From the tactical espionage action of Solid Snake in Metal Gear to the vampire-slaying exploits of Simon Belmont in Castlevania to the gung-ho guerrilla combat of Bill Rizer and Lance Bean in Contra, Konami made a name for themselves by developing and publishing quality games which could perhaps be best described as “manly.” It was simply something they were good at, and you could even see it in their name (if spelled backwards): “I man, ok?”

Simple, perhaps even subliminal, but effective.

But while those titles have managed to endure, even thrive into the present day, there was another title which was not quite so fortunate: Rush’N Attack.

Originally known as Green Beret in Japan and Europe, Rush’N Attack was cut from a similar cloth as the other titles mentioned above. Its titular play on words set the stage as your United States special operative infiltrated Russian enemy lines during the era of the Cold War in order to rescue a number of POW’s, all while taking down as many of the Reds as he could.

All while armed with only a knife (plus a few odd limited-use weapons from fallen enemies).

If taking on the Russian army single-handed with only a knife isn’t as manly as traipsing through Transylvania with only a whip, marching off to fight Genome soldiers with only a pack of cigarettes, or fighting off an entire alien invasion with a machine gun and no shirt, then I don’t know what is.

And yet alone it would sit, largely forgotten as the Cold War ended and time passed it by, as the U.S. would instead spend the following years proving their superiority over the Soviets by neatly arranging their blocks into stacks, making entire rows disappear at a time.

Fast forward about 25 years and some change. Beyond a little-known arcade-only spiritual successor known as Missing in Action, Rush’N Attack would lay dormant as the Snakes, the Rizers, and the Belmonts would go on to greater glory. That is until April 2010, when Konami revealed that the all-but-forgotten title would be receiving a sequel. And no, they were not joking.

Released in March 2011, the new game subtitled Ex-Patriot, would retain some of the elements of its namesake, but also attempt to forge a new direction for itself. You’re still facing the Russians, albeit 15 years on from the end of the Cold War, and your protagonist, Sargent Sid Morrow, is still armed with only a knife, but so much else has changed.

As an aside, perhaps saying “only a knife” is a little off the mark. Morrow’s knife is actually quite large, falling just shy of being comically huge or being labeled a sword. One look at this blade would be enough to make even Paul Hogan blush.

That said, the game is still played in the two-dimensional perspective of the original, though it now sports some nice three-dimensional graphics, courtesy of Unreal Engine 3. But whereas the original was more run-n-gun– er, knife and action-oriented, Ex-Patriot utilizes stealth to a more significant degree.

In addition to crawling around ducts and moving quietly out of the enemies’ line-of-sight, you’ll have Morrow sliding into darkened doorways and hanging from ledges, just waiting for the right moment to make the kill. It’s an almost morbid thrill to position him in the shadows before whistling, leading a nearby guard to pass right by, where you can suddenly emerge and pull your prey into the darkness, where the sounds of repeated stabbing accompany the occasional spurt of blood before the body is dumped back outside.

Alternatively, you may want your oppressors, who kept Morrow locked in captivity for quite some time, to know you are coming. With the right moves, you can quickly run up and perform any of a number of attack moves and combos you learn as you progress through the game. The more you kill, the better you become at it, though the game awards more points for embracing the art of the silent shank.

Furthermore, you can arm yourself with more than the knife by killing certain well-armed individuals. Grenades, rocket launchers, and rifles are among the weapons which are yours for the taking, but with the obvious detriment that not only are they finite in their use, but a lot louder as well.

The levels, while few in number, are rather large in size and relatively non-linear as you go about your objectives, as provided by the mysterious man who frees you from your prison cell at the beginning of the game. You learn about the Russians’ discovery of a new material called “Ulyssium,” which has the capability of being weaponized, and which is also being used on your POW teammates in experiments. As you explore the levels, you’ll come across batches of Ulyssium, which increase your health bar, as well as other items, including health kits and night vision goggles.

In the early going, the game is a lot of fun as you sneak around and perfect the art of killing. Unfortunately as you progress, you discover some parts which are a mixed blessing before an ultimate let-down.

Despite the stealth, there is plenty of action to go around, including some fairly challenging bosses. There is also platforming, which is a bit of a mixed bag. In situations where Morrow is able to grab a ledge and pull himself up things are fine, but in other areas, particularly where you must jump from one box to another in order to traverse a pool of radioactive… stuff, the physics are a lot less merciful; even after landing, the buoyancy of the crates can topple you right into the glowing green drink.

Precision is key, but thankfully, this game differs from the original in that you have unlimited lives and checkpoints. As such, you can keep making attempts until you get a proper feel for where and how you need to land. It can be a little frustrating, but patience pays off.

Unfortunately, that same patience is more likely to wear thin as you make your way through the second of Ex-Patriot‘s three chapters.

