stdar

Play It:

For the Saturn only.

Story:

In the future, the assassination market has really picked up. Scudco has developed a robotic assassin that can be programmed to find and kill any and all enemies you may have, then promptly self-destruct. No fuss, no muss. One Scud is self-aware though, and decides that he doesn't wish to blow up. These are the trials and tribulations of an assassin trying to survive.

So basically, this is the story of Scud the comic book, specifically, the Heavy 3PO (the first few issues) story arc. However, it does spin an original tale in there innovating Sussudio's assignment to eliminate Scud. Fans of the comic may be interested to know AM-2 (I'm guessing that's a reference to a certain other internal SEGA studio, though this one is pronounced "AM minus 2") was created for this game and appeared later in the comic. Granted, it was in the comic for all of 5 panels. He's got a much different (and cooler) role in this game. Anyway, every stage has at least some basis from an issue of the comic. However, purists may note some strange changes to the source material (in the game, the Twist gang is said to have been hired to kill Scud.) Oh well, no biggie.

Graphics:

The graphics in the levels are very well done. They take on the same cartoony look as the comic, which prevents them from looking too horrible a decade or so down the line. The FMV's are another story though. This was back during that magical time of when the games were starting to have ass-kicking FMV's, even though that was of course circa 96-7, so they really sucked and we just didn't know any better because that was all we had. Thankfully, the cartoony style does help it age better, but still, the FMV is very grainy, and not up to snuff with the standards back then.

Sound:

There's a lot of sound effects in this game and no complaints to be had there. The music is well-composed and even features some songs by actual bands like... well, nobody you've probably heard of. Oh well, the songs are actually pretty good in the game, though I don't have the urge to rip them to a CD or nothing. However, the sound balancing is a little off. In platforming mode, the music is LOUD, like twice as loud as everything else. However, the music is just right in shooting mode, except for level 4, which is really quiet for some reason. As for voice acting, there's not really enough dialog to really grade here, though there are no painful lines in this game.

Difficulty:

Ridiculous! I hope you want a challenge because you've got it. The stages are swarming with enemies. Typically you'll have around 5 bad guys on screen at once shooting at you, and the number can climb to 10! And I do mean shooting at you, because you simply can't blast these guys fast enough to avoid sucking up bullets, and the only reason you can survive is due to generous servings of health powerups. To sum up the difficulty, it took me several tries just to beat the first level! However, the difficulty is not uniform, and the first level is the hardest, strangely. At first, I thought the game impossible. After trying 2 guns at once, the game entered possible territory. Amazingly, the powerups really even the game out and in fact almost make it TOO easy since you can get overpowered. You can get the guns to have over 80 bullets in a clip, more than enough to kill a boss without reloading. Of course, getting there requires surviving that long. Was I surprised to beat this game on a single credit.

Enjoyment:

Wow, talk about a genre bender. The game is both a platformer and a shooter, or a platformer or a shooter. You can play it entirely as either genre. If I haven't blown your mind yet, let me elaborate. You can play this game as a fully functional platformer where you can shoot, jump, hit, duck, and climb on stuff or simply cruise through the game shooting things with a lightgun. Either way, the stages are totally different, with different mechanics and enemies. You can even play in platforming mode while a friend uses a lightgun to help out. Whoa. This is the definition of a hybrid. Since it can be played exclusively as such, I figured I could cover it.

Unfortunately, the innovation all went into the above, since neither gaming mode otherwise has any truly revolutionary features. As stated before, the game is HARD. I'm sure that fact will undoubtedly turn many people right off. However, the game makes no allowances for the number of players or guns. Therefore, I don't recommend playing unless you have 2 guns. I honestly think the game is impossible with only one. However, even as I was just inches from death, I couldn't help but notice that I was grinning as I unloaded 2 weapons into an approaching mob of enemies. I was actually enjoying the sheer intensity of the game. I found myself aiming a gun at each side of the screen and pumping off shots to hopefully kill every enemy that was coming onscreen. I had to learn to accurately shoot at 2 targets at once to succeed. But that's an acquired taste, and you may not like such a workout.

So it's rough. I really don't find the game to be much fun without a second gun. Speaking of which, there actually is a double gun mode for such a need. Dang, this was half a decade before the home port of Time Crisis 2! So is there anything else special about this game? Well, not really. This mode is basically a glorified shooting gallery. Well, the levels are all unique. Each one has its own set of villains. The game captures the feel, look, and humor of the comic. Nearly every enemy is based on something from the comic, and the levels either follow the story arcs of the first few issues or provide situations that draw inspiration from them.

What? You want to know about the platforming mode? I suppose. Like I said, it's a fully functional platformer, but there's nothing really exceptional about it save for the ability to have a sniper buddy and the humor. It definitely ain't better than Earthworm Jim. I believe it's a lot easier than the shooting mode, though just as intense. I made it halfway through the game without trouble, but I probably never went more than 5 seconds without getting hit by something. The controls are a little wack. You can shoot as you walk, but you can't move if you started shooting while standing. Very annoying. Also, you can jump and shoot, but you can't shoot downward. I keep jumping over enemies and thinking I can blast them before I land, but noooooo, you can't do that.

Replay Value:

None really. There's a couple alternate 'paths', but they don't change much. You can also play as a different character with different FMV's, but not in shooting mode, so that's worthless to you guys.

Bottom Line:

A literal 2-games-in-1 deal here. A rather unremarkable shooting experience, but this is hands down the most intense shooter I have ever played. Seriously, not recommended without 2 guns.


	ASTI SPUMANTE BEBE!

