Difference between revisions of "Twin Cobra"

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{{otherPage|desc=the 2024 re-release by [[Retro-bit]]|page=Twin Cobra Collector's Edition}}
 
{{Bob
 
{{Bob
 
| bobscreen=TwinCobra_MDTitleScreen.png
 
| bobscreen=TwinCobra_MDTitleScreen.png
−
| publisher={{company|[[Sega]]|region=US}}, {{company|[[Treco]]|region=JP}}
+
| bobscreen2=KyuukyokuTiger MDTitleScreen.png
−
| developer=[[Toaplan]], [[GRC]]
+
| tab1=NTSC-U
 +
| tab2=NTSC-J
 +
| publisher={{company|[[Sega of America]]|region=US}}, {{company|[[Treco]]|region=JP}}, {{company|[[Tec Toy]]|region=BR}}
 +
| developer=[[GRC]]
 +
| distributor={{company|[[Tec Toy]]|region=BR}}
 
| system=[[Sega Mega Drive]]
 
| system=[[Sega Mega Drive]]
 
| sounddriver=
 
| sounddriver=
 
| peripherals=
 
| peripherals=
 
| players=1
 
| players=1
−
| genre=Shoot-'em-Up
+
| licensor={{company|[[Toaplan]]}}, {{company|[[American Treco]]|region=US}}
−
| originalpublishers=[[Taito]]
+
| genre=Shooting{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20200702232146/https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html}}
 
| originaldevelopers=[[Toaplan]]
 
| originaldevelopers=[[Toaplan]]
 
| originalsystem=Arcade boards
 
| originalsystem=Arcade boards
 
| releases={{releasesMD
 
| releases={{releasesMD
 +
| md_date_jp=1991-02-22{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20200702232146/https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html}}
 +
| md_code_jp=T-24033
 +
| md_rrp_jp=7,500e{{fileref|TwinCobra MD JP Box.jpg}}{{magref|bemega|1990-12|21}}
 
| md_date_us=1991-06{{magref|egm|23|22}}{{magref|gamepro|23|42}}
 
| md_date_us=1991-06{{magref|egm|23|22}}{{magref|gamepro|23|42}}
 
| md_code_us=1128
 
| md_code_us=1128
−
| md_date_jp=1991-02-22
 
−
| md_code_jp=T-24033
 
−
| md_rrp_jp=7,500
 
 
| md_date_br=199x
 
| md_date_br=199x
 
}}
 
}}
 
| otherformats={{NonSega|Arcade|FMTOWNS|NES|X68|PCE}}
 
| otherformats={{NonSega|Arcade|FMTOWNS|NES|X68|PCE}}
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{stub}}'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''', known as '''''Kyuukyoku Tiger''''' (究極タイガー) in Japan, is a 1987 arcade shoot-'em-up by [[Toaplan]] ported to the [[Sega Mega Drive]] in 1991 and released in Japan, the US and Brazil.
+
'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''', known in Japan as '''''Kyuukyoku Tiger''''' (究極タイガー), is a [[Sega Mega Drive]] vertical shoot-'em-up developed by [[GRC]]. A port of the titular 1987 [[Toaplan]] arcade game ''[[wikipedia:Twin Cobra|Twin Cobra]]'', it was first published in Japan by [[Treco]] in Feburary 1991{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20200702232146/https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html}}, and was later brought to the United States by [[Sega of America]] four months later.{{magref|egm|23|22}}{{magref|gamepro|23|42}} Some time later, it was also also published in Brazil by [[Tec Toy]].
  
