http://www.fightingvipers.net/other/pulse.jpg
Pulseman is an import-only platformer that came out late in the Mega Drive's life span. It pits a digital superhero, created by a brilliant scientist, against the creations of said scientist's evil rival.
Sound familiar?
You're probably already thinking "sounds a lot like Mega Man" and you would be right to think so about the back story. However, any similarities with the Blue Bomber end there. The game is more parallel to the Sonic series in terms of actual gameplay, which actually makes for an interesting ride.
My Hero
As Pulseman, you have your share of abilities to use against your enemies. Punching, kicking, and jumping are standard but hold the D pad down as you walk and Pulseman will break into a run, which charges a distance attack. Moreover, pressing the A button while charged shoots our hero as an electric "pulse" in any chosen direction, allowing you access to those hard to reach locations where goodies abound. The control is very tight, making it easy to pull off successive jumps to reach items, and Pulseman's pulse charge makes getting to hard to reach places a breeze.
http://www.edgegamez.com/screens/Seg...Pulseman-2.gif
Static electricity is your friend.
Among those goodies are powerups, life refills, and 1-ups. Although the game isn't extraordinarily hard, the standard "3 hits and you're dead" setup prods you be a little greedy and search everywhere (but that's what makes it so much fun!).
Plenty to Do
There are seven levels to challenge (each composed of multiple stages) for several hours of enjoyment. You might find it tempting to just hold the D pad right and just run to the end (hence the Sonic reference) but then you'd be depriving yourself of some of the most gorgeous graphics on the system. Backgrounds are detailed and colorful and parallax abounds. As I made my way through the game, a smile kept coming to my face as I played each stage. Everything just looks that good.
The music in Pulseman is excellent as well (OST worth IMO) and the game has plenty of voice samples to go around (I've heard there are over 60 in all). The soundtrack fits the the game and gets you into the action without trying too hard. I just hate those games that try to cover up mediocre game play by throwing in a heavy metal soundtrack. The music should fit the game's style and in that regard, Pulseman gets the job done nicely.
http://www.genesiscollective.com/Gen...man%20(GS).png
In the End
You will need to set aside a few hours to thoroughly enjoy Pulseman. Between exploring and perfecting your attacks, to the cool Breakout-style bonus stages, this is a game that will remind you of Ristar in terms of length and playability. That my friend, is a good thing. :)
SCORE: 9/10
Props to edgeGAMEZ for the pics.
