Back in the arcade days there was A LOT of variety in games clamoring for your quarters. Then Street Fighter 2 hit and slowly creativity was replaced with cookie cutter fighting games attempting to cash in on that craze. Just barely beating Capcom’s monster hit to arcades was Parasol Stars, an action puzzle game not unlike another Taito hit, Bubble Bobble to which this is the third game in that series. Now, Parasol Stars (1991) and Spica Adventure (2005) have been collected onto one release for modern platforms.
While there may be a few gamers familiar with Parasol Stars, it was released on the TurboGrafx-16 by Working Designs (one of their rare card releases). Spica Adventure is making its Western debut with this combo release for the PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch consoles.
If you are unfamiliar with the gameplay of Parasol Stars, then you are in for a fun treat. Most of the time you are limited to a single screen but there are some levels that have a bit of scrolling. For the most part, enemies, items that help, etc are all visible, leaving you to focus on figuring out how to clear the stage.
Spica Adventure is more akin to Super Mario Bros with a Bubble Bobble twist. Take on baddies and use your powers and tools to overcome challenges in a colorful 2D side scrolling world.
Please note, if you want a physical release you will need to grab either the PlayStation 4/5 or Nintendo Switch version. Sorry Xbox owners, digital only for y’all.
Fans of old school arcade games will want to check this collection out. A bit of the classics with Parasol Stars and a bit more modern with Spica Adventure. Retro gaming fans would do well with this collection.
