Tyrian (computer game)
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| Developer(s) | World Tree Games |
| Publisher(s) | Epic MegaGames |
| Release date(s) | 1995 |
| Genre(s) | Scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Story, arcade |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E (Everyone) |
| Platform(s) | DOS, Windows |
| Media | Floppy disk, CD, download |
| Input | Computer keyboard and/or mouse and/or joystick |
Tyrian is a video game developed by Jason Emery from Eclipse Productions (later World Tree Games) and published in 1995 by Epic MegaGames. The game was officially released as freeware in 2004. The soundtrack was created by Alexander Brandon and Andreas Molnar.
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[edit] Gameplay
Tyrian is an arcade-style vertical scrolling shooter. The player controls a space ship fitted with different weapons and enhanced energy shields. Money is earned by destroying enemies and grabbing bonuses, which is then used to purchase upgrades such as weapons, shields, energy generators, and different ships from interlevel menus. The game is fast paced and presents a variety of enemies and bosses.
[edit] Difficulty
There are several levels of difficulty to choose from: Easy, Medium, Hard, as well as the hidden options of Impossible, Suicide, and Lord of the Game. Hard difficulty and above employ enemies with more health as well as fire more bullets per second. Certain hidden levels are only available at hard difficulty, which provide ample oppourtunities for unique powerups and upgrades. In Tyrian 2000, the Hard setting also prevents the player from seeing enemies outside a conical line-of-sight. Upon completion of the game, the player receives a password for one of the several hidden ships, as well as the options for replaying the game at a higher difficulty setting.
[edit] Full Story mode
The main mode is the single player Full Story mode. This mode also includes storyline-related messages for the player to read. The player begins with one standard weapon, which may be upgraded or replaced by a large variety of weapons, including weapons such as multi-directional cannons, lightning guns, beam lasers, heavy missiles, and homing bombs. There are primary and secondary weapons, where primary weapons are mostly limited to forward arcs, while secondary weapons often come with wider coverage, including side and rear shots. Both types of weapons have eleven levels, making them upgradeable 10 times, although higher levels cost exponentially more.
Additionally, the player can purchase up to two "sidekicks" which fly alongside the ship and can fire independently of the main ship, but are still controlled by the player, and not the AI. Examples of sidekicks include powerful atom bombs, mini-missiles, and multi-directional mines. Other upgrades include increased shields, more powerful generators which can increase firing rate as well as shield recharge, and ships with more armour as well as higher maneuverability.
Putting together a ship may require visits to certain secret levels, whose shops are the only ones in the game to sell the specific weapon. However, all shops will upgrade the weapon regardless of its origin, although the player cannot recover the weapon once the weapon is sold.
[edit] Arcade mode
In Arcade mode, the player picks up weapons and power-ups along the way, instead of purchasing by earning money. Primary weapons are upgraded by picking up purple orbs from destroyed enemies, and the number of purple orbs required increases exponentially to advance to higher power levels. There is also a limited varierity of weapons, unlike the Full Story mode.
The ship, shields, and generators are not upgradeable, although the player is given a medium attribute ship.
[edit] Single player-arcade interchangeability
It is possible to switch between the Single Player and (1 person) Arcade modes using a secret routine (not cheat codes). Since it is possible to find exotic weapons early in Arcade Mode (by contrast in Single Player, such weapons can only be bought at the end), using this switch will allow such weapons to be brought over to single player. Likewise, generator and shield upgrades from single player will result in a better ship for Arcade Mode.
[edit] Two player
In the two player (arcade mode only), the players control two different ships, known as the "Dragonhead" and "Dragonwing". Unique among arcade shooters is that both players can combine their ships into one, forming the "Steel Dragon", with the first player controlling the combined ship, and the second player controlling a turret. Tyrian even enables the two players to be connected via modem.
[edit] Timed Battle (only avalible in Tyrian 2000)
In this mode the player chooses from 3 levels to play in (Deliani, Space station and Savara). The game automatically starts and the player has a given a specific time to complete the level, while collecting power-ups, fighting off enemies and killing the boss. When the level is complete, the score is calculated depending on time, life, destruction and killed enemies.
[edit] Super Arcade
The game also features seven hidden Super Arcade modes (with specialised ships), requiring the user to type in certain codewords which are shown after beating the game. (The first code is given by beating the regular game, and each consecutive code is given after beating the modes which comes after it.)
