Fantasy Zone
System: NES
Release Date: September 1990
Developer: Pixel
Publisher: Tengen
Genre: Shoot ‘em Up
Take control of Opa-Opa once again with the NES port of Fantasy Zone! The evil Menons are back once again and looking to take over the eight planets of the system with stolen money. Hop planets, kill bad guys, outfit your ship, and defeat the bosses to save the your friends.
Opa-Opa flies around and you have to kill enemies and destroy their bases. When you kill enemies, they drop coins for you to collect. You can shoot them with your guns or drop bombs. Bombs are best when you’re going for the bases. If this all sounds familiar, it’s because it’s been done before.
Occasionally, a shop icon drops on screen and you’re taken to a place to spend your money when you catch it. Here you can buy upgrades to your speed, weapons, and bombs. Big Wings give an appropriate speed boost, while the others are too fast to control reliably. Weapon upgrades only last for a short period of time after leaving the shop, making their utility questionable. Bombs outside of the twin bomb are limited use.
After destroying all the bases you go up against a boss. These are the same bosses that we’ve faced on the Master System and TG-16. I actually made it all the way through this version, beating each level and finally seeing the surprise ending.
Graphics: 1.5
They were able to pull off the pastel color palette, albeit a bit muted.
Sound: 1.5
The music sounds alright in its own way, but I didn’t find it particularly pleasing.
Gameplay: 1.0
There are few enemies on screen and the weapons felt like they ran our immediately.
Difficulty: 1.5
Outside of hidden bullets in the background, there was little challenge in this version.
Fun Factor: 1.0
It wasn’t that fun, either.
Overall Rating: 1.3
Fantasy Zone earns a D+. The original launched way back on the Master System in 1986 and stays the best version of the game we’re going to play. That’ll do it for Fantasy Zone unless it appears in something else. Thanks Opa-Opa!