Every gamer has different preferred tastes, but there is one commonality that all of us share. We all see it as our outlet. It is our chance to take out our frustrations or relax for a short time in a fantasy setting. This has been a truth of the industry since the inception of home consoles. The one type of genre that inhabits this mentality for me is the “shmup” or shoot ‘em up to those less privy to the lingo. As gaming culture continually expands its depth of selection, I find myself lingering in the humbler times back when hardware capabilities were limited and the industry itself was in question. To innovate in a market where only certain types of games are profitable is a grand task. A lovely example of straying outside the norm for its time was the game Ordyne, released exclusively in japan back in 1987. Ordyne was a horizontal scrolling shooter that injected fun into the category of “shmups” by being conversely bubbly, colorful and comedic in tone. Effectively, it had its own personality where others failed to distinguish themselves from standard dull toned fodder. Since its initial release, It has been ported onto “classic collection” packs that Namco have released on Sony consoles, certain 
handhelds and personal computers worldwide. In a change of pace from my writing tenure on Boss Rush, this will not be analytical, this will be a pure nostalgia driven musing of a wonderful multi-player classic.
Ordyne slots you in the role of scientist Tomari and his assistant Chin as you embark on a mission to save Tomaris fiance, Kana. If you toss this unoriginal narrative aside, What you have is a madcap trip through space to defeat the wicked Doctor Kubota and his army of robot minions. The gameplay at hand is simplistic in the nature of being a straight up shooter in the vein of R-type with a few neat upgrades that you wouldn’t expect. Aiding you along your journey is an innkeeper named Miyuki, who will grant you bizarre weapons in exchange for the games currency of crystals. The competitive nature gathering the crystals is a key ingredient in the enjoyment of the games multiplayer. Each player has an individual tally on how many crystals they have. It is not a shared currency. Swooping in before your friend is encouraged for getting better weapons to tackle the harder bosses. For those not gifted with swift reflexes, there is an alternative route of getting currency. The second store the game presents you with is titled Dream Co. Ltd. A fancy sounding name that boils down to being a roulette table that doles out wacky weapons or a plethora of crystals. Utilizing these two stores is essential to strategically defeating the seven bosses that the game features. The effectiveness of your weapon is relative to what boss you are facing. For example, An underwater robot that fires fists at you is prone to a dolphin gun. Yes, this is a game with a gun that shoots dolphins. Let that sink in for a moment.
The seven levels of Ordyne present unique challenges that change the dynamic on each occasion. They range from navigating mazes, chasing down a humongous battle ship twice your size or avoiding lava spewing from a planet’s surface. Complimenting the stages is a joyously upbeat and occasionally frantic soundtrack that infectiously works its way into your mind. The absurdity and visual styling of the game lends to a sensation of amusement from start to finish. Our villain Doctor Kubuta is not seen until the very last stage that is amalgamation of all the previous stages you have faced. The culminating fight in the last level is preluded by a song that remixes all of the music previously heard into one mash-up as you battle your way through every single boss that you defeated already.
The game is a literal example of what a “Boss Rush” is. The seventh stage is an encore with a harder difficulty to it. Approaching the fight with Kubuta with your upgrades and friend in tow will see you ingrained in a high-octane scene where you fight him in his greatest mechanical creation.
Shoot the glass. Dodge. Shoot some more. Kubuta is the most straightforward battle in the game. There is no strategy. The challenge comes in the speed of his movements. Should you be lucky enough to conquer his “laser-firing”, “leap-frogging” android then you are treated with a ten second gif of the planet exploding behind you as you rescue Tomaris bride to be. Ordyne is a game of such absurdity that you can’t help but fall in love. The presence of Kubuta isn’t groundbreaking in terms of video game villains, but sometimes the overall package surrounding a baddie makes him all the more tense and worthy of study for young developers to take notes from. Besides, having an army of robot minions, several battle ships, a sentient version of the sun and a giant space lizard under your command is undeniably epic for any boss to have.