[edit] Super Tyrian
If the correct code is entered, all cheat codes and command parameters are disabled and the game is set to the highest difficulty setting (although it's possible to make it a tad lighter). The Player has then a heavily armoured ship to play with, along with a small shield and only one weapon. The ship is able to generate a large amount of different weapons when the right movements are made. There are no other weapons and power-ups available, just the metallic Front Weapon Power-ups and a special weapon are available for the player. (Like a merged version of the Full Story (Single Player) and 1-player arcade mode).
[edit] Destruct
"Destruct" (see a description) is a minigame concealed inside Tyrian, remniscent of Scorched Earth, with human-vs-human and human-vs-computer modes of play. Access to it can be gained by typing "destruct" at the main menu screen. Destruct is notable for being a real-time variant of Scorched Earth, with the player frenetically switching unit and weapon to combat the opponent instead of taking turns to fire single shots. Scorched Earth does, however, have a real-time play mode.
[edit] Versions
The original version consisted of three episodes, one free and two for sale through shareware registration. Version 2.0 was later released. This version contained a new fourth episode. In 1999, the game was re-released as Tyrian 2000 which is the original game with applied patches and a new fifth episode. Also, Tyrian 2000 was released with a program called "Shipedit" which allowed the player to customise preset ships, editing everything from graphics to weapons to shields and armour.
Tyrian 2000 is compatible with Windows 95, 98, 2000, Me, and XP. On more modern machines the user may be required to emulate one of the sound cards which the game supported.
[edit] Music
The music of Tyrian was created by Alexander Brandon and is in the LDS midi format. Tyrian 2000 also includes 25 high-quality CD-audio tracks. These are omitted from the freeware version due to the download size. The music can be downloaded in mp3 format from this site: http://gamemusic.emugaming.com/
[edit] Plotline
The game is set in the year 20,031. Players play as a skilled terraformation pilot named Trent Hawkins, who is employed to scout out habitable locations on newly terraformed planets. His latest assignment is the planet Tyrian, which is located near the territory of the Hazudra, who are a lizard-like race.
One day, Buce Quesillac, a Hazudra, and Trent's best friend, is shot in the back by a hoverdrone which quickly disappears into the sky. As Buce lay dying, he tells Trent that it was all the work of Microsol, the giant corporation who controlled the terraformation of Tyrian. They had Buce shot because of his knowledge of Gravitium, which is a special mineral, unique to Tyrian, capable of controlling the force of gravity.
Microsol want to utilise Gravitium to power their warships, which could result in them becoming nearly unstoppable. They also attempt to eliminate anyone who knows of its existence. Trent is the next person on their hit list, and with his last words, Buce implores him to try to reach Savara, a free world. Trent manages to secure a small fighter, and departs for Savara.
The first mission covers Trent's escape from the planet Tyrian. As the game progresses, transmissions are received from allies and enemies alike, each one advancing the plot. Eventually, Trent comes into contact with a rival of Microsol's; a corporation called Gencore. At the end of the third episode, the player must fight their way through the Microsol battle fleet and destroy the main ship.
The fourth episode, which was added with version 2.0, entails the activation by Microsol of an ancient alien computer system located under the surface of the planet Ixmucane. This system was designed to turn the planet into a sun, but was never activated by its creators. The player must destroy the system before it fully activates, so that Microsol does not gain even more power. In addition, many important scientists are trapped under the surface; they will die if the system fully activates.
Following the final battle, Trent grows tired of being given orders and sent on dangerous missions by his superiors. He sets course for Earth, which is 100 light years away, and goes into cryonic sleep.
In the fifth episode, added to Tyrian following the release of Tyrian 2000, it is revealed that the Hazudra strapped a proximity bomb to Trents ship to send him in another direction than Earth. They then use Trent to take out the Zinglonites, who invade space with spacedwelling fruit. The new episode also featured new ships, shields and weapons to complete that task.
[edit] Trivia
- The logo of the game is an ambigram: it looks exactly the same if rotated 180 degrees.
[edit] External links
- Official World Tree Games website
- Official Tyrian repository (bandwidth exceeded as of June 16, 2006 — site mirror)
- Tyrian at MobyGames
- Tyrian 2000 at Home of the Underdogs
- Tyrian/Tyrian 2000 fan page
- Tyrian 2000 for the PC and GBA – free, legal downloads.
- Tyrian 2000 torrent – links to a torrent of the full CD-image of Tyrian 2000, including CD-audio music (Demonoid.com registration required)
- Tyrian 2000 download – full CD-image via FileFront
- Overview of the Tyrian 2000 levels
- Tyrian at GameFAQs
