Mobile Light Force

If anyone is, at this point, unfamiliar with publisher XS Games, I can't blame you. The company hasn't really made a lot of noise, despite releasing some pretty cool games in the last few months. Perhaps part of the reason is that their scope hasn't yet reached beyond bargain PSX and PS2 titles; localizations of obscure Japanese shooters, some under new titles that shield their identity. I suppose it's their fate to be the modern-day equivalent of Renovation Studios - an awesome company that has its heart in the right place, but that isn't appealing to the rabid graphics whores that constitute the mainstream, and is thus doomed to failure. Shame. Let's enjoy their few releases before they fade away with the steadily declining PSX market.

Mobile Light Force on PSX is actually Gunbird under the guise of a 'prequel' to an entirely different shooter from an entirely different development company, that being Shikigami no Shiro. Why they were released under the same series, I don't know, but this smacks of laziness on the part of XS. Look at those covers, and then actually play the game... notice something odd? Yeah, that's right; those three chicks seen on both covers aren't actual characters in either game. What, then, is the point of including them?

But let's set that aside (because I'm not here to ascertain what XS smoked when they let that one slip), and get to the actual review shall we?

Gunbird, released originally in 1996 for Saturn in Japan (and never over here, like many of the best games on that system), was basically a Strikers clone that abandoned the element of spaceships, replacing them with airborne characters instead. It doesn't, of course, make a difference in this genre if you're flying a ship or a person, as they operate in the same way. While there was little originality to speak of, Gunbird had (and I believe, still has) all the elements of a successful shooter - massive bosses, bullet-rife mayhem (though not to the degree of a Giga Wing 2), beautiful 2D sprite graphics, and a nice challenge.

The playable characters in Gunbird are pretty varied. There are five in total: Jason Last, Marion, Yuan Nang (the only Gunbird character resurrected for the Dreamcast sequel), and the old man cliché John Suarez. There's also one named MILF 2000; the comedic value of the name is lessened over time, I assure you. These fine assortments of eccentric anime characters are out to stop three devious sisters from taking over the world, or something. The premise of the game is a lighter take on other shooters, as reflected also by the characters and the final boss (aforementioned cat).

In this Psikyo-developed game, the player destroys enemies and collects power-ups to upgrade the range of their weapon. There is the main weapon, and the bomber/special attack, which can only be used a few times. There is a separate power-up for the special attack, as well. Enemies are the usual assortment of robots and enemy ships (and various ground-based targets as well, taking a page from the Raiden Fighters series), while bosses range from massive sentry guns and armed knights to enormous skulls. There's even a dragon and a mage cat towards the end.

The difficulty is tame compared to modern shooters. If played on anything but the final two settings, Gunbird is a relatively easy shooter. If one is so inclined, however, there are two challenging settings included for those of us who can't settle for a mild challenge. Also, after killing the final boss in Gunbird/MLF, you're treated to yet more stages: super-hard versions of every stage in the regular game, to be exact (similar to Zero Gunner 2). Quick reflexes and the ability to not blink are a must to complete these levels.

The visuals are beautiful - well-detailed 2D sprite backgrounds, enemies, and characters. Everything is presented in lush 2D beauty, which only makes this game more appealing to someone like me. Yet more appealing is the game's 'tallscreen' presentation, which is also used in the sequel. Unlike the sequel, however, you cannot tilt your television to its side and play the game in an inverted, arcade-cabinet-like manner. Considering how detrimental that is to a television set, though, it's probably better that XS didn't include it. Finally, and best of all, despite the system's lacking V-Ram, the PSX port of Gunbird runs smoothly with nary a hint of slowdown.

Music is fair, if forgettable. I long for the Genesis days when shooters had awesome tunes that played in your head long after shutting the system off... Anyway, there is one miniscule issue that I have with the sound, that being MILF 2000's annoying laser beam (which is acquired after a few weapon upgrades).

Overall, Gunbird is an excellent deal at $9.99. Get it.