Retro Review: Under Defeat – SEGA Dreamcast (Attack Helicopter Week Special)
So, it’s Attack Helicopter Week here at The Splintering, huh? Plenty of great choppers to choose from! I mean, the Strike Series, Tiger Heli, Thunder Blade, Twin Cobra, ummm… Under Defeat! Never heard of that one, huh? Yeah, I can see that. Still, for the curious (and the few who already know), it is definitely an “Attack Helicopter” game that shooter fans would take note in remembering!
While not the very last game to be released for my favorite little white box that should have, Under Defeat was one of the final games released for the Sega Dreamcast in Japan. It is a vertical arcade shooter in which the gameplay is pretty straight forward. Not many flashy power-ups, but you do have the standard bombs, a few mini helicopter assist options, and the ability to “tilt” your own helicopter in order to aim your weapon in various directions while combating the evil… wait… the English are the bad guys here and you play as the Germans? Hmmm… Pretty interesting twist… and I do like the voices you hear… like a lot! It’s weird how much I liked the voices despite not having a clue as to what they were saying! The voices though… they speak to me!
ANYWAY…
Look at that sweet Attack Helicopter hidden in the title screen!
Under Defeat was originally an arcade game, and the quarter-munching gameplay certainly rears its head here! The die-hard shooter fans probably won’t find this the most difficult of all games, but for beginners and general fans of the genre, you will probably find the “bomb, bomb, bomb, die, bomb, bomb, bomb, die…” pattern a bit familiar from other games in the genre. Still, Under Defeat is fun to play, and the soundtrack is nice on the ears, but you are limited in the number of continues you have… until you unlock more by playing the game longer! So depending on how you view that… wait… did anybody hear those voices? Oh! I have the soundtrack playing while writing this, so I guess they used a sample… or did they? Hmmm…
Yeah, so if you are interested in this type of game, then you will likely find some fun to be had! I enjoy the heck out of shooters like this, so it was a no-brainer import for me, not just because I love these games, or because it was literally like the first Dreamcast game to come out in… like… YEARS!!! Dang, those last couple of years that the Dreamcast held on…. Well, anyone who has gone through grasping onto a console will know how it is. You TREASURE the new releases! *sigh* And Under Defeat came with the soundtrack and some sweet stickers! I mean, how could I go wrong? Pssst! Go check the EBAY prices! Did anybody hear those voices? That sounded more like English to me, though. I’m gonna go check EBAY really quick… Hold on…
*insert elevator music*
Hey! You sank my Battleship!
Well, it seems SOMEBODY wants this game a LOT! DANG! OK, so the visuals in this are amazing, and it is a lot of fun… and it is for the best console of all time… but still… unless you just have the money burning a hole in your pocket, then look to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 stores for newly HD updated versions at a MUCH more reasonable price, instead… and then you can give me that extra money you saved and it’s like a win, win, WIN! See? That makes you a SUPER winner!
So back to what else you should know about Under Defeat the bosses are AWESOME! I mean, who doesn’t love those levels where it’s you versus a giant boat that has turrets all over and stretches across multiple screens? Or how about the guy that uses a light to blind you like I used to do with those mega-candle lights while driving down the highway… wait… I mean NOT me! I mean, it was only against bad guys! No… ummm… wait… were they speaking German?
That smoke looks a lot better in action!
Under Defeat not a long game either. Classic arcade style shooter, so that whole “keep playing to unlock more continues” isn’t just a forced way to get you to practice, but it is there to extend the life of the game, otherwise the whole game can be beaten in one small sitting… and you know how those kids will never play it again once they beat it. So even if you are terrible, you can at least unlock unlimited continues after a few hours of playing the game. However, this game does not continue you right where you left off, so you will still have to master the section you are on in order to make any forward progress. And for you shooter newbies out there… “bomb, bomb, bomb, die, bomb, bomb, bomb, die…”
You’re welcome!
What do you mean you didn’t say, “Thank you”?
Ungrateful little… OH WAIT!!!
Something else the Dreamcast game came with! WALLPAPERS ON THE GAME DISC!!! WOO-HOO!!! Yes, I will share, because I care… and I like to fit in a rhyme when I can!
Wait… what kind of screen resolutions are THOSE? Oh yeah… 2006! Still, it’s a cool little bonus feature on the game disc itself!
And for those who made it through the whole game, there is a second “remix” mode that you can use to pull the rest of your hair out!
You’re… welcome?
*walks away slowly*
😉
Choose your wallpaper resolution below!!
The Splintering’s Teespring store now has stickers and swag celebrating Attack Helicopter Week! If you like what we do & want to help keep our site 100% free of paid ads, go here!
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