M.I.A.: Missing in Action (Arcade) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
192A playthrough of Konami's 1989 run-and-gun arcade shooter, M.I.A.: Missing in Action.
Played through on the machine's default settings.
While not a direct sequel, M.I.A.: Missing in Action is something of a follow-up to Konami 1985 arcade hit Green Beret, which was also known as Rush'n Attack for its 1987 NES release (https://youtu.be/STjMHqeF3R0 ).
With its Japanese promo materials plastering the tagline "Futatabi, Betonamuhe" (lit. 'Again, to Vietnam') in a typeface nearly as large as the title, MIA doesn't hesitate to take full advantage of the Cold War-hype that fueled a decade's worth of Hollywood action hits. Following in the footsteps of Rambo: First Blood Part II, and more directly, Chuck Norris's "Missing in Action," the game has you playing as a battle-hardened soldier who, initially equipped with only a hunting knife, has to battle through endless waves of Vietkong troops to save the POWs that were left behind when the US pulled out of the war.
MIA doesn't do much to deviate from the gameplay we saw in Rush'n Attack, though at least its American name is a bit less ridiculous this time. I'm half-surprised they didn't go with "Viet-bomb," "Sigh, Gone Blues" or some other cringe-inducing word play.
There are six stages in total, and you begin each with nothing but your knife. The enemies immediately start running at you in droves, and you have to stab, maim, and dismember your way through to the end. Just like in the original game, killing guys in red uniforms will give you extra weapons (like grenades, a flamethrower, a rocket launcher, a rifle...), only now you can carry multiple weapons in reserve, and you can cycle through them and use any at will. Otherwise, you still come up against guys with guns, guys firing mortars, and attack dogs. The gameplay remains pretty much the same.
The stage layouts have been upgraded a bit, though. The areas are much taller and more multi-tiered this time, allowing you to chose your own path through the stage. If you tire of the trucks and the mortar fire, you can look for ladders that lead down into tight underground passages, which gives MIA an unexpectedly large boost to its replayability.
The final stage can be a real test of patience, though. Once you've freed the POWs in stage five, you've got to safely escort them to the helicopter for extraction. You begin the stage with three POWs in tow, but they're slow and extremely vulnerable. If all three are killed before you can escape, you don't just lose a life - it's game over. Finishing with at least one will allow you to see the short ending sequence before the game begins the next loop.
I really liked the game, overall. It feels awfully simple for a game from 1989 running on the same hardware as the Ninja Turtles game did, but the graphics and sounds have seen some solid upgrades, and the gameplay is just as manically addictive as it was in Green Beret, as well as being a fair bit less frustrating. There's nothing Earth-shattering about M.I.A.: Missing in Action, but just like the movies it draws so much inspiration from, it'll only take you a quick glance to determine whether or not it's your type of game.
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!