Deathbots
System: NES
Release Date: 1990
Developer: Odyssey Software Inc.
Publisher: American Video Entertainment
Genre: Action
Some convoluted story about an AI taking over a corporate base and controlling the world’s deadliest weapon in Deathbots! The UN doesn’t believe the claims, but are given proof when Australia is obliterated with the Gamma Bomb. Guess what, there’s only one person who can infiltrate the base filled with the titular Deathbots to save the day. Once you enter the top secret battle suit, it’s you! Hopefully you can make it through all 8 floors to save the day.
We’ve got an overhead action shoot em up. Each room you enter has enemies, weapon pickups, and an exit. The goal is to reach the exit. As you pick up weapons from the floor, you enter the selection menu with the Select Button. Cycle through your inventory, and use them liberally, because you can hold 15 items. You have hand guns, laser pistols, laser rifles, blaster pistols, and blaster rifles as your main weapons. Your utility items are hand grenades, fusion grenades, the shield belt, and power packs. The power packs are integral to your success, as it recharges a quarter of your life bar.
Getting through each room is as simple as finding the exit teleporter. You can fight as many or as few enemies as you rush toward it. In the rooms, you may find closed doors. These will open if you find the right floor tile to step on, but sometimes this is easier said than done. Many enemies have a ton of health, so running past them is a better strategy than trying to kill them all. You also have to step on mines in some rooms, which is stupid, because they hurt. Some walls have a computer screen. Occasionally, they can be used to receive a free item, but other times your access is denied.
If your life bar fades, you use one of your recharges, which are your lives. If all of your recharges are used, one of your three continues are expended. When you continue, you lose your inventory and are given the default hand gun. Good luck if you’re fighting a boss, because they are deadly at close range, draining your health quickly. I made it to floor 6 before dying and deciding I didn’t want to play again.
Graphics: 1.5
There’s a lot of gray and monotone, but I can tell what things are supposed to be… when they aren’t flickering.
Sound: 1.0
The music doesn’t sound very good and the annoying shooting sound overpowers it.
Gameplay: 1.0
Walk around, shoot, pick up guns, hopefully kill enemies before they drain your health.
Difficulty: 1.0
Trying to find the square that opens doors gets annoying later on. The bosses kill you almost instantly if they touch you.
Fun Factor: 0.5
I didn’t really enjoy playing this at all.
Overall Grade: 1.0
Deathbots earns a D. This is a mostly crappy unlicensed title that will annoy and frustrate you.