Developer - Data East   Catalogue No. - T-13043

Type - Platform Shooter

Oh my God !  This game is an eyesore but then again so are most of Data East's other Mega Drive games.  We aren't going to let that bother us though are we?  No!  Because we here know that game play is what makes a good game and if you disagree then sod off ! (^o^)

Midnight Resistance is one of those walk along shooters much in the same style as Contra.  In fact I wouldn't be surprised if this is where Data East got the idea from.  This Mega Drive version as we've already pointed out looks bloody awful compared to the arcade and even other home computer versions such as the Amiga.  Thankfully it's got an amazing soundtrack which while only consists of 3 tunes still manages to entrap you in the high passed action of the game.

Now, remember I said playability is what makes a cool game?  Well, unfortunately Data East have sort of made a complete balls up with the controls on this Mega Drive version of Midnight Resistance.  You see the default control has your gun pointing in what ever direction you are running.  Basically this means that if you want to shoot anything behind you then you are going to have to turn around.  This can cause some BIG problems during some stages such as the one where you have a tank chasing after you.  Thankfully there are 3 other options to choose from.  None of these are what I'd call ideal either but at least they are more practical than the default controls.  My personal favorite is option B2.  A button starts your gun (Auto fire on or off) while button B rotates it in a clockwise pattern.  You can stop the gun facing in any of the 8 directions.  The C button allows you to jump.  To fire of bombs you must push up when shooting. however if you have the auto fire on while you are climbing a ladder be prepared to see all of your bombs set off.  Having read me basically slag the controls you're probably thinking that this game is no good.  Actually, it is a real classic blaster !  Even though the controls are a pain in the arse at times and it looks bloody ugly, Midnight Resistance still manages to capture that hectic feeling you'd expect from such a game, making it very difficult to put down once you've started playing.

Only ever released in Japan plus not the cheapest Mega Drive game out there makes this one a little less common these days than Contra believe it or not.  Thankfully it's not as expensive as Contra.  So if you do manage to see it I recommend you give it a try.