Ratalaika appear to have burrowed into my mind over the last couple of years and unearthed Mega Drive memories with which to delight me, as last year they re-released Gynoug and now they’ve turned their sights towards Steel Empire.
What I’m enjoying about these is that whilst these aren’t super-rare, import-only hidden gems, they are games that were somewhat underdogs and may have been initially missed by fans of Sega’s 16-bit system – they are also games that hold up incredibly well today, and it’s great that modern audiences now have the chance to discover them – or rediscover them, as the case may be.
A trio of games – with Steel Empire having regional variations as an extra – the earliest title here is Over Horizon from 1991, a NES-only title from developers Pixel, and Hot B. This is a fun side-scrolling shooter that has some energy and variation to it that makes it stand out from the more pedestrian shooters on the NES.
It also has a few extras, such as a standard mode that allows save states etc. but also a challenge mode that is the old school ‘three lives and you’re done’ arcade-style experience. There’s also an edit mode where you can soup-up weapons to tailor the experience to your liking, which is a nice touch – oh, and there are cheats you can activate, perfect for younger players, or those who are struggling at the set skill level and want to see all that the game has to offer – very cool in terms of accessibility.
Whilst Over Horizon is a solid NES title included here, my main interest lies in smashing into the mighty Steel Empire! A long-time favourite of mine set in a steampunk world where you choose between a nifty bi-plane or a slower, more powerful Zeppelin (always my choice), this is a game that has perfect pacing, awesome bosses and a booming soundtrack that is bursting with energy – it still plays well to this day and the sepia-toned colour palette, and vintage cinema style intro are surprisingly evocative of this alternate history conjured by the game.
There are two versions of Steel Empire on here, with EU and JAP selectable for both MD and GBA versions of the game. Also of note is that the GBA version of Steel Empire is its own game, as opposed to a direct port of the Mega Drive version, so there isn’t an issue with a lack of space on-screen, although the sprites are larger on the GBA version, which does make for a slightly more claustrophobic experience overall, but the game is designed to accommodate this design choice. As with Over Horizon, there are cheat codes and save states available to adjust the experience per player.
SUMMARY
Whilst this isn’t a release that reinvents the wheel, or delivers a swishy, action-packed remake of the games, Over Horizon and Steel Empire are more than strong enough to stand on their own here, delivering solid, accessible shooter experiences. Whilst it may seem bare-bones in terms of the wallpapers and aesthetic options available, that doesn’t bother me particularly, because I’m all about the on-screen action, and that is where these titles deliver.
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