Whilst their games have had some pros and cons, the one thing that stands out about this development house for me, and keeps me extremely interested in their upcoming releases, is that they have an uncanny ability to hone in on game genres that felt under-realised on Sega’s best* home console system, as well as having the ability to make the audio shine.
There are a handful of developer/publishers that release titles for the Mega Drive – and I genuinely adore them all – but Kai Magazine Software seems to have a little niche in that the games they create aren’t the typical sort that you’d find on the MD, and in doing so, have that frisson that brings the system alive.
As usual, Kai Magazine Software deliver the goods (quite literally) as the delivery turned up in pristine condition, very well packaged. Death & Lead comes with a reversible cover that features the early MD ‘chequerboard’ style as well as the latter blue spine vibe. Inside are a couple of art cards that feature postcard-sized, Kai Magazine Software-backed illustrations of both the front cover of the game as well as a sepia image of the three main characters, which works really well as a retro-postcard. Along with this is a full-colour instruction booklet that breaks down the characters, controls, enemies and tips ‘n tricks of the game, an absolutely solid physical release.
As to the game itself, this is a game that very much takes advantage of the signature sound chip that Kai Magazine Software utilised in their previous title The Secret of the Four Winds, with the exception that this time around it’s not a cyberpunk/anime intro...but an anime/western vibe.
As usual, Kai Magazine Software deliver the goods (quite literally) as the delivery turned up in pristine condition, very well packaged. Death & Lead comes with a reversible cover that features the early MD ‘chequerboard’ style as well as the latter blue spine vibe. Inside are a couple of art cards that feature postcard-sized, Kai Magazine Software-backed illustrations of both the front cover of the game as well as a sepia image of the three main characters, which works really well as a retro-postcard. Along with this is a full-colour instruction booklet that breaks down the characters, controls, enemies and tips ‘n tricks of the game, an absolutely solid physical release.
As to the game itself, this is a game that very much takes advantage of the signature sound chip that Kai Magazine Software utilised in their previous title The Secret of the Four Winds, with the exception that this time around it’s not a cyberpunk/anime intro...but an anime/western vibe.
The voice acting is superb and far beyond anything you’d expect from the system. The music is also seemingly CD quality; and the dusty strums, and reverb-laden guitar notes really set the scene, again above and beyond the audio quality that a typical MD gamer would be used to.
The game features multiplayer and is split into two stage types, a Cabal/Dynamite Duke-esque side-scrolling, over-the-shoulder gun-play section, in which environmental items hold health kits and power-ups, and more typical, side-scrolling NARC-ey sections whereby the game world opens up to a 2.5D style and has you blasting and punching away at enemies.
Whilst the game has incredible strengths in its smoothness, audio glory (genuinely, Kai Magazine Software make the best-sounding MD games, it’s unreal), and basics – the fact that this puts a twist on the genres that it utilises, as in it moves seamlessly from a gallery shooter through to a 2.5D ranged-brawler, the lack of variation in the enemies echoes in a way the sense of sheer grind that plagued their previous release The Secret of The Four Winds.
The game features multiplayer and is split into two stage types, a Cabal/Dynamite Duke-esque side-scrolling, over-the-shoulder gun-play section, in which environmental items hold health kits and power-ups, and more typical, side-scrolling NARC-ey sections whereby the game world opens up to a 2.5D style and has you blasting and punching away at enemies.
Whilst the game has incredible strengths in its smoothness, audio glory (genuinely, Kai Magazine Software make the best-sounding MD games, it’s unreal), and basics – the fact that this puts a twist on the genres that it utilises, as in it moves seamlessly from a gallery shooter through to a 2.5D ranged-brawler, the lack of variation in the enemies echoes in a way the sense of sheer grind that plagued their previous release The Secret of The Four Winds.
SUMMARY
Death & Lead is a game that will no doubt please Mega Drive collectors with the strength of its physical release; visuals, and audio - but whilst the game makes a great first impression, the lack of variety in the fundamentals that make up the game – if more time was spent on this – it would have made a world of difference.
That said, in terms of visuals and audio – Kai Magazine Software are genuinely in world of their own in this realm, let’s just hope that the game play steps up and meets the visuals and audio at the plate for their next release.
*well, my favourite, at least
*well, my favourite, at least
7/10
Developer – Kai Magazine Software
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