Gunbird

Gunbird is a vertically scrolling shoot ’em up released in 1994 by Japanese company Psikyo. It was followed by a sequel, Gunbird 2, in 1998. The first game was released in the United States and Europe as Mobile Light Force for the PlayStation.

Gunbird uses anime-styled character as the player’s chosen craft. A story plays out in between levels and before boss fights, telling a tale of how the protagonists are trying to collect pieces of a magic mirror to make a wish.

The cutscenes between the battles with 2 players fighting cooperatively are frequently packed with hilarious dialogue and situations. This is often a recurring theme with Psikyo games, the Gunbird games being no exception.

Each character in Gunbird has three attacks: A normal shot, a charge shot, and a bomb that clears the screen of enemies and bullets. The normal shot can be strengthened by grabbing power-ups and extra bombs can be collected. Coins, which are found by destroying certain buildings or enemies, can be collected for bonus points.

This is the first Psikyo game to feature a special power-down system, one that would be used in every Psikyo shooter afterward; when physically rammed by an enemy, you lose a power-level, which flies around the screen and disappears as soon as it reaches the edge. If you are at the lowest level of shot, you lose a bomb instead (which does the same thing).