Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Released: Cancelled Genre: Shooter
As much I liked Capcom’s NES output I have to admit their shooter lineup for the system was weak. Legendary Wings was the only game I had for a long time and I played it over and over. But that does not mean it was good. Talespin could have been good if not for some bizarre design decisions. And the less said about 1942 the better. Yikes. Titan Warriors could have gone a long way toward redeeming them but unfortunately it was cancelled. But the internet has dug up an almost complete version of the game for everyone to see how great it was.
Titan Warriors was a sequel to Capcom’s Vulgus, their first game. The environments resemble Vulgus at first but then the game diverges and is more varied. Titan Warriors covers six different planets, each with their own theme. The space levels are dull and repetitive but honestly the NES was not strong enough to make them interesting. The biggest graphical flex are the massive bosses that really pushed the system considering the games released that year. The only blemish would be the frequent slowdown and flicker. For a 1988 game it looks significantly better than the majority of shooters released up to that point.
The music is similarly excellent. Titan Warriors is full of catchy tunes that are reminiscent of both Legendary Wings and Mega Man. It would not be surprising if they all share composers. The sound effects are lifted from those previously mentioned titles as well; they might have been placeholders but they fit so well it is not a complaint. If Enix can do it with Soul Blazer why not Capcom?
The list of weapons is pretty small. Your first power-up will attach “wings” to your ship, much like the Bit in R-Type. This armor can detach and sent out, just like that game. In addition they can position for wider covering fire. Aside from that technically the laser is your only option and it becomes stronger with more power-ups. It also diverges depending on the item collected. Sticking with the standard laser will cause it to add additional beams as it levels up. The reflect laser bounces off walls but is weaker. Oddly enough there are items labeled B which don’t do anything. More than likely they were probably going to be bombs.
The great level design complements the small arsenal of weapons and their quirks. Each of the six stages in Titan Warriors has a landing zone and space zone. Landing zones feature wide open areas to maneuver. The focus is on fighting numerous enemy waves as well as navigating the two screen wide environment. Space Zones usually feature tighter corridors that are perfect for the reflecting laser. Both types allow the two types of lasers to shine although more options would have been welcome.
I found Titan Warriors to be easier than the majority of NES shooters. Enemy waves are predictable and the game is fairly generous with its power-ups. What really makes the game easy are your removable turrets. Once you’ve spread them out you can easily blanket most of the screen in fire, with enemies destroyed before they fully spawn. It also makes the boss battles trivial since you can position one cannon in their face and avoid their shots completely. It is not all so simple; death sends you back to the beginning of the level which is brutal. Extra lives are also rare. But compared to your advantages most will have little trouble seeing this to its conclusion.
While the Titan Warriors prototype feels more or less complete there are odd bugs here and there. Sometimes enemies will disappear which is to your benefit but is strange to see in action. The hit detection is spotty with clear hits not registering. This is most evident during boss battles. The hit flash is missing in certain boss battles; whether that is intentional or not it stands out and makes it hard to determine if you are inflicting damage or not. The accompanying sound effects are also missing as well. These annoyances do not break the game and are easily worked around.
In Closing
Titan Warriors is an excellent game making its cancellation baffling. Even in its unfinished state it is one of the best shooters on the platform. The rom is freely available on the internet and for those that are fans of the genre this is an easy recommend.
