Ranger X Longplay (Sega Genesis) [QHD]

Game Info --------------------------------------------------- Developer: Gau Entertainment Publisher: Sega Year of Release: 1993 Game Review & Impressions --------------------------------------------------- If you have a penchant for Anime-inspired mech games, Ranger X might just be up your alley. It's yet another title in the Genesis library I'd never heard of before, and it turned out to be really quite impressive. The premise is pretty straightforward: pilot a mech suit in a series of sorties to destroy the forces of an oppressive military force, attempting to bring return some semblance of peace to the world. Each stage contains a number of targets -- indicated under the radar at the top of the screen -- that must be located and destroyed. Some of these are hidden out of reach, so you'll need to make use of your mech's in-built jet pack to reach them, although the pack slowly overheats through use, so you'll often need to land at opportune moments to let it cool off. Then there are your weapons, which include a pulse rifle with unlimited ammunition, plus a selection of specials with varying shot pattern, utility and so forth. Specials require power to operate, and your suit recharges power when in open daylight, or exposed to light sources - environments located in caves, underground, or places where light is otherwise lacking means you'll need to conserve power and use your weapons only when needed, which adds a degree of strategy to the game. In one of the later stages, the only light sources are high-intensity search lights, which trigger swarms of enemies when you enter the beam, so recharging weapons comes with a price; it's a really neat feature and one that adds variety to the levels. In addition to your own mech suit, you'll be accompanied by one of two vehicles -- Couriers -- during each stage. Indra, a speedy motorbike, can be used to skip across the level in double quick time, and comes equipped with an additional pulse rifle. The "Eos", on the other hand, provides fire support from the air, bombarding enemies with powerful laser blasts, and slowly follows you around the level. Docking your suit with a Courier allows you to change the special weapon you have equipped, and grants you a degree of protection from enemies, thanks to an extra set of shields equipped on the craft. I had no real preconceptions about the game prior to playing, and I came away suitably impressed. The inclusion of support vehicles and reliance on light to recharge weapons adds depth to the gameplay, and Ranger X is also one of the most visually impressive titles in the Genesis library. The artwork is exceptionally good throughout, with extensive parallax layers adding depth to the backgrounds of each level, and cool tricks, such as the light shafts breaking through the roof of the caves in stage 2, setting this a cut above other Genesis games. Ranger X is a seriously cool game, one I recommend any shooter fan check out. Chapters --------------------------------------------------- TBC