~ CYBER CROSS ~
Face
HuCard
1989
Cyber Cross has no business being a PC Engine game. In fact, no halfway-decent NES title would ever want to be associated with it. It's primitive, goofy, repetitive, and uninteresting.
The mission it has you undertake comes off as a pointless endeavor right from the start. You play a doofus who meanders along and drops the same few boring enemies over and over to the beat of a single not-very-appealing melody. You can utilize an energy
blade, a gun, or a boomerang and perform "special" charge attacks to bring down your foes. That may seem like a lot of options to have on offense, but there isn't really any strategy involved--the sword and the gun work well in just about every situation you can find
yourself in. The controls are quite stiff, but this isn't much of an issue, as health restorers and power-ups are plentiful, and the nitwitted villains are clumsy combatants. Even the bosses are simpletons.
The stages aren't particularly nice looking, and as you stutter-step your way through them (enduring irritating sound effects all the while), you'll discover that they're straightforward, dull, and far too large for the little that they offer. Things get
"interesting" later on when leaps/falls into pits either put you in prime position to reach your destination or land you right back at the beginning of the board.
Despite its inadequacy in so many areas, Cyber Cross actually is playable. But if I were to force myself to endure something repetitive, straightforward, and boring, I'd go with Vigilante instead. Yes, I prefer Vigilante. Chew on that for a while.
