PixlBit

A unique strategy combat game that dabbles in RPG elements

I know that everyone is talking about E3 right now (and there's a lot to talk about!), but I hope you'll take a moment to read about a game that came out 15 years ago! Hybrid Heaven is an action RPG/stategy combat game for the Nintendo 64. Developed and published by Konami, it was released in 1999. It's certainly a sight for sore eyes on the N64, being one of the few RPGs (although loosely) and also being darker and more interesting than the average N64 fare.

The plot is a little confusing and they keep you in the dark at first. Basically, the bad guys want to assassinate the president and replace him with a clone (called "hybrids" in the game) so they take over the United States. You play as Johnny Slater, a secret service agent. A small band of aliens called Gargantuans (who are very short) help you throughout the game. Suffice to say the story is a little confusing, especially since it involves clones AND aliens! However, it's still interesting.

The game has voice acting, but only at the very beginning. It's decent, although the characters look pretty awful (most early 3D games have not aged well at all). The opening is done in a sort of cinematic presentation, although the N64 cannot produce cut scenes like the Playstation; remember, Konami made this game, the same company behind Metal Gear Solid. However, a different team was behind this one, meaning it does not feel just like MGS; in fact, it's very different.

The most important aspect of HH is the battle system. I classified the game as "Strategy Combat" because that's exactly what it is. When you run into an opponent, the fight will begin at that exact location. Fights are one-on-one. There are two bars at the top left of the screen: a power bar and a stamina bar. Once the power bar reaches a certain point you can press A and choose an attack, but make sure you're close enough to the opponent to hit him. You can punch and kick, but you can also grab your opponent and use some really awesome wrestling moves on him, such as the Bridge Suplex and the Body Slam. When your opponent attacks, you will be given some defense options: you can step, guard, or counter. Step will allow you to step in any direction, trying to avoid the attack; guard is a good defensive move which will lessen the damage given; and counter is a risk which rarely pays off. If your opponent grabs you, you can also choose what to do; here you can choose to escape, take the fall, or reversal. Usually you will not get out of the hold and will have to take the fall, but when you do escape or reverse the attack, it's awesome!

After each battle, you will gain new levels and techniques. Specific body parts will gain levels the more you use them. You will also learn new attacks, which is neat. The large amount of fighting options is great, but quite unnecessary. Choosing Left Mid Uppercut instead of Left High Uppercut is not going to make much of a difference, if any. It's best to try and use as many different moves as possible, but the important thing is to punch and kick so your arms and legs both level up. If your power bar reaches max power, you can perform combo moves, which means you can do several attacks on the opponent at once. These are very helpful as battles can be lengthy in HH.

Another cool thing in battle is the fact that specific body parts can be injured, affecting you in a fight. For example, if your left leg gets injured, you will move more slowly. Injured body parts flash red. If an opponent throws you onto the ground, he can injure your neck or back. Injuries will also affect your stamina in a negative way. However, your opponent can also be injured, making your victory even more secure. Opponents in the game are very ugly, most of them being strange alien creatures. You will fight normal guys in black suits, robots, along with all kinds of hybrids, such as a pig hybrid, a lava creature, a mummy-type monster, and other weird creatures. You never know what to expect when you open a door, but you know it's gonna be freaky weird.

The game outside of battles is nothing special. You can move around in large areas, keeping an eye on the map in the bottom right corner. The scenery is mysterious, dark, and foreboding; I imagine that this is what a Metroid game would have felt like on the N64. You can enter doors that have a green light over them, while red doors are locked. Throughout the game, you'll have to renew your code key in order to access new areas. This is usually not a problem, but can be a pain if you have to backtrack far to find the machine to renew the code key. By pausing, you can choose to look at your items, check out your Tech List (your attacks), check your status, and look at the game options. By pressing R, you can pull out a defuser gun and use it to shoot annoying adroid robots or blast flashing blocks. Movement is not quite fluid, as Johnny will sometimes run and sometimes walk and your pressure on the analogue stick does not matter. The camera can also be a problem; there's no way to change the camera angle, meaning you'll walk into a room and not be able to see around (since the camera is looking at Johnny). These problems are not difficult to deal with, but are simple annoyances.

                                      I have a bad feeling about this!

The first area is kind of boring, so in area 2 you get chased by a giant monster (fighting opponents along the way, of course). The game follows a basic formula throughout, that being to look around, walk through doors, fight opponents, get to a door that needs a new code key, backtrack and find a machine to renew your code key, go back through the new door, etc. It's a shame that they never really change it up. However, the story keeps progressing and the battles are very interesting, so I can't be too hard on HH. The main protagonist, Johnny, has "Link Syndrome," meaning he never speaks in the game. Everyone tells him what to do and he does the dirty work. His design, however, is perfect for the game.

The music in the game is surprisingly good. At times it's atmospheric, fitting perfectly into the dark setting; at other times, such as during battles, its more robust and exciting, and can be enjoyable to listen to. The boss music in particular is really great. The music goes a long way in making the game creepy and dark, something that is certainly welcome on a system that has so many bright and colorful games.

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

Despite its flaws, HH is worth playing because it's so unique on a system that is starving for RPG and strategy-type games. The battle system is an amazing and in-depth system, growing and becoming more diverse as you progress in the game. Although weird, the story is interesting, and the overall feel of the game is dark and gritty. On a console that is often overlooked and overshadowed by the Playstation, Hybrid Heaven is simply another reason to own an N64.

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