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Reviews (2)
Jun 14, 2010
Salamander Portable review by JokermanJohnny
Salamander Portable is a Japan-only compilation released by Konami for the PSP by Konami. Inside are the arcade original releases of Salamander, Life Force, and Salamander 2, plus a retooled version of Gradius 2 from the MSX and a home version of the arcade shmup, Xexex, available for the first time for home release.
I bought the compilation in order to see if there were any differences between this game and a similar compilation, Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus, from the Sega Saturn. Other then the fact that Gradius 2 and Xexex are included, the differences are very minor in between the two games. One minor difference that immediately came to my attention were the fact that the control scheme is designed to match the original Japanese version, i.e the X and O buttons are reversed. Another is that the games, with the exception of Xexex, function like authentic arcade games, in which a button inputs a credit required for play. This leads me to the drawing points of the games themselves:
Shmups in general are notorious for being frustratingly difficult when it comes to video games. The Salamander games, let alone the Gradius series in general were notorious for their difficulty as well since it attributed to the fact that once the player's lives ran out, you must always start back at level one, regardless of how many credits you have. Salamander amps this difficulty up a notch by taking away the standard power gauge from Gradius and replaces them with random powers that can either save you or destroy you depending on the situation What also makes this game unique is that the game features vertical levels to navigate alongside the horizontal levels that serve at the series norm. I have noticed that playing in the vertical stages is a lot more unlevel and difficult. Life Force is pretty much Salamander painted with an organic motif in the background, but they bring back the power up gauge, which might or might not help in the long run. Salamander 2, which in this reviewer's opinion is the best out of the compilation, bring back the vertical levels, but it has one of the coolest levels I've ever had the pleasure ot play through. The best part of the game, in my book, lets you use the multiples that follow you as emergency weapons if you're ever in a bind.
As for the other two games, Xexex reminds me quite a bit of R-Type, only except for the pod shooting lasers on its own, the pod is um, a three-legged squid... Moving on, Gradius 2, as I've mentioned before, is a retooling of the original MSX game. Unfortunately, I have to use the use "retooling" loosely since the only thing new the game has to offer is a fresh coat of paint to cover up the insane difficulty of the original game. In truth, many of the MSX shooters were bogged by several factors, such as, but not limited to shooting down enemies that moved like speedy gonzales on the first stage (let alone on the easiest difficultly). Not only that, the original MSX game had horrible scrolling problems and collision detection which led to cheap death after cheap death after cheap death.
In conclusion, if you're a shmup fan, I'd give this one a go. I'd especially recommend Salamander 2 and Xexex since their both some of the most unique and brightest shmups i've played yet. However, unless you want a lesson in masochism, I'd stay away from Gradius 2...
Final Score: 8/10
Jun 01, 2024
This movie was part of my regular rotation during the pandemic. It's a shame that the Blu-ray version only had 3000 copies because Nine to Five is one
This movie was part of my regular rotation during the pandemic. It's a shame that the Blu-ray version only had 3000 copies because Nine to Five is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. If you're a fan of Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, or Lily Tomlin, you owe yourself to see this movie, especially with the recent passing of Dabney Coleman.