Developer: Sachen Publisher: Sachen Release: 1994 Genre: Action
Heavy Barrel was one of the biggest NES surprises of my youth. For a time I was all about coop multiplayer and would gladly go for a quick run in Contra and embarrassingly, Ikari Warriors II. But for some reason I was not impressed with Heavy Barrel at first. It won me over eventually however and I would look for more top down action in the same style on the platform. Unfortunately the pickings were slim to none. The unlicensed market however is brimming with these titles but sadly Silver Eagle is not one of the better efforts. This one is lacking in multiple categories and a slog of a game to get through.
There is no discernible story in Silver Eagle. All you need to know is that you are a soldier traveling around the world blowing up installations that are allegedly run by some terrorist threat. Silver Eagle is a product of Sachen, one of the most prolific unlicensed developers from China. Across multiple platforms they were responsible for well over one hundred games that vary in quality. Most were ports of popular arcade games but some were low effort original titles such as Huge Insect. A few of their games did release in the US such as Twin Eagle and Metal Fighter. Silver Eagle is a late 1994 release and stood no chance of a US release. That is probably for the best as it would have been a middle of the road release.
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Silver Eagle is almost two games in one. In its primary segments you wander around a massive installation, planting bombs under eagle statues within a time limit. The game has the look of a Metal Gear and there is even a transceiver like function but it is a map. But you do not rely on stealth and even the action component is understated. Once you plant all the bombs and reach the exit you pilot the titular Silver Eagle to battle the base’s boss. This aspect of the game is honestly superfluous. You could just as easily fight these bosses on foot and nothing would change.
As a top down action game there are a number of sub-weapons aside from your standard pistol. There is a machine gun, perforation bullets, and a bazooka. These all use varying amounts of ammunition but refills are fairly common. The most important are the items and these are generously paced throughout each base. The speed power-up is the most important next to the map. When you begin you move slow as molasses and will more than likely never beat the clock. Speed stacks up to four or five times and the difference is tangible. The bulletproof protects from one hit, med kits restore life and time extensions award more time. I have no problems with the pacing of items, they have done a good job in this regard.
Each base is massive and you would do well to find the map a soon as possible. The map keeps track of your position as well as which rooms you have not cleared yet. Without it I would even say the game is near impossible. Silver Eagle has the room by room structure of Metal Gear and Zelda but does not have puzzles; this is strictly an action game. There are no keys although you will have to deal with one way doors and such. I like Silver Eagle to an extent. The pieces are there for a solid if uninspired adventure. But the game has a few flaws that keep it from reaching its potential.
The controls are stiff and robotic. Snake is slow to respond and often gets caught in the environment. Time is precious in this game and every second counts. It is also repetitive. After the initial outdoor fortress the following levels all look near identical. They also feature the same brain dead enemies as well. The enemies are so dumb in fact that it is better to avoid them than to waste time shooting the dumb bastards. The boss battles, which should be the most exciting part of the game, instead are a slog. They are damage sponges and once you run out of weapon ammunition you have to slowly whittle them down one slow bullet at a time. Whether it was lack of budget or not this one needed a little more polish.
In Closing
Compared to your typical unlicensed game Silver Eagle fares better than most. But underneath the flashy title, it is more of a budget oddity with uneven execution.. This would have been an average at best release in 1989 or 1990. But in 1994 it shows its age and is not worth your time.