 
==Gameplay==
 
==Gameplay==
−
The game auto scrolls like most shoot'em ups, A boss awaits at the end of each stage. The game loops after clearing it.
+
{{ScreenThumb|Twin Cobra, Weapons, Bomb.png|width=200|Bomb}}
 +
The game is a military-themed vertical shoot-'em-up in which players take control of the titular attack helicopter through ten increasingly difficult levels, each with a boss at the end that must be fought before progressing any further, in order to defeat an assortment of military enemy forces like tanks, battleships, and artillery as the main objective. Players control the craft over a constantly scrolling background, and the scenery never stops moving until a helipad is reached.
 +
 
 +
The Twin Cobra is moved in any direction using the D-Pad. The playable area is somewhat wider than the screen, so moving to the left and right sides of the screen scrolls the view sideways slightly. The Twin Cobra fires its primary weapon with {{B}}, which can be held for rapid-fire (though using a rapid-fire controller can be faster). This weapon has unlimited ammunition and can be powered up by collecting items. It is additionally armed with a limited supply of bombs, which are dropped with {{A}} or {{C}}. These bombs have a large radius and do high damage, in addition to absorbing all bullets while the explosion lasts. There is a small delay between dropping the bomb and the bomb detonating.
  
−
{{B}} shoots. {{A}} and {{C}} drop bombs (which is available in a limited supply). These have very big radius and power, furthermore absorb all bullets while the explosion lasts, but also have a (intentional) delay. Autofire cab be turned on or off. Using an autofire controller can give higher firing rates than the game's internal autofire.
+
The Twin Cobra is destroyed if it takes damage from an enemy, and it respawns at a predetermined checkpoint, with the starting weapon at baseline strength and with the starting complement of three bombs. The game ends if the player runs out of lives, but it can be continued as long as there are credits remaining. The player earns an extra life at 70,000 and 200,000 points and then every 200,000 points after that. This can be changed to 50,000 and 150,000 points or to 10,000 points only in the options, as well as changing the starting lives to 3, 4, or 5. There are eight selectable difficulty levels (Easy A, B, C, and D and Hard A, B, C, and D), which affects the number of credits given.
  
−
Powerups are collected in the usual manner but are scarce as only green helicopters drop them. Compared to other game's power up carriers, these are exceptionally well armored. It's worth mentioning that weapons and weapon power ups are different items.
+
After completing the last stage, as with previous titles from [[Toaplan]], the game begins again with the second loop, increasing in difficulty.
  
 
===Weapons===
 
===Weapons===
−
*Red: Standard straight shot, widening the more you power up
+
{{InfoTable|imagewidths=320|
−
*Green: narrow, strong laser
+
{{InfoRow
−
*Blue: Spread shot
+
| title=Red
−
*Yellow: forward and sideway shot, becomes cross shaped when powered up
+
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Weapons, Red.png
 +
| desc=The starting weapon. A straight shot that becomes wider as it powers up.
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Green
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Weapons, Green.png
 +
| desc=A narrow, strong laser.
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Yellow
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Weapons, Yellow.png
 +
| desc=A cross-shaped shot that fires in the four cardinal directions.
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Blue
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Weapons, Blue.png
 +
| desc=A spreadshot.
 +
}}
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Items===
 +
{{InfoTable|imagewidths=50|
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=S
 +
| sprite={{sprite | Twin Cobra, Items.png | 2 | crop_width=16 | crop_height=16 | crop_x=0 | crop_y=0}}
 +
| desc=Powers up the currently equipped weapon.
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=B
 +
| sprite={{sprite | Twin Cobra, Items.png | 2 | crop_width=16 | crop_height=16 | crop_x=16 | crop_y=0}}
 +
| desc=Adds another bomb to the supply.
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=P
 +
| sprite={{sprite | Twin Cobra, Items.png | 2 | crop_width=16 | crop_height=16 | crop_x=32 | crop_y=0}}
 +
| desc=Awards 3,000 bonus points at the end of the stage. These bonuses are lost if the player loses a life.
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Weapon
 +
| sprite={{sprite | Twin Cobra, Items.png | 2 | crop_width=64 | crop_height=16 | crop_x=48 | crop_y=0}}
 +
| desc=Equips a different weapon. The item cycles through the four different colors, each representing a different weapon.
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=1-Up
 +
| sprite={{sprite | Twin Cobra, Items.png | 2 | crop_width=16 | crop_height=16 | crop_x=112 | crop_y=0}}
 +
| desc=Gives the player an extra life.
 +
}}
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Stages===
 +
{{InfoTable|imagewidths=320|
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 1
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 1.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 1 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 2
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 2.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 2 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 3
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 3.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 3 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 4
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 4.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 4 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 5
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 5.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 5 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 6
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 6.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 6 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 7
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 7.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 7 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 8
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 8.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 8 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 9
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 9.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 9 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
{{InfoRow
 +
| title=Stage 10
 +
| screenshot=Twin Cobra, Stage 10.png
 +
| screenshot2=Twin Cobra, Stage 10 Boss.png
 +
| tabs=yes
 +
| desc=
 +
}}
 +
}}
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
===Legacy===
 
