Double Dragon (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Technos Japan, Virgin Games
Publisher: Virgin Games
Released: 1992

Double Dragon is a beat-em-up that (despite the name) is a unique entry for Sega's 8-bit handheld.

+ Nice variety to the gritty stage locales, decent mix of CPU sprites and some funny Virgin Games ads in the Train level.

+ Dash mechanic is excellent for creating space from your opposition, and the background graphics are spectacular.

- Your range of attacks is incredibly limited and none of them feel particularly effective in the heat of combat.

- Omission of any grappling attacks is puzzling, yet guns are included which is at total odds with the series' foundations.

- Collision detection is dire and it's often hard to decipher whether you're doing damage, or even on the right vertical plane.

- Frame-rate is poor which affects combat accuracy, and enemies have a tendency to strike from off-screen.

- Camera is a huge annoyance, as it typically won't start scrolling until you're towards the edge of the screen.

Mortal Kombat (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Grey Team, Probe Software
Publisher: Arena Entertainment
Released: 1993

Mortal Kombat is a 1992 Arcade title that was also ported to the Sega Game Gear (1993).

+ Endurance rounds against two characters spice up the gameplay and force you to change your strategy on a whim.

+ Supports two-player competitive battle and the fatalities are satisfying to work out due to them not being listed in the manual.

- Kano isn't available as a playable character, and there's only two stages which makes the combat feel repetitive.

- The pit death fatality is entirely absent, which is a major feature of the Arcade game that gave it its gory edge.

- Frame-rate is shocking and the controls are unresponsive, meaning that executing attacks and fatalities is often pot-luck.

- Collision detection is dreadful and your character will regularly make contact with an opponent to no effect.

- Music is incredibly repetitive and the wimpy sound effects don't provide you with the necessary tactile feedback.

Baseball Heroes (Atari Lynx review)

Developer: Atari Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1992

Baseball Heroes is a sports game that's exclusive to the Atari Lynx handheld.

+ Four different modes are available, and playing the Home Run Derby competitively with two-players is a neat feature.

+ Includes a few advanced fielding mechanics, as you have the option to jump or dive for a ball that's hit into the outfield.

+ Animation is impressively smooth and includes two camera angles depending on whether you're pitching or batting.

- Gameplay is incredibly slow and it takes an age for your bat to swing around, causing you to anticipate rather than react.

- Tracking down a fly ball in the outfield is comically bad, as there's no way to judge depth perception for its trajectory.

- Only four fictional teams to choose from and no difficulty options to ease you in against the brutal CPU opponents.

Gex (3DO review)

Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: BMG Interactive
Released: 1995

Gex is an action-platformer that was also released on the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation.

+ Level design is above-average with multiple paths on offer and secret bonus areas to increase your life total.

+ Memorable moments include using portals to switch between dimensions, and a treacherous climb up a vertical structure.

+ A clever mechanic is how bug balls can either be snagged via your tongue for a power-up, or whipped to refill hit points.

+ Gameplay can be challenging at times, but the difficulty is fair and there's an abundance of health items scattered around.

+ Unlike the PlayStation and Saturn ports (which use a password system), the 3DO version saves your game to SRAM.

- Frame-rate is choppy and the camera moves in a jittery way that can be disorientating when making quick movements.

- Stage map is marred by an unintuitive interface, and having to select remotes to open levels is arduous.

James Pond II: Codename RoboCod (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Millennium Interactive
Publisher: U.S. Gold
Released: 1993

James Pond II: Codename RoboCod is a platformer that was also released on the Sega Genesis (1991) and Sega Master System (1993).

+ An impressive port that's missing very little from Sega's 16-bit version in terms of look, feel and content.

+ Level design is innovative and the stages are jam-packed with ideas that neatly come together to create a cohesive whole.

+ Replayability is high, as there's an enormous amount of bonus items and secret areas to locate if you're willing to explore.

- Camera is far too zoomed-in and many times you'll have no idea where the next platform is until you take a blind leap of faith.

- Additionally, the camera snaps too close to the edge of the screen and foes will often appear with no warning.

- Bosses are a nightmare to battle, as you can't see their aerial projectiles or where they're positioned to land.

- Sprites flicker and occasionally overlap with enemies for cheap hits, and the SFX are rather weak throughout.

