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Get ready to dish out damage in this hi-tech and unique run n' gun

Games like Contra and Gunstar Heroes are great, but Cybernator is different from your typical run n' gun. Instead of controlling a human, you control a powerful mech, called an assault suit in the game. Developed by NCS Corp and published by Konami, Cybernator was released for the Super NES in 1993. It feels like a Konami game as far as the graphics and sound go, but it plays a little differently from something like Contra.

The story is set in the future. Your character is in a group that must protect the earth. Each level is a distinct mission, telling you ahead of time what you need to do. The look and feel of the levels is great. You play as Jake, an average dude inside an awesome robot mech. During levels, Jake or your captain will chime in to report something, which stops the action momentarily. This can be annoying, especially if you have to play a section over and over again.

The controls are not your typical controls for a run n' gun. Since you're controlling a giant mech, you move pretty slow. You can attack close-range with a giant fist punch. Your far-range attack is a machine gun which you can shoot in any direction. You can also boost forward and hover in the air for ground missions. The controls certainly take some getting used to. Some missions are free-form, taking place in space, so you can freely move around. These levels don't quite feel like space shooters; instead, they're more like run n' guns in space. I've never played anything quite like it.

There's plenty of things to blow up in Cybernator. Gun turrets will pop out of giant ships and shoot at you; enemy mechs will fly in to bring you down; explosive doors and walls will block you path; and shooting all of these things can be very satisfying. You can look at a small map when you pause the game, but the map seems unneccesary as the levels are quite linear. However, in the free-form levels, where you can freely fly around, there may be some hidden areas you can find. You'll want to grab power-ups along the way. The P power-up is a power chip which gives your mech more strength, and the H power-up will give you more health.

Cybernator is no cake-walk; the game is downright difficult. Just beating level 2 was a challenge for me due to the difficult boss at the end. It's a ship with mobile turrets floating around it, constantly shooting at you and blocking it from your shots. Boss fights can be difficult and intense, especially since the controls are a little tricky. Plus, the bosses take a lot of hits before they finally bite the dust. In some levels, so many things are shooting at you that you will have no choice but to take some damage and run through all guns blazing.

The music is also really great. It's that Konami-style music that many grew to love during the SNES era, classic themes that are action-packed and fun. They certainly make the game more exciting. Check below for a couple of these awesome themes.

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

Thanks to the giant mech aspect, Cybernator sets itself apart from your typical run n' gun game. While the controls can be tricky, you'll get used to them over time and be blasting through space like a pro. At the same time, the game is challenging and intense. I was lucky enough to find a cart of this game, but I imagine it's hard to come by. Lucky for you, the game is available on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles. If you enjoy Contra games or would just like an awesome game to challenge you, then give it a try. It holds up perfectly today, perhaps even better than a giant mech would hold up after 20 years of blasting space scum.

Join me every Saturday as we take a look back at all kinds of retro games, good and bad.