WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game (Sega 32X review)

Developer: Sculptured Software, The Black Team
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Released: 1995

WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game is a wrestling title that was also ported to the Sega Genesis in 1995.

+ Beat-em-up gameplay is atypical for the genre, but seamlessly blends grappling with slapstick attacks and projectiles.

+ Large roster of wrestlers are available, each with extensive move sets that are executed via simple button commands.

+ Handicap bouts are great fun, and two players can battle against each other, or cooperatively against the CPU.

+ Features more frames of animation compared to the Genesis version and the voice clips are much higher in quality.

- However, the action only runs at 30FPS (half the Genesis port) and the overall upgrades from the 16-bit version are minimal.

- While there are difficulty options, the CPU is brutally aggressive which doesn't help with easing new players in.

- Needed additional solo modes, and it's a shame the Royal Rumble is exclusive to the WWF Championship finale.

Virtua Fighter (Sega 32X review)

Developer: Sega CS4
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1995

Virtua Fighter is a one-on-one fighting game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1993.

+ Enormous amount of moves for each fighter, and the slow, methodical gameplay is a nice change of pace for the genre.

+ Being able to attack a downed opponent opens up the combat and there's nothing more satisfying than using it for a K.O.!

+ Responsive controls and the game runs at a rock solid frame-rate, even in widescreen mode which performs admirably.

+ Music is outstanding, and despite some graphical cutbacks the game holds its own against the Sega Saturn version (1995).

- Could have used a Training mode, as the number of moves and steep learning curve can be overwhelming to newcomers.

- Rather than immediately transitioning from one enemy to the next, a short pre-fight build-up would have added personality.

- Has noticeable bugs, such as in the Backside 1P camera angle where foes can continually walk backwards for a Ring Out.

Corpse Killer (Sega 32X-CD review)

Developer: Digital Pictures
Publisher: Digital Pictures
Released: 1995

Corpse Killer is a Full Motion Video (FMV) game that was also released on the Sega CD in 1994.

Airdropped onto the tropical island of Cay Noir, your mission is to rescue four comrades and stop the evil Dr. Hellman from releasing hordes of zombies onto the world. Your normal gun can be upgraded with powerful armor-piercing or datura-coated bullets (necessary when facing certain zombies), and antidotes can also be obtained to restore your ever-depleting health. The action is repetitive and when you're not watching the endless cut-scenes and looking around the map screen the only thing to do is occasionally take part in a shooting gallery where you blast ridiculous looking zombies as they scale towards you. The on-screen target cursor is unbelievably laggy and inaccurate to the point where luck often replaces skill; in fact, it's so bad that you could be fooled into thinking you have a defective CD! The Sega Menacer light-gun is advertised as being compatible, but seriously, don't bother as it's wildly unreliable and utterly broken. The FMV quality is the worst I've seen in regards to 32X-CD games with dull, grainy backgrounds, heavily pixelated zombies and an extremely low frame-rate. To top things off, the audio constantly cuts in-and-out while you're firing, and the same SFX plays ad nauseam after you've killed a zombie. The gameplay is not without some merits though, and I do like the non-linear approach that allows you to choose where to battle next from a map screen. Also, you can save your progress at any point, as well as retreating when health / ammo is low, meaning some strategy is involved; it's just a shame that the rest of what's presented here is so unpolished and monotonous.

Corpse Killer is a shallow title and the fancy FMV footage is a misguided attempt to fool you into thinking its gameplay is more substantial than it really is. After the first ten minutes you've seen and experienced pretty much everything it has to offer and there's nothing in the way of variety to keep you coming back.

Random trivia: Dr. Hellman was played by Vincent Schiavelli, who also featured in the 1992 Batman Returns movie as the Organ Grinder.

Space Harrier (Sega 32X review)

Developer: Rutubo Games
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1994

Space Harrier is a third-person rail-shooter that was first released in the Arcades in 1985.

