Ikari Warriors review (Atari ST)

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ST Graveyard has written 61 additional reviews

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Ikari Warriors

Written by ST Graveyard

August 8, 2001

Comments

Ikari Warriors is one of the many rambo-like wargames that graced the computer screens in the 80's. This game is known to be the follow up to the legendary "Commando" game. The latter one has always been considered the first vertical scroller "one-man-against-an-army" game and it inspired an entire genre. "Commando" was released in 1985 by Capcom for the arcade market, Ikari Warriors followed only one year later in 1986. It was then converted to almost any home entertainment system. In 1987 the ST version saw the light of day. Ikari Warriors introduced something new. It was now possible for another player to join the war fair!

Also, the game had a background story, which was a new feature in the genre...This is what happened : You have received an SOS from General Alexander Bonn, who has been captured by revolutionaries. It's your job to go and rescue him. One little problem though, on your trip, your plane crashes in the middle of enemy territory. So now you have to get out of there alive, find the base and complete the mission. It really is a jungle out there!!

Graphics

Nicely hand drawn sprites fill the screen. It looks dull, but it's a really nice conversion from the original. Scrolling can be a bit jerky at times, but it is acceptable, this won't ruin the fun. To bad we only have this stretched in-game screen. This had to be done to clone the vertical monitor of the arcade machine. But you'll get used to it soon...

Sound

Not much to say here...Some mediocre soundeffects and background tune. It isn't bad, but it ain't special either...

Gameplay

You are equipped with a machine gun and 50 grenades to conquer the mayhem. To throw a grenade, you have to hold the fire button for a while. But watch out for the explosion. Controls are pretty good. Also, the rotating option from the arcades is nicely implemented in this conversion. You are able to shoot and run in different directions at the same time.

During gameplay, lots of bonuses can be found to upgrade your firepower. we have the extra bullets and grenades, but also the F Power, with which you can shoot straight through the enemy, the K Power, which kills everything on screen and finally, the B Power. If you manage to grab this baby you can throw super grenades. They kill everything within a "half a screen" radius. But beware of the explosion.

It's also possible to get in a tank. Once you're in, you can only be harmed by grenades and bombs. You have to refuel now and then, or else the darn thing will explode. To enter/ leave a tank you have to walk right to it and hold fire.

What enemies can you expect? Well, we have the ordinary blue soldiers which aren't really difficult to overcome. Only one problem, they attack in hordes. There are also the red soldiers. If you kill one of them, you get a bonus. Enemy tanks and bunkers are a bit more tricky and the helicopters are a real pain, they shoot in almost every direction. Later on in the game you'll also encounter super tanks, these babies fire super bombs, so beware.

Make sure to avoid the mines scattered all over the place. Sometimes you have to cross a river, you can do this by walking over a bridge or by swimming. The latter option slows down your trooper and makes him very vulnerable. Try to avoid this at any cause!

Conclusion

I love "Ikari Warriors". It's the best game in its genre. Even if you complete it, you'll be playing it again and again. And the two player option is just fabulous. I've played this with friends forever. And although the graphics and sounds aren't much, it's the fantastic gameplay that counts in the first place, something game creators often forget these days!!

Score

Graphics: 7
Sound: 6
Gameplay: 7
Overall: 9

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