===Legacy===
−
The game was also ported to several others systems of different generations like the NES; FM-Towns and [[PlayStation]] as part as ''Toaplan Shooting Battle Vol.1'', the latter being the most faithful port.
+
The game was also ported to the [[NES]], [[FM Towns]], and [[PlayStation]]. The PlayStation port, part of ''Toaplan Shooting Battle Vol.1'', is the most faithful conversion.
  
−
In 1995 it received a sequel, ''Twin Cobra II''/''Kyuukyoku Tiger II'', which would be ported exclusively to the [[Sega Saturn]] and released in Japan as ''[[Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus]]''.
+
In 1995, it received a sequel, ''Twin Cobra II'' or ''Kyuukyoku Tiger II'', which would be ported exclusively to the [[Sega Saturn]] and released in Japan as ''[[Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus]]''.
  
−
A boss in [[Namco]]'s shoot'em up ''[[Dangerous Seed]]'' is called "Ultimate Tiger", which is a direct translation of Twin Cobra's name. This could be a deliberate reference.
+
A boss in [[Namco]]'s shoot-'em-up ''[[Dangerous Seed]]'' is called "Ultimate Tiger", which is a direct translation of the Japanese name of ''Twin Cobra''. This could be a deliberate reference.
  
 
==Versions==
 
==Versions==
−
By default the Mega Drive port of ''Twin Cobra'' is harder than its arcade counterpart, but this difficulty it can be adjusted in the options menu. Its overall presentation (complete with the "insert coin screen"), gameplay, levels layout and enemy patterns are faithful to the arcade original, unlike a rival PC Engine version which stripped its gameplay down and offers simplified presentation and stage design.
+
By default, the Mega Drive port of ''Twin Cobra'' is harder than its arcade counterpart, but the difficulty can be adjusted in the options menu. Its overall presentation (complete with the "Insert Coin" screen), gameplay, levels layout and enemy patterns are faithful to the arcade original, unlike the rival [[PC Engine]] version, which stripped its gameplay down and offers simplified presentation and stage design.
  
−
The Mega Drive ''Twin Cobra'' has a very simplistic way of handling colour, choosing a 64 colour palette at the start of the game and sticking with it regardless of what is happening on screen. This leads to some curious design choices, such as the tanks in stage 1 being bright yellow, as their palette is shared with explosions. On top of this, 16 of those colours are reserved for hit confirmation effects (yellow/red flashing when hitting an enemy), giving even less choice for stages and objects.
+
The Mega Drive ''Twin Cobra'' has a very simplistic way of handling colour, choosing a 64-colour palette at the start of the game and sticking with it regardless of what is happening on screen. This leads to some curious design choices, such as the tanks in Stage 1 being bright yellow, as their palette is shared with explosions. On top of this, 16 of those colours are reserved for hit confirmation effects (yellow/red flashing when hitting an enemy), giving even less choice for stages and objects.
  
