Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force for PCE CD
Review #11065
Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force
Almost top tier mech action
Gameplay
Plays like Ninja Warriors, on a single plane. Attacks include a strong and weak sword swings, a useless uppercut, a jump attack, and a dash attack combo which is by far the best option available. You can also perform SF2 style fireball and Shoryuken attacks, but the inputs don't always work. Movement is fast but a little squirrely due to your huge hitbox and long animations. There's no way to block so you can't play strategically. Just attack as ferociously as possible and hope for the best. It's a much better Genocide for the SFC.
Level Design
Sadly, the stages are short, linear, and straightforward. There's no platforming or interesting enemies to keep things spicy. The stages themselves look great (more on that later) but they all amount to a slow walk from kermft to right. Except for the obligatory elevator stage, of course.
Theme
Mechs! The futuristic city has a cool vibe, like Last Resort for the NeoGeo. The cutscenes leave a lot to be desired, however. They're just a long exposition dump between talking heads, ala Metal Gear Solid, but in all Japanese.
Art Style
Amazing sprite work. The mechs look and animate beautifully. Backgrounds feature tons of detail and colors. The city looks like a lived in place, although it feels like the mechs should be larger than they appear compared to the buildings around them. Still, one of the better looking mech games of the era.
Audio
Fantastic, upbeat music that's closer to Journey than Van Halen. I wouldn've preferred more bass guitar and percussion rather than air guitar and piano accompaniment. Crunchy sounds round out the package.
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