Playing as a Sentinel named Harri, your mission is to reclaim Dragonland from the demon Valda. There's 18 stages and while using a jet-pack to fly around the auto-scrolling playfield you can shoot enemies with your laser. Gameplay wise, the sprite scaling is terrific and although this port only runs at 30 frames per second (compared to 60 in the Arcades) the animation is smooth. The sense of speed is incredible and at times it's almost too fast as bullets, enemies and scenery litter most of the playfield! What's most difficult is judging spatial distance when enemies and bullets scale towards the front of the screen; pattern recognition and learning A.I. placement is key to succeeding and as long as you're a patient gamer you'll find lots to love about Space Harrier. There's a huge range of unique enemies and memorable stages (especially the ones featuring vertically narrow corridors) and I love that each level ends in a cool boss battle. The Bonus Stages where you ride a creature and bash obstacles for points is also a welcome addition to mix things up. However, while you can lower the difficulty and increase your life count from 3 to 5 in the Options menu, the action is still extremely challenging; unless you're well-versed in the game's patterns and enemy placement you will see the Game Over screen within minutes and it can be disheartening replaying the same early stages in order to advance just a few seconds past your previous best. One saving grace is the hidden Arcade Mode that can be unlocked via a button combination (see below) that affords you three continues.

If you're a fan of tough-as-nails Arcade shooters, Space Harrier is easy to recommend and this Sega 32X port is impressive thanks to its fast-paced action and awesome sprite scaling. For casual gamers, it's likely more of an acquired taste and the lack of continues in this home conversion could be a detriment to its playability.

Random trivia: The game contains both an Arcade Mode and a Diagnostic Mode by entering certain button combinations.

Darxide (Sega 32X review)

Developer: Frontier Developments
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1996

Darxide is a shoot-em-up that was only released in Europe.

It consists of ten levels (each featuring a four minute time limit) and your mission is to stop the alien attack force from destroying the Darxide star system. Buttons A and C control your throttle, B fires your laser, and Z launches a bomb (from Level 5 onwards). The first thing to note is the excellent texture mapping and shadow effects that could easily be mistaken for an early PS1 title! Gameplay wise, shooting down large boulders that break off into smaller pieces resembles Asteroids (1979, Arcades); however, some missions have a hint of Defender (1981, Arcades) where you're tasked with saving miners. It's fun multitasking and the decision to either destroy a firing alien craft, hunt down stray boulders, or save a suffocating miner is strategically enjoyable. Despite the cursor being a little too fast for my liking, the controls are solid and choosing to either zoom around the playfield or pick off targets from a prone position feels tight and responsive. There is a small amount of auto-aim which is ideal for counteracting the minor cursor issues, allowing you to easily despatch fast moving craft in an instant. The draw distance is limited though, and while it's understandable given the 32X's hardware limitations, it is annoying when a target appears for a very brief moment before disappearing. Compounding this problem further is the overly strict time limit, as even the opening level is brutal. What also doesn't help matters is the confusing map indicator which has zero differentiation from the main playfield. To top things off, the difficulty settings don't appear to do anything and extra lives are in very short supply.

Darxide shows all the makings of a second generation Sega 32X title, but even the varied missions and tight controls can't hide the severe flaws that unacceptably mar the gameplay experience. The time limit is the main offender and without real difficulty options you're left to slog through the same levels ad nauseam.

Random trivia: A reworked version of the game called Darxide EMP was released on mobile platforms in 2003.

Night Trap (Sega 32X-CD review)

Developer: Digital Pictures
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1994

Night Trap is a Full Motion Video (FMV) game that was also released on the Sega CD in 1992.

