Developer: Pixel Publisher: IGS/Taito Release: 08/02/91 Genre: Action
Taito is criminally underrated as a publisher. While many know them for their legendary arcade output like Bubble Bobble and Darius they were also pretty prolific on the home front. Their output on the NES especially toward the end of its life was superb as they published some of my favorite titles on the system. One game that stayed behind in Japan is Robocco Wars, a hybrid platformer and shooter. This odd combination of genres is not common but usually turns out great and Robocco Wars is a nice little hidden gem.
Robocco Wars places you in the shoes of a boy named Lance and his transforming robot friend R-10. As I said before the game combines platforming with Gradius style shooting stages. For almost half of the game you control R-10 in his robot form. Every alternating stage sees R-10 transform in to a ship or submarine for some enjoyable shooting action that makes for a nice change of pace. The closest comparison would be Xexyz although Robocco Wars lacks that game’s depth. Despite being a simpler title it is just as enjoyable and one I am sure would have found an audience worldwide.
You tackle the platforming sections in robot form. While it would be easy to compare it to Mega Man the pace and level design could not be any more dissimilar. For one you are on wheels and the physics are different. The control is a little slippery as you build momentum but it feels natural. The levels remind me of Kirby as they are long with brief stops for mini boss battles and often multiple paths to the exit. Even the stage names such as Rainbow Syrup, Starlight Smile, and Mysterious Dream are similar. If I have one criticism for these segments it is that the action is slight. There are few enemies and power-ups as the levels are sparsely populated. It has to rely on its platforming and while it is solid it does leave you wanting more.
Once you take flight or take to the sea it picks up. These segments are very similar to Darius which is apt as Robocco Wars is from Taito. It is very Spartan in its weapons setup like that series: you have a primary shot that increases in power and a secondary bomb or torpedo but that is it. Even some of the bosses are ships making a cameo from that arcade classic. The pacing is slow and broken up with frequent mini boss encounters. While it feels derivative it also means it is solid overall. It won’t knock your socks off like the Guardian Legend but the shooter portions are a solid addition to the game rather than a detriment.
Robocco Wars is balanced pretty well but as a result is very easy. The most difficult stage of the game (so to speak) is the beginning when your life bar is three hearts. But you gain at least one extra on every level and it maxes out at eight. Life restoring hearts drop frequently and the few enemies populating the levels are not the least bit aggressive. Boss patterns are simple and if you are fully powered up they die in seconds. The end game maze and final boss are the only parts that I had trouble with. But I am a dullard with no sense of direction so that goes without saying. Not even limited continues make this challenging. This is not a negative, just me pointing it out.
I will admit that I had no expectations going in to Robocco Wars. But it surprised me on many levels, not the least is visually. The game looks great and every bit befitting of a late generation title. The sprites are large, well designed and well animated, especially the bosses. These bad asses would not look out of place in Gradius and the artist went all out to make them look great. Each stage takes place in a different land and I have to give the game credit for largely avoiding the standard gaming tropes. There is no ice or fire level and in fact many of the level themes are abstract which makes them unique. The final stage is a colorful maze that through creative use of different shades almost defies the system’s color limit. It goes to show that good things come in small packages.
In Closing
I love unexpected surprises like this. I enjoyed Robocco Wars from beginning to end and even though it has ten stages I wish there were more. It is shocking no one brought this over; we needed less crap like Peter Pan & the Pirates flooding shelves. If action games like Mega Man are your thing Robocco Wars is an easy recommendation.
