Charging it releases a fire-snake which homes in on enemies and lasts until your charge bars deplete – this is extremely useful since if it connects it does major damage. Very useful but it’s stopped by barriers, making some enemies/bosses almost impossible. This fires homing missiles, and powering it up increases the number. The coloring of the orb is similar to the Thunder Cracker. Charges to fire a thick power beam which lasts for the duration of your charge bars – unfortunately this means moving directly into the enemy’s line of fire to connect. Can be powered up to shoot 5 lasers in a wide spread. Starts off as a weedy little green laser which passes all barriers but doesn’t do much damage. When charged it sends larger power balls across the screen which pass through barriers. Generally excellent in a pinch and versatile enough for most situations. Your standard spread shot, powers up to fire in reverse too. It doesn’t sound significant, but for veteran shoot-em-up players it’s a noticeable shift. With your right thumb unengaged the mind can focus a little more on maneuvering with the left thumb. Instead of holding down a button to charge a shot, with your muscles locked-in and reluctant to relax and release said blast, you first have to relax your hands, instead poising them to strike like a Cobra when the moment is right. This subtle subversion of a well tried mechanic is utterly brilliant, since not only does it force to stop firing and play strategically, but the dynamics and sense of tension also change. Hit the button and a super powerful attack is unleashed, in some cases lasting for the duration of those charge bars as they drain down. Leave the fire button unpressed and your weapon constantly charges itself, for a maximum of three colored bars. One of the coolest aspects of Bari-Arm is the reverse R-Type charge shot. Later on this plays a key role since you need to navigate some enormous maze-like levels at high speed. The levels, though horizontal, are also vertically tall, again akin to Thunder Force, or even Axelay‘s water stage, with the ability to scroll it by moving at the screen’s edge. You can toggle between four ship speeds on the fly, much like Thunder Force. Mechanically it borrows from a large roster of other hori shoot-em-ups, especially R-Type and Thunder Force III. There are also Silver Orbs which instantly transform you into a mecha, regardless of weapon strength. Although this increases your hit box, thereby making it harder to maneuver, it does allow you to take damage without dying – get hit and you just revert back to a ship. On the third collection your ship transforms into a giant mecha. There are four color-coded weapons, each of which can be powered up three times by collecting little POW items. The game is a fairly typical seven stage horizontal shooter, though is pulled off with such class and attention to detail that it rises above many of its peers. One of the best was Keio Flying Squadron, and another was the curiously titled Android Assault: The Revenge of Bari-Arm, or just plain Bari-Arm in Japan, developed by Human Entertainment. In addition to Snatcher and several Working Designs RPGs, the Sega CD played host to a few really great 2D shoot-em-ups. It didn’t have a long shelf-life, was overpriced and the number of games released wasn’t massive, but it had more power under its hood than the PC Engine’s CD-ROM add-on, and it also received enough system-exclusives to now make it absolutely worth investigating as a retro system. The Sega CD is an unfairly maligned system.
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