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Man, looks like I missed the boat. It says this is an Interplanet War 2012! Can I even
play this game anymore? Can you? Well, the answer is, yes. And I hope you do, because
Last Duel takes Capcom’s long lineage of vertical-scrolling shooters and makes a number
of welcome innovations. And also, it hates you. But that’s what arcade games do. Unfortunately,
Last Duel happens to be interesting enough to keep one glued to the machine, which may
get kinda expensive. There’s a knee-jerk reaction to call any game - especially a Capcom
game of this particular era - a “1942 knock-off” (see also: Varth), but 1942 never had WHEELS.
So this interplanet war centers on the abduction of the planet Mu’s queen, can we get a picture?
Thank you. Back to the explosions. The gameplay is a vertical scrolling shooter through and
through, though two distinct modes are employed: both your standard spacefaring experience
and a vehicular, gravity-affected mode that frequently takes you over rather shaky terrain.
The basics of the combat are the same in both situations, with your usual spate of missiles,
options, and power-ups, though your tactical maneuvering differs between the two styles.
While on land, you can jump your craft - much like looping in 1942 - though this also serves
to get over gaps and other detritus in your way. In the air, though, you can... really.
You don’t need an anthropomorphic rabbit or anything, just... oh, fine. DO A BARREL
ROLL. Because you gain invincibility, and you are CERTAINLY going to need it because
the bullets come fast and heavy. In a move likely designed to confuse and frustrate people
visiting this game after years of familiarity with StarFox, chronological paradox notwithstanding,
you actually have to hold the button down to make the duration last past a couple frames...
or you just lay on the button and spin so fast you turn into a big flaming arrowhead-looking
mabob of death.
Despite having such powers at your disposal, there’s no cease to the madness that’s
thrown at you. With the way the screen pans left and right along certain tracks of terrain,
you might find yourself getting annihilated by hazards you really couldn’t see coming...
and even if you did, you couldn’t avoid. Barring the stockpiling of a number of speed-boosting
power-ups, you’re going to have extreme difficulty avoiding oncoming ordnance with
your snail-like pace. And then you take one stray bullet and lose everything. I mean,
seriously, this is NUTS. Especially once your weapons are dropped down to their lowest levels.
Power-ups, while useful, are doled out with an eyedropper. Despite this, by brute-forcing
your way through continue after continue, you can blast through the whole thing in less
than half an hour. But it’s one hell of a half hour, and a nice little mix-up in the
whole SHMUP idea. ‘Cuz when in doubt, TRANSFORMERS.