Developer: Gau Entertainment Publisher: Sega Released: 1993 Genre: Action
The Sega Genesis has one of the best gaming libraries of all time. But it did not come easily. While Sega did excellent in the US and were able to garner a lot of western support in Japan it was different. In Japan it was never a competition with nearly every third party supporting the Super Famicom. But it also created an opportunity for them to partner with many smaller companies to create hidden gems. The likes of Treasure and Game Freak (heh) created some of the best games for the system. One title you rarely hear about is Ranger-X. Sega did little to promote it but don’t let that stop you from playing one of the most unique titles for the system.
I mentioned Treasure for a reason. Ranger-X seemingly came out of nowhere like Gunstar Heroes. And like that game it pushes the system harder than most titles. Its developer Gau Entertainment would later become Nextech and continue its relationship with Sega. Ranger-X, despite being a great game, received little marketing. Sega published far too many games a year in that era and most received the bare minimum advertising. You would think someone would take the budget from the shitty FMV games to promote a true gem but what do I know?
Ranger-X immediately impresses visually with its art style and use of color. The sprites are large and detailed and the use of the system’s color palette produces a vibrant look not common on the platform. There is a generous amount of parallax scrolling but the use of line scrolling is even more impressive. This effect gives many areas a three dimensional look that is insanely cool in motion. The bosses are massive screen sized beasts and mechs that are as interesting to fight as look at. The combination of the art and special effects is what makes Ranger-X a visual delight most games of that era can’t match.
In terms of its mechanics Ranger-X is pretty unique. There is a lot to take in yet the game offers a great deal of control. The A button shoots left while C shoots right. B is reserved for special weapons. It is unconventional but works. You can fly at any time but need to watch the temperature gauge to avoid overheating and falling. The game has a large number of special weapons, from a flamethrower to a boomerang, all governed by the power meter. Each weapon uses a different amount of power and is highly situational.
In addition to your weapons your suit is accompanied by one of two vehicles in every level, the Indra or Eos. Docking with both vehicles is the only way to change special weapons but their use goes further than that. Indra is a motor bike will follow you independently and can be controlled using X and Z on a six button controller. When you dock with Indra you can control it directly and it has a few cool benefits. Its laser auto targets enemies and it has its own life bar. It can’t fly but is extremely fast and small, allowing you to cheese some boss battles. Eos is not as interesting. This massive ship slowly follows you and will drop lasers on enemies but that is it. In some missions like stage five it is indispensable but other than that nearly useless.
As if all of these mechanics weren’t enough the power meter plays a larger role in the game other than fueling weapons. You can exchange power for health, one of the only ways to refill your life bar. The meter refills in light, be it sunlight or a spotlight. This presents an interesting dynamic within certain levels. Stage 1 and 3 take place outside so it is nearly unlimited. Meanwhile you are in a cave in mission two and must break sun shafts to regain power. Managing power is one of the most critical skills in the game as the difficulty is through the roof.
There is a lot of mechanics to remember and master. But the controls are highly intuitive with a little practice. Where Ranger-X truly succeeds is in its level design. Although there are only six levels each is uniquely different despite featuring the same goal of destroying a set number of targets. The first level is the most traditional and is straightforward. Stage 2 takes place underground, which prevents you from constantly recharging your weapons. But there are sunshafts that fulfill that purpose that also destroy the subterranean creatures you will face. The tight corridors prevent you from using the Indra and almost seem as if the game is teaching you how to manage the power meter.
Possibly my favorite is stage four. This is one long vertical ascent up a high rise building. Your targets are spaced far apart, forcing you to master the temperature gauge. There are floating platforms that help but between their propensity to drop and the flying soldiers its tough. Mission three takes place above and below a forest. Your targets are at ground level but that is where most of the enemies reside. Going nuts with your weapons eases the burden but in the forest you can’t recharge, forcing you to go airborne. Combined with its pretty cool bosses there is a lot to love about Ranger-X.
The one sticking point for most will be the incredibly high difficulty. Outside of one level there are no health restoring items. The recharge stations that allow you to exchange power for life are not in every level either which is mind boggling in my opinion. In most levels enemies spawn infinitely and attack in groups. It isn’t uncommon to find your life bar shredded in seconds. With limited continues you won’t finish this in one, two or even a few sittings. The high challenge will be off putting to many and honestly were the game balanced Ranger-X would be one of the best games for the system.
In Conclusion
Honestly I think Ranger-X is one of the Genesis’ best games in spite of its difficulty. Ranger-X is an amazing game, full of visual tricks and nuanced gameplay you won’t find anywhere else. Use cheat codes if you must but play this game.
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