Zero Wing

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Toaplan

Call me crazy, but the arcade version of Zero Wing is a bit more difficult than the Genesis version, isn't it? I felt like the Genesis version was a good shooter, but a little on the easy side…well, you can throw that out the window for this version. Also, I had a minor complaint about the gimmick of being able to pull an enemy ship in to use as a shield or weapon in the Genesis version. Here in the arcade original, it seems like it's much more useful. I found myself in situations where it was helpful to use the enemy ship as a weapon, but much more often, I find it useful to have a shield that could absorb a bullet that I didn't see coming. Other than that, this largely seems to be a bigger, better variation of the game…if you can survive through the bullet hell spots to see it all. I am impressed, however, at how close the Genesis got to how close it got to this game graphically - the arcade version definitely looks nicer, but not by a lot. Anyway, if you've played the Genesis port of Zero Wing and found it to bit too easy for your tastes and want a bit of a challenge, then give the arcade version a try. It's the same fun concepts, but with an added difficulty, extra content, and a slightly better look.

Review added: 11/20/2025