Like Psychic Storm, this is a vertical shooter that I've played through more times than any objective analysis would warrant. I'm sure that most people don't bother with it because of how primitive it looks in screenshots, and I don't blame them. It's as archaic as PCE CD shooters get, visually.
It also wouldn't seem to bode well for the game that the first thing that comes to mind for me when it's mentioned is Rim (of Cosmic Fantasy fame) making a surprise appearance (just press Select at the title screen). The next thing I recall is always the music; most of it is so-so stuff, but the tunes in the first and second-to-last stages are definite winners.
When I finally think about the gameplay, I immediately think of the strange control scheme Laser Soft decided on. You need to "lock" your gun into place if you want it to continue firing in one direction as you move about; otherwise, it'll fire at an angle depending on which way you're heading. The game feels sort of like an overhead run-and-gun effort in this respect. Sadly, the lock button is also used to trigger limited-quantity auxiliary weapons, so you can be sure that unintended special shots will occur in the heat of battle.
The funny thing about Avenger is that it actually does contain a heck of a lot of action. The enemies are small and ugly, but they're very fast and aggressive--like pesky, annoying insects--and they fire plenty of projectiles. Also, the weapons system has you decide on armaments to use before each stage, and strategy actually does come into play during the selection process.
Unfortunately, the nice action is practically negated by the horrible, antiquated visuals. I'm not a graphics hound or anything, but having to look at crap this primitive in a 16-bit-era shooter really detracts from my enjoyment of the experience. One stage features a massive vehicle that rumbles along with you for the duration of the level, firing spread shots and releasing new enemies at certain points. This should've been an awesome 16-bit-shooter stretch, but instead, it's rather mundane, as the vehicle and the surrounding landscape look so simple and crappy. Also, the ending is LAME.
Still, the action and the decent soundtrack have given me sufficient reason to revisit the game a number of times. But I doubt that most people will be willing to overlook the poor graphics in order to discover the effort's merits, and again, I really can't say I blame them.
The star of the show. And, technically, she's not even in the game.
You earn weapons as you complete missions, building up quite a set by the end.
Avenger may not be the most thrilling game visually...
...but it actually doesn't slack when it comes to action.
The stage-long showdown with a massive vehicle was a lost opportunity, but the city level doesn't look all that bad.
Some of the enemy designs had potential too...
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