Zillion

"A completely overlooked and under-rated title becomes probably the best game on the system"

There comes a time in every gamer's life where they become an impulse buyer. Buying a game for a system, just because it's cheap, they have the money, and they generally want more games. I know for a fact that if I weren't an impulsive buyer, my Megadrive/Genesis collection would only have highly regarded games in it, but thanks to my excessive amounts of money, I have a few less than satisfying games, which I bought for a quick fix. I was 7 when I bought this game. I had $20 for my birthday money from my grandparents, and I wanted a new game. I didn't care what it was, just as long as it played on my Master System.

Well, I should have shot the shopkeeper. You don't sell brilliant games for $20. I got an absolute bargain. I guess with the Megadrive looming, and the NES's heightened popularity, the shops were trying to move stock as quick as they could. Never again did I buy a game with as higher quality as this one purely on impulse.

Some say Zillion was a part of a plan of Sega's. They were to market this great game, and use it to sell a line of toys, and an anime series. The Master System light gun is even modeled after the Zillion (the gun that the game is about). Unfortunately, Sega's plan faultered, mainly due to the fact Japan did not care about the Mark III (their Master System).

So what is the game actually about? Well, your mothership has landed on a mysterious planet. Your mission is to destroy the Norsa military base, by finding the 5 floppy disks, the master disk, and the computer to put them into. Two of your friends, Apple and Champ, were sent in before you, but haven't reported in, and it is assumed they are captured. You, J.J., are to go into the Norsa base, and destroy the main computer, and hopefully save your friends in the process. You are armed with the Zillion, a powerful laser gun which ban be made even more powerful with the help of rifle upgrades.

Sounds pretty easy right? Wrong. This would have to be one of the hardest games on the Master System. A good thing, however, because I found most of the games to be quite simple. The game is based in a massive maze of rooms and hallways, which are all riddled with Norsa soldiers, and various other traps. The only way to progress from room to room is with the help of computer consoles, which can be used to disable the traps. You need an ID card to access the computers. However, to proceed to the next room, a 4 character code must be gotten from the various containers in the room. This is pretty much how the game goes.

Graphics: 8.5

Pretty good graphical work, considering the limited hardware being used. Though it shares a similar look to a NES game, it seems to stand out as one of the better looking Master System games out there. The most important thing is that J.J. looks like a human, and the Norsa look like robots, so its pretty easy to distinguish. Champ and Apple are also well drawn, and together, they look like your typical anime team.

The interface on the computer screens is very to simple to use, a bonus, because you will spend a lot of time operating the machines to do all the various commands that the game requires. Overall, they look fairly well polished.

Sound: 8.2

Though its mainly a loop between two different MIDI's, they are very easy on the ears, and also pretty catchy. The music played while in the base almost gives you a feel of busting in through the front door of a place you should not be going. Sound effects stand out more, however. The sound of shooting Zillion actually sounds as if you are shooting a laser rifle (ie. an arcade laser game as opposed to a simple SMS one). The varying of the sounds of the blasts impacting on various different objects is a good effect too. The alarm sound makes you worry, and sounds as if you are in a lot of trouble if you happen to trigger one off.

Story: 8.0

Not too many games have stories like this any more. Basically, you have landed on a planet which houses the Norsa Military base. Your crew's mission is to destroy the main computer, which will send a chain reaction through the base, and destroy the planet. To do this, you need 5 floppy disks. Your friends Apple and Champ have already been sent in, but it is feared they have been taken prisoner, as they haven't reported in. You take control of J.J., and you must infiltrate the base, get the floppies, save your friends, and blow the place up. Sounds as if it would have made a decent cartoon.

Gameplay: 9.1

If I were to compare it to a game today, I'd have to say Metal Gear Solid. While it is not as sneaky as MGS, the whole base infiltration concept is there. As J.J., you run into the base, blasting away at the scores of Norsa troops which come your way. While trying to find the floppy disks, there are quite a few things to do. For one, by finding Opa-Opa in a container, you can level your character up (I love cross genre appearances). You can also find powerups to level the Zillion up. Once you find your two friends, you can switch between them. Each character has their own unique ability too. Things get harder as the game goes along, to trade off the fact you are becoming more powerful. The maze is riddled with secret passages, which hide Level ups for both Zillion and your characters.

I really like the concept of collecting the codes to use on the computer. It's a fairly good memory training exercise, but if you aren't that willing (and don't like being educated by a video games), you can just right them down on a piece of paper. The codes are all randomized each time you play too, adding to the replayability. The instruction book includes a list of basic commands too. These are used to disable traps, show you the map, and so on. Check your ID card stock however, as the card will not be returned to you if you use a special command. Overall, its some of the finest gaming you can find on the system.

Controls: 7.4

There always has to be a slight downfall in every game. The only problem here is that the game does not follow a standard Master System control layout. Instead of having Button 1 as the action button and 2 as the jump button, the controls are reversed. It does take a little getting used to. As per normal, the Direction pad will move your character around the screen. Button 1 makes your character jump, and Button 2 fires the Zillion.

Lastability: 9.0

Finishing this game is no easy task. It took me 3 months of playing nearly every day to reach the end, which is fiendishly difficult. There are also things such as levelling up, and finding your friends which you must find out on the way. A notable excision from the game is a password/save feature. I think this is for the better. The game took me a sitting of nearly 8 hours to finish...probably more had I worried about Apple and Champ, and most of the level ups. The maze is literally massive. If you ever find a copy, it will hold it's place in the cartridge slot for some time.

Do I need this game in my collection?

Most definately. Your only problem is finding a copy of the game. The copy I bought back then was the only copy of the game I ever saw, and don't offer to buy it from me, because I will not part with it for any amount of cash. It's my favourite SMS game. Your best bet is EBay of course. The thing I loved about this system was the lack of a territorial lockout...

Pro's

- A great, long game which will have you hooked for months
- Multiple characters
- Level ups
- Difficult, without having to resort to cheating
- A nice computer system

Con's

- The control method takes a few minutes to get used to
- There isn't enough time in the day to play it

Overall: 9.3 (Adjusted to 9 for GameFAQs)

Probably the highest rating I will give a Master System game, as I am becoming tougher, to keep things consistent (Bubble Bobble got a 9 too, but on the new system (ie. when it gets redone) it will still rank a 9.0). Overall, a sweet little maze type game which will keep you coming back for more for ages to come. If you manage to find the game, drop me a line, as finding Zillion fans is pretty hard.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/01/01, Updated 06/01/01