Mercs

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.