Written by Dan Gill
Shoot ‘em ups were ten-a-penny on Sega’s 16-bit powerhouse;
Zero Wing, Steel Empire, Hellfire, Gynoug, Thunderforce, I could go on. Some
are remembered as being the finest of their genre (Thunderforce IV, take a
bow), while some live on as memes (I’m looking at you Zero Wing). Some titles
slipped through the net, and never really received the recognition they
deserved. This is where Gleylancer sits.
Gleylancer originally only released in Japan, but eventually
made it to western audiences via the Wii’s Virtual Console service. When it was
originally released in 1992 it was met with mixed reviews (and was even slated
on its Wii release by some), but upon playing it it’s hard to see why. It looks
similar to Thunderforce IV, has some lovely anime style cutscenes, and plays
well. Perhaps it was a sign of the times where it was another shooter in a sea
of many, but now with this Switch port it’s pitched at a tempting price point
for fans of the genre.
The story – as told through the game’s lovely cutscenes –
details teenage star fighter pilot Lucia’s quest to fight through an alien
race’s defences in order to rescue her father, who happens to be a high-ranking
admiral in the Federation navy. While
the story isn’t all that important in a game like this, the presentation is
great, and it’s nice to have the action broken up with a bit of context.
However, if you’re just looking to blow stuff up you can skip the story.
The basic gameplay of Gleylancer is much the same as in any
other shooter; blast enemies, dodge bullets and objects. Upon starting a new
game, you get to choose your “mover system” (think R-Type's “bits”). You can
have the support craft shoot in the direction you’re moving, shoot in the
reverse direction, lock on to enemies and so on. The configuration you choose
remains with you throughout the game.
Once you start the first level you’re met with an assault of
parallax scrolling asteroids in the background, something else that brings to
mind TFIV, but it’s initially off-putting. Enemies and bullets can be hard to
spot, and later in the level you’ll need to avoid debris that can’t be
destroyed. The initial experience isn’t particularly pleasant, especially if
you’re playing in handheld mode. However, once you get past level one, things
are a lot clearer, and it’s easier to focus on the action.
The game offers the usual fare; blast smaller ships, battle
a boss at the end of each level. There are sections however which focus on
dodging and manoeuvring through tight sections in levels, meaning you’ll
release your grip on the fire button every now and then. This adds a bit of
variety, and some tense moments as you squeeze the Gleylancer through the
narrowest of gaps.
The game offers a decent challenge, but is still easier than
some of its contemporaries, and would come with a recommendation even if it was
just the ROM dumped onto the eShop. Thankfully, developer NCS has put in the
effort you’d expect of M2. The original game is presented in all its 16-bit glory,
with the features and original translation intact. On top of this they’ve added
a version of the game with modern conveniences such as a rewind function,
various display options, a new script translation, save states, and perhaps
most importantly of all, the ability to switch between “movers” on the fly.
These updates make the game far more accessible to the modern gamer, and
there’s even a cheat mode available.
So, a triumph of a port, then. There’s enough here for genre
fans to sink their teeth into, and the game is accessible enough for those
wanting to dip their toe into the often-tough world of SCHMUPs. Hopefully
there’ll be enough interest here to encourage Ratalaika to publish more
shooters from the Mega Drive that haven’t already made their way to modern
consoles. I for one would love to see Gynoug receive the same treatment that
Gleylancer has, but for now I’m quite happy to jump back into the Gleylancer to
rescue Lucia’s father again.
9/10
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