When I look back on my childhood I still can’t believe I was allowed to watch R-rated movies like Predator and the Running Man in the theater. I guess no one cared about the children in the 80s as we were exposed to all the blood and guts the entertainment industry could muster. Robocop was one of the most violent movies of that era and so it is hilarious to see how they tried to sanitize him to sell merchandise to kids. That defeats the purpose of the movie’s message but I digress. The NES game is better than most licensed titles of that period but I would still struggle to recommend it over similar action titles.
Robocop mostly follows the plot of the movie. After police officer Alex Murphy is brutally murdered by criminal Clarence Bodikker he is reborn as Robocop to clean up Detroit. The game follows Robocop as he works his way toward the corrupt head of OCP and maybe gets a little revenge along the way.
It would have been easy for Data East to create a fast paced scrolling shooter like Contra. But that wouldn’t be true to the character of Robocop. Instead the game incorporates some of the stronger elements of the movie in game. Robocop had strict directives he had to follow and those are recreated in game. In public areas Robocop cannot use his gun and instead relies on his metal fists. I wish I could say these segments lead to compelling level design but they are more annoying than anything. Having to punch generic thugs and shotgun wielding criminals rather than blasting them is usually just a preamble to taking cheap hits. I will say once you pull out your piece again it feels satisfying.
As Robocop is a cyborg he has a few built in systems that alert him to changes in the environment. They sound cool in theory but are useless in practice. His visor will alert you to weak walls that can be broken. The fist denotes public spaces where firearms are not allowed. It would be one thing if you had to holster your weapon manually or suffer a penalty but he does it automatically. Similarly useless is the enemy detector; you’ll see them coming either way! Lastly you have a low energy alarm. Robocop has both a life bar and energy meter; energy is basically a clock that always ticks down. If either hits zero it is game over.
A quick glance at Robocop’s physique will tell you he is not going to be the most agile video game star. And that is true; he walks at a measured pace and can’t jump. It is similar to Bionic Commando but unlike that game it doesn’t exactly make for compelling gameplay. The level design is incredibly straightforward since you cannot jump. Occasionally there are doors you can enter to find items or shortcuts but that is about it. Your ability to explore each stage is curtailed by the always ticking energy bar. There are only a finite number of energy refills and if you dawdle too long “time” will run out. In fact you can count on it happening at least once or twice.
But even more than the boring level design the absolutely dreadful pace is what stifles what little fun can be had in the game. As you slowly plod your way through the admittedly well realized gritty streets of Detroit you’ll wish there were a run button. Robocop is an extremely limited and repetitive game. There are about four or five different enemies in total that you’ll face for the entire game. There are only two optional weapons, a machine gun and the cobra gun. Ammo is so sparse you’ll almost want to horde them since you’ll probably never see them twice. I could keep going. At least the bosses look cool but even these highlight another flaw in the game.
Robocop has bad hit detection that makes an already challenging game more difficult. For the most part melee hits connect. But your bullets frequently miss for no discernible reason. There are plenty of health packs but energy is scarce. That damn energy really hampers the game in my opinion and honestly adds nothing but an albatross around your neck. These flaws bring down what could have been a decent game.
In Closing
Robocop is better than the drivel put out by Acclaim and LJN but that isn’t saying much. It has some good ideas but you are better off playing Contra.
