ATOMIC ROBOKID
UFL
TURBOGRAFX-16
SHOOTER

Despite the constant advertisements in EGM and GamePro, Atomic Robo Kid never became the golden child that its American publishers, Treco, had hoped.  Personally, I think the main reason why is because the star of the game wasn't especially appealing.  Perhaps more people would have warmed up to him if the game had been released eight years earlier (or later) when his movie double R2-D2 was still in the public eye, but unfortunately, Atomic Robo Kid had to stand on his own two stubby legs in 1992.  Most gamers of the time didn't appreciate how he tried to bridge the gap between the sleek star ships in most shooters and cuddly mascots like Sonic the Hedgehog.  He was a mismatched hybrid whose short, stubby body and large but creepy headlight eyes kept him from being either cool or cute.

I didn't like Atomic Robo Kid either... or at least, I wasn't particularly fond of his Genesis game.  But I did give him a break from his indefinite time-out when I found the special Turbografx-16 edition of Robo Kid released in Japan.  When I fired it up, I noticed that the title character wasn't the only thing unusual about this horizontally scrolling shooter... there's a lot more freedom here than in classics like R-Type and Gradius, because there's no forced scrolling and you can even backtrack through the stages.  Also, once you pick up a new weapon, any old ones you've collected are saved for later rather than discarded. 

These weapons are basic, and not especially impressive even when powered up, but you'll get a lot of mileage out of all four of them.  The three way laser really comes in handy if you'd prefer to hide behind walls and blast enemies that would otherwise spray you with bullets.  Then there are the bombs... not only can they be launched from any direction, but their explosions (however brief) are so intense they literally vaporize enemy shots (EXTREMELY handy in crowded areas).  To top things off, there's a concentrated beam and a slightly less powerful but wider five way vulcan cannon, which are great for conflicts with larger enemies.

Also, the Robo Kid's trash can like body is more resistant to enemy fire than the rather delicate ships in most shooters (uh, Major Tom to ground control... can we get some armor plating here?!).  You'll be glad, too, because the stages are pretty long, and the hatches leading from one round to the next are usually guarded by some pretty tough customers, like the screen filling pinwheels that absolutely, positively will not let you through until they're destroyed.  If you can break through these defenses and slip through the door to the next stage, you might be rewarded with a battle against an evil Robo Kid that's very similar to old as dirt games like Gunfight or Laser War... but that's if you're lucky.  If not, you'll have to deal with a room full of boss... and I mean that, because these guys are huge!

Atomic Robo Kid is not only innovative, it's well designed.  The graphics are pretty attractive... a lot of games like this have used biomechanical enemies and stages, but they never looked quite like this.  You'll fly through lush jungles full of thick hanging vines, over floors made from long rows of ribs (not the kind you'll want to slather with barbecue sauce, trust me), and around very large mechanical bosses.  The control is as a whole solid, although you'll want to stay away from the floors if possible... for some reason, Atomic Robo Kid prefers to walk across these, and if you try to change weapons while he's waddling along, he'll jump instead (possibly into one of the bad guys).  And the sound... well, that kind of stinks, but this is a Turbografx-16 game we're talking about.  Overall, Atomic Robo Kid is as well rounded as its goofy looking star, and although it'll never earn the gold medals held by classic shooters like R-Type and Gradius, this kid's booties at least deserve to be dipped in bronze.