−
The helicopter in all home versions of the game is grey as opposed to the original red colour scheme. There is also some noticable load times before boss fights
+
The helicopter in all home versions of the game is grey as opposed to the original red colour scheme. There is also some noticeable load times before boss fights
  
 
===Localised names===
 
===Localised names===
Line 61: Line 190:
 
This Mega Drive variant of the game is slightly misleading. The name "Twin Cobra" (or '''''Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter''''' as listed on the packaging) originates from the localised arcade name for ''Kyuukyoku Tiger'', but the "twin" implies "two", when it is in fact only a one-player game. In Japan, the arcade ''Kyuukyoku Tiger'' was originally released in a single-player only-form - a product which did not make it to the US, but is what this Mega Drive port is derived from.
 
This Mega Drive variant of the game is slightly misleading. The name "Twin Cobra" (or '''''Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter''''' as listed on the packaging) originates from the localised arcade name for ''Kyuukyoku Tiger'', but the "twin" implies "two", when it is in fact only a one-player game. In Japan, the arcade ''Kyuukyoku Tiger'' was originally released in a single-player only-form - a product which did not make it to the US, but is what this Mega Drive port is derived from.
  
−
In Brazil this was partially rectified by simply calling the game '''''Desert Attack Helicopter''''' on its packaging, though it uses the ''Twin Cobra'' name in-game.
+
In Brazil, this was partially rectified by simply calling the game '''''Desert Attack Helicopter''''' on its packaging, though it uses the ''Twin Cobra'' name in-game.
  
 
==Production credits==
 
==Production credits==
−
===Kyuukyoku Tiger===
+
===''Kyuukyoku Tiger''===
 
{{multicol|
 
{{multicol|
 
{{creditstable|
 
{{creditstable|
Line 79: Line 208:
 
:'''© 1991 All Rights Reserved'''
 
:'''© 1991 All Rights Reserved'''
 
| source=In-game credits
 
| source=In-game credits
 +
| pdf=Kyuukyoku Tiger MD credits.pdf
 
| console=MD
 
| console=MD
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
−
===Twin Cobra===
+
 
 +
===''Twin Cobra''===
 
{{multicol|
 
{{multicol|
 
{{creditstable|
 
{{creditstable|
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*'''Executive Director:''' [[Yoshiaki Sawada]]
 
*'''Executive Director:''' [[Yoshiaki Sawada]]
 
*'''Special Thanks:''' Damenanoyo-N Shigecyan, Silpheed, Silence Takahashi, Dadida Syohji, Tetorisu Kudasai Maccyan, [[Fumito Tamayama|Bakkin Tamayama]], Yukimi Papa, Urakureani Man 7, Egawa Bucyoh, Yamanaka San, Hex Dec Bin Imoto
 
*'''Special Thanks:''' Damenanoyo-N Shigecyan, Silpheed, Silence Takahashi, Dadida Syohji, Tetorisu Kudasai Maccyan, [[Fumito Tamayama|Bakkin Tamayama]], Yukimi Papa, Urakureani Man 7, Egawa Bucyoh, Yamanaka San, Hex Dec Bin Imoto
−
*'''Presented by:''' [[Sega|Sega Enterprises Ltd.]]
+
*'''Presented by:''' [[Sega Enterprises Ltd.]]
 
:'''© 1991 All Rights Reserved'''
 
:'''© 1991 All Rights Reserved'''
 
| source=In-game credits
 
| source=In-game credits
 +
| pdf=Twin Cobra MD credits.pdf
 
| console=MD
 
| console=MD
 
}}
 
}}
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{{gallery
 
{{gallery
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
−
|BeepMD_JP_1990-12.pdf|bemega|1990-12|21
+
|bemega|1990-12|21
−
|BeepMD_JP_1991-01.pdf|bemega|1991-01|16
+
|bemega|1991-01|16
−
|BeepMD_JP_1991-02.pdf|bemega|1991-02|16
+
|bemega|1991-02|16
−
|Megadrive Fan 1991-01.pdf|mdfan|12|38
+
|mdfan|12|38
−
|Megadrive Fan 1991-02.pdf|mdfan|13|42
+
|mdfan|13|42
 
