Ordyne
System: TG-16
Release Date: February 1990
Developer: Namco
Publisher: NEC
Genre: Shoot ‘em Up
Another Namco arcade port comes to the TurboGrafx-16 with Ordyne. Dr. Tomari’s fiance Miss Kana has been kidnapped by an outer space gang. Their leader, Kubota, doesn’t know that Miss Kana holds the key to the Ordyne nuclear reactor. Tomari and his assistant Felix need to hop into their ships and blast through seven levels of side scrolling shoot ‘em up action. Can you save Kana?
Ordyne is made simple. You shoot straight ahead with Button II and drop bombs with Button I. When you defeat enemy formations and certain other enemies, they drop crystals which you can pick up and use as currency in the Space Inn. Here you can buy one of three different powerups. There are speed up items, special weapons on a timer, limited use bombs, and the Stock Bomber, which adds Pac-Man to the front of your ship. The Stock Bomber absorbs bullets and allows for a powerful shot when it turns yellow and then red. You can take one extra hit from a non bullet before losing the Stock Bomber.
The Fore and After Burners give a strong blast in front and behind the ship. The Wide Beam is slightly bigger, but I couldn’t tell if it was stronger. The Vulcan Gun allows for rapid fire. The Triple Gun shoots 45 degrees up and down, as well as straight ahead. Homing Missiles track the enemies. The Fire Bomb upgrade is the most powerful weapon in the game and makes quick work of the bosses. There are also flying casinos that take you to a roulette type game. There are eight different prizes you can win. When the wheel starts spinning, you press the button to stop on the prize you want. If your timing is good, you can win all the crystals you’ll ever need.
I found that bullets don’t move too incredibly quickly. The main challenge comes from not going too far ahead and getting caught unaware by an obstacle. There are plenty of times you’ll die learning the patterns of the enemy. Luckily, you get five continues and can earn extra lives by ramping up your score. There’s even a special mode to play as Miss Kana if you hold Select and Button I on the title screen. The game is exactly the same, but you get a different ending.
Graphics: 3.0
Graphics are sharp, there isn’t much bullet obscuring, the screen scrolls up and down a bit.
Sound: 2.5
The music is pleasant, but it is overpowered by the shooting sound effect.
Gameplay: 3.0
It’s simple, but I hate timed powerups.
Difficulty: 2.5
Continues are generous, but there are way too many gotcha traps.
Fun Factor: 3.0
It’s quick, not complicated, and a good time.
Overall Grade: 2.8
Ordyne earns a B. This is a fun game that I can recommend if you like side scrolling shoot ‘em ups.