Developer: Kid Publisher: Taxan Released: 1990 Genre: Shooter
Burai Fighter is a game that I had no preconceived notions of. I had never heard of it, nor seen any reviews in gaming magazines at the time. But my family bought it on a whim one day and it turned out to be quite the surprise. Burai Fighter is unlike any other shooter for the system and a great game. That should not have been so surprising; its developer, KID, low key made some of the best games for the NES and this is another notch in their belt.
The lame story sees a race of beings known as the Burai unleash a race of cyber demons across the galaxy in a bid for domination. Your lone fighter is all that stands between them and world conquest. Burai Fighter is not quite as obscure as you would think. Not only did it receive a port to the Gameboy it also received a re-release for the Gameboy Color years later. Next to S.C.A.T. this is the closest the NES got to receiving a game like Forgotten Worlds and luckily it’s a good one.
The weapon system in Burai Fighter is pretty extensive. There are three main weapons, the ripple, laser, and missiles. Each has their strengths and weaknesses: the ripple lacks power but can power through walls, lasers are the strongest but hardest to aim, while missiles occupy a middle ground and detonate on impact. You can upgrade each ten (!) times, up to Rank A, at which point they change significantly. Even at full power though none of the weapons are too strong. Your only defensive option is a rare rotating shield that also destroys enemies but has holes in its defense. One last cool option is the cobalt bomb. As you destroy enemies they drop gems that fill a meter. With enough juice you can activate a screen clearing bomb. But if you let it fill all the way you get an extra life.
Like Forgotten Worlds you don’t control a ship but a dude in a suit. You can fire in eight directions which is incredibly freeing. But the most important skill is knowing when to lock your fire in one direction. Each level scrolls in every direction, often obscuring line of sight. The level design is generally excellent, scrolling at a slow enough pace that even simple gun turrets become a threat due to their position. They also place items in tempting locations where you are liable to die if you are slow. There are also hidden rooms that can only be found by flying into seeming dead ends and forcing the game to scroll another way. The constant risk reward factor is part of what makes Burai Fighter fun.
In addition to the normal side scrolling stages levels 3 and 6 are overhead shooting levels. These are extremely similar to Thunder Force in that you have a vague map with a target you must find and destroy. The problem is the maps are larger than they appear and it is easy to miss the target and get lost. You are only given one look at the map and if you forget you’ll fly aimlessly. I can see what they were going for and if you have a good memory I guess they can be fun. But these stages are so tonally different from the rest of the game I question why they are even there.
Burai Fighter, like its inspiration, is a tough nut to crack. There are three difficulty settings and even on the easiest it puts up a fight. Your fighter is a large target, making it hard to dodge bullets. The lone shield power-up doesn’t offer full protection and leaves holes in its defense. It is very easy to get caught in the scrolling background and crushed to death as well. And its boss battles are grueling death matches that keep you on your toes. At the same time it equips you to deal with its high challenge. Power-ups are plentiful and even in death only the current weapon degrades. It is also extremely easy to rack up extra lives. Granted you’re going to use most of them but still. Sadly to see the “real” ending you have to do it on the hardest setting but at least you have a goal.
In Closing
Burai Fighter is a great hidden gem in the NES library and an awesome shooter to boot. There aren’t many like this and I am glad it is a good one. Any of its releases make for a good time but the NES is still the best and dirt cheap.
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