A playthrough of Data East's 1992 platforming shoot 'em up for the Sega Genesis, Atomic Runner.

Atomic Runner is a port of a late 80s Data East coin-op that was pretty unique in its setup and control scheme, much like its DECO stablemate Midnight Resistance. Also like Midnight Resistance, it's an excellent port that sees a few upgrades in the conversion.

The Genesis port changes the story up pretty significantly. Whereas in the original game Chelnov (the titular runner) is a Russian coal miner caught in the meltdown of a nuclear reactor who gains superpowers and is hunted by the KGB, the Genesis game turns him into a man in a superhero suit trying to save his sister. Yeah, both of those stories are a bit ridiculous, but so were the 1980s and many of the policies of the Soviet government, so I guess it's fitting.

The game itself is a fantastic mashup between a platformer and a side-scrolling shooter. Chelnov runs endlessly to the right, jumping on and over enemies as he collects various upgrades and power-ups. He gets full 8-way shooting controls, can somersault in air to lay down a covering fire, and can face and fire in the direction opposite of which he is running in. With the amount of freedom they provide, the controls do take a bit of time to grasp. They are quite well adapted to the Genesis controller, though, and rarely leave you hanging out to try.

Atomic Runner is every bit as hard as you'd expect from an 80s arcade shoot 'em up, though. The first stage goes a bit easier than the rest so that you can get your bearings, but the others will cut you down fast until you start memorizing enemy and power-up placements. Progress definitely comes easier the longer you play, but the game certainly makes you work for it, and it's quite a satisfying game to finish.

The graphics and sound were updated from the arcade title, and the difference is fairly dramatic. Backdrops have more detail, and the sound got a massive boost. The coin-op's FM soundtrack was good, but the Genesis version of it is godly - how many first level songs are as memorable as this one is?

The song also gets remixed for the 1995 SNES fighter Fighter's History: Mizoguchi Kiki Ippatsu, as the background music for Chelnov's stage - he's the last boss and a hidden playable character. If you want to see that (Chelnov looks awesome in a 2D fighter!), you can see it here: [ Ссылка ]

The Genesis was no stranger to offbeat and experimental game designs, and Atomic Runner is a shining example among them. I love it.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

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