Game:

Elevator Action Returns (1995)

Duration: 45:01

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Elevator Action Returns, also known as Elevator Action II, is a 1994 run and gun arcade game developed and published by Taito. It is the sequel to Elevator Action (1983), featuring a much more gritty and realistic setting. Returns retains the elevator-based gimmick from the original, but expands the game play system and replaces the spy motif with a new scenario involving a paramilitary team fighting against a terrorist group.

The mostly well-received game was ported to the Sega Saturn and released in Japan only in 1997, and later included in Taito Legends 2 compilation release for the PlayStation 2, Windows, and Xbox in 2006.

The game is controlled with an eight-way joystick and two action buttons (shoot and jump). The objective of the game is to enter all the red-colored doors in each stage and then proceed to the exit.[1] If players miss a door, they will not be allowed to go any further after a certain point. Each player has a health gauge that shows the amount of damage that the playable character is allowed to sustain; when the gauge reaches zero, the player will lose a life. Many additions have also been made to the play mechanics such as four-way scrolling (the original could only scroll vertically), new moves and weapons, multiple characters and a two-player cooperative mode.

The player can uncover items by destroying objects in the scenery such as trash cans, garbage piles, sandbags and crates. There are also blue-colored doors that will give the player a random item through a roulette drawing system. Items include health refills, special firearms, sub-weapons and bonus points. Like in the original game, the player's default weapon is a semi-automatic handgun with unlimited ammunition. However, the player has the option to upgrade to a stronger firearm as well, a missile launcher or an automatic weapon. If the ammo for either weapon runs out, the player will revert to the default handgun. If the player picks up a weapon of the same type, the ammunition of the new weapon is added to the current amount.

The player can use a melee attack instead of firing a weapon. When an enemy is defeated with a close-range attack, the number of points awarded is doubled. The player can also attack enemies with a jumping attack depending on the timing. The player can also throw an explosive (which serves as the character's sub-weapon) by pressing the shoot and jump buttons simultaneously while standing or crouching. The type of explosive used by the player varies depending on the character. The player can use explosives to take down several enemies in a fixed range, allowing players to accumulate more points than by killing them with simple gunfire.

Objects in the environment can also be used to fight enemies. Like in the original game, elevators can be used to crush enemies standing above or below one. There are also oil drums that can be exploded with gunfire. Like the player's sub-weapons, they will leave a trail of fire that will burn off any enemy that comes in contact with it. Enemies that are killed by a trail of fire gives out more points. During the latter half of the game, the player will also have to deal with electric barriers that will harm both players and enemies alike. If an enemy is killed with an electric barrier, the player will be awarded with additional points.