Psychosis
System: TG-16
Release Date: October 1990
Developer: NAXAT Soft
Publisher: NEC
Genre: Shoot ‘em Up
Journey into the depths of your own mind in Psychosis! Every mind has an opening for evil and the demon Ugar is looking for his chance to make you his. Escape the evil of your mind through 5 Causes or levels in the most awesome ship your psyche could create. Don’t give in to the demon and fight with all you have!
This is typical side scrolling shoot ‘em up action. Your ship can shoot forward by pressing Button II and you have to destroy things that come in your way, or avoid them long enough for them to get off screen. Certain enemies will drop orbs when they’re destroyed. The S orb will increase your speed, which is helpful for maneuvering… up until a point. The glowing orb adds a barrier that slowly wears down as you are attacked or run into enemies.
Being a proper shoot ‘em up, you can collect one of three other orbs that will give you a set of dual options called satellites. These orbit clockwise around your ship with a press of Button I. At their default, they can block enemy projectiles and cause damage to anything they touch. They’re definitely your best friend, so getting comfortable with maneuvering them properly is your first priority. After collecting your satellites, they can be given power to attack with one of the other three orbs.
The W orb is for Wide Beam. This shoots a slightly wider beam than the default weapon. The T orb gives you the Thunder ability. Constant beams shoot in front and behind both satellites causing continuous damage. B gives you the Back Laser. These shoot beams in the opposite direction diagonally. Each weapon can be powered up multiple times, as long as you don’t switch weapons in between. For example, an upgrade to the wide beam has each satellite shooting three wide beams. As you rotate them, they will shoot in the direction they are facing.
Each level will test your reflexes when it comes to dodging enemies, projectiles, and the scenery. There were a few times that I was busy watching my satellite and I blasted into a wall in front of me. It’s occasionally difficult to tell what is a background tile and what is a barrier. Bosses aren’t terribly difficult as long as you can keep control of your ship. I even found a spot on the final boss where he couldn’t touch me, allowing for an easy win.
Graphics: 3.0
Graphics are colorful and varied. Each Cause has its own style.
Sound: 2.0
Music is average at best and as is usually true in shoot ‘em ups, the weapon noises can get annoying.
Gameplay: 2.5
You don’t have much control over the weapon powerups you can get, but they all have their uses.
Difficulty: 2.5
Sometimes the edges of the level look like backgrounds and will kill you. You can get a steady supply of extra lives, but until you memorize level layouts, three continues might not be enough.
Fun Factor: 2.5
I enjoyed myself for the hour it took me to play through, but I bailed when it sent me through for a second time.
Overall Rating: 2.5
Psychosis earns a B-. It’s a perfectly fine shoot ‘em up, but it’s not an envelope pusher in any way.