Nanotek Warrior(Developed by Tetragon)


Genre (3D shooter)
1 player
No save options
Difficulty (Hard)
Kids to Adults


   Want to experience fast 360 degrees of rapid fire devastation? How
about taking a classic shooter like Tempest X and turn it into a 3D
shooter? You think is possible? Tetragon thinks so, and their recent 
release; Nanotek Warrior is evidence of new creations in 3D gaming.
Ever since I heard of this game coming for the PSX I been dying to play
it. Is not everyday you see games like this in home consoles, and 
supposedly, Nanotek Warrior stands on its own genre & style and fills
up some of the void. If you haven't bought the game yet, Nanotek’s
basic premise is skimming along inside/outside3D cylinder tubes "On 
rails" which rotates as you sprint, barrel roll or strafe in a
diversify 3D world. In some ways, Nanotek is a major departure from the
old, ‘tried&true’ formula of shooters from the past. Obviously,
shooters of this genre for the game consoles of the past have not been
fully device ‘cause technology has not yet encompass the barriers for
artists to truly express and develop their ideas into the gaming world.
The real 3D console revolution began with the advent of the PSX. Its
rise to world popularity and dominance in the share market have
probably taken Sony themselves by surprise. In addition, the PSX has
yet to lose a step in the ever expending 32-bit market, and each month
Sony seems to be getting stronger, and capable of delivering and
maintaining their reputation with strong products such as Nanotek
Warrior shelling out the store shelves. Anyhow, this is why I bought
the PSX, to play new generation games promising quality in an overall
package: music, graphics, and gameplay.


First, lets delve into the front end shall we. I found the manual
lacking important information, mainly concerning weapon power-ups.
Nowhere in the manual does it refer which icons represent ‘what’? So, 
you’ll have to depend in memorization when you play the game. This is a
minor complaint, but this was complete negligence to not include this
vital information. Is essential knowing what upgrades you have for 
your craft as the game demands much more than your regular weapon. This
is a no-no!


The start up screen is not extravagant! When I booted this game, the
start up screen grounded itself to the foreground with three simple
words: Play game, password, and options. The menu’s lack luster, 
bland...nothing fancy here, but somehow it doesn’t match the quality of
the game’s graphic engine. After booting the game, and it took me
several minutes, I realized I did not notice any FMV, and Intro. What? 
Yes, that’s right, no FMV anywhere to be seen, even in-between levels.
How’s that for originality! 


Options include: 


DIFFICULTY: Toggle from easy, normal, and hard difficult settings.
Note: in the ‘Easy’ setting, you’re 
not allowed any passwords in-between levels. 
CONTROLS: Choose among fourteen configurations.
SOUND FX: Adjust volume settings.
Music Volume: Adjust Volume.
HIGH SCORES: Shows high scores.


GRAPHICS TO DIE FOR!


Graphically, this game looks gorgeous. What’s more impressive is the
cleanness of this polygon shooter. The lightning and advance animation
is sharp, crisp, and render smoothly into the foreground. The 
dozens of enemies are well animated and fine-detailed, including
obstacles of all forms and shapes. The enemies vary in size, and many
are well rendered with engrossing neon-like colours. What I appreciate 
the most is the way certain enemies bend their bodies as they sprint
over the tube with extinguished velocity. And of course, movement
varies from one enemy to the next. (More on this later) The rotating 
tubes themselves are not overly congested with heavy use of material,
so everything is light to the eye, and keeps a withstanding clean look
that is both pleasing and easy for the eye to the follow the track. The
explosions are not overly done, and due to this racing style/shooting
mix, the course is unchoked. The smoking explosions are rather light to
keep visibility from confusion in keeping track of what lays in front 
of you. The nondescript backdrops outside the rotating tube have
nothing but void meshed with colour, sprinkled with a number of stars,
for example, flashy greens, purple, black, etc. This simple decorum was
probably due to sacrifices when limited with 2 megs of Ram than lack of
imagination. There’s already a welding amount of graphics twirling
about, including the tunnel itself, hence the magnanimous of vehicles
and objects littering the track compensate the precautions the
programmers took in the background effects. Otherwise, everything else
looks fruitful and at times, congested. What surprise me the most, was
the fact I have yet to witness slow-down, fog, or pop-ups. Nada! Squat!
Not one hint of pop-up in this 3D engine. This is great programming.
Everything is well done, meticulous in detail, and offering fast steady
frame-rate. It doesn’t get any better than this! The bonus level is
proof of this, with defying speed, and stern twisty tunnel changes in
environment.


