History VideoGame / Twinbee

* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Despite being the BigBad of most games of the series and being considered as Light and friends' ArchEnemy, Dr. Warumon falls square in this trope, as his [[EvilPlan Evil Plans]] and his [[ArtifactOfDoom Artifacts of Doom]] get invariably thwarted and destroyed by the heroes, and like [[{{Pokemon}} Team Rocket]], needs to resort to part-time jobs to fund his next line of evil inventions. He's also made fun of ''very'' frequently.

-->--'''Twinbee'''[='=]s, and by extension the series' CatchPhrase

''Twinbee'' is a long-running CuteEmUp series by {{Creator/Konami}}, makers of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}''. It's a much more light-hearted top-down entry into the genre, with the main ships being sentient beings with arms and legs and fighting enemies like watermelon slices and ladybugs.

In its original format, only one of the games managed to be released in North America -- ''Moero Twinbee: Cinamon Hakasei wo Sukue'' became ''Stinger'' upon translation. Unfortunately, that one is widely considered to be the weakest in the series, which resulted in [[NoExportForYou none of the games getting exported for a long time]]. Much to the United States' detriment, of course, as later games managed to make some great improvements to the basic setup (including a LifeMeter and a plot).

* ''Twinbee'' (Arcade/Famicom/MSX, included in ''Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits'' for the DS as ''Rainbow Bell'')
* ''Moero Twinbee'' (Famicom, released on the US NES as ''Stinger'')
* ''Twinbee 3'' (Famicom)
* ''Twinbee Da!!'' (Game Boy, released as ''Pop'n Twinbee'' in Europe)
* ''Detana!! Twinbee'' (Arcade/[=X68000=]/PC Engine, had an export arcade release titled ''Bells & Whistles'')
* ''Pop'n Twinbee'' (Super Famicom/European SNES)
* ''Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventure'' (Super Famicom/European SNES)
* ''Twinbee Taisen Puzzle Dama'' ([=PlayStation=])
* ''Twinbee Yahoo!'' (Arcade)
* ''Detana!! Twinbee Yahoo! Deluxe Pack'' ([=PlayStation=]/Saturn)
* ''Twinbee RPG'' ([=PlayStation=])
* ''Twinbee Portable'' (PSP)
* ''Twinbee'' ([[UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS 3D Classics]])

There was also a radio drama version named ''Twinbee Paradise'' which aired following ''Pop'n Twinbee'', which was popular enough in Japan to last three seasons and a five-episode {{OVA}} series.

* CoolShip: Twinbee, Winbee, and Gwinbee. They're sentient, and they regularly fight by punching things.

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Princess Melora, who's actually the gentle Queen of Planet Mel (the world of Twinbee), yet is called with the "Princess" title.

** And of course, there's "Nise"([[BilingualBonus Fake]])twinbee.
* {{Eyecatch}}: Starting with ''Detana! Twinbee,'' and ''Twinbee Yahoo!'' has some good ones. Only the PSP version of ''Twinbee Da!'' lacks it.
* FreakyFridayFlip: Happens to Pastel and an alley cat in one episode of the anime. It even happens to Light and Twinbee in the same episode.
* GenreShift: ''Rainbow Bell Adventure'' is a side-scrolling platformer, while ''Twinbee RPG'' is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin an RPG]].

* MarketBasedTitle: The few games that were released internationally were sometimes retitled -- the second Famicom game was released in America as ''Stinger'', while Europe received ''Twinbee Da!!'' and ''Rainbow Bell Adventure'' under the ''Pop'n Twinbee'' moniker (since the SNES version was the first game in the series released there).

* PunnyName: The "Waru" in Dr. Warumon's name comes from the Japanese word for "bad". Similarly, the "Nise" in Nisetwinbee means "Fake".
* RetCanon: Much of the series' story was fleshed out in the ''Twinbee Paradise'' radio drama and then brought back to the game. For example, the pilots of Twinbee and Winbee were originally nameless and were given the names Light and Pastel in the radio drama.

