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[AC] Cyber Police Eswat

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[AC] Cyber Police Eswat

Unread postby Molloy » 08 Jun 2006 16:06

http://insomnia.ac/reviews/ac/cyberpoli ... review.php

Great review. It's an absolutely gorgeous game, such beautiful sprites, but the balance goes to hell after level 3 as you say.

Anybody a fan of the Mega Drive version? Most people got frustrated by the first (very tricky) level where you get your suit, but the game is sublime in the later levels. And it lets you fly. The weapons are really nicely balanced, and there are lots of really unique environmental obstacles that make it subtly different from Revenge of Shinobi, Moonwalker and Shadow Dancer. Used to finish the game over and over back in the day. Very satisfying once you've learnt the levels off.
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Unread postby icycalm » 08 Jun 2006 23:55

I actually played the Mega Drive version when it first came out, but I can't say I remember much about it. I do have a vague recollection of being able to fly. And also I think that some of the stages were different--if not all.

Isn't that really strange? How they actually modified the game so much, instead of merely porting it over? Makes me think they knew exactly what was wrong with the original version.

I am going to track down the rom one of these days, but not too soon--I think I've done enough Eswatting for a while.
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Unread postby Chuplayer » 09 Jun 2006 02:03

icycalm wrote:I am going to track down the rom one of these days, but not too soon--I think I've done enough Eswatting for a while.


Too bad. It's right here.

http://romhustler.net/rom/genesis/251
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Unread postby Molloy » 09 Jun 2006 17:13

Sega thought people wanted deeper, longer games in the home market. So games like ESWAT, Shadow Dancer and Moonwalker were pretty radically changed. Turned out quite well with ESWAT and Moonwalker. They were both superior to the arcade versions (cept alot uglier, but I suppose the sprites in the arcade ver would have meant big expensive carts anyway).

Shadow Dancer wasn't nearly as good though. Longer yes.. but the arcade version had much more atmosphere. Loved the graphics and sound effects. Bizzarre thing was they then ported the arcade original to the Master System. Remember looking at the graphics on the back of the box and being amazed. Of course the sprites were way too big so when you actually play it the enemies flicker like hell, you can't see them until they're two steps away from you.
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Unread postby icycalm » 09 Jun 2006 23:40

Molloy wrote:Sega thought people wanted deeper, longer games in the home market. So games like ESWAT, Shadow Dancer and Moonwalker were pretty radically changed.


See, I dig that. I just don't understand why they didn't change the titles. They could have called the home versions Eswat 2, Moonwalker 2, Shadow Dancer 2 or Super Eswat, or something similar. They would have avoided the confusion, for one thing.

On the subject of Eswat, I played the first two levels of the Mega Drive version last night, and it is pretty damn good. Very nice level design--you are not just simply going from left to right--nice soundtrack, and very good platforming/shooting action and I don't even have the suit yet. I might play it some more over the weekend.

I wonder if the game is a 4 or 5. I will probably have to finish it to make up my mind. How would you rate it?
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Unread postby Molloy » 10 Jun 2006 20:12

If arcade Eswat is a 3 I'd definately give it a 4. It's lacking that certain something to make it an absolute classic though so I'd stop short of giving it a 5.

You get the suit on the.. third level I think? Memory is hazy. The 2nd level where you have the suit is an absolute classic. It's sort of like a mutant lab in Shinobi 3, except way better. There are all these tunnels of ooze that you can shoot hold the stuff back, and there's a great battle with a mad scientist at the end.

You may need to cheat with savestates. It's the kind of game that's very easy to beat once you've mastered it. But some of the flying in the last couple of levels is absolutely bitch hard. There are all these parts where you have to fly over lava with no platforms and you have to try and grab rocket pack fuel as you go. Working out the boss patterns and seeing which weapons work best against them takes ages as well.

Just downloading the game now. Ahh, the music is good. Haven't played it in a few years. It sort of reminds me of Sega's Spiderman Vs. Kingpin as well. Sega knocked out so many Shinobi/Rolling Thunder type clones around that stage, but they all had a very unique feel to them somehow.
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Unread postby Molloy » 10 Jun 2006 20:33

Raarrrg! This game is too annoying to play on a keyboard. Third level is way too fiddly. :)

If it's any help you can beat the 2nd level pretty easily. Just go into the prison from the top right, work you way down killing the cannon fodder. Jump over the gap at the end at the "Go" pointer.

The mech bosses are easy to kill. Just duck and shoot at the ducking fellow, turn around to face him when he jumps, keep ducking and shooting his bullets. Can't get hit that way.

The trick to killing the third boss was the rockets if I remember correctly. Keyboard is too fiddly though. Couldn't get to him.
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Unread postby Chuplayer » 11 Jun 2006 04:53

Molloy wrote:Shadow Dancer wasn't nearly as good though.


Having never played the arcade version, from my perspective, Shadow Dancer was crap. I just plain didn't enjoy it. It was so stiff, so annoying, and so pointless. I guess since I didn't have the appreciation for the original, I didn't like the port.

Shortly thereafter, I got Shinobi 3, and I loved that one. Still haven't beaten Revenge of Shinobi, though. I've owned that one for nearly 10 years now, and I still haven't beaten it :(
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Unread postby Molloy » 11 Jun 2006 20:46

Revenge of Shinobi was the 2nd game I bought for my Mega Drive. It took me a year to beat it with the bad ending. I was selling the machine and games 4 years later and finished the game properly the night before. Absolute rock hard game. Reading GameFAQ's recently I found out about the hidden POW just before the last boss, that would have made things ALOT easier. :D
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Unread postby icycalm » 11 Jun 2006 20:53

Hey, here's the Mean Machines review of Mega Drive Eswat:

http://misc.insomnia.ac/magazines/eswatmd.pdf

I love reading old mags. It's hilarious that they say at the end something like "Eswat is not a very good arcade conversion, but it's still a nice game."

Yeah dude, maybe that's because it's NOT a conversion but a brand new game.

On the subject of Shadow Dancer for the Mega Drive, we'd all think more highly of it if not for the stunningly excellent Shinobi games. They raised the bar sky-high. I like it because it's a side-scrolling ninja game from Sega, and I just can't get enough of those. But yeah, it's certainly nothing special.

I still haven't spent much time with the arcade version, so I don't know about that.
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