izigame.me

This scrolling space shooter is another worthwile entry in early Capcom's library, being released in 1985. Its main gimmick is alternating between horizontally and vertically scrolling stages, with the player-controlled astronaut who can turn and shoot both left and right, depending on the situation.
Section Z is still quite repetitive, with limited enemy variety, but it does have unique boss enemies at the end of each of the five main stages. The gameplay, I have to say, is pretty fun, with simple but satisfying shooting and a high level of difficulty that doesn't feel outrageously unfair (except for a couple of advanced segments). Too bad that the powerups are not impactful and do not modify the main weapons in a meaningful way, as that would have contributed nicely to spice things up. The idea of alternating scrolling and the ability to face left or right are pretty notable for the era, though, and make Section Z a little bit more special.
The presentation is a strong point of the game. It has a kind of classic 50s-60s sci-fi look that makes it stand out, and some enemy designs are pretty cool. The music is excellent, with some smooth-ass tunes that sound classy as hell and contribute to the "vintage" feeling evoked by the visuals. It's another really uncommon choice for games of the era, but a welcome one.
Overall, Section Z is still kind of barebones, but it has some neat tricks that make it quite the oddity in 1985's arcade market. A... space oddity, if you will.