Game: Warpman
Genre: Action/Arcade
Developer: Namcot
Publisher: Namcot
System: Famicom
Release date: 1985
If I told you a game was "part Bomberman, part Robotron," would you be interested in it? Well, those of you who answered "yes" should check out Warpman as soon as possible. Granted, this Famicom-only sequel to Warp & Warp, a not-so-classic quarter-muncher from 1981, isn't nearly as good as either of those aforementioned games, but it's far from a stinker. In fact, it's pretty darn fun.
The premise, for those of you who care about such things: you control a spacesuit-sporting dude who has to warp between two worlds, Maze World and Space World, in order to combat hordes of strange--and kind of cute--alien creatures. While in Space World, the game plays like a less-frantic Robotron, with the titular Warpman taking out his rather tongue-y foes with some sort of ray gun. Warp over to Maze World, however, and it plays more like a poor man's Bomberman, with the game's extra-terrestrial adversaries being dispatched with time-delay bombs.
As for why Warpman is trying to exterminate these eight-bit baddies: sadly, I haven't a clue. Of course, such story-free games were the rule rather than the exception back in 1985, weren't they?
Anyway, although there's definitely something a bit archaic about Warpman--its sprites are well drawn but its backgrounds are barren, while its soundtrack, if it can even be called that, is a cacophony of ear-splitting blips and bloops--it's worth picking up if you're partial to Namcot's particular, and often peculiar (see: Dig Dug, Mappy and Pac-Man), brand of old-school arcade titles.
See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts
I am there! Sounds like a fantastic game and just the sort I like. Thanks for bringing it to my attention! Even the cover is great! :P
ReplyDeleteIt's nothing amazing, Simon, but it is fun! Try it out and then let me know what you think of it, will you?
ReplyDeleteI quite like Warpman. Its other great advantage is that it has a cooperative 2 player mode. My wife likes it too.
ReplyDeleteI think these early Namco games that were numbered 1-18 are the games that I play the most. Also, as your Warpman demonstrates, they have some of the best box art out there!
Ah, yes, I completely forgot about the two-player mode! Of course, I've only played it by myself, so that's probably why :P
ReplyDeleteAnyway, yes, these early Namco/Namcot games are really great, aren't they? I still have to get a few more of them -- Babel, Galaga and Galaxian, especially.
Do you have all of the first 18, Sean, or do you still have to get a few of them?
I have all 18, unfortunately though I don't have any of them boxed. They have a CIB copy of Galaga at Mandarake in town here for about 6 bucks that I am tempted to buy just for the box though:)
ReplyDeleteA CIB copy for $6? Man, you are lucky! If I were you, I'd definitely get it :)
ReplyDelete