Difference between revisions of "Guerrilla War"

From TheAlmightyGuru
Jump to: navigation, search
(Links)
(27 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:Guerrilla War - NES - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American NES box art.]]
+
[[Image:Guerrilla War - ARC - USA.png|thumb|256x256px|North American arcade cabinet.]]
  
'''''Guerrilla War''''', known in Japan as '''''ゲバラ [Gebara], "Guevara"''''' is a run and gun developed and published by [[SNK]] for the [[arcade]] in 1987, and was subsequently ported to the [[NES]], and home computers, [[Amstrad CPC]], [[Commodore 64]], and [[ZX Spectrum]]. In the game, you play as either Ernesto "Che" Guevara or Fidel Castro in their attempt to invade Cuba to overthrow dictator, Fulgencio Batista. The appearance is similar to [[Commando]], but with a unique control style.
+
'''''Guerrilla War''''' is a [[scrolling shooter|run and gun]] developed and published by [[SNK]] for the [[arcade]] in 1987, and subsequently ported to the [[Amstrad CPC]], [[Commodore 64]], [[MS-DOS]], and [[ZX Spectrum]]. A heavily [[Guerrilla War (NES)|altered version]] was also made for the NES. In the game, you play as either Ernesto "Che" Guevara or Fidel Castro in their attempt to invade Cuba to overthrow dictator, Fulgencio Batista. The appearance is similar to ''[[Commando]]'', but with a unique control style.
  
Like most run and guns, the joystick moves the player's character, but unlike most others, the character continues to face the same direction no matter which way you press. To turn the player, you must rotate the joystick. This allows the player to strafe, a control system adds a unique twist (pun intended) to the game play. [[Time Soldiers]], also published by SNK in 1987, also uses this scheme. Naturally, this system of movement wasn't possible on the NES port, but some home computer ports allowed it using keys on the keyboard for rotation. In MAME, you can emulate a rotating joystick using the shoulder buttons of a gamepad.
+
Like most run and guns, the joystick moves the player's character, but unlike most others, the character continues to face the same direction no matter which way you press. To turn the player, you must rotate the joystick, otherwise the player will strafe across the screen. This control system adds a unique twist (pun intended) to the game play. ''[[Time Soldiers]]'', also published by SNK in 1987, uses this scheme as well. When playing the game in MAME, I emulate a rotating joystick by using the shoulder buttons on my gamepad, but someone also created a hack that uses the more traditional movement.
  
I first saw this game in the arcade room of the Lakeland Arena in the late 1980s. My parents never gave me quarters, so I didn't play the game, but I enjoyed watching other people play it. At one point, I watched my older brother play it, but he didn't get very far. Around 1990, I played the game for the first time on the NES with my cousin who was borrowing it from a friend. Since the game gives you unlimited continues, we beat the game the first time we played it.
+
I first saw this game in the arcade room of the Lakeland Arena in the late 1980s. My parents never gave me quarters, so I didn't play the game, but I enjoyed watching other people play it. Once, I watched my older brother play it, but he didn't get very far. Around 1990, I first played the [[Guerrilla War (NES)|NES port]] and loved it. I have since played the arcade game through MAME, but I have never made any attempt to get good at it.
  
 
==Status==
 
==Status==
I do not own the game, but I have beaten both the American and Japanese versions on the NES on easy mode.
+
I do not own this game, nor have I beaten it.
  
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
* '''Overall:''' 5/10
+
* '''Overall:''' 4/10
* '''Best Version:''' NES
+
* '''Best Version:''' Arcade
 +
 
 +
{{Spoilers}}
  
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
* As run and guns go, this one is well-made. There are numerous guns, each is nice to use, you can ride in tanks, the environment changes in each level, and there is variety among the enemy soldiers and bosses. The NES port expands this greatly adding several levels each with new features.
+
* As run and guns go, this one is fairly well-made. There are numerous guns, each is nice to use, you can ride in tanks, the environment changes in each level, harder enemies appear as you progress, and there is variety among the bosses.
 
* The arcade strafing movement while using a rotating joystick to turn the player was pretty innovative, and they made good use of it in the design of the maps.
 
* The arcade strafing movement while using a rotating joystick to turn the player was pretty innovative, and they made good use of it in the design of the maps.
* The arcade game and the NES port have really nice graphics for the time.
+
* The arcade game has really nice graphics for the time.
* The NES port has great music.
+
* The game has a good story.
* The NES port expands the game
+
* Having the enemy use refugees as human shields makes the game more complex.
* The story, though limited and censored in the USA, is a good backdrop.
 
