"Does not compute..."

Space Hunter, as I understand it, is a 1986 platform / adventure game
released by Kemco.

I've been playing the Japanese version of the game, and as there isn't much info about it floating around, I can only assume it never made it to North America.

The game is really a mystery to me. I've played it for hours, but don't really understand it.

You play as a young woman wearing ear-muffs who explores the galaxy for reasons unknown. The view of the game switches between a platforming type, to an overhead view depending on the scene.

You start off hovering above a system of six planets in an overhead fashion. You can choose to land on whichever you choose. Once you do, the game reverts to a bizarre rendition of a platforming game.

You'll move around via some kind of jet-propelled shoes, giving you free movement along the screen. As you do, you'll have to defeat your enemies using a complex weapon I haven't quite figured out yet.

Essentially, you shoot a triangle, which at intervals unknown, will launch a huge beam in a random direction. It's hard to aim, but the results are usually worth it. Sometimes you come across strange rooms, which upon entering, reverts to the overhead view. There, you'll have to defeat random enemies with your triangle gun. Once all are defeated, a note falls, displaying a message in Japanese. AUNAO doesn't understand.

If there's a story in this game, I don't really get it. There's no introduction to the game, and I didn't get a manual with it. I imagine the cryptic notes with Japanese messages offer insights into the plot, but I simply don't understand.

The graphics in this game are kind of interesting. Backgrounds are essentially all black, all the time, and everything else is fairly crude, even for the NES. However, the character designs are interesting enough for me to let it ago.

Aside from controlling a brown-haired girl with jet-rocket shoes and earmuffs who can somehow breathe in space, you'll also come up against fierce lightning bolts, dismembered lips, and squirrels that launch sonic waves out of their rears. Again, I just... don't understand.

Music-wise, it's pretty awesome. Probably Space Hunter's crowning achievement. It's very Mega Man-esque. and very enjoyable. The music that plays in the message rooms is particularly great, it almost freaks me out how unnerving it is.

Space Hunter isn't much on replay value, although I get the idea that this game probably kicks untold amount of ass if you could just understand what the hell is going on. It's a cute way to burn some time, though.

You'll probably NEVER see this game, so you don't need to lose any sleep over wondering whether to buy it or not. If you do actually stumble upon it for a price that isn't outrageous, I'd say buy it.

Sure, you'll be thinking "What the hell...?" a lot, but it's kind of neat in a special way.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 09/22/05