Viewpoint (MD, 1994)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-6.5 Control-6.5 Challenge-9 Story-?
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-9 Fun-7 Originality-6
Overall Score-5.5/6.5*
*Overclocked
+ Cool environments with traps and large creatures moving around, very good art direction, pretty good fake 3D/polygonal effect on sprites, good bosses overall (some with multiple forms), three types of bombs, charge shot, gun drones that block regular enemy shots, shield power up (take 3 hits from purple shots), occasionally great sounding music, difficulty options (easy-hard; easy seems only slightly easier in the levels but makes bosses take fewer hits to kill), hidden warp from lvl 1 to lvl 2 (beat the spinning "mini-boss" in lvl 1)
+/- Checkpoints, iso view takes some getting used to
- Heavy slowdown (can be removed in Regen Debug though it makes the game even harder), heavy trial & error (the odd hit box on your ship takes some getting used to (forgiving in the front), attacks from all sides, boss patterns, traps), difficulty spike at the last level, loose camera, somewhat slow backwards movement (can't be upgraded), so-so sfx overall, annoying noise during the final boss' first form, some annoying music, so-so looking regular explosions, no alternate main weapon, no drone formations, respawning with the default weapon makes it hard to recover later on, no intro, no auto-fire
Notes:
Can be overclocked in Regen Debug without side effects
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-9 Fun-7 Originality-6
Overall Score-5.5/6.5*
*Overclocked
+ Cool environments with traps and large creatures moving around, very good art direction, pretty good fake 3D/polygonal effect on sprites, good bosses overall (some with multiple forms), three types of bombs, charge shot, gun drones that block regular enemy shots, shield power up (take 3 hits from purple shots), occasionally great sounding music, difficulty options (easy-hard; easy seems only slightly easier in the levels but makes bosses take fewer hits to kill), hidden warp from lvl 1 to lvl 2 (beat the spinning "mini-boss" in lvl 1)
+/- Checkpoints, iso view takes some getting used to
- Heavy slowdown (can be removed in Regen Debug though it makes the game even harder), heavy trial & error (the odd hit box on your ship takes some getting used to (forgiving in the front), attacks from all sides, boss patterns, traps), difficulty spike at the last level, loose camera, somewhat slow backwards movement (can't be upgraded), so-so sfx overall, annoying noise during the final boss' first form, some annoying music, so-so looking regular explosions, no alternate main weapon, no drone formations, respawning with the default weapon makes it hard to recover later on, no intro, no auto-fire
Notes:
Can be overclocked in Regen Debug without side effects