Twinbee

Famicom Disk System

Famicom Disk System

TwinBee is a vertical scrolling shooter. The players control cartoon-like spacecrafts with anthropomorphic arms, player one being TwinBee and player two being WinBee. The spacecrafts can be moved in all 8 directions, with one button for regular shooting flying enemies and one button for dropping ...

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Developer
Konami

Released on
1988

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Famicom Disk System

Requirements
Nintendo Famicom Disk System

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Cooperative
Yes

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Description

TwinBee is a vertical scrolling shooter. The players control cartoon-like spacecrafts with anthropomorphic arms, player one being TwinBee and player two being WinBee. The spacecrafts can be moved in all 8 directions, with one button for regular shooting flying enemies and one button for dropping ground bombs.

Power-ups in the form of bells can be collected by shooting clouds. The color of the bell will change if it is shot by the player, assuming one of the possible colors:

– Yellow: grants bonus points
– White: upgrades player’s guns to a twin cannon
– Blue: increases player’s speed (up to five levels)
– Green: creates image copies of the craft for more firepower
– Red: provides a shield to sustain damage.

The green and red bells cannot be combined. Alternate power ups can be collected from the ground, such as an alternate bell which upgrades the craft with a three way gun and a star which destroys all enemies on screen.

In the two-player mode, TwinBee (cyan craft) and WinBee (red craft) have the same speed and they can join “hand-to-hand” and fire a super blast. Also in two player mode, if one craft is hit by the other from behind, it will fire four multi-directional shots.

Twinbee

Overview & History

Released by Konami in 1988 exclusively for the Famicom Disk System in Japan, Twinbee stands as a monumental pillar in the cute 'em up (cute-em-up) sub-genre. Building upon the success of its 1985 arcade predecessor, this disk-based iteration utilized the rewritable format to refine its whimsical aesthetic and overhead scrolling shooter action. The storyline follows the anthropomorphic ships Twinbee and Winbee as they battle the forces of the evil Dr. Cinnamon, who has stolen seven crystal balls from the heavens. Utilizing the Famicom Disk System's extra audio channels, the game delivered an even richer, chirpier soundtrack alongside its pastel-hued graphics, cementing its status as a beloved, quirky classic of the 8-bit era.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Twinbee differentiates itself from traditional shoot 'em ups through its unique power-up system. Players navigate vertically scrolling stages while employing a dual-attack system: dropping bombs on ground-based enemies while simultaneously firing lasers and bells at aerial foes. Shooting the clouds reveals floating golden bells. Sustained shooting causes these bells to bounce and cycle through different colors, granting various power-ups when collected, such as speed increases, twin-shots, laser upgrades, and temporary invincibility. A standout cooperative and defensive mechanic is the arms-hit feature; if an enemy damages your ship, one of your side arms may detach, prompting a rescue ambulance to appear on the ground that you must catch to restore your dual-firing capabilities.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move Twinbee across the screen
Action Keys: Shoot aerial enemies (Button A) / Drop bombs on ground targets (Button B)
Enter: Start / Pause the game