Keith Courage in Alpha Zones

"How did NEC expect this game to hold up to Mario and help carry a console launch?"

There are some things that I will never understand in the gaming world. The Turbo Grafx struggled to take off in every category, NEC struggled to get decent licences and sales were lax. A proven selling point back then was having a good pack in game and what does Hudsonsoft release? This lame excuse of a game was their answer to the ferocious market of the day.

It's a pretty looking game and some have told me they have fond memories of it but TG16 games aren't easy to come across and it was probably the only game they remembered.

The game has a very Japanese taste to it. You play as Keith Courage and traverse seven stages with two parts each. The first part has Keith dawdling through at a snail's pace whacking enemies and collecting coins to buy a sword upgrade. The second part he transforms into a mech and avoids enemies and spikes and then fights a boss, it always uses the same transformation clip too. It feels pretty good for the first few stages or so then it gets painfully repetitive, I couldn't wait to turn it off and actually never finished the last boss. Every stage you have to collect more money and buy a bigger sword, it takes way too long and the mech stages are all too similar, even the bosses are bland. Hudson took a mediocre idea and went with it, which I don't understand it since they have released countless gems previously. You all probably how many times you had to sit through the same routine episodes of the Power Rangers when your little brother or sister just had to see them, well each new stage felt like another boring Rangers episode all over again.

On a positive knote they graphics are the high point and do a pretty good job of first impressions of the console's graphical power. They are extremely bright and colorful and truly look like a 16bit game should and were probably pretty incredible back in 1989, but everyone knows that graphics alone won't make a game good.

The sound is average but it holds the game together, the problem is is that there is only two tunes and they repeat each stage and do grow dull as the game progresses. Sound effects fall in the same category.

There are plenty of games that are way worse on the TG16 than KC but I still don't understand why they used this as a pack-in. This isn't a fun game in any way and I won't put it in the system again. Unfortunately it's too common and anyone who buys a TG will probably get this game with it. If you're planning on buying a Turbo Grafx 16 then take extra cash with you to pick up some extra games and don't rely on this to hold you over.

In other words, don't pay money for it!

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/09

Game Release: Keith Courage in Alpha Zones (US, 1989)