G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra review

There has certainly been an explosion of belt scrolling arcade beat ‘em ups over the past few years. It is almost like being transported back to the early 90s, where every arcade cabinet seemed to house one of the blighters. As with back then, the quality of the latter day efforts is distinctly hit and miss. For every Shredder’s Revenge, Final Vendetta, or Streets of Rage 4 there are also titles like the recent Karate Kid tie-in.

My theory is that this type of game needs to retain the same appeal to the player that it would have held if you were entering an arcade back in the day and parting with your coins. It needs to be fun, playable and with a challenge level that makes it both compulsive and value for money. Having a good theme or license certainly helps, too.

G.I Joe: Wrath of Cobra does a bloody good job of falling into my theoretical category. It has a recognisable, beloved license – even if most UK folk of a certain vintage may be more au fait with Action Force – but Stateside, Joe is a big deal and a toy line that many kids will have spent formative years playing with. Hell, at one point one of the characters was portrayed by legendary wrestler, Sgt Slaughter. What is not to love? The best thing about the way the GI Joe universe has been harnessed in Wrath of the Cobra is that it doesn’t take itself seriously, and is at times absolutely hoot-worthy in its pro-U.S.A cartoon bombast and the ridiculous comic book evil of its baddies. The introductory sequence is a guitar shredding slice of Team America-level bombast, and I was laughing out loud at one of the vignettes that sets up the action. It features Cobra Commander and Destro sitting down to discuss their plans for world domination, bizarrely over a chicken dinner. Of course, the Commander doesn’t remove his mask.

The game is very reminiscent of the Konami Ninja Turtles and X-Men arcades, as you select one of four characters and take on an army of Cobra robotic clones, who become incrementally more powerful and diverse the further you get through the stages. The initial quartet consists of Duke, Roadblock, Scarlett and iconic ninja Snake Eyes, but you can also unlock two secret characters using the collectable in-game currency of floppy discs which are picked up when you defeat enemies. Each of the characters have their own distinct identities, attack and movement range, and special moves. You build up a bar when you attack and when you hear a satisfying “ching”, you can unleash hell on the battlefield. Some of these are pretty standard; Duke’s special just makes everything explode, but Snake Eyes has the most useful and novel one. In G.I Joe lore, before being selected to join the crack unit, our pal Eyes was living a life of strict self-denial and seclusion up in the mountains with his pet wolf named Timber. Pulling the right trigger summons Timber who will repeatedly attack enemies – particularly useful during some boss encounters.

Moves wise you get your standard light and heavy attacks, can run with a double tap of the stick, and have a block button as well as a useful sidestep which comes in handy during times when enemies are discharging firearms in your pathway. You can pick up and use guns, for a limited time, and throw them once the ammo is spent. You can also stun enemies and throw their prone bodies at their comrades. There are tons of enemies and they can swarm on you in huge numbers. Use of the block is key to success, as well as keeping an eye on your special gauge to employ it at the most opportune time. There is a pleasing diversity to the enemies and the stages, and some great boss encounters and set pieces that fans of the source material will lap up. The one thing about Wrath of Cobra that I did find a bit disappointing was the lack of a grab or command throw function which I think it sorely lacks to take it to the next level. That said, I still had a hell of a lot of fun with it, and there is plenty of replay value, too.

The unlockables are so good, in fact, that I wonder why more games of this ilk don’t do the same. As well as two new G.I Bros to purchase, there are some genuinely intriguing game modifiers and new modes to unlock. Boss Rush and Arcade are par for the course, but other stuff like randomising enemy grunts, or even switching the order of boss encounters in the main game? I like that. You will have to kill a hell of a lot of Cobra henchmen to get these rewards, but it sure is worth it.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is a good-looking, great sounding slice of old school action that fans of the franchise, and indeed classic scrolling fighters, will really enjoy. It is like taking a step back in time, without having to pester your mum and dad for their loose change. It is also almost certainly the best use of the Hasbro license since Konami’s slept-on 1992 Joe arcade game.