Vice Project Doom/Gun-Dec (NES)

Me and my older brother once own NES. I was very young back then. I can only remember the game that we had is Devil's World, bunch of games in 1 cart thing-y, Super Mario Bros, and Gun-Dec. The latter ones is the Japan version of  Vice Project Doom (1991) made by Sammy.

I love that neon-y color. Vice on title may be related to Miami Vice's reputation. I kind of know Miami Vice even though i'm not American. This may be solid proof of how famous is Miami Vice. Is Vice Project Doom contain story of police detective solve criminal case like MV? We shall see in intro scene.

 

The story begins with vague man mumbles about his capitalist ambition behind skyscraper's window. He's definitely evil wealthy businessman.

In case you forget (some of) the game's title. The businessman says it deliberately. I don't understand whether "it" he means at last sentence is either the test subject or the project. If it's the former, how you cancel the test subject? By killing it? Maybe. Later the businessman ask about "him" to Jacob (the businessman's butler). Then he says the weather will be rainy.

 

Meanwhile Hart who is most likely police have report about a maniac on the road. Step that pedal, man!

 

Then he burst through road cones and road blocks as if he's the maniac.

 

Moreover he can shoot civilian's car to get coins. But trust me he's the *ehm* good guy. Super Mario breaks blocks for coins. See the similarity? Good. The function also quite the same, collect 100 coins for extra life. By the way the control is direction button to move car, 'B' button to shoot, and 'A' button to change movement speed. See that "1", "2", and "3" box on bottom hud? That's the movement speed mode. The higher number the fastest the car moves. You can assume, they're car's gears. By the way, who put bag full of trash in the middle of road? The scumbag.

 

You can shoot something else than (most likely) innocent cars, there's flying green monsters and this ships that probably from Xevious. I thought this case only involve a crazy driver not including monsters and alien ships.

 

Here's the speeding suspect he shoot 5-way bullets and launch a pair of torpedo (that can travel in air) at the same time. Luckily the bullets travels faster than the torpedo so they won't hit at the exact time. There's rhythm on how to dodge them: bullets come first and a second or so the torpedo will come. It's nice for 1st boss battle.   

 

Deal with it! No! No! You supposed to make the maniac pull over not decimate him entirely like that.

 

But for some reason, there's something left for forensic team to analyze from maniac's vehicle. Hart does some preliminary analyze and find out: 1) The maniac's hands are monstrous claw 2) he carries terrifyingly unknown gun. Suddenly someone sneak behind Hart and say "I'm your guardian angel". Then the title comes out. Is this the first game that predates nowadays AAA game to show game's title in beginning section of the gameplay?

 

Now the game become platformer. You quite know the gist of the control. It's pretty standard: direction pad to move left/right and duck, 'B' button to attack, and 'A' button to jump. There's 3 weapon that you can use: 1) this light saber 2) handgun 3) grenade. You can cycle between them by pressing 'select' button. 2 later weapons are in limited stock that sometime enemies will drop upon their demise. You may think the handgun is quite reliable. The truth is: it's range only a quarter of the screen. On the other hand, the light saber is useful. Hart swings it from back to front that almost cover 360^o around him. It also has fairly good range for melee weapon. While the latter is bomb/grenade that Hart will throw across almost entire screen and leave explosion for a second or two upon impact. Hart first enemy is Jiang-shi and then that flying mutant. That looks incoherent. What's their motive to unite to kill Hart? Beats me.   

 

Next section is where many crumbling platform. Therefore you're forced to move and jump really fast. Luckily Hart has control over his jump and his jump covers quite long distance. Overall the platforming part is intuitive.  

 

On next section there's conveyor belt, already? I thought any platformer will put level ' with conveyor belt in 2nd or beyond. That 'B' icon is Bomb ammo, by the way. While 'G' is for gun, not grenade. I keep making that mistake.       

There's also spiked-back human and Pumpkin-head ghost as my enemies. The mutated man isn't ducking to avoid my shoot. He's always crawling like that. I was aiming for the ghost but i probably gonna miss it too.

 

Oh, you can cast fireball. That's great. Here have a grenade in your face, sir!

Then i face first boss. I mean first on platformer genre. I assume he's the guy in the opening scene. He throws steel beam at 3 height: High, middle, and low. Duck under the beam at first two kind of height. Jump on the beam at the last ones. Then you can approach him and slash him rapidly. Like boss in many platformer, he will switch side by jumping very high.  

Another scene, this time Jessica another Hart's co-worker, tells him that the clues lead to Kim Ron. Hart suspect Kim Ron practices Black Magic so he decides to investigate Kim's factory. To any Black mage who read this article, i suggest you don't stand out too much or you will be visited by this lightsaber-wielding detective.

Is Kim Chinese or Korean? Judging by his place here, he's most likely the former.    

