Developer: Microsmiths Publisher: Nuvision Release: 05/91 Genre: Action
The early years of the Genesis pre-Sonic were rough. Sega had to provide the lion’s share of software for the system due to Nintendo’s strong arm tactics with third parties. What little support they did receive was not very good, let’s be honest. There were interesting Amiga ports like Budokan and hidden gems like Gaiares. But for every one of those you get trash like Bimini Run. Bimini Run is the type of game you purchase by accident but by that point it is too late. So you spend time with it to get your money’s worth but no matter what it feels like a waste. I would rather play in traffic than touch this game again.
I will give the game credit the story is something else. You play Kenji O’Hara, expert motorboat driver and undercover secret agent. Your sister Kim is kidnapped by the evil Dr. Orca as a distraction so that he can unleash his super weapon the Behavior Altering Module on the world. Together with your partner Luka you must brave the seas surrounding Orca’s lab and the forces he has hired as protection to save your sister. Secret agent turned motorboat driver ranks up there with Keanu Reeves’ turn as an undercover surfer in Point Break in terms of cheese but I will let it slide. The idea behind Bimini Run is sound; this is the closest we would get to a 16-bit Cobra Triangle. But the execution is lacking and you have a mess with no semblance of balance.
Bimini Run is a hybrid action game with racing elements. Your speed boat has a few weapons to deal with different targets. The low gun is for nautical targets while the high gun deals with helicopters and other…….enemies. The bazooka is strictly for dealing with mission objectives and can charge like the others for greater distance. The radio keeps you abreast of your current mission objective and any change in status. Usually when things change you will get an alert; you will tire of hearing “Kenji come in!” as it happens every twenty seconds or so. Trust me it is even more annoying than you can possibly imagine.
Each chapter has a specific task. For the most part you are trying to catch Dr. Orca as he tries to get away. There are several detours along the way however. Sometimes you will have to destroy a set number of radio towers to find his base. There are several pursuit missions as well. The entire map is open for exploration fuel permitting. In fact several of the missions allow you to tackle them as you see fit. The onscreen compass and available map do a decent job keeping you on track considering all islands are identical. While the game starts out normal it takes a wild detour in the Bimini Zone as you follow a mermaid (!) and battle sea creatures like sharks, sea serpents, and manta rays. There is no explanation, just accept it. The over the top difficulty ruins any good Bimini Run may have had.
Bimini Run is up there with Battletoads as one of the most frustrating games I have ever played. Unlike that title it lacks the level variety and cool mechanics to make it tolerable. One hit equals death and I am not exaggerating when I say death comes swiftly. The enemies possess a level of accuracy that is unheard of and the sluggish control mean unless you are already in motion chances are you will die if they get off a single shot. You can fudge it a little by shifting the viewpoint so they are off-screen but it barely helps. Most of the time you will die and hear that one voice clip repeatedly. It gets even worse in the second half! The missions drag on too long and the enemies so aggressive that I question why I stuck it out. Maybe I am stupid. Don’t be like me.
I should not be so angry at bad games but sometimes I cannot help it. When you see the potential for a solid if not excellent game ruined by sloppy mistakes you cannot help but be disappointed. A bad game is a bad game; there is no saving the likes of Back to the Future or Technocop. But damn it Bimini Run could have been decent. The open world structure was unique for the time and how many games let you pilot a tricked out speed boat? Granted all of the islands are identical and there are like five enemies in the game but it’s the thought that counts. A simple god damn life bar or some semblance of balancing would have gone a long way toward making Bimini Run tolerable.
In Closing
Bimini Run is certainly unique. But being a special snowflake means nothing if no one wants to be around you. The assortment of flaws and sky high difficulty mean most will grow tired of it in a few minutes and I cannot blame them. Bimini Run is an obscure title in the Genesis library and honestly it deserves to stay that way.
