Developer: Micronics Publisher: Toei Release: 02/06/90 Genre: Action
Run and gun action games are surprisingly few and far between on the NES, at least in the US. In Japan there is a greater deal of variety. The reason many of those games did not leave the country is because they are licensed. The sheer number of Gundam games will make your jaw drop for instance. One that caught my eye is Mottomo Abunai Deka, an action game based on a crime drama. The protagonists look cool and the game has its heart in the right place. But we missed little with this one.
Mottomo Abunai Deka (meaning the Most Dangerous Detectives) is based on the TV drama that would go on to spawn a number of films and such. While the game never left Japan a fan translation allows you to enjoy the brief cutscenes between levels. Detectives Taka and Yuuji are two broke womanizing bros hot on the trail of the leader of the Silver Stars, a gang of Yakuza. However their investigation will uncover a lot more than just shady dealings in the underworld…..
Mottomo Abunai Deka is a side-scrolling action game primarily but also spans genres like Golgo 13 with first person shootouts and driving sequences. Most of its action will remind you of another title. From its look and animation to its mechanics Mottomo Abunai Deka will remind you of Rolling Thunder. The jumping and shooting animation is near identical and you receive the same two weapons in the machine gun and grenades. However you will not be ducking behind doors to avoid enemies. Mottomo Abunai Deka is as straightforward as it gets. The level design is non-existent as you move from one end to the next in a straight line as legions of dumb goons literally throw themselves at you. If the goal was to provide nonstop action they certainly succeed. Making that action interesting is where they fail however.
Although it has the look of Namco’s classic series Mottomo Abunai Deka lacks the many nuances that makes those games great. Although the Geldra all share a similar look their colors were a tip off to their behavior. There is a great deal of variety among those silly looking villains that makes the game exciting and unpredictable. Here the majority of enemies will aggressively bum rush you like a maniac. While there are a few enemy types you can easily get through the majority of the game by running forward without stopping, letting off a few shots that will assuredly hit the enemy that will spawn. The game tries to overwhelm through sheer numbers as they respawn infinitely. But that does little to drum up any excitement. In fact it is annoying. Not even mini-games like target practice and a driving level can save this one.
I was literally surprised at how easily I breezed through the game despite its problems. Any time there are three enemies on screen the game slow to a crawl. The controls feel like jello yet I still had little problem running straight through most levels and barely stopping. Occasionally a thug will crouch and take a pot shot or attempt a slide kick but that takes minimal adjustment. They do not restore health between levels yet it was little detriment. I died once during the entire game and that was due to not paying attention. It is bad enough the game is so simple and boring, it is easy to boot. The only saving grace is that it is short despite featuring twelve levels.
Mottomo Abunai Deka is from Micronics, butcher of many an arcade port early in the NES’ life. You will see many of the trademarks of their work such as slowdown, sprite flickering, and robotic animation. That is bad on its own but the fact that this is a title from 1990 makes it even more embarrassing. We were getting bangers like Astyanax, Journey to Silius and Mega Man 3 that year. Seeing a game like this derping it up on the store shelf would have been a travesty. About the only good thing I can say is that it at least runs smoothly in 2-player coop which is a far cry from Micronics other work.
In Closing
Mottomo Abunai Deka is a poor man’s Golgo 13. The action is stiff, the enemies are brain dead, and it lacks any kind of excitement despite respawning enemies. Although Top Secret Episode has a mountain of problems it is at least interesting. I cannot say the same here. The detectives might be cool but that only gets you so far. In the end Mottomo Abunai Deka is boring and not worth your time.