I see violation on industry safety regulation here. Exposed electric cable (that i walk on), ghosts, and no handrail. Kim Ron must answer these problem.   

 

Here's Kim Ron that naturally is the stage boss. His black magic only consist of emitting fireballs from his mouth and charging at you while twirling his stick. The last ones probably not black magic, amazing feat nonetheless. You can safely approach him while he spits fireballs by duck running at him. Yes, you can run and duck at the same time. This move is very important here.

After Kim Ron is taken into custody (of his demise). Christy report that the speeding maniac's jacket has soil of Ricardo in South America. Soil on jacket? Soil on shoes is more sensible.

 

Next stages takes place in port, judging by these container's presence. Thug with gun. I can take him as enemy. But overly aggressive cat? I don't even... :c      

 

Finishing the stage, Hart pull his guns in Dirty Harry-esque manner. Next will be shooting stage, right?

 

Yes, it is. Hope you hoard those ammo. Because you can't use the lightsaber at all here. This stage is similar to arcade shooter like Operation Thunderbolt. But unlike the Taito's arcade shooter, you pick items by simply moving crosshair to them. No need to shoot them. I didn't realize that before. No wonder, my gun's ammo run out fast. There's no specific defensive mean except shoot the enemies before they damage you. Luckily, they kind of slow to draw their guns or batons or whatever that orange guy try to stab me with. Funny thing is they running around like in ninja style. Not the "Naruto" style. The other one where one hand folded in 90^o in front while the other on their back. No boss here by the way.  

Then Hart goes to Ricardo by plane. So the previous stage is indeed an airport.

 

Ah, yes! I remember in my career as mercenary that the crows are pink and there's lots of Ryu Hayabusa's cosplayers. Things never change.  

And the natives are all pink and there's orichalcum deposit on cavern, yes. But i don't remember about ninja that crawling on ceiling and ready to stab me from above. Ok. There's some change in here. 

You know archer fishes that stealthily spurt small water stream to their insect prey? In here, they're mutated to have capability of jump 6 meters (that's about 19.7 feet) and spurt 3-way bubble. Making them able to "Ninja Gaiden" you.  

 

The boss stage is this futuristic giant war machine. Capable of launching missiles and shooting fast plasma from its short cannon. How can i defeat it? By jumping on top of the cannon and jump again then slash that blue bit on the top part. Repeat same procedure until it's destroyed. Whoever manufacture this thing has the same incompetency as Umbrella Corp. By the way, i'm in the middle of duck running that i mentioned before.

 

You gone too far, Hart buddy! That's definitely not made of bricks.  

 

I skip the whole factory stage to this stage before boss because it only same non-linear stage like other with same enemy except for vertical conveyor belts like in here. In every stage, the last enemy will drop health item like milk (small refill) or meat (large refill). The game is generous on healing department.

 

The boss stage is a robot that launches destroyable missiles and constantly flies to other side. No big deal.

 

Hart meets his friend that's being captured and tortured. He presumably is on the same case with Hart. Before he spill more information, he's assassinated. The assassin say that Christy is his next target. Before he passed out, Hart's friend gave him a clue.

The chip has name "Sammy", the developer of this very game. It means everything, Hart!    

 

Next stage is on train in stormy weather. The occasional lightning flash will make the stage turn invisible but not Hart himself. It's interesting yet challenging feature. Along with "the train on storm "setting, this probably my most favorite stage

 

Next is sewer stage filled with big rats! What's this? Elder Scroll: Oblivion?

 

The boss stage is another robot. But it's more difficult and more resemble Big Daddy from Bioshock. By the way, that's Hart dying animation. He falls in mid-air like Mario but in more dramatic style. Turns out, i'm only need to crouch in one of the side and when he nears me slash his leg rapidly. You should account on stream force from the waters, though.

 

Hart asks the robot who is presumably the assassin, about Christy's whereabouts. He looks really similar to Big Daddy now. Really.

 

Apparently, she is in Megaman's electric stage. Sparkman's stage if i'm not mistaken. But you encounter electric ninja here. Seriously? I mean i understand Electro wizard. But electro Japanese Stealth Assassin? Nah.

 

The boss stage is this green mutant who's keen on scuttling on ceiling while throwing 3-way goops. You can stand next to it safely and keep hacking it. Next stage! 

 

Turns out there's no Christy here. This is a trap. Luckily, Jessica tails Hart and inform him the real Christy's whereabouts. It appears she's abducted by someone from bio-tech lab. No. It's not Umbrella Corp. Though they probably will do dirty stuff like kidnapping or what have you.

 

Hulking beasts, and giant tubes filled with organic thing. These what you expect in some biotechnology lab that is most likely run by evil scientists. Though, i don't understand why they need running water here. Which remind me of fluid-mechanic laboratory in my colleague.

