![]() |
 |
I started playing Queen Bee V with extremely low expectations. It is, after all, an unlicensed game, and I have not had particularly exceptional experiences with such games. As I began the game, however, I was surprised. This game is actually good! Queen Bee V (not sure what happened to the Queen Bee I-IV) is a horizontal shooter where you play as an insect knight, pitted against an impressing swarm of enemy bug soldiers. There isn't much of a storyline available in the game, but it seems as though they want to take over, thanks to the dark rulings of a "Queen Bee". Maybe she's the fifth of her particular family bloodline.
Going along, you pretty much keep picking up more and more powerups while plowing down enemies until you become a major powerhouse. I understand the progressive improvement of your primary shot, but how exactly your secondary weapon is determined is beyond me. It always feels randomized every time I picked up a powerup for that. The controls are pretty smooth, though. If you are killed, it's usually your own fault! That's not to say the game is a cakewalk, mind you: things start to heat up after the first stage (there are only five, sadly). Each stage will take you through varied locales to the end boss, a giant insect of some sort. While it's not the most difficult shmup by a long shot, you still need to keep your eyes wide open for renegade flying stingers.
There is very little information about the game on the internet, but what I actually DID find disappointed me greatly. Queen Bee V is actually a carbon copy of Insector X, a shmup developed by Taito, just with a different title screen. The Sneaky Petes at Nitra decided to dupe us with their switcheroo shenanigans!
Ah well, enjoy these screenshots of Queen Bee V / Insector X:
|
|
![]() |
