Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Fire and Forget puts you behind the wheel of an armed supercar on a mission to restore peace on Earth. The core loop is straightforward: race through each course at breakneck speed, dodge incoming obstacles and enemy fire, and obliterate hostiles with a variety of weapons mounted on your vehicle. The balance between careful navigation and aggressive offense creates a tense yet rewarding arcade experience.

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The game features six distinct courses for each of its difficulty tiers, with track locations spanning the globe—from desert highways to icy mountain passes. Each level introduces new enemy types, environmental hazards, and layout twists, ensuring that no two races feel exactly alike. As you progress, enemy patterns become more complex, demanding sharper reflexes and strategic weapon use.

Although you have an infinite supply of lives, your car’s fuel tank acts as a de facto timer: once it runs dry, the mission ends. This mechanic pushes you to collect fuel canisters and other power-ups scattered along the road, adding a layer of resource management to the otherwise pure arcade racing. Picking the right moment to risk a detour for a fuel boost versus racing headlong into danger becomes a key tactical choice.

Graphics

By today’s standards, Fire and Forget’s visuals are unmistakably retro, but they were impressive for their time. The game employs colorful, hand-drawn sprites with a chunky pixel aesthetic that captures the excitement of an ’80s arcade cabinet. Vehicle designs are distinctive, and enemy units—ranging from motorcycles to hover tanks—are easily recognizable even in the heat of battle.

Each course background features unique scenery reflecting its geographic theme: palm-lined highways in tropical regions, gritty urban skylines for city stages, and snow-covered landscapes in the northern levels. Parallax scrolling adds depth to these environments, giving the illusion of speed and immersion as you blast down the road.

Explosions and weapon effects are crisp and satisfyingly over-the-top. The rockets you fire leave bright trails, and when vehicles collide or blow up, the screen lights up with flashes and debris animations. While animation frames may appear limited compared to modern titles, the overall presentation remains charming and evocative of its arcade roots.

Story

At its heart, Fire and Forget tells a simple but classic tale: the world is on the brink of chaos, and only one high-tech car stands between humanity and destruction. This minimal narrative framework serves primarily to justify the globe-trotting action and give players a clear objective—restore peace on Earth by vanquishing your foes.

Each course represents a different battlefield in the global conflict, from desert convoys under attack to frozen bridges over perilous chasms. As you clear stages, the implied story progression unfolds—destroying enemy bases here, protecting convoys there—building a sense of urgency and purpose that complements the frantic gameplay.

While Fire and Forget doesn’t delve into character development or branching storylines, the straightforward mission structure allows you to focus on the high-octane action. The fuel gauge adds a narrative tension: every run feels like a race not just against enemies, but against time itself, reinforcing the stakes of your peacekeeping crusade.

Overall Experience

Fire and Forget delivers pure, unadulterated arcade thrills. Its blend of high-speed racing, explosive combat, and resource management makes each playthrough both accessible to newcomers and challenging for seasoned players. The infinite lives system encourages experimentation, while the fuel mechanic ensures stakes remain high.

Replayability is a strong suit: chasing higher scores, mastering each track’s hazards, and striving for faster completion times add layers of depth well beyond the basic campaign. Though the courses repeat under different difficulty settings, small tweaks in enemy placement and obstacle frequency keep each run feeling fresh.

For retro gamers and collectors, Fire and Forget is a nostalgic treasure, showcasing the early days of vehicular combat in video games. Modern audiences may find the graphics and sound dated, but the core gameplay—fast-paced, explosive, and addictive—remains compelling. If you’re seeking an arcade-style experience that rewards reflexes and risk-taking, this Titus classic is well worth a spin.

Retro Replay Score

5.2/10