"The mid-80's were a pivotal point in gaming
history, and no other genre of game flooded the market more than shooters. From
the WWII 1942 to the wacky-space scrolling of R-Type. The hype may
have died down (for now), but the fun continues... you just have to know where
to look."
Intro
Graciously appointed by the grace and holiness of God Almighty (and xeno3998)
this review is part of a write-off about shooters. The legacy of the
genre is a thing of the past, but I honestly believe the addictive stand-alone
style will come back to glory. Probably my first shooter that I fell in love
with was Galaga to be honest, but my all-time favorite has to be Blazing
Lasers for the Turbo Grafx 16. Being that we are limited to choices, the
Dreamcast holds the best array of current shooting titles. My favorite two
shooters on the Dreamcast (and any other "current' console for that
matter) is Mars Matrix and Gunbird 2.
Take me back to the old school
In the day and age of 3D graphics, advanced battle mechanics and a plethora of
options; the shooter continues to bring hours of endless game time and player
satisfaction. Gunbird2 is your classic shooter, ported flawlessly from the
stand-alone arcade game. The concept behind Gunbird2 is simple: shoot
anything that moves and don't get hit. Aside from simply massacring
everything and anything in site, we are also treated to classic powerups and
bonuses.
The legendary hook of the game is the extensive use of powering up your weapons.
With an arsenal of weaponry, each weapon can be upgraded up to three times. Each
level increases the potency of the blasts, and vastly increasing the damage
range. Parallel to powerups, there are two other means of destruction that
proves that shooters are not plainly Borg material, but it also challenges the
strategic sections of your brain. Depending on your power meter on screen, gives
you the option to execute these alternatives. The first is a "charge"
weapon, which takes your current weapon and allows you to charge it up; thus
making the blast even more powerful. A good analogy is the concept of a
slingshot. The further you pull back on it, the more velocity (power)
it’s going to release. Again, using this option takes timing and skill. When
charging, your defenses are left wide open.
The third offensive is the "proximity attack". This releases a burst
of energy and blasts anything within its immediate perimeter. This also depends
on how much power you have left in your gauge. As with most shooters, you are
also given collected "super bombs", which basically obliterate
everything on the screen. Use this one in desperation.
I've come across dozens of 2D shooters and all try to accomplish basically the
same thing. They try to re-kindle the warm tinglies of old; while introducing
you to as much "new material" as possible. Most have failed, but
Gunbird2 really comes through; especially when it comes to control. The physics
and control are darn near perfect. The ship glides and reacts precisely with
your hand, and shooting provides another grander scale of control. The game also
sports an awesome "Arcade" style play with basically emulates
the viewpoint of stand-alone arcade machines. The effect is brilliant, and it
really does make me feel like I'm back in the arcades of yesteryear. Shooter
fanatics will rejoice in this mode, and will wonder why more developers didn't
follow suit...
Where would a great shooter be without tons of bonuses and huge scores? Well, I
was pleased to see how Gunbird2 kept score and when completing levels gave you a
variety of bonuses. What better way to placate an ego then by watching your
score scroll like mad at the end of a level? Gunbird2 really keeps the tradition
of the arcade experience and has focused on making the port reflect that. The
only negative flaw from arcade greats to console wannabes; is the "one hit
rule". I'm not too keen on getting hit by one slow moving bee-bee of a
bullet; destroying my pumped up weapon of destruction. I know that is what
shooters are about, but I do like to have a general shield that will get you out
of tight situations without blasting you into a billion microns.
The real anathema for shooters has always been the replay value. Traditionally,
shooters are short lived, easily beaten and shelved. The curse lives on, and the
game is quite short. With only a handful of levels, the game can easily be
beaten in one setting. To me, however, the game is the perfect length. I'm not
saying that you are going to spend restless nights, figuring out how to beat the
third huge boss; but it is a game that you can pick up and play for
15-minutes and put back down. That is the real beauty of shooters, and Gunbird2
itself. Most gamers will shelve it after completion, but for those who enjoy a
quick "pick-up-game", this is an ideal candidate. There are far too
many games on the market that restrict you to at least putting in
30-minutes into the game at one setting. Shooters, on the other hand, can be
picked up, played and put away within 20 minutes.
Double D's
If you are a fan of 2D graphics, Gunbird 2 is a godsend. The visuals are
crisp and colorful and sport an amazing framerate. Even with the screen
bombarded with incredible chaos, the game chugs along without a glitch. I've yet
to find any slowdown or flicker not matter what was going on during the action.
The end bosses are huge and breathtaking, and even they with their barrage of
firepower, don't choke the play at all.
Backgrounds (more like backdrops) are still pseudo-3D, but are at times
magnificent. For the majority of the game, the backgrounds are fairly simple and
plain. This isn't a deterrent however, because Psikyo focuses more on
gameplay and producing an arcade simulation; rather than concentrate on eye
candy. On a side note, there is an option to view artwork and sketches which is
rather cool, but I didn't do more than simply scroll through it...
Audible, I had mixed reactions. On one hand I feel that they again captured the
arcade flavor but on the other hand the music becomes repetitive and annoying.
The soundtrack is classic "Anime style opening music", with some perky
techno beats. I really liked the synthesized tunes, but after a while the music
felt more like an ancient Chinese torture method than a peppy soundtrack.
Even though many times my ears were numb from the sickening sweet music, my
other senses were heightened with the awesome effects of the explosions and
weapons. I think most would agree that overall the soundtrack and effects are
well done, and worthy of suiting a shooter.
66 Says:
When it comes to classic shooters, Gunbird2 fits the mold perfectly. It
combines the old-school flavor on a current (clears throat) console. I
highly recommend the game to anyone with a Dreamcast unit. The game can be found
for under $10, and has infinite "pick up and play" last ability.
Although the game might be short in length, the overall value of the game does
more than give you a fun romp, it also takes you back to a time when games were
about one thing... fun.
7.3
