Elevator Action Returns, also known as Elevator Action II, is a 1994 run and gun arcade game developed and published by Taito. It is the sequel to Elevator Action (1983), featuring a much more gritty and realistic setting. Returns retains the elevator-based gimmick from the original, but expands the gameplay system and replaces the spy motif with a new scenario involving a paramilitary team fighting against a terrorist group.
The mostly well-received game was ported to the Sega Saturn and released as a Japan-only title named Elevator Action Returns in 1997, and later included in Taito Legends 2 compilation release for the PlayStation 2, Windows, and Xbox in 2006.
Elevator Action Returns Characters
The player can choose from the following three characters when starting the game:
- Kart Bradfield (age 23). A thin, blond, long-haired man, he is the fastest and most agile of the group. His default gun is a Glock 18, which he can upgrade into an AK-47 assault rifle or an MM-1 grenade launcher. His sub-weapons are hand grenades that explode and clear the whole floor. His health is moderate, but as the fastest runner of the group he can jump over obstacles better than the others. On the other hand he is the slowest shooter of the three when using his default weapon. Kart can perform three consecutive melee attacks on an enemy, instead of the default two attacks.
- Edie Burret (age 21). A brown-haired girl in a red tank top, who is the fastest shooter of the three. Her default gun is a Beretta M92F, which can she can upgrade into an MP5K submachine gun or an ARWEN 37 launcher. Her sub-weapons are incendiary grenades that produce a pool of flame that lasts a short while and kills off almost any enemy soldier that comes in contact with it (it does not harm the player though). While she has the lowest health of all the characters and moderate moving speed, she fires her default gun faster than any of the other characters in Elevator Action Returns.
- Jad the Taff (age 32). A tall muscle-bound man, he is the strongest and most durable of the trio. His default gun is a Desert Eagle, which he can upgrade into an M60 machine gun or an 80mm recoilless rifle. His sub-weapons are sensor bombs that explodes in fragments whenever an enemy comes within proximity. He has the most health of all the characters, but is the slowest walker. He will tackle any enemy standing in his way while running in Elevator Action Returns.
