Sega were in an interesting position with the Genesis. Because of Nintendo’s strong arm tactics with third parties they had little support early on. But they figure out a clever loophole; they could license and program the games themselves. After the awesome job they did with Ghouls N’ Ghosts and Strider their next Capcom project was Mercs. While it doesn’t pack the nonstop action of Gunstar Heroes Mercs is an excellent arcade port with extra content that helps it hold up against later titles for the system.
Mercs was originally released in the arcades in 1990. As the sequel to Commando it ratcheted up the action by offering three-player coop. With its wide screen it was a busy game and a thrilling ride. The home port manages to keep most of the action but unfortunately is single player only. There’s no getting around it; that sucks. However the addition of Original Mode makes up for it in my opinion, giving what is a short game more longevity.
As a top down action game Mercs is similar to Ikari Warriors. The weapon list is pretty small at just four but effective. Aside from the standard assault rifle you can pick up a flamethrower, missiles, and a spread gun. Each has their strengths and weaknesses such as range and power and drops often enough that you can test them all out. Each weapon’s power is increased by collecting the same gun multiple times to great effect. Like all great action games you have a limited supply of screen clearing mega bombs for tight situations.
While similar to its predecessor Mercs has a different focus. The action is non-stop as enemies spawn even when you’re standing still. The level design places a big emphasis on wide open fields or narrow passages where you can’t hide behind cover. With as many as eight to ten enemies converging at once as well as armored tanks and jeeps there is rarely a quiet moment. Aside from its more consistent and varied action the game also improves on Commando by introducing proper boss battles. Overall like most arcade games Mercs is pretty difficult but not cheap. But at least its manageable with the limited continues.
While disappointing I can kind of see why Sega have left out multiplayer. For as much as the game tries to keep up with the arcade’s intensity there is heavy slowdown. It gets pretty bad, with the game slowing to a crawl at times and even resorting to flicker to keep up. It happens often enough that it can affect gameplay and lead to some cheap deaths. If there were two players letting off missiles and rockets the game would have been a slideshow. The game does seem to have been built with multiple players in mind which is probably why it is so difficult.
To make up for it Sega has included an original mode that is completely awesome. With Original Mode you are essentially getting two games for the price of one. Original mode is more than just a remix of the arcade mode. It adds a wealth of new content on top of a new story. It also adds new mechanics that give it more depth while staying true to the arcade original.
The differences are significant. For one you aren’t going it alone this time. Every other level or so another Merc will join you, acting as an extra life. Eventually you will build a party of five, with each housing their own weapon. They even come with their own stats that you raise individually. Everyone has different max ratings for weapon power, walking speed, and maximum life. Juggling party members to make sure you raise their stats adds an element of strategy as certain characters will excel in different situations. I really love this aspect of original mode and it gives the game depth.
In addition to a party you’ll also collect medals that act as currency. These medals can be spent in the shops located in every level. Here you can buy health, power-ups and revive dead characters. With currency you’re encouraged to explore the levels more as medals are everywhere. While they still maintain the wide open scope the original levels often offer branching paths and such. You also need to find as many as possible as there are no continues. Once all of your party members are dead its game over. Original mode can be even more difficult than arcade since it is longer and you need to manage your roster properly. But that is part of the fun of it.
In Closing
Usually the early titles in a system’s library don’t hold up as well compared to later games. One need only look at Mystic Defender as an example. However Mercs fares pretty well and is great all around. If it were simply a straight arcade port it would be decent. However the additional content makes it even better and a great purchase even today.
