(Look, I’m old af, I don’t know if that’s the right context)
Hamster has really been packing the Arcade Archives range outwith old-school UPL shmups lately, and this week is no exception. And speaking of “packing out”, you better give this one some serious room, as the newest retro drop is the hefty, king-sizedBio-Ship Paladin— now available for download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Released in Japan in 1990 asBattle Ship Gomora, Bio-Ship Paladinis a horizontally scrolling shump that sees players jet through the skies of Atlantal, on a quest to rescue the city from an army of intergalactic invaders known as “The Aggressors”. It’s all fairly standard stuff, but whatBio-Ship Paladinbrought to the table was an individually controlled weapon, with a time targeting reticle similar to that of Atari classicMissile Command.
Additionally, the Paladin itself is pretty damn chonky, easily one of the largest player vessels in shmup history. This, inevitably, leads to somewhat clunky gameplay and whilePaladinisn’t without its fair share of innovation and visual ambition, it simply isn’t as fun to play as its faster, hotter-firing contemporaries.Bio-Ship Paladinwould receive a port to the Sega Mega Drive in 1991, while this release from Hamster is the arcade version’s first official appearance on any home format.
you’re able to check out all of the interstellar action for yourself in the video below, courtesy of YouTuberWere1974.