James Pond II: Codename RoboCod (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Millennium Interactive
Publisher: U.S. Gold
Released: 1993

James Pond II: Codename RoboCod is a platformer that was also released on the Sega Game Gear (1993) and Sega Genesis (1991).

+ Seriously impressive port that's missing very little from Sega's 16-bit version in terms of look, feel and content.

+ Level design is innovative and the stages are jam-packed with ideas that neatly come together to create a cohesive whole.

+ Gameplay varies thing up by giving you fun vehicles to ride, and including auto-scrolling levels / tons of verticality.

+ Replayability is high, as there's an enormous amount of bonus items and secret areas to locate if you're willing to explore.

+ Ability to stretch your character's arms to reach higher ledges is inspired and serves to deepen the gameplay.

- Controls are over-sensitive which makes for some tricky platforming, and the SFX are rather weak throughout.

- Bosses offer little resistance and their simple attack patterns can easily be exploited within seconds of battle commencing.

James Pond II: Codename RoboCod (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Millennium Interactive
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: 1991

James Pond II: Codename RoboCod is a platformer that was ported to the Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System in 1993.

+ Level design is innovative and the stages are jam-packed with ideas that neatly come together to create a cohesive whole.

+ Gameplay constantly surprises by reversing gravity, speeding you along a moving train, and giving you vehicles to ride.

+ Replayability is high, as there's an enormous amount of bonus items and secret areas to locate if you're willing to explore.

+ Ability to stretch your character's arms to reach higher ledges is inspired and serves to deepen the gameplay.

+ Physics when moving along sloped platforms is impressive, and the interesting locales have some unique parallax scrolling.

- Floaty controls don't offer real precision, as the horizontal movement is too great despite light taps on the d-pad.

- Boss battles are a cakewalk and within seconds you'll decipher their simple attack patterns for a swift victory.

James Pond: Underwater Agent (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Millennium Interactive
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: 1991

James Pond: Underwater Agent is an action game that was also released on the Amiga, Archimedes and Atari ST.

+ Gameplay can be rewarding for high score chasers, as there's tons of bonus items and secret rooms to uncover.

+ Survival element is similar to Ecco the Dolphin (1992, Sega Genesis), as you can't stay out of the water for too long.

+ Allows you to visit your home to store or equip power-ups, which gives you a tactical advantage on tougher stages.

- Mission objectives are unbelievably repetitive and usually amount to simple fetch quests with tedious backtracking.

- Level design is average, with confusing layouts and near-identical areas that look similar to previously traipsed screens.

- Controls are oversensitive, which results in many cheap hits while attempting to avoid enemies and hazards.

- Enemies often lie in wait once you enter a screen, and there's no invincibility grace period once you've taken damage.

Pepsiman (Sony PlayStation review)

Developer: KID
Publisher: KID
Released: 1999

Pepsiman is an auto-running action game that was released exclusively in Japan.

+ Locales are a blast to navigate, with particular highlights being the residential streets and underground station.

+ Includes some fun diversions that see you riding a skateboard, or wearing a trashcan that reverses your controls!

+ Using the dash mechanic is exhilarating and it's hugely rewarding when you shave seconds off your best time.

+ Frame-rate is rock-solid and the action is entertaining once you learn the stage layouts and manage to collect all the cans.

- Only contains a measly four stages (with three acts each), so before you know it you'll be seeing the credits roll.

- Music is irritatingly repetitive, and the sweeping camera angles often makes it hard to accurately judge spatial distance. 

- Bizarre cut-scenes featuring a stereotypical, overweight gamer seem ill-advised for a supposedly delectable drink.

Toy Commander (Sega Dreamcast review)

Developer: No Cliché
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1999

Toy Commander is an action game that's exclusive to the Sega Dreamcast.

+ Mission diversity is outstanding and the multi-layered tasks force you to think in a logistical, puzzle-like manner to succeed.

+ Objectives are playful in a similar way to Blast Corps (1997, N64) and there's even a hilarious nod to Godzilla in Room 2.

+ Usually gives you several missions to choose from, which is a great idea if you're struggling with a particular task.

+ Huge incentive to replay missions for top scores, as you can unlock comrades that will help you fight against the final boss.

- Tutorial does a terrible job of teaching players the basics, which leads to newcomers fumbling with the central mechanics.

- Mission objectives are usually ambiguous and the result is lots of trial-and-error until you stumble upon the solution.

- Controls are overly sensitive, while the camera angles often fail to provide you with an ideal view of your surroundings.

