This is another of my favorite video games of all time and run and gun games. "Elevator Action" is you can say one of Taito's big franchises, even though it doesn't get enough attention; This game is its first and only sequel. I'll level with you I did like the first game but didn't love it; personally, I love the sequel because it just had a lot more going for it.
Like any good video game sequels or just sequels in general, it took everything about the first game and just improved and made it even better than before. From the setting which they've put in the future, which was a wise move, it sort of reminds me of the world in the movie "Robocop", despite all the advanced technology it is still in the modern day; and of course, things are far from perfect as things are dirty, grimy, and crime has run rampant. This gives the game the perfect battleground, a bit of a neo noir vibe as it's a world where danger is rampant and can pop up anywhere at any time.
The graphical presentation is great, I really love the use of the detail, which is just spot on, from characters, like how in the cutscenes they look almost like the anime characters from the series "Red Photon Zillion" and probably were inspired by that series as one of them look uncannily (though not by accident) like Apple from the show only without the blue hair. Along with those digital scope lens they wear which were also in the show. But it's the background animation along with visual and sound effects that is the real star of the visuals as it really helps make the game pop and lively.
The gameplay is excellent and spot on, it's like the gameplay of the original but with some refinements and improvements. Much like with run and gun games like "Rolling Thunder" this is the kind of game you take your time with, you must think a little before taking your next step, utilize tactics to take out your opposition and to use your time wisely because it can run out faster than your ammo.
For the controls you have the walk, jump and duck like in the first game, but here there is a little more fluidity to the control. Also, in the game you can also run and roll when you need to, to get someplace in a hurry or simply be at the right place and time to attack. As usual you have the elevators which help you to advance up or down floors, the fact that you can see what goes on in the other floors works to your advantage as it puts you a step ahead of the opposition and can plan your next move/s better.
One of the improvements is that you have different kinds of weapons which each have strengths and weaknesses, but each of them give you a step up in the game. But each of the new weapons has limited ammo so make your shots count. You have a bar of life, so you don't have to worry about the one-shot death, but you still must worry about death as you're not bulletproof. There are boss battles but they're more like stick situations as you must shoot and maneuver your way out of them.
And of course, the music and sound are superb, really like the sound effects for the guns and there are some very solid music tunes that just give out the fast hard hitting action vibe. And most of all how violent the game is, which makes sense with most games in the 90's they were taking things up a notch. This game does have a small blood spurt effect every time you hit an enemy. But the even more devastating effect is seeing your enemy/s getting burned to a crisp by any of the explosive barrels that are of course conveniently present. All this is commonplace now for our current games but still you can't help but imagine how people back in the 90's must have been blown away by this as there really wasn't anything like it at the time.
This vintage classic is an elevation of fun.
Rating: 4 stars.
Like any good video game sequels or just sequels in general, it took everything about the first game and just improved and made it even better than before. From the setting which they've put in the future, which was a wise move, it sort of reminds me of the world in the movie "Robocop", despite all the advanced technology it is still in the modern day; and of course, things are far from perfect as things are dirty, grimy, and crime has run rampant. This gives the game the perfect battleground, a bit of a neo noir vibe as it's a world where danger is rampant and can pop up anywhere at any time.
The graphical presentation is great, I really love the use of the detail, which is just spot on, from characters, like how in the cutscenes they look almost like the anime characters from the series "Red Photon Zillion" and probably were inspired by that series as one of them look uncannily (though not by accident) like Apple from the show only without the blue hair. Along with those digital scope lens they wear which were also in the show. But it's the background animation along with visual and sound effects that is the real star of the visuals as it really helps make the game pop and lively.
The gameplay is excellent and spot on, it's like the gameplay of the original but with some refinements and improvements. Much like with run and gun games like "Rolling Thunder" this is the kind of game you take your time with, you must think a little before taking your next step, utilize tactics to take out your opposition and to use your time wisely because it can run out faster than your ammo.
For the controls you have the walk, jump and duck like in the first game, but here there is a little more fluidity to the control. Also, in the game you can also run and roll when you need to, to get someplace in a hurry or simply be at the right place and time to attack. As usual you have the elevators which help you to advance up or down floors, the fact that you can see what goes on in the other floors works to your advantage as it puts you a step ahead of the opposition and can plan your next move/s better.
One of the improvements is that you have different kinds of weapons which each have strengths and weaknesses, but each of them give you a step up in the game. But each of the new weapons has limited ammo so make your shots count. You have a bar of life, so you don't have to worry about the one-shot death, but you still must worry about death as you're not bulletproof. There are boss battles but they're more like stick situations as you must shoot and maneuver your way out of them.
And of course, the music and sound are superb, really like the sound effects for the guns and there are some very solid music tunes that just give out the fast hard hitting action vibe. And most of all how violent the game is, which makes sense with most games in the 90's they were taking things up a notch. This game does have a small blood spurt effect every time you hit an enemy. But the even more devastating effect is seeing your enemy/s getting burned to a crisp by any of the explosive barrels that are of course conveniently present. All this is commonplace now for our current games but still you can't help but imagine how people back in the 90's must have been blown away by this as there really wasn't anything like it at the time.
This vintage classic is an elevation of fun.
Rating: 4 stars.