QUByte Interactive and Piko are back with another retro re-release on modern consoles! This time its a collection of Zero Tolerance which was originally released way back in 1994 on the Sega Megadrive (or Genesis for you Americans out there). Zero Tolerance was one of the very few first-person shooters to ever grace the 16-bit console so I was really looking forward to jumping in and see how fps games of the time played and held up today.
Zero Tolerance was originally developed by Technopop, who were the first independent American developer on the Sega Megadrive. They didn't make a lot of games but one other of note would be The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin on the Megadrive/SegaCD.
The plot of Zero Tolerance is set in the future, with mankind colonizing the solar system and defending it with a interstellar military conglomerate named the Planet Defense Corps. When they are attacked they call in Zero Tolerance, the elite strike squad of commandos to save the day!
The original game features over 40 levels covering three separate areas to explore. These areas include a space warship, and abandoned merchant freighter and the central command building of the Planet Defense Corps. You work your way through these levels by killing all the enemies in the area and proceeding to the exit. The game gives you the choice of 5 specially trained elite squad members to play as. Each of them has their own unique skills and weapons you can utilise. If one of these characters is killed they are marked as deceased and you need to choose another character. If all five die then it is game over! There is a counter on the side of the screen stating how many enemies are still alive, with a map on the bottom of the screen showing the area in your immediate vicinity and if you pause the game your able to view a map of the entire area you're in.
The collection itself contains 3 separate experiences to play through. When you boot up the game you have access to the original Zero Tolerance as well as Zero Tolerance Underground, the latter being an unreleased sequel. Once you complete either of these you also unlock an unreleased prototype called Zero Tolerance Beyond. I love when developers create these packages and take the time and care to include unreleased/unfinished things, so we as gamers get a chance to experience things that could have been lost to the sands of time. Its a huge win for game preservation! Other additions to the collection include the ability of 5 states slots per game (which is so much more enjoyable then having to complete the game in a single sitting) and a variety of filters/screen types that enable you to have the graphical output that most suites your retro needs!
Overall this is a great retro re-release collection. There's alot of content on offer and the addition of the unreleased games is a great touch. Your mileage and enjoyment will depend on how you perceive these retro games, I for one love that they are getting a new lease of life and understand they are built around the limitations of 16-Bit consoles. There's a reason there was only a handful of first-person shooters released on the Megadrive, but if you can look past the clunkiness you're getting a fantastic shot of nostalgia.
TOTAL SCORE: 8/10
QUByte Classics: Zero Tolerance Collection was released onto the Xbox store on the 7th July 2022. The game is priced at £8.39 and is playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S you can purchase it HERE. The game is also available on other consoles.
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