Super Runabout: San Francisco Edition (Sega Dreamcast review)

Developer: Climax Entertainment
Publisher: Interplay Entertainment
Released: 2000

Super Runabout: San Francisco Edition is a driving game that was released in Europe as Super Runabout: The Golden State.

+ Missions are enjoyable, with plenty of variety that sees you collecting items, destroying cable cars, and searching for bombs.

+ Lots of shortcuts to discover in order to shave off precious seconds, and there's a plethora of unique vehicles to unlock.

+ The city of San Francisco is beautifully realised with scenic routes and famous landmarks that act as a gorgeous backdrop.

+ Destroying the environment for high scores is fun, and the surf-inspired soundtrack compliments the madcap driving.

- There's only 16 missions (which typically take around 5 minutes each to complete) so there's not much lasting appeal.

- The Free Run mode doesn't let you drive around the majority of the city, and instead only includes four pre-set routes.

- Has an overall unpolished feel due to various gameplay bugs, as well as some clipping and collision detection issues.

Chubby Cherub (NES review)

Developer: Tose
Publisher: Bandai
Released: 1986

Chubby Cherub is an action game and one of the first third-party titles released on the NES.

+ Features simple, Arcade-style fun, secret levels to uncover, as well as bonus points for meeting unique stage objectives.

+ Flying depletes your power metre quicker than walking, so careful management of your surroundings is always required.

+ Food items vary in point and power metre increase amounts, so there's risk-reward in grabbing them while avoiding foes.

- Enemies can shoot farther than you, so trying to get in their path for a shot is perilous and trickier than it needs to be.

- Collision detection is extremely suspect, both in terms of item collection and attempting to shoot incoming enemies.

- Boss battles occur every three stages, but they're a weak excuse for variety, as they require the same tactics every time.

- There's only one music track in the entire game, which becomes painfully repetitious after the first few loops.

Power Blade (NES review)

Developer: Natsume
Publisher: Taito
Released: 1991

Power Blade is an action-platformer that was released in Japan as Power Blazer (1990).

+ Levels are intricately designed, and their non-linear layouts encourage you to explore in the hunt for the required key cards.

+ Can choose the order in which you tackle the first six stages and there's even a password system to continue your progress.

+ Being able to throw your boomerang in eight directions while jumping is handy for dispatching enemies in tough spots.

+ Managing to locate the Power Suit in each stage is rewarding, as it gives you the tactical benefit of shooting through objects.

+ Includes a wide range of enemies that force you to rethink tactics due to their interesting attack patterns.

- Enemies respawn at an infuriating rate and there is an element of backtracking in order to locate items.

- Character walking animation is rather goofy and the boss battles offer little in the way of resistance.

S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team (NES review)

Developer: Natsume
Publisher: Natsume
Released: 1991

S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team is a shoot-em-up that was released in Europe as Action in New York.

+ Action moves along at breakneck speed (particularly in Stage 3's Astrotube) and there's no noticeable slowdown.

+ Level design makes up for the game's short length by merging horizontally and vertically scrolling areas.

+ Secondary weapons offer tactical flexibility, as they can be positioned to circle your character, or fire at specific angles.

+ Phenomenal music and stunningly detailed pixel-art are comparable to other Natsume games like Shatterhand (1991, NES).

- Tough-as-nails, with too much emphasis on unforeseeable cheap hits from enemies that suddenly enter the playfield.

- Artificially increases the challenge by refusing to recharge your health metre after completing a stage.

- Suffers from an inordinate amount of sprite flicker, and your character will often blend in with enemies and their bullets.

Driver - You Are the Wheelman (Sony PlayStation review)

Developer: Reflections Interactive
Publisher: GT Interactive
Released: 1999

Driver - You Are the Wheelman is an action-driving game that was also released on Microsoft Windows in 1999.

+ Missions are extremely varied (including some multi-part goals), and the precise handling of each car is impressive.

+ Often gives you several missions to choose from, which is a terrific idea if you're struggling with a specific objective.

+ The four worlds feel alive with cars and pedestrians, and there's little slowdown to go along with a good draw distance.

+  Fun extra modes for longevity (such as the chaotic Survival challenge), and the free run option allows for leisurely drives.

- Opening tutorial is brutal for newcomers, and the developers should have adopted a bite-sized learning approach instead.

