Ultimate Tiger: A Timeless Classic
Ultimate Tiger, an arcade shooting game developed by Toa Plan and released by Taito in November 1987, is set to celebrate its 36th anniversary in November 2023. This vertical scrolling shooting game puts players in control of the helicopter “Battle Tiger,” providing an exhilarating experience as they navigate through challenging levels, defeating enemy tanks, fighter planes, and colossal boss characters. The game’s simple yet captivating rules have made it a favorite among arcade enthusiasts for decades.
Similar to Toa Plan’s “Helicopter Tiger” and “Hisho Shark,” Ultimate Tiger offers an evolved experience in the realm of shooting games. Power-up items enhance the player’s shot capabilities, and weapon selection items provide a variety of shot performances, ranging from forward shots to fan-shaped and cross-shaped attacks. The game’s thrilling bomber feature adds an extra layer of excitement, allowing players to unleash devastating attacks and navigate intense boss battles with precision and strategy.
No End in Sight for the Excitement
First introduced in 1987, Ultimate Tiger continues to captivate players with its dynamic gameplay and engaging challenges. The game’s longevity is a testament to its enduring appeal, as it remains just as enthralling as when it first graced arcades. The impressive sound quality and diverse background music for each stage further elevate the gaming experience, adding to the game’s overall allure.
This iconic title is still accessible through Taito’s reprint game console “Egret Two Mini,” as well as on the Nintendo Switch and PS4 through the M2 software “Ultimate Tiger Heli.” These modern adaptations offer convenient functions such as rapid fire buttons and the option to save gameplay data, allowing enthusiasts to relive the excitement and chase high scores while enjoying the uplifting background music.
With its timeless appeal and enduring legacy, Ultimate Tiger remains a staple in the world of arcade gaming.
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“Ultimate Tiger”, an arcade shooting game developed by Toa Plan and released by Taito in November 1987, will celebrate its 36th anniversary in November 2023.
This is a vertical scrolling shooting game where you operate your own helicopter “Battle Tiger” using an 8-way lever and defeat enemies with shots and bombers. The game became popular because of its simple and easy to understand rules and the exciting feeling of fighting enemy tanks, fighter planes, and the huge boss characters that appear at the end of each stage.
In this article, we will look back at the charm of one of the many classic shooting games that once graced arcades across the country and captivated many players, including the author’s own experiences.
No matter how many times you play it, you won’t get tired of it, and it’s worth noting how exciting it is.
This work is similar to the “Helicopter Tiger”, also developed by Toa Plan and released in 1985, and the “Hisho Shark”, released in March 1987. It is a shooting game where you you control and fight enemies, but it has evolved further in every aspect.
If you pick up a power-up item that appears when you defeat an enemy, commonly known as an “item carrier,” your own shots will be powered up bit by bit, and in this game, you can pick up a weapon selection item that changes to four colors. Now the shot performance changes. If you take it when the item is red, it will be a forward shot (*same as the starting equipment), if you take it green, it will be a laser-like vertical shot, if you take blue, it will be a shot that spread out in a fan shape, and if you take yellow, it will be a cross shape in the top, bottom, left and right directions. Start shooting shots. The blue shot, in particular, is an electrifying shot that can be powered up to attack a wide range of enemies at once.
The exhilarating feeling of firing a bomber, which produces a roaring sound and causes great damage to the enemy, and eliminates the enemy’s ammunition instantly, is exceptional. Not only can it be used as a support item when you are surrounded by enemies or enemy bullets, but in boss battles, you can also get close to the enemy while the blast is happening and fire a shot at them, dealing with massive damage all at once. You can only use 3 bombers (you can increase your stock by taking items), so I try to save it for an emergency, but it’s very frustrating when I make a mistake, but how many times have I been hit? addictive that you can’t help but find yourself saying, “One more time!”
The “last” sign board is a false sense of fun. The sound quality is also worth mentioning.
The author probably saw this work for the first time in late 1987, shortly after it began operating. The place was Taito’s Arcade, and I remember seeing it by chance while someone was playing. I was immediately fascinated by the power and coldness of enemy helicopters, tanks, fighter planes, warships, etc. appearing one after the other in what appeared to be enemy military facilities, such as airfields, ports, or even on the ocean. “What is the name of this game?” I quickly looked at the instrument card and saw the word “Ultimate” written in very strong kanji. I still remember it clearly.
Even after I started playing this game myself, I couldn’t help but feel excited every time, wondering, “What kind of enemies will appear in the next scene?”It doesn’t matter. how many times i played it, i never got tired. it is. Also, I remember thinking that the movement speed of this game’s plane itself was slow, just like the flying shark, but after playing the game a few times, the strange feeling suddenly disappeared. Depending on the scene, the Zako tank will suddenly appear from behind your plane or very close and fire high velocity bullets, which is a unique feature of this game, and it feels very good when you narrowly avoid such an enemy’s surprise attack. Ta.
The fact that you can still enjoy the game without getting tired of it, even though the Zodiac has passed three times since its release this month, is proof of the high level of perfection of this work.
The splendor of the different BGM (5 songs in total) for each stage is also an extremely important point that cannot be overlooked when talking about this work.
This is just my personal opinion, but from the opening song to the scene that leads to the introduction of the BGM on page 1, the game suddenly becomes energetic, and the player’s excitement builds until ages before a single enemy appears. The BGM on the second side has a completely different melody and rhythm than the first side, and it is a song that gives the player the impression that the enemy’s attack is gradually increasing. The third side is a light song perfect for the stage where the band ride across the vast ocean to an enemy port.
The BGM on the 4th side is called “TSUGARU” and is reminiscent of “Tsugaru Jongarabushi,” which excites you as you play. The BGM on the fifth side is also a great piece of music, reminding us that we are approaching the core of the enemy army and that the climax scene is coming. I still really like the album “GSMTAITO 2”, which was released in 1988 and which contains songs from this work, such as “BGM while working” from time to time.
Even now, this game can be played on Taito reprint game console “Egret Two Mini,” and Nintendo Switch and PS4 M2 software “Ultimate Tiger Heli.” Both have convenient functions such as rapid fire button and function to save playback data, so try to relieve your daily stress or update your high score while listening to uplifting background music.
□ PS4 version of “Ultimate Tiger Helicopter” page.
□ Change page “Ultimate Tiger Helicopter”.
(C) TAITO CORPORATION 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
(C) TATSUJIN Co., Ltd.
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