Mega Turrican

Developer: Factor 5    Publisher: Data East    Release: 07/07/94    Genre: Action

I was not fond of Turrican. I get that it is a European classic but man, that game’s flaws were too much for me to handle. So it is ironic that I started to like the series when it ditched almost everything that made it unique. Mega Turrican goes full on action game like Super Turrican and while I get that it is a departure from the series mechanics personally I think it is better for it. Mega Turrican is one of the better action games for the system and a true gem.

Years have passed since the Machine last terrorized the galaxy. Bren McGuire has had no reason to don his Turrican suit during this age of peace. The peace shatters when the Machine returns, enslaving thousands and destroying multiple planets in his wake. When Bren receives a distress signal from a lone girl he suits up one last time to rid the galaxy of the Machine. Canonically Mega Turrican is the last game in the series, although the Genesis version sat without a publisher for over a year and released after Super Turrican. It serves as a fitting end to the series even if it is a little brief.

There are a number of mechanical changes in Mega Turrican, some really good and others baffling. The laser whip has been replaced with a plasma rope. This rope is both a weapon and a grappling hook. Cool idea but it is criminally underused; you can ignore its existence completely up until the fourth level. The Energy wheel can no longer be used an unlimited number of times. Now it has a meter that slowly depletes and is only refilled after losing a life or completing a level. The three main weapons are exactly the same as before but visually look better. The most crucial change is your life bar. It is now segmented but more importantly you have a few seconds of invincibility after taking a hit. This is huge, and reduces the difficulty significantly.

In terms of level design Mega Turrican has more in common with Contra than earlier games in the series. For the most part each level follows a set route with plenty of enemies in your path. There are even multiple mini boss battles to break up the flow. Occasionally they open up to allow you to find hidden power-ups but for the most part that is not common. It is a jarring change for sure but one that is for the better. The level design is generally strong and while it doesn’t measure up to Contra: Hard Corps it isn’t far behind.

For its final two levels the game opens up and returns to its roots. These two worlds, especially the alien ship are massive, with confusing layouts and numerous dead ends. The plasma rope and energy wheel see much more use in these levels and they offer a glimpse of what could have been. While they aren’t my favorite I will admit I liked them better than anything in the first game. My only complaint is that the game is a bit short at only five levels. Part of that is due to its protracted development and while I wanted more at least it’s one hell of a ride.

Turrican was a notoriously brutal game in terms of challenge. But most of that came from bad design decisions. With those flaws fixed Mega Turrican is median when it comes to difficulty. Weapon and health power-ups are frequent and well-spaced. You won’t have to search hard to find extra lives and will more than likely build up a stock quickly. Even though your life bar is different you can still die in a few hits. But this merely sends you back to a nearby checkpoint. The one area you would expect the difficulty to spike is actually the opposite: the boss battles. These are some of the simplest boss fights I’ve experienced in a run and gun shooter and are disappointing considering how much the game excels in every other category.

Mega Turrican looks phenomenal but that is no surprise when the game Factor 5 is the co-developer. While it lacks the sheer spectacle of a Gunstar Heroes or Alien Soldier it more than makes up for it with incredibly detailed artwork. The cold metal factories and ruined cities are a perfect complement for the Genesis’ darker color palette with the kinds of lavish detail you would expect from a title released later in the console’s lifespan. Both Mega Turrican and Super Turrican were in development at the same time and they both share a few design elements and even levels. While it lacks that game’s color palette in some respects I found this to be stronger visually, especially the bosses.

The music is generally excellent full of excellent tunes reminiscent of the Genesis’s best. The soft and melodic soundtrack manages to dodge the completely robotic sound of its peers but this is still FM synth so a bit of that rough guitar twang is still present. The sound effects oddly enough are a bit weak and lacking punch, something you can’t say about too many Genesis titles.

In Closing

Mega Turrican is an excellent action game and a hidden gem in the Genesis library. After Gunstar Heroes and Contra this makes for a nice second choice.  You can’t go wrong, especially for its cheap price.