- Tough to avoid police detection, as time limits are usually so strict that you'll have no choice but to run red lights.

- Difficulty is wildly uneven, and many early missions will test your patience due to overly aggressive police and time limits.

Adventures of Lolo 3 (NES review)

Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: HAL Laboratory
Released: 1991

Adventures of Lolo 3 is a puzzle game and the follow-up to the 1990 NES sequel.

+ Plenty of fiendishly clever puzzles on offer, and the new unlimited lives feature means that trial-and-error isn't as punishing.

+ Unlike the previous games, this one is non-linear, so you can skip ahead to other worlds while keeping your stage progress.

+ The open world allows you to freely roam around the map, and there's now a huge 100 puzzle levels on offer.

+ Treasure rooms at the end of each world are a simple, yet significant reward that gives you incentive to keep progressing.

- The actual stages feel more like DLC and don't add anything significant to differentiate themselves from other Lolo games.

- Difficulty curve is tougher than the first two games, so this version probably isn't an ideal starting point for newcomers.

- Map screen allows you to switch between two characters, but there's no discernible differences between them.

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES review)

Developer: Nintendo R&D3
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1987

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! is a sports game that was re-released in 1990 as Punch-Out!! (NES).

+ Boxers ooze personality and their unique attacks give the game a puzzle-like element where button mashing is punished.

+ Despite the small amount of button inputs, there's lots of strategy to each bout, as well as various secrets to uncover.

+ Learning how to earn a Star Punch from each opponent is fun, and using them wisely can lead to devastating KOs.

+ Difficulty curve is spot-on and the Circuits slowly help to improve your skills before throwing the kitchen sink at you.

+ Includes a handy password system that allows you to skip ahead to different Circuits, or battle against later opponents.

+ Iconic cut-scenes with some amazing parallax scrolling effects, and the chunky character sprites have terrific animation.

- Some boxers are repeated in later Circuits, and while they do have new attacks, a fully unique roster would have been nice.

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 (NES review)

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: 1994

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 is a platform game and the sequel to the 1990 NES original.

+ Ability to play co-op is a blast and there's even a cool new attack where you can throw your partner to harm enemies.

+ Controls are excellent (particularly for mid-air adjustments), and dispatching enemies by throwing boxes never gets old.

+ Escape stage includes a timer that adds urgency, and the three Amusement Park levels can be played in any order.

+ Includes cut-scenes throughout your adventure to break up the action and to keep you invested in the narrative.

- Level design and settings are rather uninspired, and do little to differentiate themselves from the original game.

- Main platforming stages offer minimal challenge, and even the bosses have basic, easily exploitable patterns.

- Game ending is extremely unsatisfying, as nothing gets resolved and the entire adventure seems like a waste of time.

The Untouchables (NES review)

Developer: Special FX Software
Publisher: Ocean
Released: 1990

The Untouchables is an action game that's based on the 1987 movie of the same name.

+ Contains multiple gameplay styles to keep things fresh, and despite the high difficulty there's unlimited continues on offer.

+ Having to constantly monitor your squad's health and switch between them to stay alive is an interesting mechanic.

- Alley levels could have used Zapper support, as you'll typically take damage while moving the cursor across the screen.

- While fixed in the REV-B cart, the Border Raid stage features a cursor that only appears while firing, negating accuracy.

- Warehouse level has stiff controls that result in inaccurate jumping and delayed inputs when attempting to fire your gun.

- Train Station escort mission gives little visibility of what lies ahead, and the only way to succeed is through trial-and-error.

- Music is ear-piercing, and bizarrely, the game kicks you back to the title screen at the end of each completed mission.

Bonk's Adventure (NES review)

Developer: A.I
Publisher: Hudson Soft
Released: 1994

Bonk's Adventure is an action-platformer that was first released in 1990 on the Turbografx 16.

+ An impressive port to the humble NES that manages to retain much of the original's level design, charm and character.

+ Stages and locales have plenty of variety, with Round 5 being a highlight due to its meandering layouts.

+ Gaining invincibility and ploughing through enemies is a joy and feels more visceral than in Super Mario Bros. (1985, NES).

+ Bosses still feature gigantic sprites with barely any flicker, and there's only minimal slowdown throughout.

- However, unlike other late NES releases like Kirby's Adventure (1993), levels are sparse with feeble enemy sprites.

