98. Bulk Slash (CAProduction, Saturn, 1997)

I bought Bulk Slash as a birthday present for myself last year, which means that it has sat untouched for over a year, and it's a real shame, because it's a pretty good action game with great presentation. One of the many Sega Saturn games to never make it out of Japan, Bulk Slash is a 3D 3rd person action game where you control a transforming mech across 7 missions in varying environments. You can either play as a humanoid robot, or transform into a jet.

The basic levels have you running or flying around large outdoor maps and destroying multiple targets, usually guarded by enemy turrets. Later levels mix it up, including a mission where you have to escort an ally ship, or another that takes place indoors and is more suited to robot form. The final level is a huge maze of interconnected rooms that encourage both robot and jet forms.

The game controls about as well as it could have for being a 3D game controlled with a single directional input. The shoulder buttons are reserved for turning, and it takes a little getting used to, but eventually I was able to turn while strafing, which feels great with the jet. There is only one attack button, which is used cleverly. You have a weapon meter which charges when you aren't shooting or taking damage, and the strength and type of your attack varies depending on how full the meter is. The C button jumps if you are in robot mode, the jump doesn't feel amazing, but it at least gets you a good amount of air, so you don't have to turn into a jet just to get on top of a low building. Once you are transformed into a jet, the C button toggles between 25, 50, 75, and 99% speed, which was a system that I really enjoyed once i figured out how it worked. The jet form kind of feels like a cooler, looser Star Fox 64.

The game also has a different hidden navigator in each level. Navigators function as both anime girls to looks at as well as providing you with a helpful arrow to guide you to your objective (very appreciated in a large 3D game from 1997), and certain stat bonuses that differ between navigators. The navigators mostly act as a reason to replay the game, as it's pretty short, but some of my favorite games can be beaten in under an hour, so this one is the perfect length. The music is generally just what I want from a late 90s video game, the graphics are colorful, and the gameplay is varied and just plain fun. I should have played Bulk Slash a year ago for my birthday.

5/5, Like the cool older brother of Star Fox 64