Like Disruptor, the weapon effects are stunning. I love the way certain
weapons lunge forth into the air and spread out within the vicinity and
fall onto the surface, destroying both objects and enemies. The weapons
induce an array of fireworks that is eloquent and imaginative, hurling
into the background with excellent trailing effects. Plus, the weapons
have excellent neon colours, in the likes of Disruptor. Very expressive
and fun to watch their destructive fire power at work. Oh, and the
highly maneuverable craft (Nanotek) you control is sharp and hip
looking. I love its unique design.


NANOTEK GAMEPLAY IN THE HEART!


Well, personally after just recently playing Lomax, I thought
susceptible until I played something fresh and original. Than I receive
Nanotek over the mail! I was not sure exactly what to prepare myself
for. I personally never played a 3D shooter ‘on rails’ before of this
nature, so I wasn’t positive as to what would transpire before my eyes
-- it is impossible to conceive what I was about to face. One of the
main aspects I enjoyed in ‘Disruptor so much was the
defensive/offensive gameplay scheme. Ammo was limited and you 
had two uses of weaponry to trade with strategy against the opposition.
If for example you depended on one but ignored the use of the other, in
some levels you surely would fail. In many ways, Nanotek plays 
with this same scheme, with additional inducements to introduce depth
to an otherwise exhausted shooting formula. Never shall I ever forget
the sensation and deep impression Gunstar Heroes left on me when I
played this console game for my Genesis. It is still to this day, IMO,
the best 2D console shooter I ever encountered, and even nowadays, can
put most 32-bit shooters to shame. However, this gap is closing with
the introduction of Nanotek Warrior. Although Nanotek is 3D, in many
ways reflect Gunstar Heroes with its own imaginative combination of
racing/shooting scheme, explosive and fast action-pack gameplay, and
addictive high-adrenaline shooting.


The premise of most shooters is simple, shoot and survive. But Nanotek
Warrior tackles this exhausted theme with a combination of 3D
‘OnRails’, racing, and limited ammo to instill originality with 
proportionate use of strategy. Strategy in a shooter? Let me explain
several main factors:


1) You never lose your regular main weapon (Square button) after
obtaining power-ups! If you try tackling Nanotek Warrior with this sole
weapon, good luck, you won’t get too far. In the hard setting, you
won’t get far, so forget it. Your special weapons(O button) are limited
and can only be recharge by acquiring the same power-up. Like
Disruptor, this alone brings depth to the game, and as you play the
levels, you will learn when to use it, and when to be stingy.


2) Two distinctive shooting modes! As they are two distinctive use of
weaponry, so is the approach behind the chase craft perspective. With
the (X button), you can actually jump, and reach a higher plane for 
enemies who don’t use the ground surface. Some enemies hovering above
the surface can only be hit while jumping and shooting. Or if you have
the right special weapon, you can choose to ignore jumping, although I
don’t recommend this attack in the expense of laziness. This two way of
shooting keeps the game balance, and adds depth, therefore avoiding the
all stale shooting mediocrity syndrome. Also, by tapping on the strafe
buttons(L1&R1), you can shoot diagonally in order to avoid their head
on fire. 


3) Certain medium enemies will require the use of your special strafe
barrel roll by tapping *twice* the (L1, R1 shoulder buttons)! For
example, these enemies don’t confront you head on. Instead they roll
and attack you sideways by rolling along the tube left/right. By
strafing, you can attack successfully and avoid their oncoming
fire...These enemies clobbered me when I tried the traditional head on
method, and I had to learn the hard way. Again, if you don’t use this
method, your preservation of ship stock will run out rather quickly.
And with no continues, you better be politically correct playing this
shooter.