- Controls aren't quite as tight as they should be, especially when attempting minute, precise platforming adjustments.

- Remarkably easy to see the credits roll due to the abundance of extra lives and health top-ups scattered around.

Bucky O'Hare (NES review)

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Released: 1992

Bucky O'Hare is an action-platformer that's based on the comic book of the same name.

+ Level design constantly surprises with its use of verticality and awesome set-pieces that make each area feel unique.

+ Allows you to choose the order in which you tackle the first four stages, and there's even a handy password feature.

+ Being able to switch between characters on the fly adds strategy, as well as puzzle elements in terms of how to progress.

+ Gorgeous graphics with detailed sprite work and cut-scenes, and the music does an excellent job of heightening the intensity.

- Difficulty is wildly uneven and many sections will have you tearing your hair out due to the reliance on trial-and-error over skill.

- Recycles many ideas from other NES games such as Life Force (1987), Mega Man II (1988) and Battletoads (1991).

- Too many sections lean on Blinky's abilities and overall there's not enough focus on the rest of the characters.

Chicago Syndicate (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1995

Chicago Syndicate is an action game that's exclusive to Sega's 8-bit handheld.

+ Promising core concept that features an open-ended stage order where careful consideration of gang strength is required.

+ There's an incredible amount of attacks to choose from, which encourages experimentation to find your preferred moves.

- However, most attacks are under-powered, so you'll likely stick with the same 2-3 moves that do the most damage.

- Enemies are total sponges to both hand-to-hand and weapons-based attacks, which makes combat an infuriating chore.

- You'll often need to wait a second or two for an animation to trigger, which leaves you wide open to receiving damage.

- Poor level design (with copy-pasted sections) and some garish colour schemes where foes blend into the backgrounds.

- Does a bad job of explaining how to fully clear stages and learning the correct way to progress isn't immediately intuitive.

Castelian (NES review)

Developer: Bits Studios
Publisher: Triffix
Released: 1991

Castelian is a platform game that was also released on the Atari 7800 as Tower Toppler (1988).

+ Level design is superb and there's always multiple hazards / enemy types vying for your attention to keep you invested.

+ Frequently includes clever puzzle elements, such as purposely taking damage in order to reach lower platforms.

+ Platformer mini-game is more fun than Atari's shooter interlude, and the disappearing ledges provide a good challenge.

- Gameplay can be punishingly tough until you memorise layouts and enemy patterns, even on Novice difficulty.

- Both jump and shoot are mapped to the same button, which can occasionally lead to the wrong action being performed.

- Collision detection is spotty and your character often falls off platforms despite not being at the very edge.

- Controls in the platformer mini-game suffer from animation lag and you can't adjust your jump in mid-air.

Ufouria: The Saga (NES review)

Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: Sunsoft
Released: 1992

Ufouria: The Saga is an action-adventure game that was released in Australia, Europe and Japan.

+ Very accommodating to newcomers in terms of its difficulty and how it guides players at the start of the game.

+ World design is thoughtfully and meticulously crafted, and backtracking is a real joy rather than a chore.

+ Never feels too overwhelming and unlike Metroid (1987, NES) the inclusion of a map helps to focus your plan of attack.

+ The four playable characters have unique abilities that can often be combined with quick-switching to open up exploration.

+ Catchy music with area-specific tracks and bass-heavy tones synonymous with Sunsoft NES games.

- The need to press Down while jumping in order to attack is cumbersome and doesn't always work correctly in tight corridors.

- Boss battles are a huge let-down, as most require you to employ the same attack strategies to defeat them.

Mr. Gimmick (NES review)

Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: Sunsoft
Released: 1993

Mr. Gimmick is an action-platformer that was only released in Japan and Scandinavia.

+ Spectacular physics engine / level design, and attempting to find all six magic items to unlock the true ending is fun.

+ Learning how to competently use your star attack to reach higher platforms adds a cool puzzle-like element.

+ Enemy A.I. is mind-blowing, as foes make a conscious effort to dodge your attacks and evade perilous death pits.

+ Music has the typical Sunsoft flair with some funky bass lines, while the graphics push the console to the absolute limit.

- Controls are slippery to an infuriating degree and it can take a while to avoid over-shooting your intended target.

- Star attacks are under-powered and never make you feel that you have a truly effective way of battling swarms of enemies.

- While there's unlimited continues, the game removes your magic items, meaning you can't unlock the final boss.