The ups & downs of the spy game!
"You are a legendary super spy.
Your mission: steal the documents and escape."
Your mission: steal the documents and escape."
—Tagline from Elevator Action Deluxe
Elevator Action is a series of Run-and-Gun Platformer Action Games produced by Taito. Players take the role of spies and special agents and are tasked with seizing secret documents while evading or fighting against numerous enemies as they make their escape.
Most of the games follow the formula of the first game: Players would make their way down a building using the many elevators and escalators scattered throughout the level, while avoiding enemies and various environmental hazards. Red doors contain secret documents, all of which need to be collected before they can escape. Later games would introduce new characters, weapons and items, enemies and hazards, and different stage layouts.
The series includes the following games:
- Elevator Action 1 (1983) - Originally released in arcades, players take the role of Agent 17, codename "Otto", to navigate through a 30-story building to obtain secret documents while avoiding other spies and agents. It was ported to numerous consoles, including the NES (which was later released on the Wii's Virtual Console). The 1991 Game Boy version is unique in that is introduces new enemies, stages and obstacles, as well as the ability to acquire different weapons such as grenades and a machinegun, which would be utilized in the sequel.
- Elevator Action Returns (1994) - Known as Elevator Action II in North America. Released in arcades, the sequel is much more action-oriented with a wide variety of weapons to use and enemies to fight. Two players can take the role of three D.E.F. agents, Kart Bradfield, Edie Burret and Jad the Taff, who are sent to investigate and stop the terrorist plans of the self-proclaimed revolutionary "Red Suit". The game was ported to the Sega Saturn, which includes the original game as an Embedded Precursor, and was included in the compilation Taito Legends 2 for the PlayStation 2, Xboxnote and Windows. The Saturn port was released as part of City Connection's "S-Tribute" series for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
- Elevator Action EX (2000) - Developed by Altron Corporation and released for the Game Boy Color in Japan and Europe, the game is effectively an Updated Re-release of the Game Boy version of the original game but with color, a plot and three playable characters; Mike, Sarah and Guy. In North America, the game was released as a Dolled-Up Installment in the form of Dexter's Laboratory: Robot Rampage, based on the popular Cartoon Network series.
- Elevator Action: Old & New (2002) - A Japanese only release for the Game Boy Advance, published by MediaKite. While "Old" is the NES port of the original game, "New" features a new single-player campaign with new characters, weapons and graphics, as well as obstacles and enemies. Going back to a Lighter and Softer art style, "New" has players take the role of three characters, Robin, Berry, and Fan, seizing secret documents while avoiding agents, policemen, robots and even zombies. Two players can play together or against each other.
- Elevator Action: Death Parade (2009) - An arcade Light Gun Game which takes many cues from Time Crisis, Virtua Cop 3, and The House of the Dead 4. The game is unique in that the game has a widescreen vertical display and uses elevator doors and buttons on the cabinet; the former needs to be closed in certain situations and to avoid certain attacks (not to mention a convenient way to hide loading screens), and the latter is used to choose the difficulty of later stages and operate some machinery in-game. As CID agents Zack and Irina, players shoot their way past soldiers and mutated beasts to stop a military coup that threatens the world with bio-engineered weapons. As a series staple, objects can be shot to collect secret documents.
- Elevator Action Deluxe (2011) - Published by Square Enix, Deluxe is a remake of the first game released on the Play Station Network for the PlayStation 3, featuring 3D graphics but with 2D gameplay. Players take the role of agents Zack and Irina as they uncover secrets to stop a doomsday device. With a stronger emphasis on puzzle and strategic elements, the game introduces several new enemies, weapons, traps, and unique challenges for over 50 levels. The game also features 4-player local multiplayer in both versus and co-op for the main campaign, as well as downloadable content in the form of extra stages and new characters, including those from other Taito series.
- Elevator Action: Invasion (2021) - Another light gun arcade game and a sequel to Death Parade developed by UNIS Technology, which also features a vertical screen and elevator doors. Players take the role of agents Zach and Irina as they fight against cyber terrorists. Unlike most games of the genre, players are armed with rapid fire guns with infinite ammo, and the game has an emphasis on racking up combos.
Not to be confused with the trope Elevator Action Sequence, which this series oddly averts as the action takes place outside of the elevator.
The series has the following common tropes:
- Action Game: It's part of the title. You shoot bad guys and jump across platforms. More so in Returns and Death Parade. See Actionized Sequel for those.
