Phantom 2040

"One of the best games for the SNES..."

This is without a doubt, one of the best SNES games I have ever played. Multiple endings, choices you have to make which affect the game, a plot twist or two, etc. I mean it's right up there with Super Metroid.

Gameplay:

Nice and speedy, which is fun for all. Great control too, you'll find it super easy to get used to, and with your rope you can explore literally every part of the screen. Blowing up bad guys with speed and control is very satisfying, the gameplay was one of the things I was most impressed with.

I would have liked an in-game save system as opposed to a long password system, but it does have to remember all your items, power ups and weapons so I guess we can let that slide...

Story:

Great plot, there are about 6 multiple endings and 3 or 4 choices which you have to make throughout the game which affect it. Trust me, story-wise, you won't be disappointed one bit, especially if you're a Phantom fan. You'll just plain get sucked in.

I don't really want to spoil much, but the story is a tad slow at first, it quickly speeds up and you just won't be able to wait until the next scene.

Audio:

I loved the music in this game! I tell ya, this has the best MIDI music for a SNES game bar none. I found myself humming along with them on loads of occasions, the music really is great and ties in with the atmosphere of the story.

It also blends in with the actual surroundings in the game as well. It's kinda hard to explain, if you're in a factory it'll be kinda paced but still like Rock music. If you're in a level like the train one, it'll be fast paced and again, Rock. Just like in the movies...

Graphics:

Great graphics for a SNES game, they surpass even some PSONE and GBA games, and this was made even before the ideas for these consoles were uttered. The movement of the Phantom is swift like his character, there are no slow downs or lags which is good for such a fast moving game like this.

All the weapons and items look realistic and the different enemy sprites look significantly different from each other, opposed to some games where it's the same bad guy 100 times with different colours.

Replayability:

You'll definitely play this again, if not to get all the different endings, then just for the hell of it. This game really is that addictive.

Buy or Rent?

Well, you can't rent SNES games anymore so I'm gonna have to go with buy...

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/06/02, Updated 09/06/02