Why Decap Attack is an underrated classic

Video games new and old have always been known throughout the years to come at a balance in their libraries of having memorable titles, great games that went under the radar, or just games that tried to stand out as being different and getting a mixed reception. As far as mixed receptions go though, you never truly knew what a game was like when gaming magazines had their own opinions that were different from your own. Maybe a game that was otherwise panned could be a great one, who knows?

Decap Attack has always been known as one of those "weird cousins" of the Sega Genesis, being that it was a good game to some, and not so good to others. But growing up with the system there was just a kind of charm that it had that made it fun to come back to.

One of the first aspects was the setting, for a game in 1991 it gave off a retro-vibe of how some levels looked, cloudy skies, sunset-like horizons, and lands with palm trees made from skulls and bones, it truly feels like a late 1980s/early 1990s cartoon with a spooky theme to it.

In the game you play as a headless mummy known as Chuck D. Head, created by a mad scientist named Dr. Frank N. Stein, tasking him to go after and defeat a demon of the underworld calling himself Max D. Cap, this humongous fat demon with a dopey looking face.

As for the gameplay, you control Chuck through run and jump platforming stages named after skeleton bones, like Abdomainland, and you'll be using Chuck's own face in his chest for damaging enemies, alongside using a skull power up that acts like a boomerang. Aside from that there were also potions you could find scattered around the levels givivng different effects, like temporary invincibility, or higher jumps.

One nitpick the critics had about the game was that for each third act of a world you had to go to, you were required to find a specific key item before fighting the boss there. A couple of the early worlds have them being easy to find, but later on will require  much backtracking to accomplish, with the respawning enemies making it seem like more of a chore to do.

Did you know? The European Sonic the Hedgehog comics featured its own Decap Attack comics which ran from 1993 all the way up to 2012 featuring familiar characters, and some zany humor!

The bosses also had their own unique style to them, from a tribal leader, to an enormous toad and even a yeti, all with their own strategies to defeat them. Once you get the hang of the controls, like using the float jump, swinging on poles, defeating enemies and using the potions sparingly, the game should be a cakewalk, especially with the lives you can win in the bonus game.

The game's soundtrack is especially haunting but fun, and reasonably fitting for the game's setting. In retrospect, it was always fun coming back to this game every October as it fith the theme of October very well. Honestly a few of the tracks in the game have some good bops.

Overall, the game can sometimes be overlooked, despite some rereleases in the form of ports, but I highly recommend playing it if you're a fan of games with spooky settings. It's among one of my personal favorites of the Sega Genesis, and I still come back to it often.

Do you have memories playing Decap Attack? Leave a comment and as always, see you next article!