}}
 
}}
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
|{{galleryPrintAd
−
|BeepMD_JP_1991-03.pdf|bemega|1991-03|13
+
|bemega|1991-03|13
−
|Megadrive Fan 1991-03.pdf|mdfan|14|105
+
|mdfan|14|105
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
==Physical scans==
 
==Physical scans==
−
{{ratings
+
{{ratings|MD}}
−
| icon=MD
 
−
| bemega=60
 
−
| bemega_source={{magref|bemega|1991-03|36|printpage=34}}
 
−
| bemega_r=54
 
−
| bemega_r_source={{magref|ssmjp|1995-09|87|printpage=85}}
 
−
| cgts=88
 
−
| cgts_source={{magref|cgts|1|38|printpage=38/39}}<!-- As "Ultimate Tiger" -->
 
−
| cvg=66
 
−
| cvg_source={{magref|cvg|114|76}} <!-- As "Ultimate Tiger". -->
 
−
| famitsu=53
 
−
| famitsu_source={{num|124}}, ''[https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=4613]''
 
−
| hippons=20
 
−
| hippons_source={{num|1991-03|page=42|pdf=}}
 
−
| joystick=78
 
−
| joystick_source={{magref|joystick|15|127}}
 
−
| mdag=78
 
−
| mdag_source={{num|5|page=95}} <!-- As "Tiger Heli". -->
 
−
| mdag_1=39
 
−
| mdag_source_1={{num|5|page=95}} <!-- Twin Cobra. -->
 
−
| mdag_2=32
 
−
| mdag_source_2={{num|5|page=95}} <!-- As "Ultimate Tiger". -->
 
−
| megatech=81
 
−
| megatech_source={{magref|megatech|1|81|printpage=81}}<!-- As "Ultimate Tiger". -->
 
−
| segapower=80
 
−
| segapower_source={{magref|segapower|23|55}} <!-- As "Tiger Heli". -->
 
−
| segapower_1=60
 
−
| segapower_source_1={{magref|segapower|23|55}} <!-- Twin Cobra. -->
 
−
| segapower_2=60
 
−
| segapower_source_2={{magref|segapower|23|55}} <!-- As "Ultimate Tiger". -->
 
−
| segapro=87
 
−
| segapro_source={{magref|segapro|6|31|printpage=31}}
 
−
| segapro_1=28
 
−
| segapro_source_1={{num|18|page=68}} <!-- As "Tiger Heli". -->
 
−
| segapro_2=50
 
−
| segapro_source_2={{num|18|page=68}} <!-- Twin Cobra. -->
 
−
| segapro_3=80
 
−
| segapro_source_3={{num|18|page=68}} <!-- As "Ultimate Tiger". -->
 
−
| sfuk=71
 
−
| sfuk_source={{magref|sfuk|8|90|printpage=90/91}}
 
−
}}
 
 
{{Scanbox
 
{{Scanbox
−
| console=Mega Drive
 
−
| region=US
 
−
| cover=TwinCobra MD US Box.jpg
 
−
| cart=TwinCobra MD US Cart.jpg
 
−
| manual=Twin Cobra MD US Manual.pdf
 
−
}}{{Scanbox
 
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| region=JP
 
| region=JP
Line 174: Line 260:
 
| carttop=TwinCobra MD JP CartTop.jpg
 
| carttop=TwinCobra MD JP CartTop.jpg
 
| manual=TwinCobra MD jp manual.pdf
 
| manual=TwinCobra MD jp manual.pdf
 +
| item1=TwinCobra MD JP pcb.jpg
 +
| item1name=PCB
 +
}}{{Scanbox
 +
| console=Mega Drive
 +
| region=US
 +
| cover=TwinCobra MD US Box.jpg
 +
| cart=TwinCobra MD US Cart.jpg
 +
| manual=Twin Cobra MD US Manual.pdf
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
}}{{Scanbox
 
| console=Mega Drive
 
| console=Mega Drive
Line 182: Line 276:
  
