Game:

Genocide (1989)

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Genocide is a side-scrolling action game originally developed for the Sharp X68000 by Zoom in 1989. It received a few updates over the years such as a port for the PC Engine CD and a (superior) update for the FM Towns Marty under the name of "Genocide Square" (using a superscript square number) that consisted of remixed versions of both the original Genocide and its sequel, Genocide 2 (which was also released for the X68000 and Super Famicom). The story has a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk theme, where many of the world's inhabitants had withstood agonizing living conditions, overwhelming disparities between the wealth of countries, and war after war. In the year 2121, the world was reaching the breaking point and so all the countries and states joined together in a rare case of non-partisanship to avoid self-destruction, with leading scientists around the world forming together to create a super computer that would create order and regulate the world through a divine plan that would set the world back on the proper path.

Over the course of 50 years, their combined efforts would finally create a computer with a sophisticated central processing unit that was thought to do no wrong, known as the "Magnetic Extrasensory perception System Incorruptible A-class" unit, codenamed "MESIA" (and read as "Messiah" in Katakana). Regulating every major facet of life throughout the world from politics and security to economics, MESIA was thought to be the savior of mankind. Over the years however, MESIA would have detractors who did not favor the path in which it set for man. This opposition of skilled intellectuals, warriors, and scientists, known as the "OROPPAS" (or opposition), would eventually corrupt MESIA and make it become self-aware, where it sought to eradicate all mankind.

In a desperate bid to stop OROPPAS and subdue MESIA, everyone poured their remaining resources into an experimental, high-quality battle armor complete with a sophisticated A.I. known as "Randy", a powerful saber which cuts through nearly anything, and the most skilled pilot that they could elect, Ken Ryugasaki. Now, in the year 2230 AD, you must trudge through towns, jungles, and wasteland defeating mechanical menace, killing mutated creatures, and making your way to MESIA to defeat "The Supreme Guardian". Each level unravels more plot and different characters (mostly scientists and the hot blonde, Maria).

While visually and aurally impressive for its time with great enemy/background details and awesome music (by Hideki Suzuki), Genocide's gameplay is quite simple and rather rough, if primarily for its sluggish play control and fairly cheap enemy movement and placement (which is compounded when enemies are hitting you around like a bumper car, where input response worsens) which was improved at least in the FM Towns version (which also had some different and easier enemies; not sure about the PCECD game). Even in spite of this, the game is fairly addicting and gets better as you slowly inch your way through each level trying to figure out what moves work best to minimize damage and get further.

You have a few basic skills: The ability to do a fast standing short-range slash, a standing medium-range overhead slash, a slow medium-long-range crouching slash, a jumping slash (which you will want to master to stand a chance in the X68000 game), and a high flipping maneuver (ditto on this skill). You occasionally will encounter a few carriers which carry energy pods and, through skillful playing, can gather more than one gauge of health and even deflect bullets with your mecha's saber. You also get a few extra abilities later. To combat this, attacks will come from everywhere and rapidly drain your health if you're not paying attention for more than a second.

This is a video of the game in action. Enjoy.