The Summer Of 8-Bit 3.0: Recca

Today's video takes a look at Summer Carnival '92: Recca from Naxat Soft.

Recca: The Most Brutally Fun Carnival Ever.

A few moths back, I told you guys about Leon Kiriliuk of NES Reproductions. In that post, I mentioned that I would be getting a game from the site and would report on it. I'm here to report that Mr. Kiriliuk does impressive work, and my copy of Recca: Summer Carnival '92 is as well crafted as any retail release I've ever picked up.
As far as gameplay goes, Recca is a technical marvel as far as NES goes, and even with minor flicker it moves much faster than most Shoot Em Ups released on the venerable console. It's fast, the graphics are vibrant, and the control is incredibly tight. You'll need that tight control, too, since this game is nowhere near easy and enemies come out of the woodwork with little regard for your character's well being. Recca is one of the "Summer Carnival" titles developed by Naxatsoft for use in competitions back when the SHMUP was still king in Japan.
The other titles were all developed for the PC-Engine, making Recca's existence even more noteworthy. Even though my personal copy of Recca is a reproduction cartridge, it doesn't mean official Famicom releases of the game are common. In fact, copies of the Famicom version of Recca fetch as much as $1500 on auction sites. If you're eager to own a physical copy of this awesome title, you should definitely find a donor cart and get it to Leon as soon as possible.