In the first part of this year, MonkeyPaw Games has been releasing a handful of import PSOne titles to download on PS3. Wolf Fang is one of those games, and it’s a classic arcade shooter from the now defunct Data East. Pilot your mech and shoot anything that moves in this 2-D action game for one or two players.

The first thing you’ll do is ‘construct’ your mech. You’ll choose what kinds of long and short range attacks you’ll start out with, as well as what kinds of legs you’ll use to move around. Some are better at moving on the ground and some are better at jumping. Although since this was originally an arcade game, constructing your mech is simple and is more like picking your power-ups when you start in Gradius games. And you can nab power-ups during the game if you want to switch some of your firing weapons around.

Gameplay is simple: shoot anything that moves. You can scoot left and right and jump, as well as shoot and use a limited special attack. While you are mostly limited to moving around on the ground, sometimes you can ‘skate’ along inclined slopes to move up and down as well. Your mech can only take so many hits, though, and on the final hit you’ll just be reduced to controlling the pilot in a jetpack. That’s when you know you’re really in trouble. But don’t worry, you get unlimited continues.

Wolf Fang is very import friendly. While some of the story sections are in Japanese, the option menus and everything else is in English. And it’s a pretty easy game to figure out anyway. Only problem with this game is that it’s a bit short, but there are branching pathways to encourage replay value. If you enjoy shooters from the 90’s such as Metal Slug, you may want to give Wolf Fang a try.

Kid Factor:

As an import title, I don’t think Wolf Fang is rated by the ESRB, but I think it’s OK for any kid to play. Even though it’s a shooter, graphic violence is minimal as you just battle robots and military vehicles that explode when defeated. Reading skill is helpful, but not necessary as it’s easy to figure out just by playing. Limitless continues and a two-player option makes this game great for players of all skill levels to enjoy together.

Tags: Game Reviews