The original Air Zonk was one of the most original and outstanding titles available on the TurboGrafx-16 system and it came as no surprise that Hudson created a sequel and did so using the CD technology that was becoming a staple of their console during its later years. Super Air Zonk is the sequel to Air Zonk but the two games have a very different look and feel to them. While Super Air Zonk polishes up the game play a bit, the game somehow takes more steps backward than it takes forward and the result is a game that many consider to be far inferior to the original. Super Air Zonk is a great shooter in its own right, but considering the fact that it's a CD title, its fair to say that many expected the game to make better use of the new medium and it just didn't work out that way. The end result is a great shooter that could have been even better.

Much like the original Air Zonk title, Super Air Zonk is a fairly straightforward shooter. The developers decided to make a few changes to the game play, namely the way in which Air Zonk's friends come into the picture. Instead of powering Zonk up as you did in the original game, this time around Zonk will have to rescue his friend on each level before he can enlist their help. Once he's rescued the friend he can then take over their special firepower in order to shoot his way through each level. As with any other shooter, he'll have to face off with a boss at the end of each level, which is where this special firepower will come in especially handy. Zonk can also use a smart bomb by powering up his shot. This is done by simply holding down the fire button for a brief amount of time and then releasing it. Fans of the first game should feel right at home with the game play as it's still very similar to the original in terms of execution despite the new additions.

Air Zonk became well known for its spot-on control and amazing level of playability and Super Air Zonk is really no different. It still retains all the silly shoot 'em up fun that the original game featured and in some cases manages to one-up its predecessor with some of the insane enemies and bosses the game throws your way. It's also a nice touch to be able to rescue your friends and immediately have them at your disposal instead of having to spend time powering up Zonk throughout each level. Super Air Zonk is everything you could want and more out of an Air Zonk sequel and betters the original in just about every area as far as game play goes.

Here's where things get a little odd. The first game was well known for having some amazing visuals and some of the best parallax scrolling of any TurboGrafx-16 shooter. But for some strange reason, the developers decided to scrap this multi-layer scrolling and the results really hurt the visual quality of the game. The visuals are still vibrant and detailed, but the lack of parallax scrolling really takes away the depth the game's surroundings had in the first game. You'd think such a small detail wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it really dips the visual quality down several notches and is a strange omission considering this title appears on the CD format and had plenty of storage space at its disposal. That being said, the rest of the game looks fantastic. The enemies and bosses in the game are gorgeous and go beyond even those found in the original title.

There's a reason this game is subtitled "Rockabilly Paradise" as the music perfectly reflects this unusual title. The music is insane, but so catchy that you'll be hearing it in your head long after you've stopped playing the game. It's a strange mix of electric guitar and piano that's difficult to explain, but impossible to get out of your head. As zany as the visuals are in the game, the music really takes the cake. It might not be of the quality of a Gate of Thunder, but Super Air Zonk is still one of the best TurboGrafx-16 CD soundtracks of them all and easily one of the most distinctive.

It's strange that the developers chose not to feature much in the way of cinemas given that this title appeared on the CD format, and the lack of parallax scrolling is still an odd omissions, but when you get past these things, what you're left with is still one of the best shooters available on the TurboGrafx-16 system. Whether you prefer the original Air Zonk game or this one, there's no denying that this sequel features every bit as much charm and personality as the first game and the game play additions make it a worthy sequel that any Air Zonk fan should own.