Developer: AIM Publisher: Hudson Soft Release: 1995 Genre: Action
1995 was both a banner year for the 16-bit era and also one of the reasons why the new 32-bit platforms were needed. There were many classic titles released that year like Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country 2 and Ristar. But once you were done with those titles you were left with a sea of licensed garbage from the likes of Acclaim. The realities of the cartridge market at the time meant most publishers were risk averse and relied on licenses to grab a hit. SWAT Kats almost escapes this fate as it has all the pieces to make a great game. But somewhere along the way it does not come together as it should.
The SWAT Kats cartoon is one that passed me by. There were only so many hours in the day and you cannot watch everything. The show follows T-Bone and Razor, a pair of vigilante crime fighters who fight all manner of creepy monsters, giant monsters, and diabolical evil geniuses. Most of the stages in the game are loosely based on episodes of the cartoon but it diverges for some cool set pieces. While it has its flaws SWAT Kats has many good things going for it. It is just a shame that it does not become the game it should be until close to its end. Until that point you will suffer through a lot of pain.
Prior to each level you can select either character and they come with notable differences. T-Bone is the stronger of the two who deals more damage and is more resilient. His specialty is the bazooka which can clear certain walls and obstacles. Razor is the more agile of the pair and leaps significantly higher. In addition to his jumping prowess he has a jet pack. This enables him to reach areas T-Bone cannot and skip large sections of certain levels. It will overheat if used too long and hurt him in the process but on the right stage it is indispensable.
Initially both characters start out very weak. SWAT Kats has an experience system and you can level your characters up to 99 potentially. Aside from gaining more hit points every five levels or so your primary attack becomes stronger and changes. In addition you gain new moves although these can be tricky to activate. This is down to the controls which are a bit sluggish. Your attacks stop evolving at level 30 (or at least to the extent I noticed) and it is crucial to try and game the system to gain levels as soon as possible. The game’s balance is all over the place and it suffers for it.
Playing SWAT Kats is frustrating for a number of reasons. Your attack is short range and it feels as though the game were designed for long range weapons. Not only does it travel a short distance but the hit detection is spotty and annoying. Each character begins very weak and even the simplest enemies are resilient. Until you reach around level thirty the general feel of the game never sits right. Unfortunately that is an insane grind that will require you to seek out every collectible and revisit past stages which is tedious. Combined with the overall sluggish control and the game can be a chore to play at times.
It is a damn shame the game gets in its own way as its flaws lessen its good points. The level design is generally excellent. Since you can pick either character almost every stage has multiple paths to accommodate both heroes. Choosing the right character for a given level does wonders for how easy they will breeze through it. The game is endlessly inventive with its scenarios and although I am not familiar with the show I can see how its anything goes approach benefits the game. The amusement park and the trip back in time are some of my favorite parts of the game. The only aspect of the game ironically is its shooter segments which are long, drawn out, and repetitive.
Once you are at an appropriate level you can almost breeze through the game although it puts up a hefty fight. The journey to get to that point is sadly frustrating. However someone on the design team must have been aware of this as the game literally showers you in extra lives. Whenever there is a troublesome segment approaching you will usually find one or two 1-ups in preparation. Picking the right character for a level goes a long way toward lessening the frustration as well. The boss battles vary; some are mechanically sound but suffer from being battles of attrition. Others are not intuitive and will make you angry. But that description seems to apply to the game as a whole.
In Closing
SWAT Kats is better than most of the licensed trash released around the same time. But it is still not as good as it could have been. With a little more work it could have been a solid title. Instead it is a frustrating mess that shows its potential but never lives up to it.
