Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
121Game Info
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Developer: SNK
Publisher: SNK
Year of Release: 1986
Game Review & Impressions
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I had a number of comments following the publication of my Ikari Warriors longplay suggesting I check out its sequel, Victory Road. Released the same year as the original Ikari, the sequel is a genuine oddity, shaking off its milatarstic trappings for demons and high fantasy. I guess the closest analogy I can think of by modern standards is something like Call of Duty: Zombies or Sniper Elite: Zombie Army; essentially taking an existing franchise rooted in reality, then taking the underlying mechanics and tech and replacing the setting with something completely unrealistic.
As for the plot, our heroes from the first game are returning home when their aircraft gets caught up in a mysterious storm, catapulting them through space and time. Now trapped in some parallel dimension, they must fight their way through legions of demons and alien enemies in order to defeat an evil being known Zip Zang.
In terms of gameplay, Victory Road isn't too disimilar to the original; this is still a vertical scrolling run-and-gun shooter involving shooting waves of enemies, using the same rotary joysticks to change your character's aim. This time around, however, players now have unlimited ammunition (including grendaes), so you can now spam as many bullets and explosives as possible, which is just as well; the sheer number of enemies you'll face means you'll wear the attack buttons to nubbins and grind the control stick to powder within the first five minutes of play. There's a far greater variety in terms of primary weapons on offer, each with their own distinct benefits, including a sword with the power to deflect enemy projectiles. The driveable tank is replaced with a suit of armour, providing extra protection for a limited time, although it offers no other discernible benefits.
Taken on its own merit, Victory Road is decent vertical shooter, albeit one of the most hardcore experiences of its generation. The original Ikari Warriors was already one of the toughest games on the market, but this sequel is in another league altogether; the legions of regular enmies are bad enough, but you'll be frequently teleported to static arenas and forced to fight increasingly dangerous sub-bosses. Going into Victory Road, I think you'll have a better time knowing it's a rough ride, otherwise you'll likely just bounce off this somewhat wacky sequel.
Related Longplays & Videos
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Ikari Warriors (Arcade): https://youtu.be/er0uLLUb_uc
Chapters
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00:00 Attract mode
00:47 Gameplay
29:43 Ending