 
==Technical information==
 
==Technical information==
−
===ROM dump status===
+
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Technical information}}
−
{{romtable|
 
−
{{rom|MD|sha1=c386c617703a3f5278d24b310c6bc15e3e180bdf|md5=0006c0c0db9b334b79f1ed20eeb8b9bf|crc32=2c708248|size=640KB|date=1991-04|source=Cartridge (US)|comments=|icon=|quality=good}}
 
−
{{rom|MD|sha1=cbe207732c6ce5e5e5846e44847ce902315f2bc3|md5=c7a3369029237556a342532ffc786a18|crc32=61276d21|size=640KB|date=1991-01|source=Cartridge (JP)|comments=|icon=|quality=good}}
 
−
}}
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 +
{{NECRetro|title=Kyuukyoku Tiger|italics=yes}}
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
−
{{NECRetro|title=Kyuukyoku Tiger|italics=yes}}
 
  
 
{{TwinCobraOmni}}
 
{{TwinCobraOmni}}

Latest revision as of 04:41, 6 November 2024

For the 2024 re-release by Retro-bit, see Twin Cobra Collector's Edition.

n/a

  • NTSC-U
  • NTSC-J

TwinCobra MDTitleScreen.png

KyuukyokuTiger MDTitleScreen.png

Twin Cobra
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Sega of America (US), Treco (JP), Tec Toy (BR)
Developer:
Distributor: Tec Toy (BR)
Licensor: Toaplan, American Treco (US)
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Developer(s) of original games: Toaplan
Genre: Shooting[1]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP 		¥7,500 (7,725)7,500e[2][3] T-24033
Sega Mega Drive
US 		1128
Sega Mega Drive
BR
Non-Sega versions

Twin Cobra, known in Japan as Kyuukyoku Tiger (究極タイガー), is a Sega Mega Drive vertical shoot-'em-up developed by GRC. A port of the titular 1987 Toaplan arcade game Twin Cobra, it was first published in Japan by Treco in Feburary 1991[1], and was later brought to the United States by Sega of America four months later.[4][5] Some time later, it was also also published in Brazil by Tec Toy.

Gameplay

Twin Cobra, Weapons, Bomb.png

Bomb

The game is a military-themed vertical shoot-'em-up in which players take control of the titular attack helicopter through ten increasingly difficult levels, each with a boss at the end that must be fought before progressing any further, in order to defeat an assortment of military enemy forces like tanks, battleships, and artillery as the main objective. Players control the craft over a constantly scrolling background, and the scenery never stops moving until a helipad is reached.

The Twin Cobra is moved in any direction using the D-Pad. The playable area is somewhat wider than the screen, so moving to the left and right sides of the screen scrolls the view sideways slightly. The Twin Cobra fires its primary weapon with B, which can be held for rapid-fire (though using a rapid-fire controller can be faster). This weapon has unlimited ammunition and can be powered up by collecting items. It is additionally armed with a limited supply of bombs, which are dropped with A or C. These bombs have a large radius and do high damage, in addition to absorbing all bullets while the explosion lasts. There is a small delay between dropping the bomb and the bomb detonating.

The Twin Cobra is destroyed if it takes damage from an enemy, and it respawns at a predetermined checkpoint, with the starting weapon at baseline strength and with the starting complement of three bombs. The game ends if the player runs out of lives, but it can be continued as long as there are credits remaining. The player earns an extra life at 70,000 and 200,000 points and then every 200,000 points after that. This can be changed to 50,000 and 150,000 points or to 10,000 points only in the options, as well as changing the starting lives to 3, 4, or 5. There are eight selectable difficulty levels (Easy A, B, C, and D and Hard A, B, C, and D), which affects the number of credits given.

After completing the last stage, as with previous titles from Toaplan, the game begins again with the second loop, increasing in difficulty.

