| Introduction
CT Special Forces (the CT stands for Counter Terrorist)
is one of the first releases by French publisher LSP.
The company had only previously co-published games,
but this and another recent release, Droopy Tennis,
will hopefully see them take their rightful place as
a quality publisher in the expanding GBA market. The
screens from this game were previewed some time ago
and it always appeared to be an ambitious project simply
because of the amount of gaming modes that were supposedly
available. Have LSP stretched themselves a little too
thin? Read on and see...
GamePlay
The actual gameplay in CT Special Forces can roughly
be split into four different sections: a platformer-come-shooter,
a sniper mode, a parachute freefall, and a vertical
shoot'em up. The most remarkable thing about this is
that they all maintain a very high level of quality
throughout while remaining relatively seamless within
the story line. They take place over four separate levels,
in very different terrain ranging from snow-covered
mountains to scorching deserts. Everything starts out
with a "Metal Gear Solid" type of briefing
by Central Control and then you're instantly plunged
into the game.
The platforming section dominates most of the missions,
and this is also your starting point. You'll find assassins
coming from every direction and not only are they reasonably
intelligent, but also well-armored so even the early
levels demand three or four direct shots before they're
disposed of. There's also a huge range of 'pick-ups'
available, from simple health to some truly impressive
firepower. The sniper mode adds a unique style of gameplay
and here you must pick off the enemy and rescue the
hostages before time runs out, and just as importantly,
before they get you. You'll always know how you're doing
here as the screen is full of information regarding
remaining captives and assassins, not to mention your
all-important 'health bar'.
The parachute freefall usually happens when you've
reached the peak of a mountain with nowhere else to
go. You'll automatically strap on the parachute, but
during freefall you must make sure your trooper doesn't
hit the cliffs or overaccelerate, and then release your
chute at just the correct moment. Finally, the vertical
shoot'em up sections see you piloting a helicopter while
avoiding ground and air missiles. This is further complicated
by the introduction of ground-based guided missiles
that drain your health on contact. Fortunately, there's
health dotted about everywhere, although the screen
does scroll left and right, so exploration is essential.
For once the developers have actually made the password
system a gaming feature where the four-number code is
entered into a combination lock, which is both easy
to record and even simpler to input. There's also a
multiplayer mode, which remarkably runs from a single
game pak. This lets you engage in a race against time
with another operative and is really great fun to play;
something everyone who has the game should try out.
Controls
The control system couldn't be easier and you'll
find yourself instinctively knowing what buttons to
press even when the gaming style suddenly changes. In
addition, the sprite detection is excellent, which really
cuts down on unnecessary frustrations that often befall
platformers and shoot'em ups. You'll find everything
so incredibly responsive that it becomes very evident
the developers at LSP have spent some time on refining
the controls in order to make actually playing the game
that much more of a pleasurable experience.
Graphics
The visual aspects of this title are outstanding
and arguably feature the best character animation yet
to hit the GBA. It's not so much the movement (which
is both fluid and well observed), but the finer details
such as snow or dust flying around as your character
moves through various landscapes. You'll even see your
player’s frozen breath in the snow sections. The backgrounds
are also of a very high standard and everything's so
well designed you never get the impression that it is
being constantly repeated. Overall, a very good-looking
title and one that other developers should at least
aspire to match.
Sound & Music
As with the visual aspects. LSP's first outing also
shines in the audio department, with every section of
music and sound effects complementing the gameplay perfectly.
This starts with an action movie-type soundtrack that
pounds along as you try to negotiate the various levels.
The sound effects are just as pleasing and often you'll
actually hear an enemy before you see them, which in
some instances is a real lifesaver.
Final Comments
For anyone who purchased the ill-fated Neo Geo Pocket
Color to sample the delights of Metal Slug, this is
going to be right up your street. It's hard to fault
this title except for one minor detail--it's a little
too short. If you can forgive this (and you should),
you'll be treated to some of the best and most diverse
gameplay the GBA has housed to date, and for that reason
alone you should really check this out. There's also
the real bonus with the two-player mode and it's nice
to see at least one developer making this available
with a single copy of the game. Gamers unimpressed with
shooting things will find nothing really new here but
the snipers among you should get ready for some heart-pounding
action.
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