An exceptional platform game that demonstrated remarkable technical accomplishment on the C64. The reviewers praised the smooth scrolling, the polished level design, and Chris Hülsbeck’s outstanding soundtrack — before the game’s rapid withdrawal from sale elevated it to legend status. Zzap!64’s coverage of the withdrawal became one of the most-discussed events in the magazine’s history.

Scan reference: Zzap!64 archive — archive.org

Commodore User covered both the initial release and the controversy around its withdrawal. The game’s quality was not in question — the comparison with Super Mario Bros. was the unavoidable context of every review.

One of the finest C64 shoot-’em-ups ever produced. The reviewers cited the game’s technical accomplishment — the sprite work, the scrolling speed, the sheer density of on-screen action — as evidence that Manfred Trenz had achieved something close to a technical miracle on ageing hardware. A Gold Medal recipient.

The Amiga version reviewed alongside the C64 original. ACE noted the expanded audio and visual capability of the 16-bit conversion while acknowledging that the C64 original was itself an exceptional technical achievement. High scores across all metrics.

Widely cited as one of the highest scores Zzap!64 ever awarded to a C64 game. The reviewers described Turrican as a landmark — a game that redefined expectations for what was achievable on the Commodore 64 in 1990. The scope, the music, and the sheer technical accomplishment were praised without reservation.

Regarded as a showcase title for the Amiga platform. The review praised the breadth of the game’s world design, the quality of Hülsbeck’s OCS score, and the fluid movement mechanics. An essential purchase for any Amiga owner.

CU Amiga’s review emphasised the game’s ambition and its music. The OCS audio was noted as among the finest produced for any Amiga game to that point.

Considered among the finest Amiga games ever released. Amiga Power’s reviewers highlighted the game’s fifth world — the cinematic sequence driven by Hülsbeck’s score — as a moment unlike anything previously seen in home computer gaming. A game that genuinely moved critics.

Multi-platform coverage. ACE praised both versions while noting that Manfred Trenz had achieved something remarkable in the C64 version given the platform’s age and limitations. The Amiga version was described as a technical and artistic peak.

Praised for the game’s weapon shop mechanic and Matt Furniss’s memorable score. Reviewers noted the game’s high difficulty as both a merit and a potential barrier, but awarded it strongly across all categories as a premium shoot-’em-up.