Technosoft returns to the Saturn with a new shooter that serves to re-establish the company as a force in the shooter world. Their last shooter, Hyper Duel, has sold out a few times already since its release late last year. The popular Thunderforce Gold Packs have also sold well and gives players in the 90s a taste of what Technosoft has wrought in the 80s. Blast Wind is another good quality shooter that delivers solid action and introduces some elements of strategy to the shooter field. I had some reservations when I initially gave it a go. The first thing you will notice when you start the actual gameplay is that there are two obtrusive borders on both sides of the playing screen. I would assume that Technosoft placed these borders there to give the illusion of the screen being longer from top to bottom. Another reason might be that it is cool to have your score displayed so that you have to cock your head 90 degrees to read it properly. In any case, I would have preferred user configurable screen viewing options such as those found in almost every shooter from Psikyo/Atlus. Alas, Technosoft makes no such considerations for players of Blast Wind and you will have to play through the many levels with the borders on the sides. Once you get past them however, there is a worthwhile game to shoot your way through.

The firing scheme in Blast Wind is made up of two available shots. Pressing the A button will fire out a straight shot that blows out everything that is in front of you. Pressing the B button will let loose a hunter shot that tracks down your enemies on screen. Only one type of shot may be used at any time though you can mix and match your firing pattern by quickly tapping either button for a well rounded artillery pattern. The standard A shot is more intense but it only covers a tight arc of space in front of you. It is also useless against enemies that rotate from the sides or behind your ship if you are unable to move in front of them to destroy them. The B hunter shot is weak but it ferrets out enemies on screen and locks them in so you don't have to move around to destroy them. The hunter shot comes in handy because Blast Wind is the type of shooter that features extremely mobile bosses. These bosses will move around and try to ram you as well as blast you out of the sky with their weaponry. Since the bosses are so mobile, you will have to counter their activity by moving around to avoid getting squashed. The hunter is the only shot that will do damage when you fly up to the top of the screen to avoid the boss' fire attacks. As mentioned before, alternating between the hunter shot and the standard shot should keep you right in the game.

The first level in Blast Wind is called Iron Skyscraper. The skyscraper part of it refers to the steel beams and bars that line the level. Here's where the 'strategy' comes into play. You will have to shoot away the beams to avoid getting crushed while some beams serve to lead you to different pathways in the level. I believe there are two different paths to take per level which will lead to a different bosses and different obstacles as well as new elements to discover. The other element that you will be introduced to in the first level is the push icon. Touch a box that has a flashing push icon under it will release anything from coins to system power ups that you can collect. The other mechanics that you will discover is that certain enemy projectiles and shots may be shot down with your own blasts. This obviously comes in very handy when you're surrounded by leagues of enemy air ships that are all firing away manically. The other feature that is very favorable to the player is the blast of fire that jets out from your ship whenever you collect a power up. The blast will destroy anything around you and will give you a few seconds of invulnerability. It is extremely handy to have a shield of fire around you when your ship is swamped by enemy fire and little flitting airships.

In the shooting department, there are only two types of weapons that you can use: the standard shot and a crescent shot which covers a wide arc of space. Both weapons may be powered up further by collecting icons. A rotating sphere unit can be picked up which adds to your firepower and gives you some defensive cover from enemy shots. Bombs may also be dropped which does major damage to bosses and basically obliterates everything in your local airspace.

I enjoyed Blast Wind, but then again, I usually like shooters. The borders are annoying but they are tolerable. I suppose Technosoft will continue to release shooters and hopefully, they will start giving their fans more user friendly options especially in vertical shooters. Horizontal shooters require no such screen options. The screen shots that are shown here have been edited to remove the distracting borders.