Mercs review - Sega Megadrive

Poor old Mr Reagan. He's finished being president of the USA, but still those terrorists won't leave him alone. They've gone and kidnapped the senile old duffer and are threatening to kill him if all America's nuclear missile codes aren't handed over to them. Obviously, the government aren't going to waste any of their proper soldiers on the inevitable rescue bid, so they hire you, a top mercenary, to do the deed.

This means you wander up the screen in the style of the old game Commando and shoot everything. This includes enemy soldiers, enemy tanks, enemy jeeps and even enemy trees! A fair smattering of collectables are yours for the taking, should you find them, and these should doubtless aid you in your battle against a huge piece of war machinery at the end of each level, such as fighter 'planes, battleships, helicopter gunships and a giant bomber.

Can you save the ex-president and dispose of the terrorist threat? Remember the entire free world is depending on you.

What the Mean Machines staff thought

In the death 'n' destruction stakes, this spot-on conversion takes some beating, featuring some of the meatiest mega-weapons ever seen in a game of this kind! Like most Megadrive games, you can finish it fairly quickly on the easiest level, but select the hardest one and there's a decent challenge to test your shoot 'em up skills. The graphics are excellent with plenty of small, but nicely detailed sprites running around trying to bring about your demise, and sound consists of thumping soundtracks and even louder explosions. With two different games in one cartridge, shoot 'em up fans who ask Santa for Mercs will have themselves a very merry Christmas!

Arcade Mercs was no great shakes in the originality department, but it was very playable nonetheless, so I was looking forward to seeing this. Suffice is to say that I haven't been let down. Mercs excels in every area; the graphics are superb, the sound produces some very satisfying explosions and general death-related noises and the gameplay is faultless. This would be enough, but there's also the original mode which actually betters the arcade game in terms of playability! I cannot enthuse enough as to how fantastic this game is, so just go out and buy it for yourself.

Have your say about this review

Godpikachu - 08 Feb 2009, 03:27 GMT

this game was pretty good for its time, much better than other top down shooter crap like rambo 3.

i remember picking up a copy of this second hand for £5 and it was probably one of the best fivers i ever spent.

challenging gameplay, decent graphics and nice weapons...this is a classic.

Dan - 11 Mar 2009, 09:35 GMT

I don't know why, but Mercs jsut didn't do it for me. Quite a few of my mates loved it, and it was clear to see that it was a good blast, and when I played it I found it fairly fun. But it just seemed to take ages to get going, and it didn't grab me like so many other SEUs. Shame, but not one I look back on with much fondness.

sonicboom - 05 Feb 2010, 23:59 GMT

I loved mercs. I think it was the game that consumed most
of my time. I could complete it in hard without losing a life and
all my mates were so impressed with that! Great great game
I need to buy and play again NOW!

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