* The NES port features unlimited continues from where you get a game over, which is quite nice for such a difficult game.
 
* The NES port, though not documented in-game, allows you to increase the difficulty for a more difficult game. Nice for added game play.
 
* In the NES port, when you pick up a gun, you keep it until you die. A much better approach than the arcade where you get limited ammo.
 
* The NES port has a pretty awesome end game sequence.
 
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
* Most ports of the game are unbelievably hard.
+
* When you defeat the end boss's turrets, he just runs away. Lame!
* Due to the difficulty of the game, if you want to beat it, you have to slowly sneak your way across every inch of the map in order to prevent being overwhelmed, which really slows down the game.
 
* In the arcade port, you don't get to kill the end boss!
 
* I don't like how the NES port hides the difficulty and stage select. It's only mentioned in the manual, which few players ever have.
 
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
 +
* The game is unbelievably hard. If you want to beat it, you have to slowly sneak your way across every inch of the map in order to prevent from being overwhelmed by enemies. This makes the game boring to watch and very un-thematic.
 
* All of the home computer ports are awful.
 
* All of the home computer ports are awful.
  
==Box Art==
+
==Media==
 +
===Box Art===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Guerrilla War - ARC - Marquee.jpg|US arcade marquee. Pretty good art, but it's could use some some gunfire.
+
Guerrilla War - ARC - USA.png|US arcade cabinet. Nice cohesive art, attractive, and accurately depicts the game.
 +
Guerrilla War - ARC - Marquee.jpg|US arcade marquee. Pretty good art, but it could use some gunfire.
 
Guerrilla War - ARC - Cabinet Art.jpg|US arcade cabinet art. Again, nicely drawn, but it doesn't really get across the "war" portion of the title.
 
Guerrilla War - ARC - Cabinet Art.jpg|US arcade cabinet art. Again, nicely drawn, but it doesn't really get across the "war" portion of the title.
 
Guerrilla War - C64 - EU.jpg|European Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum releases uses this box which adds some text around a photo of the arcade cabinet. Pretty uninspired.
 
Guerrilla War - C64 - EU.jpg|European Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum releases uses this box which adds some text around a photo of the arcade cabinet. Pretty uninspired.
 
Guerrilla War - PCB - USA.jpg|European Commodore 64 and PC Booter releases use this box. The art is intense and accurately depicts the game, and I love the barbed wire and camouflage on the title, but why did they make Che look like Stallone?
 
Guerrilla War - PCB - USA.jpg|European Commodore 64 and PC Booter releases use this box. The art is intense and accurately depicts the game, and I love the barbed wire and camouflage on the title, but why did they make Che look like Stallone?
Guerrilla War - NES - Japan.jpg|The Japanese Famicom box places a rough painting of a Guerrilla fighter over a screenshot of the map. It's pretty half-assed, but the title text is nice.
 
Guerrilla War - NES - USA.jpg|The American NES box, is an orgy of action with explosions and bullets flying everywhere. It not only perfectly depicts the game's gratuitous nature, but captures the feel of the Cuban jungle. This is my favorite art.
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
==Documentation==
+
===Documentation===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Guerrilla War - ARC - Manual.pdf|Arcade manual.
 
Guerrilla War - ARC - Manual.pdf|Arcade manual.
Guerrilla War - NES - Manual.pdf|NES manual.
+
Guerrilla War - ARC - USA - Flyer.jpg|Arcade flyer.
Guerrilla War - European Ad.jpg|European ad for home computers.
+
Guerrilla War - EU - Ad 1.jpg|European ad for home computers.
Guerrilla War - NES - Ad.jpg|NES ad.
+
Guerrilla War - EU - Ad 2.jpg|European ad for home computers.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
==Maps==
+
===Maps===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 +
Guerrilla War - ARC - Map - 1 - Farm.png|Arcade, level 1.
 +
Guerrilla War - ARC - Map - 2 - Fortress.png|Arcade, level 2.
 +
Guerrilla War - ARC - Map - 3 - Coal Mine.png|Arcade, level 3.
 +
Guerrilla War - ARC - Map - 4 - Capitol.png|Arcade, level 4.
 +
Guerrilla War - ARC - Map - 5 - Palace.png|Arcade, level 5.
 
Guerrilla War - DOS - Map - Level 1.png|DOS, level 1.
 
Guerrilla War - DOS - Map - Level 1.png|DOS, level 1.
 
Guerrilla War - DOS - Map - Level 2.png|DOS, level 2.
 
