Legendary Wings [NES] review - SNESdrunk

[@DJToneRI]

An old coworker of mine who passed away swore by this game. It was one of his favorites. I picked it up in his honor.

[@SeeleSO02]

SNES drunk: There's already a gazillion reviews out there for it. Me: What the hell is Legendary Wings?

[@retronemesis7064]

Legendary Wings is one of those games that people pop in for 5 minutes and go "eh, I get it, it's ok" and then play something else. That's why it's still so cheap. It's actually one of my favorite Capcom NES titles behind Bionic Commando and Megaman 2.

[@SECONDQUEST]

I feel ya

[@mrblarfh9327]

One of the only games I had growing up. It was fun.

[@ryancorrigan4149]

Nah, back then it was awesome. I used to rent it fairly often and sunk a lot of time into it.

[@jessedanger8788]

I dig this assessment

[@JazGalaxy]

I remember being REALLY taken with it as a kid. It was very different. And the ability to either enter the head or not was very intriguing to me as a kid, at that time. It was so mysterious.

[@thenostalgiafactor5023]

Total length of video: 300 secs. Total length of "SNES Drunk": 2.5 secs. .833% of the video was spent listening to "SNES Drunk".

[@philmason9653]

Back in the day when I got my NES for my birthday, this was the first game I rented. And I did so more than once, good memories. Over the pandemic I got really into shooters. You mentioned the unfocused eyes thing in a past video or two, it took me a while to get that down, but it was great advice. The big secret is that while there are shooter skills you can learn, you're always bad at one in the beginning. Learning enemy layouts so you can anticipate them and keep the screen clear is a big key to them. When you see videos of people beating really hard arcade shooters like Ketsui or whatever without continuing, it's because they've literally put 100s of hours into them. People who call these games short don't understand that they offer more hours than just about anything if you're looking to master them.

[@JeremyRiedel]

The CAPCOM USA box artist was likely imitating the Flash Gordon aesthetic with that cover.

[@ConsoleWars]

I used to play this a lot when I was a kid. Love those lucky zones

[@jasonlengson7230]

When I heard the LUCKY room song I suddenly remembered this game. Such a good track.

[@blehgopie]

I hope to one day be in the Seattle area and hit up Pink Gorilla too, I watch DSKoopa semi-regularly on Twitch and it seems like a vibe. Never even heard of this game before, but that's one of the great things about your videos.

[@crisjohnson5445]

I’ve got a a Legendary Wings story. My brother & i were kids when the game first came out. One weekend we were playing it when my brother decided to cook himself some French fries. We paused the game & he put a pan of oil on the stove. When he came back in the room he shut the door & we got so into the game that he forgot about his oil.....that is until we heard our mother screaming & opened the door to find our house full of smoke. Luckily my dad was home & he was able to put it out before it spread beyond the kitchen but that was a total loss. Good times.

[@TheMountainDemon]

My brother and I played the HELL outta this game as kids. The two-player experience is a lot of fun!

[@ryantfinchum]

Same... Retro memories

[@claytonkuhlman5040]

@@ryantfinchum My friends and I used to rent it a bunch of times and loved playing through it. Definitely a game that could use a modern remake/sequel.

[@braselthegamer]

This is one of my favorite games on the NES. Loved it growing up. Still love it today.

[@Shinmsl]

I do like vertical shootemup but I also suck at them, so this suggestion is highly appreciated

[@FooMantis]

That cover art is DEFINITELY Patrick Fugit (dude from Almost Famous and Saved!) circa 2000 or so.

[@Devilman6066]

Thank you for taking the time to beat this game and review it. I had never heard of it before.

[@riddleiddle]

Hell yeah dude I live in Seattle and Pink Gorilla is always a highlight of my day. Makes it feel like the old days where I'd go to Hollywood Video and discover games by looking at the cover, instead of their name in my emulator drive. :')

[@maxrage2104]

I played this game alot back when I was little and loved it. I remember opening it for Christmas.