Your mission takes place at a lakeshore winery house and the objective is to protect a group of teenagers from incoming perpetrators. To do this, you need to constantly switch between eight surveillance cameras, snoop on conversations to find clues, hunt for bad guys and set off traps when necessary. These traps can only be activated when the sensor metre is in the red (otherwise your control will be temporarily locked) and you must also listen out for the ever-changing access code in order to actually use them. Unfortunately, despite an upgrade in quality compared to the Sega CD version, it's possibly the worst looking Sega 32X-CD game due to the low frame-rate and grainy video. The gameplay involves lots of trial and error, as the scenes don't follow any logical pattern; it's not always clear what to do or which room to switch to next, and you're always bound to miss something important when choosing to either follow the story or capture criminals. Finding a good balance between gameplay and story is tough, as while flicking through cameras like a madman is partially effective, you'll likely miss a change to the access code, resulting in a quick Game Over. (in my opinion, a simple hint option would have been extremely beneficial to give newcomers at least some guidance). This does mean that lots of replayability is on offer, but how much enjoyment you get from the gameplay depends on how patient you are. At least the cheesy B movie style murder scenes are humorous! The HUD is also neatly condensed onto the lower part of the screen and the camera load times are brief.

There's no doubting that Night Trap is an ambitious concept, but its rigid gameplay and severe trial and error results in an aggravating experience that's unlikely to hold your attention for too long. Truth be told, there's barely any depth to its gameplay and the memorisation requirement will be a turn-off to all but a select audience.

Random trivia: In 2017, the game was remastered and published on Microsoft Windows and the PlayStation 4.

Slam City with Scottie Pippen (Sega 32X-CD review)

Developer: Digital Pictures
Publisher: Digital Pictures
Released: 1994

Slam City with Scottie Pippen is a Full Motion Video (FMV) basketball game that was also released on the Mega CD in 1994.

There's five opponents and you can choose to play to a time limit (3-9 mins), or until a specific score is reached (7-21 points). 1 billion respect points are needed before you can face Scottie, which can be earned by scoring, dunking, or blocking shots (it also decreases if your rival manages to do these). On Offense, the A button shoots and the B button attempts to break past an opponent. What makes the gameplay so tough is that you have no control over spatial distance; the game wants you to create space, but even when an opening appears the footage will cut away to a completely different scene (e.g. it doesn't match up), and your opponent will easily block your shot. As a result, you either need to guess or get extremely lucky to even score a point, especially as there's no consistency as to how much power is required when shooting. Defensively, A raises your hands, B attempts a block and C attempts a steal. Again, the action is confusing, as you can have perfect positioning, yet the video will cut-away to your adversary breezing past and dunking over you. Similarly, you can be face guarding the opposition and their shot will swish through the hoop while the video makes it seem as if you were playing two metres away! The FMV often transitions far too quickly (giving you no chance to react) and even if you do successfully steal the ball or block a shot it's usually a fluke rather than actual skill. The FMV video lacks detail and I have no idea why the game frequently cuts-away mid-contest to focus on fan interactions and chat-up scenes; this interrupts the flow in favour of cringeworthy acting!

Slam City with Scottie Pippen is an ill-advised FMV sports title that takes the exciting world of basketball and reduces it to a laughing stock. The list of problems is never-ending (especially the shoddy core gameplay and unresponsive controls) and you're much better off playing NBA Jam: Tournament Edition (1995, Sega 32X) instead.

Random trivia: The game wasn't released in Brazil until mid-1996.

Supreme Warrior (Sega 32X-CD review)

Developer: Digital Pictures
Publisher: Digital Pictures
Released: 1994

Supreme Warrior is a Full Motion Video (FMV) game that was also released on the Mega CD in 1994.

