Mercs
Description official descriptions
Mercs is a shoot 'em up influenced by Ikari Warriors. You are an anti-terrorism soldier, and must rescue a former President from a Central African revolutionary gang.
You run through each of the 8 levels, which primarily scroll horizontally, shooting everyone before they can shoot you. At times you will have to shoot trees and other scenery to progress.
Finding strategic placings is important, especially as you can't shoot while on water. Most of the time you are on foot, but at times you can hijack vehicles of shot foes. There are improved weapons, smart bombs and energy recharges to collect. Each of the 8 levels ends with a large vehicle requiring multiple shots to destroy.
Spellings
- 戦場の狼Ⅱ - Japanese spelling
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Credits (Arcade version)
42 People (17 developers, 25 thanks) · View all
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Reviews
Critics
Average score: 73% (based on 48 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.5 out of 5 (based on 57 ratings with 1 reviews)
Capcom's answer to Ikari Warriors
The Good
You are a mercenary soldier (“Merc” for short) who gets sent by the government to rescue the former US president who has been captured while on holiday in South America. There are seven levels (missions) in the game, and most of them are easy. All you have to do to survive is shoot any guerrillas that stand in your way and follow the path that will lead you to the boss. The bosses are basically huge vehicles that require multiple shots to kill.
You can carry one of four weapons, including machine guns, grenade launchers, missile launchers, and flamethrowers. The most effective of these is the flamethrower. Although it has a short range, you can use it as you go along. All of these weapons have a infinite supply of ammo. You can get some smart bombs if you are using a crap weapon, and put them to good use. Along the way, you can get to ride other vehicles such as jeeps, tanks, and boats.
In each of the levels, the game switches views. For example, in mission one, you start the game with a top-down approach, but just before you get to the bridge, it is switched to a horizontal scroller. The graphics make you feel that you are exploring restricted areas reserved for the military. The buildings that you come across in the game are nice to look at. They include watch towers, English-style bungalows, submarines, and more. The game's background music is similar to those of military-based movies, and this music can be heard throughout the game.
The controls are easy to use. There are just three functions in the game, making Mercs consistent with the other games around its time. You use the joystick to walk, but also to shoot and drop a smart bomb on someone. Like the games of the eighties, it even includes a high score, so that you can see how well you have performed.
The Bad
There is nothing bad about Mercs that I have noticed.
The Bottom Line
Mercs is not a bad game. You just run around the levels, following the path and bringing down guerrillas that obstruct your path using a variety of weapons. Smart bombs can be used for maximum damage to both buildings and enemies. You can also ride vehicles in some levels, giving you the chance to mow down the guerrillas rather than shooting them. The graphics and music make you feel that you are in a military-based movie. Similar to Commando in some ways, but more like Ikari Warriors.
Amiga · by Katakis | カタキス (43086) · 2006
Trivia
Capcom Generations
Game was also released in Capcom Generations from PlayStation, it is straight conversion from arcade. The game is on the third disk of collection.
Awards
- Commodore Format
- October 1995 (Issue 61) – The Bottom 10 Games of all Time
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Johnny "ThunderPeel2001" Walker.
Arcade added by FatherJack. ZX Spectrum added by Kabushi. Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Genesis added by Martin Smith. Wii added by gamewarrior. SEGA Master System added by drewbar. Commodore 64 added by Katakis | カタキス.
Additional contributors: Kohler 86, Martin Smith, j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】, Mejs, Lance Boyle, FatherJack.
Game added February 2, 2004. Last modified July 17, 2024.