** ''Twinbee Yahhoo!'', being the pinnacle of the series and thus having the best backgrounds of the series, mixes this with awesome emotional parallax scrolling and voice acting, giving out the feeling that of an 90's action anime episodes. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUt9GSQs0JE A memorable moment is when Twinbee makes a somersault in the air at the first stage, background changing like if you were on the cockpit.(See at 2:54)]] It gets much better at the third stage.
* SpotlightStealingSquad: Pastel and Winbee, ordinarily the second player, [[EnsembleDarkhorse have proven much more popular]] than Light and Twinbee (the first player), and as such are used as the poster figures of the franchise.

* ''Twinbee'' ([[Nintendo3DS 3D Classics]])

-->--'''Twinbee''''s, and by extension the series' CatchPhrase

In its original format, only one of the games managed to be released in North America - ''Moero Twinbee: Cinamon Hakasei wo Sukue'' became ''Stinger'' upon translation. Unfortunately, that one is widely considered to be the weakest in the series, which resulted in [[NoExportForYou none of the games getting exported for a long time]]. Much to the United States' detriment, of course, as later games managed to make some great improvements to the basic setup (including a LifeMeter and a plot).

* BadassAdorable: All the ships are adorable that they can kick some butt.
* BrainyBaby: Mint. He's not able to speak with anything other than blabbles yet though, so [[TranslatorBuddy his ship Gwinbee has to translate for the other characters]] the useful advices and comments he gives.
* CardCarryingVillain: Dr. ''Waru''mon

* CombinationAttack: In two-player mode, there are two different ones - one if the players line up horizontally, and one if they line up vertically.

* LethalChef: Madoka, regarding cookies. [[{{Determinator}} She never gives up at trying to make delicious ones]], but each attempt is a failure that either horribly food poisons the unfortunate people who tastes them, or make ovens ''explode''. In any other kind of food than that one however, she's a SupremeChef.

* MarketBasedTitle: The few games that were released internationally were sometimes retitled - the second Famicom game was released in America as ''Stinger'', while Europe received ''Twinbee Da!!'' and ''Rainbow Bell Adventure'' under the ''Pop'n Twinbee'' moniker (since the SNES version was the first game in the series released there).

* RoseHairedSweetie: Pastel

[[quoteright:220:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/twinbee_4289.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:220:[[GratuitousEnglish Speed up!]]]]

However, the series is finally starting to see the light of day in the United States: {{Creator/Konami}} first released the original game as ''Rainbow Bell'' as a part of their ''Konami Arcade Classics'' collection for the NintendoDS and some of the games are starting to appear for purchase on download services for each console.

''Twinbee'' is a long-running CuteEmUp series by {{Konami}}, makers of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}''. It's a much more light-hearted top-down entry into the genre, with the main ships being sentient beings with arms and legs and fighting enemies like watermelon slices and ladybugs.

However, the series is finally starting to see the light of day in the United States: {{Konami}} first released the original game as ''Rainbow Bell'' as a part of their ''Konami Arcade Classics'' collection for the NintendoDS and some of the games are starting to appear for purchase on download services for each console.

* CuteEmUp: May be the TropeMaker, along with Sega's FantasyZone.

This series has examples of:

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The bells and which power-up they grant.

* PunnyName: The "Waru" in Dr. Warumon's name comes from the Japanese word for "bad".

''Twinbee'' is a long-running ShootEmUp series by {{Konami}}, makers of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}''. It's a much more light-hearted top-down entry into the genre, with the main ships being sentient beings with arms and legs and fighting enemies like watermelon slices and ladybugs.

* NamesToKnowInAnime: Several of them.
** Creator/HekiruShiina: Voice actor of [[EnsembleDarkhorse Pastel]].
** Creator/JojiYanami: Voice actor of [[CloudCuckooLander Dr. Mardock]].
** Creator/KappeiYamaguchi: Voice actor of [[TheHero Light]].
** Creator/MarikoKouda: Voice actor of Madoka, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome as well as the singer of numerous Twinbee songs]].

