In The Hunt (Neo Geo)

I heard In the Hunt review in some Podcast. And there's review about the same game which ends in only stage 4. Thus i make this review.  

Irem needs to be serious about space. I mean look at the title! Yes it's colossal and gives you vibes of classic war movie. But it looks really bad unless it has proper spaces between the words. You can probably guess that this is another shooter game on Arcade.  

But it features the player as submarine. Also whales and fish schools that swim away from the soon-to-be battlefield. They're really sensible. According to info that i got from all-knowing Wikipedia, the backstory of this game: D.A.S (Dark Anarchy Society) uses magnetic doomsday machines to melt the polar ice caps and then flooding almost entire world. Thus leaving the survivors to live in either high structure or floating structure. Hey, that's just like Waterworld! D.A.S then govern them with dictatorship and advanced military technology. But there's underground underwater resistance that secretly built submarines that hopefully can destroy D.A.S once and for all. The submarines are obviously the player. To make it more interesting, i assume that player 1 (me) is I-8, but she call herself Hachi. Why I-8/Hachi? Because she's blonde haired, quite fitting with the color of the submarine. By the way, submarine #2 is (i assume) Maruyu, because her swimsuit is white, the same with its color. But she got chronic stomach ache before the start of the mission. So it's up to Hachi alone to destroy D.A.S.

 

Off she goes, firing torpedo against D.A.S army and naval mines. The subs on the screenshot is harmless and act as power-up container. Why it's dispatched if it's equipped with no weapon but instead carry power-up that can benefit Hachi? I assume it's weapon carrier and on its way to other D.A.S base but later get destroyed by her. 

Beside a button to shoot torpedo, there's another button to make Hachi both launch upward missiles and drop depth charges. Also check out that battleship over there that has convenient underwater cannon to deal with her. Normally, battleships doesn't have said cannon to confront submarine. I bet Nagato very envies this battleship.  

 

Even though this is stage 1, Hachi can be under siege at some moment. Maybe, because the game doesn't have auto-scroll so you can slowly dispatch any enemies that you encounter but there's time limit. As you can guess that Irem who develops Gunforce, is master at pixel art of explosions and warfare. Also you probably knew that, some of its crew form Team Nazca that making Metal Slug. In fact, there's section in Metal Slug 3 that featuring submarines. Let's compare them! 

 

Yes, Hachi undergoes dwarfism as fitting to one-man submarine. But her color is the same with In The Hunt, proving that Team Nazca don't forget about it away. That's quite admirable dedication toward old creation. Also Morden army's subs has quite same design. Also Hachi here takes 3 hit before explode, while In The Hunt's version she has the fragile one-hit kill defense system.

 

Back to In The Hunt. Hachi encounters cannons that shoot freezing laser. The laser will freeze anything that passes it then turns into ice wall. Fascinating yet irritating. By the way, there's two kind of stackable power ups: one that changes the sub's vertical weapons and another that change sub's torpedo. And that power ups has 2 type each. In latter case: green pickup and/or blue ones. The green ones will allow her to launch torpedo that burst shrapnel after travel for awhile. This probably good for bit crowd control or dealing hefty damage. But due to its low firing rate, this is useless in my opinion. The blue ones will allow her to launch torpedo that making devastating wake. Reminds me of railgun in Quake II or Quake III. Thus it's the best ones in my opinion.

 

Because of my impatient toward both (probably) unlimited respawning enemies and lots of them are tough to crack, Hachi encounters the first stage boss along with 4 lesser subs. She doesn't survive few seconds after this. Sorry, Hachi. 3: 

 

The boss battle itself is quite fair and interesting. It shoots barrage of missile that Hachi can destroy with torpedo but because they're so many she can't destroy them all at the right time so she has to dodge them which is relatively easy. Also it can anchor itself to catch her by surprise so she will get rammed, and flails its chained harpoons, hoping it will hit her. Due to strong current toward the boss, the depth charges will moves forward a bit. So you can try to use them to damage it if you're feeling adventurous enough.  

 

Every time Hachi defeat a boss. She will get hot brand of it on (let's say) her shoulder. It's like tattoo of your deceased foe. Awesome.

 

According to pre-stage screen, this stage is Sunken Town. If you think the ice melting story is big lie. Then witness this once trifling town becomes undersea ruins, you global-warming denier!   

What the hell! There's so many big missiles that as if they make maze of them. Yes, i know D.A.S has advanced military technology but i didn't know they got lots of money to throw away like this. Unlike the ones in Metal Slug series, they're indestructible. But at least Hachi can either speeds or slows them with well placed torpedo. Torpedo on upper thruster will slows it and torpedo on lower thruster will the otherwise.    

 

There's also section where Hachi digs through building with either torpedo or missile so she can proceed. But she can't just dig straight. There's designated maze on it, so she has to destroy it by virtue of guessing. Which i think: no fun.  

 

The boss fight: 2 giant submarines with vortex inducer on their front. Nice sunken baseball stadium there. But i don't see any of the bases. Perhaps they're buried by aquatic plants that are equivalent to moss?

