U.N. Squadron

"All old school shooter fans apply here!"

UN Squadron is one of the first SNES games that came out. This is a side scrolling shooter (much like R-type). If you are into shooters, this is definitely a must for you. Here is the breakdown.

GRAPHICS - 9
This game looks pretty sweet for its time. Some of the bosses and mini bosses are awe-inspiring. Like all shooters, the bosses HAVE to be huge and the enemies have to come in swarms. Much to my surprise, this game has little or no slowdown (as opposed to some of the later shooter titles).

SOUND - 8
Music is alright and sound effects are dead on. Not much to complain about here.

CONTROL - 8
Nice and easy control system (you don't want anything complex otherwise you are NOT going to be able to dodge). Buttons are fully customizable if you don't like the default.

STORY - 6
Evil bad guys attack. You are the last hope because you are HARDCORE. Same old. Not that it matters though.

GAMEPLAY - 10
Now, for the main reason why you play these shooter games. Why a 10? I have a number of reasons. First of all, I want to point out that this game is UNIQUE! In most shooters you kill enemies and grab power-ups with various powers. The more you grab of one weapon, the stronger it becomes (ie Raiden). In UN Squadron, there is no such thing; instead, you grab power ups that will level up your main weapon (think of it like getting experience points like in a RPG). That way, you won't be at full power by the end of the first level (this is good because you WANT a good challenge). If you're too powerful, this just takes away from the game. For your secondary weapon, you have to purchase them. You will earn money from killing enemies and doing ''bombing missions''. Also with this money that you earn, you will be able to purchase better planes that will be able to hold more weapons and have a stronger guns. Another interesting thing to this game is the fact that there is no specified sequence in which you have to beat levels. So after the first mission you can go fight in the jungle or desert or take on the submarine.

As for the actual action in the game, there is plenty. tons of enemies that shoot millions of shots at you. What more can you ask for. Because of all the dodging involved, you will come out of the game with cyborg like reflexes. I know some people say that weapons are too weak, and its too hard. My response is ''Why are you playing a shooter then?'' The main point is to be overwhelmed by the enemy and somehow coming out on top. That is the fun of it. If you want something easy, go play some skippy Mario game.

RENT OR BUY?
A definite BUY for true shooter fans. It is a bit frustrating at times but definitely worth it. For the casual gamer, the challenge may turn off some, so I would recommend a RENT for those folk.

OVERALL (not averaged score) - 10
Alright, a side scrolling shooter with a unique weapon system. UN Squadron will provide hours of entertainment because of the difficulty. A true classic shooter.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/02/01, Updated 09/02/01