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Daisenpu

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Daisenpu is a vertical shooter by Nec Interchannel and conversion of the arcade game of the same name (also known as Twin Hawk) originally released by Toaplan in 1989. In the year 193X, country R is overwhelmed by hostile enemy forces and the small oasis town 'S' is the main target of the attack....

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Developer
Center Tech

Released on
1990

Size
1 Player

Version
TurboGrafx-16

Requirements
NEC TurboGrafx-16

Downloads
Shooter

Publisher
NEC Avenue

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Daisenpu is a vertical shooter by Nec Interchannel and conversion of the arcade game of the same name (also known as Twin Hawk) originally released by Toaplan in 1989. In the year 193X, country R is overwhelmed by hostile enemy forces and the small oasis town ‘S’ is the main target of the attack. A handful of survivors escape to the jungle and start working on a counter attack – but they are soon discovered and are now running out of time, and they must launch the Daisenpu squadron before it is fully operational. The player takes control of a fighter plane and must fly deep into enemy territory, attack ground targets such as tanks, turrets and warships (the game curiously doesn’t feature any flying enemies and no obstacles to fly into, beside enemy bullets). The plane starts equipped with a limited double-shot machine gun that can be slowly upgraded throughout the game by collecting power-pods left behind by small trucks. But the originality of Daisenpu lies elsewhere – the player can call a small squadron of six planes and have them fly in formation, shooting anything in sight and crashing into an enemy unit when defeated. The squadron can also commit a Kamikaze attack at anytime and destroy ground units, or combine to release a devastative bomb-attack. Finally, Daisenpu offers an unusual feature – levels do not pause between them and reveal instead a continuous flow of undisturbed shooting action.

Daisenpu

Overview & History

Released by Toaplan in arcade halls before landing on the PC Engine and its North American counterpart, the TurboGrafx-16, in 1990, *Daisenpu* (known internationally as *Twin Hawk*) is a distinctive military-themed vertical scrolling shoot 'em up. Set during a fictional 1920s European conflict against the ruthless Dzaur Empire, players pilot an advanced biplane named the *Twin Hawk* to rescue captured Allied leaders and dismantle the enemy's mechanized war machine. Unlike the sci-fi or fantasy backdrops common to the genre, its aesthetic mixes classic WWI aviation with dieselpunk artillery, heavy dreadnoughts, and formidable land fortresses.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Daisenpu stands apart from traditional shmup formulas through its unique squadron mechanics and weapon versatility. Instead of collecting floating power-ups to upgrade your primary gun, players rescue scattered ground troops who then form a flying V-formation behind your biplane, adding devastating supplemental firepower. The game utilizes a dual-weapon layout: a forward-firing machine gun for aerial foes and gravity-dropped bombs to decimate ground targets. Additionally, players can unleash a screen-clearing kamikaze squadron strike that wipes out minor enemies while offering a brief window of invincibility. The PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 port retains the brisk pacing, colorful sprite work, and challenging bullet-hell intensity of the original arcade cabinet.