Platform: SNES
Developer: Argonaut Software
Released: 1994 (1995 for PAL regions)

Remember the Super FX Chip? It was developed by Argonaut Software and used to process 3D graphics in SNES games. Chances are you’ve heard of Star Fox (renamed Starwing in Australia), a co-development between Argonaut and Nintendo and the first game to use the Chip. What you may not have heard is that Argonaut went on to develop a lesser-known, though arguably more impressive game called Vortex.

Vortex is a game where you pilot the Morphing Battle System, a transforming vehicle with four modes: Walker (giant robot), Sonic Jet (plane), Land Burner (car) and Hard Shell (pretty much what it says). Each mode had its own strengths and weaknesses which you had to take advantage of in order to succeed. The Walker, for example, had access to four different kinds of ammo- homing missiles, rockets, cannon and laser- and you could equip two at a time. The Sonic Jet could only use cannon or laser shots, but made up for it with its ability to fly really fast. The Land Burner was similar to the Jet, except it drove along the ground so it used less fuel. Finally, the Hard Shell was the slowest mode and couldn’t use any ammo, but it didn’t lose any energy (it lost fuel instead when damaged) and had a special weapon of its own- the screen-clearing Electrobomb. The MBS had an energy bar and a fuel bar and was destroyed if either one ran out (but fuel recharged over time), so you had to take advantage of each mode’s unique attributes to prevent that from happening.

There were two main gameplay modes in Vortex. The first would be referred to as ‘All-Range Mode’ by anyone who’s played Lylat Wars. What this means is that you could move about in any direction, completing objectives and shooting anything that moves. It gave you the freedom to strategise and really unlock the full potential of the MBS. For example, you could use the Jet or Burner mode to reach an objective quickly while dodging enemy fire, switch to Shell mode to defend against enemy fire, then switch to Walker mode to counter-attack. Or you could stay in Jet or Burner mode and use your speed to evade enemies while shooting. Or you could be more cautious and move through the map slowly in Shell or Walker mode, ready to counter any enemies. The possibilities seemed endless.

The second gameplay mode was the ‘on-rails’ stages, where you’re on a fixed path. Two of them were set in space and had a real Star Fox vibe, but Vortex had some other tricks up its sleeve. There was one particular stage where you had to navigate a narrow pathway within a certain time limit, but the gravity in this stage was so high that the Sonic Jet would run out of fuel in seconds. This meant you had to race down the pathway in Land Burner mode, jumping over gaps and shooting things in what ended up being a pretty fun stage. A similar stage, set on a water planet, had you following a narrow, winding path, but there was no time limit so you could take your time and use whichever modes you wanted. Technically, these were All-Range Mode stages, but it was the level design that kept you on a fixed path rather than invisible walls, so they had a different feel to them.

Vortex was an amazing technical achievement, but it also delivered in the gameplay stakes. The wide range of weapons and abilities kept the game interesting and varied, and even by today’s standards it’s really challenging. It’s also really short, but it’s fun while it lasts.