SHMUPS





Arrow Flash - Sega









Arrow Flash

Reviewed by Roger Post.

Well, about the best thing I can say about Arrowflash is that it borrows heavily from Thunderforce 3. Playing this game is like taking a trip down memory lane. "Hey, I remember this part from TF!" is a phrase you will constantly be saying. Anyway, the premise in Arrowflash is the old transformable mech deal: you can switch from a plane to a robot and back again, if you so choose. You have a special weapon (I guess called the Arrowflash) which works differently in each mode. The plane is more agile, and the arrowflash is an offensive weapon, a wide shot laser. The robot is slow and bulky, but the arrowflash makes him invincible for quite some time. I did this review about the same time as Whiprush, and I will say the same thing again for AF: overall the game is so/so, but the saving point is in the bosses. If I remember correctly, there are five levels, but by the time you near the end you are hoping this one's almost over with…

One final point of interest occurs in the options screen. Yes, the options. The player has the choice to set the arrowflash weapon to either stock mode, where you have to pick up powerups to use the AF, or charge mode, where the AF keeps replenishing just by the passage of time. This stood out the most in AF, and I thought it was a neat little idea. You can customize the method of weapon powerup. Imagine playing R-Type and having the ability to set the charge bar on automatic. I prefer the charge mode, since you get more use that way. My best advice when playing this shooter: squint very hard, and maybe you'll feel like you're really playing a Macross game….



The intro sequence in all its glory

This is the LAMEST looking main character I've seen yet. Look how tiny and disproportional…….the only reason to transform is to get rid of that ugly looking robot!


It's more exciting to stare at that thing sinking in the background than to fight the first boss.

Could it be…..Mars in the background? Or did someone order a pizza?

This boss looks straight out of Gaiares……watch out for when the arms stretch out and shoot lasers at you.

Could the Thunderforce fire level have "borrowed" a little from these effects here? This is the famous "flashback" scene. "I remember fighting those incoming planes when I was your age…" dweeoo…dweeooo…

A section of level three where you are pestered by crystal shards.

Who, lookee here, a cool weapon…..could R-Type delta have "borrowed" a little from this weapon?


Another strangely Thunderforeish guy…could I accuse someone of "borrowing" again, or is it annoying yet?


Here, the game scrolls vertically. Very annoying, because these guys drop quickly from the sky.


Now I think Thunderforce has upgraded from "borrowed" to "photocopied". Really, is it just me, or does this look a lot like the jungle level in TF 3?

(Hey, it also looks a bit like Saint Dragon's second level =P - Akira)

A shot of the arrowflash in action. Bosses are getting somewhat cooler too…

C'mon, even the fire look the same as the TF dragon boss……I wonder, could they have been secure in the chance that NOBODY would ever actually play, or for that matter remember Arrowflash?


After fighting the dragon's body, take on the head. Easiest thing to do is flash it repeatedly.

These mines on level five draw you in towards them the closer you get.

Oh, no! That's an evil copy of yourself, attempting an arrowflash maneuver.

The miniboss of 5 is a revamped version of level 2. Still a loser though.

After that, it's on to the battleships. I just did the Blazing Star review, and can't help but compare level 6 in BS to this. What a difference.

This boss splits into two and does a combo attack on you.

Defeat him, and it's inside you go. These graphics look familiar too…..maybe I'm just getting paranoid.

Everyone together now……bio level=last level.


Here's the final boss of them all….looks nasty, but really, like this game, nothing special.


Blow up the ship, narrowly escape, yadda yadda I've heard this one before…..Hope this game hasn't put you to sleep….NEXT!!!!!



Another shmup with a female pilot. Most times we don't get to see the gender of the pilot, but is it just me or you get to see more chicks involved with the ships than men? Is it that they fit better in the tight shmup ship cabins, or is it just a commercial trick to sell more to the hentai-minded punter?

Has Akira gone insane? No, he's just filling the footnote because he doesn't know what to say about Arrow Flash. Too many reviews, too little time to play the games =P I just like the idea of being able to change the powerup mode.

- Akira



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