultimate Parodius requires you to sneak under her foot and between her legs. After she reaches the end of the screen you have to sneak back out. When she walks forward again, align yourself just above her waistline and she won't smash you. *The Showgirl in Parodius Da! is a little tougher, in that you need to sneak under her feet and swap sides with her twice. Have speed-up active or you will die. You can cheat and get past the showgirl easy however, if you have a good eye. Align your ship as far right as you can go and hover just under the showgirl's cleavage. This should leave you safe from her strutting. *You only get one chance at the huge flaming Moai ship in Ultimate Parodius, make it count. If you can get a green bell or a force field, things will be a little easier--but not much. If you have auto weapons on, you get multiple chances at the ship--making things much much easier. *In the egypt-like candy maze in Parodius Da!, a green or bell power up is your best bet for success if you aren't fully armed. There will be a batch of rocks that require you to be able to shoot upwards to destroy them. Detonate the blue bomb here and rush through them as it's exploding. The green bell should give you plenty of time to make it through. *If you beat Ultimate Parodius, you will be able to play a "Special stage." The first time you play this stage will be just after beating the game, and will require patience and skill. Notice the "Thank You For Playing This Game" sign that the appearing/disappearing enemies make near the end. Most people wont get past this level without weapons set to automatic.
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