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Millennium Soldier: Expendable

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Millennium Soldier: Expendable
European PlayStation cover art
Developer(s)Rage Software
Publisher(s)
Programmer(s)Alan Webb
Phil Scott
Kevin Franklin
Composer(s)Gordan Hall
Platform(s)Windows, Dreamcast, PlayStation, Android
Release
May 28, 1999
  • Windows
    • JP: May 28, 1999
    • NA: 1999
    • EU: 1999
    Dreamcast
    • JP: June 24, 1999
    • NA: September 9, 1999[1]
    • EU: October 14, 1999
    PlayStation
    Android
    Expendable: Rearmed
    November 8, 2012
Genre(s)Run and Gun
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Millennium Soldier: Expendable, known in Japan as Seitai Heiki Expendable (生体兵器エクスペンダブル, Seitai Heiki Ekusupendaburu, lit. "Organism Weapon Expendable") , and in North America as just Expendable, is a run and gun video game that was released by Rage Software for Microsoft Windows in 1999. It was later ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation consoles. A remake of the game, entitled Expendable: Rearmed, was released for Android in 2012. It is in the format of a modern arcade game. The player starts with 7 "credits" and can continue until running out of credits. A second player can join the game at any time by pressing start.

Gameplay

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Expendable takes place sometime in the post-apocalyptic future, where most of the galaxy was conquered by a hostile alien race. To combat the aliens, scientists had developed a "Millennium Soldier" project by cloning two super-soldiers. Like most top-down run and gun video games, Expendable has collectible upgrades and weapons, and features common aspects like bosses and levels, familiar with most games of this type.

Development

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Expendable supports Environment-Mapped Bump Mapping, a DirectX 6 feature first supported by the Matrox Millennium G400.[3]

Reception

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The game received mixed or average reviews on all platforms according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[4][5][6] Edge praised the PC version's graphics, stating that "the textures are near works of art, aided by colour lighting, true shadows and ubiquitous explosions."[11] An unnamed reviewer of Next Generation in its August 1999 issue called the same PC version "a smart little shooter, but one with limited appeal in the PC market. A forthcoming Dreamcast version may be a better fit."[24] However, their premonition was proven wrong one month later in the magazine's September 1999 issue, when Jeff Lundrigan called the Japanese Dreamcast import "a shameful waste of technology", and warned the reader to "Stay away. Stay far, far away."[23] In Japan, Famitsu gave the latter a little bit better score of 26 out of 40.[14]

GamePro said of the Dreamcast version in one review, "If you are looking for all of the smoking guns fun of Contra, then Expendable will fit the bill perfectly and make your Dreamcast anything but expendable.[27][b] In another review, the magazine said that the same console version "isn't a bad game, it just isn't a very exciting one. If mindless shooters are your bag, though, it's a great way to kill some time... and nothing more."[28][c]

Notes

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  1. ^ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the PlayStation version, one critic gave it 3.5/10, and the rest gave it each a score of 2.5/10.
  2. ^ GamePro gave the Dreamcast version two 4/5 scores for graphics and sound, 4.5/5 for control, and 3.5/5 for fun factor in one review.
  3. ^ GamePro gave the Dreamcast version 3.5/5 for graphics, and three 3/5 scores for sound, control, and fun factor.

References

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  1. ^ "INFOGRAMES NORTH AMERICA GETS EXPENDABLE™ WITH SEGA® DREAMCAST™". Infogrames North America. September 8, 1999. Archived from the original on August 19, 2000. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  2. ^ IGN staff (April 26, 2000). "PlayStation Gets Expendable". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Shimpi, Anand Lal (May 20, 1999). "Matrox Millennium G400 & G400MAX". AnandTech. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Expendable for Dreamcast". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Expendable for PC Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Expendable for PlayStation Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  7. ^ Sutyak, Jonathan. "Expendable (DC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  8. ^ Knight, Kyle. "Expendable (PS) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  9. ^ D'Aprile, Jason (September 10, 1999). "Expendable (DC)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  10. ^ Derr, Andrew L. (May 24, 2000). "Expendable (PS) [Incomplete]". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Edge staff (June 1999). "Expendable (PC)" (PDF). Edge. No. 72. Future Publishing. p. 84. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  12. ^ "Expendable (DC)" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 123. Ziff Davis. October 1999. p. 218. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  13. ^ Kujawa, Kraig; MacDonald, Mark; Sewart, Greg (July 2000). "Expendable (PS)" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 132. Ziff Davis. p. 143. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  14. ^ a b "生体兵器エクスペンダブル [ドリームキャスト]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  15. ^ McNamara, Andy (October 1999). "Expendable: Millennium Soldier [sic] (DC)". Game Informer. No. 78. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on May 23, 2000. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  16. ^ "Expendable (PS)". Game Informer. No. 87. FuncoLand. July 2000.
  17. ^ Mylonas, Eric "ECM" (September 1999). "Expendable (DC) [Import]". GameFan. Vol. 7, no. 9. Shinno Media. p. 76. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  18. ^ Mielke, James (July 2, 1999). "Expendable Review [Import] (DC) [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on December 12, 2004. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  19. ^ Provo, Frank (May 24, 2000). "Expendable (PS) Review [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on January 12, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  20. ^ Fragmaster (September 13, 1999). "Expendable". PlanetDreamcast. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  21. ^ Dunham, Jeremy (September 8, 1999). "Expendable Review (DC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  22. ^ Zdyrko, Dave (May 1, 2000). "Expendable (PS)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Lundrigan, Jeff (September 1999). "Expendable (DC) [Import]". Next Generation. No. 57. Imagine Media. p. 84. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  24. ^ a b "Expendable (PC) [Import]". Next Generation. No. 56. Imagine Media. August 1999. p. 92. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  25. ^ Steinman, Gary (July 2000). "Expendable". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 3, no. 10. Ziff Davis. p. 103. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  26. ^ "Millennium Soldier: Expendable". PC Gamer UK. Future Publishing. 1999.
  27. ^ Uncle Dust (1999). "Expendable Review for Dreamcast on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 6, 2004. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  28. ^ Hryb, Larry "Major Mike" (November 1999). "Expendable (DC)" (PDF). GamePro. No. 134. IDG. p. 136. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
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