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This crazy shooter is one of the most unique games on the N64

Sin & Punishment (which is an awfully serious title for a Nintendo game) was developed by Treasure and Nintendo R&D1 and published by Nintendo. It was released for the N64 in 2000 only in Japan (until it came out in all regions on the Wii Virtual Console). It's part on-rails shooter and part run n' gun; basically it's the first ever on-rails run n' gun. As usual, Treasure gives us something unique and also quite weird.

The story is nothing short of bizarre. Due to some food problems, mutated monsters are rampaging the city; these monsters are called ruffians. The Armed Volunteers set out to defeat them. Another group, who call themselves the Savior Group, are also fighting against the ruffians; the Armed Volunteers want to stop them because they're getting in the way. This group includes Achi (a psychic girl), Airan (another girl), and Saki (dude). You play as Saki. While S&P was originally released exclusively in Japan, the entire game is voiced in English. Go figure. The voice acting isn't bad.

The button configuration uses the N64 controller well, although it takes some time to get used to everything. You hold Z to fire your gun, move the analog stick to aim your crosshairs, and press A to lock on to targets. Locking on is important especially for bosses so you can constantly being hitting them while moving around and jumping. The left and right C buttons will move Saki left and right, and double tapping them will cause him to roll. You can also tap Z to use your sword if an enemy is close enough. The controls can certainly trip you up at times; sometimes I would move in a direction when I only wanted to move my crosshairs in that direction. Overall, though, the controls are fine.

Throughout the levels, you'll be shooting swarms of ruffians as well as armed volunteers; the latter will often stand in one spot and shoot at you or jump right up to you, in which case it's best to use your sword. The tricky controls and swarms of enemies makes S&P a very challenging game. There's always a lot to watch out for. On top of all this, you also have a timer at the top of the screen. If you run out of time, your life will gradually decrease. Shooting certain objects in levels will give you bonuses, health, and sometimes time, which is always good.

I found the time limit to be a pain in level 2, in which you ride up an elevator taking out enemies along the way. Apparently there's no way to get any time bonuses in this section, and my time would always run out while fighting the mini-boss. This is probably the most frustrating part of the game, but S&P is constantly throwing different things at you to see if you're paying attention.

S&P requires you to master the controls in order to make any progress. If you stand in one spot and shoot, you won't get far at all. You have to be constantly moving, dodging bullets, grenades, and swarms of enemies. If Saki gets hit, he falls down (which is really annoying because it sucks up time). If a stream of bullets hit you, you'll be frozen in that spot, being hit, until the bullets end (once again, annoying). Suffice to say, you don't want to get hit, but it's quite challenging.

S&P is certainly a creative game, but it's also very weird. At one point, Kachua (one of the bad guys; actually, a girl) and Saki both transform into giant Gundam-like creatures and fight it out (which is pretty cool). Also, the whole city fills with blood and everyone in the city dies. ??? Yeah, this game is weird. After this section, you lose Saki and keep playing using Airan (the girl). She's a pretty tough cookie.

Like a typical Treasure game, S&P stays fresh by constantly throwing new things at you. Each level is distinct, and gives you new enemies which attack in unique ways. Some parts of the game are just crazy. In level 4, you fly around a battleship on a floating platform, shooting jets and stuff as you hang upside down and spin around. In one part, the bad guy shoots a giant bullet at Gundam Saki, so you chase the bullet and shoot it as much as you can before it reaches Saki. If anything, I admire S&P for doing different things, even if the game is bizarre.

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

Sin & Punishment is a cult classic for a reason. It's extremely creative and fun. Blasting ruffians is awesome, and while the game is bizarre and challenging, it's quite a feat. It would have been nice if there were no time limit, but besides that the game is solid. Many of the shooting sections are brilliant, and the game is always keeping you on your toes. If you've never played this classic, it's available on the Wii Virtual Console, and you should definitely give it a try. It's one of Treasure's best games, and that's certainly saying something.

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