Mercs (World 900302) MAME detail page - ROM mercs. Play Mercs (900608 USA) (Arcade) for free in your browser.

This one might seem like a bit of a strange choice to replay as it's a pretty basic run and gun arcade shooter, not the kind of thing you need to play much of to get an impression of how it's going to carry on. Plus I got two levels into the Genesis/Mega Drive version, so it's not like I didn't give it a fair chance.

But I'm reasonably sure I promised someone I'd take a look at the arcade version at some point, so here it is.Here's something I didn't mention last time: Mercs is the second game in the Wolf of the Battlefield series and a sequel to 1985's Commando (which has absolutely nothing to do with 1985's Commando movie). It started off as an arcade game in 1990 and was ported to around seven home systems the following year (and there's no way I'm going to be comparing them all this time, sorry.). The attract mode sets up the story and shows character profiles for our three Aryan heroes (plus one more shot of Joe fondling his weapon for the ladies and a few of the gents.)These three work for a PMC called Wolf Force (AKA. The 'Mercs') and have been hired by the US Government to rescue a former President held by revolutionaries in Africa.

I guess that strap arrangement they're all wearing is their official uniform then.The guy on the top left's not your ordinary Joe, he's actually the legendary Super Joe from Commando, Speed Rumbler and the Bionic Commando series (voiced in the 2009 game by Steve Blum!). I've heard that Thomas Clarke also makes an appearance up in Bionic Commando '09, but it doesn't seem like Wesker lookalike Howard Powell ever got another game. Maybe he went back to his special terrorist task-force after his Mercs group split. Hang on, shouldn't that be anti-terrorist task-force? Oh great, a Harrier's just flown over and now it's hovering around the top of the screen getting all True Lies on my ass.

Well I would try to figure out its pattern and time my counter-attacks so I can run up safely between his bursts of Gatling gun fire, but I've just remembered how I handled this guy on the Genesis/Mega Drive version, and trust me it's much faster.Genesis/Mega Drive)I just spam my super weapon bombs until he's dead! It's fine, I'll get a full refill next level so I'll be ready to take on the next boss the same way too.By the way, this first level is really tiny. It's basically an S shape, with those shootable palm trees on the bottom right bend and the sandbags at the top left. Three more screenshots and I could've shown the whole thing. There really is no point worrying about the time limit in this game.LEVEL 2.

Man, this city looks so much better on the arcade version than the Genesis/Mega Drive game. Sadly even armed with three-way pea shooter, my 'run straight up into the enemy' tactic proved to be ineffective against a roadblock and I lost my first continue here. The game was nice enough to let me respawn in the same place though and even let me keep my gun! Though it did confiscate my score. Drat, how will I ever live without my points!Genesis/Mega DriveMeanwhile, on the Mega Drive I've successfully managed to steal one of the jeeps and drive it straight into a crate. A shootable bonus crate with a power up inside! Shame I don't know how to get out or I'd grab that hamburger lying in the dirt as well.

You know, for health.You've can probably tell by the bar marked 'life' that the game has a life bar, but it kindly allows me a moment of invulnerability after I've taken damage. My health doesn't just drain away like in some games (you know who you are) and it's always obvious when I've been hit.

I've been hit! Well there goes arcade Joe's jeep. The poor guy just can't catch a break. Still, this does give me a chance to run over and grab that extra super bomb (marked with an M for some reason). Man, it's hard enough to dodge all these bullets and tank shells in the silky smooth arcade game so I can't imagine what it must be like in the sluggish 8-bit ports.MEANWHILE, ON THE COMMODORE 64:Commodore 64Uh.

So I guess the tanks are busy somewhere else today then? I'll just shoot this dude in front of me and then carry on driving then I suppose.Master SystemThe Master System port does have the tanks, but uh. What happened to their turrets? Also what happened to all my continues? Most of the home versions give me a fair number to get by with, but on the Master System you get ONE SINGLE LIFE. Granted the game's relatively easy, but c'mon!Also there's no in-game music in this version and the collision detection is terrible.

Which is awesome, because I hardly ever get to complain about terrible collision detection. A rare treat. Oh right, I remember how this works now: the minute the truck fails to get its own way it charges forwards down the middle of the screen and rams me without warning. Very mature.Well I'm going to be ready for it over on the Sega version!Genesis/Mega DriveAw c'mon!Speaking of three player. The Mega Drive version don't got it. It doesn't even have two player, which is something the other ports generally managed to include.

It seems like a pretty big drawback, as games like this come alive in co-op.I know I said I didn't want to compare the different versions. But this thing really must be a nightmare on the 8-bit systems surely?MEANWHILE, ON THE AMSTRAD CPC:Amstrad CPCOh, I can just sit here and shoot it then? It's not even going to try and run me over? No flame turrets?You know for some games I've played, the 8-bit versions have been surprisingly strong contenders, with several reasons to recommend them over their more advanced cousins. In this case though.

The Amiga and Atari ST versions aren't particularly impressive either.LEVEL 3. I'm sure I probably shouldn't be hanging around on this turret shooting pink ninjas as they pour out of the back of an APC, but I need to get rid of them so I'm free to blow up that other turret!

And I need to blow up that other turret so that. Oh, they've blown up my turret already?

Fuck it, I'm making a run for it again.I don't even know how I ended up on the deck of a battleship. How does a group of African revolutionaries get their hands on a ship with Capcom written on it anyhow? Why is Capcom written on the ship in the first place? Are they getting into the arms trade now?

