Developer: Data East Publisher: Data East Release: 1992 Genre: Action
Who knew Data East would be so far ahead of the curve in 1988? These days the various mobile app stores are flooded with endless runners, platformers in which your character never stops moving. For a platform with limited input the genre fits perfectly. But in the 80s where titles like Super Mario Bros and such reigned it was unheard of. Atomic Runner broke new ground with its approach to side scrolling action games but largely went unnoticed. It would be its much improved Genesis port in 1992 that would garner it some attention. Its mechanics may be a bit confusing but I found this to be a hidden gem in the Genesis library.
Actually calling the Sega version a port is disingenuous. This edition is basically a remake, from its story to its visuals. The arcade version was a bit controversial as its story is loosely based around the events of Chernobyl not long after that disaster had occurred. The home version wisely distances itself from that. Here Chelnov is the son of a scientist who narrowly escapes death by the Deathtarians. In the wake of their attack his father sustains a fatal injury and his sister kidnapped. His father’s parting gift is a suit that grants him superhuman abilities, powers that he’ll need to stop the aliens once and for all.
The story isn’t the only thing that has changed. Atomic Runner has been given a drastic visual overhaul and looks fantastic. The system’s limited color palette gives it a dark and gritty look that fits the tone perfectly. Every background is multi-layered and incredibly detailed. Each stage is themed around an ancient civilization, from the Egyptians to the Aztecs. The visual variety is off the charts and vastly superior to the arcade. Even the music has received an upgrade. Perfect arcade ports were rare back then but ones that surpassed them even rarer. This is a first class production from top to bottom.
Atomic Runner is essentially an endless runner long before it would become a genre. Chelnov is always on the move as the game auto scrolls. You can’t move backward; at most you can come to a complete stop. Enemies approach from all sides and you need to be swift in turning around to deal with them. By default you do this with a button combination, making such a simple action tricky in the heat of the moment. The controls and the game’s mechanics require some adjustment despite their simplicity. There are nine different control configurations and even with this much choice it is still confusing. One of the best choices is option C, where A shoots left, B jumps, and C shoots right. It was a bold choice to forego the option to move backward or simply turn around but it works within the context of the game.
Those that stick it out will be rewarded. There are a healthy amount of weapons and power-ups and the game is extremely generous in dishing them out. Weapons range from homing missiles to a medium range ball and chain. Every weapon upgrades numerous times as well as your basic abilities such as jumping, attack range, and rapid fire. You can even stomp on enemies to inflict damage which is a crucial skill. While the mechanics require some adjustment the game certainly leaves you loaded for bear.
Atomic Runner’s pacing and action are second to none. Enemy placement and spawn points are deliberate and always challenging. Although Atomic Runner consists of only seven levels each is incredibly long and varied. Towards the end it even begins to incorporate platforming which is interesting considering the auto scrolling. It works and even takes advantage of your leg stomping skill. Checkpoints are plentiful and the game even helps you out if you die too frequently. After your fourth death at a checkpoint the next weapon drop brings you to full power. Pretty cool eh?
That being said the difficulty can be pretty punishing. Even though it is easy to fully power your weapons the single hit deaths are still brutal. There is a heavy trial and error component in surviving until the end level bosses. While this is a remake it still uses the same enemy placement as the arcade. This was a brutal endeavor in the arcade and it shows here. Luckily you can adjust the difficulty and number of continues, up to 15, making it manageable.
In Closing
For the longest time I avoided Atomic Runner. My first impressions weren’t so positive and I wrote it off. I’m glad I gave it another chance. Atomic Runner is a unique title in the Genesis library and offers something different but enjoyable for action game fans.
