Customer Reviews

Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is another one of those titles that is very fun, but never got the recognition it deserved in the gaming community. I had a blast playing this game and I think you will too if you buy it. costs about 10 dollars well worth the price.

Rather, it is a type of game. Not a genre, although it happens with the majority of modern games. This type of game pretty much died out when saving became standard for all genres. Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is the type of game that requires memorization and perseverance. This type of game you can't just pick up after months of not playing and do as well as when you left off. You need to keep trying, learn the levels, memorize where the one ups are, if you ever want to see the end of this game. But if you have the stamina, it can be fun and rewarding.

This game along with Aero the Acrobat has sometimes been chastised as some cheap attempt to cash in on the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog. I just don't see it: Aside from them being furries, the similarities are few and far between. This game is far more original and far more interesting than given credit for. Not to mention Sonic wasn't very unique in retrospect. The original game borrowed quite a bit from Super Mario Brothers(another game that borrowed from games that came before it). In fact, you could argue that Sonic was a rip-off of Mario with a speed gimmick along with it. Besides, I would much rather play this game than the horrible Sonic games that are being rushed out these days.

Released as a spin-off of sorts, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel takes the basic principles of platforming found in the Aero series and cranks it up. It seems that every gripe the fans had with the Aero the Acrobat games has been greatly improved upon. More moves, longer levels, better music, faster action, and overall just a much more playable game this time around. Zero was Viewtiful Joe before there was a Viewtiful Joe.

Storyline: 6/10 - The storyline of Zero follows the adventures of a tiny, but lethal kung-fu squirrel named Zero. Fans of the Aero the Acrobat series should remember that Zero was Ektor's right hand man, er squirrel, in the Aero games. Now, a greedy lumberjack named Jacques Le Sheets is chopping all of the trees down in Zero's homeland of Stoney Forest. After receiving a telegram from his family, he then leaves Ektor's side to return home to stop Le Sheets before he completely destroys Zero's home. Needless to say Ektor himself isn't too pleased to be losing the services of his furry kung-fu friend. Zero heads back home anyway. The storyline is pretty straight, but it does the job.

Graphics: 9/10 - Visually, Zero is outstanding. Extremely vibrant colors, great detail in all of the areas, and some really well drawn backdrops. Zero is also a well-drawn character that has many, many different animations for all of the different movements he makes throughout the game. You'll also see a lot of movement and animation in each of the levels. The water levels have a cool motion effect that you don't see that often in Super NES games. You're also going to get at least a small dose of some of the special effects the SNES is best known for, mainly transparency effects. This is a huge step up from the Aero games. For a non-rendered game, Zero looks awesome.

Sound/Music: 9/10 - Even more atmospheric than the sound! The game plays a few classic rock tunes and a lot of originals. The music fits well with the games mood and style of play. Most of the music sounds like it was done on a monster movie piano (like on the first level of Castlevania 4), only a LOT less morbid. A few other parts of the game are done on a very watered-down electric guitar, as if it came from a children's keyboard. Some is upbeat and some is slow. The bottom line is this; the music is absolutely (trust me, you'll never hear me say this word again) delightful! I mean, some of it is so- happy that it can make you feel all warm and- you know what I mean, especially on level 2 and 4. I love it.

Gameplay: 9/10 - One of the biggest complaints most had with the Acrobat series was the play control. Sometimes it was a little too vanilla and the pace of the game was just a little slow. That's been remedied here, and the action in this game moves along at a brisk pace. Zero also has an incredible amount of moves at his disposal. He can run, jump, throw ninja stars, perform back and front flips, dive to the ground, punch, kick, and even fly. You'll need all these moves, as the levels are generally laid out in a manner that requires different moves for different situations. So the first thing you had better do when you begin playing this game is get acquainted with the controller layout and all these moves. The change-of-pace levels, like the jet-ski area, also keep the game from getting too stale in places where it's been one side-scrolling level after another. As with navigating the levels, certain Zero attack moves work better on certain enemies than others. One thing that makes this game so much fun is trying to figure out which works best. As in Aero the Acrobat you'll also spend a lot of time doing some serious platforming as well. In fact, most of the later levels are large not only side-to-side, but also up-and-down so you're going to be doing some serious bouncing up and down and flying to reach some of these areas. And what would a side-scroller be without some secret areas? You'll come across quite a few secret rooms that you'll find carefully hidden throughout each of the levels. The level design is very intelligent about where it goes.

Overall: 9/10 - Overall, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is an excellent game that deserved more attention. It's a fantastic mascot platformer, and stacks up well even against some of the best the Super NES has to offer. There aren't too many 16-bit platformers that compare to this. Shame that it's largely forgotten. Surely there are enough people here on Amazon who would love this slick squirrel - who would take it into their homes, let it curl up in front on the fire, and pop the cart into a Super NES. Anyone?

This game is the perfect example of uninspired, "me-too" game design in the mid-nineties: monotonous levels, bland audio, and no clear game direction. Zero, the anti-hero of the Aero the Acro-Bat games, is the lead character this time around. He gets word that his home forest is being marauded by an evil lumberjack, and goes off to set things right. The theme of the game is never really consistent; there is a bit of opening dialogue, and then you're on a beach, fighting giant crabs and what are apparently guys with propellers for heads. Later on, the next level is a cave, with more of the same kinds of enemies. Why? At least in Aero, the circus theme was consistent, but in this game, every level consists of the same things; going through the same paces over and over. Another problem is the gameplay itself. Zero runs as fast as Sonic, but the levels are not designed to accomodate that kind of speed---you just wind up getting hit. The few acrobatic moves Zero has are awkwardly used, and rarely useful for anything, because the game is centered around simple platforming instead of combat. Even so, the principle behind the double-jump Zero uses is completely backwards from conventional game design, as is his "gliding" maneuver, to the point to where they become more distracting than fun.

The audio is a mixed bag. The music is fairly well-done, but the rock tunes are more reminiscent of an urban setting, rather than the natural areas you're predominantly in. The sound effects are short and uninspired, and the few digitized yelps of Zero attacking with his nunchucks are muffled and get irritating fast. The graphics are decent, but repetitive, and the animation is average.

The game is also far too demanding. You are expected to have perfect control over Zero's aerobatics by the second level, where spike pits stretch interminably and slime-coated ramps plunge you to your doom before you can ever get a look at what you're supposed to do. Enemies are often placed exactly where you need to land after a particularly tricky maneuver, making simple platforming a trial-and-error chore.

Overall, I was very disappointed. I enjoyed the first two Aero the Acro Bat games, and can see why this one was overlooked. It completely follows, to the letter, a form of which better 16-bit games are made. If you want a fantastic platformer with a challenge, play Super Ghouls N' Ghosts or Demon's Crest. If you want a great Mascot platformer with a lot of action, play Sparkster. If you want to spend ten bucks on a game that would be better spent on the games I've just mentioned, but would rather find a semi-obscure platformer with no distinctive qualities, then this game is for you.