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View Full Version : GOTD 5/15/2016: Firepower 2000 (SNES)



celerystalker
05-14-2016, 09:17 PM
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Firepower 2000 (also called SWIV in Europe) is one of several spiritual successors to the arcade/NES game, Silk Worm. You once again can play as either a jeep or helicopter, but this time in a vertically scrolling shooter as opposed to horizontally. Each vehicle once again has its own pros and cons, and can be played cooperatively in tandem through six levels of military shooting action... so, once more into the breach...

By default, player one controls the jeep and player two the helicopter, though there is a code to allow one player to control both. The jeep has more obstacles to circumvent, such as ground-based turrets and tanks, buildings, canyons, and foliage, and it retains the ability to jump. While this may sound restrictive, airborne enemies pass harmlessly overhead, leaving you to only dodge their bullets, and it can also fire in eight directions, and will continuously fire in one direction as long as the button is held down. During the water segment in the third stage, it also temporarily transforms into a slightly more slippery to control boat as well. The helicopter has absolutely free range of motion, but can only fire straight forward, and can be harmed by passing aircraft it touches.

Weapons and bombs can be found and upgraded by destroying certain enemies, but predominantly by destroying yellow munitions capsules often hidden at the left and right extremities of the 1 1/2 screen wide stages (tip, there's an awesome main weapon upgrade crate directly to the right at the very beginning of the first level if you're quick). Your weapons downgrade a level each time you die, but there are also shield bubbles hidden in flashing containers that can protect you for a few seconds or until they take a hit. These can also be shot to perform a screen-clearing bomb attack, which can be rather handy. There are no continues, and weapon upgrades are sparse and well-hidden, so staying alive is everything, but free lives are given out every 50,000 points as well.

Sunsoft may have published Firepower 2000 in the US, but its European roots shine through clearly in its take on futuristic vehicles in the title screen and opening, as well as in the sprite design. It has that Amiga look about it, which has often caused western retro games to get overlooked in favor of more arcade-flavored Japanese games, but that has only served to help keep the price down on a very good SNES shooter. It excels as a cooperative experience, and the difference in feel of the two vehicles make it a fun game to experience multiple times.

Played this one? Anyone play its European exclusive Mega Drive version?

Steve W
05-14-2016, 10:24 PM
I believe I played the Amiga version of SWIV, but just a cover disk demo of it. I don't really remember anything about it. I only recently found out that SWIV is a sort-of-sequel to Silkworm. I used to go to my local 7-11 and play Silkworm a lot back in the day, and would have gotten more into SWIV if I knew it was supposed to be a continuation of that game.

Emperor Megas
05-15-2016, 02:48 AM
This is the game that I ALWAYS fire up first when I revisit the SNES. I've gone on record a few times here singing the praises of Firepower2000. I just really love this game. The intro cinematic and music is HORRIBLE though. That's pretty much the only negative, IMO. I love the weapons system, the chunky, stylized mecha designs, the varies game play between the helicopter and the jeep, hell, I even love the muffled music that seems way too low (to me).

If you like shooters at all and have an SNES there's no reason to not own this title. I'm pretty sure it's still fairly cheap.

celerystalker
05-15-2016, 01:15 PM
Yep, I took a peek on ebay before writing this up, and it's still under $20 a lot of the time. I try to keep these mostly to stuff that's cheap and interesting stuff out of the mainstream, or in the case of Neo Geo shit, cheap relative to other games on the system. I was cussing myself so bad one day recently when I played through and wrote up Pocky & Rocky with Becky for GBA, thinking it would be a cheap alternative to the SNES games... then I checked ebay, said, "SHIT." and did a rushed play and write up of Rainbow Islands Revolution. I check first now. :)