Mega Twins

Did You Know?

• The game is included in Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed for PSP and Capcom Classics Collection Volume 2 for PS2 and Xbox, both released in 2006.
• It is also included in Capcom Arcade Stadium.

Plot

The twin sons of the king of Alurea, around age 15, are the only survivors after a monster attack destroys their land. The people had lived in peace for a thousand years and forgotten how to fight. The twins seek the legendary stone Dragon Blue Eyes, rumored to restore everything.

Gameplay

Mega Twins is a scrolling platform game. It can be played alone with one twin or cooperatively with two players each controlling one twin. Players can move, jump, and cling to vertical walls to climb. Each twin wields a magic sword as the main weapon. Magic bombs can be collected and used to damage all enemies on screen, but only a limited number can be carried. The blue twin deals more sword damage, while the red twin can carry more magic spells. Each player has an energy bar that depletes on contact with enemies or projectiles; reaching zero costs a life. Chests, some hidden, contain coins for points, or power-ups like energy-restoring pills and enhanced magic swords. The game has nine levels: Round 1 (earth with forest and lava cavern, ending with goddess Callia), Round 2 (heavens, ending at Shrine of Meius), Round 3 (under the sea with a haunted sunken pirate ship), Round 4 stages 1–5 (jungle/crystal caverns, underwater foundations, monster castle dungeon, into the sky, ascent to monster castle top), and Round 5 (escape to paradise). Players can start on any of the first three levels; later levels are accessed sequentially.

Ports

U.S. Gold brought Mega Twins to the Atari ST and Amiga in 1991. Versions for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC were announced but never shipped, though unfinished Spectrum and Amstrad builds later appeared online. Sega released a Mega Drive/Genesis port in 1992 and 1993, developed by Visco Corporation and titled Chiki Chiki Boys in North America and Europe; it drops the two-player cooperative mode but otherwise matches the arcade. A Capcom Power System Changer version was planned but never came out. NEC Avenue issued a PC Engine Super CD-ROM² port in 1994, exclusive to Japan, with upgraded music on CD and support for multiplayer.

Reception

Julian Rignall of Computer and Video Games gave the arcade version 86%. Mega Action praised the graphics as wholly impressive and noted variety in enemies, scoring 85%. Mega Guide called the gameplay tough and incredibly addictive, with well-animated characters, but criticized the lack of two-player mode. Power Unlimited gave 60%, calling gameplay solid but noting better platformers existed. Steve Fountain of Nottingham Post gave the Genesis version 54%, describing it as a colorful platformer for young players.