 back in 1995 Super Nintendo owners in PAL regions were treated to a game called the firemen developed by human entertainment and it never reached North America for whatever reason, and that's too bad because it's a pretty dang good game. It's top down action where your only enemy is fire, and it comes at you in all sorts of different patterns and forms and it's up to you to save as many trapped civilians as you can. It's one of those cases where all you can say is man why wasn't this available in the US? But the fact is there already was something similar available called the Ignition Factor made by Jailaco later that year. It's got the same top-down perspective, the same kind of objectives, and a similar structure, but it's not quite the same game. It's single-player action where you play as a firefighter and you're navigating buildings, mines, and factories, extinguishing fires, and rescuing people, but the big difference here with Ignition Factor is that it's got way more of a strategic slant to it. The way it works is, you've got eight completely different missions you need to complete within a time limit, with each mission starting with a briefing that lets you know what you need to do. At that point, you can plan out how you want to proceed by looking at the map here, choosing which side of the building you'd like to enter, and then you'd pick out your inventory, but you can only take a certain number of things with you. You decide what to bring based on the info given to you at the briefing. Like this fire at the mannequin factory, for example, there's going to be a lot of chemical fires, so we need to make sure to pick the chemical of fire extinguisher. But bear in mind that if you take too much stuff with you, you won't be able to run or kick down doors for that matter. Yeah, it's one of those kinds of games. That kinda sorta goes for some sense of realism. There's also barely any music here. The game goes for an ambient vibe, where all you can hear is the sound of the fire. Anyway, this inventory planning isn't all or nothing though, because you can still run into other firefighters that can replenish your supplies, or even give you something helpful like an axe or a rope. Plus, each mission gives you at least a couple instances where you can call on the help of the fire trucks outside, and they can help you with some of the more extreme fires, as long as they're able to reach them. So yeah, it's all about planning here. The controls here are straightforward. You double-tap the D-pad to run, you use the Y button for the regular old fire extinguisher, which recharges itself, but I highly recommend using CO2 bombs wherever you can, just because they work so much faster. Anyway, the mission is completed when you've rescued everyone, and putting out 100% of the fire isn't necessary, but you don't just go up to a person for them to be considered to be rescued. Like this woman here, she refuses to leave without her friend, so you have to find her first before she can be rescued, or this guy here who gets injured and needs medical attention. There is the convenience of having these people simply disappear once they're rescued, so it's not like you have to endure the tedium of leading them out the door. However, the game doesn't exactly make it all that easy for you either. As you can see, this game has a slower pace to it compared to the Fireman, and that's fine with me. The methodical strategic slant to the gameplay here helps ignition factors stand out. I mean, it'd be pretty silly if this game were just a shameless clone. And one big way this game separates itself is in the settings and missions. There's the aforementioned mannequin factory, a steel mill where you have to back up their computer system before the fire destroys it, there's a dinosaur museum where you have to protect the exhibits, and most interesting of all, an underground mine which has been filled with toxic gas. It's the toughest mission in the game. The only real gameplay flaws I can think of are that sometimes the item usage doesn't seem all that balanced. Like for example, when you rescue some of the mine workers, they'll take some of the oxygen, leaving you no chance to get a refill, so you have to be incredibly efficient with your movements, down to the step. Also, there are some layout issues here as well, like in the steel mill, it can be tough simply seeing the doors, and you might end up saying to yourself, where the hell do I go? Ignition Factor also openly messes with you in some really amusing ways, like when you're flipping between the map screen here on the first level, this guy says, put the castle together and push the button, and then you'll be able to reach it. I wish I could tell you more, but I have no clue what I'm talking about. Hey, what a coincidence, neither do I. There's lots of goofy little moments like that throughout this playthrough, and also the ending is laugh out loud funny. Some of you might have seen it as part of the best Super Nintendo game endings video from a couple months back, the point is you can tell the people that made this game had a lot of fun doing it. And I think most people will have fun playing it too, yeah it's kind of a weird idea for a game, it's essentially a 16-bit firefighter sim, but it's an interesting game, it's definitely unique in the Super Nintendo library despite its similarities to the fireman. That game is more of an action title, while Ignition Factor forces you to plan ahead every little detail, everything from your path through each setting, where the fire truck gets parked, and what supplies you bring with you. If you don't have the patience for that kind of strategy, then you're better off with the fireman, but if you're looking for something a bit different, then I'd recommend checking out the Ignition Factor. Alright, I want to thank you for watching, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.