Today it's two games in one! The first game is a solid hack & slasher with good fundamentals and enough depth to keep its players invested. Each stage culminates in a spectacular kaiju battle. These 1v1 fights aren't as deep, but the excellent visuals and animation are more than enough to sear a permanent spot on anyone's heart. I don't have to tell you that this taste of greatness had me believing that Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter deserves all the flowers... and then I played the second game.
...Look. I'll spare you the "Why can't I just have a fun time? Woe is me!" crap, because deep in my rotted soul is that sicko who loves it when good games get a little too high on their own supply and make bad decisions. It would've been simple if the only difference between the Easy & Normal/Hard settings was some tweaked numbers and maybe some extra enemies. Instead, everything has become complicated. Complicated and annoying.
If you've already played the game, then you know what I'm talking about... or maybe you don't and are just that skilled. Here's a little advice for the latter; don't waste your time chastising some rando for not "getting" your game. My abilities are limited, but I make the best of them regardless. Moreover, it's my review. If you don't like what I'm about to say, then write your own, make a video, whatever. All I care about is that you understand where I'm coming from. Explaining why I believe a game falls short of greatness is my respite from a life devoted entirely to endless debt and witnessing one preventable tragedy after another.
For the moment, let's focus on the one aspect of Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter that still holds up remarkably: the belt-scrolling stages. It's here that Mazinger Z does battle with a wide variety of foes, all with their own abilities. The straight-forward approach works to an extent, but you're liable to get knocked around if your positioning or spacing is off. Enemies all have a specific range where they're most effective, and combat essentially revolves around keeping them out of that range. For example, guys with flame-throwers will always try to keep just out of Mazinger's reach while still remaining close enough to burn him.
Since the enemy attacks in groups, get used to them working in concert to shut down multiple approaches. If you see a green guy hanging out with the flamethrower guy, then be wary of his jump-kick, since it could potentially halt an aerial assault. The game expects its players to use the entirety of the arena to maneuver around danger. You'll no doubt sense the numerous similarities to Golden Axe. Mazinger even has a running jump attack that's very powerful and immensely satisfying to land. It's a really impressive take on the formula. Veterans are rewarded for knowing the strengths and weaknesses of their enemies. At the same time, newcomers aren't repeatedly stonewalled just because they haven't quite grasped the value in spacing. I will say however that blobby guys require a very specific approach, and trying to deviate it from will result in pain. By the by, forgive me for calling everyone "---- guy". I'm sure they have names, but they aren't in the manual.
There's a little bit of weirdness though. When the A button is pressed, Mazinger Z does one of those Mega Crush or "Get off of me!" attacks where he spins around slashing everyone nearby. It's effective enough I suppose, but the health cost is uncharacteristically high. In a lot of cases, it's better to just take the hit. Also strange is that the smaller healing items replenish very little health. Let's say it's about as much as what it costs to use the Mega Crush. This is one detail I shouldn't be concerned about, especially when health replenishes to full at the end of each stage, but you know me... always nitpicking.
Oh, and since I'm in that state of mind, I might as well complain about the auto-scrolling segment. Our hero has to jump across some pits while getting chased by a Bio-Beast. Bio-Beasts are kaiju that can make appearances in each stage, but usually just serve as the big end-boss. Anyway, this chase sequence is unique in the sense that players must use the Bio-Beasts outstretched arm as a platform to clear some gaps. It's a neat concept, though brought down a bit by some jumps requiring specific timing. I'm here for the hack & slash action and kaiju battles, not platforming. Also, falling results in instant death and having to restart the section. When has that ever been fun?
Provided the difficulty is set to easy, Kaiju battles aren't much more than entertaining spectacles. Each Bio-Beast has their own array of moves, and it's on Mazinger Z to block attacks and find the right opportunities to counter. Surprisingly, there's not a lot here for fighting game fans to latch onto. The protagonist has a handful of sword-swings, but no combos or special moves. He does have something resembling a "meaty". Knock an opponent down, and then press down/back & attack as they're getting up. They'll be forced to block or take another hit. Oh, and be well aware that Bio-Beasts will use this same technique. Their attacks have a lot of active frames and if you're not blocking... then you're suffering. Still, the CPU isn't too troublesome to deal with, so it's not that big of a deal.
Since Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter is a product for the Sega Genesis, easy mode players won't ever see the final two stages. Stage 6 is a series of Bio-Beast refights, and 7 is the climactic battle with Hell Mazinger. It's only fair to have to put in a little more effort to see the ending... right? Well, unfortunately this is when the second game comes stomping in, bringing with it much frustration and misery.
Kaiju Battles on Normal & Hard are showcases of just how bad Mazinger Z is at his own game. In order to set the scene, I want you to picture what life for Ryu would be like if he couldn't hadoken or shoryuken or tatsumaki senpukyaku... or combo, or chain two hits together, or do chip-damage. Still not weak enough? Well hell, let's give him a 30-frame jab, take away his ability to hit an opponent's outstretched limbs, and give him the worst hitboxes out of the entire roster. Let's take away every strength until there's nothing left but weakness.
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| I don't know who I hate more; Buster Claw or Mazinger Z. |
What I'm saying here is that any difficulty above easy will expose Mazinger Z as being completely ineffective at the one thing he was created to do. Bio-Beasts don't respect him, because he can't do anything to push past their defenses. A typical fighting game has a multitude of methods for punishing turtles, but what can this kaiju killer do if all the kaiju decide to block? Ultimately, the only reason I ever win is because the CPU decided to throw the match.
It might not be apparent for the first few bouts, but I assure that everything changes for the worse once you reach Buster Claw. He doesn't have any fancy techniques like a projectile or an invincible charging attack. What he does have is the complete unwillingness to give his opponents anything. This long-tailed fiend will block 99% of whatever you throw at it. Predictably, the 1% of attacks you can actually land all do miniscule damage. Watch out for chip damage, because it'll add up quickly when all anyone can do is block his meaty limbs with no hope of countering. Hell Mazinger's defenses aren't quite as oppressive, but he does SNK Boss amounts of damage with every strike, and you're stuck with Mazinger Z-tier.
The second game might as well be called the Buster Claw & Hell Mazinger show, because the shadow they cast is unending. It's as if the majority of the quest is no longer spent in belt-scrolling segments hacking through minions and battling the other Bio-Beasts in 1v1 bouts. One's time and focus are going to be dedicated to two adversaries, and all they have to offer is frustration. There are much better options out there if all I want is to be humiliated by an overpowered CPU. Art of Fighting 2. Samurai Shodown. That's right Nakoruru, bully me all day every day. Punish me for existing. At least in these games I can play as a fighter that's actually designed for fighting, and not some unrespectable chump who had no business being humanity's last hope.
Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter's first game absolutely deserves a playthrough. Save the second game for when you're feeling a little too good about yourself and need to be brought back down to Earth.
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| They seriously gave Buster Claw a stage that hides his tail attack. |
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