''Twinbee'' is a long-running ShootEmUp series by {{Konami}}, makers of ''{{Gradius}}''. It's a much more light-hearted top-down entry into the genre, with the main ships being sentient beings with arms and legs and fighting enemies like watermelon slices and ladybugs.

* MarketBasedTitle: This series gets renamed regularly - the second game was released in America as ''Stinger'', while Europe received ''Twinbee Da!!'' and ''Rainbow Bell Adventure'' under the ''Pop'n Twinbee'' moniker (since the SNES version was the first game in the series released there). However, with the PSP collection and the recent [[{{Wii}} Virtual Console]] release using the ''Twinbee'' name, this may be at an end.

* ''Moero Twinbee'' (Famicom/NES, released in the US as ''Stinger'')

* ''Detana!! Twinbee'' (Arcade/[=X68000=]/PC Engine, had an international arcade version titled ''Bells & Whistles'')

However, the series is finally starting to see the light of day in the United States: {{Konami}} first released the original game as ''Rainbow Bell'' as a part of their ''Konami Arcade Classics'' collection for the NintendoDS, a later ''Twinbee Portable'' collection for the PlayStationPortable, and now some of the games are starting to appear for purchase on download services for each console.

* SceneryPorn: The first three games did have little dull scrolling backgrounds, but starting from ''Bells & Whistles,'' the lands or the skies you fly over are extremely detailed and beatiful, constantly changing as you go on.
** The first level of ''Bells & Whistles'' really feels like flying over a small, but very wonderful land. You start flying above the forest, and then arrive into a small town: soon you're flying in mountain scapes which have train tracks on them, then you arrive into a large construction site... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Ce7ntAmy4 Just see it for yourself.]]
** ''Twinbee Yahhoo!'', being the pinnacle of the series and thus having the best backgrounds of the series, mixes this with awesome motional parallax scrolling and voice acting, giving out the feeling that of an 90's action anime episodes. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUt9GSQs0JE A memorable moment is when Twinbee makes a somersault in the air at the first stage, background changing like if you were on the cockpit.(See at 2:54)]] It gets much better at the third stage.

** JoujiYanami: Voice actor of [[CloudCuckooLander Dr. Mardock]].

** HekiruShiina: Voice actor of [[EnsembleDarkhorse Pastel]].

** KappeiYamaguchi: Voice actor of [[TheHero Light]].
** MarikoKouda: Voice actor of Madoka, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome as well as the singer of numerous Twinbee songs]].

* ''Moero Twinbee'' (Famicom, released in the US as ''Stinger'')

* ''Detana!! Twinbee'' (Arcade/[=X68000=]/PC Engine, had an international arcade version titled ''Bells & Whistle'')
* ''Pop'n Twinbee'' (Super Famicom, released in Europe)
* ''Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventure'' (Super Famicom, released in Europe)

* SceneryPorn: The first three games did have little dull scrolling backgrounds, but starting from ''Detana!! Twinbee'', the lands or the skies you fly over are extremely detailed and beatiful, constantly changing as you go on.
** The first level of ''Detana!! Twinbee'' really feels like flying over a small, but very wonderful land. You start flying above the forest, and then arrive into a small town: soon you're flying in mountain scapes which have train tracks on them, then you arrive into a large construction site... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Ce7ntAmy4 Just see it for yourself.]]

* BrainyBaby: Mint. He's not able to speak with anything other than blabbles yet though, so his ship Gwinbee has to translate for the other characters the useful advices and comments he gives.

* AdaptationDistillation: The Drama CD version and the anime that resulted from it are generally well-received.

* EvilCounterpart: [[BigBad Dr. Warumon]] is this to Dr. Cinnamon.