Ultracore Longplay (Sega Genesis) [QHD]

Game Info --------------------------------------------------- Developer: DICE/Strictly Limited Games Publisher: Strictly Limited Games/Columbus Circle Year of Release: 2019 Game Review & Impressions --------------------------------------------------- Digital Illusions Computer Entertainment, better known today as DICE, built their reputation with the fantastic pinball simulations Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasies on the Amiga in the early 1990s, before becoming a global phenomenon with the Battlefield franchise from 2002 onward. However, Ultracore, or Hardcore as it was originally known, marks a near-forgotten chapter in the studio's history. It had been scheduled to launch as a cross-platform release for Amiga, Sega Genesis and Sega CD in 1995, but slipped into stasis for the best part of 25 years after then-publisher Psygnosis canned the project. Strictly Limited Games would eventually resurrect and complete the game, with a version compatible with the Sega Genesis launching 2019. So, what is Ultracore? Well, it's a run-and-gun shooter that's not a million miles from the Turrican series. There are strong Euro-platformer vibes throughout, although the level design and polish feels much tighter and less idiosyncratic than many of its contemporaries. The graphics and animation are among the best on the Sega Genesis, and the music is equally impressive. In terms of technical polish and presentation, it's a first-rate title, and it's a real shame this got canned before its original release. The game's objective is to find and defeat rogue military commander Captain Vance before he can unleash his cybernetic minions on the galaxy at large. Players assume the role of a lone space marine tasked with taking down Vance, venturing forth through trap-laden factories and facilities full of deadly robots. Locked doors and other obstacles are a common feature, and you'll need to find security cards and switches with which to bypass these, heading further into danger with each furtive step. I also wasn't lying where when I said this was a run-and-gun game, because you'll be doing a huge amount of both, and this is where the game's directional fire controls come into play. It's possible to aim your weapon up and down to hit enemies in a cone of fire in front of you, and you can also back peddle whilst shooting if a more defensive retreat is in order. I must confess that I found the controls to be somewhat fiddly in this regard, and it's not uncommon to find yourself messing up as a result. When it comes to gunning, you have a pretty beefy arsenal of weapons at your disposal. You start the game with a rapid-firing energy blaster, but extra weapons can be found in footlockers hidden throughout the various levels, each of which can be powered up two additional times by finding the chevron-shaped power-up tokens. With the exception of the blaster, the guns require ammo to function, which can be sourced from blue magazines found throughout the game. Some guns drain your ammo reserves more quickly, so you'll want to conserve what supplies you have available for burning down larger packs of enemies, or on the end-of-level guardians you're forced to face at regular intervals. For when the going gets really tough, you can use screen-clearing smart bombs to take care of multiple marauding enemies at once, or, as you'll come to discover, uncover various secret passages and hidden caches. That's right. Not only are the levels in Ultracore vast, but there are numerous secrets hidden throughout. Walls with visible cracks can be broken open to reveal tunnels and secret supplies, but the biggest rewards are often found in rooms and locations hidden completely from view. You won't know these even exist until you brush against a wall concealing a secret, whereupon solid rock or impassable metal dissolves to reveal entrances leading to more riches. The coins you collect throughout the game can be used at resupply terminals to purchase extra lives, ammunition or bombs, and there are plenty of extra lives hidden off the beaten track. You'll get a tally of everything you found or missed upong completing a level, and a big part of the game is finding all the collectibles. Despite some occasionally fiddly controls, I thought Ultracore a fantastic game. Despite some rough edges here and there, the bulk of the main game oozes quality. The five stages are absolutely massive and take a ton of time to explore fully, and with so many secrets to find, there's plenty to keep you hooked. This is an excellent action game and one which, despite the prolonged hiatus, proved to be worth the wait. Chapters --------------------------------------------------- 0:00:00 Attract mode 0:03:03 Stage 01 0:16:13 Stage 02 0:25:45 Stage 03 0:42:23 Stage 04 0:56:49 Stage 05 1:19:41 Ending