VectorMan to the rescue!
VectorMan, when it was released on the Genesis/Mega Drive was clearly aimed at taking on the classic platformer Donkey Kong Country, at least in the visual stakes. Sadly however, it's been largely forgotten, despite spawning a superior sequel, but for anyone who enjoys run 'n' gun actioners like Metal Slug and Contra, then this is well worth a spin. The plot is typically bonkers in a nineties way, and finds the world about to be taken over by vicious robots who have been turned from the path of servitude. You control the only unaffected pilot and must make your way through a series of side-scrolling levels, blasting merry hell out of everything. Most of what follows is fairly traditional stuff, with multi-directional shooting, powerups, bosses and so on to enjoy, while some of the levels encourage a bit of exploration. There are also three slightly more unusual levels, which see the perspective shifting to a top-down view as you control a train, a cricket or some sort of dancing idiot. As a mixture of the aforementioned shooters and platform games like Sega's own Sonic, VectorMan still stands up remarkably well today. Although the visuals aren't quite as spectacular as they were back in the day, the animation is still a joy to behold and there are lots of lovely environments and sprite designs to enjoy. The action comes at you hard and fast, requiring fast reflexes and an itchy trigger finger, and is never less than fun. The extra levels promise some nice variety and only disappoint in their briefness, and really, this is the only major flaw here.
