With four collections dedicated to its library on Evercade, Toaplan is one of the better-represented developers on the system, and with good reason. During the ’80s and ’90s, the company was responsible for some of the most iconic shmups of all time.
The previous three collections have done a commendable job of covering Toaplan’s enviable coin-op history, but this fourth entry is no slouch, either – despite the fact that only 50% of the cart is occupied by shooters.
Toaplan Arcade 3 includes Dogyuun, Grind Stormer, Knuckle Bash, Snow Bros. 2, Pipi and Bibi’s and the NES port of Sky Shark (also known as Flying Shark). Toaplan fans will immediately spot that Dogyuun is the highlight of this package; arguably the company’s most visually appealing shmup, it’s a graphical masterpiece that features some fantastic mechanical design by Junya Inoue.
It’s great fun, too, but was a commercial disappointment in arcades – something that, along with its technical demands, will have prevented it from getting a home port. Like all vertical shooters, Dogyuun really benefits from the Evercade EXP’s TATE mode, with one caveat – it’s one of those rare shmups which uses three buttons instead of just two, so using your tractor beam requires you to take your finger off the D-pad and press the Y button at the top end of the console.
This isn’t as big an issue as you might expect, though, as the tractor beam mechanic doesn’t really do much – at the time of release, it was seen by many as a rather underhanded way to get people to insert more credits, as it allows two players to join-up and increase their firepower (the second player has to surrender control completely).
Grind Stormer, on the other hand, did get a home port on the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive. However, that version is a pale imitation of this original coin-op, which has a unique weapon mechanic which allows you to switch between spread shots and a narrow, powerful beam by moving up or down the screen when the fire button is released. It’s not Toaplan’s finest effort in the genre, but it’s still enjoyable to play.
Knuckle Bash is Toaplan’s belated attempt to challenge Capcom and Sega’s dominance of the side-scrolling beat ’em up genre. Released after the arrival of Street Fighter II in arcades, it was poorly timed, despite having some cool ideas (one of the characters is clearly based on Elvis). Playing it in 2024 is amusing, and it’s got enough interesting ideas to keep your attention for a while, even if it’s not a stone-cold classic.
Speaking of classics, Snow Bros. 2 is a fantastic evolution of the original game, which took inspiration from Taito’s Bubble Bobble. It’s brilliant fun (especially with a second player on the Evercade VS) and a highlight of this pack. Pipi and Bibi’s (also known as Whoopee!!) is a rather saucy take on Elevator Action which, in its original arcade form, included naked images of cartoon ladies. Blaze has understandably toned this down for the version included here, but it’s still a relatively fun game to play.
It would be easy to feel a little short-changed by the inclusion of Sky Shark, as it’s not an arcade game but rather an 8-bit port of one that was already included on Toaplan Arcade 1. However, this conversion is noteworthy as it was developed by the UK-based Software Creations and is really good – not least because it showcases a wonderful soundtrack by the legendary Tim Follin.
What we end up with is a collection of titles, which, you could argue, scrapes the bottom of the barrel when it comes to Toaplan’s catalogue. However, Dogyuun is worth the cost of purchase on its own – it really is one of the most remarkable shooters of the ’90s – and the other games are all decent enough to warrant your attention.
Go on.... treat yourself to a new game.
