Crack Down

The Good
At the beginning of the 21st century, Mr. K builds an army of androids that will take over the world, and two secret service agents called Ben and Andy are called in to destroy the enemy facilities using a special type of time bomb. Crack Down is a 1-2 player action game that uses a top-down perspective.

The game is faithful to the coin-op version. You control Ben (or Andy in two player mode) as you attempt to set the detonators on the areas marked on the map. You use the map to help you locate these areas. After you do that, you then get the hell out of there. The good thing about this game is shooting the androids that get in your way using machine guns, cannons, and super bombs. You can switch between these weapons at any time during the game. Unless the game is played with two players, the right side of the screen lists the enemies in the level, as well as the weapons they use. As well as enemies, you will be faced with conveyor belts and several dangers such as laser barriers and pools of acid.

Crack Down starts out with an introduction in which the two men places a bomb near a gate to blow it up, and cut-scenes during the game show Ben and Andy making their way to Mr. K's headquarters. These cut-scenes are viewed after every fourth level. The animation of the characters and enemies are good. Both Ben and Andy, as well as the enemies, look different so that you can tell them apart. The music in the game is catchy, and the sound effects are appropriate to the actions you take.

The Bad
Compared to other ports of the game, the characters are really small. As well as this, the graphics and in-game map don't look as detailed.

The Bottom Line
In Crack Down, the objective is to set bombs that are marked on the map, then get out before the facility explodes. There is a lot more features in the Genesis version than in other ports. This includes the addition of the introduction and cut-scenes, as well as a display telling you the enemies in the level, and the weapons that they are carrying. In my opinion, the Genesis version is a decent port as it comes as close to the coin-op version as possible.

The Good
This is a top down arcade game which is good fun for one or two players. Players have to maneuver their characters through a maze like environment, sneaking by enemies or try to blast their way through. There is a time limit for each level and you need to set bombs at specific spots. After all bombs are set, players must make their way to the exit before the time is up. The various enemies are quite amusing, and the environment offers some interesting challenges.

The Bad
The game is too short. The graphics are too small. The game is relatively easy to beat.

The Bottom Line
A short arcade adventure good enough to rent for a weekend.