4) Tapping *fast/dive* or *slow/climb*(Up or Down D: Pad) will allow
you to play good defense and time jumps over opening/closing trap doors
and moving objects! This is another factor adding depth to the 
game with moments during which you’re required to use precision driving
to avoid both sitting, and moving objects. In other words, Nanotek
Warrior is not a 100% percent shooter; is a combination of
driving/shooting. This style I thought was well executed and balance.
And it should be noted, with the exception of shooting, Nanotek demands
skill and occasionally some thinking as to how to approach newer and
unforeseen levels. As you play the game, you will constantly find
yourself avoiding objects littered in the track. In fact, certain
moments will only oblige driving skills without enemies attacking 
you. And the worst, avoiding trap doors with the enemy confronting you.
I found a series of elements constantly challenging you in different
aspects of the overall scheme gameplay. For example, when you 
lack the special weapon and find yourself confronting a large force
ahead, the best way is threading the needle and tapping on the
fast-forward D:Pad button. In this manner, you’ll avoid less hits and
reserve your shield energy. Although you’re not challenging the enemy,
you’re playing a defense of *smarts* than rather brute force, cross
your fingers and hope for good luck. This gives you the chance to clear
the next check point in the tunnel without losing much needed crafts,
which always seem to be lacking. Slowing down the speed of the craft
will allow you to survey the environment up ahead with dozens of
obstacles which often require precision timing, mix with occasional
blasting of well placed gun turrets in strategic areas. By slowing
down, you can also soften the large forces attacking you, and the more
you shoot, the less danger you’ll encounter when fighting them up
close.


BITS & PIECES IN THE VORTEX

In all, these series of elements make Nanotek Warrior stand on its own
with solid gameplay. The strategy involved is much more deeper than I
expected, and certainly surprised me. EXTRAS: I also like the use of 
ramps to allow you to pick up shields, power-ups, and extra lives
hovering in the air. And how about the way how certain enemies will aim
their fire as you streak by. Very nice! Certain enemies, if you’re 
slowing down the speed amidst the cylinder tunnel, can actually hop and
attack you from behind. So adjusting the speed of your craft against
the environment and enemies is crucial, and should never be 
underestimated. These number of performances makes for a great
combination to make Nanotek Warrior play distinctive from other
shooters you played before. Oh BTW, if played in the ‘Normal’ Mode, the
learning curve in Nanotek Warrior is perfect for the average shooter.
The game is what you can refer to as a ‘gamers game.’ The more you play
the game, the better you’ll adopt to its influence and mechanics. The 
challenge is well balanced and won’t frustrate you. Another factor I
like in the game is the *Speed Zones*. When you pass these starting
check points, the craft will speed up, very much the same way like 
Wipeout XL. Here you’ll need quick reflexes to avoid all sorts of
objects in sweltering motion. In the latter levels, these *Speed Zones*
will become more complicated, including ramps to pick up shields and 
power-ups. The maneuvering here is very spiral, and wild. Very cool!
Another accounting ‘defensive’ strategy is the ability to momentarily
hang in the air while holding the jump button. In the latter levels, 
some enemies cannot be destroyed, and therefore your special weapons
can only move them aside and clear the way. But by jumping and hanging
in the air as long as you can, you have a better chance reserving your
shield, and right before you land, try looking for a safe spot to land
in order to jump again. These guys will summit their fire only on
‘ground’ level....Upon the seventh level, right at the onset, I 
encountered these round objects (mirrors) which reflected my fire
directly back at me. Very cool! I only wished these mirrors had been
implemented in all the levels.


VERY IMPORTANT: In the *Easy* difficult setting, you can’t complete the
game. You can only reach up to level 4. Also, in the *Easy* setting,
after completing a level, you won’t be granted a password. Only in 
the *Normal and Hard setting are you granted a ‘Password’. This can
conflict in two ways. Either gamers will praise this feature in order
to be force to play the real game for what it stands, or mediocre game 
players will feel cheated when learning game cannot be completed. I can
understand younger gamers getting upset and cursing the guy who thought
this up. The execution is somewhat flawed in my opinion, because in
this process you’re eliminating a certain game group from enjoying the
game. Motortoon GP is fine example of a single game appealing to game
players of all rankings with, easy, normal, hard, professional, and
expert settings. Are today's games ignoring the youth?


TWO PLAY MODES!


Tube-Runner Mode: Nanotek Warrior has two Modes of gameplay.
Tube-Runner Mode is your basic gameplay set up along the outside or
interior of a cylinder atomic tube, very long tubes! Viewing your 
craft on the bottom of the screen, from a chase plane perspective, you
can guide your craft Left or right to rotate around the tube in
gyrotary motion. In addition, although not too frequently(Only happened
once!), you have the choice to use the ‘ramp’ and jump onto the next
tunnel, and over to the exterior plane. Or you can avoid the ramp
altogether and fly amidst the inward plane of the tunnel. (Nit-picking:
I wished there was more of this. It certainly adds to the replay
value.)


