Developed by Konami/Backbone Entertainment
Published by Konami
Released for XBLA (5/23/2007)
Also on Arcade/C64/CPC/MSX/NES/PC/ZX81
Rush'n Attack, also known as Green Beret, was originally developed by Konami and released to arcades in 1985 and is one of the earliest examples of a 2D side-scrolling run & gun action game. It may even be the first, but it's hard to make such an assumption when there's such a wide number of forgotten and unknown games out there. This XBLA port was handled by Backbone Entertainment, the same team that responsible for Konami's other classic titles that arrived on the service.
Rush'n Attack has you take control of a spec-ops solder who has been sent into enemy territory. Your mission is to infiltrate the hostile grounds, locate and rescue your fellow soldiers who are being held captive. Armed with only your combat knife, you'll have to stab or avoid oncoming enemies. A single hit from an enemy or a projectile spells instant death, at which point you'll be sent back to a checkpoint to try again until you run out of lives.
Certain types of soldiers will drop a weapon when killed, but you'll only have a few shots before you run out of ammunition so you'll need to save them for when it really counts. There are 3 different weapon pickups throughout the game: a flamethrower, RPG and grenades. There are 4 stages you'll have to make it through to see the end, at which point the game loops at a higher difficulty. While 4 stages might sound short, the difficulty level is so high that it's going to take many plays before you can see your way through to the end. As with all of Backbone Entertainment's XBLA releases, there is an option to enable enhanced graphics and sound. While these are nothing particularly amazing, it's a nice option to have for those who can't stand looking at old pixel graphics.
One of the toughest things about Rush'n Attack is adapting to hitting up to jump. Side-scrollers were still a new thing in 1985 and perhaps Konami thought 3-buttons would be too complicated of a control-layout for players. No matter the reason for its implementation, pressing up to jump is awkward and will no doubt be the cause of many deaths, but after some time with the game you will get used to it. To make matters worse, there are frequently multiple platforms with ladders that can be accessed and in order to climb these you press up. As you can probably imagine, having the jump and climb functions attached to the same direction can cause some issues in a tight situation when you wish to jump but accidentally climb. With Rush'n Attack, one of the biggest contributors to its difficulty is getting used to the controls.
Rush'n Attack can still be fun to play once you adapt to the controls, but you have to be up for a relentless challenge. Enemies continuously pour on the screen from both sides and you'll have to be ready to attack and dodge at a moments notice through the whole game. It's not a long game, but requires a high-level of patience and determination to make it through, making Rush'n Attack a very demanding game that many players will be content with just watching a long-play rather than actually play themselves. The emulation is solid and the online co-op is a nice touch, though unfortunately players have to take turns rather than playing simultaneously. It would have been great if Konami went the extra mile and included the NES/Famicom port, which added a 2P-simultaneous mode and new stages, but that didn't happen this time around.
Final Verdict: Rush'n Attack is a port of the 1985 arcade run & gun where you must infiltrate the enemy base to rescue the POWs, armed with only a combat knife. Those who enjoy a relentless challenge will find something to like here, though most will likely find it too difficult.
Purchase Links:
Buy Rush'n Attack - Xbox Marketplace
Search Konami Classics Vol. 2 - eBay
Related Links:
Konami Classics Vol. 2 - Xbox Overview
Konami - Official Site
Rush'n Attack - Metacritic
Rush'n Attack - GameFAQs
Rush'n Attack Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Rush'n Attack - True Achievements
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