Final Soldier

~ FINAL SOLDIER ~

Hudson Soft

HuCard

1991

Someone will have to explain to me why this vert has the reputation of being markedly inferior to its PCE Soldier siblings. I put off buying FS for ages because many people had pronounced it mediocre, and I ultimately came to regret my procrastination. Once I finally got around to buying the game, I discovered that it rules.

The armament system is initially the most impressive part. FS allows players to select a number of weapons from a huge batch that consists of all sorts of beams, flames, bubble bombs, and swirly ring-type things. Its large assortment of devastators is quite preferable to the skimpy gun sets offered in Super Star Soldier and Soldier Blade.

Its visuals are also pretty nice, much more appealing than SSS's. Granted, some of the backgrounds come off as uninspired, but that's kind of the way of things with this series. At least FS's graphics are very sharp and fairly colorful, and they improve as the game goes along. The rockin' music is pretty good too. The influence of Blazing Lazers can be detected in the last-level tune.

I can think of only two aspects of the product (other than the at-times-drab backdrops) that people might consider flaws. For one thing, the levels are quite long... but at least the action is consistent and there are midbosses to contend with. For another, FS is a lot easier than SSS and SB... but I don't particularly care about that, as it's a lot of fun anyway.

You get a sleek ship to pilot and lots of weapons to deck it out with.

Space verts often commence with an assault on an outpost, but this opening level is anything but generic.

While their respective tunes are nice, the second and third boards don't offer up anything particularly fresh visually...

...but the fourth level's urban area and its awesome eagle boss mark vast visual improvement on earlier stages and adversaries.

Enemy bases are generic visual downers in most shooters, but the one here is actually quite impressive.

The final boss's lair is the most memorable strip of all.

Riot Zone

~ RIOT ZONE ~

Hudson Soft / Westone / TTI

Super CD-ROM

1993

It's too bad that this game kicks off with its infamous "WHEAR'S THAT WARRANT" line, as it's actually a perfectly acceptable brawler with an undeserved bad reputation. Yes, it's a shameless Final Fight clone, and no, it isn't as gritty as FF, nor does it feature characters and tunes as memorable as FF's. But it does boast smooth controls, nice backgrounds, and huge sprites (which, admittedly, are not animated very well).

People cite the relative lack of "moves" as a major issue, but I don't particularly care about it, as I'm a button-masher for the most part when I play old-school beat 'em ups, and I find that hard-core fans of the genre who make claims of utilizing "strategy" are usually full of crap. It's rather odd that the designers didn't include canisters and the like to annihilate and weapons to pick up, but again, such elements typically play minor roles in brawlers: tossing the occasional knife or lugging around the occasional wrench never adds much in the way of "variety" for me.

Lack of a two-player mode is something that even I find fault with, however. (The omission comes off as especially egregious when the two heroes pledge to "go down fighting together" in the heartwarming opening cinema.) Also, the adventure drags a bit towards its conclusion. The developers did a decent job as far as early-stage enemy variation goes, but the the same few bums appear ad nauseam during later rounds. This is typical for a brawler, but even the tunes repeat themselves here.

It all leads up to a final battle that the designers had a nice idea for (but consider yourself warned that the last boss, as well as all of his cohorts, is easy as cake to beat) and that's accompanied by a quality tune, one that starts off with Metallica-esque riffs before hitting its stride with a catchy hook. Most of the tunes are pretty good, actually, although many of them are a little too laid back and upbeat if you ask me; I prefer Final Fight's urgent, gritty numbers. I must admit that I get pretty pumped up whenever I hear the track that plays during the opening cinema, however.

There's no way that Riot Zone deserves to be lumped in with the likes of Rival Turf and Captain America at the bottom of the old-school-brawler heap. Sure, it's a "biding time" sort of affair, and it isn't likely to engross you, but if you're willing to accept that, you'll probably have a good time with it.

Someone forgot to tell these clods they're in a one-player game.

So, who will it be... Cody or mohawked Haggar?

The designers came up with some cool enemy and environment designs, but repetition does become a problem during the last few levels.

The Dragon Zone bosses aren't very difficult to track down...

...but the last couple certainly are interesting.

