Ikari no Yousai/Operation Logic Bomb: The Ultimate Search & Destroy (SNES, 1993
Graphics-7 Sound-7 Control-7.5 Challenge-7.5 Story-5
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-8 Fun-6.5 Originality-4.5
Overall Score-6.5
+
Strafing (hold l/r)
8-way targeting
Switch weapons on the fly
Decent in-game cutscenes (unskippable though)
Good map system (shows your location as well as found computers and lvl exits; map needs to be found via a computer in each level though)
Some cool weapons (ricochet laser, decoy, flamethrower, mine)
Tutorial videos show how to use new weapons
Some nice visual effects (powering on the first level, level 2 path restoration, final segment)
+/-
No overall time limit
Dialogue-less story telling via in-game cutscenes (find out what happened by watching a recording of what a beaten robot has seen before, somewhat confusing at times, sometimes uninteresting scenes)
Unlimited ammo
ESWAT-like intro cutscene
Exploration-based gameplay
Some enemies get stuck on corners
No health refill after a boss
Evenly placed checkpoints (at the last elevator or beginning of a boss fight)
-
Limited continues (only 3) and no lives or save/password
No options menu? (nothing on Gamefaqs)
Slow walking speed (enemies and projectiles are often fast which leads to unavoidable damage here and there; can't be upgraded)
No run or dodge moves
No health or weapon upgrade drops (there are rare computer terminals that refill your health)
Several enemies and even mini-bosses can be cheesed by keeping them at the edge of the screen or shooting past corners from where they can't shoot back
Repetitive
Some backtracking and aimless searching
Opening doors by destroying resilient "reactors" slows the pace down
Trial & error (boss patterns, some enemy attacks or placements)
Doesn't show boss health bars
Slow computer terminal animation (movement is locked during it)
Some difficulty spikes (level 2 boss)
Safe spots at the third/final boss
Very short (three (fairly long but still) levels)
Generic looking sprites overall (pretty nice backgrounds and later bosses though)
Some dialogue to explain the ending wouldn't have hurt
So-so animation overall
Somewhat muffled explosion sfx
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-8 Fun-6.5 Originality-4.5
Overall Score-6.5
+
Strafing (hold l/r)
8-way targeting
Switch weapons on the fly
Decent in-game cutscenes (unskippable though)
Good map system (shows your location as well as found computers and lvl exits; map needs to be found via a computer in each level though)
Some cool weapons (ricochet laser, decoy, flamethrower, mine)
Tutorial videos show how to use new weapons
Some nice visual effects (powering on the first level, level 2 path restoration, final segment)
+/-
No overall time limit
Dialogue-less story telling via in-game cutscenes (find out what happened by watching a recording of what a beaten robot has seen before, somewhat confusing at times, sometimes uninteresting scenes)
Unlimited ammo
ESWAT-like intro cutscene
Exploration-based gameplay
Some enemies get stuck on corners
No health refill after a boss
Evenly placed checkpoints (at the last elevator or beginning of a boss fight)
-
Limited continues (only 3) and no lives or save/password
No options menu? (nothing on Gamefaqs)
Slow walking speed (enemies and projectiles are often fast which leads to unavoidable damage here and there; can't be upgraded)
No run or dodge moves
No health or weapon upgrade drops (there are rare computer terminals that refill your health)
Several enemies and even mini-bosses can be cheesed by keeping them at the edge of the screen or shooting past corners from where they can't shoot back
Repetitive
Some backtracking and aimless searching
Opening doors by destroying resilient "reactors" slows the pace down
Trial & error (boss patterns, some enemy attacks or placements)
Doesn't show boss health bars
Slow computer terminal animation (movement is locked during it)
Some difficulty spikes (level 2 boss)
Safe spots at the third/final boss
Very short (three (fairly long but still) levels)
Generic looking sprites overall (pretty nice backgrounds and later bosses though)
Some dialogue to explain the ending wouldn't have hurt
So-so animation overall
Somewhat muffled explosion sfx