231: Battle Squadron

Number 231
(5.2 points)
Battle Squadron
1991: 49

Rather than a truly 16-bit shooter, how about a souped-up 8-bit one?
Vertically scrolling shoot 'em ups are nothing new, and certainly weren't at the time of this game's release. In fact, the game seems to intentionally invoke an older style - the music emulates the Commodore 64's SID chip. Saying it feels more like an 8-bit game may do it a disservice, however: the action is fast, there are many power-ups to collect, you can have two simultaneous players, and in a rarity on the Amiga, you can choose to hear both music and sound effects.

Looking back, there are obviously a great many other vertical shmups to recommend before this one, but on the Amiga, this is probably one of the better examples. They really tried to make it engaging, though a part of me feels like you could do something almost as good in Shoot-'Em-Up Construction Kit.

Recommended TOSEC disk(s):
Battle Squadron - The Destruction of the Barrax Empire! (1989)(Innerprise)[cr CP]