Electroman (a.k.a. Electro Body) - Review

Author: Volverine Date: Jan 09 2010 - 14:16 Score: 50 points

Gameplay:
When you see this game, you understand that it is a usual old side-scrolling platformer. But when you play it for a few hours you may find much more in it. So you play as some robot (or just a guy who "dressed" like Robocop) who must destroy a horde of another robots and find something before leaving a level. I don't know how it happens, but boss (or someone who sent that Electro man) forgot to give him some ammo to kill another robots. This means you have to find it before you'll be able to kill your enemies. (As I remember killing everyone is not obligatory, but there are a lot of places where "you kill or you die"). Ammo looks like a barrel or battery. Every taking of ammo not only gives you extra shots, but also provide you an upgrade to your gun. Every upgrade gives additional favors (for example wider range of shot or bullet that kills many robots at one shot). But every upgrade has some limit of shots. If you reach this limit, you lose last upgrade, and another... till you lose your ammo at all. Having good weapon will make the game just a little easier because of many other things (presses, lasers, mines, acid...) that can or cannot be killed. In addition to the enemies the game has many long and not very easy labyrinths with wide network of teleports (one and two sided). Hint! On some levels there are pointers that show you the direction of movement, but you need to find them. (For example first level have many arrows that can be seen after destroying some tables on the wall). And also the thing that is really bothers is that you die when you even touch your enemy. The only help is that the game have endless "continue", and one saving slot. But you can't save the game wherever you wish, but only in special "checkpoints". But reaching a checkpoint will leave you without ammo upgrades. So you will have to collect ammo again and again. To save the gamr you should press F2. To load a game you must press F3 in Main title screen. Be careful! The Game don't ask you whether you wish to overwrite the saved game or not. You cannot load during the game, but you don't need this because of "endless continue", mentioned before.

Well, the main goal is to find three microchips and then find the exit from the level. Totally the game has 8 levels, slightly different by sight and gameplay, but every level has it's own "know-how". The game is a difficult one with several puzzles, so if you like "shoot-em-up" with minimal thinking and maximum destruction it is not your game. But I liked it very much.

Graphics:
Basically the game had EGA/CGA graphics, but current version includes VGA mode. You may see it from the screenshots, that it is good. Movement is made realistic enough, not "sharp" or "jerky". Slightly poor but different backgrounds and landscapes almost on the all present levels, but the "main actors" are illustrated quite well.

Sound & Music:
Sound is presented here as well made digital voice and some other sounds (jump, shot, death, teleport). A funny sound is when an enemy is preparing to shoot. There is almost no music except the starting titles and a final level.

Summary:
My summary is that the game worth trying to play. Is not too easy, but also is not impossible. Some reaction, good memory, lot of patience and thougts - what you need for victory. Good picture and gameplay must attract you for enough time to win.

	Title / Type	Submitter	Date
	Review	Volverine	Jan 09 2010

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