‘Robo Army ACA NEOGEO’ Review – Not Quite Scrap Metal – TouchArcade

A number of weeks again, we took a have a look at Burning Struggle ($3.99), considered one of SNK’s many early makes an attempt at hanging beat-em-up gold on its fledgling NEOGEO platform. It virtually shamelessly cribbed from Capcom’s Ultimate Struggle, and it was maybe that lack of thematic individuality that harm it in the long run. Effectively, nobody can accuse Robo Military ($3.99) of not having its personal identification. Robotic warriors that may beat down their robotic enemies with their very own arms, and generally flip into vehicles for some time? Sure, I believe SNK bought to that specific effectively first.

It’s a story as outdated as time, so far as the sport trade goes. A mad scientist creates a military of robots and tries to take over the world, and I suppose Mega Man is busy or one thing as a result of two robotic warriors have been dispatched to maintain him and rescue the civilians he’s captured. They’ll should battle their approach by way of the mad scientist’s robo military (title drop!) which consists of a wide range of mechanical creations. There are six levels in whole, taking you thru varied grim and gritty locales. In contrast to many different video games within the beat-em-up style, you don’t have a alternative of characters. Participant One is all the time Pink Man With A Human Face, and Participant Two is all the time Blue Man With A Robotic Face.

Robo Military was developed by most of the identical folks behind the Artwork of Preventing and Deadly Fury video games, however it doesn’t have anyplace close to their ambition. Scratch previous the theme and also you’ll discover Robo Military is about as plain a brawler as you can discover. You’ve got some primary assault combos, a again assault, a leap, and a particular transfer button whose impact varies based mostly on how full your particular gauge is. You possibly can grapple enemies and deal further harm to them, too. Enemies will generally depart behind their arms or pipes if you defeat them, and you should use these as weapons. You’ll additionally discover life pick-ups, power pick-ups, and a particular merchandise that may make you briefly rework into an invincible automobile that may run over enemies.

That’s just about the extent of issues. For a 1991 NEOGEO sport, Robo Military is surprisingly freed from gimmicky shows of the {hardware}’s energy. You’ll get the occasional scaling sprite when issues are available from the background, however a lot of the NEOGEO’s muscle is getting used to maintain issues transferring easily with a number of, generally giant, characters on-screen. The visuals look first rate sufficient, and also you get some enjoyable clang-and-crash sound results as you scrape your steel fists towards the enemies’ steel jaws. It’s not an exceptionally lush sport for its period or something, however it’s ok. The sense of influence of your strikes is a bit higher than in Burning Struggle, and seeing the enemies break aside actually helps to promote your hits. There are additionally a couple of amusing animations, like when a car-robot decides to chew on you a bit with its hood.

Robotic Military is a very serviceable beat-em-up, and if the theme does one thing for you, you then’ll discover it an gratifying sufficient romp to fireside up right here and there. But it surely by no means actually goes past that, and smacking a robotic in regards to the head with its buddy’s arm will ultimately lose its allure after some time. A really lengthy whereas, thoughts you. I imply, that’s completely hilarious. I wouldn’t be stunned if the complete sport was greenlit on that particular a part of the pitch. However ultimately that thrill will fade, and all you’ll be left with is a Jaleco-tier brawler with extra pans-banging-together sound results. One thing ok to toss a couple of quarters into when you’re ready to your garments to dry, however not ok to recollect after you’re achieved folding them.

The good factor about Hamster is that the corporate has room in its coronary heart for video games like that along with the large hits, although. I’ve achieved many of those evaluations by now, however I’ve by no means actually stopped to say how good it’s to see SNK and Hamster strolling outdoors the strains of the standard hits that get cell ports. The SNK of the previous would have achieved the Metallic Slugs, King of Fighters, Samurai Shodowns, and some different odds and ends and referred to as it a day. Actually, that’s precisely what they did. We’re now in a actuality the place we’re getting prime quality releases of some actually obscure video games that comparatively few folks care about, and from each a presentation and selection standpoint, I believe that’s nice.

By now, the options of the wrapper for these video games are recognized portions. Controller assist? Sure, and thru that, assist for native multiplayer. Save states, examine. A wide range of choices for adjusting video, audio, issue, and controls. On-line leaderboards and the standard Caravan and Rating Assault modes. Japanese and Abroad variations of the sport. In case you don’t have an exterior controller, that is a type of video games that performs simply fantastic utilizing the contact controls. I’ll go forward and insert my standard gripes about not with the ability to play multiplayer on-line, however that’s actually all I’ve bought to complain about close to Hamster’s dealing with of issues.

In case you’re on the lookout for one other common beat-em-up so as to add to your pile, have very particular completely happy recollections of Nick Arcade, or simply gotta catch ’em all with the ACA NEOGEO collection, you received’t have a nasty time with Robo Military. It has a enjoyable theme that it executes effectively, and that goes a protracted solution to hiding the precise bread-and-butter sport that it’s. It performs effectively sufficient on cell, and I can not stress sufficient that you just get to select up robotic arms and beat different robots with them. If that isn’t price 4 bucks, what’s?