While
it may not be true in the case of the shooter genre, let’s face
it, most games are created because somebody has a solid STORY to
tell. Without at least some kind of characters, plot, and theme,
99 out of 100 games just wouldn’t fly. And the technology of today
makes it possible for “movie games” to really draw people into the
action. Metal Gear Solid comes to mind, with about 30% action oriented
gameplay and the rest cinema scenes. Shenmue is poised to be released,
and the companies claim that this game will take game-related storytelling
to the next level. Well, SM2 isn’t even in the same ballpark as
these games, but it could be viewed as a very early step in the
“cinematic gaming experience”. Shooters don’t usually go that direction,
since their nature is just to blow stuff up, but Mark 2 is an extremely
story driven game which doesn’t neglect the action while laying
out the plot. Some gamers may like this in a shmup, while others
may be turned off by it, thinking “what’s the point, let’s break
stuff!”..
Here’s
the really sad news: Mark 2 is all in Japanese, so I can’t comment
on the plot of the game at all. It’s looks halfway decent, and it’s
possible to piece some of it together, but without a FAQ, patch,
or translation to be found, the whole point of this game is sorta
lost. So I have to limit the review to the gameplay elements (which
are still above average, mind you). Again, I can’t stress how much
we are missing out of this game by not understand the plot. Imagine
watching the latest Anime import with no translations or overdubs.
Frustrating, innit?
So,
on to the game. Mark 2 is part of the Spriggan series, yet deviates
from the norm by switching to side scrolling. You play the part
of a mech out to….um…do something….with lots of weapons at your
disposal. The sheer firepower of the Spriggan is fun to use, and
when done properly tears the enemy to shreds. You are able to customize
the mech before missions, so try the different setups and see what
weapon combinations you like best. Ammo is limited, but with about
five or six guns to switch around, you will be well equipped for
massive destruction. There is even an energy sword for close range
combat, and a huge beam weapon that devastates bosses in a few hits.
The Spriggan has a regenerating shield meter, so this is no one-hit-wonder
game. Dodge enemies for long enough, and you will replenish health,
though this game isn’t too difficult and you probably won’t get
very low too frequently.
During
the fights, your battleships and partners will sometimes come and
help out. They don’t do much, but will distract from bullets from
heading your way. The appearance of a helper usually sparks some
dialogue in Mark 2, and here is the game’s major problem: the constant
stoppage of action sequences for character dialogue. You are blasting
away at some bad guys, when the action stops and your buddy wants
to tell you about the best movie ever he saw last night on cable
TV or something. Very frustrating! Thankfully, though, there is
an option to turn off the story mode, which I highly recommend.
There is a LOT of dialogue, and just getting through one level can
take a long time with all that chatter.
Bosses
in Mark 2 are huge, and most have some long arm-like devices with
a long reach. However the firepower of the Spriggan easily overpowers
even the toughest of opponents. The most dangerous parts are in
the levels trying to get to the bosses. Spriggan Mark 2 is one long
game, with eight levels and lots of story. Even though I didn’t
get the full impact of Mark 2 (no music, voices, or English translation),
I would still recommend it to shmup fans, especially if you like
Lords of Thunder. Personally I like Musha or Spriggan one better
as a shoot em up, but for an overall presentation, Mark 2 is mighty
impressive.
Spriggan
Mark 2 - Compile/Naxat Soft
