Fantasy Zone: The Maze (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd., Whiteboard
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1988

Fantasy Zone: The Maze is an action game that was first released in the Arcade in 1987.

+ Differentiates itself from Pac-Man (1980, Arcade) via cool power-ups and an abundance of well-designed mazes.

+ Deciding whether to buy an item or conserve money is a nuanced mechanic that gives the gameplay its strategic hook.

+ Multitasking element is immersive, and tension is created by having to touch enemy bases in order to reset their energy.

+ Includes many ways for skilled gamers to increase their point totals, and the darkened bonus rounds are a fun diversion.

+ Good difficulty curve that eases players in, and the game allows you to choose any of its seven planets from the outset.

- Sprite flicker is majorly distracting when too many enemies are in close proximity and it's easy to lose your bearings.

- Later stages are heavily reliant on the Big Wings item to dash away from foes and if it's unavailable you're screwed.

Aztec Adventure: The Golden Road to Paradise (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega R&D 2
Publisher: Sega of America
Released: 1988

Aztec Adventure: The Golden Road to Paradise is an action game that was released in Japan as Nazca '88.

+ Has an excellent mixture of enemy types and hazards that are gradually introduced to give players new challenges.

+ Concept-wise, recruiting an enemy to fight alongside you by exchanging money is a great idea to open up the gameplay.

- However, in practice they're completely useless, as they rarely attack foes and prefer to wander around aimlessly.

- Difficulty is brutal due to twitchy enemies / bullet swarms, and cycling through items in the heat of battle is cumbersome.

- Enemies are often found lurking near entrances, and as soon as you enter the screen you'll take unforeseen cheap damage.

- Your sword has a very short range and the questionable hit detection leads to uncertainty over whether your attacks will land.

- Demon targets take an age to defeat and the majority of your special weapons lack impact, making you feel under-powered.

After Burner (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Publisher: Tonka
Released: 1988

After Burner is a rail shooter that was first released in the Arcade in 1987.

+ Has 18 stages of chaotic action and using a barrel roll to deftly avoid an inbound missile is a thrill that never gets old.

+ Day-night cycles are fantastic, and the changing scenery after beating each stage keeps you wanting to progress.

+ Great vehicle sprite work, and the take-off sequences look awesome while including the iconic "Get Ready!" speech.

- Frame-rate is low and the lack of proper scaling makes it difficult to judge the path of incoming enemy projectiles.

- Gameplay is punishingly tough and with no continues you'll need to repeatedly grind through the opening stages.

- Your jet is incapable of smooth circular motions, meaning skillful dodging of aircraft / missiles is problematic.

- Boss-style battles against Flying Fortress enemies slows the action to a crawl and negates any attempt at precision.

32 in 1 (Atari 2600 / Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Atari Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

32 in 1 is a compilation of Atari 2600 games that was only released in PAL territories.

+ Ensures there's something for everyone by including titles in multiple genres, such as action, puzzle and board games. 

+ Robust sports list available, including Skiing which is a real highlight with its multiple layouts and ultra-precise controls.

+ Fun multiplayer action, with games such as Air Sea Battle and Freeway Chicken offering engaging high score battles.

- Having to power cycle the console to load the next game is cumbersome, especially when you want the last title in the list!

- Popular Atari games such as Asteroids and Centipede are absent, making this a muted showcase of the 2600 library.

- Blackjack is a peculiar inclusion given its Paddle Controller requirement, and NFL Football has a ton of flicker.

- Has duplicate titles with weird graphical hacks, and Fishing even introduces collision detection issues with your line.

Joust (NES review)

Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: HAL America
Released: 1988

Joust is an action game that was first released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Action is fast and fluid with an impressive physics engine, and the two-player mode is a fun mix of co-op and battle.

+ Having to collect eggs before they re-hatch creates tension, as does quickly eliminating buzzards to avoid Pterodactyls.

+ Shrewdly, you can override the respawn animation after a death to get back into the action at the most opportune time.

+ Improved control scheme over the Atari 7800 version (1987), as you can use both buttons to flap at normal or fast speed.

- Missing various wave types (e.g. Survival Wave), so the gameplay becomes repetitive much faster than other versions.

- Has some collision detection and clipping issues, and the hit box to defeat Pterodactyls is ludicrously small.

- Less difficulty options than the Atari 5200 (1983) and Atari 7800 ports, and the iconic Game Over text is omitted.

Rampage (NES review)

Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Released: 1988

Rampage is an action game that was first released in the Arcade in 1986.

+ Has a whopping 128 stages and your constantly depleting life bar gives the game an edgy survival element.

+ There's some mild strategy to staying alive and recognising what items heal or harm you is crucial in the heat of the action.

+ Map detailing which U.S. states you've destroyed is a nice touch that provides a visual reward for your hard work.

- Gameplay is mind-numbingly repetitive and there's barely anything new that gets introduced to keep you engrossed.

- Controls don't always respond as expected and many times you'll falter despite clearly pressing Up to grab onto a building. 

- Unlimited continues don't even reset your high score, so there's little point in trying to top your previous best.

- Only has two of the three playable characters from the Arcade, and the between-stage tips disappear too quickly.

F-18 Hornet (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1988

F-18 Hornet is a combat flight simulator that was also released on the Commodore 64 (1988).

+ Take-off is commendably straightforward and you can instantly select any of the four missions from the main menu.

+ Short missions have that 'just one more go' factor, and daring manoeuvres are incentivised with bonus points.

+ Polygon graphics are excellent with a consistent frame-rate, and managing to land the plane is endlessly thrilling.

- Forces you to memorise entire stage layouts from the manual, which negates spontaneity and skill-based reactions.

- Combat is wonky with an unreliable lock-on that's hit-and-miss, and the arc to your missiles never feels natural.

- Limited draw distance makes it tough to spot the exact placement of upcoming enemies and landing strips.

- Convoluted controls, as you need to use the console's Difficulty Switch and Select button alongside the joystick.