Turrican Anthology Vol I and II PS4 review

If you were a gamer in the 90’s then I am sure you will remember an iconic game series called Turrican. It was released on home computers and consoles so everyone had access to this great game to play. Now in 2022 thanks to ININ Games and Factor 5, modern gamers can get to play the iconic games on modern consoles and enjoy them in glorius HD thanks to these two anthologies.

Turrican was a side-scrolling platform game that first saw a release in 1990 on the Commodore 64 by Rainbows Arts. After this there were two more games released on home computers as well as console versions on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Mega Drive / Genesis which was slight variation of the titles. Turrican Anthology Vol I and Vol II features all the games that was released across the various formats back in the 90’s.

Turrican Anthology Vol I

Turrican (Amiga) – This is the version that most people got to play first back in the day. To navigate the levels back then to find all the different branches that you could explore required exploration and then making your own map on paper. Now thanks to the new map feature for the modern releases, you now see the whole map which allows you to see where everything is hiding and no longer running around like a headless chicken. Gameplay is still as fun shooting enemies across levels as it was back then.

Turrican II (Amiga) – This was probably the most popular game in the franchise and still plays as good now as it did back on the Amiga. As well as the standard levels based on the ground, there was also space shooter levels added to bring a mix of challenging gameplay. The modern remixes just work perfectly to add enhancement to an already great game.

Super Turrican (SNES) – This was like the first console release that was pretty much a sequel to the home computer versions. When I played this back in the 90’s it felt like it was missing something compared to the originals…and even now it still feels the same, even though you have the new maps features which don’t enhance it much to be honest. Graphics are polished and it is nice to have it included on the collection to show the good and bad of the series.

Mega Turrican Score Attack (Mega Drive/Genesis) – This was pretty much an addition to the series that seemed a bit odd as basically not a complete game, but a bonus stage. Whereas you would have to fight through stages and then you get a high score on the table, this was a one-stage game that sees you earning points specifically rather than complete it. You must clear it as fast as possible and you also get to use a grappling arm, which is a completely awesome to use. A fun addition to the compilation and can be a bit of a different challenge.

Turrican Anthology Vol II

Turrican 3 (Amiga) – This was released in 1993 on the Amiga and at the time it caused a split amongst the fans of the series. The modified gameplay was you either liked it or hated it, a bit like Marmite. The game is simpler than the previous sequels and there weren’t as many hidden secrets so if you liked exploring then this is not for you. While it is a nice addition to the anthology, the game could have been left out.

Mega Turrican (Mega Drive/Genesis) – This is also known as Turrican 3 which was released on the Amiga a year before this. This is the console version so pretty much the same gameplay and flaws as Turrican 3 which is also included in this collection.

Mega Turrican Director’s Cut (Mega Drive/Genesis) – This is the 2020 version of Mega Turrican released 1994 that was released by Strictly Limited Games as a physical release. This contained a new level, new graphics and new music to enhance the original title.

Super Turrican 2 (SNES) – This is the sequel to Super Turrican released on the SNES. Rather than follow its predecessor’s open-ended level, it was given a more linear route which means no going off track and added was a few vehicular segments to the mix. All weapons were included from Super Turrican and is a nice addition to have added to the collection.

Super Turrican Score Attack (SNES) – Like the Mega Drive/Genesis version of this level, it was included in the Strictly Limited Games release as a addition to bring something new to the franchise. See Mega Turrican Score Attack above to find out more about it.

Final Thoughts

Turrican Anthology Vol I and II are nice collections featuring the games in the series. There have also been the following additions:

• A map feature allowing you to scan the whole map
• The ability to turn different map layers on and off
• Various enhancements on the original map
• Different soundtracks to choose from: emulated or original remastered
• The option to choose either Amiga, Console or modern controls
• Unlockablen cheats
• Jukebox
• for each game + Bonus Jukebox
• A gallery with never-seen-before concept art
• Manual
• scans for all games
• Improved
• rewind support
• Selectable
• covers for each game

If you loved the original games and want them on modern consoles then this is the collection for you, of if you just want to experience the fun for the first time buy these.