FZ Senki Axis

Description

You play as a member of an elite mecha squad. Different selectable players have their own weapon types and movement speeds. This idea of character variation was fairly novel for a top-down shooter at the time. Despite this the gameplay itself remains pretty stiff and methodical. Movement is slow and deliberate, especially when compared to twitchier, more fluid action games like Smash TV or Mercs, which released around the same period.

The mech designs are cool in concept but somewhat flat in execution, and the environments are sparse. Musically, though, it has some solid tracks—particularly impressive if you’re familiar with the composer, Motoi Sakuraba, who went on to score series like Tales, Star Ocean, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Golden Sun, and Dark Souls. His style shines through in places, adding flair to otherwise repetitive levels.

Compared to other early Mega Drive shooters like Gain Ground or Herzog Zwei, FZ Senki Axis feels like an awkward bridge between PC tactical shooters and more arcade-style action games. It doesn’t quite hit the polish or pacing of its contemporaries, but it has a certain charm, especially if you’re into anime-style mecha and are curious about early Wolf Team output.