El Viento for Genesis

Image: MobyGames

El Viento

Earnest Evans' much better looking sister

Genre: action - gun

Publisher: Renovation Products

Year: 1991

System: Genesis

Gameplay Score: 4

Gameplay Notes:

Pervasive showdown. Attack is with two boomerangs. You can't just mash on the button because if you miss your target, have to wait for your boomerangs to return so you have to be careful about when you throw them or you have to throw them in a regular pattern. You have a tall sprite with a huge hitbox so it can be difficult to avoid projectiles although you have a nice tall jump. Overall the movement is good. Not great but very good. Most enemies go down in one hit, but if they don't there's an enemy health bar. Enemies have hitboxes and knock you back if you collide. Love this.

Level Design Score: 3

Level Design Notes:

The levels themselves are interesting but some of the gameplay mechanics hold them back from being fun to play. For example the collision on rounded objects is weird. You can only jump or move if you're planted firmly on the ground so if you're on the edge of a round object you sometimes can and sometimes cannot jump. Many platforms are made of a collection of these rounded abscess which makes it difficult to walk along them. Some levels also have a maze like design without any indicator of where to go or visual landmarks to remember. Level three has a lot of rooms with low ceilings which does not play to the game's strengths. Overall not too bad but not memorable either.

Theme Score: 3

Theme Notes:

Typical anime stuff. You're a green haired half Japanese girl in skimpy clothes. But the setting is weird. Enemies range from gangsters in trench coats in warehouses to axe wielding mutants and bats in a cave. It seems like it's set in Prohibition-era but I can't really tell. Either way it's a weird mashup

Art Style Score: 3

Art Style Notes:

Poor visual language about platforms, doors, etc. Looks a bit like Rolling Thunder. Sprites look alright but the backgrounds are poorly drawn. Many are flat, single color backdrops, like a simple blue sky. They lack personality.

Audio Score: 3

Audio Notes:

Decent music and some nice sounds.

Overall Score: 70

Review ID: 893