It was a decade ago this
year that Taito released the vertical space shooter Ray Force. The prequel to
Ray Storm, Ray Force used a long, vertical screen instead of the standard
square-shaped monitor. This allowed the developers to be really expansive with
the game and create a much greater distance view than was normally found in
video games. The game was made just before polygons hit it big, so 2D was all
gamers knew. Taito’s technology was somewhat new, and no matter how dated it
may seem today, you can’t deny its addictiveness.
Today I hold Zodiac in my
hands, a mobile entertainment device that is far smaller and far more powerful
than 90% of the arcade machines on the market. The unit’s wide screen could
easily become a vertical screen just by turning it sideways. I think you know
where this is going.
FireHammer is a vertical
shooter that was clearly inspired by games like Ray Force and Ray Storm. It may
also have some Ikaruga in its roots, though that game may be too new to have had
an effect on the developers.
If the developers had
wanted the game to have a subtitle, "Frantic" would have been it. The gameplay
is full of all the frantic, bullet-dodging action you expect from a space
shooter. You can count on at least a dozen deaths before the game is beaten.
However, not every part
of the game is a challenge. For some odd reason the boss battles are an easy
target in comparison to the regular enemy ships. The bosses are big, they move
slowly, and their attack patterns are repetitive. You don’t need much more than
a single super attack to destroy the boss ship. This means that you’ll spend
all your time and all your effort working hard to not die during the level, and
kick back and relax for the last battle. Strange.
There aren’t many
power-ups in this game either. FireHammer starts you off with a basic two-laser
gun, but that can be quickly upgraded to shooting multiple blasts in all
directions. A shower of gun blasts can be launched to eliminate enemies before
they even become visible on the screen.
Dead enemies drop point
multipliers that can be collected to up your score. It’s not an integral part
of the game, but FireHammer is based on the arcade-style shooters of the past,
and back then the only source for bragging was the high score. I personally
don’t pay much attention to that, but I still found myself collecting as many of
the multipliers as possible (call it a natural reflex that I’ve developed over
the years). The multipliers drop fast so catch them quickly! Missed
multipliers reset the combo, but your score is only erased when all of the ships
(extra lives) have been depleted.
FireHammer isn’t as much
of an aesthetic masterpiece as Ray Force was for its time. The graphics are not
as colorful as the Ray series, but it does have some cool semi-3D effects. The
backgrounds give the appearance that you’re flying over an industrial setting
(or perhaps the inside of a giant spaceship?). Certainly the Game Boy Advance
could create the exact same effect. It can do better, believe it or not. And
so can Zodiac! Zodiac can do a lot better, Spy Hunter is proof of that. This
game just happens to take on a more primitive look.
But don’t let the looks
fool you. There’s a fun game to be had here, one that’ll keep you occupied
during those long business meetings. "Johnson, what are your thoughts?" "Well,
sir, I uh…I…(looks down at Zodiac). I think we need to shoot down the
competition!" "Johnson, that’s brilliant! Why didn’t you think of that,
Thomas?" Thomas was too busy fooling around with his Palm Pilot to realize how
important it is to defeat your competitors. FireHammer builds character. It
shows gamers and clever businessmen that you must not give up the good fight.
And if you don’t believe any of that nonsense, maybe you’ll understand that it
was written to convey one thing and one thing only: that this is one good game.
To purchase
FireHammer, visit
www.TapWave.com
Gameplay: 8.3
And you thought
Galaga was tough! FireHammer is a great, dodge-and-fire space shooter. No one
who has a Zodiac should be apprehensive – ya gotta take this one for a spin.
Graphics: 6
Could be worse,
could be better. FireHammer looks cool at times, but there’s no denying the
simple fact that this game uses only a smidgeon of Zodiac’s power.
Sound: 5
Better stick to
your own MP3 music.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Let me warn you:
don’t play this game on the easiest difficulty. The game is still a challenge
on the “easy” setting, but is somewhat boring because of the lack of enemies to
shoot. You want ’em coming at you non-stop, don’t ya? Of course you do! Keep
it on medium, or for a real challenge, kick it up to the hardest setting!
Concept: 7
This isn’t a new
concept, but now that the Ray series is MIA, who else is there to carry on the
vertical shooter legacy? Ikaruga can continue it on GameCube, but we need more
than just one vertical shooter. FireHammer helps fill the void.
Overall: 8
Vertical shooter
fans, this is where it’s at. No fan of Ray Force, Ray Storm or Ikaruga will
want to miss this Zodiac classic.
