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GEKIDO (PSX) By WILLIAM BARKER The time of yore, when you could put your feet up, drink some brain-deforming soda and let fly with a most dazzling array of stabs, kicks and bone-breaking roundhouses was delightful. So what happened to those hallowed days? The games industry is forever evolving, and the most popular genre today could be almost obsolete tomorrow. The operative word is 'could'. Maybe it's the move to 3D that killed off the majority of 'Final Fight'-style games, or maybe it was the colossal might of the Quakes and Unreals of the games industry, but I digress. However, not all is lost as Gremlin has resurrected the genre almost single-andedly with Gekido. It aims to give players the most violent, bone-shattering gaming sessions ever. It delivers this violence in spades thus, not only fulfilling its objectives, but also issuing a return to the good old days - hand me that control paddle, Sven. Gekido is a 3D beat-'em-up that emphasises the words "beat" and "up"; there's plenty of that old-school button-mashing to be had. But you can go about your fist-fighting with a bit of ingenuity via the combos, special moves and items to be used throughout the game. The main game mode, entitled Urban Fighters, is lots of fun, and is very simple to work out. You beat up a screen full of baddies, then move on to the next. Repeto multo. There are a number of interesting weapons and items that you can pick up in your trek of destruction. These include the usual plethora of firearms and blades, but you can even grab objects scattered across the semi-interactive environment. Players also have a rage meter, which essentially builds as you inflict more pain, in turn increasing your strength. When it come to breaking things (like skulls), bins, tyres and other miscellaneous tid-bits are yours for the hurling. My favourite is the car. Yes - a CAR! If you pick a strong enough character, you can lob a rather ominous car at your foes - it's quite a lark, let me tell you! The other game mode is called Arena Battle, where up to four players can go the tonk to see who is the supreme button-masher. This mode sounds good on paper but the execution is rather uninspiring, with bouts usually involving one dominant player thanks to poor balancing in the character department. As far as the visuals go, this game is nothing to write home about - the gameplay would have to be the title's biggest drawcard. That said, however, the characters do look quite nice, and considering the screen will sometimes be chokablock full of street punks and thugs alike, the game engine has proven its worth. There are the occasional moments of slow-down, and, of course, the PSX trademark of texture warping. On the whole, this game is very nice to play, with smooth, solid pacing throughout the levels. If you enjoyed playing Double Dragon on the 8-bit machines, then you will really get a kick out of this (geddit?). The options are fairly light, as is the premise and gameplay, but whether you go it alone or together with a buddy, this is old-school fisticuffs at its best.
ORIGINALITY 75% |