Weapons

Twin Cobra, Weapons, Red.png

Red
The starting weapon. A straight shot that becomes wider as it powers up.

Twin Cobra, Weapons, Green.png

Green
A narrow, strong laser.

Twin Cobra, Weapons, Yellow.png

Yellow
A cross-shaped shot that fires in the four cardinal directions.

Twin Cobra, Weapons, Blue.png

Blue
A spreadshot.

Items

Twin Cobra, Items.png
 S
Powers up the currently equipped weapon.
Twin Cobra, Items.png
 B
Adds another bomb to the supply.
Twin Cobra, Items.png
 P
Awards 3,000 bonus points at the end of the stage. These bonuses are lost if the player loses a life.
Twin Cobra, Items.png
 Weapon
Equips a different weapon. The item cycles through the four different colors, each representing a different weapon.
Twin Cobra, Items.png
 1-Up
Gives the player an extra life.

Stages

Twin Cobra, Stage 1.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 1 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 1.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 1 Boss.png

Stage 1

Twin Cobra, Stage 2.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 2 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 2.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 2 Boss.png

Stage 2

Twin Cobra, Stage 3.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 3 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 3.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 3 Boss.png

Stage 3

Twin Cobra, Stage 4.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 4 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 4.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 4 Boss.png

Stage 4

Twin Cobra, Stage 5.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 5 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 5.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 5 Boss.png

Stage 5

Twin Cobra, Stage 6.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 6 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 6.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 6 Boss.png

Stage 6

Twin Cobra, Stage 7.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 7 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 7.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 7 Boss.png

Stage 7

Twin Cobra, Stage 8.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 8 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 8.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 8 Boss.png

Stage 8

Twin Cobra, Stage 9.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 9 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 9.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 9 Boss.png

Stage 9

Twin Cobra, Stage 10.png

Twin Cobra, Stage 10 Boss.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 10.png

  • Twin Cobra, Stage 10 Boss.png

Stage 10

History

Legacy

The game was also ported to the NES, FM Towns, and PlayStation. The PlayStation port, part of Toaplan Shooting Battle Vol.1, is the most faithful conversion.

In 1995, it received a sequel, Twin Cobra II or Kyuukyoku Tiger II, which would be ported exclusively to the Sega Saturn and released in Japan as Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus.

A boss in Namco's shoot-'em-up Dangerous Seed is called "Ultimate Tiger", which is a direct translation of the Japanese name of Twin Cobra. This could be a deliberate reference.

Versions

By default, the Mega Drive port of Twin Cobra is harder than its arcade counterpart, but the difficulty can be adjusted in the options menu. Its overall presentation (complete with the "Insert Coin" screen), gameplay, levels layout and enemy patterns are faithful to the arcade original, unlike the rival PC Engine version, which stripped its gameplay down and offers simplified presentation and stage design.

The Mega Drive Twin Cobra has a very simplistic way of handling colour, choosing a 64-colour palette at the start of the game and sticking with it regardless of what is happening on screen. This leads to some curious design choices, such as the tanks in Stage 1 being bright yellow, as their palette is shared with explosions. On top of this, 16 of those colours are reserved for hit confirmation effects (yellow/red flashing when hitting an enemy), giving even less choice for stages and objects.

The helicopter in all home versions of the game is grey as opposed to the original red colour scheme. There is also some noticeable load times before boss fights

Localised names

Also known as
Language Localised Name English Translation
English (US) Twin Cobra Twin Cobra
Japanese 究極タイガー Kyuukyoku Tiger
Portuguese (Brazil) Desert Attack Helicopter Desert Attack Helicopter

This Mega Drive variant of the game is slightly misleading. The name "Twin Cobra" (or Twin Cobra: Desert Attack Helicopter as listed on the packaging) originates from the localised arcade name for Kyuukyoku Tiger, but the "twin" implies "two", when it is in fact only a one-player game. In Japan, the arcade Kyuukyoku Tiger was originally released in a single-player only-form - a product which did not make it to the US, but is what this Mega Drive port is derived from.

