Gameboy Color - Armorines Review

Armorines is a game produced on several platforms such as the Playstation. This is the gameboy colour which is different from the other versions I'm sure. It's a top down action game where you're some sort of space marine with an armoured suit and go around completing missions in order to stop an alien threat from spreading. It was created in the style of 70's and 80's science fiction shows so you'll find pinball machines in the living areas and huge chunky computers in the game.

Gameplay: 2/10

The game starts you off at a landing pad with you just being able to make it. Your superiors tell you too head to the control tower to find some doctor who is hopefully alive. So far so good. The view is You'll find that pressing select allows you to review the conversations which tell you about what you're suppose to do next and that start pauses the game. A button allows you to attack while moving around while B button allows you to attack and move but facing the same direction. Sounds good in theory. Unfortunately this is where the gameplay really breaks down as you realise your attacks do next to nothing to the enemies.

You see, you start off with a lightning attack which extends out from your right arm and it takes you about a second and a half to kill an enemy. During this time, the enemy is momentarily shocked but it's soon up and hopping again. You have to careful when it starts moving otherwise you'll get hurt. Due to your large armour dodging is usually not an option. In other words, you're too weak and large to do any good. Why doesn't your weapon cover you completely is beyond me considering how much space you take up on the screen.

You do get different weapons and power-ups such as a bullet attack which attacks in three directions or a flame attack but bullet attack is even weaker than your lightning attack and the flame attack is just too slow. As for the power-ups, even after powering-up you're still at a disadvantage and you still have to hide away from the enemies which in the later levels have now grown even more powerful.

Graphics: 3/5

The graphics are actually quite alright although the colouration starts getting weird as the game tries to show you different kinds of lighting. You know, it's dark outside so the environment becomes blue while it's bright inside so it gets a green. Way too weird. Your character is probably the only object which looks detailed and interesting. The monsters lack any imagination and aren't even well detailed. The environments however are fairly detailed down to the blood and broken glass.

Sound and Music: 2.5/5

Sound and music are average. Nothing great and the weapon effects sound downright silly and boring after a while.

Game design: 1/5

Aside from the gameplay troubles, the levels themselves are too narrow and you're just too large to do any effective dodging. The missions actually make sense such as refueling the ship and having to secure a submarine to get to a platform. The game environments are actually quite alright and if they had the game environments larger and turned it into a more typical action shooter it might have been a decent game. As such it's a disappointment.

Longevity: 0/5

This game tricks you into thinking its decent until you realise it doesn't get any better. It could have been a good game if they had corrected a few problems and just made the game more balanced.

For: Average graphics, fairly sensible missions as far as retro-style science fiction games are.

Against: Character too large, weapons just terrible, enemies too powerful, repetitive.

Genre: Action

Produced by: Acclaim

Year: 1999

Platform: Gameboy Colour

Runs on: TGB Dual

Scoring Summary

Gameplay: 2/10

Graphics: 3/5

Sound and Music: 2.5/5

Game design: 1/5

Longevity: 0/5

Total: 8.5/30

Rating:

28%

-Reviewed by Barnabas