Gekido

"Help me kick the crap out of this game, guys!"

I really don't see what was so special about Streets of Rage that made it so great. Maybe it was the killer music that got you into the fighting mood. Or maybe it was the graphics that, for the time, were really impressive. Or, perhaps, it was the game play which was tight and fun. In all likelihood, it was all of these things. Unfortunately, this seemingly simplistic formula seems to be impossible to replicate despite current technology. Case in point: Gekido. To its credit, Gekido fills the void of brawling and street fighting games like Streets of Rage, but it leaves little to no mark to merit it recognition or respect.

Gekido is a brawler game. You pick your character and march across a modest number of levels dispatching enemies with your fists or any weapons you can find. There is a very rewarding feeling about beating up a group of assailants until your health is critically low and then finding a machine gun and blowing the remaining menace away. There is also something to be said about playing the two player mode and fighting off hoards of enemies with a friend.

The problem with Gekido, besides a few technical issues to be discussed below, is that the game is pretty shallow. The moves are nowhere near as satisfying to execute as the moves is Streets of Rage. In SofR, a punch to the face felt like a punch to the face. Here, it feels more like pressing a button repeatedly. I think this is due to the polygon graphics. Also, there is no rewarding feeling upon completion of a level, or for that matter, the game. Its more of an endurance match and less of a test of skill. This is perhaps due to the uninspired level design and the boring characters you fight against. The game does have its moments, but in the end you'll often just rather be doing something else.

Gekido is also hard. This isn't bad, but Gekido (love that name) sports the cheap hard that can really ruin a game. As I mentioned earlier, you will last as long as your health holds up, and this function is varied only marginally by your skill. Enemies can get in some nasty hits and often there is nothing you can do. Sometimes this is due to the graphics or just the layout of the level.

As a matter of fact, I think what holds Gekido back from being the next Streets of Rage is its graphics. Chunky polygons just don't work for brawlers. Some high resolution sprites with many frames of animation would have suited this game nicely. In fact, it would have complemented Gekido's anime-strived-for look.

Another technical death blow is the designers decision to include real music tracks during gameplay. There is a reason why this is rarely done. The game's few live tracks are good for the first play, but really grate on your nerves when you play Gekido multiple times. Its like listening to an okay music CD over and over. Considering that there isn't much variety in the tracks and that the tracks play in set order (as opposed to being random to keep things fresh), you find yourself wanting the volume down more often than not.

As I mentioned earlier, there are some sweet moments where you are fighting off a horde of enemies only to find a machine gun and blowing them all away. This, too, is a problem, though. You see, because of Gekido's difficulty, you often find yourself running to pick up a firearm to save yourself. Nothing is wrong with this, but shooting your guns will begin to take precedent over your moves. This is understandable considering that your moves aren't really that hot to begin with.

Gekido does have a lot of style. I liked the artwork and some of the enemy designs. I couldn't help but think, however, that everything would have looked so much better had they just kept things in 2D with hand drawn sprites.

In any case, Gekido is a good game for those seriously into the genre. Don't expect a replacement for Streets of Rage, though. I would say that if you had someone to play with, this game is a worthy choice and should be considered a six rather than my score of five. But if your going into it solo, pass on Gekido or rent it. Whatever you do, pray that another Streets of Rage will come soon.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 07/31/03, Updated 07/31/03