Yesterday while I was writing about the Kickstarter for a new Swat Kats series, I noticed that there was a Super Nintendo game made based on the cartoon show. So I looked the game up and found a playable version, turned on my Ouya and gave it a try.
The first thing I noticed was the horrible font that was used, I didn’t know if the game was glitchy or they just made a horrible choice. In hindsight I should have taken this as foreshadowing of what the game was going to be offering me. After you pass the start screen you’re given a choice between the two characters of the show, T-Bone and Razor. There aren’t any real distinctions, except one is skinnier, and there isn’t any information on what powers or abilities they have. I picked T-Bone and proceeded to the next screen, where I was given choices of where I wanted to start. Like in the character select screen, basic information was given on who the villain of the level was and what was happening. No stage stated that it was harder or easier than the other, so I picked the one I was already on. The level I picked was a city level and the main villain was Doctor Viper. The same crappy font was used to describe the level, so didn’t bother reading it and proceeded.
The level was a side scrolling level, where you can jump, fire a short missile a long range rocket and at some parts climb. From what I got while playing, your life starts pretty low and items you pick up increase it. The main weapon you use is a the short range missile, but the downfall is that it literally goes a foot in front of you. This means that when you fight an enemy, they have to be pretty close which opens you up to getting hit when some of the explode into smaller versions of themselves. The game must know it has faults, because no matter where you die you start at the beginning and at the beginning of each level is a 1 up. When looking back at my game play, I also notice that the level at the top of the screen isn’t game level’s it your levels. As you fight monsters you are able to level up and cause more damage. Even if I had noticed that while playing, I had pretty much an ass full of the short range missile and reappearing enemies, so I just to get to the end.
If I thought the side scrolling level weapons were frustrating, then I was in for a big surprise as the flying levels are some of the most nauseating levels ever made. They literally made me slightly dizzy, because the background is spinning while you go side to side with a firing missiles at enemies. I know you could lock onto enemies to kill them faster, but when the cross hair movement and the plane both use the directional pad you really just give up. After playing the first spinning level for over 15 minutes, I stopped firing missiles and just dodged enemies. It took me an additional 5 minutes, but I finally found a way to get past this level. The second level because worse, because you have to actually aim your cross hairs at 4 small eyes while it’s spinning and projectiles are being thrown at you. I spammed the missile buttons at much as I could and the final form is a huge eye. I guess someone really was into making backgrounds spin, because this is the main point of the flying levels. After a while I decided to just quit, before I threw up.
This game is one of the most frustrating games I have ever played, I’m glad I never wanted it when I was a kid. If I would have received this game as a gift, it would probably have been playing once or twice and then never again. There are videos out there where people beat this game, but even with a Game Genie I don’t think I could complete it.