Cyber Citizen Shockman

An Exercise in apathy, neither solid nor liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.

On the whole though, while some fun can be had if you really dig in and attempt to learn Shockman with total conviction, it remains the lesser of its series, has aged fairly poorly, and will really only appeal to diehard retro enthusiasts who want to own a piece of gaming history on a modern format.

As a whole, Cyber Citizen Shockman is an excellent side-scrolling platformer that has a few signs of its age, but the core gameplay is timeless.

I would absolutely recommend it to gaming historians who want to see examples of solid pixel art and design during the coin-operated heyday. It’s punishing at times, so hardcore gamers can go off on a lark to try and accomplish it without turning on the cheats. But as an individual set piece, I can’t say I’d want to play it again. Such an obtuse title not being part of my regular rotation should hardly come as a shock, man.

Cyber Citizen Shockman is a gaming museum piece, and a labour of love, but if it's gameplay you want, then track down the far superior sequels.

I wasn’t too impressed with Cyber Citizen Shockman but I’m glad when obscure games get made available to a bigger audience. The movement and jumping just doesn’t feel good to play and because of that I had to resort to using the newly added cheats just to get through it. This can be a decent way to spend an hour or so jumping into the past but I don’t think anyone needs to rush out to play this.

Cyber Citizen Shockman is certainly a relic from the past as it's undeniably dated yet at the same time, I can't stop playing it.

Old-school 2D action game that is showing its age

While people familiar with this old-school PC Engine title may like the nostalgic angle, the “classic” style of play is tough to enjoy

The appeal of Cyber Citizen Shockman is its nostalgia factor. The sights and sounds will take you back to the days of New Coke, Ronald Regan, and gaming on a hardwood floor with your friends that you long since lost touch with. When it comes to an end, older gamers might find themselves feeling wistful for the days they were young and full of potential.