Tyrian 2000 is, to this day, regarded as one of the greatest shmups ever made. It boasts a continuous campaign that goes for 5 episodes and 50 levels, a ludicrous array of guns to dock your ship out with, and a varied and creative enemy roster. The game is stuffed to the cracks with bonus content - secret levels, unlocks, minigames - even fighting game special moves tied to each ship!
It's not hard to see why it has garnered so much praise. And compared to its bullet hell brethren, it's a far more forgiving game, with no limited lives system and a hull capable of withstanding more than a few shots. But is variety and spicy secrets really the key to a great video game? Does what dazzled back in 1999 still add up to an enjoyable and deep experience today?
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On this episode, we discuss:
How does the economy of Tyrian 2000 work? Does tying credits to score achieved make Tyrian more about power gaming than your intrinsic skill at piloting your ship?
Tyrian 2000 allows you to freely swap out pieces of kit with no penalty to your credits. Is this an instance where free re-specs should be celebrated, or is there a cost to allowing such freedom?
What is the focus of the moment to moment gameplay of Tyrian 2000? Is this a game about avoiding damage, or maximising your damage output?
We answer these questions and many more on the 88th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!
Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K
Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another
Tyrian 2000 OST: Alexander Bradon
Do the hidden difficulties prevent the game from being so much of a power snowball, or do they make it even more important? Is Pat a heretic that should be burned at the stake for using mouse controls? What shmup should we play next? Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!
