Developer: Aprinet Publisher: Soft Vision Release: 06/25/93 Genre: Shooter
The video game industry is littered with the bodies of failed developers and publishers. As generations change and game development becomes more complex it is only natural that some simply can’t keep up. The most interesting are the devs who create one incredible title and fade away into history. Clockwork Tortoise is one. Their version of the Adventures of Batman and Robin is so amazing technically it shames many 32-bit games. Rendering Ranger is another; a shooter so incredible that it looks like a Saturn game on the SNES. One name you’ll never hear is Aprinet. Their lone Genesis title, Eliminate Down, only saw release in Japan and Korea. And what a title it is. This is easily one of the top five best shooters on the system and pushes it harder than most.
From both an artistic and technical perspective Eliminate Down is amazing. Artistically the H.R. Geiger influence is heavy with half alien, half machine creations. It is very reminiscent of Wings of Wor, a title that I wish more games emulated. The level of detail in the sprites and backgrounds is matched by only a few Genesis titles although it is inconsistent at times. There are numerous backdrops that are completely flat and stick out. But those are the exception. Sprite animation seemed to of top priority as is fantastic. Many of the bosses are composed of multiple sprites, creating a smoother look than normal. Special effects aren’t plentiful but are also impressive. The rotational effects used on certain bosses and background objects was rare outside of Treasure’s titles, showing the developer’s mastery of the hardware.
Eliminate Down’s graphical excellence does come with a price. This is one of the few Genesis games that features heavy sprite flickering and it impacts gameplay. Slowdown is also prevalent toward the end of the game as it goes all out. They really should have shown some restraint as it can be pretty bad at times. I must admit while the flickering is bad it is fascinating to see just how many sprites the game can throw around before it starts to choke.
For its weapons system Eliminate Down takes a page from Hellfire and Macross Scrambled Valkyrie. Your ship is always has three weapons: a forward cannon, diagonal missiles, and rear firing wave beams. Each weapon can be upgraded to three levels by collecting five power chips. It sounds like a lot but is a painless process as they usually come in groups of 4-6 frequently. Regardless of weapon your ship has a weaker primary shot that always fires forward and can upgrade, although rarely. The barrier is especially strong, able to absorb 5-6 hits before disappearing. It is the most important item in the game, although it isn’t common.
The weapons system isn’t elaborate and honestly they aren’t very powerful. If there were one thing I would change about the game it would be that. However they design around this. The level design is generally excellent, forcing you to use each weapon frequently and presenting interesting challenges. Each level has two halves with a mid-boss in each. Sometimes the mid-boss is more dangerous than the end level mayor! At times it pays homage to the great shooters of the past, like stage two’s massive battleship being a callback to R-Type. But generally Eliminate Down is original enough that it doesn’t rely on that to sell itself.
Eliminate Down is a bit average in its difficulty at first. You respawn instantly upon death, which helps tremendously. Your weapons also only downgrade a level, meaning it isn’t impossible to stage a comeback from death. The game is incredibly generous with its power-ups, allowing you to reach near full power in seconds. Even during boss battles you can still receive power-ups. With its generous scoring system you’ll amass a decent mount of lives too.
At least in the first half. One you reach the midpoint a switch flips and it becomes insane. The screen is littered with bullets at all times, enemies are more aggressive, and shields become rare. To be honest it veers into unfair territory. The game starts to rely on gotcha moments too frequently that are cheap rather than challenging. Stage seven features floor shifts and traps that spring without warning. And I haven’t gotten to the bosses yet. Sudden instant death attacks, herding, you name it, the game does it. All games rely on a degree of memorization. But when the expectation is that you’ll die suddenly and repeatedly without warning it becomes frustrating rather than fun. You won’t see the end of this anytime soon unless you cheat.
In Closing
Eliminate Down is not only one of the Genesis’ best shooters, it is one of the best of the 16-bit era. Excellent art direction, high end technical brilliance, and great gameplay combine to create a game that still impresses today. The only problem is finding it. Eliminate Down had an absurdly small print run and still sells for well over a hundred dollars. However you end up playing it will be worth it as the game is amazing.
