Vectorman

A heap of toxic waste, a robot assembled from green orbs, and planet Earth left to the machines while humanity fled into space. Vectorman from 1995 was a late Mega Drive flagship at a time when everyone was already staring at the incoming next-generation 3D consoles.

Vectorman is a platform shooter in which you control a robot cleaning up planetary garbage. The gameplay combines jumping with constant shooting in all directions; the player collects weapon upgrades and power-ups that transform Vectorman into special forms, from a drill and a car to a bomb. The pace is brisk and the levels are packed with secrets, which rewards curious players.

Technically it was a small miracle. BlueSky Software used a technique of pre-rendered 3D objects, much like the famous Donkey Kong Country on the rival SNES. Vectorman, made up of individual joints and spheres, moved as a result with a fluidity and plasticity rare on the Mega Drive. SEGA cast the game in the role of a technology showcase for what the console could still do.

Culturally, Vectorman belongs to those titles that came out too late to become a mass hit but which the community loved all the more for it. SEGA briefly promoted it as a possible new mascot, but the Mega Drive era was drawing to a close and the character never made a big career. A year later the sequel Vectorman 2 arrived.

Today the game serves as proof of how much power remained hidden in the Mega Drive right up to the very end of its life. Fluid animation, well-crafted level design, and a dark, slightly eco-tinged atmosphere make it one of the console's finest late titles.

Why play: A visually stunning platformer that showcases the technical maximum of the Mega Drive and offers brisk, secret-rich action.