Review: TG16 - Sidearms Review

Sidearms (TG16)

One look at this game nowadays and you would swear it came out around 1993/94ish. Its really hard to believe such a great looking, sounding and playing game came out pre 90s.

[img width=340 height=337]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/z2-2.jpg[/img]

Gameplay:
Sidearms plays similar to the earlier game Section-Z, where you not only shoot forwards but backwards as well. This isnt however a huge focus of the game and it is rarely used. Just kind of adds a little extra flavor.

One of the biggest assets Sidearms has to offer is the many different weapons at your disposal. There are 5 different weapon types that can be collected and upgraded. These range from quicker shots to giant lasers to spread shots. Nothing new, but to find them all in the same game is great. Now the best part is that once you collect said weapon you can swap between any of them at any time by pausing the game and choosing which one suits your situation. If youre the kind of guy that likes to kill bosses as quick as possible the turbo shots or giant laser would suit you best, however if you prefer to play it slow and safe you can keep your distance with the 3-way spread or shotgun which eliminates enemy fire.

Another nice touch is that when your ship is destroyed you dont start out with nothing. You only lose the weapon you were using when your ship was destroyed. You can keep all 4 other weapons if you have them and start blasting away right off the bat.

The last upgrade, Alpha Upgrade, is found secretly in each level. It is uncovered simply by shooting an area or specific enemy. They are quite easy to find on most levels as long as you shoot anything and everything. The Alpha Upgrade causes another piece of ship to attach to you and lets you shoot a spread that covers the entire screen, front and back, in addition to your already equipped weapon. Also when you get hit you simply lose the Alpha upgrade and not a life. It is extremely handy in later levels when enemies are coming from all directions more often.

Graphics:
This game looks great not only for a game from 1989, but for a SNES/Genesis game. Very vibrant enemies stand out well on the dark mechanical backdrops. This contrast helps a lot in most shooters so that stray shots and enemies dont blend in with the background and cause unnecessary deaths.

Not once did I experience any slowdown even during the later more frantic levels. It always ran smooth.

Sound:
Sidearms boasts some really great and catchy tunes. If youre a fan of the music in other games like Mega Man, UN Squadron or Gyruss you'll love the music in Sidearms as much as I did. I must have played the first level 20 times in a two day period when attempting to beat this game and not once did the music feel repetitive or annoying.

Sound effects were your standard shmup guns and explosions. Not bad, but didnt stand out from anything else.

Replay Value:
If youre a high score junkie you'll have a bit of a reason to keep playing. There isnt a whole lot of room for massive scores, but it is quite a challenge to destroy everything near the end which could greatly boost your score.

If youre not a highscore junkie the only replay this game may get are quick plays once in a while for fun. There is no extra unlockables or better endings. It is however a great game to pick up and kill 20 minutes with.

[img width=314 height=221]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/z1-2.jpg[/img]

My only real complaint with this game is that they simply have 3 boss types in the game. 2 of them get recycled throughout the game repeatedly, but the last boss is a new one not yet encountered. Because you fight the same bosses over and over again even the later versions get very easy because they are only slight variation of what you have already beaten and mastered.

If youre a fan of horizontal scrolling shooters and missed out on Sidearms do yourself a favor and pick this one up. It is really a solid game with only one real flaw.

Final Score
8/10