Hello and welcome to the latest entry in the Retro Revival series, covering classic games that have been given a second chance to be appreciated by a new audience. Here I discuss HD remasters, emulated ports and compilations, in part or as a whole. This week, I will be covering a classic action game that was in arcades, as well as the SEGA Saturn. Elevator Action Returns, which has been brought to new platforms under the S-Tribute Banner.
Disclaimer: the games discussed in this feature have been purchased by me, so the opinions given within are all my own. There has been no sponsorship of the content in this feature, with links to the different version of the game at the bottom where possible.
So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general gameplay experience, alongside some background details and then my personal thoughts on the title.
About the game
Elevator Action Returns is an action arcade game, being a full sequel to the original game, expanding on it significantly. The original game featured a spy collecting documents, with this one having a whole new scenario. This time a paramilitary trio the DEF is sent on missions, fighting against a mysterious terrorist organisation. These three agents, set out to take down the criminal group, stopping their plan for global domination and a new world order.
The gameplay for this release is similar to other run and gun titles, completing several missions in a variety of settings. When starting the game, the player must select the character they want to use from a roster of three agents. These are Kart Bradfield, Edie Burret and Jad the Taff, who each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Kart is the most agile, Edie can fire her weapon the fastest and Jad is the most resilient of the team.
Stages are made up of buildings that are split into floors, going both vertically and horizontally. These areas include an apartment building, airport terminal and even an underground train station, with stages that can move in all directions. To navigate the different buildings, the player must navigate elevators and lifts to get through each layer. These move on their own, but when the player gets onto them, they can control them freely.
In each of the missions, the player must defuse bombs planted in the target location, which are hidden behind specific doors. But players must stay on their toes, as there will be an endless number of enemy henchmen that will appear. To dispatch these foes, the player can use their base weapon, which has unlimited ammunition. However, they are also provided with a limited number of bombs, as well as an up close melee attack.
The bombs can be thrown between two distances, when standing and when crouched. These explosives can be handy in a pinch, being able to take out several enemies at once. If the player runs out, they will be able to collect more by accessing blue doors and breaking boxes. The player can also collect grenades from enemies, while getting bonus points from various sources to boost the players current score.
Many of the enemies that appear can be taken down with a single shot, but as the player gets further into the missions, they will get stronger. The enemies will also evolve from basic thugs, to mercenaries with flight and even robots. In order to even the playing field, players can also get stronger by collecting weapon upgrades. Each of the characters has two weapon upgrades they can use, an automatic weapon and an explosive launcher.
Using these weapons can quickly thin out the herd, with the ability to hit several at once. The automatic weapon does the same damage as the default, but is faster and goes further. Then there is the explosive launcher, which will turn whatever it touches to ash and leaving trail of destruction behind. These weapons have limited munitions, lasting until the player has used all of the shots up, reverting back to the default handgun weapon.
During a mission, the player can use the environment to their advantage, with broken walls, barriers and even oil drums. If the player shoots a barrel, it will fall over and roll, shooting again will cause it to burst into flames and incinerate the enemies nearby. There will also be sections where explosives will be dropped from environmental points. These will cover the entire floor in flames for a short time, helping the player take down enemies.
During some of the missions, there will be intense battles against large groups of enemies. These enemy hordes will attack the player from all sides, with some of them appearing above and below the player. The horde battles are the closest thing to a boss fight, as this game doesn’t follow the traditional rules of run and gun games. Once all of the bombs have been defused, the player must head to the extraction point to escape.
The player has a limited amount of health and lives, taking damage from enemy fire that will drain energy. If the health bar runs out, the player will fall and lose a life. But players can also lose a life by falling from ledges or being crushed by an elevator. There is also a hidden time limit, which will run down as the player makes their way through each of the missions. A warning will appear when this happens, with the timer resetting when a bomb is disarmed.
During a run of the game, there are limited credits and lives to make it through the missions. The player can have a maximum of four lives, with three credits to get through the game as standard. However, as this is a special emulated release, there have been new features added, including the ability to toggle infinite credits and even level select. This makes it possible for players to make it through the entire game, easing the challenge for some.
There is a two player co-op mode that is available for this release, with players selecting their hero and working together. This is a good use for the infinite credit feature as there are only three credits, which will be shared between the two active players. There is also a special version of the original arcade game, Elevator Action, which can be accessed from the main menu. This is a fairly accurate version of the first game and a nice addition.
For this release, as well as others in the S-Tribute series, there is a selection of special visual settings that players can apply. This includes altering the size of the image, adding scanlines and more to the look of the game. There is also a rewind feature, letting players fix mistakes that have been made, alongside a quick save and load feature. These additions and the special features let any player enjoy the game, providing the best experience for all.
Personal Thoughts
Elevator Action Returns is an interesting and unique game, which was originally released only in Japan. This makes the S-Tribute version of the game very special, as it is the first time the game has been officially released in the west. There was also a significant gap between the first two games, with 11 years between them. After this there were additional games that popped up over the years, including updates to the original and even a light gun release.
I had originally played an import of the first game on the SEGA Saturn, having positive memories of the game. This made the revival of the game through the ZEBRA Engine an exciting one, being able to experience the game again after many years. The S-Tribute series is a great thing for players, as they are significantly less expensive than original hardware and software. It also allows the games to be saved from being lost to time.
The elevator action series is one of those that maintained a unique identity, with some games trying to emulate them, yet not reaching the same levels of quality. There hasn’t been much from the franchise, aside from a re-release of the first game as part of the Arcade Archives series. This is available in the Taito Milestones collection, allowing players to play the first game. The gameplay is identical between the ACA release and as a bonus in this title.
The general experience of the game, with the quality of life improvements, visual modifiers and accessibility make this the definitive version of Elevator Action Returns. It is perfect for people looking for something to challenge solo, or with another, being perfect for game nights. There are many games available on the S-Tribute label, with the ZEBRA Engine providing the only official way to experience these games.
This is a fantastic title, offering fun and unique run and gun gameplay, which is currently available across all platforms. If you have any of the current generation and even previous generation of systems, I highly recommend checking this out. Especially on the Nintendo Switch and even the Steam Deck, as it is one of those games perfect for handheld play. it may not be the longest experience, but it sure packs an action filled punch.
If you have enjoyed this feature, then take a look at the other content available and see what catches your eye. There are reviews, sometimes news and features that cover a variety of games. There is the lost gems series, special Gaming Oddities and more coming in the future. So stick around for a while and check out the other content.
Link to Nintendo Switch Version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
Link to Steam version (HERE)
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