Circa 1992 at the Wynnum PCYC (QLD) next to the Rygar cocktail cabinet was a freestanding arcade machine with this vertical scrolling shooter game, which I played a lot of but now cant recall the name.
The distinguishing feature of this game was that when you obtained all the power ups your ship momentarily transformed into this bright glowing phoenix or hawk type bird that was invincible.
Ive googled the hell out of it and its driving me mad.
Terra Cresta?
Bingo!
One of my favourite games.
OP: Terra Cresta was the one where you collected all the ship parts and you can use the second button to split em apart for some short term carnage.
Truly one of the greatest shmups ever made.
Never played it myself…was just bored, so Googled it to help OP out! ;)
how did you find it? I googled vertical scrolling shooter phoenix bird hawk etc etc, couldnt find it. Well done!
@cannedhams: Haha Just checked my Google history, and the exact search was "arcade scrolling shooter game power up ship turns into phoenix". A bit specific, but looks like it did the job! :D
Wow, didnt think this would be answered this quickly. Well done!
While we are on the subject, you wouldnt happen to know the name of the one where the powerups can only be used once, but they attach sequentially behind your ship in a long chain and you can burn through them in the same order by pressing the special attack button. I think I recall that playing two player you could also steal your co-player's chain…
Argh! I think I know which game you are talking about. It's in my mame library.
Gemini Wing!
Also Bells N Whistles is similar to your first game question.
@crabcancer: Sweet! Me and the 5 year old just had a MAME day today to relieve the tedium. We finished Snow Bros and Turtles in Time.
No continues for Terra Cresta (hardcore!) but there are cheat options in the dip switches.
Might fire up joust and gemini wing per someone elses suggestion. Also buster Bros, I love that game. And twin bee and balloon fight.
@cannedhams: If you don't already have it, grab it.
Allows you to do various things but since you are playing with your 5 year old, your wingkid could have all invulnerability you know.
Pang and bubble booble are also good games to play.
I was always a Raiden man, but I admit I'm not much of a connoisseur of the genre.
You sir, are a dead set legend. That is indeed the game. Going to load it up MAME and relive my childhood.
Or Miss, but I'll take what I can get. ;)
Glad to have helped.
There was a game called Phoenix, Galag is another that comes to mind
The second one's Galaga. I know because I dropped a lotta cash into that baby when I was a kid. Phoenix came after that, I think. The graphics were rougher but there was a wider variety of enemies.
cannedhams
Reported to the mods as spam
Sounds like “Phoenix” to me. My mate had a desktop version when we were kids.
He for years was convinced it was pronounced “FONE EX”
I thought it might be that one, but too old.
The distinguishing feature of this game was that when you obtained all the power ups your ship momentarily transformed into this bright glowing phoenix or hawk type bird that was invincible.
like Mario with star :D
OP already said the first answer was right.
My favourite was that one where you save the green dots with your fantastic flying red square.
<3 Degenatron
Phoenix was one of my favourite games when I used to go out on a Sunday with a bag full of 20c pieces, which was a fortune in 1980. I’m sure your game is not Phoenix. My love of all the games of that era turned me into a MAME (google it if you don’t know what it means) collector so I could play all the old games on my PC whenever I wanted but it turns out just having them is satisfying enough. It’s a bit like keeping books you have read.
Just sharing out of utter boredom and cabin fever
Same here.
In 2006 my MAME searches turned me on to PinMAME which recreates long-lost pinnies.
Terra Cresta?