Green Beret [Japan Import]

by Konami

Product Features

• Japanese Famicom Disk System version of NES Rush 'N Attack
• Side-scrolling action game
• For the Japanese Famicom Disk System, a console never released in America

Product Details

• ASIN: B001UIRVJE
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,859 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Japanese FDS version of Rush 'N Attack.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars - Decent, a rough draft for the superior CONTRA, January 8, 2012

By 

Mike London "MAC" (Oxford, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Green Beret [Japan Import] (Video Game)

Konami released "Rush'n Attack" as an arcade title under the name "Green Beret" in 1987 in Japan and also as a Famicom Disk System title. Then in 1988 Konami released the title in the PAL region and America under the title "Rush'n Attack."

Ah, the age of the Red Scare. It does well to remember historically that this title was released in the late 1980s, when Ronald Regan was battling the "Evil Empire" and the Russians and the Cold War loomed heavy on the hearts and minds of American.

Naturally, all this awareness makes a built in market for products such as video games where your goal is to fight communists and beat back Russians holding POWs. Rush N Attack is a side scroller, with hordes of enemies attacking your character. And unlike its title suggest, the best way to proceed through this game is cautiously.

Overall, the game feels very much like a rough draft version of CONTRA. I would not be surprised if the two titles had the same development team. The gameplay is very similar (identical, really); however, RUSH N ATTACK does not have the memorable levels that CONTRA does. Also, at most, there are only two different heights of ground (upper level and lower level) throughout RUSH's stages, whereas CONTRA you can have several different platforms heights you can play with. CONTRA also allows you to shoot in several different directions.

Strangely, like most games of the era, even though the main character is military, the US Military sends in the main solider of the game vastly underarmed. The game stars a faceless American solider armed with a knife (why don't the military games of the 1980s include more than a knife???) and who can pick up guns and rocket launchers. However, with all the enemies I guarantee you you won't last long without careful memorization and quick, catlike reflexes.

The story is simple. Free POWs. Destroy the secret weapon the Russians are planning to use to destory the world (just like Iran and their grab for nuclear weapons of today).

Konami released "Rush'n Attack" as an arcade title under the name "Green Beret" in 1987 in Japan and also as a Famicom Disk System title. Then in 1988 Konami released the title in the PAL region and America under the title "Rush'n Attack."

There are numerous differences between the three different versions. In the arcade title, there are only four stages, as opposed to the FDS and NES game which had six, and the goal of the game was free POWs. In the NES version, the POWs were removed and the goal was to destroy the enemie's secret weapon. Also a flame thrower from the arcade title was removed from the NES version and the NES featured two power ups not present in the arcade title: a star and and a pistol with unlimited ammo, both of which have a time limit.

Also, in Stage Six, there is a secret underground passage present in the FDS version that is not found in the NES version.

"Rush'n Attack" is one of those games I had growing up a kid. Like Rambo, I always wondered why they only equip the main hero with only a knife, to fight off hoards of enemies. The game can be rather challenging. Like most NES games, "Rush'n Attack" is on the short side. Also the end boss (a giant missile with hordes of enemies attacking you) is rather bizarre as you destroy this giant missile by repeatedly stabbing the explosive with your knife. Didn't know you could destroy missiles that way.

Overall, decent for an NES title, nothing to write home about today. My recommendation would be, unless you had this game growing up and have some nostalagia for this title like me, is buy and play CONTRA instead. CONTRA features the exact same type of gameplay and greatly expands it, taking the play in new directions this title never dreamed of.

The video game website IGN rated this title as the 99th greatest game on their top 100 NES games of all time.