Beat-Them-Up game review: 64th Street - A Detective Story

For my first game review I selected the 1991 "64th Street - A Detective Story". It is a typical Beat-Them-Up and does not add much to the genre.

Graphics - about average. Some effects are present, but since the enemies are just a dozen re-used characters, it leaves mixed impressions.

Sound - hardly any sound effects. Few short music pieces are repeated throughout the whole game. After the first 5 minutes, they become so annoying, they made me turn off the sound.

Gameplay - besides the standard hit and jump, there is just one special move - the throw. It is actually the most enjoyable part of the game, being unpredictable in its outcome. When thrown towards the top of the screen, the enemies may break a window or a wall, as well as drown in the sea.

There are 2 characters available to play with - Rick and Alan. Alan is the better choice, because he hits faster, even though his damage is a bit less. There are a couple of weapons the player can pick up, but they are not very powerful. There is hardly any food to find in the levels and it restores just a bit of your health back.

The biggest problem with this game really are the level bosses. Be prepared to die a lot during the fights with bosses. All of them have some special move, which they use all the time, and it is almost impossible to hit them meanwhile. If they hit your character and he falls, once he stands up again, they are waiting for him and hit him again. And again. That makes the boss fights a miserable experience, where you just hope for it to finish sooner.

Will I keep playing it? Not really. It offers very little in comparison with other games. It would be acceptable, if it was not for the boss fights - they really ruin the whole experience.

Rating - 3/10