Flying Hero

Flying Hero: Bugyuru no Daibouken is a vertically scrolling shooter developed by Sting Entertainment and published by SOFEL. It was released in Japan on December 18, 1992 for the Super Famicom. The game was not released in other countries.

Gameplay and premise

Flying Hero is a vertical scrolling shooting game. The player controls a small ball creature with wings and wears tennis shoes named Bugle. The game takes place in Fantasy Land. The demon king and his witch have teamed up to kidnap the hero's girlfriend. The screen scrolls automatically, but you can adjust the speed to three levels. The game features scaling and rotational effects of sprites. Mode 7 effects are often used on bosses.
Icons can be found throughout stages which arm the player with weapons including snowballs and lightning bolts.
Enemies in the game include flying monkeys, pirate cows, specters. End and mid-stage bosses include a spinning man made of rock, a jack in the box clown, and a crow pirate leader. One end stage boss is a giant fireball that rises out of water.
The game allows only three continues.

Reception

Flying Hero received average reviews. Electronic Gaming Monthlys Terri Aki described it as a very original title. GameFan praised the game, commenting that its intermediate difficulty was perfect for children, allowing them to enjoy a fun game without excessive violence. Super Plays Jason Brookes wrote that it was an "average shoot-'emup with sturdy gameplay and a sense of humour, but hardly a must-buy".
GamePros Kamikaze remarked that the game was quite difficult despite appearances. GamesMasters Les Ellis said that the game was "a vertical blast of fun" but hard to take seriously due to the setting and characters. Super Pros Dave Westley commended the game's imaginative visuals, but criticized its dull backgrounds and considered the soundscapes and gameplay to be average.