B-Wings: The Forgotten NES Gem That Deserves a Second Look

July 15, 2025

Remember that feeling when you dust off an old NES cartridge, blow into it (we all did it, don't lie 😉), and discover a game that somehow flew under your radar? That's B-Wings in a nutshell - a vertical shooter that's equal parts bizarre and brilliant.

NES

Developed by Hudson Soft (yes, the Bomberman folks) in 1986, this was their attempt to stand out in the crowded shooter genre. And boy, did they succeed... in the weirdest way possible.

"Wait... My Plane Has LEGS?!" - The B-Wings Gimmick

The game's core mechanic hits you like a WTF moment straight outta 80s anime:

Your ship isn't just a ship - it's a transforming mecha that switches between "Flight Mode" and "Battroid Mode" (that's fancy talk for "robot with legs").

(Fan-made gameplay showing the transformation mechanic)

In practice:

Flight Mode: Standard shooter action with a spread gun
Battroid Mode: Slower movement but can walk on ground and fire upwards
Transform by collecting "B" power-ups (get it? B for B-Wings? 😏)

This isn't just cosmetic - level design forces you to constantly switch forms. Some enemies only appear at ground level, while others bombard from above. It's like if Gradius and The Legend of Zelda had a baby... that could do the robot.

Retro Charm With Hidden Depth

For a game that looks like typical 8-bit fare at first glance, B-Wings hides surprising strategy:

🔹 Power-Up Roulette: Defeated enemies drop letters cycling through B-R-U-S-H (yes, "brush"). Each gives different abilities, from speed boosts to screen-clearing bombs.

🔹 Boss Rush Finale: The last stage throws all previous bosses at you in rapid succession. Pure 80s arcade sadism.

🔹 Password System: Unusual for 1986! Write down 16-character codes to continue later. (Pro tip: "BRUSHBRUSHBRUSHBR" works 😉)

Why It Still Holds Up

Compared to contemporaries like 1942 or Xevious, B-Wings feels refreshingly experimental. The transformation gimmick adds tactical layers most shooters lacked:

Terrain Matters: Some stages have platforms only reachable in robot form
Enemy Patterns Change based on your current mode
Risk/Reward: Robot mode is vulnerable but deals more damage

Modern indie darlings like Blazing Chrome owe a debt to this kind of hybrid design. It's also mercifully short (about 30 mins to clear) - perfect for quick retro sessions.

The Verdict: Who Should Play This?

👍 Perfect for:

Retro collectors hunting hidden gems
Shooter fans tired of samey spaceship action
Anyone who giggles at the phrase "walking airplane"

👎 Avoid if:

You demand modern QoL features
Pixel-perfect hitboxes are a must
The idea of memorizing attack patterns triggers PTSD

Final Score: 🎮🎮🎮🎮/5 (4/5) - A quirky classic that deserves its cult status. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go draw fanart of a plane with sneakers...

Find B-Wings on modern platforms via NES Online or hunt down the original cartridge. Just remember: blowing into it doesn't actually help (but we know you'll do it anyway).