	Play It: For the Saturn only. Story: In the future, the assassination market has really picked up. Scudco has developed a robotic assassin that can be programmed to find and kill any and all enemies you may have, then promptly self-destruct. No fuss, no muss. One Scud is self-aware though, and decides that he doesn't wish to blow up. These are the trials and tribulations of an assassin trying to survive. So basically, this is the story of Scud the comic book, specifically, the Heavy 3PO (the first few issues) story arc. However, it does spin an original tale in there innovating Sussudio's assignment to eliminate Scud. Fans of the comic may be interested to know AM-2 (I'm guessing that's a reference to a certain other internal SEGA studio, though this one is pronounced "AM minus 2") was created for this game and appeared later in the comic. Granted, it was in the comic for all of 5 panels. He's got a much different (and cooler) role in this game. Anyway, every stage has at least some basis from an issue of the comic. However, purists may note some strange changes to the source material (in the game, the Twist gang is said to have been hired to kill Scud.) Oh well, no biggie. Graphics: The graphics in the levels are very well done. They take on the same cartoony look as the comic, which prevents them from looking too horrible a decade or so down the line. The FMV's are another story though. This was back during that magical time of when the games were starting to have ass-kicking FMV's, even though that was of course circa 96-7, so they really sucked and we just didn't know any better because that was all we had. Thankfully, the cartoony style does help it age better, but still, the FMV is very grainy, and not up to snuff with the standards back then. Sound: There's a lot of sound effects in this game and no complaints to be had there. The music is well-composed and even features some songs by actual bands like... well, nobody you've probably heard of. Oh well, the songs are actually pretty good in the game, though I don't have the urge to rip them to a CD or nothing. However, the sound balancing is a little off. In platforming mode, the music is LOUD, like twice as loud as everything else. However, the music is just right in shooting mode, except for level 4, which is really quiet for some reason. As for voice acting, there's not really enough dialog to really grade here, though there are no painful lines in this game. Difficulty: Ridiculous! I hope you want a challenge because you've got it. The stages are swarming with enemies. Typically you'll have around 5 bad guys on screen at once shooting at you, and the number can climb to 10! And I do mean shooting at you, because you simply can't blast these guys fast enough to avoid sucking up bullets, and the only reason you can survive is due to generous servings of health powerups. To sum up the difficulty, it took me several tries just to beat the first level! However, the difficulty is not uniform, and the first level is the hardest, strangely. At first, I thought the game impossible. After trying 2 guns at once, the game entered possible territory. Amazingly, the powerups really even the game out and in fact almost make it TOO easy since you can get overpowered. You can get the guns to have over 80 bullets in a clip, more than enough to kill a boss without reloading. Of course, getting there requires surviving that long. Was I surprised to beat this game on a single credit. Enjoyment: Wow, talk about a genre bender. The game is both a platformer and a shooter, or a platformer or a shooter. You can play it entirely as either genre. If I haven't blown your mind yet, let me elaborate. You can play this game as a fully functional platformer where you can shoot, jump, hit, duck, and climb on stuff or simply cruise through the game shooting things with a lightgun. Either way, the stages are totally different, with different mechanics and enemies. You can even play in platforming mode while a friend uses a lightgun to help out. Whoa. This is the definition of a hybrid. Since it can be played exclusively as such, I figured I could cover it. Unfortunately, the innovation all went into the above, since neither gaming mode otherwise has any truly revolutionary features. As stated before, the game is HARD. I'm sure that fact will undoubtedly turn many people right off. However, the game makes no allowances for the number of players or guns. Therefore, I don't recommend playing unless you have 2 guns. I honestly think the game is impossible with only one. However, even as I was just inches from death, I couldn't help but notice that I was grinning as I unloaded 2 weapons into an approaching mob of enemies. I was actually enjoying the sheer intensity of the game. I found myself aiming a gun at each side of the screen and pumping off shots to hopefully kill every enemy that was coming onscreen. I had to learn to accurately shoot at 2 targets at once to succeed. But that's an acquired taste, and you may not like such a workout. So it's rough. I really don't find the game to be much fun without a second gun. Speaking of which, there actually is a double gun mode for such a need. Dang, this was half a decade before the home port of Time Crisis 2! So is there anything else special about this game? Well, not really. This mode is basically a glorified shooting gallery. Well, the levels are all unique. Each one has its own set of villains. The game captures the feel, look, and humor of the comic. Nearly every enemy is based on something from the comic, and the levels either follow the story arcs of the first few issues or provide situations that draw inspiration from them. What? You want to know about the platforming mode? I suppose. Like I said, it's a fully functional platformer, but there's nothing really exceptional about it save for the ability to have a sniper buddy and the humor. It definitely ain't better than Earthworm Jim. I believe it's a lot easier than the shooting mode, though just as intense. I made it halfway through the game without trouble, but I probably never went more than 5 seconds without getting hit by something. The controls are a little wack. You can shoot as you walk, but you can't move if you started shooting while standing. Very annoying. Also, you can jump and shoot, but you can't shoot downward. I keep jumping over enemies and thinking I can blast them before I land, but noooooo, you can't do that. Replay Value: None really. There's a couple alternate 'paths', but they don't change much. You can also play as a different character with different FMV's, but not in shooting mode, so that's worthless to you guys. Bottom Line: A literal 2-games-in-1 deal here. A rather unremarkable shooting experience, but this is hands down the most intense shooter I have ever played. Seriously, not recommended without 2 guns.

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	All HTML/web design copyright 2009 stickghost. All rights reserved. Scud: The Disposable Assassin and all related items are the property of Segasoft.

All HTML/web design copyright 2009 stickghost. All rights reserved. Scud: The Disposable Assassin and all related items are the property of Segasoft.