BOSS ORBIT MODE


In this Mode you’ll orbit around the Mega Boss in the center of the
screen. Here you can move left/right, and up/down. Destroying enemies
and structures in the Boss/Orbit Mode will give you access to weapon 
and shield power ups which can help defeat the Boss. In this Mode,
you’ll discover several weapons only available in the Boss areas.
Personally, I didn’t found this Mode all too frustrating. The
difficulty is just right in the normal setting, and in just 6-8 tries,
I was able to complete the first 5 levels. The Boss Graphics are
excellent, and some bosses will frequently change shape as you blast
them unconditionally. The boss themselves don’t overwhelm you by
shooting an array of shots at you. Instead, they’ll take potshots.
Although their few in numbers, if you’re not careful, they usually will
hit the mark, and generally shoot in your direction. I noticed one Boss
will lunge self vessel parts in your direction. My only *Gripe* about
these stages is the lack of strategy verses ‘Tube-runner Mode’. I
simply rotated in one direction and blast away -- got hit, simply turn
direction. It was very simple ‘One-strategy-defeat-all-Bosses’. I
wished these stages were more in the same fashion like "Burning Force’
(Namco, Genesis 16-bit). Here the Bosses were placed in the backdrop,
while your craft hovered in the foreground. Some bosses actually moved
into the foreground and behind you. This opened up a lot of strategy
and different scenarios to engage each distinct boss, thus eliminating
repetition. This would have really made Nanotek Warrior one *mother* of
a shooter.


Upon completing the Boss stage, a stat screen will show the following:

Enemies Destroyed
Hit Bonus (shot efficiency bonus)
Shield Bonus(shields remaining bonus)
Total Score
Ranking(1-5 stars) If you receive the max. stars. You’ll be rewarded
with a weapon power-up at the beginning of your next level. 


CONTROL


To be straight forward, the only weakness I found in Nanotek Warrior is
in the imprecision of the left/right directional movement. The control
is not tight enough to weave through tight areas littered with 
objects, which is often necessary to drive through. The end
result...unavoidable contacts. The craft’s movement is not subtle, or
shall we say smooth. It simply darts in paces, and this is not good for
a game demanding precision and skill. Still, with some practice, you
can manage. The controls are not bad, I only wished they were tighter.
The rest is well handled and responsive. By tapping on the (L2, R2
shoulder buttons) you can bank your craft to thread through narrow
passage ways. This certainly helps if you want to avoid contacts with
objects. Also, the important double strafe is very responsive and won’t
fail you in critical situations.


MUSIC/FX

The music here is a perfect match for this kinda of gaming: fast
Techno! The music has a strength that will grab your attention with
solid synth bass lines. The timing on most track are basically the
same, with the same kick and beat in line with the grove. Also similar
synth sounds and programs seemed to be used here without developing
them quite fully. This lacks variety when compared to Wipeout’s XL 
soundtracks, but the whole musical texture mesh with the game very
well. 12 danceable, snappy tracks, one track theme for menu windows.
The arrangements are long, about 4 minutes long per track. The 
styling composition hurls some slamming adrenaline moods, and will keep
you energize throughout the whole game. I only wished these composers
would have used some vocal samples to go with the instrumental tracks.
This hard-boiled, frantic approach of sullen Techno and missing vocal
pieces just don’t do Techno justice. Overall, the tracks are very good,
and good enough to pump up in my reg. CD-Player. How’s that for a
bargain?....The FX, is descent as well. I like the deep explosion
noise. And I like the fact you can hear that ‘swooosh’ sound when
passing obstacles near by. A nice touch. 

THE BOTTOM LINE


Nanotek Warrior is another major winner, in the likes of Disruptor,
Crash, Wipeout XL, Motortoon GP, Die Hard Trilogy, Pandemonium, Tomb
Raider, etc. This game screams quality in a complete package. It 
covers with excellence all three major assets; Graphics, gameplay, and
Music/Fx. Personally, I would love to see a sequel to this unique game.
I’m labeling this one a ‘Classic status ranking’. A must have for your 
PSX library collection.


93%


Graphics:       10
Funfactor        9
ReplayValue      9
Music/Fx       9/9
Control          8
Originality      9

BEST FEATURES: Great looking graphics, excellent 1player game, gameplay
has depth, fast adrenaline ripping Techno tracks, original gameplay
with great mix of shooting and driving, CD can be playback on 
your reg. CD-Player for 12 fast Techno tracks. The hard setting adds a
good mix of fun and replay value.


WORST FEATURES: No save option -- thus cannot save your high scores,
the music tracks lack variety. Easy difficult setting cannot be
completed. Left/right directional movement is not tight enough. ‘One-
strategy-defeat-all-Bosses’


Reviewed by Leogamer...