GENERAL
OPINION:
"I LOVE IT!!!"
You ever get the feeling that some game companies just do
not want you to see the end of a game? I think that was
the entire point of Armed Police Batrider (from here on
referred to as APB). I just finished reviewing DonPachi
for this website, and I thought that was insane. I have
seen insane. It is NOT DonPachi. APB is quite possibly the
single craziest example of a manic shooter. The screenshots
DO NOT demonstrate the psychotic levels to which this game
goes to keep you from beating it. You simply must see this
game moving to fully understand it. I've seen some pretty
crazy games (Batsugun,
DonPachi) but THIS is just mean! To start with, the game
is faster than any other shooter I've ever played (I'm sure
there are speedier, but I haven't seen it), it has more
bullets than any other shooter I've ever seen, AND it has
better graphics!
Oh, the graphics! If this was any other genre I'd go on
about how great it is to just sit and stare at them. You
do that in this game, you blow up. A lot. This game falls
into the same category as Batsugun as far as power-ups are
concerned. Many times, you can't tell where your shots end
and your enemies' begin. HINT: The ones moving AWAY are
yours. Sometimes, that's the only way to differentiate between
them, and even then it's difficult. Only Batsuguns' power-ups
can touch these, and APB throws out that level of gun-sanity
on a whole slew of ships. I haven't bothered to count them,
but there are a lot (if you play on the third game setting,
more on that later). One of these is the weird wolf-bat-guy
from Shippu Mahou Daisakusen, Miyamoto. All of these have
their own guns and their own bombs. Considering the amout
of ships, this is pretty impressive.
You can select from three different levels of play. In the
first you only play through three levels, the second five,
and the third through all seven. There are also three different
ways of selecting your ships. In one you select pre-set
"teams". The other you can select any three from a short
list of available ships. The final one has a whole lot of
ships, but they are selected randomly. If the machine is
set up for it, you can also select the order you take the
middle levels in. So, how does it play? Very well. The control
is spot-on, the ships are fast and maneuverable, and the
large variety of enemies are all fun to skoosh. It doesn't
have the same feeling of controlled chaos as DonPachi does,
but it isn't supposed to. This game is meant to be one of
those that will make the most hardcore shooter fans curl
up in a ball and cry to their mommies. If you're trying
to go for a continue limit, it probably will. If you don't
care about that, it's not a problem. Personally, while reviewing
DonPachi I used about 14 LIVES. Since I set it up for five
men per credit (I was doing screenshots and didn't want
to be reaching for the start button too often) that comes
out to two continues plus four lives. Not bad for someone
playing on a keyboard, if you ask me. Anyway, I probably
used up 14 CONTINUES in the final boss encounter of APB
alone. I wouldn't say I'm a great shmupper, but I'm no slouch.
This game is just plain MEAN. Not mean in the rude sense,
mean in the spiteful way. This game DOES NOT want you to
beat it.
I can't tell you what the sound is like, I had it turned
off. My speakers suck and I think it would actually be unfair
to review it with my current audio setup. Sorry!
Overall, this is a great game. It's got the graphics, it's
got the bullets, it's got the speed. It has it all! I'd
suggest everyone check it out. Although I prefer DonPachi,
this game is more than worthy enough to be put in the same
sentence.
|
GENERAL
OPINION:
"LIKED IT, BUT COULDA BEEN BETTER"
I've always enjoyed the many compilation games released
by the soft-co's of today. I have loads of compilation packs,
such as Thunderforce, Capcom Generations and the Image Fight/X-Multiply
packs released, as well as things lie Super Mario Allstars
and Sonic Jam. However, although they are compilation packs
in name and in look, they don't really have much to offer
besides the 'loads of games in one' theory. Batrider on
the other hand is a more intersting compilation...
For starters, if you've played EVERY Raizing game out (like
me) then you might be familiar with games such as Mahou
Daisakusen, Battle
Garegga and Kingdom Grandprix. Well, when you sit
down and watch (don't play) Armed Police Batrider, you may
recognise many things from many of the Raizing games, as
well as some things from some of Toaplan's games. It seems
like Batrider is a 'shove everything together and make it
a new thing' game. And it works too!
You can actively pick from many new ships from the first
two ship select options - the first one being Team Select,
and the second one being a pick-and-mix customisation. However,
pick the third ship select option - Random Select - and
the game will pick from nearly twenty ships - the first
nine plus eleven or so extra craft pinched from other games,
like Garegga, Miyamoto and Gain from Kingdom Grandprix,
and even one from Tatsujin 2! It's fun just going into the
Random Select screen and getting a custom team to test your
skills with.
This game doesn't half throw the firepower at you! However,
there is serious limitations with the bullets on screen.
It seems that, unlike the Cave games, Batrider's firepower
is more Batsugun overwhelming, and can often obscure on-screen
action at times. With Cave games such as Donpachi and ESP
Ra.De you can see the bullets clearly, as they are very
bright and chunky. In Batrider, the colour pallette looks
like it was dipped in mud, melted chocolate and the dark
selection of paints at the local DIY store, it's very dark
and dreary, and the bullets often reflect the pallette.
You can hardly see some of the shots at times, the firepower
being so thin and dark, or covered over by your own insane
firepower.
Control-wise, its very precise. Your ship is fast, nippy
and agile, and can sneak through the barrage of bullets
with ease. Holding down the fire button is your basic rapid-fire
shot, while not shooting at all charges up your special
attack, which usually consists of your side-arms staying
in place and firing independantly for a small moment, which
is handy for attacking baddies and hiding in the corner
at the same time. You also have your smart bombs, huge screen-filling
affairs which destroy enemy shots and damage all on-screen
enemies at the same time. Someone e-mailed me a while ago,
about Batrider, and he said that the game was so difficult
he game up firing and set the smartbomb button on auto-fire.
Not a bad tactic at times!
Overall Batrider is a commendable game which could be improved
in certain areas - the bullet graphics for one - but all
round it's a fantastic game to play on. Just using all sorts
of ships from other games gets my vote. A brill game, improve
it in areas, and it could be a top flight game sitting at
the dinner table with R-Type and Gradius...
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Armed
Police Batrider - Raizing/Eighting
