It’s almost time! In less than a month, you’ll be able to shoot and dodge uncountable quantities of missiles while collecting fruit as a giant robot in Treasure’s insane but loveable Bangai-O.

On May 4th you’ll be able to grab Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury on XBLA for 800 Microsoft Fun Bucks ($10). The game features over 100 levels to start and includes a level editor to expand the game even further.

Aside from HD visuals, Missile Fury also improves the control scheme by switching to twin stick input so you no longer have to face the same direction you want to fire. Additionally, there’s a new combo system to powerup your counterattacks and even a co-op mode.
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Sometimes, the touch of a new developer can turn a familiar series into something fresh again (Metroid Prime). Other times, new blood can really focus on what made a series great in the first place (Contra 4). And of course, there’s always the chance that they’ll completely miss the mark (Star Fox Adventures).

I’d like to take a moment to discuss some of the collaborations I’d like to see.

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"There's missiles... EVERYWHERE!!"

When I first stepped into PAX, I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of games that were playable. I decided to make my rounds and see what was there before waiting in any lines for demos. Then I saw that Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury was playable. I immediately abandoned my initial plan and darted over to D3′s booth to check it out.

Within about 2 seconds, I reached the Game Over screen.

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Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is often referred to as a “dream sequel”. The original Sin & Punishment never made it to America in cartridge form, though it was later released on the Wii’s virtual console. It’s been a full decade since the release of the last game. Now in 2010, not only is there a sequel, it’s actually released outside of Japan.

For those not in the know, Sin & Punishment is a third-person rail shooter. In other words, it has more in common with Star Fox than House of the Dead. Quite possibly the best way to describe it is to take a Bullet-Hell SHMUP, combine it with a Run ‘n Gun game such as Contra, then put that in a 3D space.

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"Easily importable thanks to Virtual Console"

“Friday Old Games” is a series of articles in which we review a game from the older generations of consoles, share why we picked it, and whether or not it holds up with time.

Sin and Punishment is a Treasure developed rail-shooter for the Nintendo 64. When it came out back in 2000, it was exclusive to Japan. Seven years later, it was released on the Wii’s Virtual Console service, finally making its first appearance in North America and Europe. Was it worth finally bringing over?

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"What have I become?"

I’m a big fan of Star Fox. The name of this site, “WingDamage”, and our podcast, “Barrel Roll!“, are both references to the series. But when I say I’m a big fan of the franchise, what I really mean to say is that I’m a big fan of about two and a half of its games.

Today, I’d like to take you down memory lane and discuss the high points, what went wrong, and what Nintendo could do to save the series.

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