Does anybody else remember a game called ""Defender?"" In that horizontally-scrolling shoot-em-up (or 'shmup'), you played as this little ship that flew around while the planet was being invaded by these little green aliens trying to eat all the people running around on the planet's surface. You had to pick up all the people to rescue them, and had to eliminate any aliens that had the guts to try to scramble off with a tasty human snack. It was a fine entry into the sci-fi shmups category...Now imagine Defender in your backyard. It's not a ship, it's a bee. It's not the human race that you're rescuing from little green aliens, it's your honey reserves you're rescuing from the ants. Float like a butterfly, sting like a...uh, bee...in this imaginative, fairly entertaining entry into the world of shmups.Graphics: 6
The graphics are admirable for their cartoonish quality, though simplistic when compared to others in the genre. There's no mistaking what it is that's coming your way; there's no chance you won't understand the power-up you're grabbing. A great job of making things easily recognizable and streamlined. This is important in a game where you are supposed to shoot anything that moves--and there's plenty of moving stuff in this one. A good variety of enemies keep things fun to look at until the end (or however far it is into the game you get). Scrolling is smooth as well; I haven't played this one on the actual console, but maybe more detail was left out of the backgrounds and such to conserve framerate (as a rule, scrolling vertically was technically more feasible on the NES...just ask Konami). There were no shoddy graphics or flat-out ugly characters. Not much variety in location, but hey, you can't have everything, right? Besides, the impression I got was one of a cartoony, light-hearted game--and at least they were consistent with their visual choices. Sound: 6
Codemasters always had the same type of catchy, vibrato-laden music in all it's NES games...I'm humming the theme to ""The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy"" as I'm writing this. A game from this unlicensed studio will always be recognized by it's excellent background music, if nothing else. Accompanying this music is the standard fare of beeps, boops, and clicks that were assigned to all games for this console. All the same, it would have been nice to hear good ol' Bee-52 ""buzz"" every once in a while, don't you think? Gameplay: 6
This game is a slightly above-average entry into the world of NES shmups. This game revels in its simplicity, being one of those games that anyone can pick up and quickly get the gist of. It follows the only true rule to shmups--""shoot anything that moves before it gets you."" And the backyard is positively brimming with other pests and annoying insects (not to mention the occasional spiteful sprinkler system) that want to ruin the bee's day. There are two types of attacks the bee can make--spit a wad of beeswax (or something like it) at your normal foes; for tougher creatures, like the spiders, grasshoppers, and ants, use your stinger to take them out. Powerups range from a more powerful stinger, to a three-way-spread beeswax shot, to a smart bomb that takes out anything on the screen. You can also speed up your bee and/or make him invincible for a short time. These, though, may not prove to be sufficient in saving your honey from the ants...It's a tough game with a rather steep skill curve--something that will keep the casual gamer from coming back to it. This is the only inconsistent part of the game: it tries to please the folks who want a lighthearted cartoony romp of a video game, while at the same time attempts to please hardcore shooters fans that are used to spaceships and a dozen types of weapons. It falls somewhere in the middle of those two worlds, and it doesn't sit too pretty. This, and a few gameplay quicks that got on my nerves (I positively _hated_ every time I bounced off a flower stem and right into a worm or spider!) keep this game from being as good as it could be. I do think, though, that getting stuck on spiderweb strands was a nice touch!
Overall: 6
Had to go with the average score this time. It's a good game in it's own right, but apart from being cute and visually quirky, there's not much going for it. All the elements that make a fine shmup are there--simplicity, clarity, and control. If only they had given the player some payoff every once in a while, then it would keep people coming back. I mean, Pac-Man knew what it was doing with those goofy little movies in-between every five levels or so...Couldn't they have broken up Bee-52's glaringly obvious monotony somehow? Bee-52 is a decent game that never really got it's opportunity to settle into any one category. If you're looking for a cartoony game, go for a Disney theme or Little Nemo...you won't be disappointed. If you're looking for a shoot-em-up, go for Life Force or Image Fight...they rock. If you're looking for both, go for Bee-52. Just don't be surprised if you're not totally fulfilled in either category. This game's an example of two great tastes that...well, that taste so-so together. However, I must maintain that Codemasters was one of the premier independent studios that ever created games for the NES. And look where they are now--they made Operation Flashpoint, for crying out loud! As for availability to you collectors out there, this one's rare (generally speaking, unlicensed = expensive), so expect to pay at least a little more than average for this title at your used game store. Is it worth that price? ...Only to someone looking to complete their collection. |
