Objectively I would have to say that VICE is the best action/platformer ever made. MOST UNDERRATED GAME EVER.
Objectively I would have to say that VICE is the best action/platformer
ever made (this is from someone who is biased towards Castlevania
games).
Gameplay-10/10(the VICE rating)
This game has the smoothest, quickest and most responsive play control
of any NES game I have played (I have played thousands of NES games).
This game is the basis of comparison for play control on the NES, I can
not think of a way it could be improved. As far as game mechanics are
concerned, your character uses a whip, a gun and throws grenades. The
select button is used to quickly change between the three and it is
never a chore to do so.
In the two other types of gameplay modes (first person Area51 style
shooter, and Spyhunter like car levels) you control the game in two
very different methods, both of which are implemented flawlessly. The
Spyhunter levels are better than Spyhunter, the Area51 levels are
better than... well Area51 is a bad game anyway, but you should get the
point. The general feel of the game is very fast with fun and diverse
bosses and enemies. VICE: Project Doom is a very hard game and should
not be taken lightly. The levels in VICE span from jungles, to
industrial areas and from highways to sewers. VICE uses a linear
platform action system and does it better than any other game on the
NES. With your various attacks there are no cheap hits (Megaman comes
to mind), there is no slowdown (many games come to mind) and there is
no redundancy of enemy or level schemes (Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania
come to mind here). In fact, there is no point in the game where you
will just feel like putting down the controller because although the
game is very difficult, it is still very fun. This is something not
commonly seen in videogames.
Story-10/10
For its time, VICE has an amazing story. The story is portrayed
throughout the game's many Ninja Gaiden style cutscenes. The story has
a twist that has been seen in future games but VICE did it first. Keep
in mind here, I am not comparing this to Xenogears or Chrono Trigger as
far as story goes. I am comparing it to all other NES action games,
and on that scale it gets a full score. If you do not want to look at
the many cutscenes in VICE, you can easily skip past them so they are
never a nuisance that hinders gameplay.
Graphics/Sound-10/10
VICE has a very diverse soundtrack that fully conveys the mood of the
game. Each of its tunes will make you want to jump shoot and climb you
way up to kill the next enemy in your way. VICE has a very large
variety of sound effects, all of which are appropriate to their
corresponding action. The general sound of the game is catchy and fun.
It will make you want to keep playing; this combined with the rest of
the feel of VICE make it a very addictive game.
Playtime/Replayability-10/10
I dare you to play VICE: Project Doom for only 5 minutes. That is all
the time it will take to get you hooked completely on it. 5 minutes
would cover the majority of the first action-packed street racing
level. VICE has around 1:30 to 2:00 of play time for someone who is
very good at NES action platformers. For someone of less experience, it
would take up to 3 or 4 hours to beat VICE, provided that you are able
to defeat its incredibly difficult final boss. The playtime of VICE is
similar to the games that VICE amalgams (Strider, Castlevania, Ninja
Gaiden, and Spyhunter). After you finally beat VICE, I challenge you
not to play it again within a day, although it has no replay functions,
VICE offers an extremely entertaining experience every time through.
Final Recommendation-10/10
Keep in mind here that I am unbiased towards VICE. I only started
playing it but a couple of years ago so this is not a matter of
nostalgia. VICE is the best game I have played on the NES console, as
much as I do not want to put it above some of the games I played as a
child. You owe it to yourself to play this game, it's that good.
-Geusprime