DO DON PACHI SATURN

Do Don Pachi (sequel to Don Pachi)
SEGA SATURN

This vertical arcade shooter from Cave (a company formed from ex-Toaplan staff) is one of the most popular Saturn shooters. A manic, very intense game which scores highly on graphic design and frantic playability, this is a real 'score-based' shooter which will challenge even hardened shooter fans. There are three very different ships to play with, each with their own brand of firepower. All offer the choice of upgradable rapid standard fire, a 'beam' weapon which can be operated by holding down the fire button, and an awesome screen detonating smart bomb! Definitely a contender for the most wildly over-the-top firepower seen in any Saturn shooter, along with another Toaplan classic, the previously released Batsugun.

Do Don Pachi may be one of the best shooters to hit the Saturn since the release of Soukyugurentai from Raizing. The first Don
Pachi was released about two years ago on the Saturn and roughly a year ago on the Playstation. Both were decent ports of the
arcade original. The arcade version of Do Don Pachi was released about 5 months ago and was a fast paced shooter with
mega-metal bosses that were able to spew forth streams of firepower that were not only deadly but dazzling to look at. Sort of
hypnotic. The Saturn version of Do Don Pachi is very good. I cannot say that it is a 1:1 conversion but I'll have to bring out the
board and check these two side by side. From what I remember, it's pretty darn close. The Saturn version's graphics may not be
as sharp or as luminous as the arcade version but they're excellent (an arcade screenshot is posted at the end of this page).

Like the original Don Pachi, you start the game off by choosing from one of three ships. There is a helicopter, an A wing ship and
a W wing ship. I usually use the helicopter because while it is slow and bulky, it has immense firepower. The first level places you
in a landscape where you fly over enemy installations and rock formations that criss-cross below you. The bulk of the enemy ships
in this level consist of helicopters and stubby jets with red tinted cockpits. The usual ground support will fire at you as you pass
them below so it would be a good idea to destroy all of them first and then take on the streaming air attackers. After making your
way through the first level, the second level places you in a Martian like landscape which is colored a deep magenta and is
pockmarked by craters and meteor strikes. REVIEW from www.ncsx.com