Gunboat for TurboGrafx-16

Image: MobyGames

Gunboat

Apocalypse Never

Genre: simulation - tank/mech

Publisher: NEC

Year: 1992

System: TurboGrafx-16

Gameplay Score: 0

Gameplay Notes:

What gameplay? This has to be the worst controls in a video game. The view is first person and you're either a gunner or the boat driver. In either case you use left or right to turn obviously and up or down to move forward or backward and the one button to fire. Movement barely works. In fact, most of the time I don't think it does. You can hold down on left all you like and the game will decide whether or not it does. Anything. Shooting also happens if the game feels like it and I think it's the distance between you and the target that determines if the target is hit but I have no idea.

Level Design Score: 0

Level Design Notes:

I really don't know because I can't get beyond the controls. The mission begins with your typical mission briefing telling you when and where to strike, but because I can't actually do those things, I've never seen anything but the first mission. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the missions won't rescue this game from being terrible.

Theme Score: 3

Theme Notes:

You're the commander of a Vietnam gunboat. Whoever made the game was obviously a big Apocalypse Now fan.

Art Style Score: 1

Art Style Notes:

So the foreground has a nicely drawn first person view of your ship and weapons. The top quarter of the view shows your surroundings and targets and it's as awful as any other low poly simulation of the time.

Audio Score: 0

Audio Notes:

The Flight of the Valkyries plays on all menus. Hmm I wonder where they got that idea? During combat sound is comically bad. When you take damage from who knows what's firing at you either you or your crew screams like a little girl. It's loud and shrill. Horrible stuff

Overall Score: 5

Review ID: 1464