Retro|Spective 058: TwinBee

[Neon Ignition]

We've been somewhat in a lull since way back when the AM3 thread took place I feel, I'm doubtful things will change with this one but hopefully from next week we'll begin to see an uptick as the next dozen or so R|S's return to probably more popular franchises.


Complete and utter bells around this week with...

Twinbee




Mainline Entry 01 - TwinBee
Formats: Arcade, NES and MSX
Launched back in 1985, Twinbee was a two player shooter starring living space ships blasting down enemies whilst powering up by collecting coloured bells. The game featured six levels that would loop with no end, the aim being to survive as long as possible. The unit saw limited worldwide exposure, mostly known through later ports in western markets for game collections. It managed just enough for a second attempt to be made.



Mainline Entry 02 - Stinger / Moero TwinBee: Cinnamon-hakase o Sukue!
Formats: NES, Super NES, Wii and WiiU
Arriving the next year, the sequel expanded by allowing up to three players and adding into the mixture a series of side-scrolling levels. The shift to being a home series still saw similar fortunes for the series however, with no European launch and the US launches proving rare and limited.



Mainline Entry 03 - TwinBee 3: Poko Poko Daimao
Formats: NES
Another year later, another sequel, this time keeping the three player gameplay but abandoning the side scrolling stages of the second entry. The game was not only the shortest of the trilogy but also the easiest, a fact many missed because the game was kept back to only Japanese NES systems.



Spin Off Entry 01 - Pop n' Twinbee
Formats: GameBoy
Mainline Entry 04 - Bells & Whistles / Detana!! TwinBee
Formats: Arcade, PC Engine, PC, Saturn, Playstation, Playstation Portable, Wii, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360
Returning to arcades, this new title overhauled the visuals and added new characters to the game world but otherwise returned the action to that of the original game. The game employed that old trope of having you replay the entire game once the final boss falls but this time harder and as a means of seeing the real ending.



Mainline Entry 05 - Pop n' TwinBee
Formats: Super NES
History repeated with the next entry arriving on Nintendo home console, this time the SNES in Japan and Europe. Continuing off from the gameplay of the last game, this is likely more familiar than past entries to gamers but was otherwise a very by the numbers sequel, it's main change being the removal of a lives system and its replacement with a health bar.



Spin Off Entry 02 - Pop n' Twinbee: Rainbow Bell Adventure
Formats: Super NES
The first attempt to break from the franchises history came via this action platform title in which the player took on the role of the three Twinbee ships as they leapt and punched their way to the end of stage gates. As ships they can hover and short burst in different directions and the game is also notable for how the Japanese version offers Mario World style alternate exits and a non-linear progression system but this was stripped from the PAL release which is purely linear. After this the franchise ended its western push for the most part and focused on mostly smaller Japanese spin-offs and tie ins.



Spin Off Entry 03 - TwinBee Taisen Puzzle-Dama
Formats: Playstation
Mainline Entry 06 - TwinBee Yahho!
Formats: Arcade, Playstation, Portable and Saturn
Returning to arcades, the next key entry introduced play styles which were selected before levels and selectable difficulties that also decided the length of the game.



Spin Off Entry 04 - Twinbee RPG
Formats: Playstation
Utilising 3D graphics, this RPG aimed to leverage fans from a radio drama and anime series to pay itself off but that didn't pan out. Also featuring dating sim elements, the game's failure at market proved franchise ending beyond collections and ports in subsequent years.




Share your thoughts and memories of the TwinBee series

[Leon Retro]

I have great memories of loving everything about Pop'N Twinbee on the SNES. Rainbow Bell Adventure is a nice game in many ways, but maybe a bit too sparse when it comes to level design. Twinbee Yahho! was one of the first PS1 games I bought - and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

[_SD_]

Pop n’ Twinbee is one of the finest video games ever created.

I quite enjoyed Detana!! on the PC Engine, but I only briefly played Yahho! on the PSP collection which is a shame as I quite liked it. I didn’t know there were such differences between the Japanese and western versions of Rainbow Bell Adventure, I’d like to try the import now.

[Neon Ignition]

My history with the franchise is nearly entirely an observed one, the only entry I ever spent any real time with was Rainbow Bell Adventure which isn't a world changing platformer but it's a pretty endearing one.
Not a surprise R|S is still ebbing out though

I've looked over what the next 12 threads are lined up to be (out of currently 129!) and I think they should increasingly appeal.

Next week is the last one before our second Developer Edition entry. The clue for the next thread is:

Clue - Project Ultimate Racer

[ZipZap]

The only one I've played properly is Pop n Twinbee. I love the varied, colourful pixel art and it has one of the best soundtracks of the era. I'm not sure I like the gameplay quite as much as the sound and visuals, but it's not a bad shooter by any means.

[Leon Retro]

Clue - Project Ultimate Racer

I have to guess the 'Project Gotham Racing' series, but your clue would be a bit easy.

[Neon Ignition]

I've made a point of making the clue more obscure this time so sorry, not PGR

[Leon Retro]

not PGR

I guess the first Gran Turismo was code named "Project Ultimate Racer'?

[Neon Ignition]

Nope! We may have a surprise thread for the first time in a while

[Leon Retro]

Nope! We may have a surprise thread for the first time in a while

I can remember nearly every racer ever made, but I just can't figure out your clue. I could just list every racing series, but that would be crazy.

[Protocol Penguin]

The first Twinbee game I heard of was 'Stinger', courtesy of an advert in a Marvel US comic. Those comics were absolutely filled with adverts for NES games... When I read about Parodius in Total! years later, I recognised where the 'bee' character came from.

Played the first Twinbee in an NES Play Choice machine in a pizza place. Thought of it as a cuter take on Xevious.

Flippin' love Pop 'n Twinbee. Just wanted to play it after seeing it in Super Play. Have a nice boxed copy again. (It's a two-player non-puzzle Super Famicom game which my girlfriend will happily play, which is probably a seal of quality.)

Only realised later on how Studio Ghibli's Laputa: Castle in the Sky obviously had an influence on the game. And many other games. Because we couldn't see Ghibli films in the west until relatively recently.

Have wanted to play Detana Twinbee and Twinbee Yahho for many years, hopefully I will some day.

[Leon Retro]

Flippin' love Pop 'n Twinbee. Just wanted to play it after seeing it in Super Play. Have a nice boxed copy again. (It's a two-player non-puzzle Super Famicom game which my girlfriend will happily play, which is probably a seal of quality.)

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