History VideoGame / Zanac

* LuckBasedMission: Whenever you see a group of 3 boxes, you can play "box roulette": Without firing at any of the boxes, ram into one of them. There's a 1/3 chance it's a box with a powerup and you'll get upgraded to level 3 shots, and of course a 2/3 chance of just dying instead. If you succeed at box roulette 3 times without firing any shots at boxes, you'll get an upgrade to level 4 shots, with the only other way of getting them being to shoot a certain type of smiley-face statue.

* StalkedByTheBell: Each boss (save for the FinalBoss) is on a timer. Fail to defeat the boss in time, and you continue the stage (or advance to the next in the case of an endboss)...and the DynamicDifficulty goes up.

* NonStandardGameOver: A rather odd example: If, as you lose your last life, you hold down Select, a different GameOver jingle plays.

* EasterEgg

* NintendoHard

Zanac is a shoot'em up made by {{Compile}}. It has produced 3 main games:

* BerserkButton: The System [[{{Understatement}} will not take kindly]] to you picking up Weapon 2 in the original game.

* BerserkButton: The System doesn't like you to picking up Weapon 2 in the original game.

* NoExportForYou: ''Zanac X Zanac''
** Averted! ''Zanac X Zanac'' was finally brought outside of Japan on December 4th, 2012, as a digital download on the North American PlaystationStore.

* MarathonLeve: Levels are either really short or absurdly long endurance runs with multiple bosses.

* StopHelpingMe: During later boss fights, both games can get a little overzealous with hurling power-up blocks at you, to the point that you can't even hit the boss.

* OneManArmy: It's a shmup, so what else do you expect. Handwaved by describing the "System" as being able to cope with large-scale attacks but not small-scale ones.

* OneManArmy: It's a shmup, so what else do you expect. Handwaved of describing the "System" being able to cope with large-scale attacks but not small-scale ones.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Most of the time, never ever bother with Weapon 2, otherwise the DynamicDifficulty will [[BerserkButton explode with anger]].

* AIIsACrapshoot - The System was designed for killing those who opened the Icon improperly. It was supposed to stop when the Icon was opened properly, but didn't.
* AsteroidThicket - "Arer" 5 in the original.
* BerserkButton - The System doesn't like you to picking up Weapon 2 in the original game.
* BigBad - The "System" in the original. The "Original system" in the ''Zanac Neo''.
* BlindIdiotTranslation - The manual of the original game tells the rather weird story of a system going berserk because "someone opened the icon improperly". Also, areas in the NES port are called "ARER"s and Compile "desinded" the game. Fixed in ''Zanac X Zanac''.
* ChainReactionDestruction - Capital ships and final boss in the NES version.
* CollisionDamage - It's a shmup series so it's pretty much given.
* CoresAndTurretsBoss - Every boss in the original except a few capital ships.
* DeflectorShields - Weapon 2 on the original game.
* DynamicDifficulty - One of the first in shoot'em ups. The NES/MSX games also has sprite limits to keep the difficulty level from getting too high. (and to keep away flickering/slowdown).

* {{Expy}} - Some enemies from ''Zanac'' actually originate from ''E.I. Exa Innnova''.
* FlashOfPain - Present in ''Zanac Neo''.
* FlunkyBoss - Most bosses have normal enemies fighting alongside it.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar - Weapon 4 in the original is a vibrating projectile weapon. Hence, it's called the Vibrator.
* IdiotBall - Someone who opened the "Icon" improperly.
* LastDitchMove - Capital ships in the original which spawn projectiles when destroyed.
* MacrossMissileMassacre - The enemies shoot out missiles. There is one enemy that shoots out an endless stream of missiles so tight that they're pretty much head against a tail.
* MagikarpPower - Weapon 5 on the original game. Known as the Rewinder, the first four levels fire relatively slow, but strong energy balls that yo-yo back to your ship and can neutralize enemy bullets. Takes finesse to use, but can quickly destroy turrets on enemy fortresses.

* MercyInvincibility - Inverted. Collecting power chips and special weapons is the way to grand 1 or 4-second invulnerability time.

* NoExportForYou - ''Zanac X Zanac''

* OneManArmy - It's a shmup, so what else do you expect. Handwaved of describing the "System" being able to cope with large-scale attacks but not small-scale ones.
* {{Precursors}} - Organic Intelligence Body.
* RecurringBoss - In the NES version, 3 of the capital ships and many of the fortresses.
* SentryGun - Basically any surface-mounted turret.
* SequentialBoss - The final boss in the original and several bosses in ''Zanac Neo''.
* ShootTheBullet - Pretty much every projectile is destroyable in some way. Certain "indestructible" enemy bullets can only be destroyed by some Subweapons.
* ShowsDamage - In the original, capital ships and boxes belong to category 1 while the final phase of the final boss belongs to category 3.

* SmartBomb - Enemy Erasers and weapon 6 in the original which clear all the non-boss air targets. Fairies are even stronger since after they're used as such, they blow up the fortress as soon as you reach one.

* SpySatellites - Sarts in the original which fly around.
* StalkedByTheBell - Each boss (save for the FinalBoss) is on a timer. Fail to defeat the boss in time, and you continue the stage (or advance to the next in the case of an endboss)...and the DynamicDifficulty goes up.
* SuperPrototype - Your Zanac fighter.
* WarmUpBoss - The first boss in MSX and NES versions of ''Zanac'' is a simple ground turret.
* WarpZone - Smiling Icons in the original game spawn Enemy Erasers which then turn into these. A few of them take you backwards though.
* WastedSong - One of the songs doesn't play in any level. Although it still can be accessed by pressing certain buttons after defeating each fortress in area 10.
* WombLevel - Area 8 in the original NES version.

* MagikarpPower - Weapon 5 on the original game. Known as the Rewinder, the first four levels fire relatively slow, but strong energy balls that can neutralize enemy bullets. Takes some finesse to use properly.
** Once it's powered up to level 5, it completely changes into a viciously fast narrow laser that pierces enemies and only gets longer and stronger with each level, all the way up level 10. And it ''still'' neutralizes enemy bullets!

* ShootTheBullet - Pretty much every projectile is destroyable in some way.

* MagikarpPower - Weapon 5 on the original game.

** Averted! ''Zanac X Zanac'' was finally brought outside of Japan on December 4th, 2012, as a digital download on the NA PlaystationStore.

* ShowsDamage - In the original ,capital ships and boxes belong to category 1 while the final phase of the final boss belongs to category 3.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar - Weapon 4 in the original is a vibrating projectile weapon. Hence it's called vibrator.