Line #13 VideoGame/TerraCresta


1	[[quoteright:224:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TC_Titlescreen_6201.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:224:Shoot things, and turn your ship into a Phoenix.]]
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4	''Terra Cresta'', or ''The Cresta Series'' is a series of [[ShootEmUp Shoot 'em ups]] by Nichibutsu, that started with ''Moon Cresta'' in 1980.
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6	In each game, you pilot a different ship. The main thing each ship has in common is access to various power-ups that increase your firepower, but often render you more vulnerable due to the increase in the size of your ship's hitbox, and getting hit will cause you to lose all upgrades and revert back to the basic ship. The drawback here is that Power-ups have to be acquired in a certain order, which can make things a little frustrating for some.
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8	The game received multiple ports, with the most recent one being ''Arcade Archives: Terra Cresta'' by Hamster in 2018 for Platform/PlayStation4 and Platform/NintendoSwitch.
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10	A sequel, ''VideoGame/SolCresta'', by Creator/PlatinumGames (yes, ''[[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} that]]'' [=PlatinumGames=]) in collaboration with Hamster was released on February 22, 2022 for [=PS4=], Switch, and Windows PC (via Platform/{{Steam}}).
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12	!!This series provides examples of:
13	* ArchEnemy: Mandler.
14	* TheBadGuyWins: ''Sol Cresta'' gives ''Moon Cresta'' and the first two ''Terra Cresta'' games a HappyEndingOverride, which reveals that the Mandler Army is still alive and kicking despite the efforts of Go Kurogane, and even won the previous wars before taking over the entire solar system.
15	* BigBad: Mandler is the main villain of the franchise. It is also the FinalBoss in most of the games.
16	* BugWar: The third and fourth wave of enemies in ''Moon Cresta'' consist of "Super Flies," and the fifth and sixth wave of enemies (called "Four-D's") look a lot like giant mosquitoes.
17	* TheCameo: Duplicates of Mandler appear as normal enemies in ''Sky Robo'', another ShootEmUp by Nichibutsu.
18	* CoDragons: In ''Terra Cresta'' and ''Terra Cresta 3D'', Tubo and Dycoon to Mandler.
19	* CombiningMecha: A ''Combining spaceship''. Your power-ups are additional pieces of your ship, more often than not.
20	* DiagonalSpeedBoost: Moving your ship diagonally does not reduce your horizontal or vertical velocity compared to moving in cardinal directions.
21	* TheDragon: Bornam in the second game.
22	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: ''Moon Cresta'' is in the style of ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' or ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}}'' than a vertical scrolling shooter.
23	* EndlessGame: ''Moon Cresta'' and ''Terra Cresta''
24	* FlamingMeteor: The seventh and eighth waves in ''Moon Cresta.'' They may not be exactly flaming, but they most certainly are meteors.
25	* GiantEyeOfDoom: The first two waves in ''Moon Cresta'' feature four floating eyes, each one larger than the initial spaceship. [[BerserkButton Shooting them once only makes them angry...]]
26	* GlassCannon: In ''Terra Cresta'' at the very least you can unlock your ships for some time getting extra firepower. However if your starting ship is hit all are destroyed at the same time, losing a life.
27	* GrandFinale: ''Sol Cresta'' is set to be the final chapter of the ''Cresta'' saga.
28	* GreaterScopeVillain: Mandler, in ''Moon Cresta''.
29	* KaizoTrap: Whenever Mandler is defeated, the Power of Void, the crystal embedded in Mandler, will eject and launch a series of bullets before vanishing.
30	* {{Leitmotif}}: The bosses have their own theme music. It also follows in remakes and sequels.
31	* MarathonLevel: The final stage of ''Terra Cresta II'' is quite long, with a BossRush and a NostalgiaLevel of the first game thrown in before the FinalBoss.
32	* MissionControl: The protagonists are supported by Commander Go Kurogane and twin operators [[RobotGirl Reichi and Reini Cosmea]].
33	* MissionPackSequel: ''Moon Quasar'', which is just Moon Cresta, but with an additional game start jingle before the one from the previous game, but more importantly, a fuel counter, and the player has to refuel every so often.
34	* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Mandler, in all its appearances, has two pairs of arms as its primary weapons. Said arms also launches [[RocketPunch Rocket Punches]] and [[BattleBoomerang boomerangs]].
35	* NighInvulnerability: In ''Terra Cresta'', the phoenix form that you get when you combine the five ships even if it lasts just a couple of seconds.
36	* NintendoHard: As is many shmups of the time. You start with a weak ship that carries a peashooter as its only means of attack, enemies like to attack from difficult angles, and while that five-form ship that turns into a phoenix for some seconds is cool, it takes only two hits, the first one destroying two of your ships, to get reverted back to the basic ship.
37	* NostalgiaLevel: During the final stage in ''Terra Cresta II'', a time warp will send you back to the original ''Terra Cresta'' game, complete with remix of the main theme and encountering the bosses from that game.
38	* PrimaryColorChampion: The Yamato in ''Sol Cresta'' is the protagonists' ship, and its three units are each colored red, blue, and yellow.
39	* RevengeOfTheSequel: The second game's subtitle is ''Mandler's Counterattack''.
40	* ShaveAndAHaircut: You'll hear this in ''Moon Cresta'' as part of a derisive tune that plays if you botch docking your ships correctly.
41	* SignatureMove: Mandler, upon defeat, will have its core eject from its body and fire off a few bullets before it escapes.
42	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Mandler, the series' BigBad, is sometimes spelled as "Mandora", "Mandoler", or "Mandra".
43	* SpiritualSequel: ''VideoGame/DangarUFORobo''. They both are by Nichibutsu, run on the same hardware, have the same art style, and involve modular protagonists.
44	* TwoGuysAndAGirl: The Yamato spaceship is piloted by three people of this setup. Sho Tendo (pilot of Unit 01 "Amaterasu") and Dril Martin (pilot of Unit 03 "Susano") are the guys, and Luna Zarnitsyna Sheena (pilot of Unit 02 "Tsukuyomi") is the girl.
45	* UncertainDoom: The CR-47's fate is unknown after the events of ''Moon Cresta''. Until the release of ''Sol Cresta'', where [[BusCrash it's revealed it's been destroyed]].
46	* TheUnfought: ''Moon Cresta'' is the only game where [[BigBad Mandler]] isn't fought.
47	* UnstableEquilibrium: The Power-up system is a bit unforgiving. Stay alive and you'll keep collecting parts to power up your ship and reach phoenix form, easily tearing enemies a new one. Keep getting hit and your game will be over quickly due to being stuck with the basic ship.

Context VideoGame / TerraCresta