Moving from the prison’s dark recesses and sunny exterior to a nuclear base located in a snowfield, the challenge begins to pick up, even on the easiest difficulty. But whereas the prison guards were mostly armed for short-range combat, you’ll find a number of watchtowers with armed guards about midway through the nuclear base. Between the foggy atmosphere and the snowy surroundings, it becomes very difficult to see the bullets coming from the guards’ guns as they essentially cut you down where you stand.

And try as you like, none of the stealth tactics you learned from completing the previous chapter will afford you much relief, while simply charging in will only see your game cut short that much faster. On the ground, or even in an adjacent watchtower, be it left, middle, or right, only those with the best skills are likely to proceed.

This is where Rush’N Attack Ex-Patriot falls apart. While the first chapter was an absolute delight to play through, the second chapter changes things up, and not for the better.

As a result, I cannot really recommend this to anyone but the gamer who doesn’t just love a challenge, but thrives on it. As I proceeded through the first chapter, it almost felt as though I was witnessing a potential new franchise in the making. Sadly the second chapter brought such expectations to their knees, one bullet at a time. Someone may thrive on this kind of challenge, but frankly, I found it tiresome, and worse, boring.

Still, I can’t help but root for this underdog of a Konami franchise. Developer Vatra Games had something good going at the start, but it seems they weren’t able to keep it up for the duration, leading to a game which begins with high hopes, but ends in deep disappointment.

I do hope that Konami allows Sgt. Morrow another chance at glory, hopefully in a sequel that is a little more balanced and refined. After all, he’s been sitting away in a Russian prison all this time. I can forgive him for being a little rusty, so long as he’s better prepared for his next mission.

If you’re still not sure, then check out the free downloadable demo on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace; it covers a good portion of the first chapter, and if you like what you see there and think you’re up for a steeper (and arguably cheaper) challenge, then the full download should be just what you’re looking for.

This review is based on the Xbox LIVE Arcade version of Rush’N Attack Ex-Patriot provided to the reviewer by Konami.

To make something fresh, you don’t always have to start from scratch. Sometimes you can take something that’s very well established and simply put it in an entirely different context. Suddenly, what is old becomes new again.

This is something Aliens Infestation does in more ways than one. In it, you’ll find a combination of many things. While the most pronounced is its Metroid “Lite” structure, it also borrows elements from cover based shooters and even has a tinge of survival horror. Everything comes together to form a game with its own strong identity, never feeling like a clone of any of the games it takes inspiration from.

You’ll start with four marines tasked with exploring the Sulaco, but these four might not be the ones who make it out alive. Every marine that dies is dead for good. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to beat the entire game with only four lives. There are fifteen additional marines scattered around the map who, provided you don’t already have a full party, will join you in a heartbeat.

Each marine plays the same, but has their own unique dialogue and personality that make you want to keep them alive. Sure, some of them are meat-heads that are hard to care about (and will probably end up being used as boss fodder), but others are more quirky and endearing like the cowardly rookie, the man cursed with luck, the toothless old man, and Bonesaw (no, not that Bonesaw).

As if this system of living, breathing, extra lives wasn’t interesting enough, marines can also be captured instead of killed when their health is depleted. They’re then marked on the map and you have a very limited time to reach a xenomorph nest to save them before they’re gone for good.

This sense of urgency works very well with the game’s high tension. You aren’t super soldiers. Xenomorphs are much faster than you, even when you use your depletable stamina gauge to run as fast as you can. And the more you run, the more likely you are to encounter packs of enemies simultaneously, which is exponentially more dangerous than taking it slow and fighting enemies one by one.

But while the tension feels expertly crafted in the earlier moments of Aliens Infestation, more powerful (and upgradable) weapons and increased familiarity with the limited types of enemies and their spawn patterns diminish it somewhat. Walking forward slowly is far more effective than it should be as most enemies take a second to jump out at you allowing you to fire first. You’ll never get to a point where you can run and plow through aliens without a care, but the sense of dread as you explore during the game’s later portions is definitely lower than it could have been.

Despite its 2D presentation, there is a cover system with blind fire, though you’ll likely only use it when fighting human enemies. But it’s the use of limited ammo and having to reload clips that really help the game to differentiate itself from the average run and gun. It’s odd to think of something as simple as having to reload as an interesting mechanic, but in the context of a 2D game it feels new and even terrifying as you find that your incredibly slow shotgun is completely empty after noticing an enemy dropping down from the ceiling.

You’ll never find the same level of openness as a Metroid game here, but you will find a handful of things to help you reach new areas including various key cards, a wrench, and the keys to the Power Loader to name a few. New weapons on the other hand exist almost exclusively for their killing power, with the exception of the flamethrower which allows you to burn off the alien resin covering certain doors. Paths aren’t exactly hidden, so if you’re even moderately persistent in your exploration, you’re likely to obtain 100% completion like I did (something I almost never accomplish in Metroid games).

