Format: Cartridge
Genre: 2d platformer
Developer: Vic Tokai
Publisher: Sega

DecapAttack's "Beetlejuice"-esque aesthetics-- which were completely re-done for the North American version due to a copyright dispute-- may be questionable in taste, but at least the protagonist and host of baddies are interesting in design and well-animated. Scenery art is hit and miss, alternating Ghoulsn' Ghosts levels of plainess with some almost Sonic the Hedgehog-like detail and brilliance, as seen in the fifth world for instance.

Fumito Tamayama's soundtrack, a synthy composite of what you might hear at a funeral reception in a Hawaian night club, is catchy and follows the action well. The jumping sound effect, which is heard about thirty thousand times on the average playthrough, is distinctive but doesn't manage to grow annoying.

The game's protagonist, Chuck, literally "loses his head"-- which operates as a sort of boomerang to throw at baddies-- when hit. His head can be re-acquired while exploring the game's fourteen sprawling, multi-directional stages, along with a plethora of potions, which can be used at any time, almost like Toejam & Earl's presents. There are even a couple of forced-scrolling levels to mix things up.

Neither good nor bad, DecapAttack is a vanilla platformer that focuses on exploration and slow, deliberate pacing. It's not particularly difficult, and becomes more of a lesson in endurance than dexterity, especially considering that the stages themes aren't all that interesting. Nonetheless, DecapAttack is a solid, worthwhile game that helps to fill out the Genesis' library nicely.