Batsugun

Piloting a powerful aircraft, players face relentless waves of enemy forces in Batsugun, a vertically scrolling shooter released by Toaplan in 1993. Cooperative gameplay allows for two players to join the fight against increasingly challenging adversaries, utilizing standard arcade controls—a joystick and two buttons for firing primary weapons and unleashing devastating smart bombs that clear the screen. A unique progression system rewards destroying enemies; experience points accumulate to upgrade your main guns, increasing their firepower, while collecting special icons boosts bomb capacity and weapon power. Beyond straightforward combat, Batsugun encourages strategic play through its medal collection mechanic. Scattered throughout each level are valuable tokens which contribute significantly to the final score if successfully retrieved – but these medals vanish upon player destruction, adding a layer of risk-reward to the experience. This title marked a notable evolution for Toaplan, representing their last shoot 'em up and introducing elements that would influence later games in the "maniac shooter" subgenre. The game’s name, derived from Japanese words signifying dominance and a group or brigade, reflects its challenging gameplay. Batsugun was initially released with a special version for an arcade show before becoming widely available, and has since seen a port to the Sega Saturn console.