Then we can get back to our regularly scheduled grumbling
That said, I can’t help but feel like too many of us slept on the most recent batch of games– the titles added toNintendo Switch Online onFebruary 19, 2020.Pop’n Twinbee, in particular, deserves more buzz. It’s a shoot-’em-up that people who rarely dip into the genre can have a good time with, and it gets bonus points for clever two-player co-op in which you can strategically hurl a friend at foes.
Did I mention your ship has arms? I should mention that your ship has arms. Every ship should!
Pop’n Twinbeedrew me in with its cute-’em-up aesthetic, but what I like most about the game is having to juggle power-ups before they fall off-screen whilealsododging incoming fire, clearing out foes in the air, and chucking bombs at land-based threats, some of which are giant, goofy, waltzing pineapples.
The actual bullet patterns aren’t overly difficult to dodge on their own, even for a middle-of-the-road player like me, but making the most of bells is another matter. If you collect falling bells straight away, you’ll simply earn some points, but if you keep firing – if you juggle them – then they’ll cycle through different colors, each of which corresponds to a different upgrade. It’s wonderfully high-stakes. You can kit yourself out with a shield, alternate shot types, and little helper ships. Green bells are a godsend.
Another tip: you may want to ease intoPop’n Twinbee. Apart from making liberal use of Nintendo Switch Online save states, you can swap between several difficulties from the main menu screen. You’ll probably breeze through the first few levels. If you manage to make it to a flying fortress–you’ll know it when you see it–try to watch out for the ship’s propellers. And don’t forget to throw those bombs!
I never played the original release ofPop’n Twinbee(it didn’t reach North America), but I’m glad to have checked it out all these years later. It’s nice to get more use out of my SNES-style Switch pad, too. If Nintendo could just bring itself to deliver mainstream hitsandcult classics, I’d be in retro heaven.
Next up, I need to go HAM onShadow of the Ninjafor NES – a game I know will hurt me good.
