Insector X (FC - Famicom Port) 2-loop Session for Single Player with Anny
30 / @nenrikigaming
Title: Insector X
Platform: Family Computer (Famicom)
Edition: Original
Origin Type: Port (from the 1989 Taito arcade version) ¹
Publisher: Taito
Developer: Hot-B
Release: Japan, September 20, 1990
Genre: Action → Shoot 'em Up (Parody) → Horizontal Scrolling Shooter ²
View: Side-view
Scroll: Horizontal Auto-Scroll
Mode: Single Player ³
Insector X presents a peculiar fusion of sci-fi warfare and entomological absurdity: humanity’s answer to the villainous Dr. Bokkoman and his insectoid army is to miniaturize two elite pilots, Anny and Myu, deploying them into enemy territory using the Insecty Weapon. This technological marvel shrinks humans down to the size of bugs, enabling direct infiltration of the Bugroid Area 🐜. While Anny offers standard performance, Myu introduces advanced mechanics—beginning fully powered-up and wielding autofire, but also facing heightened difficulty 🛡️.
Gameplay accommodates one or two players, each operating with distinct button mappings for Beam Cannon and Special Weapon control. Through the Control Mode menu, players can tweak ship stock, sound tests, and difficulty—ranging from NORMAL to HARDEST, with a SPECIAL setting that disables nearly all power-ups for a real challenge 💀.
Power-up items are central to progression: Speed Up and Speed Down adjust mobility; Power Up and Double Up enhance base firepower; and Auto enables rapid fire (standard for Myu ). Acorns grant bonus points, 1UPs add lives, and the red X Capsule preserves a player’s power level after death—its design mimicking the game’s iconic logo ✖️. Most notably, defeating the enemy Suzumega causes it to drop a Special Weapon Capsule, flashing between red and blue: red boosts Air-Type weapons, blue enhances Ground-Type ones 🎯.
The player’s main weapon evolves through seven Power-Up Ranks: from the Normal Shot through Twin Shot, into Power Shot with optional Wide Shot, and ultimately merging Big AmiLaser —a net-like energy burst—with wide dispersal. These layered upgrades offer varied tactical behaviors 🚀.
Complementing this is a robust arsenal of Special Weapons:
Katori Beam spirals in slow waves (like mosquito-repelling incense), piercing foes 🌪️.
Propeller Missile targets ground enemies with angular descent.
Baramaki Missile, a wide-spreading launcher, derives its name from the act of “scattering” 🌾.
Formation Shark deploys orbiting shark-shaped drones that hunt enemies.
Bomb types add further strategy:
Parachute Bombs drift downward for vertical clearing.
Bound Fire ricochets across terrain 🔥.
Spray Bomb offers broad-area coverage.
Moon Crystal unleashes omnidirectional beams from a hovering core 🌕.
When players achieve high scores, a Name Registration screen is presented, letting them inscribe their victories using a clean D-Pad input system 🎮.
The game’s charm shines through its quirky enemy roster:
Lord Hae parodies feudal lords with fly-like gusto; Hatchi, a charging bee; Oshin, a steadfast turtle; Mr. Longlegs towers in stride; Mrs. Semi flits erratically like a true cicada; Suzumega drops key upgrade capsules; Wo, a leaping fish; Bunbun Boy, the erratic butterfly; Megane Tonbo, a glasses-wearing dragonfly 🤓; Dancing Kinoko, a joyful mushroom; Chokkinnaa, the snipping beetle; Tanpopo Bomb, a fluffy dandelion explosion; Samba Tetsurou, a dancing ladybug 💃; Pyonkichi, the bouncy insect carrier; and Tamaketa-kun, whose name implies a startled flair.
Boss battles intensify the surreal tone:
Caroline, a bee queen with flamethrowers and escorts; Joshin, a wasp who spawns swarms mid-fight; Sarah, a butterfly who spreads vision-blinding powder while spraying bullets; and Franken, a mechanical spider that bombards players from all four cardinal directions 🕷️.
Together, these characters and systems form a cohesively bizarre and technically rich universe—balancing visual humor with classic shooter precision. Whether chasing high scores, dissecting weapon hierarchies, or marveling at Bugroid -era aesthetics, Insector X remains a standout entry in retro shoot-’em-up lineage.
Notes:
¹ Despite its visual changes, the Famicom version preserves the arcade game's structure and mechanics, qualifying it as a Port
² Classified as Parody for its satirical enemy designs, exaggerated insect caricatures, and humor-driven theming rather than aesthetic cuteness.
³ Presented in 1PLAYER mode using Anny, with default system settings (NORMAL difficulty, standard fire behavior, and no auto-fire modifications).
#InsectorX #retrogaming #shmup #NESclassics #Taito
00:00 Intro
00:12 Round 1
03:28 Round 2
06:20 Round 3
09:47 Round 4
12:55 Round 5
16:02 Ending
16:48 Round 1🔁
19:54 Round 2🔁
22:28 Round 3🔁
25:40 Round 4🔁
28:46 Round 5🔁
31:50 Ending🔁