TwinBee 3: Poko Poko Daimaou

Overview

TwinBee 3: Poko Poko Daimaou ("TwinBee 3: Great Demon Lord Poko Poko") is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up released on the Japanese Famicom in 1989, and the third game to be released to the platform overall. Like its immediate predecessor Moero TwinBee (best known in North America as Stinger), it was created specifically for the console. Unlike Stinger, the game was never localized into English or released overseas. It does have an unofficial fan translation, however.

GwinBee, the third ship, is kidnapped by the eponymous Poko Poko while on an errand. It's up to TwinBee and WinBee to defeat the demon lord and rescue their friend.

Gameplay

The game hearkens back to the original TwinBee with its vertical stages. The player can shoot and collect bells, earning different bonuses for whatever color it happens to be, and can use both air-to-air guns and air-to-ground bombs to defeat enemies and find power-ups. As the ships take damage, they first lose their bomb-throwing arms and eventually explode, though the player can catch flashing icons to repair the damage.

It also has a reputation for being very generous: the player can determine the number of lives and the difficulty, and can even choose which stage to start on. In addition, it also features a "soul recovery mode" that allows the player to recover whatever power-ups their last life had if they can reach the ghost it left behind in time.

Power-ups

• Yellow/Golden Bells: The default color for bells, and the most common color a bell will turn after being shot. Simply rewards points.
• Blue Bells: Increases the player craft's speed, up to level seven. A moderately fast ship can better maneuver around enemies, though being too fast will make it hard to control.
• White Bells: Increases the player's damage output, doubling the number of shots they fire at once. This is a one-time power-up and does not stack.
• Red Bells: Turns the player's gun into a piercing laser shot. Like the White Bell, this is an alternate fire mode that won't stack with multiple bells of the same color.
• Flashing Red/Blue Bells: These rare bells create shadow copies of the player's craft, effectively doubling their coverage.
• Flashing Blue/White Bells: Provide a bonus shield that takes a few hits before vanishing. The size of the shield indicates how much protection it has left to offer.

In addition to bells, the player can acquire power-ups from destroying ground targets:

• Food: Usually appear as fruit. Reward points. Dollar bills have the same effect.
• Question Mark: Acts as a smart bomb, eliminating all enemies on screen.
• Milk Bottle: Earns the player an extra life.
• Candy: Another alternate fire mode, this time a three-way spread shot.
• Matchstick: Produces a flaming bell, which gives the player temporary invincibility.
• Dr. Cinnamon: Allows access to a bonus stage.