Salamander for PCE
Review #8123
Salamander
The first 4D (2Dx2D) shooter
Gameplay
Great movement speed and plentiful powerups make this less punishing than Gradius. Enemy go down in one hit and feature some novel and interesting movement patterns to give this game a unique personality.
Auto-fire is very welcome, as are the 4 indestructible options. The only downer is only two weapons to choose from, including a laser that moves with its source. This makes it fun and easy to take care of a screen full of enemies. Having said all that, this feels like an early title and lacks a little something to make it truly epic.
Level Design
Stages alter between horizontal and vertical orientation and feature as much environmental hazard as enemies. The bosses are a massive improvement over Gradius.
A fwe hazards are dumb, like the fleshy walls that grow back too quickly in the first stage, but overall the stages are memorable and fun.
Theme
Gradius!
Art Style
The Vic Viper is small but looks sharo, but the backgrounds are at best a starry field and at worst pure black. Enemy sprites and environmental elements look ok but more like an 1987 arcade than an early 90's pixel art masterpiece. Quite a bit of slowdown when the screen fills with enemies.
Audio
Great music, of course, though not as iconic or even memorable as other games in the series. Sounds are a little too loud as well, especially when enemeis explode.
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