Mars Matrix Preview

Capcom once had a reputation among shooter aficionados for making fun and challenging 2D blasting affairs. Classics like 1942, 1943, 19XX, and UN Squadron, among several others, have earned their place in arcade history. In recent years, though, Capcom's shift in focus from side scrollers and shooters to its Street Fighter franchise has meant that its long-faithful shooter and side-scrolling fans have gotten the shaft. Now fast-forward ten years, and we can see the trend coming full circle: new games like Strider 2 and the shooter Giga Wing prove that Capcom is once again making a concerted effort to develop for other arcade genres besides the fighting genre. Capcom's latest shooter, Mars Matrix, developed by Takumi for the Dreamcast, is another attempt to return to the frantic, reaction-testing 2D gameplay that the company has long neglected.

Like most classic-shooter plots that pit one craft against thousands of enemies, Mars Matrix's story challenges comprehension. The game takes place on Mars in the year 2309. A Martian colony has revolted against Earth's government, and it is threatening the space lanes with its advanced and powerful weaponry. You are part of Earth's Geo Potential Defense Force, dispatched to the red planet to prevent the rebels' secession by any means necessary. When you and the GPDF arrive on Mars, you find the rebels not only unwilling to negotiate but openly ready to start an all-out war. In your lone Mosquito craft, you're ordered to single-handedly take the fight to the Martian rebels. With all odds against you, you embark on the ultimate do-or-die mission.

Mars Matrix isn't difficult to figure out. Like any other 2D vertical shooter, the screen slowly moves itself ever upward as you fly madly about, shooting everything in sight while trying to avoid enemy fire. As you destroy your enemies, you'll come across power-ups that will increase the offensive firepower of your ship. At the end of each level, you'll face an increasingly tough monstrosity that fires hundreds of weapons at a time, and you will need precise movement and skills to defeat it. If you've never had a chance to play these types of games, be forewarned: For the uninitiated, their difficulty borders on impossible. For the shooter veteran, though, this is par for the course.

Mars Matrix does make slight enhancements on a weary formula. For example, you can fly over and around backgrounds, enemy craft, buildings, and more--as long as you're not getting filleted by enemy fire, you won't lose your life in Mars Matrix. The game also features a shop mode, not unlike that of the old Capcom shooter Forgotten Worlds. At the shop, you can soup up your Mosquito by buying special modifications, weapon upgrades, and extra lives--provided you've destroyed enough enemies.

To defeat your foes, Mars Matrix gives you several options. You have your standard weapon, which can be upgraded significantly--if you manage to stay alive long enough--and you'll also have a pulse cannon that complements your standard arm. Your third option, the Mosquito attack, is your special move that requires charges. The Mosquito attack is easily the most useful weapon in the game: It sucks up all the enemies' bullets on the screen and shoots them right back in a powerful and impressive burst.

As is the case with pretty much every other aspect of the game, Mars Matrix's graphics are a throwback. The low resolution 2D sprites are more reminiscent of 1991 arcade machines than 2001 next-generation consoles. Of course, this means the game runs perfectly smoothly, without a trace of slowdown. The bright visuals are also well animated, and they will keep your eyeballs dry as you concentrate on the ever-present halo of multicolored shots filling the screen. Still, considering the capabilities of the system it's running on, the graphics remain a bit of a disappointment. The dated appearance only reinforces the fact that this is an old-school game developed for a certain type of gamer: one who places a higher priority on thumb-blistering gameplay than cutting-edge graphics.

Mars Matrix's target audience is one weaned on Galaga and Gradius and is composed of gamers who are looking to seriously test their hand-eye coordination as much as they are hoping for a nostalgia kick. For these people, Capcom's shooter should fit the bill quite nicely. Those hoping for more flash and less frustration while they blow stuff up may not be so happy, though; the game's promised level of difficulty, coupled with its dated graphics, makes Mars Matrix an acquired taste. You can look for the no-frills shooter on retail shelves this February.