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Phantom 2040 is a side-scrolling action-adventure game released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo and other consoles by Viacom New Media. It's based on the mid-1990s animated TV show Phantom 2040, but the story in the game is a bit different from the show. The gameplay is similar to games like Metroid and Castlevania, where you explore large areas, collect upgrades, and unlock new paths as you go.

I was a damn big fan of The Phantom adventure hero comic strips featured in newspapers when I was kid before puberty. The hero here seems to be his great grandson. I saw that cartoon series but never got to finish it.

The game was based on the mid-1990s animated TV show Phantom 2040 (Image source)

The Story

You play as the Phantom, a hero on a mission to stop the evil CEO bitch Rebecca Madison, who runs the rich and powerful company Maximum, Inc. She is trying to take over the world, and it is up to you to stop her. The futuristic city of Metropia is full of danger — powerful crime bosses and deadly robots called biots are everywhere, attacking you nonstop.

Luckily, you have got a big selection of weapons to fight back, like a smart gun, homing missiles, an inductance rope, and more. You can even use two weapons at the same time to increase your chances of survival.

The challenge is gigantic, but so are the stakes — the future of the city, the environment, and all of humanity depends on you. Get ready to save the world.

Manual and cartridge of the game. (Image source)

The Graphics and Sound

The graphics are pretty good for a SNES game. The characters look great, both when you are playing and in their profile pictures. Some levels have those nice, detailed backgrounds, especially the ones set in the city. However, the visuals in indoor or building levels are not as impressive. Overall, it looks fine, but there are other SNES games that look better.

The sound is okay, but not amazing. A lot of the background music (BGM) gets repeated too much, which can make it feel dull. For example, the music in the university level plays over and over, so it gets old damn fast. On the bright side, the music during battles is decent, and the themes in later parts of the game are more enjoyable.

https://youtu.be/Y35Bx7ZkaqU?si=_w0k9pOXJG3gXsl7 Gameplay video sample of Phantom 2040 on the SNES. Watch in 360p for near TV resolution of that time.

The Gameplay

The basic controls in here are what you'd expect from a platformer: B to jump and the D-pad to move around. Where it gets more complex is with attacking. You can find and use lots of different weapons in the game, and you assign them to the X and Y buttons. The gadget rope, which is a key tool, can be equipped like a weapon or used any time with the A button.

If you want to aim in any direction other than straight ahead, you have to hold down the L button. This can feel like a lot to handle during fast-paced moments.

Biggest Issue here is the Password System. Instead of a save system, you are given a password at the end of each level. The problem is, the game tracks so much info (like lives, health, weapons, inventory, and power-ups) that the password ends up being 48 characters long. That is a big let-down to write down and even worse to enter correctly. Mess up one character, and you screw up. You will likely spend almost as much time dealing with passwords as you do actually playing. Thankfully, an emulator's save state feature is a big blessing if you decide the emulation route.

Replay Value is good. What makes you want to play again is the branching path system. At different points, you have to make choices, like where to go next or who to trust. Making the right decisions leads to the “good” ending, while mistakes can lead to one of several bad ones. So, part of the fun is replaying to figure out the good path and unlocking everything.

My Verdict

Phantom 2040 stands out as one of the stronger but underrated shooters from its time, and also ranks among the better video games based on comic book properties. It is well-designed, enjoyable to play, and features an engaging story set in a unique futuristic world. The only bad drawback is its password system.

Play it on the sought after Super Nintendo/Super Famicom or play it on a doozy gaming emulator.

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