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| | Title:
Heavy Weapon
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System:
Xbox Live Arcade
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Genre:
Action side-scroller
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Publisher:
PopCap Games
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Developer:
N/A
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Release:
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
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Alive! They’re still alive! Not even multi-core processors and lightning-fast GPUs can keep 2-D gaming at bay. Recent additions to this genre do nothing but solidify this realization. Konami’s newest Castlevania, Portrait of Ruin, was another strong title in the long-running series; Xbox Live Arcade’s Assault Heroes is a stellar overhead shooter; and most recently—and the title of discussion—we have Heavy Weapon, also for Xbox Live Arcade.
There’s no story backdrop to be had here. Heavy Weapon is what it is: a side-scrolling tank shooter with power-ups, special weapons, boss battles, and a endless stream of enemies to blow up. There’s really nothing within the gameplay that sets this game apart from others of its kind, but it doesn’t have to. It just does what it does oh so well.
Heavy Weapon takes elements from the greats like Gunstar Heroes, Metal Slug, and even Metal Gear. The control is much akin to Gunstar Heroes and Metal Slug (but you can’t jump since you’re a tank, not a warrior on foot), wherein the character must control his fire in arcs of 180 degrees—the enemies come in from all directions except from below you and from the background (at you). You must shoot down all shapes and sizes of sorties, choppers, zeppelins, trucks, rockets, missiles, and even other tanks. And let’s not forget huge bosses. Particular (and completely random) enemies will drop pieces of your devastating weapon, your “Metal Gear,” if you will. You must collect four pieces within a single level to utilize your Mega Laser. It lasts only a short time, but my how devastating it is!
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Heavy Weapon offers a couple of modes to play. The single-player campaign is the Mission mode, where you can have a local friend join you in 2-player cooperative play. The other is Survival, where you get only 3 lives and a never-ending barrage of enemies. But where this title is really set apart from the retro greats is with its online co-op for up to four players. Online offers you the Survival modes but with two versions: Arms Race, where everyone gets three lives and three lives only, and War Party, where you keep spawning as long as there’s a buddy still alive. There’s no fighting for power-ups, since the friendly chopper that comes by drops them in your color for you only. And, amazingly enough, I noticed absolutely no slowdown with that amazing amount of fire on screen at the same time. But as great as this feature sounds, it’s just simply too overwhelming having four players trying to dodge attacks on the same screen. It gets a trite confusing at times. I found that two-player is actually the best player amount.
Ah yes, and since this game is hosted by Xbox Live Arcade, this also means you’ll get Achievement points and Leaderboard ranks with Heavy Weapon.
Like all the recent XBLA additions, Heavy Weapon also offers up some high-resolution graphics for that crisp HD quality, but with obviously lower amounts of detail compared to your $60 games. The high resolution definitely makes it easier to discern your shots from foes as well as adding vibrancy and a high presentation value. And neither is the sound lacking. You’ll come to find out that the sound plays a fairly integral role as it can warn you of incoming fire or specific types of enemies.
The results are in and Heavy Weapon just plain rocks, doing proud those retro side-scrollers of yore. 2-D keeps things within perspective…literally. 3-D would give you sensory overload if you dared to try putting a title like Heavy Weapon in that setting. There’s just too much too fast—just the way you twitch, fearless gamers like it. It’s not as gratifying to beat as, say, Ikaruga (nor does it take as long), but you’ll be frustrated enough by the 8th level (of nine) to feel good about yourself nonetheless. It’s hard, it’s intense, and it makes your palms sweat. Enjoy.
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| The Core Score |
Overall
9 |
| Fun |
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10 |
| Gameplay |
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9 |
| Graphics |
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9 |
| Audio |
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8 |
| Replay |
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10 |
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| Kid Safe Score |
| 8 Great |
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Animated Violence. Nothing older gamers didn't grow up with. |
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