Ashura Blaster (1990) - Arcade Video game by Taito Corp.

36 Years old Arcade Video game Taito Corp. [Japan]

Ashura Blaster © 1990 Taito Corp.

A vertically scrolling shoot'em up game, an enhanced knock-off of Toaplan's Twin Cobra.

TECHNICAL / MACHINE PICT.

Taito B System Hardware
Prom Stickers: C43

Main CPU: Motorola 68000 (@ 12 Mhz), Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips: Yamaha YM2610 (@ 8 Mhz)

Screen orientation: vertical
Screen resolution in pixels: 224 x 320
Screen refresh rate: 60 hz

Players: up to 2 (simultaneous)
Control: 8-Way Joystick
Buttons: 2
=> [1] Fire, [2] Bomb

Machine Picture
(members only)

TRIVIA

Ashura Blaster was released in March 1990.

Developed by Visco (on the 2nd stage you can see tiny 'Visco' on a large battleship).

The kanji characters on the titlescreen read 'Ashura'. Ashura is a demon related to fighting.

The game forbids the initials 'SEX' on the high score table. If you try, it gets changed to 'REX'. 'GKS' initials are also broken and are changed into 'GKR'.

UPDATES

The US version has the "Winners Don't Use Drugs" screen and has a warning telling the game can be played only in Canada, Mexico and USA.

The Japanese ROM can be operated only in Japan (as territorial notice suggests). The intermission screens feature non-English instructions there.

TIPS AND TRICKS

* In this game there is no backfire from enemies, unlike in other similar shoot'em ups. So you do not have to worry to be hit after you pass certain enemies.

* Steal a continue: even if dip switch 'Allow continue' is set to off, you can still continue when you have spare credits: simply press start after you lose the last life before you encounter 'Game over' - you have roughly 3 seconds to do so.

SOURCES

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Game's picture.
Game's ROMs.
Game's screenshots.