Battle Mania aka Trouble Shooter Series Review | A Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Exclusive

Episode 28 - A look at the Trouble Shooter Series also known as Battle Mania and Battle Mania Daiginjo. It was released exclusively on the Genesis and has never received a port.
Original hardware is always used when capturing console footage.
::::: Hardware Breakdown ::::
The following hardware was used to capture footage for this episode.
Sega Genesis Model 1
Sega 32X
Sega CD Model 1
Wii U
Sega Saturn
SNES (Non 1 Chip)
Original NT
Mame was used for the arcade footage.
Video was Captured using:
RBG and YPbPr via the Framemeister though the Elgato HD 60 and HDMI.
PC Game footage is screen captured from a live feed.
Retro Impressions
-Jenovi

[@w00dyp0p]

New subscriber here. Great vid! I remember renting the first game back in the day, and was somewhat surprised that it wasn’t 2-player. Still enjoyed it , of course. Managed to get a CIB copy about five years ago for a very reasonable price. Never played the sequel though. The graphics look more detailed, but are less bright/colorful. I wonder if it’s available as a repro.

[@Jenovi]

Thanks for the sub and the great comment. Trouble Shoot is incredibly hard to find. For years I searched for a copy. When I finally found one, I picked it up. It's still the only one i've seen in the wild. Trouble Shooter Vintage repos are on e-bay for $30-40.

[@bondosho]

Battle Mania 2 on the Genesis has an incredible soundtrack. Nice hard rock. I'll even listen to it in the car, lol.

[@Jenovi]

It does the YM2612 proud.

[@PaulRockey]

Same here.

[@opa-age]

It's totally tubular

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Looks like you found another fantastic game I've never even heard of. This game looks gorgeous. Fantastic job as usual Jenovi!

[@Jenovi]

Thanks Amigo, I'm glad you enjoyed it. The art direction, utilization of hardware, and sound design doesn't get any better than what this game offers.

[@FoolxxXXXXX]

Thanks Jenovi, again a great video and I am very glad to see more uploads from you! keep it strong!

[@Jenovi]

Thanks for the comment Foolx, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this episode.

[@FoolxxXXXXX]

I hadn't the time yet to watch all episodes I missed from you, but till now I have to find one that I didn't enjoyed ;) simply great content

[@wanyo]

Soooo happy to see a video on these games and so glad to know other people dig on them. Though I think I need to go back & finish the first one, I didn't give it as much time as it deserves I think.

[@Jenovi]

I’ll put my love for Trouble Shooter in this context. Every time someone post a comment, the music plays in my head and I want to play through the series again. It’s a worthwhile experience every single time.

[@wanyo]

The soundtrack gets such regular play while I work on stuff, it's soooo killer! :D

[@DaveVoyles]

I'm even more amazed that I found @Wanyo here

[@HistoricNerd]

That is a really impressive looking Genesis title.

[@SaadAzim]

Oh man. I remember discovering this series around the mid 2000's; and thinking "WHY DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS BEFORE?!" :D

[@Jenovi]

I'm right there with you. I played a rom of it 15-20 years back and went on the hunt for a cart. Years after I finally found one and picked it up. It's still the only copy I've seen for sale.

[@WaddleDee105]

Thanks for introducing me to these games. I'm definitely gonna play them!

[@escobareric]

Great review found a copy of Battle Mania for $2.50 in Tokyo on a recent trip 👍

[@edwarddillon5886]

One of my favorite games of all time, my dad bought it for me at a local video store for $10 back in the early 90s. The music by Raika No Papa is amazing.

[@Jenovi]

That's awesome! The OST from both games is some of the best on the Mega Drive.

[@SmokeMonster]

Great video. Battle Mania Daiginjou is one of all-time favorites, so...subbed! :D

[@thehumbleone1983]

One of the best Mega Drive / Genesis shooter game one of my favourite for the system 🕹👍

[@LuisMendesSegaFanBoy]

Never played, but that is about to change i love shmups.... Another awesome video...

