Developer: Data East Publisher: Sega Released: 1991 Genre: Action
The Genesis would eventually gain the reputation of being the system for fast paced action games, from Gunstar Heroes to Lightening Force. But early in its life the pickings were slim. In fact I would say it was dire. Arcade ports held the system down in those dire days but not every game was a winner. Midnight Resistance aimed to scratch that Contra itch. While the port is decent for what it is it has issues and I’m still not sure if I like it or hate it. There is some fun but it comes with caveats that will turn many away.
Midnight Resistance is essentially a side scrolling Heavy Barrel and is a loose sequel even though it isn’t expressly stated. What starts as a simple mission to take out an evil dictator soon becomes personal when he kidnaps your family. It becomes even stranger when you start fighting aliens in space but I digress.
Despite its surface similarities to Konami’s classic Midnight Resistance has its differences. Aside from your standard machine gun all weapons have ammo. In addition you only get to choose a new weapon between levels. The game brings over the key system from Data East’s other arcade games and uses them in a similar fashion. Keys are dropped by specific enemies but you have to hold onto them until level’s end. Between stages you have a choice of weapons but are limited by the number of keys you possess. There is a decent selection, from a shotgun and flamethrower to a 3-way shot. You can also buy a super charger that boosts your current weapon as well as different bombs. You have to make some tough choices as weapons become more expensive to unlock while also balancing ammo. It sounds limiting but they manage to balance it well.
Regardless of your choices you will have to contend with the game’s controls. The arcade cabinet used a rotary joystick like Ikari Warriors, enabling you to move and shoot in opposite directions. The home port offers four control setups to replicate those controls to varying degrees of success. The main scheme let you lock your fire with B while A toggles auto fire. It is semi normal but has its own quirks. Also you can only toggle fire on or off. It is weird as hell and makes no sense but you have to live with it. The other three options use the B button to rotate your firing direction while you strafe. In a fast paced action game like this it simply does not work.
The controls are a huge damper on the game and drag it down. You will suffer many a cheap death as you awkwardly try to aim or reposition yourself to attack a simple enemy. To use a smart bomb you press up and attack. But every time you try to attack airborne enemies you will repeatedly use one. It is possible to adjust but it never feels like second nature as in similar titles. There is any number of ways the controls could have been more intuitive. Hell, even simply offering a Contra style control scheme would have made the game infinitely more playable.
Once you adapt to the controls Midnight Resistance has a lot to offer. The level design is not as straightforward as you expect. While there are stages that comprise the side scrolling action you expect most levels consist of short action vignettes. Rather than scrolling to the next section each set piece slides into place which looks extremely cool. There is an even mix between fodder enemies and mini-boss battles, lending the game an almost Treasure like feel. Obviously it doesn’t come anywhere near those heights but considering this was an early release that isn’t a knock against it.
Despite its arcade origin Midnight Resistance is not a particularly difficult game. Even though you have to spend keys wisely nearly any weapon makes the game trivial. The levels are short enough that you won’t run out of ammo and boss patterns are easy to figure out. Most of the difficulty comes from wrestling with the controls but once that is overcome the game is a breeze. Sadly it lacks two-player coop so its shelf life is short but it is a fun ride while it lasts.
In Closing
Midnight Resistance is a solid ride that could have been better with a few tweaks. Despite that it is fun for the time you’ll spend with it. I would only recommend it after you’ve exhausted the better genre offerings however.