[@ChrisShadowens]

Pink Gorilla is great! I remember back when they were Pink Godzilla, too. Definitely a place I miss going to since moving outta the Seattle area.

[@jbrown907]

I'm heading over to Seattle this weekend. I will check out both Pink Gorilla stores.

[@chasonlapointe]

Man I loved Legendary Wings when I was a kid! This one and a top down shooter with a dragon...

[@stucazzo2000]

Dragon Spirit I think. You could bomb the ground as well.

[@mscottjohnson3424]

My first introduction to video games was my grandmother's NES. She had a lake house, a sail boat, a big vegetable garden, and an NES she'd play for fun and for the grandkids. She mostly played Mario Bros, but of the 5 or 6 other games she had, Legendary Wings was one of them. So I played this game a lot growing up and it holds special nostalgia for me being a game I'd play at grandma's lake house. She passed away many years ago, but I inherited all her NES stuff. I have that copy of Legendary Wing at my house now. That 1st level theme is one of my top 5 favorite NES chip tunes.

[@SilenceEruptsGL]

Congrats on 250K subs!!!

[@Martynde]

This is the first review i've seen of this game, so don't worry that other people have also reviewed it.

[@brennandye4475]

Good god, I haven't thought about this game since I was 4 or 5. Fun to see it again!

[@gaminggambino8185]

Was at the downtown location on Sunday & picked up a Genesis 2 console! Awesome store if anyone ever wants to check it out! Worth the gas

[@mattb6522]

It is always good to hear there are still great retro game stores around! 🙂

[@Jason-pq6bc]

Instant nostalgia boost. One of my favorites right next to Jackal. Thanks for the video.

[@stucazzo2000]

I just finished Jackal a couple of days ago... With the help of a Game Genie. It's a pretty easy game until the very last level and a half. The last boss smoked me.

[@jakarnilson]

It also helped that Jackal and Legendary Wings were packaged on the same cartridge. That was one reason why it was a regular choice at the school's daycare over Dragon Warrior or the G.I. Joe game.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I just replayed some of this yesterday for a video. I admit, when compared to all the other NES shooters, not my favourite.

[@duckhead014]

I have never even heard of this game... I have played so many NES games etc. over the years and this one completely went under my radar!

[@TexasHollowEarth]

It's lesser known, for sure. I always enjoyed the NES port over the arcade game 👍.

[@DesertRainReads]

I remember this game, cast iron bitch it was, especially in later stages. Stage 4 was notorious for having tons of hidden enemies and finding the Lucky Zone was also tricky. Having rapid fire/turbo options is a MUST for this game. It makes even weak ass weapons a lot more powerful. I loved this game though, stage 4 had such a creepy motif overall. While I prefer the arcade game overall, this is still a wonderful gem on the NES.

[@siler7]

ass weapons

[@scottnotpilgrim]

You know what? I hope you have a great rest of your day SNES Drunk

[@GreenArtsOrphan]

the music was sick for it's times and still brings me back to those times.

[@RetrobertAZ]

Great game that is hardly talked about. Thanks for making this.

[@aaaardvark23]

This game was a HUGE part of my childhood when the games I got came from whatever my dad thought looked cool at the Navy Exchange. This one and Tiger-Hell all day. I got to the very last boss so many times as a kid and never got it done. This vid gave me the inspiration to take it down once and for all. Oh and the NES port is WAY better than the original. I have both now. Arcade isn’t even fun IMO.

[@Mrx2848]

The look and basic control of this game reminds me a lot of a game I played a lot growing up: "Dragon Spirit: the New Legend"

[@brewsterjr]

As someone who struggles to play (win) at shmups, this looks like a fun exercise. Great video, you're the best for these type of games and in general.

[@danielgervasi9567]

Anytime I hear you covering an NES game Alex it makes me think of your DrunkFriend podcast with Trav…it’s a damn shame you didn’t get more YT views. You had some amazing guests and a good dynamic!