[@Jenovi]

Hey Luis, thanks for the comment. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I do.

[@reagandow850]

I’m having a blast going through all your videos. Just so...damn...good!!

[@paulmccarthy508]

These are some amazing looking and sounding games. There is a lot of little details that really put these titles into another league. I got to give these games a try very soon. Thanks for opening us all up to this series!

[@Jenovi]

It's incredible what the developers were capable of doing with the hardware.

[@townlinetim876]

I gots to play this game it looks awesome. Your choice of games is impeccable. Keep up the great work!

[@Jenovi]

Thanks Tim.

[@vince19games]

Damn, I'd never heard of the Trouble Shooter series. Looks like a lot of fun. The characters look like they have a lot of personality -- I love games that make efforts to have the enemies feel unique and memorable. Really nice video -- I feel like I learned something. Nicely done and keep up the great work!

[@Jenovi]

Thanks for the comment Vince. These are videos done out of love and not really for views beyond my subscriber base. Most people haven't heard of the series, so they aren't looking for content covering it. For me, it's up there with Contra Hard Corps or any of the Streets of Rage games when I think about outstanding quality in games.

[@Reaperman4711]

Thanks for this--I never gave this series much of a shot because the sprites were just so big, which I assumed wouldn't be fun. Obviously, I didn't even put in enough time to realize half of the duo was invincible... I'll be sure it's on my to-try list when the Mega SG launches in a couple days. KZbin's genesis-suggestion algorithm seems to be on point today.

[@Jenovi]

It’s one of my all time favorite MD games. It will be a great way to break in the Mega SG.

[@creativecatproductions]

This is the best video about these games I’ve ever seen. I also love these games, especially the first one. Love it

[@DaveVoyles]

This game looks absolutely bonkers, an I love it

[@noahheninger]

Truly among the best Genesis games, especially the sequel.

[@BioPhoenixReviews]

Trouble Shooter is an awesome shooter easily a top favorite and i actually like it alot better then forgotten worlds. and a big YES for including valis as a great female character. she is basically sailor earth lol

[@Jenovi]

I might be in the minority, but I feel Forgotten Worlds is just Meh. As far as Valis goes....it's a great series. The TG16 CD versions are without a doubt worth a look.

[@BioPhoenixReviews]

i liked it enough but its not even close to being a top favorite and especially from capcom at the time. and hells yeah iv actually played and reviewed all the valis games on genesis/turbo (expect 4 but that will come)

[@Jenovi]

Oh nice. On your channel? If so I'll watch them this evening.

[@BioPhoenixReviews]

yep. take the time you need they are kind along since it covered 3 games in 1

[@grey5626]

@@Jenovi I think you are in the minority. ;) Albeit, how many people played the Section Z, Hyper Dyne Side Arms, and Lost Worlds/Forgotten Worlds trilogy in the first place? The franchise substantively evolved with each installment. Hyper Dyne Side Arms was an artistic sprite and gameplay improvement over Section Z, and Lost Worlds/Forgotten Worlds added the rotational aiming paradigm similar to Ikari Warriors, though maybe more annoyingly realized on home consoles and their less elaborate controllers, yes even the 3-button Avenue controller for the PCエンジン. Definitely for home ports, the PCエンジン/TG16 Super CD-ROM² version was much more enjoyable than the MegaDrive/Genesis port. The PCエンジン CD-ROM² also saw Sidearms Special, which has a "Before Christ" mode, if you are more into that trilogy than most people ever seem to delve.

[@Mingodough]

I love the trouble shooter series. So good, it’s a hidden gem, sort of like valis or something in terms of that “hidden gem” vibes for that generation

[@creativecatproductions]

This is such a great video dude 😎

[@SeanBodine]

I'm glad you mentioned Streets Of Rage. What's your favorite in the trilogy?

[@Jenovi]

#1. You might consider my bias as I have many fond memories of the first game. The whole trilogy is amazing though.

[@SeanBodine]

I don't think it's Bias. My favorite is the 2nd one. How about your favorite character?

