Keio Yuugekitai: Katsugekihen

*Originally Written: 11/16/2000 , Rewritten: 3/19/2002

Keio Yuugekitai: Katsugekihen is a member of an endangered species, the 2D platformer. You couldn't escape them in the 8 and 16 bit days, but ever since 3D burst unto the scene there has been a real lack of them. I, for one, love the genre and really miss it. Thankfully, every now and then, a developer will take a risk and release one of these games. Back in 1996 Victor did just that, and released a follow up to the Sega Cd gem, Keio's Flying Squadron. The strange thing is, the original game was a horizontal shooter, not a 2D platformer! I hadn't played Keio's Flying Squadron before this game, so I went into it thinking of the game as a platformer, not a shooter turned platformer.

Upon booting the game up you will be treated to a humorous anime intro. The quality is quite low, unfortunately, but it doesn't affect the gameplay, so who cares. I guess that is the price you pay for a full screen picture. Once you start to play, you'll realize that the in-game graphics fared much better. There is a lot of detail in the scenery and the water effects are awesome. Character designs are your standard anime characters, you either love them or hate them. The credits sequences is pretty cool. The game moves at a smooth pace and slowdown is rare. The boss characters are large and well animated. Wait until you see what the first boss does after spinning like a top. The music is a mixture between Jpop and traditional Japanese Koto music. It definitely suits the games Japanese atmosphere, not to mention, it is quite catchy. The voice acting is great, but is obviously in Japanese.

Speaking of Japanese, This game is filled to the brim. It's understandable considering the Japanese nature of the game, but it can be a tad overwhelming for some. Everything, even the numbers for your score, is in Japanese. Thankfully, this is a platformer, and understanding it isn't exactly a necessity. After some trial and error, the menus will be a piece of cake. The only thing you will miss out on is the story, but thanks to the anime sequences, you can pretty much figure out what's going on by watching.

Enough about that stuff, let's get to the gameplay. Once you start to play the game, you will realize that not only does this game look great, it plays great as well. It plays just like your standard platformer, you know, run and jump and reach the end of the stage. It even features a favorite of mine, the mine cart level. Also, it pays homage to it's roots by including a shooter level here and there. As with other platformers, you dispatch enemies by stomping them to death. Sick and tired of merely jumping on enemies? Well, you've also got three weapons that you can collect along the way, a hammer, an umbrella and a bow and arrow. The umbrella has two additional features, apart from poking people with it. You can use it to deflect falling boulders or to slow down your descent like a parachute. The control is pretty good. Running can be a little slippery ala Mario, but you get used to it. Also, the default setting has it so that you will begin to run after walking for a short time. This can become annoying, but thankfully you are able to switch it to the standard tap forward twice to run.

There is a wide variety of stages, each looks beautiful. While they follow your basic platformer designs, they are still quite cool. They range from an underground cave filled with lava to an air ship complete with gusts of air. As stated above, there are a few different types of stages. The majority consists of your standard platforming action. In addition to those you've got a mine cart level, a swimming level and a couple horizontal shooter levels ala Keio's Flying Squadron. The swimming level is absolutely astonishing. The water effects look great and the control is spot on. It is a shame there is only one. The horizontal shooter levels are great, and in a way make me wish they released this as a horizontal shooter instead. They are definitely a worthy successor to Keio's Flying Squadron. The mine cart level takes place on a Lady bug roller coaster. Unlike, many mine cart levels of the past, this one is very easy.

Speaking of difficulty, that is one of the low points of the game. It is very easy, and most gamers should have no trouble completing it. Another negative aspect of the game lies in it's length. Most platformers aren't long, and this is no exception. It will probably take you between an hour to an hour and a half to beat. Considering the price this game usually goes for, that's not much play time. To help out the replay value a bit, going through the game unlocks pictures and various tips. Unfortunately, like the rest of the game, the tips are in Japanese. I'd keep replay value in mind when thinking of purchasing this game. It's great fun while it lasts, but whether or not that short amount of great fun is worth the high price tag is up to you.

Overall, Keio Yuugekitai: Katsugekihen is a really fun 2D platformer that is low on length, replay and difficulty. The length really makes it hard to recommend and the fact that it often commands a high price tag doesn't exactly help. However, as I've said in the beginning 2D platformers are an endangered species, and if you are a big enough fan of the genre, you can't go wrong with this game to get your fix. At least it is fun while it lasts.

©2002 Ed Finnegan

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