Duncan and I recently had the opportunity to play a couple of games from Toaplan’s Arcade Shoot Em’ Up Collection Vol.1. With 4 games in the collection, we logically split them 2 games each and the first of my reviews is for Twin Cobra. In terms of play time, if you want to do a quick playthrough and defeat all bosses, this will take you approximately 55 minutes or so, but that’s not where this game will get it’s hooks into you, it’s the achievements. There’s a total of 73 steam achievements to keep you coming back for more.
As always we’d like to say thanks to the developers for providing the codes in order for us to get some hands on time with the games.
Whilst reviewing this, I played both on my PC and also on SteamDeck as these games are perfect to have installed on your Deck but equally, you’ll enjoy having them on your PC to dip into when you need to cleanse the pallet or feel the need for that touch of nostalgia, Especially given that they won’t take up much space at all (2.4MB).
Twin Cobra is a classic arcade-style shooter game that was originally released in 1987. The game has been remastered for modern platforms and is available for play on various consoles and computers.
The game’s graphics are simple and straightforward, but they are well-designed and effective in creating the game’s fast-paced and intense atmosphere. The gameplay is smooth and responsive, making it easy for players to control their helicopter and dodge incoming enemy fire. The game’s soundtrack is upbeat and energetic, adding to the overall excitement of the game.
One of the most notable features of Twin Cobra is its challenging difficulty level. The game is tough and requires quick reflexes and strategic thinking. Despite the difficulty, the game is incredibly addictive and players will find themselves coming back for more and more. The boss fights are especially intense and require players to dodge and shoot their way to victory.
Original Game Features
• Drop devastating bombs and fire four ammo types from the world’s fastest attack chopper!
• Bypass hostile battleships and soar through enemy strongholds. Your opponents retaliate on every front using aircraft, aircraft, and tanks!
• Fly solo or join forces with another Cobra jockey in co-op mode!
• Survive longer to grow even stronger! Evade incoming shots to increase your fire rate and damage.
• Original soundtrack by Masahiro Yuge and Tatsuya Uemura.
Quality of Life Improvements
• Minimal Input Lag: Emulation, input processing, and rendering all complete on the same frame.
• Quick Save using F1-F10, Reload with Shift+ F1-F10
• Online leaderboards for Single Credit, No Assist, and Assisted plays.
• Instrument panels with extra gameplay information and artwork.
• Rewind the game between 10-18 minutes, depending on the action.
• Capture sharable replays to immortalize your interstellar victories (or funny moments).
• Assist Features such as auto-fire at multiple rates.
• Very Easy Mode: Lower the difficulty to breeze through the adventure.
• Pixel perfect or full-screen scaling in windowed or full-screen mode.
• Rotate the gameplay in 90-degree increments.
• Steam Achievements.
• Choose between Raw Input on Windows or Steam Input.
• Hone your skills in the ultra customizable practice mode!
In conclusion, Twin Cobra is an excellent game for players who enjoy classic arcade-style shooters. The game’s simple yet effective graphics, responsive gameplay, and challenging difficulty level make it a must-play for fans of the genre. If you’re looking for an action-packed game with a good dose of nostalgia, then Twin Cobra is the game for you.
For Twin Cobra, I’m giving it 3 stars. To some 3 stars may seem harsh, to others it will seem to high for a title like this, but it really did bring back my childhood and the types of games I used to play when I was much younger, with it’s solid performance on both PC and Deck, which you would expect and then throw in it’s pretty awesome soundtrack and it’s a well packaged title to give you that touch of nostalgia to your library.