Hi! I'm new to these forums although I have browsed them before when looking for information on Flame Zapper Kotsujin. It's great to have access to a resource as good as this!
I'm currently playing the x68k Caravan games Zero Master-Striker and Zero Rei. I notice that there's several different roms available for these games but I'm not sure how the versions relate chronologically or what the exact differences are between them.
There are two different versions of Zero Rei carrying different dates on the title screen (94.8.8 and 94.8.21) and with different coloured midbosses (blue and gold respectively) and I'm guessing that the later version is simply an update of the first.
For Zero Master-Striker though there are four different versions. The original version starts with just a title screen, there's no replay option, no music (!), the midboss flies up the screen when it times out and there doesn't seem to be a final boss. The
second alternative version also has just a title screen, the midboss also flies upwards and there's no final boss but it does have a replay option and background music.
The
first alternative version and a version named "v1.0" both have an introduction screen with green kanji and game credits and a replay option. The midboss disintegrates down the screen when it's destroyed and there's a final boss (which resembles the midboss from Zero Rei).
Does anyone have information on the history and differences of these versions and any other information on these excellent games?
There's also high-score tables for these games on Shmups Forum
here if anyone fancies participating