Comical Machine Gun Joe (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega R&D 2
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1986

Comical Machine Gun Joe is an action game that was only released in standalone format in Japan.

+ Interesting risk-reward for catching downed foes, as they provide an additional hit at the expense of slowing you down.

+ Has some very cool hidden secrets, including ones that can net you huge bonus points, or change outfits worn by bosses.

- Game only has six stages that loop, with the trade-off being sky-high difficulty that limits your ability to progress.

- One level is simply a nighttime re-skin of the Down Town stage, which reinforces the lack of content on offer.

- Nothing to keep you around once the second loop starts, as the only change is a permanent spider enemy that blocks shots.

- Bullets tend to merge into the background in the Graveyard level, causing unforeseeable deaths from enemy fire.

- Music is annoyingly repetitive and you'll hear the same brief tune incessantly throughout your play-through.

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.

Sega Bass Fishing (Sega Dreamcast review)

Developer: SIMS Co., Ltd.

Publisher: Sega

Released: 1999

 

Sega Bass Fishing is a sports game that was first released in the Arcades in 1997.  

 

It consists of three modes and supports either a Dreamcast controller or the Fishing Rod. Arcade Mode plays in 1-2 minute increments and tasks you with catching enough fish to reach the required weight quota. It caters to all knowledge levels, as deciding your lure and cast point is intuitive. There's also some depth for experts, as the best results are achieved by carefully selecting the best lure based on the water temperature and time of day. Trying the numerous types of lure is entertaining (they control differently when a fish bites) and each one is like a unique mini-game! While the controller works fine, the Fishing Rod is recommended, as the physical act of reeling in and using the motion sensors makes the gameplay more enjoyable. Rather than feeling gimmicky, it's vital to the core experience and responds to small movements well, while the rumble pack provides tactile feedback to add to the immersion. My only complaint is that the camera angles don't always give you the best view of the lakes. Original Mode pits you against the CPU in four tournaments where the objective in each is to catch the heaviest total weight of fish across 3-5 sessions. The locations are different to Arcade Mode and I love how there's varying depths to the lakes depending on which lure you prefer. The challenge ramps up dramatically here though and due to the lack of skill settings you really need lots of practice to even place well in the leaderboard. The ability to Save and Load your progress is appreciated though. There's also a much-needed Practice Mode where you can customise the conditions and learn the game's nuances.

 

Sega Bass Fishing is an impressive title and strikes a great balance of being simulation-like, while challenging players against the clock in an Arcade-style fashion. The fact that newcomers and experts can find something to love is a testiment to the developers, and the ability to use the awesome Fishing Rod makes this a must-own.

 

 

 

Random trivia: A sequel called Sega Bass Fishing 2 was released on the Sega Dreamcast in 2001.