Genocide

~ GENOCIDE ~

Zoom / Brain Grey

Super CD-ROM

1992

I remember reading a little blurb about this game in one of EGM's features on Japanese titles that were slated for (or had a shot at) stateside release. Usually, the bits they printed were broad, generic overviews with a positive slant, but they actually bothered to rip on Genocide. I still wanted it, though, because it looked damn cool in screenshots. Obviously, it never made it over here, and I'd read nothing but negative reviews for it over the years, but I was still excited when I finally acquired it. I had hopes that it would join the ranks of Legion and Energy and other such titles that possess virtues in my eyes even though the masses deplore them.

The point of all that backstory is that if anyone in the world were gonna defend Genocide, it'd probably be me. I had that special mix of horrible taste and actual anticipation for the CD. And at certain points in the game, I was thinking that I would indeed take a stand for it. The basic premise is quite promising: control a giant robot, laser sword in hand, and slash up lots of enormous creatures and machines. You'll face everything from a multi-screen-spanning ship to a hulking, haymaker-throwing mecha to an acrobatic little martial arts dude.

The animation isn't superlative, but the sprites look cool, and I have no major complaints to make about the backgrounds or music. The gameplay is simplistic, reminiscent of Kaze Kiri's in that you proceed across flat strips, attempting to cause enough damage to gain entry through the gate barring the way to the next area.

The coolest aspect of the action is the "charge orb" that you get: you can use it for defensive purposes, or charge it up and hurl it at your foes. (It's kind of like the energy spheres in Schbibin Man 3, but it's larger and faster and grants you less control over its path of flight.) This orb element allows you to implement a little strategy at times. For instance, one boss battle pits you against a beast taking refuge behind a destructible (and regenerative) gate while crap falls on you from above. You can use the orb to protect yourself from the plummeting debris while wailing on the gate, opening the way to the boss. Then you have to time your assault so that the creature's weakpoint is exposed when you take your hacks, and you must make sure to dash back out and reposition your orb before the gate reforms.

In concept, that's a pretty cool fight. Unfortunately, the designers blundered: there's a spot where you can hack right through the gate and hit the boss while suffering no damage from the falling junk if your orb is resting above you.

And that mistake pretty much sums up the Genocide experience: nice ideas, very shitty execution. The game plays incredibly quickly; your enemies in certain spots are so fast that they can gang up on your clunky mecha and annihilate it within seconds. You have to devise "plans" to deal with these cheap stretches, and even when you know what you have to do, you'll likely suffer many deaths or take massive damage before you finally make it through successfully.

I don't know what the hell was wrong with Brain Grey, but they displayed a tendency to release games that featured good concepts but were totally fucked up during the design process. Last Armageddon was another tragedy. But at least with LA, I felt supreme senses of relief and joy and even accomplishment upon beating it, knowing the experience would make for nice Duomazov write-ups and stories to tell the grandkids. With Genocide, after expending an untold number of continues and "enjoying" a totally unsatisfying conclusion, I was left with sore hands and a desire just to move on to something else as quickly as possible.