Jim Power in Mutant Planet

The name is Power, Jim Power!

Jim Power In Mutant Planet was released by Loriciel in 1992 where we play as a member of the Special Warfare Unit. These are in charge of the President's personal security, and his daughter was kidnapped by evil beings who infest a Mutant Planet. So it is our mission to kill everything, rescue the girl, and save the day!!

I must admit, I don't recall seeing this advertised back in the day. Did it ever make it across the channel to UK shores? I find it quite flabbergasting that such a platformer is unheard of back in the day (well, to me). I think the 1992 version of myself would have slobbered an Olympic swimming pool's worth of drool over this?

Ah well, let's crack on and take a gander at a cool screenshot with a skeleton...

Check out that skeleton artwork. This game is a looker alright and never fails to impress me!!

I think I love Mr Power!

We begin in a rather funky environment that reminded me a little of Enchanted Land and Flimbo's Quest in both look and style. It's a strange world of whacky colours, creepy vegetation and lots of enemies out looking for blood. At first, I thought this was going to be an easy platformer, but it soon picks up the pace to become quite a challenge. Yes, that's a nice way to say I struggled with the earlier attempts - many times!!

There are a total of 5 levels, with two being shooters and even a few peculiar boss screens:

The platformer parts are the best with a cruel design that feature many pitfalls and near-countless enemies like mutated animals, birds, zombies, spiders and even spitting plants. Each level is absolutely huge with mini-bosses halfway through (dead easy to defeat) and then a mega-boss at the end.

The shoot 'em up levels are weaker by comparison and they involve nothing more than trying to stay alive as you dodge or shoot anything that appears in your line of sight. The scrolling is fast, and the enemies are faster but I feel they took far too many shots to be killed, which meant it felt unbalanced. However, I did enjoy the flappy bird-style part towards the end of level 4 which was a surprise!

He's green... He's angry... The Hulk of Jim Power is here with another cool screenshot...

Press and hold that fire button to unleash your fury and zap everything on-screen!

Gimme a gun and a spare hour

The controls are absolutely incredible and always feel spritely to suit the game style. I love the way you can easily hop from platforms without ever feeling the uncertainty of plummeting to your death because of stodgy mechanics or a sluggish display. Dying allows you to restart from the nearest checkpoint which is a great idea that also grants a few seconds of invincibility - this comes in handy for running past a difficult scene. Trust me, you will love this feature, which is needed more than you know (at least for me!).

Thankfully, we're equipped with a gun that can be also upgraded along the way by collecting the power-ups. Additionally, we have the limited option of using a smart bomb by pressing down the fire button, but these are best left for the bosses or perhaps later trickier scenes that you're struggling with (I used 'em on the bosses). Anyhow, this smart bomb has a fantastic feature - the ability to carry it. Yes, you can carry what is nothing less than a nuclear weapon and release it at the right moment you choose. A devastating skill.

Along with the power-ups, there are bonuses to collect which provide extra help. These can be earned by shooting a floating object or a hidden part of the background. The clock gives extra time, a shield is obvious, and 1Ups are always a relief. Never leave a key behind unless you enjoy the fun of backtracking!

Fancy another screenshot? Of course, you do, so here's one that reminds me of Strider...

The first level is varied and full of traps - it really is a dangerous world out there!

Aesthetics

Loriciel mocks the supposed hardware limitations with lots of colour and smooth-scrolling. Each level looks superb, with stunning landscapes and super-duper sprites - some reminded me of Strider. Throughout, the gameplay is fast and smooth so it puts to shame Psygnosis and their lame excuses. The bosses are ginormous beasts, taking up the entire screen, and sometimes more, so it's impressive how well it performs.

Sadly, I'm miffed that the might Loriciel didn't bother to use the Atari STe enhancements :/

The audio will not dishearten thanks to the amazing talents of Chris Hülsbeck who provides a thumping title tune and stunning in-game chip music. There is the option to hear sound effects only, but I really wouldn't bother with that afterthought. I personally thought they weren't anything close to the boppin' chip music!

That's the unimportant stuff out of the way, and we've just enough time for one more screenshot...

The second level's colours might look odd in a screenshot, but it's much better when playing!

The CryptO'pinion?

Jim Power is excellent, but it's not perfect. Whilst the first level is fantastic, later levels suffer some infuriating mechanics which make them impossible - without extra lives. Sadly, the shoot 'em up stages are rubbish and felt nothing more than a stocking filler. Also, there is no support for the enhanced hardware lurking unused inside the Atari STe which is a shame because this would have been a great opportunity to shine.

As a platformer, it's a hugely immense bundle of fun. Personally, it blows me away how much effort Loriciel devoted to making this platformer as good as possible - this ain't no lame port. Ultimately, ask yourself this - do you want a platformer that is fast, fun and addictive? Guess what, you've got it right here.

Download for Hard drive or Floppy.