Ariel the Little Mermaid (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: BlueSky Software, Disney Software
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992

Ariel the Little Mermaid is an action title that was previously released on the Sega Genesis (1992) and Sega Master System (1996).

+ Ability to call upon your fish friends is a charming mechanic that can net you treasure and open new pathways.

- However, using button combinations to summon them is clunky and they sometimes wander off-screen without helping!

- Frame-rate is dreadful, the game randomly speeds up and down, and the scrolling is so jerky it'll hurt your eyeballs.

- Controls are wildly unreliable and you're never quite sure if a light d-pad tap will make Ariel inch forward or zoom ahead.

- Checking the map to locate polyps is tedious and it also takes a painful amount of time for the graphic to draw-in.

- Ariel frequently gets stuck on the scenery, and the adventure is all too brief as there's only four short levels.

- Bosses are extremely disappointing, as you can stand in one spot and blast away at the static foe in front of you.

Ariel the Little Mermaid (Sega Master System review)

Developer: BlueSky Software, Disney Software
Publisher: Tec Toy
Released: 1996

Ariel the Little Mermaid is an action title that was previously released on the Sega Game Gear (1992) and Sega Genesis (1992).

+ Ability to call upon your fish friends is a charming mechanic that can net you treasure and open new pathways.

- However, using button combinations to summon them is clunky and they sometimes wander off-screen without helping!

- Frame-rate is dreadful, the game randomly speeds up and down, and the scrolling is so jerky it'll hurt your eyeballs.

- Controls are wildly unreliable and it's clear this was a dirty port of the handheld version due to smaller resolution windows.

- Checking the map to locate polyps is tedious and it also takes a painful amount of time for the graphic to draw-in.

- Ariel frequently gets stuck on the scenery, and the adventure is all too brief as there's only four short levels.

- Bosses are extremely disappointing, as you can stand in one spot and blast away at the static foe in front of you.

Ariel the Little Mermaid (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: BlueSky Software, Disney Software
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992

Ariel the Little Mermaid is an action title that was also released on the Sega Game Gear (1992) and Sega Master System (1996).

+ Ability to call upon your fish friends is a charming mechanic that can net you treasure and open new pathways.

- Gameplay is mind-numbingly repetitive in its collect-a-thon nature, and Ariel frequently gets stuck on the scenery.

- Levels are poorly constructed with monotonous layouts, and there's barely any distinctive moments throughout.

- Controls are wildly unreliable and you're never quite sure if a light d-pad tap will make Ariel inch forward or zoom ahead.

- Frame-rate is dreadful and the game randomly speeds up and down, even when there's no enemy sprites in the vicinity.

- Checking the map to locate polyps is tedious and an on-screen radar would have stopped the constant interruptions.

- Bosses are extremely disappointing, as you can stand in one spot and blast away at the static foe in front of you.

Ninja Golf (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: BlueSky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Ninja Golf is a beat-em-up / sports title that's exclusive to the Atari 7800 console.

+ Course design is brilliant and tasks you with deciphering whether the shortest route will ultimately lead to more peril.

+ On-screen map is super handy for planning your route, as well as showing your proximity in relation to the ball.

+ Beat-em-up sections are very reminiscent of Kung-Fu Master (1989, Atari 7800), with combat having a rhythmic flow.

+ Good range of enemies (some unique to each playing surface) and the neat parallax scrolling doesn't affect performance.

+ Plenty of items available to give you a fighting chance, and the limited shurikens are helpful for long-range attacks.

- Golfing aspect is rather basic and it's a shame that putting wasn't included to increase the drama at the end of each hole.

- Bosses are repetitive with easily exploitable attack patterns, and the lack of in-game music lessens the atmosphere.

Motor Psycho (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Bluesky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Motor Psycho is a racing game that's exclusive to the Atari 7800.

+ Fans of Pole Position (1982, Arcade) will find enjoyment thanks to the familiar gameplay premise and scoring system.

+ Four race tracks are well designed and the impressive draw distance allows you to see long stretches of upcoming road.

+ Ability to jump crazy heights offers risk-reward, as you accumulate more points in the air than on the ground.

+ Controls are excellent, particularly when downshifting on tight corners, and you can even customise how your bike turns.

- Frame-rate is shaky in areas with lots of bikers, which isn't great in a precision-based racer where every move matters.

- Takes an age to return to the road after a crash, and the awful intro music sounds like a toddler's first song.

- Graphics do little to impress, with colour clashing and sparsely detailed scenery that create a drab backdrop.

Scrapyard Dog (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: BlueSky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Scrapyard Dog is a platformer that was also released on the Atari Lynx (1991).

+ Deeper gameplay than you might expect, as while exploration isn't necessary it is rewarded with mini-games / items.

+ Lots of opportunities to visit shops that arm you with Special Items that are useful against packs of enemies.

+ Action is more enjoyable when approached as a resource management game and stocking up on items as early as possible.

- Difficulty curve is terrible, as Stage 1-3's sewer demands pixel-perfect jumps to platforms that are located off-screen.

- Doesn't do enough to progress the core concept, as there's very little difference in enemies / hazards after the first world.

-  No bosses except an awful sliding puzzle for the finale, and there's frame-rate dips and jerky scrolling in later levels.

- Manual does an awful job of explaining (or even visually demonstrating) what the huge row of icons are in the HUD.

Mat Mania Challenge (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Bluesky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Mat Mania Challenge is a wrestling game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1985.

+ Move-set is fairly in-depth with a good mixture of kicks, punches, slams and throws to cater to all situations.

+ Graphics are competent with an expressive crowd to boost personality, and the in-ring referee is a nifty touch.

- Options are basic with only one playable character (that's palette swapped), no Championship mode or tag-team matches.

- Zero special moves, and while your opponent's life bar isn't visible spamming the punch button guarantees victory.

- No rhyme or reason as to who wins grappling battles, and collision problems result in clear hits doing no damage.

- Can only run in the direction you're facing, which stops you from gaining momentum or creating distance.

- Crude music adds nothing to the experience and sounds more like random Morse code than melodic tracks.