Cyber Core

~ CYBER CORE ~

IGS

HuCard

1990

People often compare this game to Dragon Spirit, which I think is inane. The control setups are similar, as you have your main weapon to take out aerial foes and "bombs" to deal with enemies on the ground, but that's where the similarities end. Cyber Core is faster and has much more action; it really is one of the "busiest" chip shooters, while crappy Dragon Spirit plods along. Delightful, upbeat melodies and a lovable cast of big-bosses and mini-bosses contribute to CC's irresistible charm. Veteran players will have little trouble beating it, but the fast action gives it good replay value.

It's unfortunate that CC's backgrounds generally don't look very nice, but the game thrives on speed and onscreen activity, so its visual shortcomings are hardly devastating.

Heck, most of the midbosses do look pretty cool, and they're lots of fun to fight. An enormous mosquito with a mighty sword of a proboscis challenges you to a duel. And then there’s the gargantuan moth who plops himself onto the playfield.

Some of the bosses really make you work: you'll have to sneak through a barrage of projectiles and smaller vermin to make precise bomb strikes on the massive spider. The final boss, on the other hand, gives up after a few seconds' worth of direct hits from powered-up weaponry.

Speaking of weaponry, four different devastators are at your disposal. Power up the mighty blue "pinwheel" and you'll be flying freely for most of the adventure. The defense-oriented green shot had the most promise, as it unleashes sickles capable of eliminating any sort of projectile attack, but CC gives us little reason to play with a defensive game plan.

Look down at Stage 2's desecrated city to see a line of funny little beetles scampering down the road. The game gets more serious with its enemies later on.

It isn't until the very last level that it gets at all challenging, though. Those small blue pests are incredibly fast and actually pose more of a threat than do their daunting one-eyed allies.

So sure, if you’re an experienced shooter player, you'll reach the end of Cyber Core quickly and with a healthy number of lives in tow. The amazing thing, though, is that the game doesn’t feel easy while you’re actually playing it, as it gives you so many insects and bullets and explosions to be concerned with. Perhaps you'll finish it the first time you power it up... but you’ll probably return to it the next day, cruise right through it again -- and have yourself a blast.