Developer: Virgin Publisher: Virgin Released: 1993 Genre: Action
Alien vs Predator. King Kong vs Godzilla. We all love a good mashup. But few go so well together as Robocop vs the Terminator. The comic book series from Dark Horse was fantastic and to this day I question why there has not been a movie. For those of us who like video games however the Sega Genesis edition of Robocop vs the Terminator scratches that itch on nearly every level. If it were not for the ridiculous difficulty spike at its midpoint it would be one of the top action games on the system.
The story more or less follows the plot of the comic. In the present Robocop’s systems are used to create Skynet. Once active Skynet becomes self-aware and launches a war against humanity. To cripple the resistance Skynet sends Terminators into the past but instead they run afoul of Robocop. Aside from the opening text you get no more plot during the game which sucks as there is obvious story moments driving the action. But most are here for the action, of which there is more than plenty.
The most surprising aspect that is immediately noticeable is how agile Robocop is. Prior games have always leaned heavily in two directions; either very slow or practically on roller skates. This game hits the perfect balance of mobility. He moves at a steady clip and can leap with the best platform heroes. It may seem out of character considering how massive Murphy is but it works for this game. Although this is primarily an action game there is a decent amount of platforming involved and unlike Robocop 2 it actually works and makes the game better.
Robocop has access to a large variety of weapons and carry two at once. The flame gun is more of a spread gun and can destroy enemy bullets, making it extremely useful. The missile launcher sends out heat seeking missiles and has decent power. The bazooka is probably the most interesting. It launches grenades that you can loosely control with the d-pad. It is possible to blanket the screen in grenades that decimate everything in your path long before they are onscreen but it causes extreme slowdown. In the future you can find various different plasma and laser guns that are extremely powerful and in any other game would be considered overpowered. In Robocop vs the Terminator they slightly even the odds but I digress.
Each of the game’s ten levels gives you a primary directive. These can be as simple as rescuing hostages and destroying satellite dishes to the more complex like staying alive. These objectives are not mandatory and can be ignored although they usually restore health and more importantly grant point bonuses that lead to extra lives. A good deal of the environments is destructible and drop weapons and items left and right. Early on the game is extremely forgiving with health and extra lives being plentiful. The opportunity to rack up high scores are plenty and with good reason. Once you reach stage six and enter the future the game completely loses its mind.
In the Terminator world the difficulty spikes so hard it is absurd. The only directive for stage six is to stay alive and they are not kidding. This one level is so long and dense with enemies the game drops health items and extra lives every few steps. If someone noticed how ridiculous it was they should have re-balanced it rather than throwing a band aid on the problem. It does not get any easier after that. Even with the strongest weapons in the game Robocop will die frequently. It honestly gets to be so bad that it nearly ruins the game. The final boss battle is so long and drawn out I legitimately thought I hit a glitch. To enjoy the game at this point you need cheat codes but I think it is worth it.
The Genesis version of Robocop vs the Terminator captures the desolate future environment and tone of both series perfectly. The dirty streets of Detroit and the bleak future have never looked better in a 16-bit game. The sprites are large, well animated, and incredibly detailed. Enemy variety is not high but everything dies in a shower of gore and sparks. If you like your games bloody there is a code to increase the violence though I think it is gratuitous. The soundtrack is not as memorable but considering you will hear the sound effects more it isn’t missed.
In Closing
Robocop vs Terminator is an excellent action extravaganza that is only let down by its high challenge. Throw on some cheat codes and it is everything you could ask for from both properties. There are not many action games on the system more intense than this, for better or worse. It could have been a contender with more polish.
