There Is No Justice Like Cyborg Justice

The coolest thing about Cyborg Justice is the name. I mean, it just sounds like it would be the name to something awesome, like the title to a cheesier version of Ghost in the Shell. Sadly, it is just a weird beat 'em up for Genesis that doesn't execute well on its interesting ideas. Still, it is probably one of the better games from Ecco the Dolphin  creators Novotrade International, later known as Appaloosa Interactive. One weird thing that caught my attention is the title on the box. It's very similar to Streets of Rage, which also has the first part in a wild red font and the second part in a more reserved font, in white, contained in a blue box. What does it mean? Nothing.

 

 

The game starts off with a cutscene, which is mostly just text, that explains that some dude crashes his spaceship into a cyborg planet, and though the guy doesn't live through the crash, the cyborgs put his mind in a cyborg body, and then he rebels and starts killing them. If you've found something illogical in this story, then congratulations, you can read. It hardly matters, the important thing is that you get play as a cyborg and kill cyborgs. The major gimmick of this game is that it gives you the choice between different body parts, so you can choose your body, arms, and legs. It's sort of like an early Armored Core in that way. It even lets you choose tank legs.

You choice of arms determines your special attacks, so instead of just punching stuff, you can shoot lasers, too. I think the legs determine your mobility and the looks of your kick attacks. As far as I can tell, the choice of body is completely cosmetic, but the game let's you choose a “lobster body,” so I'll let it slide. I was going to make a crack about how I don't think Kunio Okawara would look to lobsters for inspiration, but then I realized the Gogg actually looks quite similar to the lobster body. Anyway, the choice of parts didn't really change the way I played the game, as I still just jumped around and punched.

Maybe I just don't know the depth of the game, but it just seems too simple to me. Playing the game is just boring, and the fact that all the enemies are made from the same parts doesn't help detract from the sameness of it all. Another problem is the backgrounds, which are barren and repetitive. Cyborg Justice is a disappointment, not only because it's not a very fun game, but because it doesn't even come close to being as awesome as its name.

This would be better if they licensed "The Final Countdown".