HAMSTER has been releasing many great classic arcade games on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch as part of Arcade Archives. While the games are sometimes well known, there are often times that the game chosen is one you have never heard of before. This was the case with Hacha Mecha Fighter, a game that is rather obscure and falls into the cute ’em up category. Hacha Mecha Fighter is a game that may seem a bit strange when you first play, but manages to draw you in as you continue.
The game sees you take control of one of two animal pilots and take on a horde of enemies. This is a bit basic compared to shmups like Darius and In The Hunt, but manages to have its own charm thanks to its offbeat nature. One of your main forms of attacking for instance, is shooting various forms of sea life at them, while your limited sub-weapon involves enlarging your ship for a few seconds in order to give yourself a boost in terms of your attack power. It takes a little bit to get used to, but the game eases you into things.
Hacha Mecha Fighter starts off rather easy, but the challenge does pick up as you go along, and the environments get more and more off-beat. The music does get a little grating at times, but it is not too bad. For a cute ‘em up, this is a rather fun experience, and both the American and Japanese versions are included here. They are mostly the same but there are a few regional differences that you will notice in terms of attacks and enemies as well.
Hacha Mecha Fighter is not a well-known game as far as this writer is aware, but the game is rather fun. The Caravan Mode and High Score Mode are here as well for those wanting a reason to replay the game, familiarize themselves or just challenge themselves to do more. If you are thinking this is just a childish looking game, then do not worry, you will get enjoyment out of Hacha Mecha Fighter and will not be disappointed. It may not be the best in the cute ’em up genre, but it is worth checking out.
In conclusion, we recommend Hacha Mecha Fighter for fans of shooters and newcomers to the genre as well.
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