Ignition Factor

The Ignition Factor is a new game by Jaleco that is definitely hot! You play as a rookie firefighter, and it's time to save some lives. At the start of the game, pick your stage and then listen to the briefing. At the briefing you will learn what happened, what your mission is and what kind of conditions to expect. Listen carefully so that when it comes time to pick the equipment that you are going to use, you won't be caught without something you need. or stuck with something that is useless. Then it's time to go in and face the fire!

THE GOOD

This game is a lot of fun to play, and it just gets better as it goes on.

THE BAD

Sometimes you get penalized, but they don't explain why.

THE UGLY

When you see someone that's on fire, but you can't get to them.

While the graphics have some nice touches, and the music and sound effects get you moving at a fever pitch, the so-so controls and stages that are more than a lot alike kinda spray water all over Mat could have been a hot game.

Despite the old cliche, any firefighter is gonna tell you that you can't possibly fight fire with fire. You need an axe, a hose, and a trusty oxygen mask at the very least. These items become your best friends in Jaleco's innovative new title The Ignition Factor, in which you must combine the skills from an action game with the problem solving from a puzzle game to successfully complete your firefighting missions.

Each stage begins with a briefing after which you're left to determine which particular items you need to stock up on. Once inside the site of the blaze you encounter fellow fire fighters who replenish your stock and even offer other helpful items you may not have originally thought you would need to bring. During the briefing you're given a specific mission such as rescuing six trapped employees before the building is destroyed in eight minutes. While accomplishing your main objective, you occasionally receive transmissions asking for your help on other side missions as well. After the successful completion of your duties, you receive a point total based on your performance, but before you even get a chance to enjoy the attention of citizens and the media, or pet the fire-house dog, you're off to fight another blaze. Bet you're not too anxious to follow up on those childhood dreams of becoming a firefighter now, are you?!

This Game Is Not Cool!

If you're looking for a cool new SNES game, look somewhere else. In The Ignition Factor, the action starts at about 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit, and only gets hotter.

Dodge exploding barrels, douse scorching fires, and perform dramatic rescues through eight levels of blazing excitement. Pick and choose your own firefighting equipment. Talk to people trapped in the inferno, and use their clues to locate other victims.

If you can take the heat, this is your chance to become the hero that you know you really are.

Firefighters, grab your hoses! For burnin' action unlike any other strategy game, The Ignition Factor pulls you in and hoses you down.

Burn, Baby, Burn

In The Ignition Factor, you're a firefighter lugging typical firefighting equipment through burning buildings. Your mission is to rescue the victims trapped in structures such as a steel mill, factory, and even a dinosaur museum. Save 'em before time runs out, or else the building burns down and the inhabitants become crispy critters.

Your overhead-view search takes you to rooms filled with various obstacles, stairs, hidden items, and walls of fire. Using a point-and-click interface, you scroll through your firefighting gear and make strategic choices, and then you follow your captain's orders and a handy map and try not to fry. The graphics are average, with relatively small, slightly detailed sprites and plain, ordinary-looking rooms. The map uses dots to pinpoint victims, but it lacks a layout of the room they're in.

The music in the beginning can get annoying, and the periodic voice urging you to "Hurry up!" eventually wears on your nerves. The fire sounds have blazing realism, however, and the sound of a victim feeling the heat is surprisingly humorous.

The touchy control may send up an alarm. Making the firefighter run seems like a cake walk until -- oops, you're toast! On the other hand, your smoothly moving character is easy to maneuver through tight spots.

HotSpot

Overall, The Ignition Factor is a relatively fun strategy game. It may not be a burnin' sensation, but it's a rental with definite potential.