Originating from Spain during the mid-90s, this 2D run ‘n gunner is often compared to Metal Slug due to its fast pace, meaty weaponry, and focus on rescuing hostages. While it’s true that a handful of other games from publisher Galeco were brazen with their inspirations, this isn’t a case of one developer trying to copy another’s homework – Biomechanical Toy predates Metal Slug by around a year. There’s also nothing else quite like this; it’s an experience so far removed from reality that you may question the sanity of its Spanish development team.
Biomechanical Toy is unmistakably a product of the ‘90s, starring a ponytailed hero named Inguz who’s dressed in a tight black t-shirt, even tighter blue jeans, and a pair of quintessentially ‘90s black sunglasses. They’re up against Scrubby, a villain who has stolen a magical pendulum from a talking cuckoo clock and used it to bring a world of toys to life – hence the game’s quirky name. This set-up is something of a ruse though, as often you’re also blasting giant bugs, dinosaurs, and other rather non-toy-like adversaries. It also draws from the world of chess quite heavily, with lots of mini-bosses based around various pieces. I’ll give that a pass.
You’re able to shoot in eight directions while stationary, with a button assigned to either firing single shots or auto-firing. Special ammo must be collected from crates, and a screen clearing bomb – a fiery phoenix – can be summoned should things become too hectic. This is a strong possibility, as the screen is often populated by a handful of enemies. Uncommonly for an arcade game, it’s also quite generous with its food themed health top-ups, a few of which can recover almost a full health bar. These are, unsurprisingly, precariously placed. A timer is also in play, which was obviously to prevent players from surviving too long on a single credit.
It’s the visuals that stand out the most here, and for two reasons. Firstly, the pixel art is very well drawn, accompanied by a smattering of special effects. Secondly, it’s incredibly warped; the developers truly ran with the toy world setting, even transporting hero Inguz from one world to the next using a giant cybernetically enhanced head. A special mention goes to the boss battle against a translucent computer virus, who emerges from a desktop PC and explodes into a shower of ones and zeros. It doesn’t fare as well when it comes to audio as the sound effects are mostly ill-fitting, being a mixture of cartoony ‘boings!’ and such. You may be able to tell from this alone that the developers worked on the Amiga platformer Risky Woods.
Variety is another high point, including a tricky section involving riding a vertical gust of wind and a tower climb against rising water. Adding to this are the hostages, which vary from a robot to a fairy, increasing your firepower for around thirty seconds via a range of supplemental attacks. These help compensate for the lack of alternative weapons. There’s a ‘good ending’ to unlock, which I assume is for saving every hostage – a task not too difficult as there’s only one per stage, and they aren’t exactly hidden out of view. Although to be fair, the post-credits ‘Happy End’ screen could simply be a mistranslation.
QUByte has included a text-based manual with screenshots, a sprite gallery and jukebox, the usual assortment of screen size and filter options, plus an array of cheats that’ll reduce the runtime to around 20 minutes if you choose to activate them. A choice of easy and difficult modes are present too, along with the ability to choose the number of starting lives. A rewind tool mitigates any potential frustration, serving to make a fleeting experience even shorter. Indeed, to get your money’s worth you’re best off avoiding the cheats menu and aiming to complete it with as few lives as possible, restarting at checkpoints upon death.
To reiterate, if you choose to pay £8.99 for this and activate cheats, you’re likely going to feel short changed upon seeing the ending in under thirty minutes. That said, even without cheats it’s still pretty short by arcade standards, making it obvious why it never appeared on the SNES or Mega Drive. It’s a shame QUByte couldn’t find another similar arcade game to pair this with. Providing you understand that this is a ‘90s arcade game, and all that it entails, it’s still a safe enough purchase – a solid slice of console-style platforming action and ‘90s edginess, with an extra pinch of Spanish zest. It’s very much a case of weird name, weird game – and more memorable for it.
Biomechanical Toy (QUByte Classics) is out 16th July on all formats. Original game by Zeus.