 

The bosses can make vortex that sucks Hachi but easily avoidable. Even with that and other armament, they're no match against her. They can easily sandwiching her but they choose fairer method by moving some pattern that has enough gap for her to move. As reward, they got tons of torpedoes and explosive balloons that you can see in the screenshot. Death by balloon seems humiliating but at least entertaining, right?

 

Next stage is called The Channel. Thus limiting Hachi's movement field. But it turns in my favor as i don't like underwater battlefield in this games (I don't know about Hachi, though). The reason: AA machine gun's bullets travel faster than underwater missile. You see. There's two type of upward standard weapon that Hachi has: 1) if she's in the middle of sea, she will unleashes missiles that will explode on contact of either enemy or surface 2) if she's right on surface, she shoots multiline bullets straight up. By the way is kind of cruel to make her sunk harmless cargo ships there just to make her can moves further to D.A.S HQ.

 

As i have mentioned before about power-ups, there's a kind of stackable that changes the sub's vertical weapons and that it has 2 type: pickup with' A' or 'M' symbol. The first ones will make Hachi launches explosive balloons (on water) and 2-line bullets with direction relative to her movement (on surface). While the last ones will make Hachi launches faster missiles (on water) and homing missiles (on surface). Also picking any of them will increase the number of depth charge that allowed by 1. Hachi got the latter so those choppers and robots are as well as dead gears.

 

Besides choppers and robots, there's war dozer that could be made by Orks in Warhammer 40K and i very like it. Too bad, it's enemy so it has to go. Besides weapon power-up, there's star icon like what you can see in screenshot. It increase the * indicator on the HUD below. If i'm correct, every 100 on it will grants Hachi an extra live.

 

Beyond the war dozer. There's a bridge that accommodate an infinite train freights and some of them will drop giant bomb. To stop them, Hachi must destroy steel bits on the bridge foundation. But it doesn't get bent or anything like that to indicate that it get damaged enough. For that i call Irem doing half-hearted work on it while they do wonderful job on anything else. Soon after dozens of torpedo on it, the train get collapsed and Hachi can moves into a factory. Takes notes here, Zara! You don't have to directly fight Ottoman's armored battle train to destroy it. Just derailed it, you dolt!

It seems, the factory is the place for this giant robot's construction. Luckily it's not completed as it doesn't have legs and arms. It only gets lasers that can't bypass water surface. But occasionally, they got strengthen so they can reach the bottom.

 

After it received heavy damage, it gets dropped and continue to fight Hachi. It moves left and right in order to ram her but she can slip under it. But again, it can unleash steel pile beneath it to trap her. If you think said pile to be equivalent of certain male's part, you should dry clean your brain immediately!

 

Deep Dark Sea? That's like the name of my deck of Yugioh's card that consist of many dark and water effect monsters, which is Dark Black Sea. What's is that on Hachi's sonar reading? Sea snake with hermit crab's shell?   

 

I don't understand why this stage called "Deep Dark Sea". It's lovely sea and suchs.

 

Hachi goes through active underwater volcano and then get wrecked by molten rocks. I told you not to fully trust Google GPS, didn't i?! =_=

Well, there's D.A.S army over here. So Hachi's navigation isn't totally gone astray. That small blue robot seems akin to ones in another shooter but i can't recall it at all.

 

Oh, great! You unintentionally found habitat of giant red seasnake's cousin. Good job, Hachi. *Medium-High Sarcasm*    

 

Another one? Luckily it's no more lethal from the previous ones, even though it needs lots of torpedoes/missiles/depth charges to kill.

 

But beyond that, Hachi meets this squadron of alien-like sub. Combination between their fast orb shoots and their tight formation, they're considered very dangerous and very arduous to deal with.

 

The boss is the sea monster that's in Hachi's sonar reading. First time, i'm confused why it can spews fires if its sea monster. But its habitat is active sea volcano, so it's quite natural. The thing is: Not only this monster is Hachi's enemy, but also the six crater that throw lava rocks. So i reckon the safe spot for Hachi is on top-right and she can only shoots it safely when its center head blows firejets in brief moment. 

 

Sometime when the monster's head gets damaged moderately, it get retracted for awhile to give Hachi bit breathing moment. Also the monster change its color to indicate its health which is nice feature.

 

Next stage: seabed ruins. It's nice of you to discover lost civilization. Can you make easy for yourself, Hachi? No, seriously. You get chased relentlessly by Heka Gigantes while there's D.A.S army and mines on your way now.

 

I admire the toughness of the monster. It seems unfazed with that solid wall on the center and keep pursuing Hachi. Maybe it really hates yellow.

 

At the most top part of the ruins, it's revealed what this Heka Gigantes weak for. It's block of the cave's ceiling that can be dropped by Hachi's missile. Yes, the mighty stone giant that's immune to depth charges, mines, and wall, is humbled by mere stone blocks on its face. Okay probably they contain orihalcon or sort like that. The giant try to punch Hachi but it slowly telegraph its fist that she can predict and later avoid its punch. Later when its face is peeled, it can launches its homing eyeball toward her. Also the stone blocks are definitely harmful to Hachi, too. By the way falling blocks like these reminds me of stage 2 boss's attack in Metal Slug 3.

