Hyper Duel
Hyper Duel is a horizontal scrolling shooter video game developed by Technosoft. It was originally released in 1993 for the arcade in Japan; it was later released for the Sega Saturn console on November 22, 1996 in Japan only. The game is not widely known because it was not released elsewhere. Hyper Duel largely resembles the Thunder Force series, also developed by Technosoft.
Gameplay
The game's story is not well known, as there is no English translation, but apparently it follows the archetypical shooter plot. A militant/alien group is threatening Earth and in response, Earth sends a unit of elite machines dubbed "Buster Gears” in order to defend itself. Thus, you assume the position of one of three pilots: Keith Spader, Lisa Rowling, or Dr. B. Lloyd. You then embark to defend the Earth through a series of several battlefields.
The Buster Gears are seemingly the typical fighter spaceships with various upgradeable weapons systems in the "Fighter" mode, but they can transform into an "Armor" mode, a humanoid warrior robot with several heavy fire arms. The Fighter mode is easily maneuverable, small, and fast; it also shoots straight in front of it. The Armor mode, on the other hand, is slower, bigger, and less responsive; it is capable of shooting up and down at a 45 degree angle, as well as straight. The firepower of the Armor mode is also superior. The weaponry of both modes can be upgraded by collecting P items which appear from defeating enemies. The ships can also acquire helper units by collecting either the T or G items. The Tracer unit is similar to the Fighter mode and it shoots forward when closing in on an enemy, while the Gunner unit is similar to the Armor mode and it homes on enemies. Both units also act as destructible shields.
