History VideoGame / Turrican

* LaserCutter: The intro to the first game shows a laser or heat ray cutting a rectangle from the black background. The piece falls out, and the developer's logo (Rainbow Arts) becomes visible. This is a reference to a special ability the in-game character has in most of the games. See it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvha_2hAzq0 here]].

** Super Turrican (SNES version) also took place on a planet called Katakis. In both cases, Katakis is an RType clone Manfred Trenz worked on.

It's TheFuture, and mankind has spread into space. Their sole protection from the scum of the universe is the [[TheFederation United Planets Freedom Forces]] and its armored champion, Turrican. The person wearing the mantle of Turrican varies, as do the villains, though a frequent foe is the evil cyborg/{{Galactus}} impersonator known as [[SpellMyNameWithAThe The Machine]].

Although the parent company abandoned the series well over a decade ago, the series' cult status has inspired numerous fan-made sequels, such as [[http://www.pekaro.de/ T2002]], the exceptionally professional-looking [[http://turrican.gamevoice.de/hurrican_site/ Hurrican]] and the Game Gear game [[http://www.smspower.org/ggt/ GGT]].

The series borrows elements of ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros.'', ''Videogame/{{Contra}}'', ''Videogame/{{Metroid}}'' and ''Psycho-Nics Oscar''. The games were developed by the now defunct company Rainbow Arts. The levels themselves were massive with lots of secrets to find, like hidden power-up blocks and extra lives. Also, bosses at times didn't necessarily appear at the end of levels. They would show up in the middle of levels, and even the beginning at times. It also has an awesome soundtrack.

Turrican is a video game series that got started by Manfred Trenz, and was first released on the UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}}, but was arguably popular on its successor, the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}}.

** ''Super Turrican 2'' also had one in the first stage of the last world, but it was overhead instead of side-scrolling and used Mode 7 effects similar to Konami's {{Axelay}}.

* DolledUpInstallment: ''Turrican II'' was released as a ''UniversalSoldier'' tie-in on the Mega Drive/Genesis and Game Boy. See PortingDisaster on the YMMV page for more.

The series borrows elements of ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros.'', ''Videogame/{{Contra}}'', ''Videogame/{{Metroid}}'' and ''Psycho-Nics Oscar''. The games were developed by the now defunct company Factor 5. The levels themselves were massive with lots of secrets to find, like hidden power-up blocks and extra lives. Also, bosses at times didn't necessarily appear at the end of levels. They would show up in the middle of levels, and even the beginning at times. It also has an awesome soundtrack.

Turrican is a video game series that got started by Manfred Trenz, and was first released on the {{Commodore 64}}, but was arguably popular on its successor, the {{Amiga}}.

The series borrows elements of ''SuperMarioBros.'', ''{{Contra}}'', ''{{Metroid}}'' and ''Psycho-Nics Oscar''. The games were developed by the now defunct company Factor 5. The levels themselves were massive with lots of secrets to find, like hidden power-up blocks and extra lives. Also, bosses at times didn't necessarily appear at the end of levels. They would show up in the middle of levels, and even the beginning at times. It also has an awesome soundtrack.

* [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair You Gotta Have Purple Hair]] Bren [=McGuire=].

* NoExportForYou: An NES game titled ''Super Turrican'' was made entirely by Manfred Trenz, but was released only in Europe late in the NES's life. It's a completely independent game to ''Super Turrican'' for the SNES, developed by Factor 5.

* ScheduleSlip: ''Mega Turrican'' was finished before Turrican 3, but the the game couldn't find a publisher until 1994 with Data East. As a result, they ported it to the Amiga ahead of time.

* ShoutOut: The title screen of ''Turrican'' is an edit of a Manowar album cover. Given the music, it's a deliberate aesthetic choice.

* ASpaceMarineIsYou

* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: [[FridgeLogic If the crew in the intro of Turrican II had one-man-army super suits onboard, why didn't anyone put them on during the (narrated) lengthy wait between the arrival of the enemy battleship and the boarding?]]

* SchizophrenicDifficulty: A succesful playthrough of Turrican 1 consists of stocking up as many extra lives as possible before reaching World 4, then finishing the significantly more merciful final world with however many you have left. There's even 3 extra lives and enough laser power-ups to max out your weapon hidden in plain view to the right of World 5's starting point, as if the developers knew how badly beaten the player would be at that point.

* TheMaze: World 4 in ''Turrican'' is a massive three part maze with creepy ambient sound instead of the CrowningMusicOfAwesome featured everywhere else. Power-ups are much harder to find, and dozens of pixel-perfect (and sometimes entirely illogical) jumps are required to reach the exit. All of the [[WombLevel womb levels]] in the sequels have similar length and difficulty, but later entries are more forgiving by having an Exit arrow appear if you get lost.
* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: The final confrontation with The Machine takes place onboard his flagship in low orbit over the sun of a solar system inside a black hole in ''Super Turrican 2''.

* UnexpectedGenreChange: ''Super Turrican 2'' had every odd level as this to utilise Mode 7 effects.

Similarly Super Turrican was released for consoles in two versions. While the NES version handled by Rainbow Arts, the SNES version was done by Factor 5.

* RearrangeTheSong: ''Super Turrican'' for the NES has some remixed tracks of the first two games, and ''Super Turrican'' for the SNES has mostly rearrangements of ''Mega Turrican/Turrican 3'' music.

Super Turrican (SNES version) also took place on a planet called Katakis. In both cases, Katakis is an RType clone Manfred Trenz worked on.

* {{Alien}}: Every Turrican game but ''Super Turrican 2'' had one level taking place in an Alien hive, complete with face-huggers, Xenomorphs and even an Alien Queen as the endboss in ''Super Turrican''. Copyright rules were evidently more relaxed back in the day.

** Turrican 2 has a drone flying past your ship in one of the flying levels with a banner saying, "Katakis Lives!" Super Turrican (SNES version) also took place on a planet called Katakis. In both cases, Katakis is an RType clone Manfred Trenz worked on.

-> "Welcome to Turrican! Another day, another try, but remember: [[PunctuatedForEmphasis 'SHOOT! OR! DIE!!!]] [[EvilLaugh HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!]]"

It's TheFuture, and mankind has spread into space. Their sole protection from the scum of the universe is the [[TheFederation United Planets Freedom Forces]] and their armored champion, Turrican. The person wearing the mantle of Turrican varies, as do the villains, though a frequent foe is the evil cyborg/{{Galactus}} impersonator known as [[SpellMyNameWithAThe The Machine]].

--> The intro on the Commodore 64

It's TheFuture, and mankind has spread into space. Their sole protection from the scum of the universe is the United Planets Freedom Forces and their cyborg champion, Turrican. The person wearing the mantle of Turrican varies, as do the villains, though a frequent foe is the evil cyborg/{{Galactus}} impersonator known as [[SpellMyNameWithAThe The Machine]].

-> The intro on the Commodore 64

-> "Welcome to Turrican! Another day, another try, but remember: [[ThisIsSparta 'SHOOT! OR! DIE!!!]] [[EvilLaugh HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!]]"

* FixedScrollingLevel: The alien train sections in ''Mega Turrican/Turrican 3'' and ''Super Turrican'' (SNES game).
** The second phase of the final boss in ''Super Turrican 2'' combines this with OutrunTheFireball.