Developer: Winky Soft Publisher: Bandai Release: 06/25/93 Genre: Beat em up
This one is a serious blast from the past. I watched Mazinger Z when it was brought to the US as Transor Z. I remember liking the show and it being one of many shows that made me a fan of anime even if I did not know what that was. But that was almost four decades ago and I remember little of it. What I do remember is that the monster of the week format is the perfect formula for a beat em up full of varied and goofy enemies. Mazinger Z delivers in spades on that front and were it not for balance issues and stiff controls it would be excellent.
After countless defeats at the hands of Mazinger Z Dr. Hell concocts a new plan. He reconstructs many of his previous robotic beasts and sends them on an all-out assault on Tokyo. The plan is a success as he succeeds in destroying the city. But Koji and Mazinger Z survive and mount a counter attack. The story is out of continuity for the series for obvious reasons. But the time frame takes place toward the middle of the series as characters like Count Bracken and Apollo A1 are present.
Mazinger is armed with a wide variety of attacks and the controls are simple enough to make them feel intuitive. From basic throws to slide kicks and dive kicks, I have to give the game credit in this regard; most brawlers do not give you half the arsenal present in this game. You can dash and perform a few different attacks and even block as well. While the controls are easy to pick up movement feels a bit stiff at times. This is really only an issue during platforming segments. However the platforming in this game is low stakes and only present in a few levels.
Beyond basic attacks you have a full suite of weapons. This is what Mazinger is known for, the array of weapons built into his body. Nearly every weapon from the show is present in some form. You can launch your fists as projectiles but cannot perform melee attacks until they come back. At the end of some of your combos Mazinger might use a weapon for extra damage. Special attacks use varying amounts of energy that regenerates slowly. Photon eye beams attack from long range while needles are quick and weak but hits multiple times. The red laser wave has short range but hits multiple enemies simultaneously. The dual tornadoes only travel along the ground but does massive damage. The most powerful are missiles; with one hit they shred enemies and bosses. Managing the energy meter adds a layer of welcome strategy to the game and gives it depth.
For a brawler Mazinger Z moves at a measured pace. Rather than inundate you with constant waves of enemies the levels are a bit reserved with their encounters. Each stage has a unique set of enemies with strengths and weaknesses. They are resilient and as such you face less than twenty enemies per stage until the final two levels. It makes every encounter more meaningful as you work out the best way to beat each enemy and come out unscathed. It also does wonders for the game’s pacing. My biggest pet peeve with the beat em up genre is that most titles think forcing twenty or thirty repetitive waves is good design. Mazinger is better in that regard. There is some light platforming to break things up occasionally but there are no death pits; at worst you might have to retrace your steps.
Mazinger Z is a hard one for a number of reasons. You only have one life and five credits. It is doable but the game is stacked against you. I will give it credit: they do a good job of balancing life restoring item drops. Generally the tougher enemies will drop one after a rough segment. With skill once you figure out which attack an enemy is weak against it becomes easier. But it can still be rough at times. The last two levels are very long and can feel unfair. Even allowing one extra life per credit would not have ruined the balance. Despite being frustrating at times it does not ruin the game.
In Closing
I will admit I did not expect much from Mazinger Z. Banpresto and Bandai do not have the most sterling reputation when it comes to licensed games in Japan. Mazinger Z is a good game with varied gameplay and solid mechanics that make it better than most licensed drivel. You will most out on the story but it does not matter. This is a solid effort and a worthwhile purchase for action fans.
