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Earth of the future isn't exactly a pretty place by any stretch of the imagination. The evil King Crimson has arrived with a few alien-planet-conquering battlecruisers in tow. All of the planet's major capitals are systematically destroyed and Crimson rules, putting down rebellion with the aid of his possessed robotic army and crazed followers.

Only one pocket of resistance remains: the elite Midnight Resistance team, dedicated to freedom and justice for all (hurrah!). The only problem is that most of them have been kidnapped and only two members remain! One of them is your Jeep-driving blonde chum and the other is you (a hardened mercenary-type).

It's your job to infiltrate Crimson's metallic domain, pinching his power-ups and weaponry, and laying waste to all of Crimson's cronies. Destruction of Crimson's terrifying regime would mean an end to alien oppression and a tearful reunion with the rest of the midnight resistance. Don't you just love a happy ending?

Midnight Resistance is split into nine danger-packed stages, each guarded by a full complement of Crimson Crops troops!

1. Level One Simply blast away at the enemy base's foyer and dispose of the garrison of troops to gain access to the first armoury.

2. Level Two A massive tank and lethal gun emplacements are the main cause of worry here before our hero stocks up at the next armoury.

3. Level Three This forest level is infested with Corps troops and massive laser emplacements! A massive laser-spewing mechanical machine is your worst enemy here.

4. Level Four Massive tanks bristling with lasers attack in this rocky level, with aid from Crimson's dastardly flying aces.

5. Level Five Inside Crimson's base. Watch out for the helicopter gunships flying about - they mean business!

6. Level Six The rock walls peel away to reveal some formidable resistance-crushing hardware! Crimson himself taunts you by parading his prisoners on a nearby monitor. The cad!

7. Level Seven A by-the-seaside jaunt turns ugly as a vast battleship arrives to blast you to oblivion! The shortest level of them all.

8. Level Eight A fiery terrain provides a lethal fire-spitting snake as your next opponent. Destroy that and all the hostages can be rescued! Hurrah!

9. Level Nine The final confrontation with King Crimson!

Data East's coin-op is quite an impressive scrolling shoot-'em-up that's much the same as this conversion, bar two factors. First of all, the coin-op had the facility to accommodate two players, and this made for some very interesting gameplay - especially when it came to collecting keys and power-ups!

The other difference was the Ikari Warriors-style swivelling gun control. This made it possible to run in one direction and fire in another. This Megadrive conversion has four different control methods, the best being the use of the B button to freeze your gun position while you can run and jump in any other.

1. Nitro: Flames spread in eight directions from the top of the screen. Pretty feeble.

2. Homing Missiles: Wave goodbye to those aiming blues with these homing missiles. Eight are fired at once, and 50 charges are supplied as standard.

1. Shot-Gun
   Doesn't fire many bullets - but they're very powerful as the explosions it causes demonstrate!
2. Fire
   The most powerful weapon, torching arnything vaguely alien-looking! The natural choice for pyromaniacs - but watch out, its range is pretty limited.
3. Full-Auto
   The natural power-up from your standard issue assault rifle. Powerful, with a long range too.
4. 3-Way
   Just as powerful as your bog-standard rifle, but fires in three directions. Cor!

I didn't think must of the coin-op, but strangely enough, I really like this Megadrive conversion. I think it must have something to do with the instantly accessible and addictive gameplay and the varied power-up weaponry on offer.

It's just great to play, with plenty of goons to blast into next week and some huge enemy hardware to blow up - my kind of fun! The control method takes a while to get the best out of, but a few minutes' practice reaps plenty of rewards and our commando hero proves to be just as athletic and mobile as his coin-op counterpart.

I must mention the music - it's great! Superb, hummable tunes accompany the blasting action, and you'll wish the explosive effects are quieter so you can hear the music more clearly! I strongly recommend this to anyone after a good blast.

Once you've got to grips with the rather awkward control method, there's a really decent blasting experience to be enjoyed here. The game is massive, with very long and varied levels packed full of enemy soldiers and machinery just waiting to make mincemeat out of you!

It's challenging too (as long as you don't pick the "easy" level, which lets you finish the game very quickly and doesn't give full value for money). Play it on the normal level (or the two higher skill levels) for a real action-packed mission that you won't complete overnight.

The graphcis vary in quality from excellent to a bit ropey, but the sound effects and music maintain a very high quality throughout the game. If you're a shoot-'em-up fan who's after a blasting game featuring something other than spaceships, Midnight Resistance is highly recommended - just remember not to play it on the "easy" setting!

Presentation 88%
Nice intro screens and loads of options to fiddle about with.

Graphics 82%
A bit rough in places, but mostly good.

Sound 93%
Fabulous, pulse-racing soundtracks accompany the action perfectly!

Playability 87%
The blasting action is addictive from the word go...

Lastability 83%
...with four skill levels and nine levels to wade through!

Overall 84%
A decent blaster and an excellent conversion. Shoot-'em-up fans should have a look.