Gekido

"An old-school genre with a new-school twist."

Gekido is great. I am a huge fan of the beat-em-up genre and miss the days where great games like Golden Axe and Streets of Rage were all I played. This great genre seems to be dying out. As a matter of fact, Gekido is one of the only two beat-em-up games I can think of for the PSX.

Gekido has standard characters: an all-around good-guy cop type guy, a speedy female character, the kung-fu fighter, and finally, the bruiser. Many bosses in the game are unlockable as well, making a great cast of playable characters.

Graphics: Not too bad. For a Playstation game, they're fine. My only gripe is that when you're in the middle of smashing 8 separate heads into the ground and trying to avoid being shot by the big guy with the machine gun, things can get hectic. Camera angles are also pretty irritating at times, but these minor problems are easily overlooked.

7/10

Sound: I love this soundtrack. There are only a few songs, but they are decent rock tracks that fit the mood nicely. They do get repetitive, but they're some of the best game tracks I've ever heard. Sound effects are pretty bad: constant grunts and shrieks are annoying, but the background music is just so great!

9/10

Gameplay: This is a standard beat-em-up. Buttons for punching, kicking, jumping, hard punching, picking up objects, and activating special moves are simplistic and easy. Tons of enemy's swarm you and you need to beat your way through their ranks. You start with 4 standard characters, with plenty more to unlock.

What stands out about this beat-em-up is its fighting game aspects. Characters can perform huge combos and special attacks against their foes. Also included is a 4-player battle royale and several unlockable modes.

However, the beat-em-up system is just so great, and true to its roots, this aspect of Gekido deserves a ten.

10/10

Story: Its a beat-em-up game. There is no story. Just hit things. I should rephrase that: the manual gives a cheesy save-the-girl-from-the-evil-corporate-demon-guy story, but in-game there's nothing to even hint at a story.

N/A

Replayablility: There are plenty of secrets to unlock in this game including hidden characters, game modes, and cheats. The multi-player modes are great, and the nostalgia is priceless.

If you're not a hardcore beat-em-up fan, you'll get bored fast.

8/10

Bottom line: if you like beat-em-up games, you need Gekido. If not, rent it and move on.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/25/02, Updated 04/25/02