Guerrilla War - DOS - Map - Level 2.png|DOS, level 2.
Line 62: Line 62:
 
Guerrilla War - ZXS - Maps.png|ZX Spectrum.
 
Guerrilla War - ZXS - Maps.png|ZX Spectrum.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
 +
===Videos===
 +
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCYKNKPXv1w youtube.com/watch?v=jCYKNKPXv1w] - Longplay, Arcade.
 +
 +
==Titles==
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
! Language !! Native !! Transliteration !! Translation
 +
|-
 +
| English || Guerrilla War || ||
 +
|-
 +
| Japanese || ゲバラ || Gebara || Guevara
 +
|}
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/guerrilla-war mobygames.com/game/guerrilla-war] - MobyGames.
+
{{Link|MobyGames|http://www.mobygames.com/game/guerrilla-war}}
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_War_(video_game) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_War_(video_game)] - Wikipedia.
+
{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_War_(video_game)}}
* [http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Guerrilla_War_(NES) vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Guerrilla_War_(NES)] - Music.
 
* [http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php?title=Guerrilla_War thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php?title=Guerrilla_War] - NES Hacker Database.
 
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCYKNKPXv1w youtube.com/watch?v=jCYKNKPXv1w] - Arcade long play.
 
  
  
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 +
[[Category: 1987 Video Games]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Action, Adventure, Strategy]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Scrolling Shooter]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Shooter]]
 +
[[Category: Media Theme - War]]
 
[[Category: Amstrad CPC Games]]
 
[[Category: Amstrad CPC Games]]
 
[[Category: Arcade Games]]
 
[[Category: Arcade Games]]
 
[[Category: Commodore 64 Games]]
 
[[Category: Commodore 64 Games]]
[[Category: NES Games]]
 
 
[[Category: PC Booter Games]]
 
[[Category: PC Booter Games]]
 
[[Category: ZX Spectrum Games]]
 
[[Category: ZX Spectrum Games]]
 
[[Category: Action]]
 
[[Category: Action]]
[[Category: Run and Gun]]
 
 
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]
 
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]
 
[[Category: Multi-Player]]
 
[[Category: Multi-Player]]
 
[[Category: Multi-Player Co-op]]
 
[[Category: Multi-Player Co-op]]
 +
[[Category: 4-bit Color Graphics]]
 +
[[Category: Monochrome Graphics]]

Revision as of 10:40, 22 January 2020

North American arcade cabinet.

Guerrilla War is a run and gun developed and published by SNK for the arcade in 1987, and subsequently ported to the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, and ZX Spectrum. A heavily altered version was also made for the NES. In the game, you play as either Ernesto "Che" Guevara or Fidel Castro in their attempt to invade Cuba to overthrow dictator, Fulgencio Batista. The appearance is similar to Commando, but with a unique control style.

Like most run and guns, the joystick moves the player's character, but unlike most others, the character continues to face the same direction no matter which way you press. To turn the player, you must rotate the joystick, otherwise the player will strafe across the screen. This control system adds a unique twist (pun intended) to the game play. Time Soldiers, also published by SNK in 1987, uses this scheme as well. When playing the game in MAME, I emulate a rotating joystick by using the shoulder buttons on my gamepad, but someone also created a hack that uses the more traditional movement.

I first saw this game in the arcade room of the Lakeland Arena in the late 1980s. My parents never gave me quarters, so I didn't play the game, but I enjoyed watching other people play it. Once, I watched my older brother play it, but he didn't get very far. Around 1990, I first played the NES port and loved it. I have since played the arcade game through MAME, but I have never made any attempt to get good at it.

Status

I do not own this game, nor have I beaten it.

Review

  • Overall: 4/10
  • Best Version: Arcade

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • As run and guns go, this one is fairly well-made. There are numerous guns, each is nice to use, you can ride in tanks, the environment changes in each level, harder enemies appear as you progress, and there is variety among the bosses.
  • The arcade strafing movement while using a rotating joystick to turn the player was pretty innovative, and they made good use of it in the design of the maps.
  • The arcade game has really nice graphics for the time.
  • The game has a good story.
  • Having the enemy use refugees as human shields makes the game more complex.

Bad

  • When you defeat the end boss's turrets, he just runs away. Lame!

Ugly

  • The game is unbelievably hard. If you want to beat it, you have to slowly sneak your way across every inch of the map in order to prevent from being overwhelmed by enemies. This makes the game boring to watch and very un-thematic.
  • All of the home computer ports are awful.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Videos

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English Guerrilla War
Japanese ゲバラ Gebara Guevara

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png