Poobik The Hare
Still Fresh
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2005
- Messages
- 73
A CALL TO General Quarters and a beach-head invasion are the stuff of which generals are made, but Beach-Head, gives you the opportunity to fight the war single handed. An excellent concept of multi-screened (six in all) arcade/war game where the aim is to penetrate the defensive power protecting a piece of coastline, and capture the enemy fortress.
Starting just out side a bay, you guide your fleet around an aerial reconnaissance map (via use of a cross hair) and have 2 options, take a secret passage or go direct into the bay area.
Picking the secret passage will see you battling through a top down view of mine fields full of enemy shipping and torpedo's aplenty, but the gain is that the following screens will see you being attacked by somewhat easier enemies.
Taking the more direct route by entering the bay will allow the enemy to spot and come chasing after you with the view moving to 3D with your ship's gun turrets at the bottom of the screen firing salvos at attacking aircraft (launched at you from a distant carrier).
If you survive the previous level with ships intact, you then move onto a direct naval battle. Again in 3D, you use what is left of your fleet, by firing your heavy guns (you must find the right elevation with a higher elevation sending your shot further into the screen and vice versa), you must sink the enemy before they sink you. Thankfully, one hit is enough to sink each enemy ship although the enemy can sink your ships with one hit as well. But should you have taken the hidden passage, you will find that the enemy will take much longer to zero in on your ships.
Once you have complete the level, you navigate what is left of your fleet to the beach. It is at this time that you will suffer if you have not got sufficient ships through, as each ship carries 2 tanks and you need a certain amount to complete the mission. The ground battle starts with you taking a tank (sideways scrolling) across a beach populated with land mines, barriers, bunkers, enemy tanks and anti-tank guns.
Should you make it to the fortress the screen then changes to 3D where once again you must use your guns elevation to destroy 10 set targets on the fortress (the game lights each target as you hit the one before). All would be good if it was not for the fact that while you are trying to hit the target, the fortresses own SUPER GUN is slowly lining you up in it's sights and it never misses.
Make sure you destroy the gun before it is ready though, as you will only have enough time to hit it maybe 2 or 3 times before he has you in his sights, hence the need to land as many tanks as possible.
To finish, should the sun have rising on your left side and favourable trade winds be blowing your way, you may get to have the pleasure of seeing the fortress destroyed and the white flag of the torturous dogs waving in surrender. Then again, you may just be a crap gamer used to the simpler games that the GBA provides and will never have the pleasure of seeing the whites of the enemies eyes when you take....... The Beach-Head.
Summary
Offering variety aplenty, Beach Head is a very good game that introduced many new concepts and inspired many other games to come. A true classic, miss at your peril.
p.s.
also check out Beach Head 2 and Raid Over Moscow
