Bio Hazard Battle

Bio-hazard Battle, titled Crying in Japan, is a 1992 2D side-scrolling shoot 'em up released for the Mega Drive/Genesis and for the Sega Mega Play arcade platform.

During G-Biowar I (the first global biowar), a powerful new form of retrovirus was released as a deadly reprisal from the enemy. The viruses unleashed biological forces which couldn't be stopped, leaving the planet filled with new and deadly forms of life.

Only a few survivors remain in suspended animation in O.P. Odysseus, an orbiting platform circling Avaron. The space station's purpose is to keep the surviving humans alive until Avaron is habitable again. The crew of the Odysseus have been frozen in cryogenic tanks for hundreds of years, and now the onboard computer has awakened them.

Computer probes show that conditions on Avaron are hostile but livable. The question is; where can the crew of Odysseus set up a colony? The gameplay involves piloting a Bioship to Avaron, flying over areas which the probes have designated least hostile, ascertaining planetary conditions and, ultimately, finding a new home for the remaining survivors.

The game features a 2D side-scrolling shoot 'em up style of gameplay and the character chosen by the player can be moved in 8 directions by the D-Pad. The player can move, shoot, dodge, and block. To block an enemy projectile, the player must place the power star in the path of the projectile. There is also an array of different weapons at the ships' disposal.

The player will begin with a pre-set number of lives, from 1 to 5, 3 being the default. When a player is hit by a hostile creature or environment, their ship is destroyed and will reappear with one less life. Extra lives are attainable by absorbing 1-UP icons in the various stages, or being awarded 20,000 points without getting Game Over.

The game also features strong usage of deep, bass-heavy music tracks, creative and colorful artwork and foreground and background elements. Despite the many obstacles in the scenery and landscape, the player cannot be harmed or die by bumping into anything other than an enemy or enemy fire. You can die however by being stuck between the screen's edge and a wall. The player travels through eight levels, each one increasing in difficulty, with the last three only being available on the harder difficulties. The game ends showing all four characters flying back into the mothership. A short paragraph explains that the planet Avaron has, for the moment, been saved. "A moment of peace, but who is to say a similar crises will not occur in the future?"