Ajax (known as Typhoon in the United States) is a 1987 Konami shooter that alternates vertical-scroll stretches piloting a fighter jet with horizontal-scroll stretches in a helicopter, a transformation that was a genuine novelty within the genre at the time. The level design forces constant adaptation to the shifting perspective and weapon. It's a key piece for understanding Konami's experimentation with the shooter formula before Gradius and its sequels consolidated a different approach. It holds up well today thanks to its pace and that transformation mechanic, which still feels fresh.
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