[@nitewatch3082]

This was one of mine and my brothers favorite shooters growing up. A lot of hours put in on this one. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@hamz7986]

I played this game relentlessly as a kid!!

[@kumoridesu]

Thats great you got to visit Pink Gorilla! I've been a regular customer there since 2007 back when it was called Pink Godzilla.

[@mattb6522]

Great video! I've only ever played the arcade version, but this looks surprisingly good on the NES! This definitely gives me Gradius/Life Force vibes even down to the flying through the inside of a giant monster level! It looks much tamer in challenge than many other shmups, which is great for anyone who just wants to get their feet wet with a shmup.

[@ryancorrigan4149]

It gets hard.

[@malecus7664]

Used to really like that one and will have to throw that on at some point since I haven’t jammed it out since the 80s.

[@jessehilton1337]

Great review. Lots of memories playing this as a weekend rental as a kid.

[@kyloken_8088]

Sure there are other reviews of this game out there, but your review is the only one that matters. Your is pure awesomeness.

[@AlecLeigh]

wow quarter of a million subs! well done! keep up the awesome work!

[@thecunninlynguist]

cart looks practically brand new. Never played the arcade version, but rented the NES version a few times. Same Name, Different Game did a nice comparison vid not too long ago.

[@Gatorade69]

Has he uploaded recently ? I haven't seen any new vids from him in a while.

[@thecunninlynguist]

@@Gatorade69 nope. Last update was he was working on outrun

[@BEase44]

Thank you Snes. Do you have a list video coming soon!?

[@marscaleb]

I remember playing this at a friend's house and having a blast with it when I was a kid. For some reason, it's one of those games that just really stuck with me and piqued my imagination as a kid. Much later I played the arcade version on a Capcom Classics Collection on the Xbox. It was nice but didn't really capture me the same way I remember as a kid. Looking at this NES verison now... Holy crap! That whole side scrolling section was a grotesque inside a body thing! The platforms are teeth! Good hell, no wonder I loved it so much as a kid! Now I gotta get the NES version because that's WAY cooler than the arcade!

[@zennyspent]

Sometimes you just need a shoot em up that you and your buddy can wreck. EDF, or Earth Defense Force, was an arcade shooter that was quite forgiving in the same vein.

[@adrianshappymoments9343]

Yes!!!! Finally. I have been trying to get U Can Beat Video games channel to review this game for months. Thanks man

[@RamuneRabbit]

My Dad randomly got me this and my Brother Sesame Street ABCs. A....VERY random combination of games to be sure, but outside of that and Back to the Future, they hit more than missed when getting us games back then. So many memories of playing this with my Younger Bro and next-door neighbor buddy! ^_^

[@hairguy98]

Pink gorilla in the ID is one of my happy places! Glad you like them.

[@mchevre]

Was this game developed/released around a similar time as the original Mega Man? I hear certain parallels between the music that makes me wonder if the same person/team at Capcom may have made both soundtracks. Also some subtle artistic similarities in sprites and background. Edit: I know it was stated the creator of Mega Man was involved in this but I'm wondering about overlap aside from that.

[@tcv5000]

Manami Matsumae is listed as a composer for both Mega Man 1 and the Legendary Wings NES port. In addition, the Legendary Wings NES port released in 1988, one year after Mega Man 1 released, so it makes sense that there'd be a bit of overlap in composition style there. Good ear!

[@phantomspaceman]

I loved this game as a kid. They added a lot to the new levels on the port, including actual bosses. The arcade bosses were all just the level 1 wall from Contra. The most memorable part is still the soundtrack which was composed by the same artist responsible for the original Rockman scores. Very catchy music. The series basically got memory holed (it was just a filler shmup between Megaman1 - 2) but the characters eventually made it into a Capcom fighting game as cameos. And about the Egypt theme... it was the late 80's. After King Tutankhamun's tomb went on exhibit the Egyptian stuff was in EVERYTHING for a few years, including Life Force.

[@Ratralsis]

Nice intro this video, as always! Really put some oomph into it.