Bosses are an unfortunate low point. Each consists of a giant bullet sponge hell bent on performing annoyingly repetitive attack patterns. What should have been a much needed crescendo feels more like a chore. Luckily, boss fights make up a very small portion of the game.

Aliens Infestation earns its spot in the list of licensed games done right. A few rough edges hold it back from being an instant classic and it can be completed rather quickly, but what’s there is a game that manages to feel unique despite what it borrows from other titles. Don’t let the fact that it’s “last gen” stop you from enjoying this successful blend of retro and modern ideas.

This review is based on a copy of Aliens Infestation purchased by the reviewer.

“Friday Old Games” is a series of articles in which we review a game from the older generations of consoles, share why we picked it, and whether or not it holds up with time.

When Dracula X: Rondo of Blood first made it on the US Virtual Console, I remained casually interested. The early Castlevania franchise has simply never enthused. Yes, the music is always excellent, and the series art has always had the fun Gothic aesthetic, but I just found the whole classic Castlevania era fairly archaic.

Simon Belmont always felt stilted in his movement, almost gawky. Don’t even get me started on how gimped the throwing weapons were. I naturally presumed Rondo of Blood would simply be more of the three NES games I couldn’t get into.

Yet, the hype got to me. Titles like “best game in the Castlevania series”, “best TurboGrafx game”, and even one of “the best games of all time” were all heaped upon Rondo of Blood. How could all of these people possibly be wrong? With nine-hundred points left over from purchasing my precious Cave Story, I decided to give Rondo a try.

I still couldn’t shake the feeling I was buying a game I knew hardly anything about, in a franchise I’ve never personally enjoyed. Could Rondo really live up to the hype?

"I have the feeling I'm being watched..."

Eggs on my face. I was totally blindsided by the quality of the game. It’s hard to believe a game this hyped for this long can come out today and still objectively blow my mind. Dracula X: Rondo of Blood is a culmination of Castlevania concepts and gameplay refined into pure, video game gold, and one of the best games to bless the Virtual Console with its presence.

The game opens with the awesomely cheesy Anime FMV that presents the struggle of a young Richter Belmont who must overcome the mighty Dracula. Enter the main menu, select new game, and you’re immediately thrust into an impromptu boss battle with a ghoulish, Grim Reaper-like specter. Synthesized TurboGrafx horns blare in the background as you burst into the first stage upon your burning chariot, pumped for some righteous undead slaying. Ghouls start pouring in from the right, and you know it’s time to storm the Castle.

I found the original Castlevania series’ controls inexcusable in a generation shared with the likes of Super Mario Bros. and Mega Man. It pissed me off that Castlevania’s awesome soundtracks and gothic locales came at the sacrifice of Simon’s zombie like movement.

Luckily, Rondo feels much faster and well paced than its predecessors. Richter still feels slightly stiff, but his whipping and jumping are much faster and responsive than his ancestor’s. Levels feel better designed, with multiple pathways, each of which have it’s own unique twist. Enemy placement feels better and much more diverse than the “rush and kill” style that plagued early Castlevania titles. It’s almost a universal update on the series.

After playing Rondo of Blood, I think I have a better understanding of why people love this series so much. It’s definitely not a fast paced Contra shooter, because there’s no real twitch. Rather Rondo, and all of Castlevania, is about precision and knowing where to be at the right time; elements rarely seen in both modern and retro games.

This unique twist on combat, coupled with the art and the soundtrack, must be why people cling to the series. I’ve seen no game better tap into these elements than Rondo of Blood.

Why did I choose this game?

So many people whom I respect lavish praise after praise on Rondo of Blood. Some have even proclaimed it the holy grail of import gaming.

I have very little experience with either Castlevania or the TurboGrafx-16. To remain a well rounded gamer, I decided I should try something new. Why not play one of the most popular games of all time?

How does it hold up?

Superbly. The graphics are still crisp, and the music remains as awesome as ever, especially with the improved audio of the TurboGrafx-16. I do warn you though, it can be quite a challenge. Though I found the lives-based checkpoint system perfectly fair, some will criticize it for being too difficult. But that’s what you should probably expect from something like the Castlevania series. Personally, I enjoyed the challenge.

Rondo has resparked my interest in both the TurboGrafx-16 and the whole classic Castlevania series. I haven’t touched Super Castlevania 4 or Castlevania: Bloodlines. Heck, I want to replay the originals with some more patience and respect, just to see if I can finally appreciate the series for what it is. Rondo is a surprising gem, and definitely one of the best games to ever hit the virtual console.