Vectorman
Sega Genesis
Nostalgia Factor:
Vectorman was the last great game for the Sega Genesis. It is true that there were other games released after this. Vectorman even had a sequel, which I did not enjoy as much. But to me this game represented the last great hurrah on the Genesis console.
This game was released in late 1995. 32 bit consoles such as the Saturn and Playstation were already on their way in, so everyone knew that the Genesis and Super Nintendo didn't have much longer to survive. Still, a few great games were released for these systems. Vectorman stands, to me anyway, as one of the best.
I got this game for Christmas of 1995. I popped it in when everyone had gone to bed, and immediately fell in love. The game was a big challenge to me back then, and I don't think I even got past the train level that first night. Of course, over the course of the next few months I would master and dominate the game, but that initial difficulty is something I still remember to this day.
Story:
This game was released in late 1995. 32 bit consoles such as the Saturn and Playstation were already on their way in, so everyone knew that the Genesis and Super Nintendo didn't have much longer to survive. Still, a few great games were released for these systems. Vectorman stands, to me anyway, as one of the best.
I got this game for Christmas of 1995. I popped it in when everyone had gone to bed, and immediately fell in love. The game was a big challenge to me back then, and I don't think I even got past the train level that first night. Of course, over the course of the next few months I would master and dominate the game, but that initial difficulty is something I still remember to this day.
Vectorman's story is as simple as they come. In the future, robots have been tasked with cleaning up humanity's mess as pollution has overrun the planet. One of these robots goes mad and seizes control of the operation, vowing to kill any humans who may cross his path. Vectorman, a humble barge driver, takes on the role of hero as he fights to take down the evil Warhead and restart the clean up project.
Gameplay:
Vectorman is a 2D side scrolling shooter that is about more than just fast reflexes - you have to use your brain if you want to beat this game.
First thing you'll notice when you play this game is how expansive its stages are. There are items and weapons hidden all over the place and multiple ways to make it through each level. Enemies are everywhere, and if you just try to rush through things you are going to find yourself dying quite often. I find progressing slowly and carefully through each level worked the best for me.
In addition to its side-scrolling gameplay, there are also some mini stages thrown in to offer some variety. Vectorman morphs into things like trains, frogs, and tornadoes that love to disco in these short little side stages. Most of them just have you fighting a boss-like character in an atypical way, but they are a lot of fun and their implementation into the main quest is seamless.
This is a challenging game, but fair. It's not like Battletoads or any of those kinds of games that feel impossible at times. Anyone can persevere through this game, it just takes a little trial and error.
Graphics:
Graphics:
Compared to the graphics of today, Vectorman may not look like much. But considering this was released about 20 years ago, it doesn't look bad. By 1995's standards, this game was drop dead gorgeous. Fans of Sega Genesis would often hear how the Super Nintendo had superior graphics. Whenever a game was released on both consoles, the SNES version undoubtedly always ended up looking better. Richer graphics, more color. As the sole Genesis owner among a group of friends who all had Super Nintendos, I never heard the end of it.
The enemies are various, uniquely designed, and wonderfully animated. Vectorman himself has a much more fluid look and feel than the herky-jerky 5 animation characters in most 2D side-scrollers. Flags ripple in the wind. The backdrops, such as sunsets, waterfalls, dark laboratories, and underwater bases are all eye popping and make this world almost a character in and of its own right. Even certain effects such as lightning and falling water are all light years better than anything seen on the Genesis up to this point.
From the opening scene where Vectorman is hanging out on the Sega logo (you can even move him around and discover a secret in the top corner) you immediately can tell that this game is going to be special. The level design doesn't also disappoint. Each stage is unique and has its own special look and feel. Bosses are big and creative. Visually, Vectorman is one of the best on the Genesis.
From the opening scene where Vectorman is hanging out on the Sega logo (you can even move him around and discover a secret in the top corner) you immediately can tell that this game is going to be special. The level design doesn't also disappoint. Each stage is unique and has its own special look and feel. Bosses are big and creative. Visually, Vectorman is one of the best on the Genesis.
In addition to its graphics, Vectorman has some of the best music on the Genesis. It ranges from fast and upbeat to slow and somber. It really captures the feeling of a world taken over by robots quite well, while also being a lot of fun to listen and groove along to at the same time.
The sound effects are fantastic, everything from the sound it makes when you jump to the sound when you blow up a TV monitor with your weapons. There's even the occasional sound clip of Vectorman saying "whoah!" and other small things like that, which really added a lot of personality to the game.
Overall:
You can just tell as you play that the makers of Vectorman really put a lot of work into the game. They wanted to send the Genesis off with a bang, and they did just that. Great stage design, graphics, animation, controls, boss battles, great music.... this game had it all. There is even a steep learning curve that prevents people from jumping in and mastering this game on their first play through. Unless you put it on easy. Don't put it on easy. That's cheating.
To when I first got this game as a 13 year old twerp back in 1995 to the present day, Vectorman still holds a special place in my heart. Picking it up now after so long, that difficulty level definitely hit me once again. But after failing miserably on my first attempt to beat the game, everything came back to me on my second try. I blazed through the game racking up extra health and lives galore, and the forces of evil were no match for me.
If I had to say anything bad about the game, maybe it would be the length? Yes there is an initial learning curve with the difficulty, but once you get rolling the main quest itself is really not that long. It took me somewhere in the range of an hour on that second play through to beat the game, give or take a few minutes. Maybe if there were unlockables or some kind of second play through option, that would add a little more replay value to the game. There are some hidden items in the game, but they basically only add up to giving you more lives and points.
Now that I have beaten this game again in my advanced old age, I feel satisfied and won't probably pick it up again for a long long time. But still, I am hard pressed to be able to say much bad about this game. It's a fun game, and you can tell there was a lot of care put into the making of this title. Playing it again brought a rush of nostalgia back to me. This was the last game I ever got for the Sega Genesis, and I couldn't have asked for a better way to say goodbye to the system.
To when I first got this game as a 13 year old twerp back in 1995 to the present day, Vectorman still holds a special place in my heart. Picking it up now after so long, that difficulty level definitely hit me once again. But after failing miserably on my first attempt to beat the game, everything came back to me on my second try. I blazed through the game racking up extra health and lives galore, and the forces of evil were no match for me.
If I had to say anything bad about the game, maybe it would be the length? Yes there is an initial learning curve with the difficulty, but once you get rolling the main quest itself is really not that long. It took me somewhere in the range of an hour on that second play through to beat the game, give or take a few minutes. Maybe if there were unlockables or some kind of second play through option, that would add a little more replay value to the game. There are some hidden items in the game, but they basically only add up to giving you more lives and points.
Now that I have beaten this game again in my advanced old age, I feel satisfied and won't probably pick it up again for a long long time. But still, I am hard pressed to be able to say much bad about this game. It's a fun game, and you can tell there was a lot of care put into the making of this title. Playing it again brought a rush of nostalgia back to me. This was the last game I ever got for the Sega Genesis, and I couldn't have asked for a better way to say goodbye to the system.
THE GRADE:
A-
A complete index of all my game reviews can be found
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