Tag / 1991

by lawrenceofcanadia

De-Cap Attack – Review

The early 1990s were a great time for me. I was too young to be distracted by girls but old enough to be able to hang out with friends without the supervision of parents. I was also old enough to be half decent at video games. My friends and I regularly exchanged games (and cheat codes) but sadly we just didn’t have the money to buy many games. Having an older brother has its benefits. He may be mean and leave you out in the cold when his older, cooler friends are around, but he may also have access, and money, to borrow or buy more video games. One such game that my brother brought home one night was De-cap Attack.

Title screen (Screenshot taken by the author)

De-cap Attack is a single-player platform game. It was developed by Vic Tokai and published by Sega for the Mega Drive in 1991. For this review, I played the version found on Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection (2009).

Plot

Max D. Cap has returned from the Underworld to wreak havoc with his army of evil monsters. His devastation has caused the island where you live, shaped in the form of a skeleton, to break apart. Chuck D. Head, that’s you, is the creation of Dr. Frank N. Stein and his loyal assistant Igor. They created you, a headless mummy, and sends you to defeat Mad D. Cap and his minions and return to the island to its original state.

The Skeleton Island (screenshot taken by the author)

Gameplay

Chuck can attack his enemies in three ways. He has a weird face in his chest that extends out and punches the enemy, he can jump on their heads and squash them into the ground, or he can acquire a skull that can be thrown at the enemy but will return like a boomerang. Chuck also has the added ability of slowing his descent by kicking his legs. This little feature has saved my life, and my sanity, on more than one occasion.

Along the way, Chuck can pick up several different potions to assist him. These give him abilities such as harnessing a lightning ball, speeding up his run, slowing down the enemy etc. You can also pick up gold coins to use in a post-level bonus game.

Your health unit, quite ingeniously, is measured by pumping hearts. Each heart is the equivalent of two hits. However, if you fall into lava you will die instantly.

Chuck can use his head to throw at his enemies (screenshot taken by the author)

Although this is technically a side-scrolling platform game, and mostly that’s left to right, there are several levels where you either climb or descend the screen and at least one or two where you go from right to left. Which is quite novel considering most platformers seem to go from left to right. Like most side-scrolling plaforms, there are higher parts to each level where more goodies and power-ups can be found.

Each “island” has three stages to complete. At the end of each island you will face a boss. To add an extra challenge to each island, there is a special object to collect so even if you defeat the end of island boss, you cannot progress without finding this object.

After you complete an “island” you are rewarded with a bonus stage. Each coin you gathered allows you to place a clone of Chuck on a path. You can place as many or as little as you want on each path. Everytime they reach a bridge they will cross it either to the left or right. When they reach the end of the paths, you need to stop a set scrolling bridges. If you place your clones correctly and timed your stop of the correctly Chuck will be rewarded with lives and potions. If not they fall down a hole and you win nothing.

Obligatory swimming level (screenshot taken by the author)

How Does It Handle?

The controls are tight and responsive but when Chuck changes direction whilst running, he skids in a very cartoony way which takes a bit of getting used to. This is an incredibly fun game to play!

Graphics

I think the graphics are fab! The levels are incredibly detailed and sprites are well animated. There is no flickering or slowing down when there are several sprites on screen and end of level bosses look great too.

Music

The intro music to this game is pretty cool. Sadly, the in-game music is fitting but forgettable. However, the clever part of the music lies when Chuck dies. It plays a bar or two of Bach’s Toccato and Fugue in D Minor (skip to the 2.40), which is one of the creepiest pieces of classical music you’ll hear and works well in this game.

Replay Value

The difficulty of the game can be changed by altering the number of hearts you begin with. Don’t be fooled by the first few levels however, this game gets tough later on. I found this game held up incredibly well and I had as much enjoyment out of it as I did when I was younger. I will definitely be returning to it again.

Did I Complete The Game?

Yes, on the easiest setting, but I will certainly play it again in the future.

What The Critics Said:

Game Informer: “There’s enough originality to keep a gamer’s interest and the characters are really a scream (pun intended). If you like Mario and Bonk type games, You’ll love De-Cap Attack”. Overall 7.5/10”.[1]

Game Informer: “The game is addictive. There’s enough to keep even the best player busy for weeks. Overall 8.5/10”.[2]

Game Pro: “Decapattack breathes life into the worn out action/adventure theme. – you gotta admit, head tossing is a pretty innovative for of self-defence. It’s got all the makings of a superior game: great graphics, manageable challenge, ear-pleasing tunes, and , yahoo, endless continues. It’s well worth losing your head in Decapattack. Overall 4.6/5”.[3]

Mean Machines Sega: “A fun-filled platform game which is basically identical to the old import game, Magical Flying Hat Turbo Adventure, except it has different sprites and backdrops. Platform fans will love it… Overall 82%”.[4]

My Verdict:

“I love this game! Its fun yet challenging. It looks great, plays great, sounds great, and certainly is a cut above most other 16-bit platform games. It holds help well, even 30 years after its original release.”

Rating:

What are your memories of De-Cap Attack? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.

[1] Rick, The Video Ranger. ‘Review – De-Cap Attack’. Game Informer. (Fall Issue 1991) :9.

