[Dreamcast] Under Defeat

• Under Defeat
• Dreamcast
• 2006
• Top down vertical shooter

Under Defeat was one of the very last commercial releases for the Dreamcast - made well after the machine had officially been discontinued. I bought my copy from Play-Asia as soon as it came in to stock back in late 2006. It's now quite sought after. There were two versions of the release; the limited edition one like I have with a bonus Audio CD, as well as another which just had the game disc.

Visuals

The game has multiple video modes available, including a rotated tate mode. The normal display modes have a vertically letterboxed playfield with artwork either side. In tate mode these are replaced with a full-frame display.

The visuals are really nice and extremely clear in 480p mode although on the small side when not in tate mode.

Audio

Sound effects are good, although there is the usual problem of distortion when there are a lot of explosions going on - the usual problem of most Dreamcast games using samples that are overly amplified.

Control

A fairly unique rotating mechanic is used in the game to allow your helicopter to pivot slightly as it moves, or to lock it into position and strafe. It's not a massive amount of movement; probably no more than 30 degrees, but it works okay and seperates the game from the multitude of other vertical shooters on the system.

Footage

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