Cyber Lip

There was a time, not too long ago, when games came out not based on good ideas, not based on innovation, not based on ingenious forethought, but rather, because games like it in the past sold well. So is the case with Cyber Lip, a game so familiar, that by the end of the game your intellegence isn't even offended by the boss that is two robotic lips.

Given the success of Contra and games like it, SNK's first foray into 2-D sidescrolling alien shooters isn't bad. However, Cyber Lips also doesn't offer anything new. Given this is the first shooter on the Neo Geo I can forgive many of the bad programming aspects, however, one must ask why there is no diagonal shooting? Even years later in Metal Slug they didn't package a diagonal shoot. Fact is, you can only shoot up, down, left, and right, making your gaming experience feel a mono. Especially since Cyber Lip, a game being advertised as one of the first 24 bit games, wasn't able to compete with Earthworm Jim or Gunstar Heroes on "older" machines.

But all in all, the graphics are extremely pretty, and some show a lot of potential for the future of the Neo Geo. There is some depth to the game, as well, including a way to choose your own levels. But the alien invasion story seems old, and some of the bad guys are exact carbon copies of existing Contra bosses. More weaponry and more levels would have gone a long way, and some technique would have been welcome, but as a shooting game Cyber Lip is fun for the 30 minutes it will take you to beat it. However, you will probably never play it again after that. And that says something to me.