[@GreenTeaViewer]

This game proves again why Capcom is (was) the GOAT...pure class

[@TexasHollowEarth]

SF6 looks to be a woke mess. I hate the roster. Even the OG SF2 character's look soft. New cast is a bunch of diverse weirdos. DJ looks like a Jamaican stereotype & zoomers are praising his design 😕.

[@counterfeitsaint7479]

Wow, I had completely forgotten this game existed. It was one of the first NES games I played. There was a demo station in a mall where you could choose between a few different games, this one was my favorite. The problem was it was set to automatically reset every 60 seconds or so. So I got real good at the first part of the first level. Later on after I got my own NES I was able to rent it and see more than the first bit of the first level. That was so long ago, I don't think I ever would have thought of this game again if it weren't for this video.

[@NESADDICT]

More like NES Drunk at least today!!! 🤣

[@AlphaProto]

I've seen the box art but I never noticed this was a Capcom game.

[@wmaneker]

Rented and played this game multiple times. It was always something we felt like we were settling for (all the top picks were rented by others). But then we’d play this for hours straight, fully engaged. Core memories here

[@__Generic]

I do have some fond memories of this game. My mom rented it for me when I was a kid and even though I didn't like it as much as my mother games, I still remember playing it with my mom which was fun. Game with your kids, they'll remember it!

[@jordankelsey4501]

Local church fixed a broken cabinet of this. Was an interesting game.

[@WonderWilson]

i did the same thing you did when i picked this up last year it helped me get better at shoot em ups and now its a top 10 nes game of mine!

[@dstinnettmusic]

“A realistically styled angel holds a gun” This is peak 80s design.

[@christopherkelly577]

Looks a lot like dragon spirit, the top down vertical sections that is. "Young William Shatner" cover art 😃

[@sheets75]

My enduring memory of this game was of renting it, playing it all Saturday morning and getting powered up and kicking ass, only for my stepmother to walk in as I got to the last level and declare that I was barred from playing games for a month because of some horse crap about my report card. Then she switched off the NES and made me unhook it and pack it in a closet. I never did get around to playing it again.

[@LegendoftheDragonSword]

Ugghhh! I had my NES taken away because of a bad report card in 7th or 8th grade. My parents felt that I was playing it too much and it was hurting my grades. I felt that if I did better in school while it was packed away then that would prove it WAS affecting my grades. So I just made sure I did just as bad the next time around lol. They gave it back to me and never tried that approach again.

[@winterwolf2164]

I just beat this game for the first time this past December. Ended up being much better than I thought-it was hard as hell for me as a kid.

[@brianphelan8922]

I loved this game as a kid. One of the first NES games I played.

[@arcoliatiggett1869]

Thanks for this. Was a fav when I was a kid.

[@zombiedeutsch]

Could you help me find this snes game from childhood, i even watched all snes games compilation and couldn't find it as if it never existed. It's a side scroller action game, full action similar to contra but slower paced. The hero is big muscular guy who uses a chain to hit enemies, i can't recall exactly,either one of these, he wore a long black coat or he was a shirtless green hulk, but it's not hulk.

[@MixMasterLar]

Always fun to hear about people finding enjoyable games in the wild. Also good to see another NES video.

[@FordBoi302]

So is this where Illusion of Gaia got the idea for Shadow/Firebird?

[@Nemo2342]

I had this game and it was the only shooter I ever owned, so it has a fond place in my heart. Plus that soundtrack, man I loved the music in this.

[@Kwyjor]

The first two things I remember about this game are that the skull thing is freaky, and the boss fights in the side-view stages took forever.

[@mark6302]

I loved this game when I was a kid. it was so weird

[@thewingedavenger1007]

Very good game! Like Life Force, it's both vertical and horizontal.

[@starlightrevenant]

The arcade original version of this game is known as Ares no Tsubasa in Japan (although NES version never came out there, even though a Famicom version may exist), and it was the game that Marvel vs Capcom assist character Michelle Heart originated from, although she was changed into a generic guy in US Set 1, but kept in US Set 2.

