In the opening shots we have a futuristic Earth, space ships coming in while a family looks on, schematics for a new type of android, three test tubes with one android missing, and we are greeted to the title screen.
Something is up. One or two players can play this game, once again I’m stuck playing as one player. The male android looked boring, so I chose the woman. Their abilities are pretty similiar, save for how they are used graphically. The man uses lightning and the woman uses ice. Each character uses a type of beam saber (think Zero from Megaman X). Special orbs can make it with an added wave like effect. Otherwise it has extremely short range. These same characters can spin around in the air and use a screw attack, much like Samus from Metroid. Unlike Samus, they can stick to walls at will, fling themselves up platforms, move with their hands on ceilings and when they ge bored, fling themselves down with that same energy used on the saber, but in their feet. There is crouch and slide attack very similiar to what Kirby from Kirby Super Star uses. The cliched super bomb from fighting games is also here.
The game starts in a military base, and moves to one of five locations around the world. Tong City is by far my favorite stage. It’s a psuedo-futuristic Japan, but warped in normal Japanese fashion. This game actually reminds me of a specific type of run and gun, with weird fantasy style bosses, combined with machines. It’s very hard to describe, and reminds me heavily of Realm.
The bosses in this game are in similiar fashion. They are rampant. The main enemies are nothing to write home about. The music is definitely interesting, it features echoes, heavy percussion and instruments that try to rush out of the screen. Sounds are nothing to write home about. There is voices in this game strangely enough. Graphics are above average, and in the style of the NES or Contra. This whole game actually feels like Zero was slapped into Contra.
The only thing worth mentioning about this game is Tong City and the third android whom you run into numerous times. For some reason he wants to fight you, but it isn’t explained why.
Like many games of this time, something far more morbid, gothic, and just bizarre lies beneath the surface.
Worth a rental, but once you play through it once, you probably won’t play it again. It has a steady boost, but not enough kick.
Yozuki’s Drive - 7.5
