Game Club 199X #16 - Electro Man (PC-DOS)

[Snarboo]

The Podcast is now available! Grab it here.

For the month of February, we have an unusual platformer from Poland. Originally published under the name Electro Body, Electro Man was later picked up and distributed by Epic Mega Games, they of future hits such as Gears of War. Let wikipedia educate you on why we have to be careful of emergency areas:

Electro Man (PC-DOS)

SPOILER: Click to show

Electro Man is a VGA sidescrolling DOS computer game developed by xLand Games and published by Epic Megagames in 1993. It was initially released in Poland (and later Germany) without the involvement of Epic as "Electro Body" complete with some changed graphics and CGA, EGA and composite monitor display modes. Though initially offered under a shareware license, the game was released as freeware on June 25, 2006.

The player controls "Jacek" the electro man (who is very similar, design wise, to RoboCop) as he travels through eight levels, shooting enemies, using teleporters and upgrading his main weapon.

The game was later released as part of the Epic Puzzle Pack (with Robbo and Heartlight) which was reviewed in 1994 in Dragon #206 by Sandy Petersen in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the compilation 3 out of 5 stars.

Wikipedia's Electro Man Article

PRO TIPPZ:

• Electro Man is freeware! You can download it here.
  
• Snarboo has some starting tips on navigating the labyrinthine stages ahead of us.
  
• Want to know how many shots you have left? Tengutenga is on the case!
  
• Snarboo has tips on progressing in later sections of the game.
  
• Sotenga's got the 411 on avoiding the numerous hazards to Electro Man's health.
  
• "Quick tip for level 5: Go right the instant you start the level. The first chip is literally only one or two screens right where you start, and it would suck to miss this one early on. Also, yes, you do have to die on purpose after you get the chip." courtesy of sotenga
  
• Don't get lost in stage 6 with these handy tips form Snarboo.
  
• Tengutenga will keep you from running around in circles in stage 5.
  
• MuteKi has further hints on conquering stage 5.
  

Voting ended on Monday, February 4th at 10:30 PM EST.

*NOTE*: When voting, please choose a game that you want to play - and will play - but have not beaten entirely or beaten recently, say, within the last 5 - 10 years.

You may not vote for a game that you have played or spoiled within the last year! It's also best to vote for a game that you have not played before.

All votes are final, so no going back if you change your mind. Make your vote as clear as possible. If you don't wish to vote, please say so in your post. If you're going to vote, we'd like to have you along for the ride!

Previous GC9X Threads:

• Game Club 199X #13 - Wonder Project J (SNES)
  
• Game Club 199X #14 - Dr. Chaos (NES)
  
• Game Club 199X #15 - Blackthorne (SNES and others)
  

[Snarboo]

Putting in my vote for
Electro Man
Electro Man
Electro Man!

Before you vote for Harvest Moon, hear me out on this. I'm voting on it because A) February is a short month, and I'm not sure I have the time to put into a huge timesink like Harvest Moon, and B) It's a bizarre Polish shareware platformer where you play as a bootleg Robocop with samples taken from Kraftwerk songs! Not to mention that the second highest level of your upgradeable gun plays an orchestra hit every time you fire it. It's basically the Worker & Parasite of platformers: It has all the elements of one, but is both baffling and alienating at the same time.

Anyway, despite all the hyperbole, I do really like this game. I played up to stage 3 in this a few years ago, and it's truly mind bending in terms of stage design. Given that this isn't likely to win, I recommend watching a walkthrough of the first stage just to see how crazy it is.

[apachacha]

Voting for Electro Man too. If I can that is (is confused).

Never played Harvest moon but I've seen the longplay videos length and egads.

[Bobinator]

Electro Man. Let's get this trainwreck a-rollin'!

[Weasel]

Electro Man is my thing this month.

[Discoalucard]

Feb 1, 2013 16:11:39 GMT -5 Snarboo said:

It's basically the Worker & Parasite of platformers

You had me at this.

Voting for Electro Man.

[Deleted]

Well... I really did not expect Electro Man to snag as many votes as early as it did. Honestly, I'm not currently in the mood to play any Harvest Moon and SSSV seems like a pain in the rear to run on emulation, so Electro Man wins out. It's basically an unofficial Robocop game, so I'm sold. :V

[Deleted]

Harvest Moon for the win. It's arguably the best in the main series.

[Scylla]

I'd go with Space Station Silicon Valley but I have no idea where my N64 jumper pak is (the game has compatibility issues with the expansion pak) and I think the cart is at my mom's house anyway, so I'll vote for Harvest Moon instead. I don't own that particular version of Harvest Moon, but I could try to track down a copy if it wins, which doesn't look likely. :P

[Deleted]

Feb 1, 2013 17:00:56 GMT -5 Scylla said:

I'd go with Space Station Silicon Valley but I have no idea where my N64 jumper pak is (the game has compatibility issues with the expansion pak) and I think the cart is at my mom's house anyway, so I'll vote for Harvest Moon instead. I don't own that particular version of Harvest Moon, but I could try to track down a copy if it wins, which doesn't look likely. :P

I didn't know that about SSSV, interesting.

As for Harvest Moon, I'd think it should be ok to interchange the PS1 version with the N64 and GBA analogues (HM64 and Friends of Mineral Town) because they're essentially the same game at the core.

[TheChosen]

Big yes for Electro Man.

[Feynman]

This month leaves me with no choice but to vote for Electro Man simply because I have played both other options many many many times.

[Deleted]

This is gonna be a short podcast.

[muteKi]

Let's go with electro man why not.

[dooz]

I'm going to vote for Space Station Silicon Valley. I remember loving that game back when it first came out, but I haven't played it since.