So here's some exciting news! Retro-Bit Publishing just announced that they will be releasing a limited-edition cartridge of Assault Suits Valken for the Super NES. If that name doesn't ring a bell, it might be because it was released in the United States and Europe under the much more menacing name Cybernator. This brand-new release will finally give Western gamers the unedited and completely uncensored version of the game for the first time. And best of all, there's going to be a Deluxe box set edition that comes with a commemorative coin, Soundbytes keychain, celebratory acrylic stand and more. Pre-orders are open right now for both the Collector's Cartridge and the Deluxe Edition box set.

All this talk about Assault Suits Valken got me wondering what the critics said back when it was called Cybernator. To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Die Hard Game Fan, GamePro and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when this game first came out. So, get cozy in one of those assault suits, because this is going to be an action-packed episode of Retro-Bit Review Crew!


By 1993, Konami had already made a name for themselves with high-quality action game franchises like Contra and Gradius, shoot ‘em ups that raised the bar in their respective categories. With Contra III: The Alien Wars already showing off what Konami could do with Nintendo's 16-bit hardware, all eyes were on Cybernator to continue to set the standards for all side-scrolling action games. A localization of the Japanese game Assault Suits Valken, Cybernator was a lot more story-driven than your typical shooters, something that made it stand out in the early 1990s. Sure, it had the usual mech action and outer space shooting, but it also had political intrigue and chatty characters that helped flesh out what could have been yet another two-dimensional story. The result was another winner for Konami, as you'll see from these 1993 reviews.

We should probably start with Die Hard Game Fan, which was one of Konami's biggest cheerleaders at the time. Brody ended up giving Cybernator a score of 99%, arguing that “Konami has maxed out the Super NES this time. Coming close to perfection from the graphics to the music, nothing was overlooked. It's like playing a movie with a full musical soundtrack and an intense story line that keeps you on the edge of your seat.” Skid also loved the game, saying that it's “definitely one of the best games for the big SNES. Konami's just too good, maybe they'll let me move in.” Die Hard Game Fan gave Cybernator an average score of 98%.

You also saw high scores from Nintendo Magazine System, who gave it a 94%. Super Play was nearly as high, going with a 91%, just enough to earn it a spot as the magazine's 33rd best-reviewed game of all time. And then there's GamePro, which gave it a perfect 5 out of 5. They called it rust proof: “There's no slowdown or glitchy sprite behavior. The gameplay is smooth and on target, and the control of the character is inhibited only by your reflexes. If your thumbs are up to the challenge, Cybernator delivers. It pulls you into its steely world and keeps you hooked until unleaded gas everywhere is free from enemy hands. This cart definitely deserves a metal.”

While most critics loved Cybernator, not all of them were ready to give it perfect (or near-perfect) scores. For example, Computer + Video Games gave it an 88% in their 136th issue, while Super NES Buyer's Guide went with an 8.7 out of 10. Game Informer went slightly lower, giving the game an 8.5 out of 10. Surprisingly, Electronic Gaming Monthly was oddly consistent with their scores, giving Cybernator an average score of 8 out of 10. That's right, everybody gave it an 8. Steve explained that “this game is a Super NES update of the Genesis classic Target: Earth. But the game designers have done more than simply add new detail to the graphics. Many aspects of the game play have also been enhanced to create a game with plenty of technique to compliment the great graphics.” Fake ninja Sushi-X also liked the game, raving that “The Super NES really shows its stuff in this game. The soundtrack is really kickin', and it's easy to get lost in the beat. Graphically, it uses astounding detail and colors. The mode 7 explosions need work, however, and the control is a little choppy at first.”

If you're looking for low scores, you're not going to find very many. Video Games & Computer Entertainment wasn't as wowed as the rest of the magazines, but I wouldn't call 7.4 out of 10 a low score by any means. That's also what you saw from Nintendo Power, which gave Cybernator a score of 3.7 out of 5. They liked the “great graphics, excellent control and non-stop action,” though had a paragraph full of complaints: “It isn't always clear if an enemy is taking damage, which means you can waste a lot of time trying to waste invincible objects. The power punch attack puts your Cybernator in an awkward and hard-to-defend position.”

Honestly, I've been playing a lot of Assault Suits Valken in the lead-up to this announcement, and neither of those complaints stood out to me. What I was struck by were the inventive level designs, the explosive action and the story, which will finally be unedited and uncensored with the upcoming Retro-Bit cartridge. This is, in my opinion, one of the best action games of the 16-bit generation, and I'm so excited that we're able to pre-order the game as both a limited-edition collector's cartridge and a deluxe edition box set.