The mid-1990s was a very transitional time for gaming. The 16-bit hardware was starting to show its age, and 3D gaming was just entering the home and, consequentially, the mainstream. By the time Vectorman launched, the Sega Saturn had been languishing on shelves for nearly half a year, and Sony's Playstation just hit stores the month prior. Vectorman was, if anything, a game that people could point to and say "yo, you see what they're doing on the Genesis???" A graphical powerhouse, certainly, but ultimately lacking in substance.

It's still a nice looking game, and the bob and sway of Vectorman's animations is always a joy to watch, but there's little to sink your teeth into past that superficial shine. Rare are the moments where the gameplay comes together quite as nicely as its aesthetics, though a few showpieces do impress, such as sending the first boss crashing to the ground or (much later) the final boss, Twist and Shout, which takes place in a tornado. It's a jarring fight mechanically, but still a great climax to an otherwise middling game.

Vectorman is ripe with that mid-90s attitude. The soundtrack is appropriately grungy, and the sound effects have a good gravely texture. It's all well suited to the sort of junkyard jungle gym that Vectorman inhabits. But you'll no doubt get your fill of it well before the last level, and after a certain point I felt I needed to finish the game for the sake of it, rather than being compelled by the games merits. As a run-and-gunner it's just a little bit too dull, with excitement coming in fits and spurts. Worth checking out to see what late Genesis games were capable of, but I wouldn't fault you if you bailed before the end.