The graphics in this game are very unique and worthy of turning the head of any discriminating gamer. Everything from an outlandish and interesting main character, to the imaginative and deadly enemies, this game is packed. While the colors may look simple at first, you'll quickly realize that it is in this simplicity where the game's graphical genius lies. It's the art of the characters, their drawing, not necessarily their rendering, that'll wow and impress. These flying targets have PERSONALITY, something a lot of enemies in shooters (considering the majority of shooters have you destroying spaceships or planes) lack. That's not to say that other shooters are automatically inferior to Air Zonk for this reason, but it's why this game stands far apart from the standards most shooters adhere to. While there's some objects in the game that make little to no sense in being there (like the glowing green triangles in level 2) the other targets you get to destroy more than make up for these tiny short-comings. How many shooters can you think of that allow you the opportunity to blow away things like tennis players, bags of trash, robot piranhas, flying scooters, robots equipped with soccer balls as weapons, and a boss built around a giant football all in the same game? That's right, not too many. Their deaths aren't fiery and destructive, but rather flashy and sparkly. This is a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. Personally, I find the explosions fitting and satisfying. However, the individuality of this game doesn't stop with the wide and crazy variety of enemies. Allow me to talk about the backgrounds…

   You want backgrounds? Check these out: Scrolls! Layer upon layer of 2D scrolling beauty, making the already awesome backgrounds even better. Sadly, and I want to get this out of the way now, there are only 5 stages to be had in this game. However, the backgrounds go through changes, breaking some stages into 2 or 3 smaller levels, with stage 5 breaking into at least 5 rather long lasting levels. Yeah, the number of stages may seem pretty small, and it is, I won't side-step that. But when you factor in what the stages go through, it stretches the game out, and this is a game that can never be too long (for me anyway) once you experience the amount of fun you can have with it. So how does it play? I'll be glad to explain…

   When you're busy laying waste to everything in sight, you may notice that unlike most shooters, these baddies got quite a few hit points to deal with. Don't panic, the power-ups that come along will help you out just fine, but I'll talk about that a little later. A highpoint of the game-play is the sound. When you shoot things, they emit a little pop/crunch sound as they register hits, and this adds to the feel of the game. It's a satisfying sound, as absurd as it seems to mention things like this. Another high point, and something else I'm particularly fond of this game for is the fact that you and the enemies are rather big. This means you have to be evasive of the enemies, sort of shoot-dodge-shoot again. This keeps you on edge through a lot of the game, and you won't be laying waste to hundreds of enemies as soon as they come on screen (though you may achieve this with the right power-ups). One thing I've found myself guilty of is going out of my way to destroy things, and this has caused an early demise more than anything. But then, there aren't any parts of the game where you're forced to dodge a speeding background, maybe with the exception of the second half of stage 4, but that never gets too annoying. This is a good thing, because again, it keeps your interest focused on the characters. I can't let it go without mentioning that the controls are as tight and responsive as they can be, another mark (and a requirement as I'm sure you'll agree) of a good shooter.

   Now, I'll talk about the power-ups, those aspects which have been known to make or break shooters. You get things like a string of electricity flowing out of your mouth (perfect for pummeling bosses, which are huge and impressive in and of themselves), flying metal fists, boomerang sunglasses, tracking missiles, and that's just to name a few. On top of that, you can have one of Air Zonk's buddies come along to help you. To make it even cooler, you and the buddy can merge, and form a combination that can range from totally devastating to totally ridiculous (Get a load of what I call "Baseball Zonk"; like the Olsen twins, cute but useless). Thankfully, the ridiculous ones are few (and needless to say less effective), but later prove to challenge you to get better with your own skills at the game to better use them. Yes, this game has power-ups out the ass (literally if you count the electric charge, but I'll let you discover that for yourself when you play the game).

   And finally, one of the most important aspects about a video game: the music. Air Zonk's music, as far as hu-cards go, is some of the best. You'll find yourself whistling the tunes during and after playing the game if you're not careful. And even better, since the majority of characters in the game could be considered cute, (And cute isn't always a bad thing, just look at Twinkle Star Sprites and the Magical Drop games for proof) the music is not. The music is fast paced, driven, and fits the moods and scenarios perfect. Just wait 'til you hear the tunes in stage 2, and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.

   So what are you waiting for? If you're a gamer without this game in your collection, start your crusade to find it, and start it soon. And don't let yourself think things like: "Well, I'm not into shooters." Or "It's a 10 year old hu-card, how good can it be?" Air Zonk is so character driven and unique, it constitutes "shooter" only because, well, you shoot everything. But if you have to, think of it as a plat-former with heavy overtones of a shooter, and get it anyway (Is it obvious how much I think you'll like this game?). And as for the age or platform excuse, one word: Hogwash! This game will shine for many years to come, and (as we all know by now) specs or system limitations don't amount to a hill of beans as long as good programmers are making games. And considering the results of these particular programmers, I'd say these guys deserve praise more than my feeble words can express.

   As far as finding it, it won't be easy. I had quite a time finding it for myself (mad props go to mamachop for going above and beyond to help me out in getting this game!), but trust me it's time and money well spent. With great game-play, excellent music, awesome graphics, and a fun-factor that goes through the roof, Air Zonk should not disappoint in any way; other than the fact that it is a tad short, but in the immortal words of Bushwick Bill: "… so bitch you found out the hard way, size ain't shit!" 

   I've heard a lot of bad things about Air Zonk for the Super CD, so for now, all I can recommend is the hu-card, since that is what I own. Good luck in your search, and I hope you enjoy this game as much as I do. I have a feeling you will…

                                       -Lou Gojira-