Your mission is to carry a magical mask from the Shaolin temple to a secret sanctuary in order to stop Fang Tu from using its powers for evil. Along the way, you'll face 12 opponents that each have unique abilities and fighting styles. The action takes place from a first-person perspective and while the FMV plays it's up to you to block and look for openings to strike; this includes punching, kicking, and learning secret moves and special skills (such as temporary invincibility) after defeating foes. In some ways, the game resembles Punch-Out!! (1990, NES) in that each opponent has a specific weakness you need to exploit; however, the combat here is by far the clunkiest fighting system I've ever used; for starters, you can only attack when an icon pops up, but these only appear on the edge of the screen and by the time you've gazed away to look at them you've already been punched in the face. Another problem is that there's barely any differentiation between these punch and kick icons from a design standpoint, forcing you to waste precious time deciphering them before attacking. On top of this, there are many occasions where the game doesn't even register your inputs (despite you hitting the correct button at the correct time) and blocking only works infrequently. The enemies are infuriatingly relentless from the get-go, and to make matters worse their health regenerates whenever they move away from you; this is totally unfair considering you have no control over the FMV and spatial distance! The voice-overs are horrifically stilted, and even the upgraded visuals are grainy and heavily compressed.

Supreme Warrior is utterly broken, and when the only positives are that it loads quickly and saves your progress you know you're in for a world of hurt! Most FMV games from this era haven't held up particularly well, but this takes the biscuit and ends up being the exact opposite of an immersive and fun gaming experience.

Random trivia: The game has a number of humorous Easter Egg videos which you can see here.

Surgical Strike (Sega 32X-CD review)

Developer: The Code Monkeys
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1996

Surgical Strike is a Full Motion Video (FMV) game that was previously released on the Mega CD in 1995.

As a team of special forces your mission is to stop the evil Kabul from killing civilians. The action auto-scrolls, but the C button allows you to turn at pre-determined points. You control a crosshair and the gameplay involves protecting team-mates by shooting enemies and vehicles with your Gatlin Gun or Missiles. There's three missions with the first set in a Desert Town where you need to take control of a town hall. Mission 1 features impressive explosions, but each time you shoot the gameplay is annoyingly interrupted while you watch a video clip. The cursor also moves too slowly meaning the FMV often outruns your crosshair and you take damage from enemies. Ammo is in limited supply too which is a real shame as it makes you fight too cautiously and avoid combat. The video quality is a major step up from the Sega CD version though, with minimal pixelation and a far better frame-rate. Mission 2 is in the Mountains with enemy helicopters and caves; the game starts to lose its way here as the stage features a gigantic play-area with a confusing structure; as a result, wasting firepower and losing lives is commonplace unless you memorise the entire layout. At least you can actually see what's ahead in this version though! Mission 3 takes place on an Island Paradise and starts with scantily clad women being blown up! You then have to rescue a kidnapped team member and destroy Kabul by dropping a ceiling fan on his head. The whole mission is bizarre and features awful green screen effects, such as when the final boss is chopped to pieces and his feet wander away by themselves!

Surgical Strike's vastly improved visuals make this a more respectable and playable version, but that still doesn't mean it's a good game. As a whole, there's just too many issues with its confusing level design and unnecessary ammo restrictions to really recommend this as anything other than a 90's FMV curiosity.

Random trivia: Although originally thought to be cancelled, this Sega 32X-CD version was actually only released in Brazil.

World Series Baseball Starring Deion Sanders (Sega 32X review)

Developer: BlueSky Software
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1996

World Series Baseball Starring Deion Sanders is a sports game that was released exclusively in North America.

It features both MLBPA players and MLB teams licenses, and includes modes such as League, Playoffs and Home Run Derby. Offensively, batters can select from three swing types; Contact, Normal and Power. These options are great for giving you an advantage during player situational at-bats, especially if the bases are loaded and you have a slugger like Barry Bonds at the plate. Baserunners can also be controlled in impressive fashion, and on top of advancing bases, you can even decide whether to slide head-first to avoid being thrown out! The only negative aspect is that you can't move batters around the box before a pitch. Defensively, pitchers have access to three pitch types (out of a possible seven) and each is simple to execute thanks to a handy strike zone overlay; it's a joy to pitch in an effortlessly effective manner and it's no surprise that many modern baseball games use the same intuitive mechanics. The added ability to use defensive shifts is fantastic, but arguably the best feature is being able to see the current batter's hitting tendencies; these are useful in pitching to their weak spots and give you greater depth in choosing your approach for individual batters. Once in play, there's a neat scaling effect applied when balls reach the outfield, giving you a better chance of making a catch and heightening the tension when an outfielder dives for a ball! Graphically, the game isn't a massive step up from 16-bit titles, but the smooth animations during a pitching sequence look great. The SFX of the stadium announcer and umpires are clear, but there's no jingles and the crowd are strangely silent.

