Cyber-Lip

"Contra-Style Gameplay Comes to the Neo-Geo in the form of Cyber-Lip"

Contra for the Nintendo Entertainment System was one of my favorite games as kid. I loved the cool weapons, the two-player simultaneous action, and the great music. The only thing really lacking was graphics. Sure it looked good for NES standards, but if only it had been beefed up a bit more, like the 16-bit versions, then it would really have been an unbelievable out-of-this world type of game. Now the Neo-Geo Advanced Entertainment System is the video game system of choice for me, I play it more than any other system. So when I found out about Cyber-Lip, eight years after it was released, I decided I had better purchase this Contra-style Neo game. Especially since the Neo-Geo has monstrous potential and seemingly limitless capabilities when it comes to graphics. So I basically felt Cyber-Lip would be the supreme Contra-style game. Coming in at 50 megs, Cyber-Lip is rather small compared to other Neo titles. However, in 1990 50 megs was quite a bit for a game, even the Neo-Geo. How did this game fare? Well let's put it this way, Contra is still my Contra-style game favorite. Now on with the review...

(gameplay - 7)
The controls in Cyber Lip are pretty standard, with a jump button and a fire button, and the joystick moving your character in all sorts of different directions. You can shoot downwards, upwards, and straight-ahead, but oddly, you cannot aim diagonally (as in 45 degree angles). This is unfortunate because being able to to shoot diagonally would really come in handy, since you could run and shoot upwards at the same time instead of having to stop and aim the weapon towards the sky. Other than that nuance, this game controls very well and the button schematics work great with the fast-paced action.

(story - 8)
In the year 2020 a colony has been formed in space by the people of Earth. They have built an android army to defend this colony from alien invaders. Unfortunately the Cyber-Lip Master Defense Computer decides to use the army of androids to attack the humans in the colony. With a legion of robotic troops marching into battle against the colony, the humans are left to fend for themselves. Two soldiers are enlisted to fight for the survival of mankind, and they do, as they take on the mechanical army with the hopes and prayers of all humanity on their shoulders.

(graphics - 8, sound - 6)
The graphics are not the best on the Neo, but they get the job done. Considering the game is ancient (in video game terms) this game still looks pretty good. The heroes of the story are small but well-detailed, as are the weapons. The stages are unique and creative, with lots of detail in the background and great use of colors. The bosses are huge and are very well animated, as most of them take up half of the screen or more. The scenery and atmosphere is set in the future, in outer-space so expect spacey graphics and lots of futuristic technology. Overall the graphics are colorful and highly detailed, making this game very pleasing to watch. The soundtrack is dark and fits the atmosphere nicely. Although none of the tunes will stay with you after you finish playing (they are pretty easy to forget about), they are still decent tracks. The sound effects are much better than the music, and all the sounds make for a nice setting to go to battle in. The sound of your machine guns blazing, helicopters buzzing about, and waves of bullets tearing through your enemies all sound great. Even though the sound effects deserve a 9, I gave it a 6 because the music is easily forgettable and really doesn't do the Neo sound chipset justice.

(replayability - 7)
The game features multiple paths to take on your way to completing it, so this enhances the replay value a bit. The controls are good, except for the lack of diagonal shooting, and the graphics look just like a 1990 arcade game should. The ending is worth the time it takes to beat this game, and playing it over a few times to complete it by using different routes is definitely an added bonus. With fast and furious action and guns blazing everywhere, this is one game you'll get hooked on for a short amount of time. This is not a game that stands the test of time, in the long run it loses some of its appeal after you've beaten it two or three times.

(recommendations)
Cyber-Lip is Contra-style gameplay on the Neo-Geo, with advanced arcade graphics and over-the-top action. It is one of the more affordable Neo titles and was released for the MVS, AES, and Neo-Geo CD systems. If you loved Contra as a kid, then Cyber-Lip may just be your best friend. In the early nineties it was the only Contra-style flavor of games that you could buy for the Neo console. Now there are several to choose from, like the Metal Slug series, and Top Hunter. Cyber-Lip is not better than either of those games I just mentioned, so if you're looking for this type of game, check out Metal Slug first, as it has spawned several sequels all of which are great games. However if you really want a game that feels very similar to Contra, then Cyber-Lip is the way to go.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/19/04