A 2D platform game for DOS (and hence only PCs), developed and published by Apogee Software in 1993, based on a game engine developed by id Software.
The character you play, Snake Logan, is a CIA operative. Metro City has been taken over, and being destroyed, by monster-like creatures created by "Dr. Mangle", a genetics research scientist, who threatens to release them on other cities if his demands are not met.
Snake is sent to perform recon in his plane by flying over the city, but is shot down (which is pretty obviously what is going to happen, if you think about it) and must fight his way through the monsters and defeat evil Dr. Mangle himself!
The game was seperated into three episodes, "Dr. Mangle's Lab", "The Hidden Lab" and "Master Cain". The first episode of the game, like in almost all Apogee games, was distributed as shareware, while the other two comprised the "registered" version of the game.
Overall, the game is pretty mediocre, and, while fun to play at the time it was released, has not stood up as well to the test of time as many other Apogee games. Do not let this distract you from downloading it and giving it a go, however, as there is much to be said for it - in particular the level of immersion is quite good, with scattered dead police officers, police cars, skeletons and other signs of destruction.
The gameplay, as usual with platform games, simply requires a lot of jumping around, mostly climbing up ladders and jumping onto lifts while attempting to either avoid or shoot the creatures leaping out at you. Other things to watch out for include hidden traps and rockets which jump towards you when you come into their range.
Each episode is seperated into 11 levels, and you normally need an exit key in order to "exit" (ie, finish) each level, which you obtain from a hostage at an earlier point (and you often need a shard of crystal to get to the hostage, again obtained at an earlier point in the level). There are also "normal" keys, which you use to open doors scattered around the levels, containing items which give you "points" and, on one or two levels, the shard you need.
As well as collecting small red gems (which, for every 50 you obtain, will bestow you with a new life), you have "secret level" gems, first aid kits and short-lasting invulnerability potions.
The monsters in the game are pretty much what you'd imagine - you have green sewer-creatures (which I call bogeymen), demon-like creatures which turn into flame and run around (and which cannot be shot while they are running around), goopy things hanging from ceilings dripping some sort of acid, small black balls of fur, and pink slithery things among many others.
And, of course, you have the weapons, which come in two basic types - grenades/land mines (which you throw around and plant, respectively), and special types of bullets for your machine gun (such as super bullets and plasma bullets (which burn large holes in creatures)).
System Requirements: DOS 3.3 or above, 640k of RAM. Joystick and Adlib/Soundblaster supported, but sound effects revert to PC Speaker if necessary.