1 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/battle_squadron.png]] |
2 | ''Battle Squadron: The Destruction of the Barrax Empire'' casts the player (or players, thanks to the two-player co-op mode) in a role of a pilot (or pilots) sent to rescue two human commanders held captive by the evil [[TheEmpire Barrax Empire]]. Data indicates that they are held on the planet Terrainia, which is predictably full of enemies... literally since it's apparently hollow inside. |
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4 | The plot is obviously simple. But that's okay, since it's just an excuse to put the player through four completely different levels of total mayhem. |
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6 | Released in 1989 for Platform/{{Amiga}} and in 1990 for Platform/SegaGenesis, Battle Squadron is a [[ShootEmUp Shoot'em Up]] that features some incredibly beautiful and advanced graphics for its time. Explosions, bullets, spaceships, scenery, everything is hand-drawn and carefully animated, the sound effects and the background music are also very memorable. Thanks to some creative coding, the authors even managed to include a unique "Predator" invisibility effect for some of its enemies. Despite its relatively slow - although adjustable to a degree, thanks to a hidden menu - pace it remains very much [[NintendoHard Nintendo Hard]], like many shooters of the era. Later received a somewhat inferior port to Platform/SegaGenesis and another, [[UpdatedRerelease improved one]], to Platform/{{Android|Games}} and [[Platform/IOSGames iOS]]. |
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8 | !!Contains examples of the following tropes: |
9 | * AcePilot: Two unnamed pilots in tiny "Mark 2 Cruisers" sent to the alien empire's central weapon production facility featuring some never before seen biological and mechanical weapons? True to the genre, they ''completely wreck the place''. |
10 | * BulletHell: Starts of relatively easy, but ramps up the bullets quickly. This can even be further tweaked via the hidden menu. |
11 | * EndlessGame: After you beat the final boss, you're treated to the ending sequence, credits roll... and then you're back at square one, ready for another go. Explained as "[[HandWave the whole planet changing shape]]". |
12 | * EverythingTryingToKillYou: Even your sources of powerups will shoot at you or try to ram you. |
13 | * HollowWorld: With three separate "inner cores" full of things to destroy, accessed via marked entry points on a wrapping outer layer, Terrainia definitely qualifies. |
14 | * HubLevel: The initial, relatively normal stage, which wraps around, reviving the enemies in the process. |
15 | * LevelGrinding: Somewhat unusual for a [[ShootEmUp Shoot 'em Up]], you can stay on the hub level and power up your chosen weapon until you feel you're ready. Given the [[NintendoHard Nintendo Hard]] nature of the cores, it's probably well advised. |
16 | * ObstructiveForeground: Some background elements from the Amiga original were turned into foreground elements on the Genesis version. |
17 | * OneHitPointWonder: The player's ship. |
18 | * OrganicTechnology: The inner cores are full of... things, as well as regular mechanical enemies. |
19 | * SmartBomb: the Nova Missile, notably somewhat difficult to perform... unless you're using a mouse. |
20 | * YouNoTakeCandle: It's very obvious that the game designers weren't English native speakers. |
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