John Madden Duo CD Football

~ JOHN MADDEN DUO CD FOOTBALL ~

Electronic Arts / Hudson Soft / TTI

Super CD-ROM

1993

Boasting expansive playbooks and impressive production elements; promising strategic, realistic gameplay; and buoyed by a significant amount of media hype, EA's Madden games were huge hits and major system sellers for Sega's Genesis. The Turbo's fate had long since been decided by the time it was tossed a bone in the form of Duo CD Football. While I was one of the few who had stuck with the floundering system, I hadn't lamented the lack of a Madden TG entry and didn't care a great deal when one finally came down the pike, as I'd always felt the strategic elements of the series were overstated, and the manner in which the virtual players tended to pinball off each other never seemed particularly realistic. I preferred Tecmo Super Bowl for its focus on stats, its high-speed gameplay, and its "toss the clipboard out the window and just have fun" attitude. Still, I couldn't deny that it was nice to have a Turbo-based alternative to the hardly wonderful TV Sports Football.

This is my favorite of the classic-style Madden games for two reasons: Visually, it's very colorful and smooth (just as a Duo rendition of a game should be); and passing is handled extremely well (as the omission of the series's trademark receiver-following windows means you get a nice, clear view of the field).

Some Madden vets aren't as high on it for two reasons: They don't like using Run as one of the passing buttons, and they view the sporadic FMV sequences as unnecessary low-budget fodder. I don't find anything about the passing scheme unfairly challenging or uncomfortable, and personally, I think the FMV skits are quite hilarious--hilariously bad, sure, but hilarious nonetheless.

Shots from the "special" polygonal opening.

You're presented with typical pre-game options and post-game stats.

NFL team nicknames aren't used, but real clubs are here with the names of the cities they represent (though you may question my use of the word "real" when you discover that this Detroit is actually superior to a number of other squads).

Similarly, NFL players from the year the game was made can be identified by their uniform numbers. Detroit running back #20, for instance, is Barry Sanders, and wide receiver #84 on the same club is Herman Moore.

You just know the designers got a kick out of creating these brief FMV horror shows.

You too can win the coveted Madden Trophy. (Goodness, if the Lions can do it, anybody can.)

Lords of Thunder

~ LORDS OF THUNDER ~

Red / Hudson Soft

Super CD-ROM

1993

Going a mythological route and incorporating armor-selection and item-purchasing elements, Lords of Thunder deviates from shooter norms in intriguing ways, but it achieves excellence primarily due to the phenomenal visuals it sports and the huge, ferocious creatures it pits players against. I like the game a lot, but I have issues with its gameplay and music that prevent me from ranking it among titles like Gate of Thunder and Lightening Force--the absolute elite of the old-school shooters.

Blade-wielding Landis, the hero of the affair, can choose from four different suits of armor at the beginning of each level, and the suit he selects determines the brand of firepower that will be at his disposal. He can also use cash acquired during his beast-crushing exploits to stock up on goods at pre-stage shop screens. Such elements suggest that strategy and prudent planning will play parts in the Lords experience, but most players agree that the earth-based coat should never be removed once donned, and money can be obtained in such abundance that discretion needn't be employed during shopping sessions.

Stage play doesn't prove to be any more taxing than the formality-screens that precede it. I've never had to memorize a pattern in this game, nor have I ever found any particular segment to provide a true test of reflexes. So I don't have to use my head, and my adrenaline never really gets pumping. The action is basically about plowing through huge, roaring, slobbering enemies. It's presented in awe-inspiring fashion, but it doesn't feel very refined.

As far as aural elements go, I dig the crunchy guitars and bold basslines in the numbers accompanying the title screen and opening cinemas, but once the actual game begins, the soundtrack may as well not even be present. I like rock scores, but I prefer solid riffs (like those in Gate of Thunder) to wailing solos (like those in this game). I can't get into this sort of material and find it mostly forgettable.

Again, I like Lords a lot. It'd be difficult to dislike a game that has levels and enemies that look this great. Also, its cinemas are very cool, and the shop element is incorporated well enough. But in my book, Lords doesn't quite reach the tier of brilliance where Gate resides.

Our pissed-off protagonist.

The adversarial lords are a strange-looking bunch.

Select your destination, and buff yourself up in the shops. In the Japanese rendition, the shopkeeper has an awesome "goddess-like" voice.

Enemies that just come walking along mid-level in Lords could easily act as major bosses in many other shooters.

Of course, Lords' actual bosses are in another league entirely.

Some creatures, such as the ice land's unicorn boss, are absolutely magnificent...

...while others are simply bizarre.

Lords delivers beautiful backgrounds, interesting enemy designs, and plenty of action. It may be easy, and it may feel sloppy, but it's still impressive and enjoyable.

True to the Lords way, your last few opponents go down with little resistance but look pretty damned awesome.