Target Earth

"Target Earth -- It's still kickin!"

Assault Suits Leynos (Target Earth in the US) is one of my favorite games for some odd reason. ^_^ It doesn't even have nostalgia value going for it, because I played it for the first time in 1997, lol.. I had been quite impressed with the sequel, and decided to pick up the original when I saw it available someplace.. Go figure.. but the simplified gameplay, the goofy music (doo da doo doo do do da do do Doo da do doo do do da do do), and decidedly Macrossish-era anime flava' made the whole thing click. I'd say it's easily one of my top favorites ever, so much so that I bought a Japanese copy on Ebay to get the manual, and then on a recent trip to Japan I bought YET ANOTHER copy so I could have a Japanese copy with a box. All told that was like $50 in used games. ^_^ But I just love this game!

The Gameplay is pretty basic. You move left and right, aim your gun by pressing up or down, fire an assortment of weapons toggled with a press of the A button, and you can jump, and fly with the use of an item given later. One of Leynos 2's better features is its detailed customization process, but here it's not nearly so important, with a smaller selection of items to choose from and less room to carry them! Item selection is still important but typically there is a ''best'' configuration for all levels you won't have difficulty finding. You won't spend a lot of time ''tweaking'' as in Leynos 2, this game is much more about the action.

Due to the simpler nature of the game, you can't do several things you can do in the sequel, things you might consider basic to the mecha-shooter genre. You can't dash, and you can't lock your gun in position while moving. The aiming is slow, an far from the full 360 range offered in Leynos 2. But this simplified control makes the game more playable in my opinion.. It is much easier to aim at targets.. the gameplay is noticeably slower, but I feel as if I am in better control of my mech.

There are several levels and each sports its own feel. The gameplay remains largely the same but the missions are all different.. And difficult as well. The control is much simpler to master, and for that reason I say this game is easier than Leynos 2. But it still has some very difficult parts, and it is notorious for being one of the hardest games of the time, if not ever. But it is not impossible and the difficulty is not due to bugginess or anything like that. I can beat the game consistently and enjoy it every time. The graphics are basic, but for the period, I would say the music is high quality, and the tunes are what matter. Some (the aforementioned ''do da doo doos'') sound a little goofy but they capture the spirit perfectly. I would shell out some serious dough for an arranged OST.

The Japanese manual, incidentally, has a beautiful painted cover and inside art. The US version, on the other hand, looks like trash. (The following contains a SPOILER.. but how many people will play the Japanese version? over 10 years later I don't think it matters.) The Japanese game also contains a scene after level 3 where one pilot dies because he didn't make it into the ships in time and burned up in the atmosphere. Also it is very apparent when teammates die, which they seemed to have attempted to remove for the US version. It was like 1989, so I suppose such things weren't considered appropriate for a game kids would be playing, but another scene in Assault Suits Valken was also removed (where the President of the enemy commits suicide) some three years later in the US Cybernator. Just a controversial set of games I guess. ^_^

The purpose of this review is to proclaim my love for the game more than to recommend it to others. I suspect many will be put off by the graphics, the sluggy control, the difficulty, or who knows what. If the game were released today it would score horribly, although were it ported to the GameBoy Advance I would buy it in a heartbeat--and my normal policy on such things is that if I own a version of a game already I do not need to own it on the go. My score of an 8 is not the highest it could be, the game obviously has some weak points here and there. But an 8 is not low either--I almost do not see these bad points as flaws but simply the nature of the game, it is difficult for me to even say that they ARE bad things.

Anyway, if you see this game sitting lonely on the shelf or in a bargain bin somewhere, I'd recommend giving it a shot. If you enjoyed Cybernator or Leynos 2, or if you just like mecha games, or if you need an old school fix, it might be right up your alley.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/15/01, Updated 06/15/01