World Series Baseball Starring Deion Sanders is a more enjoyable game than RBI Baseball '95 (1995, Sega 32X) due to its advanced defensive options and simple, yet fun hitting mechanics. There's not much here that takes full advantage of the hardware, but it's a competent baseball simulation that plays very smoothly throughout.

Random trivia: The Japanese version featured L.A. Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo instead of Deion Sanders.

Fahrenheit (Sega 32X-CD review)

Developer: Sega Studios
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1995

Fahrenheit is a Full Motion Video (FMV) game that was also released on the Mega CD in 1995.

Playing as a graduate of the Fire Academy, your job across three missions is to rescue people from burning buildings, capture criminals and dispose of various hazards. Neutralising hazards is crucial, as you're rewarded with additional oxygen. The gameplay consists of a first-person video stream as your character walks through each building, and at certain points you can input your chosen path. In Mission 1, you navigate a house to locate a trapped girl and then find the exit. It's immediately apparent that many of the on-screen arrows don't correlate with the direction you move towards, and it's common to press Forward, only for the game to swing the camera to a side-door; basically, you're restricted to whatever footage was filmed, leading to serious disorientation! There's also moments of trial-and-error where the game expects you to guess which one of three valves needs twisting to stop a gas leak. Mission 2 sees you searching a hotel to find an elderly lady and her pet bird. It's far more elaborate in size, but seriously confusing. The manual includes handy floor layouts, but in-game you only receive a text-based guide; this results in aimless wandering, and it doesn't help that the same FMV plays in different areas! Mission 3 takes place in the science blocks of a university where you capture a rampaging professor, defuse a bomb and shut off the power; it's an absolute nightmare due to its gigantic maze layout, compounding all of the above problems even further. At least the game's presentation is top-notch (with great special effects), and the full screen video in this 32X port has good clarity.

Fahrenheit is a great concept, but the FMV mixed with limited input options replace would-be action scenes with trial-and-error and careless meandering. In truth, there's really not much for the player to do in all three missions, and if you're looking for a more accomplished firefighting game try The Firemen (1994, SNES) instead.

Random trivia: In North America, both the 32X-CD and Sega CD versions were packaged together (e.g. never sold separately).

Cosmic Carnage (32X review)

Developer: Givro

Publisher: Sega

Released: 1994

Cosmic Carnage is a one-on-one fighter that's exclusive to the Sega 32X.

There's eight fighters and you can choose to play either the CPU or a friend. Each matchup consists of a best of three and your basic attacks include Normal or Fierce punches / kicks, as well as character specific special moves. The game's main gimmick is the ability for half the roster to wear light or heavy armour that can be selected for the body, legs and arms prior to each fight; this armour can be damaged and interestingly the amount you have left during battle dictates the types of special moves you can use. This is a great idea for deeper customisation / strategy and allows these characters an additional three attacks to battle with; oddly though, the other half of the roster have to deal with a greatly reduced move set without any upside. The game does feature a nice mixture of close combat and long-range attacks, but there's barely any memorable moves and little to distinguish each character's unique fighting style. The game also suffers from elaborate control inputs and overly fussy button timings, making some attacks too tricky to pull off in the heat of combat. Most of the fighters have zero personality (the only one who's even remotely compelling is Naja with her tail whip that gives her a huge reach advantage) and the stages suffer from dull backgrounds and uninspired scenery. The two player mode is just as boring, and annoyingly the game doesn't let you change characters until after you've been defeated. Graphically, there are some cool scaling effects where the action zooms in and out depending on character positioning, but there's little else that couldn't have been done on 16-bit hardware.

