Act-Fancer

• Release Date: 1989
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Platform Shooter

Game Description

In Act-Fancer, players take control of a cybernetic-organic creature that can evolve into different forms. Starting from the default evolution form, players can evolve up the creature's evolutionary ladder by killing certain enemy units and collecting the floating blue orbs that they leave behind. Evolving increases the creature's size and damage potential and also changes the creature's attack pattern. Each evolution stage lasts for a certain amount of time, after which the creature reverts to the next lowest stage of evolution. The evolution stage time can be extended by collecting the red orbs that enemies occasionally leave behind.

In addition to shooting and jumping, the creature also has the ability to glide by spreading its wing appendages. By pressing up on the joystick during a jump, players can extend their hangtime, allowing them to glide some distance to higher ledges that would normally be inaccessible. Gliding can also be used as an evasion maneuver, to stay above grounded enemies while shooting them from above.

The effect of being hit by an enemy unit depends on the creature's current evolution level. If the creature is one or more steps evolved then it will take on the basic form, which is one stage below the initial evolution stage that players start with. Taking another hit in this form results in death, after which players must restart the level from the beginning.

Roots & Influences

Act-Fancer: Cybernetick Hyper Weapon is a platform shooter in the tradition of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros, but with a different power-up scheme.