Zanac (MSX, FC) (1986)
Developer: Compile

Review by Faididi and Co.

Shoot first, think later

Story: Above Average

Built by a long-dead alien civilization, the powerful war machine known as the System threatens humankind when we discover and then awaken it by mistake. The AFX-6502 Zanac Fighter is sent forth to destroy it, on the reasoning that the System operates on a strategic scale and cannot cope with a single, superpowered unit as effectively. The story could've been an utterly generic excuse for the game, but it earns an extra point for the nature of the villain and the explanation behind the lone hero.

Gameplay: Above Average

Compile's Zanac is a space shooter whose difficulty supposedly changes on the fly, reflecting the System's ability to grow and adapt. How the hero fights, such as the frequency of his fire and whether or not he destroys certain enemies, can affect how much opposition the System throws back at him. However, the difficulty still falls within a certain range, so the claim that this game plays differently each time can't be made.

Fortunately, Zanac has plenty more to offer. As the hero soars through a massive total of 12 vertically scrolling areas, he'll mow down bad guys with some impressive firepower. The main blaster can be upgraded to twin blasters, triple blasters, or even killer rail cannons. In addition, he can use one of 8 different special weapons. The default one is a nifty turret that can fire in the eight cardinal directions (depending on how the D-Pad is pressed), but it can be changed to a mega-fast turbo cannon, a slow but powerful fusion cannon, shield-like orbs, and other tools of destruction. Our hero will need all that firepower, because his ship blows up with a single hit.

The level and enemy designs are also plentiful, if not as interesting. The areas often resemble similar-looking mechanical fortresses, and their lengths vary wildly from area to area (with the first area being one of the longest). The bad guys consist of numerous drones and gun emplacements. The minibosses are just large clusters of more turrets, and the only real boss is the core of the System.

Controls: Above Average

The Zanac handles responsively. Moving and attacking are all easy to do. However, two of the special weapons need a quick retraction function, because their projectiles are slow to relaunch.

Graphics: Above Average

Perhaps the best part of Zanac is its sense of sheer speed and power, thanks to how hordes of characters and storms of projectiles can pack the screen without slowdown. Too bad the repetitive backgrounds are often endless landscapes of blocky metal, and the dull colors sometimes mesh with each other. The hyperdrive effect for the Zanac at the end of an area also looks crappy.

Audio: Above Average

The mediocre music is energetic but winds on too much. Luckily, the sound effects make for a frantic cacophony of death and mayhem, as gunfire roars forth from cannons and defeated bad guys violently explode.

Overall: Above Average

Zanac is a space shooter that should've advertised its strengths differently. Its so-called dynamic difficulty isn't that noticeable, and its scenery and music can use more variety. On the other hand, it features some really cool special weapons and blazing fast graphics, making it a solid choice for fans of its genre.