D-Force for SNES (1992)

Original ad published in the April 1992 edition of EGM (no. 31)

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One of the worst shoot-em-ups for the SNES accompanied by terrible marketing material

This is basically just an 8-bit game with some some polish. Graphics are average, music is average and gameplay sucks. And even though it was one of the first "schmups" for Nintendo's console, it was a far cry from other first-batch games of the era, such as the fantastic Axelay.



During the better part of the 90s, it was well known that the Genesis was a far superior console for sports games and shooters. Even today, retro console freaks scavenge for great horizontal or vertical-style shooters on Sega's console, such as Thunder Force III and Truxton. Yet, there were a few shooters that gained high marks for the big N's machine. They are just a few, but you should check them out if you are remotely interested in the genre. Expect lots of slowdown though. Nintendo's machine was clocked slower than Sega's 16-bit offering and it showed.

On a curious note, you'll recognize that the opening screen of the game plays a modified version La Marseillaise, France's national anthem. The end screen plays a variation of the national song the Soviet Union. Other than that, this is your well known story of the post Desert Operation years: take down an evil Middle-Eastern dictator to preserve the American Way of Life. At least that's what the copy of the game says.

D-Force was released by an American subsidiary of Asmik Corporation, a company "founded in 1985 as a subsidiary to the Sumitomo Corporation of Japan. Its focus was in the area of video games for the video game console market, specifically the NES", according to the net.

The printed material to market the game is below average. First of all you get a divided page that is one of the original sins in editorial design. What is more important? The actual print copy of the ad or the illustrations that accompany it? This time, the designers couldn't seem to agree on anything so they just divided the page in half, plastered some weak copy at the bottom and placed a generic pilot in the upper half and peppered some screenshots in the middle. Not their best effort.

D-Force for SNES print ad copy

D-Force Seek and Destroy!

16-bit high-tech warfare!

You've got the fastest bird to be had, but we're not sure you can handle it. If you succeed, you'll roam six countries on your search for a powerful oil-rich Mid-Eastern Dictator. If you bail like those before you, we'll all be learning a new language soon.

Not your ordinary nuclear chopper!

But we're not looking for your average rocket jockey either. You're in command of the latest Nuclear Apache. And you've got 7 bone-crushing levels to prove yourself. Or rather, protect the American way of life.

Hottest game-pak around!

With selectable weapons, quick zoom, 16 bit Super NES graphics, and the largest available game-pak (8MEGS), we don't want to hear any whining. D-Force utilizes thousands of colors and special shading effects, giving you more than you've ever seen on the NES. It's downright unforgettable!

Can you handle the heat?

You've got the hottest hardware out there. If you think you're quick enough to use it, you're ready for D-Force today!

Asmik Corporation of America

1991 Asmik Corporation of America, 50 N. La Cienega Blvd., Suite 214, Beverly Hills, CA 90211