B-Wings

B-Wings
North American arcade flyer
Developer(s)	Data East
Publisher(s)	Data East
Designer(s)	Akira Sakuma
Platforms	Arcade, Family Computer
Release date(s)	Arcade Family Computer
Genre(s)	Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)	1-2 players (Alternating turns)
Cabinet	Upright
Arcade system	Millennium 95085 Microsystem Emulator
CPU	M6809
Sound	Sound CPU : DECO Sound Chips : AY8910, DAC
Display	Raster 240 x 256 pixels, 64 colors

B-Wings (Ｂウィング, B-Uingu) is a vertically scrolling shooter first released as an arcade game by Data East in 1984. The game was ported by Data East to the Family Computer in 1986, and was Data East's very first home release for this platform.

Gameplay

The game consists of 45 levels (30 in the Family Computer version), and no background story or plot is given. The player controls a starfighter called the FX-1, and collects weapon power-up parts (called a "wing") to progress through the levels and ultimately destroy a series of enemy bosses known as the Gobunasu at every end of the level. The game consists of two different top-view screen levels, where the player can press the second button to descend to the ground whenever they do not have a power-up. The player is unaffected by attacks from airborne units while they are playing on the ground level, but the ship is automatically brought back into the air after a certain period of time. The player can still be hit by attacks from ground units while they are on the ground level, and can also lose their ship by crashing into obstacles. The 8-way joystick controls the player's movements, and one button is used for shooting, and the other is used for descending to the ground (or un-equipping wings). The background image continues infinitely when the player scrolls in the horizontal directions.

Arcade screenshot

The game was remade to the Family Computer in 1986, but many changes were made to power-ups, sound effects, enemy attack patterns, and enemy appearances, making the gameplay considerably different from the arcade version. New additional background music was also included, and it also became possible to rapid-fire shots. Several warps and hidden items were also added, along with an ending screen. Also, the ability to descend to the ground is absent, replaced by a control that allows the ship to temporarily "shrink" when no power-ups are equipped.

External links

• Data East games (Japanese)
• B-Wings at the Killer List of Videogames