 

Here we are in D.A.S HQ. I kind of questioning why its full of water with little to none dry platform like sensible military base.

This is weird yet exhausting section. There's unlimited respawning octobot. And somewhat/somehow Hachi must destroy that jacket structure in center so the waters flood in thus raising water level, allowing her to proceed further.

Beyond that, this rocket-barrage-launching subs hinders Hachi. It's unsurprisingly effective. Those rockets not only serves as aggressive weapon but also act as nearly impenetrable defense. Whoever design this dreadnought [i suspect it's Soldier], he/she deserve a medal of being hated.   

 

But the contemptible part doesn't ends there. Here's battalion of blue robot riding red submarine with tight formation. Each unit has 2 lives. Yes, i know. The last level of most arcade game is "the killzone" part. And this stage is the perfect example of it.

It's another missile maze but narrower than the one in sunken town. At this point i realize that Hachi can slows missile below her by dropping depth charges while speeds the ones in front of her with her torpedo. That way she has a chance to survive this maze. But due to my incompetent, she died a few times here.

 

The final boss is this rocket that shoots rocket from behind. What a sporting manner there, pal. *Big dosage of Sarcasm, also hate*

 

Then it moves forward so Hachi has to park in the gap between the boss and the surface. But it also spary mines at her to diminish/erase her survival chance. I don't think  bottom part is lot safer as the boss heaves up and down in almost entire water. Also at this point the boss is invincible.

 

Now that Hachi is behind the boss, she can damage it. Or at least destroy the subs container part. Needless to say, it'll be much easier if the subs don't spawn constantly like this. If you guess that the boss battle is segmented. Soldier_thanksfortheheal01.wav.

 

Next part is the mine sprayer. But these mines are indestructible, so Hachi has to avoid them while trying shoot the part which is really hard.

 

Next ones is missile launcher. The missiles are not only indestructible but also swim *snatch* really fast. This one is also leaving small opportunity to get damaged.

 

Another mine sprayer ones?! I'm getting sicked of it (Probably Hachi too). Only this time it spray more mines than previous ones. Bravo! *large sarcasm and hate*

 

This is the last part it can spews yellow orbs that travel fast but at least they don't block torpedoes.

It switches side between front and back. As previously mentioned, the front part can launch rockets. But this time the they can brake and allow them to "travel" backward hoping a second chance to hit Hachi. As the situation is in high speed swimming, the depth charge will moves backward a bit. Use them for "backfiring" the boss.   

 

After the boss sustains gigantic damage, it is destroyed. Then Hachi leaving the D.A.S HQ with mushroom cloud explosive. This time she takes surfaces route, she doesn't want to meet the giant seasnake again.

 

Hachi has destroyed D.A.S for good, slain some of the giant seasnake, discovered an ancient ruin, and killed its guardian. For that she will be remembered as great hero and Beatle's "Yellow Submarine" become popular again. As she travels back to the base, some of the civilians dive themselves. They reminds me of "penyelam receh" which are Indonesian kids that willing to dive themselves to get coins that ship passengers throw at the water. Which in my opinion is unhealthy tradition.

Hey, Akio and Susumu! I recall them in Metal Slug credit. I do compare this game with Metal Slug a lot which is quite reasonable, yes?

 

And then she sails away. According to Google translate, "kono oounabarani" means "to this roughly". I think the meaning will be: The End...for now.

No hotbrand for the last boss, Hachi? Oh, you're out of space. I can see that. The sea monster hotbrand kind of adorable there.

 

I thought that In The Hunt is really strenuous shooter games. That opinion remain unchanged. Yes, there's some section that allow you to travel back so you can eliminate the enemies precisely. But most enemies are either unlimited respawning or capable of taking tons of damage. That's makes me feel impatience. Normally, i don't whining about the game that lacks of auto-fire feature. But this game needs it in order to make it more fun. On the good side, the pixel style are gorgeous. While the music are average. At least they're bit better than the ones in Gunforce. The power ups are both interesting and great. Even though, Hachi will lose them if she get destroyed and Irem is stingy about them especially in latter stages. The water as the game's medium instead of bland space or sky is fantastic decision and Irem done it properly too. You can see Hachi tilting when she gets non-lethal impact. The boss battle are tedious but interesting. But the last one is just completely annoying. In my opinion ,the monster parts feel bit off to game's overall. I'm more appreciate the game if Irem just be consistent on advanced military stuffs.

Although In The Hunt is tedious horizontal shooter games. Probably, it's not so difficult if you have big tolerance as well as love for any shooter games. Also it's major step-up to gamewatch that i play when i was elementary schooler. The title is Submarine Battle or Sea Battle, i'm not sure. It's very long time ago, okay! So i can recommend In The Hunt (1993). Play it for 3 stages, beyond that is unadvisable. Even though it's quite short game. One more advise: Global warming is real, people. If you neglect it, D.A.S will strikes soon enough.