[@whosaidthat84]

I rented this way back when. Fun game but I sucked hard at it haha. Drunk, ever played Insector X on Genesis? Really good bug-themed shmup! Quite challenging too.

[@TexasHollowEarth]

Also, try Cybercore on TurboGrafx-16 or the rarer Sharp X68000 version for a cool Dragon Spirit-inspired, insect shooter 👍.

[@whosaidthat84]

@@TexasHollowEarth thanks for the rec!

[@LolaliciousSmiley]

I am jealous of your visit to the cool video game store. A few months ago I was all excited to go to a local video game shop, but it super sucked. I got there and a bunch of stuff was just in giant stacks on the floor. The cases were dirty and the games were barely organized by system. The prices were awful (Championship Bowling for $15), the owner offered me $800 for a 20 year collection, and then he started smoking in the store. And price stickers were all on labels! I was baffled at how little they cared about anything.

[@VektorEpsilon]

My neighbor had this when we were kids. I remember him wanting me to play with him because you got 2x power ups in 2-player mode, and he wanted them all.

[@timothylewis2527]

This game was in the very first video game magazine I ever purchased. Always wanted to buy it was a kid.

[@cam9144]

This is one of my favorites go-to's

[@kcsalyer19]

Awesome video, Drunk! This game looks so cool. I always thought Mega Man was created by Keiji Inafune, but i guess not.

[@74bobby]

Its nice to know that Im not alone when it comes to being bad at shmups...

[@natewheatshelf]

You're the best SNES! Thanks for your vids!

[@AHoraeAVezdaPoesia]

The cover art looks like the dream sequence in Terry Gilliam's Brazil.

[@pal-of-pals]

Might just give this game a try now. It looks pretty good.

[@darktetsuya]

I do remember this one on NES actually don't have it in my collection yet, will have to rectify that soon! the theme was interesting and it was a pretty fun shootemup! the music was all pretty good too. definitely gonna have to pick this up.

[@justino8935]

Legendary Wings, a necessity for gracious living...

[@JoJoTheOtter]

Aw if I had known you were coming to Seattle, I would have bought you a drink. This game was totally forgotten to me. I never did play it nor have I actually seen it in action until now. But also remember seeing the cart around.

[@NotePadStudio]

I wad about to ask if you were from Seattle...but then replayed the beginning...I'm from Washington and love Pink Gorilla! This game's fantastic!

[@erakfishfishfish]

I loved shoot ‘em ups as a kid (Lifeforce was my favorite), but the power-up systems always felt flawed. I hated dying and starting again at the checkpoint with my default weapon. If I couldn’t get through a difficult section fully powered up, what hope did I have with just my regular cannon?

[@alexanderpopov4691]

I remember that game when I was a kid. Really god quality shoot-em-up for NES!

[@jeffersonjjohnson]

The 80s and 90s consistently warn us about the danger of supercomputers, but are we listening? Nooooooooooooo

[@davidw.798]

Damn if you were in Seattle you should’ve checked out Another Castle. Awesome game store with a built in arcade that sells beer. Awesome place

[@nintenjoel]

This damn game is SO difficult. Ugh. I NEVER got good at this game, as I'm not very good at shoot em ups either, but I do enjoy the presentation and graphical style. Great review, as per usual!

[@merrittk]

Never played this but it seems like Capcom revisited the weird techno-organic mythological imagery in another scrolling shooter, Forgotten Worlds, which I love.

[@Mikey-zj8bn]

I use to love the game over screen music as a kid

[@Peterkrack]

Never played but the objects on the top down world remind me of some contra and I want say a dragon over top shooter? Idk and side scrolling it’s like a link labyrinth

[@降雨侍]

If this is fantano. I enjoy this channel. If not apologise. 💗

[@superjuca55]

1:06 - That's Flash Gordon with Hawkmen's wings.