Robo Army

"H E A V Y"

What is baffling about a company like SNK -- a studio revered for its portfolio of classic fighting games -- is it never seemed to get a grasp on the beat-em-up genre. There are few classics of this type; Sega's Streets of Rage 2 and Konami's long lost arcade gem the Simpsons are the only true great action-fighting games in my opinion. Final Fight? Blah!

But SNK tried as they might until the end of the Neo Geo's life-span. The amicable yet marginal Sengoku 3 was the original company's last official release on the system, developed by Noise Factory. But from the beginning with SNK's very own -- very terrible -- Burning Fight, the Neo Geo has had little in the way of alternative pugalist action.

Robo Army presents some good ideas in terms of design and atmosphere. A decaying metropolis ruled by sinister robo-enemies that look like dogs, birds, and gorillas. Colorful levels will keep the eyes entertained while moving through the somewhat chunky, very machine-like game play.

This title feels a lot like the heavier mech-brother of Mutation Nation: a lesser game in terms of action but more stylistically apealling. The generic main characters punch and jump and have one-button super moves at their disposal. Characters move and react to the controls slowly, but efficiently in terms of the enemys' pacing. Robo Army feels clunky on first try, but with some replays one will find a balanced and very coherent action game at their finger-tips.

The game has a forgettable plot. Jeed plans on ruling the world with his robo-army...yada, yada. It is your job to save it. Robo Army's most impressive feature is its detailed graphics. In comparison to the relentless CPUs of most other SNK titles, Robo Army's difficulty is very accessible; it starts of slow and increases in challenge at a good pace. Play Robo Army without a memory card and the game has some considerable replay value. But one you conquer all the levels, the only task to keep things fresh is beating high scores.

Robo Army (like most games of this type) has a tendency to become repetitive after a while. Taken in short bursts, the game is a quality diversion. Offering enough variety in levels and bosses to keep player's interested. Robo Army is the best game of this type on the Neo-Geo; yes, even better than Sengoku 3 in my opinion. The second best would be Mutation Nation, a solid action game with more eye candy. But Robo Army is a more balanced, more entertaining gaming experience.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/08

Game Release: Robo Army (US, 12/20/91)