 

On deeper part of the lab is grotesque organic interior complete with more mutant. This is madness. Like (you can probably guess) what will Umbrella corp. to any of their lab. But maybe not go as far as letting the infestation manifest on ungodly blue flame like here.     

 

The boss is still relatively easy. It jumps to these 3 platforms and will either throw projectile or creeping goop that can be destroyed. You can stand next to him like  what i do (dangerous way) or you can constantly jump to slash it (safe way). Christy better be in here.

 

Yes, she's here. In fact she was the monster that i killed. Oh my goodness!  Even bubbles on the background that like in Puzzle Bobble game, can't ease my guilty feeling. But i consider this as mercy kill. Moreover she tells me clue about the one behind this case.

 

Before he leave, Hart saw his clone in glass tube in the laboratory. Creepy!

 

On the way to final battle, mutants and drones attack Hart. It seems the mastermind is getting shaky now. The boss is this mutant centipede that can shoot rings. Lucky, Hart isn't Sonic The Hedgehog. You kind of know how to defeat this boss, right? Shoot its head (the end that has pincer) until its lifebar depleted.

 

There's the mastermind lives. I'm surprised no other police check that place yet. Especially if that tower looks like the one in Magic Sword which is owned by some Demon Lord. Complete with stormy weather around it.

 

But before i go inside of it. I have to deal with securities outside of it in gallery shooter way. Did i mention you can shoot glasses in this mode because you can. If killing every henchmen isn't punishing the evildoer enough. Destroying the glasses too will!

 

The inside of the tower is guarded by mutants, ninjas, and...clown? I don't understand why party jesters are willing to fight me with only juggling ball. For extra bucks, perhaps? That's really not worthy, i tell you. Because i have reason to kill you and you can't sue me if i do that.

 

The perpetrator is a man with same face as Hart who is the guy at the first cinematic scene. This will be very shocking truth if not because of witness from that Hart's friend and Christy. This guy explain that this evil corporation is run by him and his clones. Hart is supposed to replace him soon. But he refuse this. He prefer to fight the bastard for justice of those who suffer because of this corporation including Christy, Hart's girlfriend. The mastermind is understandably upsets about Hart's response. Then they fight.

 

The evil businessman hops a lot like other bosses in this game. Heck. like bosses in many NES platformer game. He's sensitive to what you're doing. If you approach him, he will slash you first and you will be knocked back. If you stand at gun's range, he will shoots first. And if you crouch at gun's range, he will crouch and shoots you. My best strategy against him is: You stand at gun's range and immediately duck and unleash your own bullets.

 

Just like another final boss, the evil man has final form. He turns into this large monster that -you can guess- love to jump around.  Once he's on the ground, he will unleash energy waves on his sides in 3 height consecutively: high, mid, and low. Then he attacks beneath him. So i don't advise you to crouch between his legs. Moreover his weakness is his head just like Dracula in Castlevania. My tips is: stay away from him, and dodge his waves while jump and throw grenades at his head. But keep in mind that his shoulders can block your grenade. I hope you don't waste grenades on the final level or the first form of the final boss. Because you really need them here. You can use gun but it's much easier to lob the grenade at his head. It's kind of shame that previous bosses allow you to use the lighsaber but not in final boss. But you don't need the bullets and grenades beyond final boss. So my complaint here is kind of moot.

 

On his dying breath, the evil man reminds Hart that he can't escape the destiny of being the next head of the evil corporation and he has same blood with the bastard. Then Hart leaves. But there's last scene of Hart's clone in the tube as hook-up in the ending. Game over.

 

That's Sammy's Vice Project Doom (1991). I reckon it as another great NES platformer. It has quality in many aspect. The musics are good for NES chip. The graphic is simply classic beauty. The sprites are well made. The gameplay is interesting in its own way. The platfomer section has good control on jump and the rare feature of duck running. The shooting car section works very good and has arcade-y pace. The gallery shooter also good but it kind of serves to waste your ammo. It ain't Cabal, i know. The gun is kind of underpowered. Double its range will be nice. There's no password or save. But you have unlimited continue that makes you play at the first part of stage where you died. Probably to facilitate you to collect ammo in better way. The story is cheesy police story but quite good. Rumors said that Hart's case here is about narcotics drug. The maniac on first stage become monster because of drug. But due to America Nintendo's censorship, it only refer to as "the stuff" and not explained more detail. In my opinion, the censorship is kind of unnecessary . I mean, the game teach youngsters not to do drugs otherwise they will turn into monster. That's good for anti-drug campaign, right?

My summary: Vice Project Doom (1991) can have my AAA recommendation. 3 kind of gameplay that works well and all. Though you have to aware about the difficulty that sometime feels harsh.

By the way, i'm very sorry for being late in publishing article. My laptop's HD went wrong and there's my usual laziness when i'm on vacation including mobile gaming and also i got newly-bought Super Smash Bros Ultimate for my Nintendo Switch. Once again. I apologize on bottom of my soul.