By Capcom/Psikyo for Dreamcast

Capcom’s wave of Dreamcast titles continues on, with Cannon Spike leading a surge of several arcade conversions and Playstation remakes released this month. Originally released in Japan as GunSpike and apparently renamed for domestic release because of the touchy subject of firearms and kids (how exactly is "cannon" less violent than "gun"…), Cannon Spike is a top-down shooter that’s best described as a cross between the classic shoot-fest Smash TV and Sega’s own Zombie Revenge.

One or two players can take control of several popular Capcom characters (Cammy, Charlie, Arthur, Mega Man and B.B. Hood, plus two new faces) and attempt to blast their way through several stages of pure adrenaline-pumping madness. Each character has the ability to attack with a normal and heavy projectile attack, a normal and heavy melee attack, plus a limited quantity special attack that unloads massive devastation upon the bad guys. You can also lock onto enemies and circle strafe for a limited time. A cool thing about the lock-on is that it requires a bit of skill to achieve – you have to hit a target with a laser sight in order to get the lock.

Graphically, the game is phenomenal, but a lot of the visual splendor is wasted because of the birds-eye view from which the action is seen. Before each round starts, you’re treated to a street level view of your character and the enemies, and the polygonal models are, put simply, incredible. Then the camera swings up, up and away to give you a great panoramic view for the gameplay, but it also cuts down on the wow factor of the graphics. Part of me wishes that Psikyo had gone for a traditional Streets of Rage style game and left the camera planted on ground level so you could admire the character graphics unhindered, but that would have changed the entire dynamic of the game, as well. The polygonal graphics do give the game a very polished, smooth look, even from the high camera altitude.

Capcom wisely chose to limit the number of continues you’re allowed, adding replay value to what is an unforgivably short experience. Each level is very short, generally consisting of one or two screen lengths for fighting waves of enemies and a couple of boss battles. There are no interactive background elements or weapons to pick up, although the range of attacks each character possesses is impressive. Difficulty is ramped up thanks to the standard shooter technique of filling the screen with so many tiny bullets that it becomes nearly impossible to avoid them all. Granted, this generally only becomes a problem with the bosses, but since most stages have two or more of these bullet-spewing monstrosities, it’s nearly non-stop. Although the game is super-short, it cannot be said that it doesn’t present a hefty challenge.

So, bottom line, Cannon Spike is very nice looking, filled with recognizable Capcom mascots and the most intense action of this kind that you’ll find on the Dreamcast. Capcom purists will buy it because of the characters, but gamers looking for a meatier game experience might do better picking up Midway’s Arcade Party Pak for Playstation, which contains the ultimate top-down free roaming shooter, Smash TV. Unless you already know you gotta have this game, rent first.

Graphics: 9 (The best part of the game – Mega Man, Cammy, Charlie and company have never looked better. Unfortunately, you can’t see much detail once the camera heads north after each stage opener)

Sound: 7 (Solid effects, nothing spectacular. Voices are great, although there’s not much more than grunts and yelling. Music is non-invasive and instantly forgettable)

Gameplay: 8 (Control is tight and responsive. Good variety of attack types. Limited time lock-on gets annoying)

Replay: 6 (Except for some gallery artwork, there’s nothing to unlock and the game is perfectly linear from beginning to end. Not much incentive for replay, although it’s always fun for two players)

Overall: 7 (It’s a solid effort with highly-polished graphics and old-school gameplay. Extremely short levels and linear gameplay hurt it in the long run)