Tyrian is easily one of the games I would put on the "Required Play" list (gaming equivalent of Requireed Reading), especially if shoot 'em ups are your thing. The first time I really played a shoot 'em up was a Raiden arcade cabinet and getting my ass handed to me (along with losing my AU$0.60). My first encounter with computer games was 1983 Atari 2600 release of Galaxian, and I was around four years old when I played that! My first PC shoot 'em up experience was the original 1994 release of Raptor: Call of the Shadows (Shareware Version) on the family 486. The first time I played Tyrian was a shareware copy I must have got of one my PC Powerplay coverdiscs or something around 1996/97 somewhere. I can remember purchasing a copy of version 2 on CD at Hitech World (when they were still trading). Tyrian is a shoot 'em up that manages to channel my best memories from the above previously mentioned titles along with Capcom's 194X / 19XX franchise and the majority of classics of the genre. Tyrian's game modes that are available from the get-go you have the Full Game, Arcade and Timed Battle modes along with a Two Player Arcade mode - That's until you start entering codes! Tyrian is a game that seems to encourage the use of "Cheat Codes" (most of these are in fact hidden modes, difficulties and special moves that work in a similar to games like Street Fighter). The Arcade modes are your "Jump in and play" modes, whereas the Full Game (story mode) will offer a deeper strategical experience as you can swap out ships, weapons, generators and shields allowing for a craptonne of combinations. The story is told primarily through Tyrian's lore-equivalent of E-Mail being the Data Cubes you can pick up during play (Full Game). Arcade offers up a typical shmup experience with lives, powerups and weapon pickups. Tyrian is a game that offers an experience suited to both casual and hardcore shoot 'em up fans alike and will more than likely keep you coming back for more!
