An Elevator Action Returns Review

Elevator Action Returns was released to arcades in 1995 by and in 1997 it came to Sega Saturn.

For the uninitiated, you should know that elevator action is a good kind of action. It’s not boring like it sounds. Those elevators provide means of getting in the face of enemies to shoot them and dodging out of the way of unrealistically slow bullets. Also you can crush or be crushed by elevators. It’s a brutal way to go.

Elevator Action Returns consists of six levels where one or two players assume the role of anime action agents. The players traverse so many elevators in each level, seeking out red doors where there are bombs to disarm. The pacing granted by the elevator system is satisfying indeed. Go down a floor and shoot rapidly or maybe throw a grenade before ascending again for a temporary retreat. Yet it’s an arcade game, so it gets frantic fast with enemies coming out of the myriad green doors in each building. There’s hardly a moment’s respite.

The game looks and feels great with a central gimmick (elevators) that fits perfectly well into a brief arcade experience.

Rating 4/5