I just put about a half-hour into Super Turrican and got to the token ice level. All I can say is this:
Thank you, Jiggy and everyone else who ever recommended this game to me! 
Super Turrican is side-scrolling action at its best. The weapons, despite the fact that there are only three different ones, are all useful in various situations and fun to use. I tend to use the spread gun in most situations, but the laser is great for taking down bosses and enemies with lots of health. The bouncing fireballs are devastating in close-quarters combat and are excellent for taking out enemies in awkward positions. The freeze beam is a neat feature that's very helpful, but doesn't make the game too easy. As for the Energy Wheel, it's quite possibly one of the coolest moves in any side-scrolling action game I've played. I haven't found too many areas where it's actually practical, but just rolling around and dropping bombs is entertaining. The controls are solid and the graphics are quite good, even if the protagonist does look like the product of a love affair between Mega Man and a Probotector.
Still, it's the level designs that really steal the show. They're much more open and explorable than I had expected and it suits the game perfectly. Each level has a lot of secrets and I haven't even come close to finding them all. The game is also quite good at rewarding you for ferreting out hidden items with useful power-ups. As for the difficulty level, it's solid but not too punishing. One of the game's best features, though, is the music. It's absolutely spectacular and also quite varied.
If I had to name a flaw, it would be that the bosses thus far have been disappointingly easy. Still, aside from that, Super Turrican is a superb action game and a wonderful product of Factor 5's halcyon days. It's definitely worth the 800 points and I find myself eagerly looking forward to its sequels.
Turrican could definitely use a revival on WiiWare or DS.
