Developer: Home Data Corp. Publisher: Irem Release: 09/87 Genre: Shooter
I never played Sqoon growing up. I never saw it at Blockbuster, none of my friends had it, and I never saw any reason to seek it out. Admittedly Irem’s In the Hunt it was spurred my curiosity as apparently between that game and Sub Rebellion someone at the company had a thing for submarines. What I found was a game that may have been too advanced for its time. If you want something different in a NES shooter Sqoon might be the game for you.
Aliens from the planet Neptune invade the Earth to find a new source of food. Unfortunately that food source is mankind. The Neptunians melt the polar ice caps which cause the sea level to rise and continents to sink. In response the Earth Defense Army calls on the pirate Narikeen and his submarine Sqoon to attack the aliens and rescue any remaining humans while he is at it.
Sqoon is not your typical shooter. The game has a lot going on from the onset and there is a lot you have to consider. Your sub has two weapons missiles for normal enemies and ice bombs to destroy ground based targets and installations. Destroying certain buildings will release captured humans you can rescue. The submarine can only hold nine at once at which point a mobile island will appear on the surface to take them off your hands. Saving humans is critical as they not only dispense a power-up once dumped off but also all-important fuel.
Managing fuel is the most important aspect of the game. Your fuel lasts sixty seconds at which point you lose a life if it runs out. The game moves at a measured pace and so there is no way to speed it up. There are only so many buildings that house captured humans so missing one can prove fatal. There is another way to replenish your fuel; throughout the entire levels crabs are always present. Bombing a crab will turn it into a piece of gold. If you have at least one human on board and collect gold you can get a fuel drop. Crabs turn back after a few seconds so it becomes a game of risk versus reward. Despite the way it sounds the game does a great job of giving you the tools to balance its fuel system and it adds an extra dimension to the gameplay.
With its fuel management, rescue operations, and two plane attack system there is a lot going on in Sqoon. The screen is rarely bereft of enemies and the game throws around a ton of sprites. The various mechanics give the game a feel all its own that I like. Busting humans free should be cause for celebration. But then you realize the otherwise harmless killer whales will eat them if you are not fast enough. Discharging humans is done in real time as well and you still have to dodge enemies while they are dropped off. These mechanics give the game enough variety but it goes a step further and introduces new enemies in each level as well. So while it can be repetitive at times it is not for a lack of trying.
I can kind of see why Sqoon did not make a splash at release. In 1986 players were getting used to the likes of Darius, R-Type, and Gradius, much simpler games in comparison. Sqoon asks a lot of the player, from attacking enemies, saving humans, and making sure to refuel regularly to avoid death. For players who simply want to turn their brain off and blast aliens that kind of micro management is probably detrimental to their enjoyment of the game. I welcome the game’s complexity even if it can be a little frustrating at times. It is too bad it was not a success as I would like to see where Irem could take the concept with further iteration.
Sqoon is both technically impressive and a little disappointing. The game’s underwater setting in a sea ravaged world is rife with possibilities for beautiful backdrops. But outside of the first ten seconds of each level when you scroll by the ruins of a submerged city you will stare at blank blue seas the majority of the time. It is a damn shame as those brief glimpses of destruction look cool. However that does enable the game to throw around a lot more sprites than usual for the NES with only minimal slowdown when it gets truly chaotic. It is an impressive feat considering how many shooters on the system slow to a crawl with marginal action.
In Closing
Sqoon is a solid game that nails its concept pretty well and offers something different in its genre. It can be a little repetitive toward the end but I think its premise and gameplay make up for it. This is a solid B tier effort behind the heavy hitters like Life Force and Gun-Nac.
