Vectorman for Genesis

Image: MobyGames

Vectorman

Ball-E

Genre: action - gun

Publisher: Sega

Year: 1995

System: Genesis

Gameplay Score: 3

Gameplay Notes:

Movement is fast but janky. Doesn't feel fluid or responsive. Long animations add a lot of lag. Hard to fire diagonally and can't shoot downward. Only three shots can be on screen at once. Don't regain health between levels. Collectathon, although there seems to be no point in collecting this game's coins which are electrical sparks or whatever. They don't do anything.

Level Design Score: 3

Level Design Notes:

Big tall levels that generally just go to the right. Some platforming which is fine but tedious in the long levels. The second level is an isometric mine cart level and it can bite me. It's weird Levels 3 and 4 go underwater for loooong stretches. Why does Sega love doing that so much? Lots of repetition. Same platforms, enemies, and obstacles over and over.

Theme Score: 2

Theme Notes:

It's Wall-E meets Terminator. Mankind has left the planet uninhabitable and robots have remained to clean up. An evil AI takes control of nukes and rules the world. You're a robot who wants to put a stop to it.

Art Style Score: 3

Art Style Notes:

This was Sega's answer to DKC in terms of visuals. The prerendered sprites are quite impressive, but the character models are very boring. Vectorman is just a handful of balls, after all. There a only a handful of enemies which are repeated over and over. Lots of dithering and otherwise grainy graphics. Overflowing with animation on platforms and sprites. Looks a bit busy. Technically impressive but not good looking.

Audio Score: 3

Audio Notes:

Super loud sounds drown out the music. The sounds of your shot is a high pitched metallic noise that made me want to gouge out my ears after about 10 minutes. It's a shame because the music is quite good. Nothing I'll be humming later but very good for a Genesis title. Voice samples play from time to time which is weird since you're a robot. They alternate between a male voice saying things like "yeah" or grunting and a female making noises like "oh". Again, super weird.

Overall Score: 59

Review ID: 1368