"My all time favorite shooter"

The arcade game Section Z is a side scrolling and vertical scrolling shooter released by Capcom in 1984. Note that this is not a review of the NES game Section Z, whose inferior graphics and gameplay cannot compare with the arcade original. The arcade Section Z had great graphics, intense gameplay, and good sound effects/music that make it one of my all time favorite arcade games.

story: N/A
There really is no story in this game. You control an astronaut in a red space suit as he explores underground tunnels and blows up weird space creatures with his energy gun. Who is this mysterious hero? What is his motivation? I dunno. But I don't think that it is necessary for this type of game to even have a story, and in any case arcade games back then seemed never to have a story anyway, so I'm not going to give it a rating in this category. In a strange way though, I think part of the fun of this game is that it leaves you free to exercise your imagination and come up with your own explanations for the weird settings and enemies.

graphics: 9/10
The monster designs are creative and varied, and the well-done backgrounds, with their bio-mechanical weirdness, create a sense of mystery and wonder that draws you into the game. Section Z also has good animation. I remember when I first played this game that I was impressed by the way that when making the hero face the other direction to attack enemies coming from behind, the character's image does not simply flip over, but rather is animated to look like he's turning 180 degrees. It's details like those that contribute to a great visual experience. I did notice a little slowdown when there were a lot of enemies on the screen, but that is a very minor inconvenience.

sound: 9/10
The sound effects for gunfire and explosions are good, but better yet was the music, which I found to be very memorable, as it contributes to Section Z's sense of mystery and adds to the excitement of the game.

gameplay: 9/10
For Section Z there is a joystick that allows you to move in eight directions, and two buttons: on for firing your weapon and one for turning to face the other direction. These controls are precise and responsive. You get a side view of the action, and the screen scrolls horizontally and vertically during different parts of the game. The gun that serves as your main weapon can be powered up several times so that it shoots out more bullets, and you also have grenades that your character lobs automatically when he uses his gun, allowing you to attack enemies on the ground beneath you. There are also speed power ups. One interesting thing about this game is that rather than using a typical numbering system for levels, the sections of the game are designated by letters of the alphabet. When you die, you go back to the beginning of the last lettered area that you entered. There are five bosses in the game, the first in section E and the last in section Z (hence the title). This game certainly challenging, as there are often many enemies and bullets flying across the screen, and since the bosses put up a good fight. At times Section Z is one of those games where, if you're not careful, you'll find yourself swearing at the screen. That's when I know that I'm playing a great shooter : - )

Overall: 9/10
I spent many hours playing this game back when I was a kid, and even today I find it a very enjoyable game. It's not just a case of nostalgia. Section Z is truly a game that withstands the test of time, and I recommend you put a few quarters into it if you ever see it at an arcade.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/13/00, Updated 09/13/00