Some older games require a lot of context to understand their significance. Others simply require you to pick up a controller. Flying Shark and Fire Shark clearly belong to the latter group. Nearly four decades have passed since Toaplan brought them to arcades, but just a few minutes of gameplay is enough to recognize many of the ideas that would come to define the vertical shoot 'em up genre in the years to come.
M2 has now brought back both titles to its Toaplan Arcade Garage line with Flying Fire Shark, a compilation that once again demonstrates the enormous care the Japanese studio takes when working with classic games. These aren't two artificially rejuvenated games, but rather a very respectful preservation accompanied by enough modern tools to make them somewhat less intimidating.
Flying Shark remains a small design lesson
Flying Shark originally appeared in 1987 and its premise couldn't be simpler. Our plane moves continuously forward while destroying ground and air enemies, collecting power-ups, and trying to survive.
The key lies in the fact that this apparent simplicity hides a tremendously calculated game. Here, we don't yet find the massive barrages of projectiles later associated with bullet hell. The danger comes from much more precise, rapid shots fired from positions capable of catching us off guard. It's not just about having good reflexes: learning where enemies appear becomes fundamental.
The progression of our weaponry also works very well. We start relatively vulnerable and gradually increase our power until the plane becomes a much more formidable machine. The problem arises when we lose a life and some of that power disappears with it. One mistake can easily trigger several more, because regaining control of the game with weakened weaponry is no easy feat.
Its five stages are then repeated in a second loop, so on paper it doesn't seem like a particularly long experience. In reality, like any good arcade game, its length depends much more on how much you want to master it than on the number of stages.
Fire Shark significantly raises the temperature
Two years separate Flying Shark from Fire Shark, and it shows practically from the first minute. The sequel is faster, more aggressive, and more spectacular. The environments are more immersive, and above all, our arsenal is much more satisfying.
We have three types of shots that we can progressively upgrade, and reaching the higher power levels produces that wonderful feeling of controlling a real flying steamroller. Fire Shark knows how to make us feel powerful.
Because if Flying Shark already demands attention, Fire Shark can be brutal. Projectiles travel at very high speeds, enemy formations constantly try to force us out of comfortable positions, and some situations leave minimal room for reaction. Memorization ceases to be an advantage and becomes practically an integral part of the gameplay.
It can be frustrating, especially if you're used to more forgiving games these days, but it also explains why these games worked so well in arcades. Each attempt provides valuable information, and overcoming a section that previously seemed impossible offers a satisfaction that's hard to replicate.
M2 perfectly understands how to revive an arcade.
This is where this collection gains much of its value. We can play respecting the original arcade experience, including different regional versions, but M2 incorporates tools that allow for a customized learning experience.
Super Easy mode significantly reduces the difficulty and is a good entry point, while Custom mode allows you to modify various parameters. Arcade Challenge is useful for practicing specific situations, and the familiar M2 Gadgets display additional information during gameplay, helping you understand enemies, power-ups, or even certain projectile behaviors.
These additions are important because they don't alter the essence of the originals. Those who want to experience the arcade game as it was originally conceived can do so, while new players have the tools to understand it before they get completely overwhelmed in the first few minutes.
The emulation also maintains the precision and speed necessary in games where a few frames can separate a perfect dodge from losing a life. Visually, they are still titles from the late eighties, obviously, but their sprites, environments, and explosions retain their personality, and the music continues to perfectly complement that constant tension.
An excellent, though somewhat limited, collection.
The main point of contention lies in the content. Flying Shark and Fire Shark make a magnificent pair because they allow us to directly observe Toaplan's evolution in just two years, but they are still only two games.
Additional home versions are available via paid DLC, along with Wardner-related content. The physical editions from Clear River Games include this material, but it would have been preferable to find it integrated into the digital edition as well. When the purpose of a collection is to preserve and contextualize a part of a company's history, separating some of its additional versions inevitably detracts from the overall feeling of a complete product.
These aren't games designed for those who simply want to finish a campaign and move on to the next title. The fun here lies in repetition, learning, and gradually mastering each stage. And precisely for that reason, almost forty years later, both still have something to say.