Last Alert
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
I can still remember the first time that I saw screen shots
for Last Alert. Originally intending to call the game Red
Alert, NEC made a point of showing off the incredible
animation sequences that the game featured. Indeed, I was
quite impressed by the pics of these cinemas - to the point
that I couldn't wait to try the CD out, even though I wasn't
even aware of what kind of title it was. As it turns out,
Last Alert is a militaristic action game (somewhat similar
to NEC's Bloody Wolf). While most of the action consists of
shooting people and blowing things up, Last Alert is a long,
deep action title that transcends the typical boundaries set
by most games in the genre.
Starring in Last Alert is Guy Kazama, a tough, buff,
Rambo-type character who accepts the burden of saving the
entire world. Guy is up against the powerful, diabolical
Force Project, a group of terrorists headed by the maniacal
physicist, Che Garcia. Aiding Guy in his quest is the Head
of the CIA, Harvey Leonard, and an attractive blonde
referred to only as Kay. These two fill Guy in on the
actions and whereabouts of the terrorists; Guy then launches
a one-man attack on the villains in order to thwart their
plan to conquer the world. Six long missions stand between
Guy and a confrontation with the infamous Dr. Garcia.
The action in Last Alert takes place from an overhead
perspective. Guy controls extremely well; it's even a cinch
to run in one direction while firing your gun in another, an
element that many shooting games seem to have some trouble
with. Guy has two methods of attack at his disposal: his
normal guns and various special weapons (among which are
grenades, missiles and flame throwers). Special weapons can
be obtained by picking up the icons that some enemies leave
behind after you kill them. Control-wise, the only aspect of
the game that is somewhat annoying is switching from one
special weapon to another. Doing so requires the player to
pause the game before selecting a different item. Such
switches can really interrupt the action and interfere with
your plans of attack, but considering the limits of the
two-button TurboPad, it's easy to understand why NEC decided
to go with this system.
Although the game is only comprised of a modest six
missions, each mission requires you to complete numerous
tasks. In actuality, Last Alert consists of over twenty
different stages - an incredible amount considering what
kind of game we're talking about. Adding to the variety is
that there are three different types of stages that must be
tackled. The first type is your typical action level in
which you must blow through the bad guys and defeat a big,
tough boss character. The second type is far more
interesting: you're asked to meet certain goals such as
rescuing hostages within a certain amount of time or placing
bombs in specific locations. These stages are typically
quite expansive; you'll have to do a fair amount of
exploration before your goals are met. The third kind of
stage is intriguing as well: Guy is required to act as a spy
and discover information about the enemy. During these
stages, it is crucial to draw as little attention to
yourself as possible (in other words, should you decide to
use your grenades rather than your pistol, the enemy will
discover and surround you in a matter of moments).
Last Alert even has some role-playing elements thrown into
the mix. Guy is rewarded with experience points each time he
destroys an enemy. When a sufficient amount of experience
points is attained, Guy's rank and level will rise. Not only
will his life meter be increased, but he will also gain
access to more powerful types of weaponry.
The graphics in Last Alert during the action sequences are
only average. There are some nice touches here and there
(such as Guy switching outfits depending on what type of
mission he is attempting to complete), but overall, this
stuff could have been done on a HuCard rather than a CD. The
animation scenes are a completely different story: these
segments feature incredible detail and are among the most
well-drawn cinemas to ever appear in a Turbo-CD game.
Unfortunately, the voice acting during these scenes is
absolutely awful; very little feeling or emotion involved.
Thankfully, the music in the game is pleasing to listen to,
even if the voices are not.
Perhaps the only real complaint I have about Last Alert is
that the game play can seem a bit lackadaisical at times,
especially for an action game. Guy Kazama is obviously one
skilled soldier, but seriously, he shouldn't be able to
outrun the bullets that the enemies shoot at him. If the
game were a bit more intense and explosive, it might have
ranked among the elite action games. As it is, Last Alert is
still a blast to play. It's a lengthy adventure, which
should ensure that you won't be finished with it in a couple
of days. This is a very deep, enjoyable action title with
some incredible cinemas, and it should give most gamers
their money's worth.
Overall: 8 out of 10
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