Pop'n TwinBee

Not every shooter has to crush you with a gloomy atmosphere and endless waves of enemies. Pop'n TwinBee by Konami is shining proof of that — it's a cute, colourful, and playful „cute-em-up“ that, instead of stress, soothes your soul while not forgetting a proper helping of action.

The foundation is a vertical shmup as you know it: you fly toward enemies and spew fire at them. But Konami dressed the whole game in a charming, cartoonish style full of bright colours and likeable little characters, so that even in the densest firefight everything is in an infectiously good mood. It's a deliberate and very welcome counterpoint to the serious, technical shooters of its time.

The heart of the gameplay is the famous bell system. When you shoot the clouds on screen, coloured bells fall out of them — and here comes the clever mechanic: you can keep a bell airborne by shooting it, which changes its colour, and each colour unlocks a different power-up. This creates a great tension between greed and caution, as you balance between trying to bag the right bonus and the risk that it will cost you a life.

The game works exceptionally well in co-op. Flying together as two makes it an ideal title for an evening for two, where you cover each other, compete for bells, and enjoy that carefree, optimistic atmosphere. It's the kind of game that has you smiling whether things are going your way or not.

Pop'n TwinBee thus remains a gem for anyone who loves shooters but occasionally longs for something that won't chase them toward a heart attack. It combines undemanding charm with clever mechanics and cooperative joy in a package that doesn't age — colourful cheer, after all, never goes out of style.

Why play it: A cute and playful vertical shmup with an inventive bell system and great co-op — the ideal colourful counterpoint to serious shooters.