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Messages - Pixelated Pixies

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2301
Reader Reviews / Wild Guns (SNES) Review
« on: November 30, 2010, 03:10:57 PM »
Cowboys are great. Robots are better. Cowboy Robots are the best. Shooting Cowboy Robots in the face…well, you get the point. It follows, therefore, that ‘Wild Guns’ is by definition the most darn-tootinest video game ever.
 
Ok, so maybe it’s not the most complex or sophisticated video game, but what it is, is an incredibly fun and outlandish romp through a world in which gun-slingers and cowboys co-exist alongside 50ft mechanical monstrosities. Think ‘Wild Wild West’, but you know, good.
Released in North America in 1995, and in the PAL regions in 1996, Wild Guns could best be described as a Fixed-view Third-person Shooter. Essentially, the mechanics of the game amount to little more than a glorified shooting gallery, but a really awesome shooting gallery with Robot Cowboys!
 
Like ‘Star Fox’ and ‘Sin & Punishment’ your character is always on screen, and players can move and dodge to avoid enemy projectiles. Unlike those games, however, the camera does not move through an environment, but rather remains fixed in one position until all the waves of enemies have been dispatched. There is one level in which you’re on a speeding train, which results in some changing scenery and an excellent set-piece, but by and large most of the game will take place in a handful of fixed locations.
 
What makes these locations interesting, however, is the way they are utilised. In one level you will be unloading machine gun fire into a saloon, with each individual bottle, glass and picture frame being destructible. In another level, enemies off in the distance will slide down the side of a mountain-top to get the drop on you, while a huge blimp lumbers into view. On the already mentioned train level, you will be shooting at mechanised horses and vehicles taken straight out of ‘Mad Max’ as they try to come alongside you. What also makes these levels so much fun to play through is the chunky Saturday-morning cartoon style graphics, which apart from looking spectaclular, bring a great deal of character and comedy to the game.
 
You can choose between two characters, Annie, who’s seeking revenge after her family has been murdered by a fierce gang, and Clint, a bounty hunter who has vowed to help Annie avenge the death of her nearest and dearest.
 
Throughout the game you will gain several power-ups, from machine guns to shotguns, and also have access to a limited supply of dynamite which destroys all enemies on screen. The use of these powered up weapons, and the dynamite in particular, can become quite strategic, as they can drastically alter the the outcome of a given battle. Both characters also have use of a lasso, which stops an enemy in their tracks, thus providing a brief window of opportunity. Although of little use in the early levels, later in the game the lasso can be quite useful in halting some of the more troublesome enemies, the trade-off being that there’s a brief period of vulnerability when the lasso is released.
 
The game can be played by one’s self, but as is the case with most arcade-style shooters, the real enjoyment comes when playing co-operatively. It can be great fun to strategize, to plan out who deals with which section of the screen, and to ration the use of dynamite for greatest effect.
 
Despite there being only a handful of levels, the amount of detail that is packed into these levels to make them as action-packed as possible is impressive, and I would thoroughly recommend ‘Wild Guns’ to anyone who values replay-ability and stupid fun over length and complexity. Did I mention that it has Robot Cowboys?

2302
Having now completed Bit.Trip Fate, the fifth and penultimate entry in the Bit.Trip series, I thought it would be interesting to share my interpretation of the series thus far. Given how abstract the series has been, my interpretation almost certainly does not reflect the intentions of the developers, but it is possible to glean some clues from the games' levels designs, art and music.
 
Bit.Trip Beat – Birth
 
We come into existence. We are, however, capable of very little. This phase of our existence is all about Growth. We begin largely ignorant, but through exploration and experimentation we evolve, so that by the time we reach adolescence we have developed thoughts and concerns beyond our immediate needs.
 
Bit.Trip Core – Adolescence
 
At this point in our formation we have developed a sense of identity, but remain self-centred, believing that everything and everyone revolves around us. During this time things also seem chaotic. It’s no longer as simple as it once was. Not only do we instinctively deflect that which may injury us, but we now seek to actively pre-empt any such harmful experiences by putting up barriers
 
Bit.Trip Void – Adolescence/Young Adulthood
 
By the time we reach young adulthood our sense of ourselves has inflated, and it is at this point that we become over confident. Having left the family unit behind, we begin to pursue our own goals and motives. We are self-assured, but also egotistical. We worry little about how our actions can have repercussions for others, and seek only to benefit ourselves as individuals.
 
Bit.Trip Runner- Maturation
 
Ultimately, however, as we grow and develop we become more grounded individuals. We eventually become humbled by our experiences. With crucial life lessons learned, we are now equipped with a sense not only of ourselves, but also of others, and this realisation has the capacity to give our existence meaning, direction and purpose.
 
Bit.Trip Fate – Adulthood

We are at this point self-aware. We are aware of our goals and seek to apply meaning to our existence by pursing these goals. This in turn gives us a linear perspective on our existence, leading us to pursue our objectives rigidly, even to the extent that our motives and means appear callus.

Conclusion?
 
With the conclusion of the Bit.trip saga almost upon us, I fear for our pixelated protagonist. Without giving away any spoliers, the end of Bit.Trip Fate raises some series questions about CommanderVideo’s continued existence. My guess is that he will evolve beyond the limitations of his virtual world and in the process destroy it. Hey, no one said it would be a happy conclusion.

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