Gungriffon

Gungriffon is the best battling 'mech game I've ever played. Everything, from the graphic presentation to the control of the 'mech, has exactly the right look and feel.

The missions unfold in different locales and are very distinctive.There are areas covered in snow or shrouded with fog. Some levels take place at night or during the red twilight. It would have been nice if there were multiple tasks in each of the mission locales, resulting in a longer game.The colors used in the game are also worth mentioning since they do a good job of conveying the proper atmosphere of any given stage.

Maybe there aren't enough missions, but those we have are formidably tough and challenging. The later missions pack intelligent enemies which move in groups, forcing you to use strategic placing. Refueling helicopters must be protected at all costs in order to finish missions.

The biggest mistake most 'mech games make is in the control and overall feel of the robot. In Gungriffon, your robot moves around with weight and gives you the feeling of controlling one of those vehicles from Robotech. I'm no expert, but the physics of the 'mechs feel correct.The way your robot reacts when loosing off a few megatons of heavy-duty firepower is also very satisfying.

Another thing that grabs your attention is the design of the vehicles and armored warriors in the game.They look very cool and have that anime-influenced style. Unfortunately, the box art features some random robot not featured in the game, but it still looks great.

Gungriffon definitely isn't for everybody, because of its rather complex controls and its steep learning-curve.The game isn't impossible, however, and good arcade skills will help you prevail as long as you use good planning. Most gamers will dig right in and discover one of the best Saturn games of the summer.

Hyperhint:

The main thing you need to nail down in Gungriffon is the controls.There's a training mission available to help you get adjusted. Use it! It would also be wise to tackle the missions in a specific order.The night-time level isn't as hard as it seems because the enemies are easier to defeat, if harder to see. Make sure you take advantage of the night vision your 'mech is equipped with. Jumping is the best defense against an unseen enemy.

Graphics - 9

Sound/FX - 8

Gameplay - 8

Rating - 9