Developer: CAProduction Publisher: Hudson Soft Release: 07/11/97 Genre: Action
Because of its early demise the Saturn never truly had a chance to show gamers what it could really do in the West. Most of the 3d titles gamers are familiar with are the Sega’s compromised ports of their arcade games of the time. But in Japan the Saturn has a unique library full of depth in every genre and more importantly many technical showpieces. Bulk Slash is a game I am absolutely sure someone would have localized if the system were more popular. Technically brilliant but also with the gameplay to match, Bulk Slash has quickly risen to become one of my favorite Saturn games.
In the near future the planet Blau is recovering after a galactic civil war in which they were the losers. But the inhabitants face discrimination at every turn from the winners of the war. Military Chief Alois Gardona and his forces stage a coup d’état to bring Blau back to power in response. Their noble intentions go too far however when they threaten planets that have nothing to do with their situation with a weapon of mass destruction. As S.D.F. pilot Chris it is your job to put an end to their ambitions.
For a long time Bulk Slash was less than accessible to many. Despite the setup there is not much story content, one of my few complaints. The game gives a massive info dump near the end to justify/explain it all but it falls flat. However there is a lot of radio chatter from your navigators. Your navigator will steer you toward your objective and generally keep you on track. On some of the larger missions like stage three and four it is indispensable. The fan translators went above and beyond and not only localized the text but recorded a fan dub that is pretty good all things considered. They deserve all the commendations for making this great game more accessible to the masses because chances are this will never be re-released.
The best way to describe Bulk Slash is Virtual On as an action game. Your mech can switch between robot form or jet fighter mode at any time. In mech form you have a machine gun and will slash enemies if they get too close. When not attacking a meter charges and when full allows you to toss a bomb. You can also use three weapons with limited ammo; a homing laser, flamethrower, and napalm blaster. As a jet you have unlimited flight and can adjust your speed in increments. You only have your standard blaster and homing missiles at full charge but that is more than enough. The cool thing is you can change in to a jet even during the indoor missions although the camera literally commits suicide in the small interiors. But I digress.
Mechanically Bulk Slash is simple. There is some depth through the M.I.S.S. (Manageable Intelligible Support System) system. There are seven navigators in the game, one for each mission. Once you find them on each planet you can choose to bring them along. Outside of providing directions supposedly each grants a combat bonus. But I never noticed any difference and researching online bears that out. The real bonus they grant affects the ending. There is a dating sim aspect to “equipping” a navigator. They gain experience as you play and max out at level three. For each this grants bonus artwork and a unique ending per navigator. This is to entice you in to playing through the game seven times to see it all. Personally I find that nutty. I like the game and all and it is short enough that multiple runs will not take long. But that is excessive.
Unlike the previously mentioned Sega title your mech explores a full 3d environment but this is not a fighting game and the maps are significantly larger in scope. Each mission has an objective, be it destroying set targets, finding key cards in a military base or protecting a royal spaceship long enough for it to escape the planet. There is a great deal of variety within the seven missions; even when an objective is similar the challenges presented make them feel fresh. The first two levels take place in the city, both during the day and at night. Mission four is an open space mission where you need to plant four bombs in target areas, all while dodging mines, drones, and fire from capital ships. For the end game you must navigate a maze which ends in a grueling boss rush before the finale.
There are so many reasons why Bulk Slash is so amazing. Bulk Slash is nonlinear as you can complete the first and second set of missions in any order. The mission variety is second to none and each is capped off by a great boss battle. The game graciously lets you auto center on the boss at the touch of a button which is critical. The boss battles almost feel like a Treasure game as they are great set piece moments and grand in scale. Overall the game is not necessarily difficult outside of the last mission. You will probably burn through all your continues running through the five (five!) boss gauntlet at the end. It is cheap but by that point you can easily breeze through the game and try again. Despite there only being seven levels it feels right. Any more and it might start to drag.
In Closing
Bulk Slash is not only a fantastic technical showcase for the Saturn but a phenomenal action game as well. It has the gameplay to back up its technical prowess and simply amazing. For years I read about how great this game is here and there. But playing it for myself is a different experience entirely. Unfortunately this one is pricey but I urge you to play it by any means possible if you are action fan and own a Saturn.
