GOTD 5/24/2016: Bravoman (Turbografx)
Bravoman on the Turbografx is a port of a 1988 Namco arcade game starring... um... Bravoman. Not entirely unlike the US cover art for Mega Man in character design, Bravoman fights his way through 22 levels of horizontally-scrolling action. He can run, jump (and double jump), crawl, and attack using his arms, legs, and head. The hook is that he can extend his extremities a la Stretch Armstrong or Mr. Fantastic. Using his acrobatic jumping and long reach, Bravoman must take down the evil Dr. Bomb and save the world... with a little help from his robot friends from planet Alfa.
Bravoman has a similar look and feel to other Namco side-scrollers of the era, with a measured pace and big character sprites. It has a lot in common with games like Samurai Ghost, even re-using some of its assets to create its world. Where it breaks away from the Samurai Ghosts, Splatterhouses, and Rolling Thunders is with its vertical, even maze-like stages at times, though the focus is never so much on tricky platforming as it is on precise attacking. There are also a smattering of horizontal underwater shooter stages in which Bravoman fires forward and drops bombs to clear the area. Levels are fairly brief, most taking about 90 seconds to clear.
Bravoman's friends will pop up from time to time, and they usually drop off power-ups. These include health restoratives, special attacks that can allow shooting projectiles or the ability to destroy multiple enemies in a single attack. Another of his pals tends to show up from time to time and give tips on upcoming boss fights.
Bravoman's graphics are okay, but suffer from more flicker than most Namco ports on the system. The control is spot on, and feels fantastic. If there's a major flaw, it's that the game just goes on a little long for its simple mechanics. The levels csn feel a little same-y after awhile, but the boss fights bring more variety. There are a couple of boss rushes and a big, mutli-form confrontation with the purple broccoli-headed Dr Bomb. It isn't overly difficult, though there are no continues without codes. Still, it's inexpensive compared to many other Turbo games, and carries that Namco arcade flavor with it.
Played this one?
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