Zero Wing review - Sega Megadrive

Toaplan have produced some really classy stuff on the Megadrive, and I don't think Zero Wing plays as well as Hellfire, it's probably their most polished game to date. The opening sequences which set the scene are ace, and the graphics throughout the game are really detailed - the Zero Wing ship itself is a masterpiece of sprite design. One of Zero Wing's best features is that, unlike a lot of Megadrive games, it demands a lot of skill to play well. Fancy flying is essential because there are some tight passages to negotiate, and bullets are constantly flying everywhere. Definitely one of the best Megadrive blasts of recent months!

Hellfire was a pretty brilliant blast by all accounts, combining brilliant graphics and sound with awesome playability. Now Toaplan have returned with Zero Wing, another conversion of a horizontally scrolling coin-op blast - and it's pretty damn good! Considering the (very) tired genre, Toaplan have come up trumps with a game that has a very original graphic style, along with some pretty original weaponry too. The sound (as usual for a Toaplan game) is great, with some pretty decent effects and brilliant tunes. But it's usually the difficulty level f a game that either makes of breaks it, and just like Hellfire, Zero Wing is something of a tough mutha - even on the lowest difficulty setting. So if it's thrills, spills and a high death count you're after, look no further!

The game that launched a internet craze...who would have thought it, eh? It's worth noting that the arcade original was something of a commercial flop, which is strange when you consider the quality of the game. It's hardly ground-breaking stuff, but there's plenty of entertainment to be found here if you're a shooter buff.

Amazingly this was never released in the US - this fact keeps the price of the Euro English Language version high, as daft Americans hunt for that infamous 'All Your Base' intro.