After an hour or so of this inadequate port of an X68000 classic, the thought hit me that maybe I should pursue the genuine article... or at least as something as genuine as emulators could allow. ZOOM was a seriously underrated developer, and I'm doing their legacy a disservice with these Super Famicom write-ups. I should be looking at their X68000 library, the Zero Divide series, or even Mister Mosquito. Actually, maybe not. The last thing I should be thinking about is all the things that I should be doing. No doubt one of those shoulds is "should not have started a game review blog".
Genocide 2's port was handled by Bits Studios. Curious that Kemco would opt for a British company to a produce and translate a game that wouldn't leave Japan, but it's not as if Bits was an unknown. They've previously worked with the likes of Taito and Irem, porting their arcade titles to the Game Boy as well as other platforms. I can't vouch for accuracy, but I'm a little familiar with their version of GunForce. It's not very good. As always with these looks, I want everyone to keep in mind that the apologies are baked in. Porting games to underpowered hardware is an unenviable task, and I admire everyone who takes it on. At the same time though, I'm going to be harsh. That's my nature. Thus, when I look at the X68000 and Super Famicom versions of Genocide 2 side-by-side, then recall my time with the latter, all I can think is "Damn. Damn, damn damn damn damn!"
The game is divided into five stages, which are then cut into multiple areas (never more than three). You're piloting Goliath; ten stories of giant robot awesomeness. In spite of its size and apparent weight, the robot moves with the deadly grace of a ninja master. Accordingly, its weapons are limited to a short-range energy blade and Betty. The blade is self-explanatory, but Betty is rather unique. When the requisite gauge has filled, Goliath can throw Betty in eight cardinal directions like some 23rd century windmill shuriken. It won't stick around forever, but at least long enough to deal with a slew of enemies or boss. Various one-time sub-weapons can also be found on the field. Mad Betty fires a special homing sphere that continually bashes foes. Explode does immense damage to everything onscreen. Shield makes Goliath untouchable for several seconds. Save these for bosses and your struggles will be few.
Since clearing an area is contingent on slaying a set number of enemies, combat represents the bulk of Genocide 2. Unfortunately, this is when the ports' failing become apparent. Due to the weapon's extremely short range, most contact just results in robots clumsily bumping against each other. Successful interactions, such as destroying a foe without taking damage yourself, don't feel earned. The issue is made worse by the weak hit feedback. In the X68000 version, striking an enemy causes them to flash briefly. It's a simple indication that adds so much to every encounter. While there are other audio and visual effects when an enemy takes damage, the SFC version's missing flash is a huge loss.
Adding to combat's woes is all of the slowdown. If Goliath, Betty, and at least two other robots are onscreen, then the game will crawl until at least one of those parties is out of the picture. There's always an ideal method for dealing with each enemy. Finding the right spot to stand in, mashing the attack button at the correct moment, etc. However, the ideal method gets dull, and players want the thrill of expertly leading a giant ninja robot through intense scenarios. That hardly ever happens, because the poor combat mechanics and technical faults turn would-be exciting encounters into a mishmash of clunky collisions. It reminds me of Bits Studios' GunForce port. That's a run & gun where neither the running nor gunning feel right.
This version of the game also features more platforming segments. The one positive is that at least there aren't any bottomless pits or spike-beds. They just had to have some disappearing blocks though. One of the areas consists of magnetic devices, small pellet-spitting tanks, and flying vehicles that fire the instant they're onscreen. It's enough to make me question my life choices. Not just the reviewing, but playing games as whole.
Just play the X68000 original.
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