Who will admit to playing the manliest game ever???
I never played this back in the day, but picked it up recently bc the concept of a Shooter/Puzzle game seemed like a whole new genre.
On the surface, the game looks like a rather vanilla cutesy Japan bubblegum title, but upon closer inspection the game really shines as a very technical competitive game. Turns out this game harkens back to a bygone era, combining the scholarly memorization drills of an 80s arcade game with the twitchy, balls to the wall, gung ho action of a shooter and the pacing and mind games of a fighter.
Way easier to remember the characters by the stuff they dump onscreen.
This game gets mad hyphy! Finally starting to figure out top level play, but it basically boils down to staying alive and formulating a potent offensive string is greater than filling the screen with random fireballs. Scratch that-- staying alive period is more important than everything else. Figuring out the best way to get chains from the various shoddy angles you’ll undoubtedly be faced with gets scientific. Also important is learning to watch both screens at the same time so that you can stay one step up on the opp.
If you’re just picking it up, fight the urge to use the charge shot except as a means to unleash with your level 2 or 3 attacks. Also, do yourself a favor and realize early that you have to treat this more like Tetris or Dr. Mario than a shooter in that you CAN’T simply shoot everything in sight if you’re going to be a contender-- you have to complete Perfects in order to speed up your offense and press the advantage.
Weirdest ‘fighting game’ I’ve ever seen. Currently my top game give it a shot!
^^^ Hell ya, Faeries are definitely a top-tier Extra Attack. Very good homing ability. If they flash it means they’ll bounce before homing which is good to know. The aimable Charge is great for canceling a charge shot (just whiff it behind you) and also good for sniping with a laaaate reflect by catching a fireball just after it goes offscreen. Very useful for a random sneak attack.
I like Schmitt’s speed as well. Really good defensive/dodging character, but he’s got a weak Extra so you have to save bar for counter-Boss calls and play conservative all the way through.
Griffon aka the Beegees is fun, but definitely GOMI-tier. Still his charge shot can net perfects in a few very useful situations. Eagles are the best of the vertical Extras imo, but the charge time is very long so you’re better off netting them by reflects rather than level 2’s. Great super-tech character.
I’ve been playing this game a lot recently, and I find it pretty satisfying. You need an awful lot of concentration to stay alive in this one, and although the bombs provide a nice panic buttons at first, they are all too easy to misuse by jumping the gun. Best to get rid of a panic reflex altogether, which is easier said than done. 'Gief is right about having to learn to watch both sides of the screen. It’s tough to do, but it’s essential to leveling up your gameplay. Just remember that when your side of the screen gets crazy, shift your focus to staying alive, and get back to watching the other side when you’ve navigated your way to safety.
Great game, faeries and raddish boy are good characters to get started with.
I just started playing the Sega Saturn version of this game and I got one thing to say: If you have to have one version, make it this one. Saturn edition is the definitive port, essentially it’s TSS ver.1.5
-remixed soundtrack
-additional graphical touches (KO screens, background details, clouds, etc.)
-additional character animations (vapor trails, sparkles, shadows, etc.)
-fully voiced story mode
-autofire
-meter carries over between rounds, seems to build a little faster too
-new artwork
-secret characters available without the up/down codes
-NEW character. Meirin, she is pretty good actually.
Downers are:
-no engrish text
-original dialogue is incredibly muffled, on par with SNES voice samples. Which is extremely jarring considering that the rest of the dialogue is crystal clear.
Hey all, we started a Twinkle Star Sprites mini-tourney back in Singapore. We have the arcade version up at Versus City, 48 Yio Chu Kang road.
Yes, this is the manliest game about fairies and sprites ever. Yes, I also received the title of “Daigo Umehara of TSS” since I won the mini-tourney tonight. SAUCE IT!