Insector X

With Insector-X, you get your typical game plot scenario: The Bagroids - tiny insect aliens from the Bagron Empire - are out to conquer the planet. Earth's only chance to make it is Kyte, the sole survivor of a miniature humanoid race, the Insectors, that was destroyed by the mean-spirited Bagroids. Equipped with a pair of mechanical wings, Kyte sets out on a mission for both vengeance salvation and humankind's salvation.

None of this really matters, though. To the gamer, Insector-X plays exactly the way it looks. It's a scrolling, side-view shoot-'em-up. You're in control of what appears to be a cross between a G.l. Joe figure and a wasp. This is Kyte.

The enemy that you lay your wrath upon is an assortment of elaborately armed insects. These are the Bagroids. But since there are no cartoon intermissions in between levels or any other on-screen elements to back up the above-mentioned story line, Insector-X could really be about almost anything. Its scenario is unimportant.

Fortunately, this in no way hinders game play. The object is to simply shoot, shoot, shoot and move, move, move when the enemy bugs shoot, shoot, shoot at you, you, you. Repetitive play, that old arcade gaming standby, is the key element here. And there are five levels of it, with settings such as an Egyptian desert, a city sewer system and the final showdown at the alien bugs' underground headquarters.

Things to blast include anything and everything that has ruined a family's summer outdoor dinner: wasps, mosquitoes, bees, ticks, spiders, fleas - you name it, you get to shoot it in Insector-X. They get to do the same to you, of course, spitting venom that either is aimed at you or explodes in all directions in midair. Be sure to watch out for the lovely petunias spewing deadly pollen and the giant, pulsating worms shooting out of the ground too.

At the end of a level is-surprise!-that "Really Big Bug" you must destroy before you're allowed to progress in the game (an overgrown wasp, grasshopper, moth, etc.). Each of these RBBs has an Achille's heel. Discover it and you can destroy the insect monstrosity. But if you don't, well, then you're in for some real rough play.

Your G.l. Joe/wasp guy (Kyte) is armed only with a rapid-fire, single-shot shooter. Not bad for starters, but not enough for this bug exterminator and the bugs he has to deal with. Some of the insects will leave tokens behind after they've been shot. Gathering these helpful items can change Kyte's weapon into a double- or wide-area shooter. Others will strengthen the power of weapons and provide free points or extra lives. Some of the bugs even drop their special weapons packs when destroyed. Bug-guy Kyte can then take and use these for his own purposes.

Insector-X suffers from no loss of great graphics and sound. Music and visuals are top-notch. Particularly beautiful - and menacing - are the Really Big Bugs. Especially unique is the way Kyte meets his death. He bursts into bug guts accompanied by a SPLAT! sound - the kind real insects made when they hit a windshield.

Game play isn't difficult - it's just plain hard. This is definitely one of the most challenging shoot-'em-ups for the Genesis. Learning to play Insector-X is a cinch. Mastering it, even when the game is set on "easy", isn't.

Insector-X does for side-view shoot-'em-ups what Altered Beast did for side-view beat-'em-ups. Yet, don't be fooled by the above number ratings. Insector-X scores high marks because of its superficials. In terms of originality, which our ratings system doesn't cover, it is sadly lacking. Recommended for bug blasters only.

Challenge your shooting skills to the max when you have to contend with a microscopic invasion of cybernetic insects! Fly through grasslands, bee hives, and even the streets to swat the enemies!

You don't have to be a fly on the wall to find out about the new Genesis title, Insector X. You do, however, get to see into the world of insects as you fly your robotic aircraft and shoot your way through a multitude of horizontally scrolling worlds, including the city sewage systems, jungles, and even an underground insect colony. Big as houses, the half-insect half-machine enemies you're up against are bound and determined to squash you like a bug and take over the world. Although you begin with a minimum amount of weapon power, if you give it your all you'll be pleasantly surprised when wounded enemies begin to drop special, useful items such as increased fire power, a net, or a can of deadly bug spray. Don't be surprised if you go a little buggy trying to survive the terror of Insector X.

The twist in this side-scrolling shoot-em-up is that the majority of the monsters that appear are bugs. Little bugs, big bugs, and really nasty Boss bugs! The standard weapon power-ups and round definition prevail in this nice looking title.

Imagine being shrunk down to the size of an insect and then having to fight normal, everyday bugs just to survive. It's happened and you now get to see the world through the eyes of an insect. A realm beyond all your imagination exists in vast arid deserts, intricate city sewers, fields of grass and weeds untamed jungles and an awesome underground insect empire. Each level is amazingly beautiful yet extremely dangerous as all of the other insects of the world have to eat too and you are just the right size for dinner. Start off weak and only strong enough to take on the mildest of bugs but by collecting the various power-ups you can build up your weaponry to the point where you just might have a chance to survive. But, that was until you say the Boss enemy. A huge bug half the size of the screen! Hopefully you grabbed the can of bug spray you saw along the way!