BioMetal (video game)

Last updated
BioMetal
BioMetal Coverart.png
North American cover art
Developer(s) Athena
Publisher(s)
Composer(s) Yoshio Nagashima
Ali Lexa
John Rodriguez
Platform(s) Super NES
Release
  • EU: 1993
  • JP: March 19, 1993
  • NA: November 1993
Genre(s) Scrolling shooter
Mode(s) Single-player

BioMetal is a single-player horizontal scrolling shooter game released on June 1, 1993 for the Super NES (SNES). [1]

Contents

The game features six different weapons to combat the BioMetals, an extraterrestrial race determined to destroy the human race. The gameplay is very similar to that of the R-Type series, with the final boss even greatly resembling and behaving similarly to that series' iconic boss enemy Dobkeratops.

The European and North American versions of BioMetal feature a soundtrack entirely created of four remixed songs of techno group, 2 Unlimited from their 1991 album, Get Ready! . The Japanese version of the game features an entirely different soundtrack.

A sequel called BioMetal Gust was released for the Sega Saturn in 1997, included with the Dezaemon 2 pack. [2]

Plot

Even in the first level of the game, the enemies come after the player in a fast and furious manner. BioMetalTooFastTooFurious.png
Even in the first level of the game, the enemies come after the player in a fast and furious manner.

It is the year GC 232 (Galaxy Century Year 232). A huge war that had begun years and years before has divided the Milky Way and all of its natural resources have been exhausted. The Milky Way Galactic Council is forced to send a fleet of starships to a nearby planet by the name of UP457 in search of any resources that can replenish the ones lost during the battle. During this mission, the fleet is destroyed by a race of half-machine, half-animal aliens referred to as "BIOMETAL" by the Galactic Council.

One of the Council's supercomputers then calculates that the number of these "BIOMETALS" is increasing rapidly and will have the Milky Way completely taken over within 32 hours. Thr Halbard's crew, young pilot Kid Ray and biologist Anita (a reference to the names of the two lead singers of 2 Unlimited, who provided the music for the North American/European version of the game), along with their fleet, WASP, are assigned to eliminate the hostile threat on UP457.

Gameplay

Weapon power-ups are gained by destroying pods and picking up the released power-ups, which cycle through the various weapon types as in Raiden . Some weapons cancel each other out. The player also has a shield in the form of four spinning orbs that circle around the ship when engaged. Charge power is drained when the shield is active. The shield can be used as protection against enemy fire.

Reception

Famitsu gave it a 23/40. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Zombies Ate My Neighbors</i> 1993 video game

Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a run and gun video game developed by LucasArts and published by Konami for the Super NES and Sega Genesis consoles in 1993.

<i>Earthworm Jim 2</i> 1995 video game

Earthworm Jim 2 is a 1995 run and gun platform video game and the sequel to Earthworm Jim, and the second and final game in the Earthworm Jim series developed by original creators Doug TenNapel, David Perry and Shiny Entertainment. It was released in late 1995 and early 1996 depending on region and video game console, initially being released for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, before being ported to other platforms.

<i>Revolution X</i> 1994 video game

Revolution X is a shooting gallery video game developed by Midway and released in arcades in 1994. The gameplay is similar to Midway's earlier Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but is themed around the band Aerosmith. The oppressive New Order Nation regime and their leader Helga have abducted Aerosmith, and players use a mounted gun to control onscreen crosshairs and shoot enemies. The members of Aerosmith are hidden throughout the game's international locales and must be found in order to receive the game's true ending.

<i>Sunset Riders</i> 1991 video game

Sunset Riders is a side-scrolling run and gun video game developed and released by Konami as an arcade video game in 1991. It is set in the American Old West, where the player(s) take control of bounty hunters who are seeking the rewards offered for various criminals.

<i>Axelay</i> 1992 video game

Axelay is a 1992 scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Set in the fictional solar system Illis where an alien empire known as "Armada of Annihilation" invades its planets including the Earth-like Corliss (Mother), players take control of the titular D117B space fighter craft as a last resort to stop the alien invasion by recovering its lost weaponry. The gameplay mainly consist of both vertical-scrolling and horizonal-scrolling stages in the same vein as Konami's own Life Force, with players choosing three different weapon-types that increase in number as they progress through the game.

<i>Mega Man X3</i> 1995 video game

Mega Man X3, known as Rockman X3 (ロックマンX3) in Japan, is a 1995 action-platform game released by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The game was originally released in Japan on December 1, 1995, and later in North American and PAL regions in 1996. It is the third game in the Mega Man X series and the last to appear on the SNES. Mega Man X3 takes place in a fictional future in which the world is populated by humans and intelligent robots called "Reploids". Like their human creators, some Reploids involve themselves in destructive crime and are labelled as "Mavericks". After twice defeating the Maverick leader Sigma, the heroes X and Zero must battle a Reploid scientist named Dr. Doppler and his utopia of Maverick followers.

<i>Jungle Strike</i> 1993 video game

Jungle Strike is a video game developed and published by Electronic Arts in 1993 for the Sega Genesis. The game was later released on several other consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), and an upgraded version was made for DOS computers. The Amiga conversion was the responsibility of Ocean Software while the SNES and PC DOS versions were that of Gremlin Interactive, and the portable console versions were of Black Pearl Software. It is the direct sequel to Desert Strike and is the second installment in the Strike series. The game is a helicopter-based shoot 'em up, mixing action and strategy. The plot concerns two villains intent on destroying Washington, D.C. The player must use the helicopter and occasionally other vehicles to thwart their plans.

Gradius is a series of shooter video games, introduced in 1985, developed and published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper.