While Cosmic Carnage does show promise in its large move sets and innovative armour system, everything is so poorly implemented that it ends up being an extremely average fighter. Add to this the weak character rosters and mundane stage design, and you have all the makings for an instantly forgettable game.

Random trivia: The game was rushed to release in order to be a Sega 32X launch title.

RBI Baseball '95 (32X review)

Developer: Atari Games
Publisher: Time Warner Interactive
Released: 1995

RBI Baseball '95 is a sports game that's exclusive to the Sega 32X.

The 28 teams are only represented by their city name, but the game does feature an official MLB Players license. There's a large number of modes including an 80 or 162 Game Season, Home Run Derby, game-specific scenarios, and even an option to create your own teams. Offensively, batting has the usual pre-pitch options such as moving your batter (although only horizontally), and there's a satisfying thump when the ball is hit. Controlling each baserunner separately is great and the cool advanced options (such as taking an extra lead before each pitch) provides depth and strategy. There's even some humorous animations, such as when you hit a Home Run and the crowd start fighting over the ball! Defensively, pitching works fine, but without an overlay you basically have to guess where the strike zone is. If you throw pitches normally the CPU will destroy you, and the key to succeeding is to put a ton of movement on the ball; this is more 'Arcadey' than realistic (something I didn't enjoy), and it leads to cheap, cartoon-like pitches where the ball moves down, then up! Once the ball is in play the defense is perfectly adequate and the optional ability to have the CPU assist you before it comes into view is an excellent touch. Graphically, the behind-the-batter view features large, detailed sprites, but the rest of the players lack clarity and animation. The umpire audio is of decent quality (although a few wrong calls can be made), and the atmosphere is much better than World Series Baseball Starring Deion Sanders (1996, Sega 32X) due to the crowd noises and organ jingles.

RBI Baseball '95 is a playable sports game with some redeeming qualities, but it's also unremarkable in its gameplay, graphics and overall presentation. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but there's also nothing that excites or innovates, and it's certainly no advancement over previous 16-bit baseball titles.

Random trivia: Bizarrely, the post-game stats feature an advertisement for Dick Vitale's "Awesome Baby" College Hoops (1994, Sega Genesis).

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (32X review)

Developer: Big Bang Software, Zombie Virtual Reality Entertainment
Publisher: Activision
Released: 1995

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is an action-platformer that was released on various systems including the Sega Genesis (1994).

As Harry Jr. your quest is to rescue your father from Zakelua: Lord of Evil, and discover the lost treasure of Uaxactun. Your main weapon is a sling that can be used as a whip or a stone thrower, and it can also be charged for a Super Shot by holding down the A button. Boomerangs and Exploding Stones (that clear everything on screen) can also be collected throughout your adventure. The gameplay usually consists of fighting enemies, climbing ropes, swinging on vines to cross gaps and riding ziplines; while this sounds like the pedigree for a great action-platformer, the game has many flaws. For starters, the level design is atrocious and generally consists of unintuitive labyrinths that make exploration a chore. There's also too many instances where enemies are placed directly in front of you after climbing a rope or disengaging from a zipwire, leaving you no time before taking damage. On a related note, I often found myself being hit due to a very slight, but noticeable delay when pressing the attack button. Another peeve is the life metre, as instead of a simple health bar the developers tried to be cute by including a graphic of a crocodile next to Harry Jr.; the closer it is, the closer you are to death, but it's not easily distinguishable at a glance. The graphics have had a nice upgrade from the 16-bit versions, but the downside is this port only runs at 30 frames-per-second instead of 60; this results in choppy gameplay and instances where you'll mistime jumps. To give the game credit, the animation is superb and the way Harry Jr. swings from side-to-side when climbing ropes is impressive.

