In a time where good action games were mainly console based & come from Japan, this game blasted it’s way onto C64 & the Amiga.
The creator & programmer Manfred Trenz had previously been involved in some controversy over making clones of games (Great Giana Sisters & Katakis). But Turrican felt fresh. It was a perfect mix of all the good platform games, the exploration of Metroid, the fire power of Contra, wow you could even break blocks with your head..
The levels were non linear, which was strange for shooters back then. They left you wanting to explore every corner (under a strict time limit).
Though Commodore computers failed to made it big in the states, this game still had an influence overseas. The original Duke Nuke’em was more than inspired by Turrican, it literally ripped graphics straight from it!
It had sequels that spread across many platforms & did well before sadly fizzling out as it tried to enter the 3d market (mainly due to legal squabbles over the rights to the game).
