Heavy Barrel (NES, 1990)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-8 Control-7.5 Challenge-8* Story-5
Level Design-7 Frustration-8* Fun-7* Originality-6
Overall Score-7
*1-player
+
2-player
Fun weapons (flame thrower, spinning spike ball, ice sludge, grenades)
Decent bosses
Large sprites
Sometimes intense
Good use of color
+/-
Key system for power ups (you'll miss a few unless you know about them in beforehand)
Some overpowered weapons (grenades, flamethrower)
-
Kinda slow paced (elevator sequences, dead space)
Loose scrolling (end up too close to screen edges)
Trial & error (fast projectiles like grenade shrapnel)
No death animations on regular enemies
Mostly dumb AI
Some projectile flicker
A bit repetitive
No options?
You need keys to unlock power ups (these are rare and you don’t know which ones to save your keys for)
Level Design-7 Frustration-8* Fun-7* Originality-6
Overall Score-7
*1-player
+
2-player
Fun weapons (flame thrower, spinning spike ball, ice sludge, grenades)
Decent bosses
Large sprites
Sometimes intense
Good use of color
+/-
Key system for power ups (you'll miss a few unless you know about them in beforehand)
Some overpowered weapons (grenades, flamethrower)
-
Kinda slow paced (elevator sequences, dead space)
Loose scrolling (end up too close to screen edges)
Trial & error (fast projectiles like grenade shrapnel)
No death animations on regular enemies
Mostly dumb AI
Some projectile flicker
A bit repetitive
No options?
You need keys to unlock power ups (these are rare and you don’t know which ones to save your keys for)