Turrican Anthology Vol. II Review

Today I'm looking at Volume II of the Turrican Anthology series. This collection is made up of Turrican 3 for the Amiga, the full Mega Turrican — not just a score attack like on the previous volume — for the Mega Drive (Genesis), and Super Turrican 2 which was the follow up to Super Turrican on the SNES. Turrican 3 and Mega Turrican are essentially the same game but just released on different consoles. The good news is that Mega Turrican has cut scenes that the SNES version doesn't have and is one of the best entries in the series, so at least it's good. 

The levels for the games in this collection are simpler than the earlier titles that were released, but they are now more action-based rather than exploration, and include some really cool boss fights. Since these titles were on newer systems the graphics in the games look better, the music sounds great, and we see more cut scenes and learn more about the story than we did before. The laser gun has been removed and replaced with a grappling hook that you can use to get up to higher platforms, or jump large gaps in the stage. It was a bit tricky to use, but after trying a few times it got a bit easier.

All the smaller enemies that you know from the earlier titles are here and ready for you to take down, either by shooting them or jumping on them. You still have the ability to morph into a saw-blade like ball to drop bombs on your enemy, but be careful you aren't near any ledges as you will probably fly off. The saw-blade is useful against bosses as a way to dodge attacks and drop bombs inflicting damage as they move across the level. 

If you are more of a run-and-gun fan, and don't want to deal with a bunch of level exploration, be sure to check out Super Turrican 2. This entry is a linear title and totally gets rid of the need to explore, just run to the right and shoot, it is very straightforward! It definitely feels easier than some of the other titles in this franchise because you don't have to spend huge amounts of time searching for items and the exit, dying because the stage time has run out. 

The emulation of the games feels great, and just like the first volume, you have the ability to rewind the game when you die, fall, or to try a section again. There's also the ability to use a save state to save the game at any point. The original game manuals are available to check out if you want to learn more about the story or how the controls work. If you dislike the controls you can map them to something more to your liking. A jukebox is here to listen to the various game soundtracks, and a list of cheats that you can use once you have completed the full game. Why you can't use them while you are trying to beat the game, I don't know. Guess they really don't want you to cheat!

These collections are a great way to experience the Turrican series of games, but the problem is they are a bit pricey to purchase together. I suppose if you think about it, the cost would be a lot higher if you were to purchase the original games. For me I think I preferred the second volume more than the first, as the improved visuals, and more linear gameplay was appealing to me. If you have played these games in the past, or if you love run-and-gun action titles from the '90s the Turrican games are going to be ones worth checking out! Even if two of the titles on this collection are virtually clones of each other!