Nintendo Entertainment System · 1986
Stinger
A lighthearted TwinBee sequel where two candy-themed fighters rescue a kidnapped inventor from cotton-candy invaders.
- Publisher
- Konami
- Format
- Cartridge
- Genre
- shoot 'em up
- Released
- 1986
01
Overview
Stinger is the second entry in Konami's TwinBee series, originally a Famicom Disk System release in Japan that made its way to North American NES carts a year later. Players pilot Stinger jets through seven stages that mix vertical and horizontal scrolling, blasting whimsical enemies and boss encounters like giant jellyfish and a faucet. The NES version supports two players and lets aligned ships combine into a ripple laser.
02
Why it matters
Stinger helped carry the colorful, playful identity of the TwinBee franchise into the Western NES market. Its blend of scrolling shooter mechanics with a candy-coated art direction made it a distinctive Konami title of the era.
03
The physical edition
A typical North American complete copy includes the NES cartridge in its printed label, the instruction manual, the game box, and the styrofoam box insert. Packaging details such as box art, manual printing, and cartridge labels can vary by region and production run.
04
Playing it today
Stinger runs on a standard NES or a compatible emulator, and its two-player mode works with any pair of controllers. The gameplay is straightforward enough for a casual session but offers enough variety across its stages to keep a second run interesting.