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Son of Phoenix
Son of Phoenix
While the game is a sequel of Phoenix, it has
more in common with the shooters of the late 80's than with the original Phoenix
arcade game. So if you go in with an open mind, you may enjoy the game, but if
you go with preconceived notions due to the name, then you may be disappointed.
The similarities between this game and the
original are there, but cosmetically they don't look the same. This one has a
major upgrade in graphics, as one would expect from a game that is more recent.
Instead of the barren background of the original, you get a planet in the
background on level one and a base on level two. All the ships have improved
graphics as do the explosions.
The shield also exists in this game, but instead
of always recharging as it does in the original, you have a set amount available
to you. Use this up and you are one defenseless dude. So use that shield
sparingly as it is much more vital in this incarnation. The ships and bullets
are really flying.
Like the original, there are a variety of
different ships coming at you. Most are airborne and swoop at you, sometimes it
seems from out of thin air. There are also enemies that move on the ground, in a
back and forth manner. These are much easier to take out. One problem is the
enemies didn't have the personality of the original game. One of my favorite
parts of the classic version is blowing those wings off the birds and how they
could regenerate them. These ships are boring and devoid of personality. This
takes some of the charm out of the game and lumps it with all the other
shooters. Ho hum.
Another thing missing from the original game is
the way your ship moves. While you can move up and down, as well as side to
side, you are just another ship and move accordingly. But in the original, you
had that almost wobble walk that was just too cool! It made the game instantly
recognizable and once again added character to what essentially was a variation
of Galaxian. Without these, the Son of Phoenix could have any name on it. Call
it Space Shooter, Astro Zapper, Galactic Attacker, it doesn't matter as it has
no heart.
In closing, they took a shooter with character
and heart and modernized it and in the process, they homogenized it and made it
yet another space shooter. Another example of how some games shouldn't have
sequels as they are only ruined by it.
This is just a review of the
arcade machine. If you are looking for the actual arcade machine, you may want
to check out ebay. Click below to see if you can find this game.
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