Blue Stinger (Dreamcast) (1999)
Developer: Climax Graphics

Review by Faididi and Co.

And you thought Die Hard was crazy

Story: Excellent

The seasonal festivities at an island-bound research facility suffer a deadly interruption, when a strange meteor-like object crashlands there and creates a mysterious force that seals off the entire area. Eliot and Dogs are two dudes now trapped along with a bunch of monsters who have suddenly appeared at the facility. Unable to call for outside help, our heroes must team up to fight off the bad guys, assist any survivors, and uncover a means of escape.

The writing is campy, and the dialogue in the early scenes can't be any cheesier, but this buddy story turns out to be a fantastic one, thanks to its two different yet equally charismatic heroes. Despite grating on each other's nerves at first, Eliot and Dogs quickly become tons of fun to follow as they save Earth from evil monsters, figure out the enigmatic yet sexy ghost-like entity who's attempting to communicate with them, amass an arsenal that would make Bill and Lance blush, and even comment on the size of each other's wangs.

Gameplay: Excellent

Climax Graphics' Blue Stinger is a 3D action adventure that easily draws comparison to Sunsoft's Hard Edge (TRAG), despite having half the number of playable characters. You control one hero at a time (with the other guy disappearing from view), but you can switch between Eliot and Dogs at any time while they explore the facility, slay monsters, and locate keys and switches. The two wield separate sets of weapons, but they share general supplies and money. If either hero gets wasted, it's Game Over, but their progress may be freely recorded at save points located throughout the facility.

However, Blue Stinger actually shares more in common with true classic action adventures like Konami's Silent Hill, not just because of its fully real-time 3D graphics, but because it avoids the nonsensical level and puzzle designs that afflict so much of the genre in its era. Although the layouts of the corridors and laboratories may not be as fanciful as those of Hard Edge, the realistic, down-to-earth puzzles here are, for once, completely free of the pseudo-arcane garbage that fills so many Alone in the Dark knock-offs.

Equally important, the combat in Blue Stinger lies on the enjoyably lenient side. Eliot runs faster and uses potent firearms as well as powerful hand-to-hand attacks (barehanded or not), while Dogs takes less damage from enemy blows and works with heavier guns. The weapons number over a whopping dozen, ranging from the mundane, like an axe, a handgun, a shotgun, a rocket launcher, and a minigun, to the exotic, like a laser blaster, an acid discharger, an experimental energy sword, and a mighty shock staff whose blows literally explode with electricity. Furthermore, Eliot and Dogs can take their time in collecting the money dropped by regular bad guys, who respawn whenever the heroes leave and return to their locations. This means Eliot and Dogs can always purchase extra stamina-restoring items and ammunition from the vending machines (which isn't necessary to finishing the game).

Controls: Average (Japanese), Excellent (English)

In another key difference from Hard Edge, Blue Stinger uses screen-oriented controls that make moving the heroes easier and more intuitive. Eliot and Dogs also automatically aim at their targets without any trouble.

Unfortunately, in the Japanese version, the camera moves entirely on its own, sometimes jerking about erratically or becoming stuck on unhelpful angles of view. In the English versions, the camera is changed to always follow closely behind the heroes. Although this adjustment sacrifices the original panoramic views at certain areas, it eliminates the one major flaw in the game.

Graphics: Above Average

The visuals don't disappoint. The heroes are brightly animated, the bad guys look fearsome, and the indoor environments are heavily decorated with objects. There is little slowdown, too.

Audio: Excellent

The sound effects are loud and crisp, whether they're the powerful blasts of the heroes' guns or the forceful crackling of the shock staff weapon. The voice acting (which is in English for all versions) is corny but happily upbeat, and Dogs often brings out the smiles, thanks to his humorous charm. The most surprising part, though, is the fully orchestrated score. Besides a bold, sweeping main theme and several other moving pieces, it includes an original Christmas tune that helps turn one of the early areas into a hilarious holiday-themed bloodbath.

Overall: Above Average (Japanese), Excellent (English)

Blue Stinger is a colorful, enthusiastic action adventure that's about kicking lots of ass while dealing with puzzles that actually make sense. The heroes are cool, the weaponry is awesome, the item system is friendly, and the music is impressive. The English versions of this game feature improved camera work as well, polishing Blue Stinger into a perfect gem.

OST: Excellent

Published by Nippon Columbia, the Blue Stinger soundtrack contains nearly all the music from the game, including the background music heard during the movies. The only thing keeping this soundtrack from being absolutely perfect is that some of the short pieces, such as the one that plays when Eliot and Dogs meet Nephilim in the base corridors for the first time, aren't found here.

Those who are interested will also want to check out Blue Stinger's image song, Sting Me. Published again by Nippon Columbia, it's been released as a part of the game's promotion. It's a decent pop song that has little to do with Blue Stinger's orchestrated score, but it comes in both a Japanese version and an English version. Better yet, the disc contains extra material that can be accessed on a PC, including developer comments about the game, the Sting Me music video, information on the singers, plus more.