In Brazil, this was partially rectified by simply calling the game Desert Attack Helicopter on its packaging, though it uses the Twin Cobra name in-game.

Production credits

Kyuukyoku Tiger

© 1991 All Rights Reserved
Source:
In-game credits
Kyuukyoku Tiger MD credits.pdf
[6]

Twin Cobra

© 1991 All Rights Reserved
Source:
In-game credits
Twin Cobra MD credits.pdf
[7]

Magazine articles

Main article: Twin Cobra/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1990-12: "December 1990" (1990-11-08)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1991-03: "March 1991" (1991-02-08)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
70
[13]
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[14]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
67
[15]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
60
[16]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) NTSC-J
88
[17]
Console XS (UK) NTSC-J
80
[18]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
66
[19]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
75
[4]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)
60
[20]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
78
[21]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
53
[22]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
20
[23]
Joystick (FR) NTSC-J
78
[24]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-J
55
[25]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-U
39
[25]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
65
[26]
Mega Play (US) NTSC-U
75
[27]
MegaTech (UK) NTSC-J
81
[28]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
81
[29]
Power Play (DE)
80
[30]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J
63
[31]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U
50
[31]
Sega Pro (UK)
87
[32]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J
54
[33]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
50
[33]
Sega Force (UK) PAL
71
[34]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
54
[35]
Tilt (FR)
70
[36]
Tricks 16 bit (RU) NTSC-U
46
[37]
Tricks 16 bit (RU) NTSC-J
70
[38]
Video Games (DE)
80
[39]
Sega Mega Drive
 65
Based on
31 reviews

Twin Cobra

Mega Drive, JP
TwinCobra MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
TwinCobra MD JP CartTop.jpg
TwinCobra MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
TwinCobra MD jp manual.pdf
Manual
TwinCobra MD JP pcb.jpg
PCB
Mega Drive, US
TwinCobra MD US Box.jpg
Cover
TwinCobra MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Twin Cobra MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, BR
TwinCobra MD BR Box.jpg
Cover
TwinCobra MD BR Cart.jpg
Cart

Technical information

Main article: Twin Cobra/Technical information.

References

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NEC Retro has more information related to Kyuukyoku Tiger
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-02 23:21)
  2. ↑ File:TwinCobra MD JP Box.jpg
  3. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "December 1990" (JP; 1990-11-08), page 21
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Electronic Gaming Monthly, "June 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 22
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 GamePro, "June 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 42
  6. ↑ File:Kyuukyoku Tiger MD credits.pdf
  7. ↑ File:Twin Cobra MD credits.pdf
  8. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-08), page 16
  9. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-08), page 16
  10. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-08), page 38
  11. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "February 1991" (JP; 1991-01-08), page 42
  12. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 105
  13. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 322
  14. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 252
  15. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Mai 1991" (DE; 1991-04-26), page 128
  16. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 34
  17. ↑ The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 38
  18. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 136
  19. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "May 1991" (UK; 1991-04-14), page 76
  20. ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 365
  21. ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 113
  22. ↑ Famitsu, "" (JP; 1991-0x-xx), page 1
  23. ↑ Hippon Super, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-04), page 42
  24. ↑ Joystick, "Avril 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 127
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 95
  26. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "May 1991" (JP; 1991-04-08), page 95
  27. ↑ Mega Play, "May/June 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 43
  28. ↑ MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 81
  29. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 142
  30. ↑ Power Play, "5/91" (DE; 1991-04-12), page 139
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 55
  32. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1992" (UK; 1992-03-19), page 31
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
  34. ↑ Sega Force, "August 1992" (UK; 1992-07-09), page 90
  35. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  36. ↑ Tilt, "Juin 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 75
  37. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 208
  38. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 27
  39. ↑ Video Games, "2/91" (DE; 1991-06-07), page 91


Twin Cobra

TwinCobra MDTitleScreen.png

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