PixlBit

He may sound like a typical Mega Man boss, but dig a little deeper and you'll see that Pulseman is something special

Pulseman is an action platformer for the Sega Genesis which was released in 1994. It was developed by Game Freak, the same team that would soon become renowned for the Pokemon game series, and was published by Sega. Here's the weird part: Pulseman was only released in cartridge form in Japan. In North America, Pulseman was available on the Sega Channel exclusively, meaning about five people actually played it. Luckily, the game is now available on the Wii Virtual Console, and it deserves your time!

At first, it seems that Pulseman is just another platformer like Mario or Kirby, but as you play and get a feel for everything, you'll see that the game is very unique. The game is crafted around Pulseman's electric powers. By running or dashing, Pulseman will charge up; press the attack button and he will send out a ball of energy from his hand. But also while charged up, Pulseman can transform himself into a ball of energy and ricochet off of walls (similar to Konami's Rocket Knight/Sparkster). Levels take advantage of this power in amazing ways.

At the outset of the game, you get to choose which level to play. You get three choices: Japan, India, and USA. After beating these levels, three more levels open up: Thailand, Alaska, and Australia. Apparently Pulseman's job is to find crimes involving technology and stop them. The last level moves you back to Japan, so there are seven levels in all. The levels are broken up into sections. Usually you start outside and make your way to a lit-up sign that says "in." This is when Pulseman zaps himself into some kind of cyberspace and fights in there, which is neat. Levels usually have three or four sections before you get to the boss.

The level design is excellent. Levels are designed with Pulseman's unique powers in mind. Some levels have a line that Pulseman can ride like a spark rides a power line; while riding, he can jump to other lines that are parallel. This is used very well, riding long circuits vertically, constantly jumping from one line to the next, trying to find the right one to reach the top. Pulseman's ball of energy is also used well. While in this form, Pulseman can break certain blocks. You'll need to use his energy form to reach tight places and high ledges. While in this form, Pulseman can also spin around electric orbs; while spinning, press the button and he'll fly off in the direction he was pointing. This can be tricky and dizzifying, but also remarkable. Shooting around in a ball of energy is so fun!

The game also offers some challenges, however. Every hero has a weakness. At the beginning of one level you see Pulseman run through a waterfall and momentarily lose his powers. The villain pops up and points out that "Water can destroy Pulseman!" The level then proceeds, with waterfalls and water traps mixed in which will take away your pulsy powers. The last few levels also have a certain blobby bad guy that floats around; this bad guy cannot hurt Pulseman if it touches him, but it can steal his powers. Trying to charge up and shoot around when these guys were around was difficult, especially since it takes Pulseman a second to transform.

After each level you'll play a bonus level, in which Pulseman must shoot around and try to break all the blocks above him. You can catch him and shoot him out with a bar that you can control at the bottom of the screen. This plays out a lot like the classic game Arkanoid. Even better, each bonus level gets a little harder, putting obstacles between Pulseman and the blocks, making them very challenging. Thank goodness they were just bonus levels!

For some reason, everything in the game is voiced. Voicing in games was a big deal back in 1994, so I guess Game Freak wanted to try and squeez as much as they could into their game. A girl will appear in the top corner of the screen to tell you "Good job" when you finish a level or say "Watch out" if your life is low. A newswoman freely speaks at the beginning and end of the game. The villain laughs, plans, and groans (when you're fighting him) throughout the game. Sometimes it's hard to understand what they're saying, but mostly it's okay.

The bosses in the game are very creative and fun. The first boss is a standout: Pulseman has to fight a digitized hand that tries to crush him while in a computer. Another boss is a round robot that can do several different attacks; each attack changes the color of the background, telling you what he's going to do. But by far the coolest boss battle in the game is when Pulseman must fight a dark version of himself: this guy can do anything you can do, and seeing two balls of energy shooting around at the same time is so cool. What an awesome fight!

The last level is another standout. Pulseman chases the villain into an arcade, where the evil man somehow jumps into an arcade game! Pulseman quickly follows him, and now must play through the arcade game, called "Galaxy Runner." Everything is now more pixelly and all the info you would expect to see on an arcade screen is here. The whole idea is just so awesome! You'll go through the game and eventually fight a big spaceship at the end.

I'm usually not big on graphics, but the graphics are very good in Pulseman. Everything is so clean and bright. However, a few levels have some bizarre backgrounds which may give you a headache: loud, bright techno patterns that are constantly moving. Wowzer! My eyes! This adds to the "colorful" aspect, but not really in a good way.

The music is good for the most part. Some themes are really great, but there are a few themes that are just weird techno-like stuff that aren't enjoyable to hear. No doubt these were to make the game feel futuristic, but they make you just want to mute the volume. For the most part, though, music is good.

Pulseman is not a difficult game, nor is it very long. What it is, though, is special. It's a unique game amid tons of other platformers. It stands out with its tight controls, clever level design, and its creative hero. The game certainly has its challenging moments, but at the end of day, you won't be pulling your hair out due to anything frustrating.

Final Verdict--4.5 Stars: Highly Recommended

If you're reading this and you own a Wii, download this game! You owe it to yourself, and poor Pulseman deserves your time. It's a shame Pulseman never received a sequel or got his own series, probably because Game Freak went on to make Pokemon. But atleast his one game, his one moment to shine, is truly remarkable, and it's a game which every gamer should experience. It's colorful, creative, full of charm, and really fun. The game holds up perfectly after all these years. So don't miss out on this nearly forgotten gem.

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