Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe's guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo's download service. Written by Sam C Gittins.

If you're a fan of fire-fighting then you might be interested in this strange release, it may be no Burning Rangers but it did come out before it. Anyway enough from me and on with the game!

Available for download this week we have...

• The Ignition Factor

Points: 900
Publisher: Jaleco
Developer: Jaleco
Released: 1994
System: SNES

While you may struggle to name a single fire-fighting game there have actually been a few released over the years but you'd be forgiven for not knowing of The Ignition Factor due to its absence in Europe during its original release. So hear it is now available as an import title a decade and a half on and it seems to justify its slightly inflated pricetag if only because it provides players with a rather unique experience.

Taking on the role of a Fire-Fighter you'll find yourself scaling a wide range of environments including Factories, Offices and Mines which are set ablaze with people trapped inside with it being your job to rescue them; however you don't need to save them all as each mission has a minimum requirement to pass but if you're anything like me then you'll want to save them all anyway. There's a time limit imposed upon you so it's vital that you think fast, clearing every single fire isn't possible so prioritisation is key to success; also having the right equipment helps as while your standard Extinguisher will put out normal flames you're going to need the Chemical and Electrical variants to put out the respective fires.

Even if you don't happen to have the right tools for the job it's not 'Game-Over' as there are quite often fellow Fire-Fighters on-hand who will swap equipment with you for what you need; be cautious though for even though you can carry more than two items, doing so will significantly slow you down as this title is more simulation than arcade. There are extra items you can pick up after rescuing certain people that will add to a points total and if you have enough after clearing the games eight main levels then you get to play a spectacular bonus level but beware of venturing away from your main route as there are many of ways to fail including running out of air or just getting burned too many times, your continues are limited so beware.

It may not be the most lavishly detailed title but there is a certain charm to the graphical style which makes it all the more lovable and even though the music itself isn't much to speak of as it's only really present when you receive radio messages however there are plenty of added sound effects that are very nice indeed and help add to the atmosphere spectacularly well. While walking around you'll hear the roar of the flames with other sounds interspersed depending on your location including echo distortion while in the mines; it's all of these subtle sounds that help to increase the immersion factor within the game.

Finding another game quite like this is a rarity and for that reason you will get an original and enjoyable experience from playing this title and while it may not sound too enthralling once you actually start playing you'll find it hard to stop as it has a certain addictive quality to it. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for something significantly different from everything else available and while it may not last you forever the time that you do end up spending within this decent simulation will not feel wasted.

Verdict : A slow-burning inferno in disguise which is a pleasant surprise.

That's it for another installment of VC Weekly which will return again soon. So until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!

Sam Gittins
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