Hammerin' time!
A light-hearted action romp that provides a lot of fun, Hammerin Harry is another of Irem's old-school classics that is perhaps best picked up on the Irem Arcade Hits collection, alongside Vigilante and Gunforce. It's an entertaining little platformer/fighting game which features a cute visual style and some simple action which brings a little smile to your face. The rather bonkers plot line finds our hero's house being bulldozered by some workers known as the Rusty Nailers. As a result, Harry goes on a bender, smashing down any workers who get in his way. What this translates into is a side-scrolling action game where you make your way through a series of levels, beating down the workers. You can either just whack them or you can smash the ground, thus taking them out with shockwaves. You've got four levels to complete, with the final one seeing you face off against the boss who ordered your house demolished while there are also mid-level bosses to take out as you go. Throw in a few bonus stages to grab extra points and you're good to go. Hammerin Harry really is quite a silly little game and it's not one you can take seriously. It is, however, a lot of fun. It's got some lovely retro visuals, with great chunky sprites that pack a lot of personality and some nicely done backdrops. The action is simple but enjoyable, requiring little more than leaping about and smashing the bad guys which is immensely satisfying. There's a decent amount of challenge too, making this a good one for retro collectors.
