Rendering Ranger R2

Developer: Rainbow Arts    Publisher: Virgin Interactive   Release: 11/17/95   Genre: Action

Rendering Ranger R2 is one of the most incredible games of the 16-bit era and you have probably never heard of it. There are a number of reasons for that. It never left Japan, unfortunately. It had a small print run, making it one of the rarest games for the system. And finally its price, the game is inhumanly expensive and sells for upwards of $1000. Ignore all those factors and let’s focus on the game itself. Rendering Ranger pushes the SNES harder than almost any title but backs up its technical wizardry with phenomenal gameplay. However you play it this is more than worth your time.

The game’s pedigree is almost instantly recognizable to long time video game fans. Rendering Ranger is from Rainbow Arts, creators of Turrican. The connection is clear, with this being a Turrican game in everything but name. But rather than the wide open exploration focused Turrican games it focuses on action like the later titles. The game splits its time between side scrolling action and shooter gameplay and does both equally well.

On foot the gameplay is pretty simple. You have four separate weapons that can be switched at any time. The names pretty much sum them up; red spread, blue spear, green rebound, and yellow pulse. The Spear is your typical laser while the pulse fires in almost every direction at once. Each weapon can be powered up multiple times and the game does a good job balancing them out. Switching weapons is critical as certain ones excel in different situations. The mega weapon system is a bit unique. You have three charges that differ depending on the weapon. Use one and it begins to recharge automatically. You can and need to abuse this system to make the grueling boss battles shorter.

Unlike Turrican the levels aren’t massive wide open spaces. The initial level in a ruined city is straightforward. Each subsequent side scrolling stage opens up a bit with the occasional branching path. These are more to find items and such and not enough to get lost. The action is generally well paced although some stages run too long. As well if you die your current weapon reverts back to its default state. This can make certain levels and bosses a nightmare if it was the best option.

While I like the action stages Rendering Ranger’s shooter stages are its true star. All weapons function the same but there are also satellites for extra firepower. Although Rendering Ranger is not a dedicated shooter I can easily say this is not only some of the best shooting action on the SNES but that generation. At its peak the game throws around dozens of sprites and bullets and will never, ever slow down. The game is full of set piece moments reminiscent of other games but taken to another level. Stage three’s asteroid field is similar to the bubble stage of Gradius III but embarrasses that game in performance. Stage 7 is the most incredible. After descending from the atmosphere and being shot at by missiles you enter a city crawling with enemies. Attacks come from all sides in a high speed chase through the city that is simply unbelievable.

You’ll have to put in some serious time to see everything Rendering Ranger has to offer. In the options you can begin with three, five or seven lives but that’s it.  There are no continues but there are passwords to save progress. Even with that chances are you’ll repeat almost every level multiple times. The game does a decent job providing health refills. But most of the difficulty comes from the weapons.  At max level they feel fine. Against the damage sponge bosses they seem underpowered. Boss battles can drag on for close to ten minutes if you aren’t spamming mega weapons and even that isn’t a guarantee. The later levels feature multiple brutal boss rushes that are downright absurd. The high difficulty is a little off-putting but fortunately not game breaking. But if Render Ranger had better balancing it would be a stone cold classic.

I’ve mentioned the technical excellence of Rendering Ranger but it can’t be understated. This is one of the most technically proficient games of that era and it uses no enhancement chips, just assembly level wizardry. The pre-rendered graphics call to mind Donkey Kong Country but are even more detailed. Nearly every level has three to four layers of scrolling in the environment and its jaw dropping. Special effects are minimal outside of transparency and the occasional Mode 7. The game mostly relies on its great art direction to carry it, which it does spectacularly. I have gone at length about the shooting levels but it really is amazing just how much Rendering Ranger resembles a Saturn game. Not just in its look but also performance. Those that suffered through Super R-Type would never guess one of the most impressive shooters of the era would release on the same platform.

In Closing

Rendering Ranger R2 is a truly amazing game and one of the best action games of the 16-bit era. No, this is one of the best games of that era period. It is an absolute crime that a gem like this is not wide available somehow. Whether it is through emulation or a reproduction cartridge if you like action games Rendering Ranger will not disappoint.