Assault Heroes

Wanako Games

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	Chile
Products	Assault Heroes

Assault Heroes is a top-down, arcade-style shooter crafted by Wanako Games. Players navigate 4x4 vehicles, speedboats, or proceed on foot to engage hostile forces. The game offers both single-player and cooperative modes for two players, available online and offline.

Initially launched on December 13, 2006, as an Xbox Live Arcade title, Assault Heroes was later included in the Arcade Hits collection on March 19, 2008, accompanied by a price cut. A retail version for Microsoft Windows was released on October 23, 2007, followed by a PlayStation 3 edition published by Konami in the US through the PlayStation Network on January 28, 2010.

Story

Developed mainly for Xbox Live Arcade, Assault Heroes features a minimalistic storyline. Players take on the role of the last surviving member of an elite unit assigned to locate and destroy a covert enemy laboratory before escaping.

Gameplay

The title consists of five progressively difficult stages similar in style to the 1987 game Time Soldiers. Each stage presents numerous foes and several "bosses" that must be defeated to proceed. Movement is controlled with the left thumbstick while aiming and firing are handled with the right thumbstick (on Xbox 360 & PS3). Players evade enemy fire while utilizing three main weapons:

• Minigun – rapid-fire machine gun
• Flak cannon – slower but more powerful cannon
• Flamethrower – short-range continuous flame weapon

Weapon switching is unrestricted; ammunition is infinite except for the flamethrower, which temporarily overheats if used continuously. Power-ups can upgrade weapons up to three levels but are lost upon death.

Vehicle health depletes when taking damage but regenerates gradually. Upon vehicle destruction, players continue on foot with limited offensive capabilities and increased vulnerability. Surviving on foot triggers an automatic vehicle drop-off for re-entry. Players may also exit vehicles voluntarily to access power-ups otherwise unreachable.

Special weapons

In addition to standard vehicle armaments, players have access to limited-use grenades and nukes. Grenades are aimed using a crosshair and inflict significant damage upon impact. Nukes (commonly referred to as "smart bombs" in other games) unleash extensive area damage around the player.

Grenades and nukes can be replenished via power-ups found during gameplay, with grenades appearing more frequently.

Bonus areas

Every level contains an underground bonus zone entered through a designated structure leading to a bunker. In these sections, players are on foot and more exposed to danger; however, dying here does not cost a life but instead returns the player to the main level. Successfully completing the bonus area grants an extra life (1-up).

Multiplayer play

In two-player mode, both participants share a single screen and cooperate against enemies. Players cannot inflict damage on each other but can influence screen scrolling, which may affect gameplay dynamics. Enemy difficulty and numbers remain constant with two players, making the experience somewhat easier.

Multiplayer options include offline play or online sessions via Xbox Live or PlayStation Network (PSN). Offline local play does not record scores on leaderboards.

Reception

Assault Heroes was met with favorable reviews from critics. The Xbox 360 edition has a Metacritic rating of 79/100, compiled from 16 critiques, reflecting "generally favorable reviews."

Sequel

• Assault Heroes 2

External links

• Official Wanako Games website
• Sierra Entertainment product information