Meta Rizer

**Meta Rizer** (メタライザー) is a platforming video game developed by Burst Arts Inc. and published by Namco. The first entry in the Meta Rizer subseries and the second entry overall in the Rizer series, it was released in Japan on October 1, 1996, and later ported overseas the next month. It is only available for the PlayStation.

## Story

Two years after the events of Beast Rizer, a cruel man known only as Dr. Shinichiro, who was reported missing for 16 years, reappeared above the reformed Neo Islands. Controlling what appears to be an enormous UFO, he has sent Zero One, a powerful alien with the ability to mimic the appearance of others, to attack the islands. With the Beast Brothers (Theo and Ozzy) resting after their final battle, Julie and the rest now must rely on three new characters: Milton, Elsa, and Harley.

## Characters

Milton Redder: A teenaged boy who goes to the same school as Theo's. Most of the time he remains inside of his room playing video games, but the appearance of Dr. Shinichiro and the invasion of Zero One forced him to escape from his comfort zone. Without Theo and his partners around, Milton feels it is up to him to save the newly-formed Petro Islands. Milton has a strange ability that transforms him into a robot, which grants him access to different types of mechs. Eventually he learns that he died, and that the body he has now is that of a Meta Rizer stolen from the labs by his father, who them reinvented it to look like his dead son.

Elsa Bluewing: A teenage girl who is an expert biker and Julie's pen pal. She was told from her friend about Dr. Shinichiro's UFO floating above the islands and prepared herself to investigate, but Zero One intercepted and almost attacked her until Milton arrived. She decided to team up with him, believing that she cannot defeat the doctor alone. Elsa carries a gun that fires up to five bullets per shot.

Harley Hamilton: A short young man who acts as Samuel's caretaker. Like his pupil, he is also a master thief, but he steals unusable fragments in order to create vehicles for himself. After witnessing Zero One and Dr Shinichiro's latest assault, Harley quickly stole some fragments to create battle armor to fight their forces. When he first saw Milton and Elsa fighting Zero One, and witnessing Milton's special ability, Harley stepped in to assist them and eventually joined their team. Harley can either enter or exit his battle armor, but the mech is where he is at his strongest.

Polaris: An ancient polar bear beastman who originally hailed from an extinct tribe in the Northern Glaciers. Long ago when his village was in peril by a dragon assault, he sealed himself inside an ice cave to prevent himself from being killed. Unfortunately he became frozen after sealing himself for too long, only for him to be freed by a girl named Sable. The first thing Polaris noticed besides the disappearance of his tribe is the incoming Zero One about to attack Sable. After saving her, Polaris decided to defeat Dr. Shinichiro while also learning more about his past.

Esmeralda P. Carmen: A woman with psychic abilities. When he was told about her incredible ESP powers and her ability to predict events, Dr. Shinichiro offered her his request to work for him. Esmeralda was the first boss sent to defeat Milton and Elsa, but the two were able to overwhelm her otherwise powerful psychic powers.

Goddard Hudson: A proud knight who acts as one of the guards for Madam Maria in the Northeastern Islands. He actually fought against Zero One, but was weakened against him and brainwashed by Dr. Shinichiro to follow only his orders. Goddard is the second boss of the game, being sent to the Northeastern Islands to fight against Harley, but thanks to his battle armor, he prevailed against the knight.

Rourke Hyde: A brutish man who works as a dangerous mercenary. Although he considers himself as a professional who takes his job seriously, he does have a naive personality from time to time, not knowing when someone makes fun of him. He has been hired by Dr. Shinichiro to act as his guard while he works on his secret project. Rourke is the third boss of the game, targeted at Milton himself, but Milton managed to defeat him.

Chief Pedro: The chief of a tribe from the Southwestern Islands who has a rivalry with Rick. He proves to be superior and anyone who stands in his way will be executed. However, he chose to join Dr. Shinichiro after Zero One threatened to harm his niece Chloe if he refused the offer. Chief is the fourth boss of the game, and his target is Polaris, who managed to defeat him without any difficulty.

Lyra Klee: A female assassin who seductive and takes the role of femme fatale in a deadly way. She is known for luring her opponents in poisonous traps and taking their lives on the spot. She was also hired by Dr. Shinichiro to assist in the attack of the islands. Lyra is the fifth boss of the game, where she fights Milton, Elsa, and Harley in the Eastern Islands, but instead of being defeated, she was reported back to the UFO.

Jacky Kidman: An immature excavator who is known for "digging first and asking questions later". He is described as being strange yet competent. He was given a task by Dr. Shinichiro to set bombs underneath the Southeastern Islands. Jacky is the sixth boss of the game, and he is confronted by Polaris and Harley, who were quick enough to set off the bombs before they detonate.

Lamarr Dixon: A high-spirited man who works as a mercenary. He normally does dance-like movements when he talks, and is known for showing off and has a complete disrespect for others, even to those of higher authority. Despite this, Dr. Shinichiro ordered him to finish off the heroes for foiling his plans so far. Flip is the seventh boss of the game, and he fights all of the playable characters, but was overwhelmed by them.

Dr. Shinichiro: The primary antagonist. A white-haired scientist who is very well known in the criminal world. He has disappeared for 16 years, but he returned while riding a giant UFO that overshadows the Neo Islands. During his disappearance, he has obtained access to alien technology, using it to build Zero One and having him assist the doctor in his latest scheme: transform the islands into a giant geo-weapon. He is cold-blooded and will not hesitate when it comes to annihilation. He acts as the penultimate boss as he faces the other heroes in his UFO.

Zero One: The true main antagonist: Zero One is an alien with the ability to change his form to match other lifeforms. He was discovered and controlled by Dr. Shinichiro using the alien technology he was able to require for himself. At that point he has followed every order the doctor has given them and assisted him in his project to turn the islands into geo-weapons. In the climax of the game, Zero One apparently broke free from his master's control and continue to act obedient to Dr. Shinichiro until his loss against the heroes. He is the final boss of the game and has two different phases. The 1st phase is him fighting in his normal body, occasionally switching into other beast forms. The 2nd phase has him absorbing Dr. Shinichiro's henchmen, transforming him into a horrifying creature worse than the chimeras made by Porter Tech. As he is defeated, the heroes escape the descending UFO as it crashes into the Northern Glaciers.