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is graphically impressive, but that doesn't make up for the poor level design, delayed controls and godawful frame-rate. Even though the core gameplay is mediocre on the Sega Genesis, you're much better off playing that version, as at least it runs at 60 frames-per-second to ease some frustration!

Random trivia: The original Pitfall (1982, Atari 2600) is an unlockable extra by finding a hidden warp in the Lost City of Copan level.

NFL Quarterback Club (32X review)

Developer: Iguana Entertainment
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Released: 1995

NFL Quarterback Club is a sports game that was originally released on the Nintendo Game Boy (1993).

It features 28 NFL teams, the license of 19 top quarterbacks of the time and 430+ plays. There's also seven modes including Season, Playoffs (8 team tournament), and Simulation (placing you in various game situations). On Offense, it's not immediately apparent which plays are Pass or Run, so it's perhaps not as accommodating to newcomers as John Madden Football (1990, Mega Drive). However, the gameplay is smooth with responsive controls, and there's plenty of neat features such as the ability to see replays and switch between four camera angles. You can also preset your audibles, flip plays, and shift to a no-huddle offense, giving you full control over the action. There's tons of hilarious player celebrations too, and the voice-clips of the officials (e.g. when signaling a First Down) have good clarity. On Defense, providing you have a basic understanding of the different formations, choosing a play is a breeze. Executing your role in each play is simple too thanks to the fantastic controls and ability to switch between players in an instant. One annoyance though is that the game never remembers which player position you chose last; this is especially frustrating if you always want to be a Linebacker and constantly have to cycle through team-mates prior to each snap! The computer A.I. can be dumb too, such as calling unnecessary timeouts when they're ahead and about to punt the ball on 4th Down with less than a minute to go. Graphically, there's some cool scaling effects as you drive towards the endzone, but nothing that takes full advantage of the 32X.

NFL Quarterback Club is clearly a Madden clone, but it does a commendable job of providing a solid game of American Football. There's not much innovation and newbies will likely have a slight learning curve on Offense, but it has a wealth of plays, content and modes to keep you playing for a long time.

Random trivia: The game was also released on the Sega Game Gear, Sega Mega Drive and Super Nintendo in 1994.

Blackthorne (32X review)

Developer: Paradox Development
Publisher: Interplay Productions
Released: 1995

Blackthorne is an action-platformer that was originally released on the SNES and MS-DOS in 1994.

You play as Captain Blackthorne, a former U.S. Marine officer, and your mission is to free the Androthi prisoners from the evil Warlord Sarlac. There's a total of five missions (one exclusive to this Sega 32X port) that consist of 4-5 stages each. The gameplay involves blowing up locked doors with Hover Bombs, finding keys to create bridges, and using Remote Wasps to detonate computer terminals. You have a Shotgun to fight enemies, but interestingly you can hold Up on the d-pad to hide in the shadows; this tactical / stealth element greatly enhances the action-oriented gameplay and forces you to time shots with a more deliberate pace. While shotgun ammo is unlimited, extra weapons are not, and I like how the game forces you to carefully manage your resources, and occasionally avoid combat, to pass each level. There's also some neat puzzle elements too, such as needing to find a key to disable a security field that will then allow you to blow-up the mainframe with a Remote Wasp. The level design is the game's strongest point, as it shares similarities with Super Metroid (1994, SNES) in its sprawling, yet well-signposted nature. The adventure is lengthy, but the addition of level passwords keeps you coming back. Unfortunately, jumping long distances is a constant anxiety, as you need to press C to run and then B to jump; while this sounds simple, there's a minor delay which often leads to instant death where you fall down a pit. The pre-rendered graphics, animation and colour definition are fantastic, but there's not a great deal here that takes advantage of the 32X's power.

Blackthorne is an atmospheric title that successfully morphs multiple genres into an engaging and lengthy adventure. It's a real thinking man's action-platformer, and while there are some unfortunate control issues, the outstanding level design and gameplay mechanics lessen much of the frustration.