[@hybridvigga]

I loved these two games (first one came out in PAL, I had the Japanese version of the sequel), they were like a gender-swapped Forgotten Worlds, and two of the most fun shooters on Megadrive.

[@Jenovi]

Playing this makes it so hard to return to Forgotten Worlds.

[@thehumbleone1983]

Love and Fav Game

[@KaskelotenZebbe]

That stomping on the SNES happened because the producer took resources from Battle Mania and put them on a SNES game instead, so the lead designer got mad. On the stage with the Mario like character, you can also spot Socket, another Vic Tokai character.

[@wilsonv3774]

Este juego me vino con la compra del sega genesis. Aun lo tengo al cartucho :) . Mi primer juego :) . Excelente reseña ;D

[@theblackemperor4670]

This is one of the first games I owed

[@Jenovi]

Very lucky indeed. I love this game.

[@evan2902]

As someone who doesn't particularly like shmups...I loved these two games. They're very accessible and have amazing soundtracks...especially trouble shooter vintage. Also...the section in Vintage with the caped guys could very well double as a jab at Mario *and* Vic Tokai's own attempt as a Sonic clone. It's actually their own character, Socket, who had a one off game in '93. I guess by the time Vintage released, they realized Socket wasn't going to beat Sonic out in any way so they decided to make fun of themselves in the same way Konami was known for with things like Parodius. That's my guess anyways.

[@mikeleng449]

Love these games! Never finish them though... gonna try on the weekend. And a pity about the cancelled sequel. Dreamcast had lots more to offer. Wonder how a modern version would end up being.

[@Jenovi]

Incredible? In the right hands, it would be amazing.

[@mikeleng449]

Actualy ,I've finished the first one, but gonna play it again before finally finishing the sequel. And I sure miss the variety Sega had to offer back in the days. Grew up with their consoles ,so I think their classic franchises would be a welcome variation nowadays! But not as ''flashy mobile'' games as SoR4.The fan remake was awesome, as the Golden Axe fan remake. Ever tried them? They would make a great video! Cheers!

[@Jenovi]

I haven't. Can you point me in the right direction?

[@mikeleng449]

I'm sure they have official sites, but I confess I downloaded them from suspicious gaming sites back in the days. Lucky me, no viruses on any of them. I think thre are links on the videos below. Both are true love letters to the originals, check it out!kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZjTe5eEgsSgfMUkzbin.info/www/bejne/Y33Sl6Jrh9aahsU

[@Jenovi]

Thanks!

[@tomstorm255]

Love these games! It’s a shame we never got a 3rd

[@kevinstrade2752]

Totally Underated.

[@ThePerro]

What is the song that plays at the beginning of the vid?

[@JORISGUY7XD]

"Sun Rise Purple" from Battle Mania Daiginjō (Trouble Shooter Vintage)

[@ThePerro]

JORISGUY7XD thank you!

[@christianna3561]

Another great game series sadly I missed. I will have to pick this up if I can find it and its sequel at a great price. Keep up the great work! Was it ever included in any video game collections or digitally? Update: I just picked up the sequel for the Sega Genesis for a good price but the original is so expensive :(

[@Jenovi]

Hey Al, thanks for the comment. Neither game was released on another platform and the Original US version was very limited in distribution. Glad to hear you found a copy of the sequel, it's typically considered harder to find due to it remaining in Japan. I actually didn't realize the price has gone crazy on these games until reading your post.

[@ionmyke]

Unless you got super lucky, you probably got a repro. The sequel typically goes for big bucks!

[@vasilas432]

@@ionmyke You need one grand for the original these days

[@djcrimmy]

i never heard of this one i will have to try to find a copy

[@Jenovi]

It's really uncommon and didn't have much of a following outside of Japan making it hard to find. Without a doubt worth owning though.

[@skinwalker69420]

This game needs to be an anime

[@Jenovi]

That would be awesome!

