Star Soldier
What Is It?
Remember Super Star Solider for the TurboGrafx-16? How about Soldier Blade or Blazing Lazers? Well, this 8-bit NES game was the start of that long-running line of popular 2D shooters. There's an old adage about 2D shoot-em-ups: If you've seen one you've seen them all. While I definitely don't subscribe to that theory for all shooters, there's definitely some truth in it. Star Soldier is another 2D vertical shooter that plays almost exactly like the last 2D vertical shooter. This is a space shoot-em-up that has you flying over ugly locations, killing mindless enemies that fly in formation, and battling huge robotic end level bosses. But this is about more than just boring levels and stupid enemies; it's also about the lame power-ups and the slow pace of the combat. The good news is that Star Soldier does try to be different in one or two ways, for example Hudson tries to add some feel of depth by making you fly over and under certain levels. If you consider that exciting then chances are this game is for you ... but everybody else should just spend that extra buck buying Super Star Soldier or one of the other sequels.
Does It Still Hold Up?
There's a problem with releasing a game series out of order; once you've played the vastly superior sequels (Super Star Soldier, etc.) you'll never want to go back to this slow, ugly 2D shooter. That's not to say that this isn't a fine action game, but it pales in comparison to all of those other 2D shooters already available on the Virtual Console. Hudson would have been better off had they released this as a free bonus game attached to one of the $6 sequels, but as a stand-alone game there's no reason to play this.
Is It Worth The Money?
Why spend five dollars when you can pick up one of the superior sequels for just one dollar more? Star Soldier isn't a terrible game, but it's hard to imagine a scenario where somebody is excited to be able to download this NES game over the much-improved TurboGrafx-16 sequels. One could argue that this would have been an okay experience if you tried this game out first, but most of the sequels have been on the Virtual Console for a few months now, so what's the point? Don't waste your five dollars on this slow-paced shooter when you can buy one of the impressive sequels for only a few pennies more.
Marathon: Durandal
What Is It?
Despite its lack of a number, Marathon: Durandal is actually the second installment to the Marathon franchise, the popular first-person shooter series released on the Mac back in the 1990s. The Marathon series is best known as the one (and only) great franchise found on the Mac, as well as being the predecessor to the popular Halo series. Seeing as it's best known as a Mac game, it might seem odd to some that Marathon would actually show up on a Microsoft product. But believe it or not, this isn't the first time Durandal has shown up on a non-Apple operating system. Back in 1996 Bungie ported Marathon: Durandal to the Windows 95 operating system, it was the only game in the trilogy to hit a Windows platform. Unfortunately by the time Durandal finally came out it was largely ignored by the legion of FPS fans that were more interested in the likes of Quake. Here we are a decade later and Marathon is getting a second chance on a Microsoft product. This Xbox Live Arcade port of Durandal features online multiplayer, a robust co-op mode, improved graphics, and an improved frame rate. You also get achievements, but that goes without saying.
Does It Still Hold Up?
Before I answer that question I have a question of my own: Where the heck is the first Marathon? As somebody who never had a chance to play the Marathon series growing up I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to experience the games in order. Having said that, Marathon: Durandal still manages to be an engrossing first-person shooter with some great level designs and an interesting story. Unlike the other classic FPS game released on the Xbox Live Arcade, Doom, Marathon actually feels more like a modern shooters thanks to the ability to aim up, down and all around. The graphics are somewhat jarring at first (a lot of the time it looks like you're shooting cardboard cut-outs), but that doesn't make this game any less enjoyable. It's nice to see two different classic first-person shooters hit the Xbox Live Arcade that have held up, it definitely shows that these games were not only successful because of their era. I can only hope that the next classic FPS game will be the brilliant Half-Life, it would only make sense with Half-Life 2: The Orange Box coming out.
Is It Worth The Money?
OH MY EYES!! Usually this would be an easy call; Marathon is a classic first-person shooter with a lot of personality, some great multiplayer options, and the ability to play cooperatively. And on top of all that you also have improved graphics, easier controls, and a faster frame rate. But this game is hard to recommend for one major reason: It's going to make you sick! Due to the game's graphics and speed, Marathon: Durandal will likely give you motion sickness. I'm not the kind of guy who generally has problems with this motion issues, but this game is almost impossible to look at for an extended amount of time. Thankfully there's enough content to warrant the $10 asking price, but it might be in your best interest to take some Dramamine before you spend a lot of time with this game.
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