Developer: Fill-In-Cafe Publisher: Strictly Limited Games Release: 05/22 Genre: Action
Genocide 2 was an interesting mech beat em up for the SNES I looked forward to coming to the US. But its Western release was cancelled with no reason. Eventually I did end up playing it finally and it ultimately was not the game I was expecting. Mad Stalker is almost a similar situation. Both games look similar so it immediately caught my attention. Import coverage for the PC Engine version was regular but like most of its best titles it never left Japan. The cancelled Genesis version was made widely available in 2020. Now that I have played it is a solid endeavor unlike G2. But for the price you will pay I do not know if I would outright recommend it.
Mad Stalkers takes place in the year 2142, when disasters were a thing of the past for Artemis City. An old warship from an older war is discovered containing hundreds of giant mechas known as Slave Gears, which were put under control with the intent of ruling the government with power. Two of the Slave Gears, named “Hound Dog” and “Rising Dog”, were taken for experimental purposes under the police’s management. However, the main computer of the warship “Omega” suddenly begins functioning, hacking all military network channels, ceasing all functionality of Artemis City, and terrorizing the city with Rising Dog under its control. With Artemis City in danger, the police send in Hound Dog to fight the rampaging Slave Gears and stop Omega.
Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force is originally from Fill-in-Cafe and released in 1994. While it first appeared on the Sharp X68000, it also hit the FM Towns, PC Engine CD and later PlayStation. That version in particular is a complete remake with redrawn graphics, cutscenes, and a new soundtrack. It also has the additions from the PC Engine such as the additional playable characters making it the complete package. The Sega Genesis version was complete but was deemed not commercially viable and so was cancelled before release. However thanks to Columbus Circle you can buy it now. Should you however? That is an interesting question.
Mad Stalker is unique in the brawler genre in that you are piloting a powerful humanoid mech. While certainly new that is not what helps the game stand out. The standout feature is the responsive controls and the inclusion of fighting game-style special moves (quarter-circle inputs, etc.), giving the gameplay more depth than your average beat-’em-up. There is a surprising number of moves packed in to a few simple button inputs. In fact the game plays like a fighting game character in a side-scrolling beat em up. There are dashing attacks, double jumps, air throws, shoryuken style uppercuts, and even a simple combo system. You can even block too. Only the likes of Denjin Makai and Streets of Rage give you more options.
The game sticks close to the classic brawler formula except on a single plane. Because of the large sprites and your toolkit you mostly face two or three enemies simultaneously. Despite that the enemy roster is just as agile and mobile as you with some even featuring your same abilities. Enemy waves are ; there are not too many so they focus on making the encounters more meaningful. The difficulty ramps up sharply, particularly in later levels where enemy AI becomes more aggressive. With a single life it can be rough restarting each level after dark. But even with that I found the challenge medium outside of the rough boss battles.
There are only a few areas that Mad Stalker is lacking. Two-player coop is simply impossible with its large sprites but I do miss it. It is for the best however as there is crippling slowdown that would only be worse with two players. The biggest area is its enemy variety. There are only six or seven enemies in the entire game and it grows old fast. To its credit Mad Stalker is good about its pacing unlike most beat em ups. But by stage three you will have seen everything it has to offer outside of the bosses. Once you master the mechanics and learn each enemy’s behavior you can breeze through the game despite the difficulty spikes. This is not a long game even by brawler standards which makes these factors stand out even more.
In the absence of two-player coop there is a versus mode, against a friend or the CPU. This was a common feature among beat em ups back in the day for some reason. While brawlers fare well in the gameplay department those mechanics do not translate well to a fighting game setting. Mad Stalker fares a bit better than most in that regard due to its fighting game inputs. However its lacking character selection makes it a novelty at best sadly. You can use it to learn each bosses attacks but that is about it.
In Closing
Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force is a hidden gem in the Genesis library, the type of game that flies under the radar but has its fans that sing its virtues. As a late release it would have been unique with is mix of tight beat-’em-up gameplay and mech action. While it lacks in some areas, its combination of presentation, controls, and fighting game elements make it well worth a look, especially for fans of mecha or the genre in general.
