Aerial Assault (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Shimada Kikaku
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992

Aerial Assault is a horizontally-scrolling shooter that was originally released on the Sega Master System in 1990.

+ Supports two-player co-op via the Gear-to-Gear Cable, and a decent amount of enemy types are gradually introduced.

+ Stage 3 is a highlight as it ditches wide open spaces in favour of tight, claustrophobic corridors that test your nerve.

- Ultimately a watered down port of the SMS version due to its missing stages, and the removal of bombs neuter your arsenal.

- Levels drag on for far too long with no interesting set-pieces, and the game's speed can be exasperatingly slow at times.

- Infrequent power-ups negate combat variety and it takes a painful amount of time to regain weapon strength after losing a life.

- Homing weapon is largely ineffective, as it has a tendency to circle enemies before eventually trying to make contact.

- Graphical style occasionally feels disjointed due to the mishmash of dark, brooding backdrops and cartoony sprites.

Space Harrier (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Shimada Kikaku
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Space Harrier is a 1985 third-person Arcade rail-shooter that was also ported to the Sega Master System in 1987.

+ Great balance of offensive / defensive play (e.g. dodging indestructible objects) and the FPS is improved from the SMS port.

+ Constantly evolves the gameplay with new enemy types, as well as awesome stage settings that include duplicated ceilings.

+ Bosses are gigantic and figuring out their attack patterns / weak spots is as rewarding as solving a puzzle.

- Gameplay can be brutally punishing unless you meticulously strategise and memorise the layouts of each stage.

- Only features 12 of the 18 stages from the 8-bit console version, and even the end credits have been removed.

- It's tough to determine spatial distance, particularly when attempting to judge how close enemies are to the foreground.

- Sprites have a blocky look due to a lack of transparency around their outer edges, which is immersion-reducing.

Felix the Cat (NES review)

Developer: Shimada Kikaku
Publisher: Hudson Soft
Released: 1992

Felix the Cat is an action-platformer that's based on the cartoon series of the same name.

There's nine worlds and your mission as Felix is to rescue Kitty Cat from the evil Professor. A short-range punching glove is the default weapon, but collecting Felix head icons allows you to temporarily power-up. What pushes the gameplay forward in interesting ways is that this large array of power-ups can vary depending on the type of stage you're currently playing, and they include a Tank that shoots bouncing balls, and a Cape that creates a field of stars around Felix, damaging enemies in the process. Their inclusion cleverly dictates how you approach each area due to their varying range of attack, and it's fun seeing what might lie ahead if you manage to upgrade. Another great feature is how you gain the reward of an extra life if you collect a head icon while fully powered-up. The level design incorporates various styles to engage the player and includes typical platforming stages, alongside areas where you need to float using an umbrella, or ride a dolphin across the sea. These water stages are a real highlight and it's impressive how you can feel the crash of the waves and the resistance from the current as it tries to pull you back. At times though, the level design feels lazy, especially when some later stages outstay their welcome with repetitive layouts that seem copy and pasted in quick succession. Another issue is the lack of difficulty, as each world poses barely any challenge and the bosses are a pushover with very basic attack patterns. Collecting a large array of lives is a cakewalk too and moderately-skilled gamers are unlikely to lose any on more than a small handful of occasions.

Felix the Cat has some interesting ideas in both its level design and power-up system that make it an enjoyable game for average-skilled players and children. Its almost non-existent difficulty is a glaring issue though for veteran gamers, and before long you'll have seen everything it has to offer and still have plenty of extra lives in tow.

Random trivia: The game was ported to the Nintendo Game Boy in 1993.