<i>RayForce</i> 1993 video game

RayForce is a vertically scrolling shooter by Taito for the Taito F3 arcade hardware and released in 1994. It was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1995, Microsoft Windows in 1997, then rereleased for iOS in 2012 and Android in 2017.

<i>Dangerous Seed</i> 1989 video game

Dangerous Seed is a 1989 vertically scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. Controlling one of three different starships, the player is tasked with destroying an alien race known as the Danger Seed before they wipe out all of mankind. Each ship has their own set of weapons and abilities, such as shots that dissolve enemies and target-seeking projectiles, and can sustain multiple hits before being destroyed. The player's ships can also combine into a new ship, the Moon Diver, featuring a stronger shield and additional weapons. It ran on the Namco System 1 hardware.

<i>Parodius</i> (1990 video game) 1990 video game

Parodius! From Myth to Laughter, released in Japan as Parodius Da! Shinwa kara Owarai e and outside Japan as Parodius, is a shoot 'em up arcade video game and the second title in the Parodius series produced by Konami. The European SNES, Sega Saturn and PlayStation versions are also known as Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy. The gameplay is stylistically very similar to the Gradius series, but the graphics and music are intentionally absurd.

<i>Steam-Hearts</i> 1994 shoot em up and eroge video game developed by Giga and published by TGL

Steam-Heart's is a 1994 vertically scrolling shooter and eroge developed by Giga and published by TGL. The story follows two siblings as they fight off a virus that is possessing the people in their world. The game features shooter gameplay paired with ample erotic cutscenes with scantily clad women. Steam-Heart's was initially released on PC-98 personal computers on March 15, 1994; a version for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² System was released in 1996 followed by another for the Sega Saturn in 1998, all of which were for the Japanese market. Critics generally found the gameplay to be average, with the erotic content being the sole distinguishing feature.

<i>Strikers 1945</i> 1995 video game

Strikers 1945 (ストライカーズ1945), also known as Striker 1945, is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game developed and published by Psikyo in 1995. In Japan, it was ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn by Atlus in 1996; later was also released as part of Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 1: Strikers 1945 I & II by Taito for the PlayStation 2. The game was followed by Strikers 1945 II in 1997, and Strikers 1945 III in 1999, as well as the second title remake called Strikers 1945 Plus.

<i>Thunder Force III</i> 1990 video game

Thunder Force III (サンダーフォースIII) is a 1990 scrolling shooter game developed by Technosoft for the Sega Genesis. It is the third chapter in the Thunder Force series. It was then retooled into an arcade game named Thunder Force AC. In 1991, Thunder Force AC was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System under the title Thunder Spirits.

<i>In the Hunt</i> 1993 video game

In the Hunt is a 1993 scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Irem. It is the third installment of D.A.S. Tetralogy. Versions for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Microsoft Windows were also released. The player assumes control of the Granvia, a submarine tasked with overthrowing the Dark Anarchy Society before they activate their doomsday device. Gameplay involves shooting enemies, collecting power-up items, and avoiding collision with projectiles. It runs on the Irem M-92 hardware.

<i>BlaZeon</i> 1992 video game

BlaZeon is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released by Atlus in 1992 and was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the same year. The game's most distinguishable feature is that players come equipped with a device that allows them to freeze and control certain robots.

<i>Darius Twin</i> 1991 video game

Darius Twin is a 1991 horizontal-scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Taito for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is part of the Darius series. It was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2010 for Japan on April 13 and for North America on December 13.

<i>MUSHA</i> 1990 video game

MUSHA is a vertically scrolling shooter developed by Compile and released for the Sega Genesis in 1990. An entry in Compile's shooter series, Aleste, MUSHA places the player in the role of a flying mecha pilot who must destroy a large super intelligent computer threatening planet Earth. The game had a working title of Aleste 2 and originally featured a style similar to the first game, but this was changed to a more original Japanese aesthetic and speed metal soundtrack.

<i>Space Invaders DX</i> 1993 fixed shooter arcade game

Space Invaders DX is a 1993 fixed shooter arcade game developed and published in Japan by Taito. It has been re-released for several consoles since, including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PC Engine Super CD, and Sega Saturn — several of these conversions use the name Space Invaders: The Original Game. The player assumes control of a laser base that must fend off waves of incoming enemies, who march down in formation towards the bottom of the screen. It is the fifth entry in the long-running Space Invaders series. DX contains four variations of the original Space Invaders, in addition to a multiplayer mode and a "Parody Mode" that replaces the characters with those from other Taito franchises. Home ports of DX received mixed reviews for their high price point and general lack of content.

<i>Contra III: The Alien Wars</i> 1992 video game

Contra III: The Alien Wars is a 1992 run and gun video game developed and published by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is the third home console entry in the Contra series after Contra (1988) and Super C (1990) for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). In PAL regions, it was retitled Super Probotector: Alien Rebels and the player characters were replaced with robots. The player is tasked with fighting off an alien invasion of Earth across six stages. Four stages feature side-scrolling action traditional to the series while two are presented from an overhead perspective. It is the first Contra title to have been directed by Nobuya Nakazato who later directed other games in the series. He designed Contra III to feature more comical elements, a more cinematic soundtrack, and tighter stage design than its predecessors.

References

  1. "Biometal - (Super Nintendo, SNES) Reproduction Cartridge with Game Case and Manual: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Video Games - Amazon.ca". www.amazon.ca. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  2. "1 Games Like BioMetal for SEGA Saturn". GamesLikee. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  3. "Super Famicom: Bio Metal". Joypad. May 1993. pp. 70–71.
  4. "バイオメタル [スーパーファミコン] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Retrieved 2019-05-24.