Back in 1983, game developer Taito released a title called Elevator Action into arcades in different areas around the world. It was eventually ported in 1985 to the NES home console and is available currently on the Wii as a Virtual Console Title. 28 years later, Square Enix has remade the classic with new graphics, gameplay and modes all on Sony’s home console.
With the remake offering more than what was available in the original so many years ago, the game has the potential to stand out among the crowd of PSN titles while remaining a great source of nostalgia for old school gamers. But can it tap into this hidden potential? Or does in get thrown down the shaft with all the other attempts at nostalgia? Here are the Hots and Nots of Elevator Action Deluxe.
HOT
Simple And Addicting Gameplay
The general gameplay puts you in the shoes of a spy as he works his way down a building collecting intel as he goes. Along the way you will have to take down waves of baddies with whatever weapons you can get your hands on. In a nutshell, this game sounds really boring. But once you pick the game up and get it started, it is really hard to put down. There is much more to the game than just running and gunning. There is a sort of puzzle element involved in some of the levels that have you plotting your course through the different levels as you go along. You are also on a timer so you can’t take too long to plan it out. This adds for some tension in the final moments of the level as you are sprinting to the exit.
Further adding to the game’s depth is the ability to grab pick ups such as new weapons, armor and bombs. The bombs are great for setting traps and clearing floors while the weapons give you the edge you need to clear a wide number of floors without any effort at all. The simplicity of the controls really works in your favor as well. You move your character and open up doors with the left stick or d-pad, square or circle are your shoot/melee buttons, X is jump and triangle plants your explosives.
Content
Elevator action contains four different modes for you to experience. The first is the single player story mode which has you stopping an evil corporation from unleashing a doomsday device. The second mode is the story but with the added ability to play with a buddy. The third mode is a four player competitive mode that has you all against each other trying to get the highest score. The final part isn’t really a mode but rather the whole original game.
Graphics
For a PSN title that will run you $9.99, the game looks surprisingly good with its redone graphics. The ragdoll animations are also a nice touch to the game as well as the new weapons and such. The physics make the deaths look enjoyable as odd as that is to say. Jumping down an elevator shaft and watching your character flop around is good for the lulz and rarely gets tiring. It is even nice to see the original game in all of its 8-bit glory, not something you see often nowadays.
Sound
The game has some great music and sound effects to go along with the gameplay. The music for starters is really catchy while the sound effects, ranging from gun fire to explosions, make the game that much more enjoyable. I know I made this statement in the previous section but the old school music and sounds from the original are a nice throw back as well.
NOT
No Online Multiplayer
The biggest downside to this game is the lack of online multiplayer. There is an online leaderboard but nothing in the way of player on player action over the network. It would have been nice to be able to play the game with a friend over online either in co-op or competitive but it seems that that feature is missing from this title. Oh well, I guess you can’t have everything in your remakes.
Story
The story has you sneaking through buildings Sam Fisher style to try and stop the bad guys from unleashing a doomsday device upon the world. I mean, I never expected the game as a downloadable title to win any awards for the story, but this is kind of ridiculous. I would have preferred to have the story of the original title, which is none at all. Adding a story to this game kind of felt like desecrating an already good game. Why do we need a story when the gameplay was fine back in 1983 without one?
Verdict
Elevator Action Deluxe is an excellent remake that is well worth the revisit for fans of the original and players looking for a new, fun PSN game alike. The lack of online multiplayer and a shallow story are made up for by excellent gameplay, awesome music and sound effects and the updated new graphics. The addition of the original game is a nice new addition as well. If you played the original game back in the arcades or on the NES years ago, then you should definitely look into getting this title.
