Vectorman 1 & 2

When Nintendo dazzled the world with the pre-rendered graphics of Donkey Kong Country, Sega did not fall behind — and its answer was Vectorman, a technical showpiece that squeezed everything it could out of the Mega Drive.

The hero is a robot composed of pre-rendered, glossy spheres whose 3D look was strikingly, even unexpectedly, effective on a 16-bit console. This „claymation“ style was a direct effort to keep pace with the competition at a time when the era of 32-bit machines was already knocking at the door.

In gameplay terms it is a brisk combination of run & gun and platformer. Vectorman shoots in all directions, jumps and, moreover, can transform into various forms — from a sphere into a drill, into a car and others — which spices up both the combat and traversal of levels. The pace is fast and the action satisfying.

The second game followed up with further ideas and improvements, and together the two games form one of the console's last great technical flagships, with which Sega tried to show that the old hardware still had something to offer.

Today Vectorman radiates the charm of an era when consoles competed with graphical trump cards — and as brisk action shooters they hold up even without nostalgia.

Why play: Technically impressive run & gun action with hero transformations — a late flagship of the Mega Drive that still entertains.