NES - Heavy Barrel
August 3, 2008 - 7:25 pm - Posted by Sean R.
This one-man-army shooter is a total Commando (NES, 1986) knock-off, and it’s a damn good one!
This game kicks so much ass, they might as well call this Heavy Mother [expletive] Barrel.
You can team up with a friend as you attempt to infiltrate a series of well-fortified strongholds.
In addition to legions of troops, you’ll face tanks, helicopters, and a robot on rails with extendable claws.
Unlike most games, your default weapon is pretty effective, allowing you to shoot rapid-fire in any direction with good range.
It’s tricky to hit the diagonals at times, so play it safe and spray bullets like a madman!
Power-ups let you temporarily unleash flames or a 3-way shot.
A hefty supply of grenades is also available, but they deal minimal collateral damage.
It’s pretty easy to mow down oncoming enemy soldiers, especially since they pause before taking aim.
Sometimes this game feels like an old Arnold Schwarzenegger flick as one goon after the next steps into your line of fire.
The ones in bright green outfits look like a bunch of Riddlers, but you’ll want to pay closer attention to the red ones which drop keys to open lockers.
Some lockers contain power-ups, but others contain parts of Heavy Barrel itself.
As you construct this weapon, you’ll see pieces fall into a gun-shaped template at the bottom of the screen.
The first few pieces are pretty big, but the next few are so tiny you start to wonder if you’ll ever get the frickin’ thing.
However once you hear that horrible voice synthesis, you know you’re strapped with one big bad killing machine. It lets you spray waves of destruction for 99 blissful seconds.
The gun actually looks more like an oversized rolling pin, but Heavy Rolling Pin would have sucked as a title.
Heavy Barrel’s graphics are average at best, and sometimes it’s hard to tell where the floors end and the walls begin.
The music however features multi-part electronic melodies that get your adrenaline pumping. It sounds like every NES tune I’ve ever heard, and it’s great.
Heavy Barrel isn’t very original, but takes a winning formula and adds a cool twist.
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