INTRODUCTION:

An evil organization is (once again) threatening to conquer the earth! However, this time the threat isn't coming from land, air or space, but from the ocean! The fate of the planet now rests upon two submarines who must venture out into the deep sea and eliminate this terrorist menace. (Apparently the NATO naval armada is on vacation.)

In The Hunt is yet another cooperative side-scrolling shooter that has a slight twist: instead of piloting a hypersonic jet or a prototype super-powered spaceship on a suicide mission to root out evil, the player pilots a nuclear submarine on a suicide mission to root out evil. In The Hunt has been faithfully translated from the arcade for your playing pleasure on the Saturn.

GRAPHICS: 7.5

The graphics are 2-D and show signs of age as this game made its debut in the arcades quite a few years ago. Still, I think the graphics are fairly bright and vibrant, with the ship designs reminiscent of the tanks and aircraft from Metal Slug. I would say that the game looks just like the arcade version. The animation is smooth and the backgrounds show a variety of locales, from the arctic seas to the shallow water near a coastal city to the evil organization's secret base at the bottom of the ocean. However, the boss ships are somewhat uninspired, although they look very bulky and able to take lots of damage. The last boss is the most disappointing as it does not inspire any dread on the part of the player (it looks rather plain and just missle-like).

AUDIO: 6.0

I don't expect too much from shooter music; I just want to hear something that will get me pumped (for example, take Einhander's awesome music for the Playstation). In The Hunt fails miserably in this department. The music is very nondescript (read: not worth describing) and certainly does not enhance the gameplay at all. At least the game should have some pseudo-techno-rock. The music is not only flat, but very muffled as it is drowned out by the sound effects of the game. Speaking of which, the only thing you probably hear clearly when you play the game is the constant whooshing sound of torpedoes being fired from your submarine. This may annoy some people, but I eventually got used to it. The explosions sound like weak fireworks and don't give the player satisfaction in destroying a boss. I recommend that you turn down the volume and play your favorite CDs or the radio when you play this game.

GAMEPLAY: 7.0

This game serves up some standard shooter's fare. The player's submarine shoots out torpedoes, drops depth charges, and has a vertical weapon. There are two different power-ups to enhance the vertical weapon and three different power-ups to enhance the torpedoes. Unfortunately, there is no power bomb or similar weapon of mass destruction available (nuts!) to bail you out in tight situations. The normal enemies you face include submarines (naturally), aircraft, naval cruisers, gun batteries, and mini-walking mechs. What is different in this game from other shooters is the slow pace. In this respect In The Hunt plays more like R-Type than anything else. There are also times when you're playing in a small area with little room for maneuverability, which is different from most shooters. There are some places where there is a little slowdown when there are lots of enemies, but this is a moot point since you are playing underwater and can't move very quickly in the first place. This game is a tad on the easy side as I made it to the last level on my second try. This game is probably also a lot more fun if you play with a partner, but this cuts down on your individual continues. Personally, I prefer playing most shooters solo just to ease up on on-screen clutter of bullets and to max out my continues.

OVERALL: 7.0

Due to the popularity of street-fighting games, there aren't that many shooters being made anymore (*sigh*). The Saturn also suffers from a lack of domestic shooters. Will this game satisfy the craving of shooter fans? I think not. This game is average at best. Although it does offer a few hours of shooting amusement, this game has limited replay value. (However, there is a twist ending in the two-player game where there is a mini-game of sorts after you destroy the last boss.) Also, this game is far too easy and has only five or six levels which can be completed within 45 minutes. I got this game used for only five dollars, though you are more likely to find this game for around $10-$15 at specialty video game stores. I recommend this game only for hardcore shooter fans desperate to play a shooter on the Saturn.
- David Anh Quach