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- ESWAT: City Under Siege
ESWAT: City Under Siege
Sometimes justice needs jet boots and a flame thrower.
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PRESS START
An Introduction To Today’s Game
Liberty City is burning (no, not that Liberty City), and Duke Oda is the only cop brave enough to walk into the flames.
ESWAT: City Under Siege landed on the Genesis in October 1990.
You start as a regular beat cop with nothing but a pistol and attitude, but if you survive long enough, you earn a power suit loaded with weapons that would make any action hero jealous.
The suit made this game stand out. Character transformations were pretty rare in those days. And when you get the suit in level 3, it was a huge deal to us.
Robocop rip-off? Sure. But we didn't care.
ESWAT isn't subtle, it isn't refined, but it's undeniably fun when it clicks.
BEHIND THE PIXELS
Let’s Dive Into The Game
ESWAT: City Under Siege is a side-scrolling action-platformer where you control Duke Oda, a member of Liberty City's police force tasked with dismantling the terrorist organization known as E.Y.E.
The genre blends run-and-gun shooting with platforming elements, all wrapped in a cyberpunk aesthetic that borrows heavily from RoboCop and other late '80s sci-fi.
Here's the hook: you don't get the cool cyber suit right away. The first two missions play like a standard action game. You've got a basic pistol, realistic jumps that won't let you bounce around like Mario, and limited shooting angles.
You can fire straight ahead or straight up, but forget about diagonal shots or aiming downward. It feels deliberately restrained, almost frustratingly simple.
It’s pretty basic for the time and if the whole game was like this, it probably wouldn’t be as remembered.
Then mission three hits, and everything changes.
Duke earns his ESWAT armor, the ICE Combat Suit, and suddenly you're playing a different game entirely. This suit doesn't just look intimidating, it fundamentally alters how you approach combat.
You've got five weapons you can cycle through on the fly: a powerful gatling gun, homing missiles, a pulse cannon, and the spectacular Fire attack that torches everything on screen in a spinning blaze of glory. Your health bar expands dramatically.
Best of all, you get a jetpack. That jetpack is both your greatest tool and your biggest frustration. Hold the jump button and you can hover across dangerous gaps, navigate vertical sections, and rain death from above.
The problem? It controls like you're piloting a refrigerator with rocket boots. Movement becomes slower and more deliberate when you're suited up, which makes sense thematically but can feel clunky in practice.
You'll need to master that jetpack because later levels demand precise aerial maneuvering through tight spaces filled with enemies and hazards.
Each of the eight missions offers distinct environments.
You'll fight through a prison break, survive a biolab filled with grotesque experiments, chase enemies through a robotics factory, and even endure the dreaded sewer level that somehow doesn't feel like punishment.
The game throws variety at you constantly, from the types of enemies to the visual themes to the boss encounters.
Graphics are sharp for 1990, with detailed character sprites and impressive parallax scrolling that gives depth to the environments.
The soundtrack delivers solid Sega Genesis synth, particularly that boss theme that gets stuck in your head whether you want it there or not.
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GAME INFORMATION
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WHERE TO PLAY
Nintendo Switch Online - Genesis App.
Sega Genesis Classics (Delisted on steam, but available if you already own the collection. Console versions can still be easily found).
Original Copies of the Game (All prices in USD)
Loose: $12
Complete: $29
New/Sealed: $73
COVER ART
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GAME OVER
Why You Should Play This
ESWAT: City Under Siege deserves your attention if you can accept it for what it is: a well-made B-tier action game with big ideas and occasional control hiccups.
The progression from vulnerable rookie to armored powerhouse feels genuinely satisfying, and the variety in level design keeps things interesting across all eight missions.
Yes, the jetpack controls take getting used to. And yes, the pre-suit missions feel basic. But once you're soaring through that factory with your gatling gun blazing and missiles tracking targets, something clicks.
It's not going to replace Gunstar Heroes or Contra: Hard Corps in anyone's top Genesis games list, but it offers a distinct flavor of action-platforming that stands on its own merits.
Sometimes you don't need perfection. Sometimes you just need a power suit and enough firepower to level a city block.
SUPPORT
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RETRO HARDWARE
Miyoo Flip V2 Retro Handheld Game Console
The Miyoo Flip V2 is a tiny clamshell retro handheld that lets you carry a whole library of classic games in your pocket. With a bright screen, solid controls, and the nostalgic flip design we all remember, it’s perfect for quick gaming sessions anywhere. Click the picture to check it out. My readers can use the following code for a 12% discount: NY12
Our merch shop is online! Check out the new designs below.
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