[@darkfalzx]

The visual priority looks kind of screwed up in the first Battle Mania - the color choices make it really difficult to distinguish between sprites, playfield and background, and to make matters worse, the backgrounds seem to scroll at arbitrary speeds. I'm sure I could get used to it if I'd play it for a while, but on first glance the game is kinda hard to make sense of. It could really use one of those palette hacks to make sprites pop.

[@pcgenjin6624]

I was in Tokyo recently. The sequel goes for at least 650$ (normal condition).

[@PrekiFromPoland]

Some copies on eBay go for thousands of dollars, it's ridiculous.

[@superstarman128]

Does anyone know what the game is at 0:52, it kinda looks like wonder boy. Thanks to anyone who knows, I appreciate it.

[@Jenovi]

Popful Mail.

[@Nathan-rb3qp]

Nazo from the anime Golden Bat is a boss in the first one.

[@infinitecanadian]

Plot hole: teenagers can't drink in the U.S.A.

[@schtive81]

The characters are basically Dirty Pair knock offs and the game plays like Forgotten Worlds. But this is a great two game series on the Genesis/ Mega Drive.

[@catgarcia2238]

I hate shoots but going to buy a repro.

[@Jenovi]

Hope you enjoy it.

[@Objectorbit]

Did you really call Ms Pac-Man an amazing female role model? That's fuckin' stretchin it, dude. She has no character at all in the game.

[@Jenovi]

I'll preface this by saying this is one of my favorite games of all time. When Pac-man was released, it was considered a mega hit after debuting in North America. It also did something games rarely did before it, something no large commercially released game had ever done. It broke the gender barrier. 60% of the games played were by women and Namco knew this. So in order to appeal to their largest audience, the squeal focused on Pac-Man's wife. The designers would later state Ms Pac-Man was made as a thank you to the women who made the original the success it was. In addition to this game, there was a tv series where Ms. Pac-Man was prominently featured, a joint pinball game, and other licensed merchandise. We are talking a franchise that dominated store shelf and arcade floor space during the early 80's much like Pokemon did during the mid 90's/ I kept this short, but I hope that clarifies it a bit. Thanks for watching.

[@Objectorbit]

I was not alive in the early 80s(Born in the late 80s) so with regards to how popular Pac-Man was at the time, I cannot comment. Still, all she has going in the game is just a different sprite and a few dialogueless cutscenes. Terra, who you pointed out, is a much better example given her storyarc is basically all about healing from the bullshit that's been tossed at her and finding her place in the world. Correct me if I am wrong, but were you attempting to get across in the opening of this video the idea that the debate about video game sexism is more complex than what it is often boiled down to? As for the rest of the vid, was up to your usual standard so it was pretty good. I had heard the names of these games, but I'd not played them before or even seen footage. I plan to rectify that soon(Though I'll be using cheat codes. I suck at genesis games despite having one for much of my life. :P).

[@Jenovi]

It is without a doubt a more complicated topic than the conclusions reached in the typical online video and written assessments I've seen. The opening segment was intended to showcase how shallow both sides typically are in this debate while highlighting my personal experience with females protagonist in games growing up. The list I gave was in comparison to the short list of games that are often sighted in this debate. It was shallow and didn't include games I didn't enjoy such as Parasite Eve, or a whole host of other games that exist but didn't leave a significant impression on me. Anyways, I appreciate the comments and hope you enjoyed the video overall.

[@reagandow850]

Btw I, like you, never batted an eye playing a powerful lead character who just happened to be a female lead. Isn’t it sad that today they are stifling women characters in games that absolutely suck!! They are putting the in games where they don’t belong or just trying to make them fit just for the sake of adding a woman. 2016 Gostbusters and the newest Oceans 11 (all female stinker just like that piece of shit Ghostbusters). When diversity is forced...it never works. I always preferred to work for women back in the day. Today, I wouldn’t be caught dead working for a women. They seem to have lost their collective minds and it’s really too bad. That being said, the girls in the game kick butt and don’t feel forced in any way. I couldn’t agree more with you.

[@Gorilla_Jones]

This entire fucking controversy is nonsense.

[@christophe2201]

One of the worst game on the Genesis!