- Action Girl: Edie Burret from Returns, Sarah from EX, Berry from New, and Irina from Deluxe. DLC for Deluxe adds in Reika and Sayo/Pocky.
- Actionized Sequel: Two sequels focus more on the Action than the Elevator.
- Returns introduces a wide variety of new weapons and ways to take out your enemies, but they're also armed with jetpacks, flamethrowers, spiderbots, and flying armored vehicles. There are still plenty of elevators to use and navigate through, but the game has more focus on Run-and-Gun elements, and you'll be more focused on taking out your enemies than evading them.
- Death Parade changes the genre into a fast-paced light gun shooter filled with explosions, rapid gunfire and a shaky camera.
- Alertness Blink: Enemies in New and Deluxe will have an exclamation point pop up above their heads when they spot you.
- Anvil on Head: In some games, the ceiling lights can be shot and used to knock out enemies standing under them.
- Art Shift: Most of the games have a cartoonish look, but Returns features the characters drawn in anime style while going for a realistic look during gameplay. EX has a comic-book art style for the character art, and Death Parade takes the series to 3D with a semi-realistic look.
- Bald of Authority: Guy is the main player character's bald boss who directs the spies, as well as a playable character himself.
- Blackout Basement: Lights can be shot and fall on enemies, which will also darken the floor or even the whole area, which can sometimes be used to sneak past enemies unseen for a brief time. Other areas are completely unlit, preventing you from seeing enemy doors and making enemies more difficult to see. Averted in Returns, which slightly darkens the area for a brief moment, but enemies killed in darkened areas get you a score bonus.
- Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: The doors. Anything not covered below mostly serve as enemy spawning points.
- Red doors contain secret documents and codes, and all must be entered before clearing the stage.
- Blue doors serve as enemy spawning points in the first game, but offer weapons, points and items in later games.
- Elevators are sometimes lit in different colors depending on the game; light blue, pink or yellow. Other times they have no particular color assigned to them.
- Due to color limitations, the Game Boy version labels certain doors with a question mark, which offers health and weapons, and an exclamation point, which contain the documents you need to complete the stage. This carries over to EX, which have both doors colored red.
- Cool Car: Your getaway car serves as this in various games.
- Dark Is Evil: Many enemies throughout the series wear black suits, black hats and Sinister Shades.
- Dressing as the Enemy: One of the items in New and Deluxe is an enemy disguise that allows you to slip past enemies for a brief period of time.
- Elevator Action Sequence: Despite the trope name, oddly averted, as all of the action takes place outside the actual elevators. They're more used for navigation and protection against enemies. Or crushing enemies with them or knocking them down empty shafts.
- Embedded Precursor: The original game is featured on the Saturn port of Returns, Old & New (as "Old"), and Deluxe.
- Every 10,000 Points: Some versions have lives system. Collecting 10000 points gives an extra life.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Elevator Action is an action game with elevators.
- Exploding Barrels: In Returns, barrels can be shot and will roll across the screen, killing any enemy it touches. Shooting it more will blow it up. In Death Parade, they're used to take out a boss.
- Falling Damage: Your character will die if they fall to a lower level. EX allows players to fall one story without taking damage.
- Lighter and Softer: New goes back to a cartoonish family-friendly art style following Returns and EX, with young looking protagonists. Deluxe also returns to a cartoonish style following Death Parade.
- One-Hit KO: Being crushed by an elevator and running out of time will cause you to lose a life. In some games, falling to the lower level will be an instant death, and getting hit by an explosive in Deluxe will take you out regardless of your health.
- Puzzle Platformer: Depends on the game, but some of the stage layouts will require you to use your noggin to access areas safely. This is mostly evident in Deluxe.
- Run-and-Gun: There's definitely platforming elements and you'll be shooting quite often.
- Secret Character:
- D.D. Fox, the Final Boss of EX, is playable through a password that's given after beating the game.
- A fourth character in New is unlocked after completing the New campaign with all three characters.
- The Smurfette Principle:
- Edie Burret is the only woman who appears in Returns.
- Sarah is the only female playable character in EX.
- Berry is the only girl who appears in New.
- Squashed Flat: Players and enemies alike can be crushed by the elevators if they're above or below them.
- Timed Mission:
- Returns has an invisible timer, which only appears when you have a short time left, and you will lose a life if it runs out. The last segment of the game gives you three minutes to reach the end of the stage and defeat Red Suit before he launches a nuclear weapon.
- Stages in New and Deluxe are timed.
- Video Game Long-Runners: Although there's usually a long gap between titles, it's been around since The '80s.