Random trivia: A portable version was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003.

BC Racers (32X review)

Developer: Core Design

Publisher: Front Street Publishing

Released: 1995

 

BC Racers is a racing game and a spin-off of the Chuck Rock series.

 

Your goal is to obtain the Ultimate Boulderdash Bike by outpointing your opponents in an eight race competition. There's six riders to choose from (each with their own stats), as well as Easy, Medium, Hard and RockHard difficulty settings. Nitro can be used to speed ahead, and similar to Road Rash (1991, Mega Drive) you can punch fellow drivers to slow them down. Unfortunately, the racing is garbage, with the main culprit being a seriously choppy frame-rate that affects the accuracy of your turns. Likewise, the controls are unresponsive and it's a challenge to move onto the perfect racing line, especially when slowdown rears its ugly head! Bumping into the scenery is an all-too-frequent occurrence, and before long your bike will be wrecked, forcing you to use a continue. The combat does have an interesting mechanic whereby you can see the number of hits opponents can take before crashing out; however, the fatal flaw with this 32X port is that you can only punch to the right-hand-side of your vehicle! This means you're screwed if there's an opponent to your left as they can easily take pot-shots. Although there's only eight themed tracks, the layouts change depending on the difficulty setting; it's a brilliant idea that's shamefully ruined by uninspired track design and generic themes that lack scenic interest. Most of the time it's not even clear where you're supposed to turn, particularly in the Night Rally track, where the only illumination is your dim bike lights. As a whole, the racing is stale and could have used power-ups or boost pads to add some much-needed excitement.

 

BC Racers on the Sega 32X has a long list of issues and the end product is a stressful experience where each turn is intense for all the wrong reasons. It's simply no fun when you're fighting against the game as well as fellow riders, and overall it's appalling how little care was put into refining the racing prior to release.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The Mega CD version of BC Racers was released in 1994 and allowed you to punch in both directions.

Shadow Squadron (32X review)

Developer: Sega

Publisher: Sega

Released: 1995

 

Shadow Squadron is a first-person space shooter that was released as Stellar Assault in Europe and Japan.

 

You play as a Flight Officer and your job is to protect Outpost 51 from an invading alien fleet. There's six missions, along with two selectable ships that have unique abilities. Feather 1 has auto laser guns, guided laser torpedoes and recharges its energy after each mission; in contrast, Feather 2 has heavy lasers, an energy torpedo and a stronger shield, but never recharges its energy. The gameplay involves flying around, using your radar to locate enemies and then destroying them. While the first four missions are repetitive they're incredibly enjoyable, and I love how much strategy is involved in terms of discovering the weak point of each enemy ship. The controls are fantastic and allow for split-second avade manoeuvres, while the constrasting styles of the two playable ships offer lots of replayability. Mission 5 includes an awesome Trench Run scene, and the pologon-heavy graphics look great while showing off the power of the 32X's processing speed. Mission 6 introduces a timer where the objective is to destroy the eight slave units before blowing up a G.L. Cannon; the time limit is short (it's almost impossible to complete the mission on your first try) but it's a neat diversion and works well as a final boss battle. Despite how much fun the action is though, it's over quickly and feels slightly unfinished; it's almost as if the developers were told to stop creating assets and just use the existing ones so the game could be rushed to release! There is an additional on-rails shooter mode, but it gets unwieldy by Mission 4 due to the unrelenting projectiles and the fact that the cursor speeds are either too fast or too slow.

 

Shadow Squadron is a competent space shooter, with fun missions and gameplay that demolishes Star Wars Arcade (1994, Sega 32X) in just about every way. There's no escaping that it's light on content and mission variety, but its deceptively deep mechanics and variance in the playable ships are good hooks to keep you coming back.

 

 

 

Random trivia: In 1998, a sequel was released on the Sega Saturn called Stellar Assault SS.