[2] Andy, The Game Dandy. ‘Review – De-Cap Attack’. Game Informer. (Fall Issue 1991) :9.

[3] ‘ProRreviews – Decap attack’. Game Pro. (October 1991). Volume 3 Number 10:46.

[4] ‘Review: Mega Drive – Decapattack’. Mean Machines. (October 1992). Issue 1:138.

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by lawrenceofcanadia

Bonanza Brothers – Review

Revisiting retro video games can be perilous. Over the years, our gaming prowess increases (or decreases for some of us), our tastes change and many games simply don’t age well. This week, I revisited Bonanza Bros., a game that I thought was lots of fun in the early 1990s…after almost 30 years, does the game still hold up?

Title screen (Screenshot taken by the author)

Bonanza Bros. is a 2D shooter platform game created in a 3D style. It was developed and published by Sega for the Arcade in 1990 (U.S. Gold published the game for home computer systems). In 1991, it was released on the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amiga, Master System, TurboGrafix-CD, Mega Drive, Sharp X68000 and ZX spectrum. For this review, I played the Mega Drive version found on Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection (2009).

Plot

In the game, you are hired by the Police of Badville to test the security of buildings around the town where some very valuable objects are housed. These include a mansion, yacht, bank and a casino.

Gameplay

To steal the objects, you must use your stealth skills and your wits to evade the security stationed to protect the valuables. Once you have all the valuables, you must reach the roof so that you can be whisked away in a hot air balloon.

Bonanza Bros. can be played in both one and two-player modes. The characters consist of Robo (red) and Mobo (blue). In the European version, they are named Mike and Spike. The two-player mode is co-operative, with the screen split horizontally, allowing both players to explore each level individually.

The controls are very simple. You can walk, jump and shoot your gun…that’s it. To make the game a little more interesting, you can move back and forth by one square from the foreground to the background. This enables you to hide behind walls and objects, as well as dodging shots from the guards. When you shoot the guards, they do not die, they are simply stunned for a few seconds. The guards are alerted to your presence when you either walk into their field of vision or if you make a noise near them, such as kicking a soda can. Some guards are armed with riot shields, protecting them from your gunshots. If you are hit by a bullet or if the guards are close enough to hit you with their truncheon, then you lose a life. Running out of time also causes you to lose a life and you must restart the level.

The graphics are a bit too basic when compared to its contemporaries (Screenshot taken by the author)

How Does It Handle?

The game is very easy, even for less experienced gamers, and the gameplay is so simple that it becomes boring very quickly. Frustratingly, you cannot duck which becomes frustrating particularly in the later levels. Also, for a game that is supposed to be designed around stealth, there is little finesse to it. There are very little consequences to alerting the guards to your presence as all you need to do is stun them and run off screen and they seem to forget you were even there.

So does the game hold up? Sadly no. I also think it is a game best played in two-player mode, perfect for a parent and child or for an older sibling playing with a younger one.

Graphics

The graphics, although quite cute, are below standard, even for 1991. When compared to contemporary games such as Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) and Quackshot (1991), the graphics were found wanting. However, some nice little touches to the game come in the form of being able to splat a guard against the wall when you open a door, and a fly buzzing around and landing on you if you stay still for too long.

Music

I think the music is great! Its upbeat, funky a fun, and fits well with the game.

Replay Value

The game contains three difficulty settings and allows you to increase or decrease the number of lives you are assigned. This adds a lot of replay value to a game that is pretty short and easy to complete for any gamer with half a brain cell. There is also a time limit of three minutes for each level.

Personal Memories

I first played Bonanza Bros. back in the early 1990s when my older brother either borrowed it from a friend or rented it from the local Blockbusters. At the time, I thought it was one of the best games I’d ever played (bearing in mind I was only about nine years old), and was really looking forward to revisiting the game. Sadly, I think this is a game not worth revisiting.

Although more enjoyable in two-player mode, the game is too easy and becomes repetitve very quickly (Screenshot taken by the author)

Did I Complete The Game?

Yes, but I don’t think I will be revisiting it very often.

What The Critics Said:

Mean Machines: “Fans of the coin-op will love this – but others might find the action a little too repetitive. If in doubt, check it out. Overall 82%”.[1]

Mean Machines Sega: “Like Alien Storm, this is another superb conversion which is let down by the fact that it is just too easy. The two-player action is fun, but at the end of the day what you need is a challenge, and unless you’re a games novice, this simply fails to deliver. Overall 73%”.[2]

Sega Power: “The graphics are faithfully reproduced, the split- screen two-player mode is included and the gameplay, if a bit repetitive, is all there. Overall 4/5”.[3]

My Verdict:

“This game is not without its charm. Its cute, and quite fun in two-player mode. However, the graphics are below standard when compared to its contemporaries, and the gameplay becomes too repetitive too quickly. Definitely one for younger gamers.”

My Rating:

What are your memories of Bonanza Bros.? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.

[1] ‘Mega Drive Review – Bonanza Brothers’. (July 1991). Mean Machines. Issue 10:86-8.

[2] ‘Review: Mega Drive – Bonanza Bros’. Mean Machines. (October 1992). Issue 1:137.

[3] ‘The Hard Line – Bonanza Brothers’. Sega Power. (October 1991). Issue 23:53.