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EINHÄNDER
SCUS-94243
Copyright © 1997, 1998 Square Co. Ltd
Platform, 1 Player
$49.95
—by Keith Rhee |
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With the advent of powerful yet affordable 3D graphics, people were quick to
proclaim the demise of 2D games while their 3D brethren stole the limelight.
But while the addition of a 3rd dimension made formerly inaccessible
concepts possible, it didn't necessarily guarantee good gameplay.
That said, polygon graphics and special lighting effects do make for some
pretty visuals. It didn't take much of a leap for programmers to ponder the
possibility of using 3D graphics in the tried-and-true 2D scrolling shooter
genre. XEVIOUS 3D/G+ and the excellent
RAYSTORM were among the first games
that utilized this concept, and Square's EINHÄNDER
now joins the shooting fray.
The story deals with the moon colony Selene battling Earth
for its independence and for desperately needed resources. Though Selene
initially dominates the battle with orbital bombardment and superior
weaponry, Earth's vast resources eventually turn the tide of the battle.
Forced to withdraw, Selene then launches a series of suicide assault runs
against Earth using tactical fighters known as the Einhander. |
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The visuals of EINHÄNDER are a sight to
behold, with great-looking backdrops and impressive mechanical direction.
Compared to the sharp but somewhat generic look of the machines in
RAYSTORM, the opponents you face in
EINHÄNDER have a unique flair to them, especially
the bosses that the player faces. An especially nice touch is the use of
different camera angles, with the camera panning around your ship for
dramatic effect, such as when you enter a fortress or escape through an
airduct. The use of variable camera angles and 3D graphics elevates
EINHÄNDER above the rest of the pack in
terms of visual presentation.
The polygon graphics aren't the only different aspect to
EINHÄNDER. The ship that you pilot is armed
with a measly machine gun and a single manipulator arm (hence the name
EINHÄNDER, which means "one-hand" in
German). Rather than acquiring powerups in the form of capsules in the
traditional manner, you have to shoot down enemy ships and snatch their
weapons with your manipulator for your own use. Depending on the
configuration of your ship, you can use two gunpods at the same time, cycle
between 3 different ones, or equip only one gunpod but start out with a
double machine gun instead of one. The weapons span the usual gamut, from
vulcans and cannons to homing missiles and grenades, with some interesting
additions such as the riot gun (electrical discharge) and the blade, a beam
saber that you can actually swing around!
The techno background music isn't a standout, but it is executed very
well and adds to the dark mood of the game. Somewhat amusing is the fact
that the Earth Empire forces speak German, which adds a foreign flavor to
the warning announcements made by the boss characters. Though most of them
speak in the typical muffled, robotic, digitized voice, this reviewer was
able to make out words such as "you will die" and other amusing bits.
The playability of EINHÄNDER is on par
with the classic shooter R-TYPE,
which is to say that the game is challenging and rather difficult, but
always very playable. There are a number of secrets to access in the game
that further add to the value of the game, such as alternate routes, rare
weapons of raw destructive power, and even a few hidden ships.
All in all, EINHÄNDER looks
impressive and plays just as well. If upcoming shooters such as
G-DARIUS and THUNDERFORCE V
prove to be of equal quality to EINHÄNDER, we
may be looking at a renaissance of sidescrolling shooters. In the meantime,
aficionados of side-scrolling shooters should give
EINHÄNDER a try. It's one of the better
shooters to grace a console system in a
while. 
Rating: **** out of 4 |
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