Overview
Cybernator (Assault Suits Valken in Japan) is a side scrolling mech combat game from Masaya, which was published in Japan by Masaya, by Konami in the US and by Palcom in Europe. It is the second game in the Assault Suits series and follows Assault Suit Leynos, best known in the West as the Sega Genesis game Target Earth.
The player plays as Jake Brain, a soldier in the Pacific States Marine Corps and pilot of a hulking assault suit, on a mission to destroy the Axis.
Gameplay
The game has a number of features that characterize it and separate it from other side scrolling platformers of the day. There is a detailed aiming system, with multiple degrees possible, more than the standard up/down/diagonals in most shooters. The suit also has a limited jump/flight capacity, giving a sense of weight to the player's movements and making it important to consider the environment. There are also special stages, where the player is tasked to fly at speed through asteroids, or maneuver through the Earth's atmosphere on re-entry.
The game has two endings, good and bad, achieved through completing or failing a majority of the side missions in the game respectively.
Release Differences
The game was edited for its US localization, a notable scene where the leader of the enemy forces commits suicide being censored, and other details like character portraits being removed from in game conversations.
Critical Reception
When released, the SNES version was given the scores of 8,8,8,8 and an Editor's Choice Gold Award from Electronic Gaming Monthly. They added, "...the soundtrack is really kickin', and it's easy to get lost in the beat. Graphically it uses astounding detail and colors. The Mode 7 explosions need work however, and the control is a little choppy at first".