In a shocking turn of events I have again reached the end of the road just in time to be menaced by a huge military vehicle! This time it's a Hind-D with swivelling anti-personnel missile launcher turrets. I've used up all my super bombs to wreck its engines already, but the thing just refuses to drop from the sky!Genesis/Mega DriveMan, I didn't even realise how good I had it a few seconds ago. Now the rear turrets are getting in on the action and I'm being swarmed with soldiers! The problem I'm having here is that I can only fire in the direction I'm running and right now I'm busy running away from certain death.At least it's probably going to be a total pushover on those 8-bit systems, right? I bet it barely even bothers putting up a fight.Commodore 64.Yup.LEVEL 4. I got about halfway into stage 4 on the last of my five continues, but a few stray bullets took care of me before I even made it to the boss this time.

Game over.It's a shame really, because I'd only just picked up the flamethrower. I can't turn around with it as fast as I can with the machine gun, but anything caught in that wall of flame is just. Fortunately they're only lil' imaginary pixel people so I don't have to be traumatised when they silently fall to their knees as their flesh is burned away.Okay, so I'm done with the arcade mode now. But there's something pretty important I completely neglected to mention about the Genesis/Mega Drive port in particular last time around.Genesis/Mega DriveThis version of Mercs (and this version alone) has a second game mode, with its own exclusive set of levels! The gameplay's the same, but the timer's been replaced by a medal count for some reason. Guess I'd better smash open every crate in case there's a medal in there! Fortunately I'm pretty sure that medals are one of this fictional country's main imports, along with hamburgers, super bombs, cans of spinach and words that say POW; there's boxes of them lying everywhere.Genesis/Mega DriveThis is another new feature exclusive to the Mega Drive's Original Mode: a map between levels!

It doesn't actually do anything though, except to let you sit back and look at those fires with a smug sense of accomplishment, thinking 'yes, it was me that burned this tropical island paradise to the ground'.Genesis/Mega DriveMan, is there anywhere on this entire island that isn't packed full of people eager to shoot me in the side of the head.Hang on, that tent over there says 'ENTER' on it. That's new.Genesis/Mega DriveWow, I found Burner in the tent and he joined my party.

I have no idea who that is and this is the first I've heard that I even have a party (though it seems he's heard of me), but I'll take all the help I can get.Genesis/Mega DriveThere's a shop in here too. Which uses medals for currency? I gotta admit, as tents go this has proven to be quite exceptional so far.

Oh, the super bombs are actually called a 'mega crash'? So that's why they've got an M on the box!

Tap tap revenge tour. I must not use cheats, save states, trainers, hacking devices etc. To progress through the game. I play the game as it is and if I can't get any further then I quit. (Or run off to check a walkthrough.)2. I must not read the manual before playing or play fan translations. I like to figure things out for myself and it's more amusing if I don't know what I'm doing.3.

I must not complete the games. I'm trying to take a quick look at interesting games, retro classics and obscure crap, show what they're like and show off the art, not make full 'Let's Play' playthroughs or reviews.4. You must not read these posts if you're concerned about - spoilers -.I may discuss the story and show screenshots of cutscenes and dialogue. But I try to make sure I'm only spoiling the game that I'm playing.

ScreenshotThe version of the game had up to three players available for play. The players are members of a covert team known as the 'Wolf Force'. The team is composed of Joseph Gibson (Player 1 in blue), Howard Powell (Player 2 in red), and Thomas Clarke (Player 3 in yellow). Their objective is to rescue a former from in the fictional country of Zutula, which is administered by an government. The game has six levels, plus the final level where the objective is to rescue the from the.The controls consist of an eight-directional joystick and two buttons: a Normal Attack and the Megacrush Attack.

The player character has a vitality gauge which will gradually deplete as they take damage from enemies, however First-Aid Kits can be picked up that will restore part of the player's energy, as well as power-ups that increases their maximum vitality. The player can upgrade their default gun into an Assault Rifle, a Shotgun, a Grenade Launcher, or a Flamethrower.

The Megacrush button will detonate a bomb that kills all on-screen enemies. However, the Megacrush Attack has limited uses which the player can only replenish by picking more Megacrush bombs. In certain stages, the player can pilot enemy vehicles.Ports ReceptionReview scoresPublicationScore90%72%AwardPublicationAwardMegaTechHyper GameA version of Mercs was produced by, which was first released in Japan on September 27, 1991, with subsequent releases in. The Mega Drive version features two different game modes: an 'Arcade Mode', which features the same plot and stages as the arcade version, as well as an 'Original Mode' that introduces a new plot with all new stages. One notable aspect which distinguish the Original Mode from the Arcade Mode is the addition of Weapon Shops through the game in which the player can buy power-ups for their character using currency obtained from defeated enemy soldiers, as well as the option to switch between multiple playable characters, each characterized by the weapon they wield (with the starting character using the standard Assault Rifle). Unlike the arcade version, the Mega Drive version of Mercs only allows for a single player, a point which magazine considered the game's only weakness.Home computer ports of Mercs were also released for the, and in 1991.

These conversions of the game were handled by.Legacy The original arcade version of Mercs, along with Commando and, are included in the fourth volume of the compilations released for the and in. The same version of the game would later be included as part of, released for the and in, and Capcom Classics Collection: Reloaded for the in. The Genesis version was released for the by Sega in North America on February 9, 2009 and by Capcom in Europe on February 20, 2009 at a cost of 800. This re-release is listed under the title of Mercs: Wolf of the Battlefield, to tie in with the earlier. The Genesis version is on the Retrobit Generations Plug and Play along other Capcom, Irem, Jaleco, etc. Games.References.