Nintendo has released a couple of NeoGeo ports on their newest console, the Switch. Dubbed the ACA NEOGEO-series, it offers players to experience some popular Japanese arcade games with some extra tools to tweak the gameplay. In this review, I will talk about Shock Troopers.
Shock Troopers is an action game that was first released in 1997 in Japan. The premise is simple: rescue Dr. George and his granddaughter from the evil Bloody Scorpion organization. You take control of eight playable characters and can choose different routes to reach your goal.
Run and gun
The game plays like a run-and-gun arcade game. You take control of your character and fire your weapon in eight possible directions. Holding down the arrow buttons allows you to strafe and dodge bullets. Moving while strafing is done by using the left joystick or the directional buttons. I found the directional buttons to be easier to use since the joystick needs to be in a precise direction in order to move. If you’re little too much to the right or left, then your character won’t move. This is avoided by using the directional buttons since they already are in the exact position to register movement. The rest of the controls are tight and well-responsive, which is important for dodging all the bullets the enemies shoot at you.
Each of the eight playable characters has their own special weapon or bomb, which varies in distance and in range. There are also different weapons to be picked up from defeated enemies, changing the gameplay a little. What changes the gameplay the most, however, is the option to play the entire game with a friend. At any moment in the game, a second player can join and help you blow up your enemies. This is especially helpful during boss fights, which can be challenging when playing on your own.
Smooth visuals
Shock Troopers also features some great visuals. Every character and enemy sprite are detailed and well-crafted. It also runs smoothly, without any frame drops. This shouldn’t be an issue for a twenty-year-old port anyway, but I’ve experienced multiple ports of games that still had frame drops in them, so Shock Troopers should be commended for keeping the gameplay smooth without any issue,
Conclusion
Shock Troopers is a great arcade game that is best enjoyed with a second player at your side. Combine this with tight controls and great visuals and you get a fun action game that you can take everywhere with you on the Nintendo Switch.
