PixlBit

1-PLAYER; DEVELOPED BY ACC; PRODUCED BY HUDSON; RELEASED: 1989

 

            By the time the late 1980’s rolled around, the home consoles were beginning to show their age, especially compared to the computers of the time. The 8-bit microcomputers had largely given way to 16-bit machines, and the NES and Master System were beginning to look a bit dated by comparison. In addition, the American video game industry had largely recovered from the 1983 crash that had almost wiped out the industry. The time seemed right to introduce the next-gen systems that had taken Japan by storm. While today the 16-bit console war is seen as a two-horse race between the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, there was a third, less remembered, competitor. NEC launched the TurboGrafx-16 in the United States in Autumn of 1989, roughly analogous with the Genesis. The pack-in title of said system is the subject of today’s review: Keith Courage in Alpha Zones.

 

            You play (at least in the American version, more on that later) a lad named Keith Courage. According to the comic included in the manual, in the far-off year of 2004, aliens attack the planet, and Keith’s father dies while trying to save the planet. To this end, he joins an organization named N.I.C.E to fight off the aliens, who are named B.A.D. Yes, really. To be honest, I kind of love this. It’s the perfect representation of 90’s video game cheese and is in the vein of the later Johnny Turbo campaign. Of course, it was far different in the original Japanese version. The game, as intended, is an adaptation an anime called of Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, which Wikipedia tells me is a fantasy/robot anime with comedic overtones. While that definitely makes sense, I prefer the cheese.  

 

            At its core, Keith Courage is an action platformer, like many of the launch titles of this era. Each of the game’s seven levels are split into two halves. The first half has you control Keith in a relatively short overworld section. While there are enemies and obstacles, these segments are generally somewhat relaxed. The main purpose of these sections is to buy upgrades the second half of the stages. These later halves have you controlling Keith’s mech (which in the American version is a power suit ala Metroid). In these sections, you use the mech’s sword (upgradable in the overworld sections) and bombs (consumables bought in the same). The controls for both sections are actually pretty good, especially considering the somewhat-poor controller that the Turbografx-16 had. Platforming felt tight and responsive, and the game did not have the slightly “chunky” feel that many games of this era had. Considering the small size of the platforms, this is very much appreciated. 

 

            The game is, unfortunately, rather less varied than the two distinct sections make it sound. The overworld sections are at a slow, easy-going pace, while the underground mech sections are quite a bit faster. However, the gameplay remains largely the same. You must guide your character to the end of the level whilst jumping on things and fending off infinitely-respawning enemies with your sword. This works well, but a consequence of it is that the game is not exactly what one would call “thrilling”. Many areas, particularly in the mech sections, share many elements with each other. As a result, I often felt like I was traversing the same areas again and again with different palettes and slightly different enemies and obstacles. This is frustrating in the sense that one can absolutely see where there could be some really neat ideas. The level two overworld has mirrored sections of land above your character, but they never do anything with you. Like so much in this game, a potentially interesting idea is used as mere window dressing.

 

            Unfortunately, due to these factors, Keith Courage is a very boring experience. There is not enough variation to keep it interesting, and the game is not challenging enough to make up for that. The only real challenge comes from the large number of enemies and the lives system, or lack thereof. If your character dies once, you are kicked back to the title screen. However, whatever challenge this would cause is mitigated by the fact that selecting “continue” allows you to begin at the level section you were on, with three hearts and less money. Money which can be farmed from the infinitely-spawning enemies. There seems to be no limit as to how many continues you get either, which makes the short levels feel far more monotonous than they should. This is not helped by the lack of any kind of save system for the game, meaning you must finish it all in one go. Normally, this is not an issue for a platformer, particularly one this short. However, one this boring can be an absolute slog to go through.

 

            The high point of the game, at least for me, lies in its sound and graphic design. The graphics look great, especially for a 1989 title. The game is very colorful, and the sprites are big and detailed. There is a charm here that rather impressed me in the early goings, especially in the overworld sections. However, I found the underground sections to be far less impressive. While the Nova Suit mech looks great, as do several of the enemies, the backgrounds and terrain are very boring. Often, the background when you get to the actual underground is a simple black background. I found this to be pretty disappointing, as I felt that there was so much that they could have done to make the underground sections interesting. It is a missed opportunity, and a pretty glaring one when these sections take up roughly half the game.

 

            I was pleasantly surprised by the sound design in this game. The music in particular is rather good, and the sound effects are meaty enough to give weight to the sword swings. It is certainly not the most memorable soundtrack but is better than other games of this era like Altered Beast.

 

            Keith Courage is, ultimately, a pretty forgettable game. It is interesting only insofar that it is the game that NEC felt would make a big splash for their new console. Perhaps, considering the Turbografx’s ultimate fate, this might have been a misstep. For some reason, as a kid, I was somewhat enamored with this game due to magazine scans and the box art. Unfortunately, however, it’s yet another boring platformer. Unless you have a need to own every Turbografx-16 game out there, perhaps it is best to relegate this one to the dustbin of history.