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DC
Border Down Preview/Preorder |
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Preorders for G. Rev's 2-D shooter Border Down are
now open and posted on our online shop. Please note that all
preorders submitted by email in the past couple of weeks are
in good standing. We have secured a goodly chunk of the
Border Down LE game and will be able to guarantee all
preorders despite the limited 3000-unit print run.
At first glance, Border Down appears very much the routine 2-D
horizontal shooter. Border Down offers a simple firing
system, a routine scoring multiplier and a versatile
mega-weapon. It's the mega-weapon that provides the wrinkle
in Border Down and much of the strategy. G.Rev introduces
the Break Laser in BD which may be compared to the laser in
Metal Black (published by Taito circa 1991) where a boss'
wide laser attack may be countered with one of your own.
During a Break Laser encounter in Border Down, two streams
of energy meet and the conflicting flow wreaks havoc on the
hapless opponent. Although Border Down borrows this concept
from Metal Black, G.Rev tones down the overly dramatic
visuals found in Metal Black with more sensible displays of
firepower and residual lighting. The Break Laser also
imparts invincibility while being fired which complements
it's offensive capabilities. In addition to the Break Laser,
a simple vulcan-style shot may be fired by pushing and
holding the "A" button which is suitable for dispatching
most flitting enemies. To blast foes scattered about the
screen, tapping "A" repeatedly unleashes hunting lasers
which scroll, scramble and roll around the screen in search
of fodder. Up to eight streams (when you reach Level 5)
burst from your ship and track down the closest enemies.
The vulcan cannon also ranges from Level 1 to 5 in terms of
intensity. Three levels of ship speed may be toggled by
tapping the "C" button. NCS provides an overview of
the first level of Border Down below to give a taste of the
game. For simplicity's sake, the overview and game strategy
are written in the context of playing at the Green
Border Down Level. Yellow and Red levels are progressively
more difficult and require new tactics.
Please skip the next portion if spoilers are not welcome
with your tea.
Border Down makes use of 3-D cut-scenes to provide interludes
during levels. As players mount the attack in level one and
make their way through a futuristic metropolis lousy with
green jets, the camera spins and zooms in on the ship as it
travels into a subterranean tunnel where a mechanical
dweller rotates and blows out an obnoxious amount of
buckshot. The Break Laser may be utilized at this point to
rid the screen of near unavoidable pellets of destruction.
The shots move fast and criss-cross the screen in a
patchwork which pretty much behooves one to unleash the
Break Laser. Once you have the Break Laser flowing,
concentrate it
on the tunnel dweller, bust it up and marvel at your hit
counter which revs up with Break Hits. End-level bosses
which are broken down with the Break Laser may give up Break
Hits in the hundreds which will serve your final level score
well. Each Break Hit counts for 5000 points, which are
tallied at the end of each level. As the tunnel continues
for a little while, more green jets fly in for the attack
but they prove to be no match for an adept player.
The first boss is called The
Corona Coronet (More ungainly names await - Boss #2 is
called the Soul Squeezer) which is a six-legged metallic
monster with a semi-circular wing-thing attached to it's
back. As you enter it's lair, the bruiser launches itself
and arcs into the heavens with your ship in hot pursuit.
This part is shown in a fast-paced cut-scene to dramatic
effect. As the two warriors enter open air, face to face,
the battle commences with Coronet blasting out heavy waves
of fat, round pellets which are easily avoided. It's next
move is to spin and throw out a mess of purple shots which
may be avoided or shot. We wouldn't recommend firing the
Break Laser at this point but it may be used if you're in a
jam - though you might ruin your chances later. A steady stream
of vulcan-fire will eventually destroy the semi-circular
contraption atop Coronet and it'll fall and land onto the
pavement of the city as it's six legs extend outwards to
catch it's plummet to earth. As it slides across the city,
streams of fire ripple upwards in the background to
demonstrate the level of destruction being wrought.
Coronet's next act is to power up a laser cannon which it
initially points towards the heavens but eventually
homes in on your ship. At this point, it would be a good time
to activate the Break Laser to counter the flow of energy
from Coronet. A sphere of power will eventually build up at
the point where the two streams meet. After a good bit of
luminous eye candy and ear-splitting ruckus, the two streams
flame out with neither player apparently
worse off after a dramatic exchange. Coronet will fire off
another volley of pellets which are easily avoided as it
recharges it's laser cannon. Your own BL meter recovers at a
fairly slow pace. After a few seconds, both lasers will be
ready to fire again and the strategy here would be to wait
until Coronet fires it's blast, count a second or three, and
then fire your blast but cut into it's laser to reflect the
stream back at Coronet. In this second exchange, you'll
damage the boss if your aim was true and it's body will
begin to shimmer. As the battle draws to a close, Coronet
recovers much faster and prepares to fire off another laser
blast but you won't need much to destroy it at this point.
After Coronet blows out it's third (and final) laser blast,
fire off a few vulcan-shots into it's body and maneuver to
avoid the thick stream. Wait until it's laser begins to
peter out, fire your laser at close proximity and
immediately cut into it's laser in order to destroy Coronet
in a massive explosion which smolders for a few seconds.
Once CC is dispatched, the Vesta Mining Camp awaits where
your next boss victim will be an 8-legged mantis-like
creature named Soul Squeezer who battles you upside-down at
first but eventually loses it's gravity defying prowess with
a few choice cannon blasts. |
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