Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami Release: 07/03/97 Genre: Compilation
Watching the shooter bubble burst was a pretty sad event. Seeing one of the most prosperous genres reduced to near nothing heading in to the 32-bit era was disheartening. Even though I will acknowledge that there were far too many generic entries in the genre releasing there could have been some kind of balance. It came at the worst time too as both the PlayStation and Saturn were host to many, many perfect arcade collections that would never leave the country. The Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus is one of the most interesting to me as the 2nd game never left Japan. Personally it is worth it for that game alone but the fact you get two more great games makes this a steal.
The Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus is a collection of all three games in the series. Technically if you want to be a curmudgeon it is two as Life Force is simply an update of Salamander. However the gameplay changes and new, weird content make it feel like a new title. Salamander 2 was a victim of timing. By 1996 the shooter market and arcades in general outside of Japan were shrinking making its release worldwide not viable despite its quality. Even though it has been decades since its initial release the game is still great today and the best reason to seek out this collection.
Salamander is a spin-off of Gradius that will be new to many. For those not lucky enough to spot it in the arcade it is both similar to Gradius yet different. While many of the power-ups are the same you do not have the power-up bar of that title. Instead the enemies drop all weapons. This one change gives the game a different flow, so to speak. Rather than hoarding power-up capsules to plan your load out it is available almost immediately. It is nice to earn a full stock of weapons within seconds rather than waiting whole entire levels. This system does have its drawbacks, namely you are at the game’s mercy in terms of drops. As well instead of being sent back to a checkpoint you respawn immediately. On its face this seems like a nice change but it contributes to the game’s brutal difficulty.
For its home release on the PC Engine Salamander implemented a checkpoint system. It sounds rough but did help to ease the difficulty somewhat. You could collect a few power-ups before beating your head against the game’s brick wall. The Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus mirrors the arcade and so you respawn with nothing. Once you die the death spiral begins and it is near impossible to stop. Even I as someone familiar with the game still nearly punched a wall in frustration at times.
This is an area that Life Force improves upon. The implementation of the Gradius power-up system has a massive effect on gameplay. While lacking the immediacy of the guaranteed weapon drops it also means you can adapt as necessary. One of the biggest issues with Salamander is game speed. If you do not have at least one speed power-up the bosses are nigh unstoppable. The problem is speed is not as common as you would expect. Life Force rectifies that as it is the first option. In addition the game speed is slower (or maybe that was slowdown in general) and enemy placement has been adjusted. It makes for a game that is still tough but manageable.
Salamander 2 is the true star of the Deluxe Pack. Oddly enough Salamander 2 combines the organic environments of Life Force with the mechanical enemies of the original Salamander to create something a bit unique. Gameplay wise there are only a few additions but they have a significant impact. The extremely cool twin blade join the laser and ripple. Weapon pickups now use letters rather than symbols making them easier to identify. Collecting the same weapon twice awards a super powered version for 10 seconds. Item drops are more plentiful so you get to play around with this mechanic a lot. The most significant change comes with options.
Options come in two varieties: full size and option seeds. Normal options follow your ship as before. Option seeds rotate around the ship while firing basic shots. Options can also become a powerful homing attack. However it comes at a price: option seeds are permanently destroyed while full size options become lesser seeds you can recollect. I like giving the options a more active role in the action. The risk/reward of strategic use of the homing attack makes it worth playing around with the mechanic and adds depth to the gameplay.
Salamander 2 revels in appearing familiar and playing around with your expectations. Sharp eyed gamers will recognize the first boss of Salamander, Golem. It sends miniature versions of himself throughout the stage while running away. When it attacks at the end of the stage the real boss immediately consumes it. The second stage features fiery planetoids like a similar level in Gradius 2. But when they are on the verge of destruction they become aggressive and try to suicide bomb you. Surprisingly there is no Moai level but that is a good thing. While it has many callbacks the new content is just as great.
Stage three is an organic fortress with aggressive intestinal worms that are hard to kill that pester you for the entire level. I like level four’s battleship assault. You deal with enemies on two fronts, both the ship itself and the armada in the background. The asteroid field leading to Doom Fortress is another callback to Salamander except this time to the MSX version. Seeing as most never played that game it is brand new. One of the common criticisms of Salamander 2 is that it was too similar to the original and did not deviate from its formula. They also criticized the graphics. I can see their point; I enjoy the homages but they are a good portion of the game. However the twists and new content make this a better game in my opinion. It is too bad the West never had the chance to decide themselves.
In Closing
Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus is an excellent collection of lesser known classics and great value. Salamander 2 alone makes this worth the money in my opinion but you get three gems for the price of one. I waited a long time to play this one and it was worth the wait. If only SCEA were not against 2d games, we missed out on so many gems like this.
