Gaiares

In the year 3000, the Earth has become a toxic dump ravaged by careless humans, leaving an uninhabitable, polluted wasteland. The space pirates Gulfer, led by the evil Queen ZZ Badnusty, plan to harvest the pollution to create weapons of mass destruction. The United Star Cluster of Leezaluth sent a warning to the Earth about their plans, stating that if they could not stop them, they would be forced to supernova Earth's sun to do so themselves; but if they succeeded, Leezaluth would give them a new world to migrate to. Dan Dare (Diaz in the Japanese original), a young pilot from Earth was chosen to be the pilot of a new fighter ship to combat the Gulfer. The ship is armed with a powerful experimental weapon from Leezaluth called the TOZ System, which would be operated by Alexis, the emissary from Leezaluth.

Most horizontal shooters require the player's ship to come in contact with a capsule to gain weapons. Gaiares design was different, and featured one of the most original and unique weapon power-up system in the shooters genre to date. The TOZ System device can be fired out like the R-Type capsule, except each time it comes in contact with the enemy, it would inherit and learn that weapon; repeatedly the player can steal from the same enemy until the weapon is maxed-out in strength. In total there are 18 weapons to be captured and the appearance of each weapon varies depending on the strength meter.

Tropes used for this game:

 * Anticlimax Boss: The final boss, which is the Big Bad piloting a robot and two TOZ systems. She will use them to steal your weapon, but she isn't able to use the stolen weapon very well. If you have the G-Beam powered up at max, it shouldn't take long at all. Even better, if you have one of the game-breaking secret weapons, the boss won't even be able to copy it correctly and be stuck with Vulcan, making it even more of a cakewalk.
 * However, if you don't have any special weapons or a shield, this boss will be quite tough...
 * Applied Phlebotinum: The TOZ System, which is able to steal the weapons of enemies.
 * Asteroid Thicket: The first part of the first stage.
 * Attack Drone: The TOZ System. Not only does it help you get new weapons, it also fires out the weapon you have AND it blocks shots!
 * Attack Its Weak Point: The bosses are pretty much all like this. As well as some of the regular mooks.
 * The first boss, a mechanical angel, was weak in the chest area. Hitting the head did no damage to it.
 * The second boss, a mermaid robot, was weak in the head.
 * The third boss, a giant Grim Reaper, was also weak in the head.
 * The fifth boss, a mechanical dragon, was immune to damage in the head area- you had to shoot its chest when the arms weren't blocking it.
 * The sixth boss, a Humongous Mecha female gladiator, could be damaged anywhere in the head of the body... as long as her shield was down for a second.
 * Boss Rush: TWO of them- the sixth level has you go through a Mini Boss rush, while the seventh level pits you against the bosses of the first 6 levels.
 * Chain Reaction Destruction: Pretty much everything goes down in that manner.
 * Disc One Nuke: The G-Beam can be fully powered up by the first Mini Boss. Once the three ships connect together, use the TOZ system on it three times to obtain the fully-powered up G-Beam...
 * The Tektite Blaster (T-Braster) can consistently be obtained even earlier in the same stage, allowing you to easily breeze through the stage. Unfortunately, it has to be reobtained on each stage (as do other Secret Weapons).
 * Gravity Sucks: The first part of the third stage had black holes which sucked both the player and enemies inside.
 * Grim Reaper: The third boss was a giant version who teleported around and shot scythe blades at the player.
 * Hailfire Peaks: The fifth stage has the player travel between icy planet and the surface of a star.
 * The first stage had the player go through an Asteroid Thicket followed by a Floating Continent.
 * The second stage was the descent to a snowy, mountainous landscape, before going into an underwater cave.
 * The third stage took you through a nebula with black holes, before the player entered a Temple of Doom.
 * The fourth stage had the player travel through a field of space debris, a destroyed space station, then an organic cave.
 * Homing Projectile: The homing laser weapon.
 * Humongous Mecha: All of the bosses, except the fourth (an organic thing) and arguably the third (a Grim Reaper).
 * Macross Missile Massacre: The missile weapon when fully powered up. Although it wasn't homing, and was more like a damaging Spread Shot.
 * Mega Manning: The TOZ System is able to attach itself to mooks, and inherit their weapon so that both the TOZ and (usually) the player's ship can use them.
 * Power Up: Only two kinds- one of which kills all enemies on the screen, the other gives the player Deflector Shields which last four hits.
 * Our Dragons Are Different: The second Mini Boss is a serpentine dragon, while the fifth boss is a mechanical winged dragon.
 * Our Mermaids Are Different: The second boss is a giant clam shell that opens up to reveal a Humongous Mecha mermaid once it takes enough damage.
 * Reflecting Laser: The second stage has satellite mooks which reflect lasers shot out by two giant cannons on the planet's surface.
 * Reverse Shrapnel: The shield weapon, which unfortunately does NOT block shots.
 * Roboteching. The homing laser weapon.
 * Segmented Serpent: The second Mini Boss is a serpentine dragon, while the fourth stage contains mechanical worm enemies that fire out homing balls. Naturally, aim for the head.
 * Selective Gravity: The third stage had multiple black holes which only sucked in the player, mooks, and enemy shots. Your shots were unaffected by the gravity.
 * Space Zone: The first stage, as well as the first part of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth stages.
 * Spread Shot: One of the various weapons you could obtain was this.
 * Temple of Doom: The second half of the third stage, complete with Spike Balls of Doom, spear traps, crushing walls, fire-spitting statue heads and even GUILLOTINES! Unsurprisingly, the boss was a Grim Reaper...
 * Underwater Boss Battle: The second boss. Interestingly enough, you are not underwater when you fight her again during the Boss Rush.
 * Wave Motion Gun: The G-Beam. Unsurprisingly, it's the strongest weapon in the game and can go through terrain.
 * Winged Humanoid: The first boss is a Humongous Mecha angel.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair