Vectorman

"I would have done a Particle Man joke, but someone else already did. Darn."

Just what is this green pile of balls shaped into a vaguely humanoid form called Vectorman? Think of it this way... Vectorman has the shooting and power-ups of Contra, the transformation abilities of Yoshi (a la Yoshi's Island), the platforming and difficulty of Mario, and the graphics of a PlayStation game. I am not kidding.

Graphics: 9
These graphics are simply astounding. I honestly did not think the Genesis was capable of pulling this stuff off. Vectorman and his enemies animate smoothly and look 3D. However, these graphics have pushed the Genesis slightly over the limit when it comes to the final stage. The final boss is so large and there is so much going on onscreen that there is slight flicker... but nearly no slowdown.

Sound: 8
The sound turned out quite well. While several tunes are unremarkable, some are extremely catchy (such as the ending credits theme). This earns it a 7. Plus, it's got a sound test, so it gets an extra point.

Gameplay: 9
Vectorman runs and jumps with the best of the 16-bit era ("The best" being, of course, Mario and Sonic), and actually tops them in jumping since he has boosters built into his feet. Press C to jump, then press C again to add some pep to your jump and attack enemies below you. Gameplay is platforming crossed with shooting, and there's plenty of both (although 3 levels are odd diversions where Vectorman fights the final boss (he keeps popping up every few stages). During these fights, Vectorman transforms into first a train, then a frog, and then a tornado. He can transform during other stages, too, but not into these forms. Other forms abound, such as a car (to move quickly and take out enemies), a jet (to blast through ceilings), and even a bomb (this one opens new passages in cracked walls).

Difficulty: 4 to 9
Difficulty widely varies, thanks to the adjustable difficulty level. The difficulty is not Easy, Normal, or Hard, however. It's actually a bunch of "totally tubular" vocabulary. Easy is now called "Lame", Normal is "Wicked", and Hard has been christened "Insane". On higher difficulties, you'll not only find a few more enemies, but they will also be more aggressive. Plus, you'll start the game with fewer health points.

Overall: 9
Not only is Vectorman fun to play and nice to look at, but it's got one of those "character parades" at the end, telling you the names of all the creatures you've been killing for the last hour and a half. I freaking love those, so it gets points in my book. If you can find this gem from two generations ago, buy it and play it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/04, Updated 08/03/04