Tuesday 7 May 2024

Sega Rally Championship (Sega Saturn review)

Developer: Sega AM3, Sega CS3
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1995

Sega Rally Championship is a racing game that was first released in the Arcade in 1995.

+ Cool scenic views and well-designed courses that steadily increase in challenge as you move through the Championship.

+ For an early 32-bit game, it's seriously impressive how cars handle differently based on the type of surface being driven on.

+ Screeching around corners is endlessly entertaining thanks to the impeccable car handling and blistering speed.

+ Co-driver does a good job giving plenty of notice as to what lies ahead, and the overall draw distance is respectable.

+ Includes a multiplayer mode and you can fine-tune cars to your liking (e.g. handling, tires and suspension).

- Only four short courses in the entire game, so unless you're interested in two-player mode longevity is questionable.

- Completing the game in first place requires an almost perfect run, which might put off some casual players.


Monday 6 May 2024

Strahl (3DO review)

Developer: Media Entertainment
Publisher: Panasonic
Released: 1994

Strahl is a Full Motion Video (FMV) game that was first released on the Pioneer LaserActive in 1993.

+ Allows you to select the order in which you tackle the stages, which is excellent for learning the ropes.

+ Gorgeous anime visuals and animation with some terrific fight sequences, and there's a whopping 48 different endings.

- Gameplay is very easy (with no difficulty options) and you'll likely be watching the end credits within 30 minutes.

- There's no penalty for hitting the wrong input, which defeats the object of a quick-time, reaction-based game.

- On-screen button prompts don't usually match up with the FMV, and as a result you don't always feel part of the action.

- Video footage is overexposed, which washes out some detail and makes the button commands harder to see.

- Art design is inconsistent with its varying styles, and the static cut-scenes aren't an engaging method of storytelling.


Sunday 5 May 2024

Burning Soldier (3DO review)

Developer: Genki Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Panasonic
Released: 1994

Burning Soldier is a Full Motion Video (FMV) rail shooter that was also released on Windows (1998).

+ Locales are varied and see you battling closer to ground, in the sky, and even inside claustrophobic enemy quarters.

+ Similar to Panzer Dragoon (1995, Sega Saturn), your secondary attack can lock onto several enemies at once.

+ Includes a two-player co-op mode, along with a reasonable difficulty curve that provides you with infinite continues.

+ Presentation is outstanding and there's a large amount of cut-scenes, as well as up-tempo music to raise the intensity.

- D-pad isn't quite accurate enough to reward skilled play and cheap hits can occur due to jittery reticle movement. 

- Refraining from shooting to revive your shield adds risk-reward, but the charge rate is too slow to be effective.

- In-game voiceovers are very low in the mix, which makes it hard to follow orders and become invested in the overall plot.


Saturday 4 May 2024

Slam 'N Jam '95 (3DO review)

Developer: Left Field Productions
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics
Released: 1995

Slam 'N Jam '95 is a basketball game that's exclusive to the 3DO.

+ Arcade-style gameplay is fast and enjoyable, and your season progress / individual stats for each player are saved.

+ Ability to customise a full season is excellent, and you can even choose to condense things by only playing each team once.

+ Controls are intuitive, and there's an immense amount of satisfaction to be had from running ISOs and setting screens.

+ Graphics are stunning thanks to cool scaling effects, and the players have lots of personality with their on-court reactions.

+ Enthusiastic commentary resembles NBA Jam (1993, Arcade) and the SFX do a terrific job of enhancing the atmosphere.

- Defense can be tricky, as your teammates are useless and the zoomed-in camera doesn't give you a good half-court view.

- No NBA teams or player licenses, and the CPU doesn't always intelligently use the clock at the end of a quarter.


Thursday 2 May 2024

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Sega Interactive Development Division
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1994

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball is a pinball game that was also released on the Sega Mega Drive (1993) and Sega Master System (1995).

+ D-pad can be used once Sonic is airborne to gently guide him toward another flipper, or in the vicinity of a platform edge.

+ Fewer death traps than the 16-bit version, and some exclusive items such as giant red springs that launch you into the air.

+ Bonus Round is a fun diversion, as you have to sprint around and collect as many rings as possible within 90 seconds.

- Floaty physics result in very unrealistic flipper movement, and Sonic's on-foot controls feel slightly delayed.

- First stage gets things off to a bad start with confusing level design and unclear pathways to the next part of the table.

- Apart from the finale, the bosses are incredibly easy and unmemorable, and there's only four stages in the game.

- Some unfortunate game-breaking bugs, including areas where your sprite can become stuck on the scenery.


Thursday 25 April 2024

Mortal Kombat (Sega Game Gear 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 Master System (1993).

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

+ Each character has their own unique end screen, which is a great incentive to beat the game multiple times.

- 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 poor 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.

- Reduced screen real estate vs. the SMS version means little distance control, as well as concealed stage backgrounds.


Tuesday 23 April 2024

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.


Monday 22 April 2024

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.

Friday 19 April 2024

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.


Saturday 13 April 2024

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.


Thursday 11 April 2024

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.


Monday 8 April 2024

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.


Saturday 6 April 2024

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.


Wednesday 3 April 2024

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.


Sunday 31 March 2024

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.


Thursday 21 March 2024

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.


Tuesday 19 March 2024

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.


Monday 18 March 2024

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.


Friday 15 March 2024

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.


Saturday 9 March 2024

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.


Saturday 2 March 2024

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.


Saturday 17 February 2024

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.


Monday 12 February 2024

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.


Wednesday 7 February 2024

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.


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