Andre Agassi Tennis (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Epyx, Halestorm
Publisher: TecMagik
Released: 1992

Andre Agassi Tennis is a sports title that was ported to the Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System in 1993.

+ Skins Tournament mode has real promise, as instead of a fixed match prize it offers a variable purse for each shot.

- Requires exact positioning to hit the ball, but the players move so slowly that it's hard to line up with a cross court shot.

- Animation is light on frames and there's a noticeable delay for each sequence to activate in relation to your button presses.

- It's weirdly challenging to judge spatial distance between your player and an incoming ball, making every return a nightmare.

- Opponent A.I. is seemingly unfinished, as they can look like a world beater before forgetting to swing their racket.

- Crowd is eerily silent throughout each match and there's no difficulty options to tailor the game to your liking.

- Prior to each CPU serve the game randomly forces you to press the Start button, which is an unnecessary step!

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.

Back to the Future Part III (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Probe Software
Publisher: Arena Entertainment
Released: 1991

Back to the Future Part III is an action title that's based on the 1990 movie of the same name.

+ Music is one of the game's redeeming features, and once you've beaten a stage you can continue from that point indefinitely.

- Punishing horse riding level relies on memorisation due to a lack of horizontal space and hazards that zoom towards you.

- Shooting Gallery doesn't display the score criteria and uses a three-position vertical input instead of a free-moving crosshair.

- Pie Throwing level is an utter shambles, as the controls are unintuitive and it's far too easy to apply unwanted spin.

- The final Train level is hindered by unresponsive controls, enemies that fire from off-screen and oppressive checkpoints.

- There's only four stages in the entire game and it's not worth grinding through to see the lacklustre ending.

- Weirdly, the game is overly dark stemming from a programming oversight rather than a defect with the selected TV!

Toki: Going Ape Spit (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Santos
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992

Toki: Going Ape Spit is an action-platformer and an enhanced version of the 1989 Arcade original.

+ Great level design with a nice assortment of enemies, environmental hazards and stage verticality to mix things up.

+ Fans of the Arcade original will find plenty to enjoy here thanks to the expanded levels that now span three areas each.

+ Solid controls and your ability to fire diagonally opens up your attack arsenal and protects you from airborne enemies.

+ Offers lots of customisation options in terms of lives, difficulty, points needed for extended play, and continues.

- Relies heavily on trial-and-error due to blind leaps of faith and enemies lurking just outside of your peripheral vision.

- Toki's movements are painfully slow, and the maze-like underwater level and Stage 7's sludge don't help matters.

- Graphics are dark and desaturated, and Toki is lacking in personality and charm compared to Bonk (Turbografx-16).

NBA Jam (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Iguana Entertainment
Publisher: Arena Entertainment
Released: 1994

NBA Jam is a sports game that was first released in the Arcade in 1993.

+ Extravagant gameplay is highly addictive due to its fast-paced approach and control scheme that's easy to master.

+ Outlandish dunks provide showstopping moments, and the lack of fouls makes for some hysterical multiplayer combat.

+ Includes an enormous range of official NBA players and their sprites are beautifully crafted for impressive likenesses.

+ Turbo function is versatile for both offense and defense, and the metre always refills quickly to keep the action tense.

+ Iconic voice samples from Tim Kitzrow take the game's personality to the next level and interject pure excitement.

+ Half-time stats detail lots of information about each player, which can be useful for making second half adjustments.

- No true Season or Playoff mode means there's no real consequence to losing apart from your overall win-loss record.

Ms. Pac-Man (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Innerprise Software
Publisher: Tengen
Released: 1991

Ms. Pac-Man is a maze game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1982 as the sequel to Pac-Man (1980, Arcade).

+ Tons of extra mazes are available, including some that fiendishly reposition energy pills for a greater challenge.

+ New two-player modes open up the gameplay for real longevity, especially as you can battle competitively or in co-op.

+ Difficulty curve is much more gradual than the Atari 5200 version (1983), and the Pac Booster helps to even the odds.

+ Ghosts have unique behaviours and speeds, and their A.I. is incredible as you can actively watch them trying to flank you.

+ Bonus fruits return, but this time with the treacherous twist of bouncing around the playfield to raise the suspense.

- Gameplay stops after Level 32 and without an Endless mode high score chasers might feel shortchanged.

- Unfortunately there's no option to have the entire maze visible, so you can't always see where foes are located.

James Pond 3: Operation Starfish (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Millennium Interactive, Vectordean
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: 1993

James Pond 3: Operation Starfish is a platformer that was later ported to the Sega Game Gear in 1995.

+ Features 100+ levels and the M.C. Kids (1992, NES) inspired gravitational elements open up the stages for exploration.

+ Like Turrican (1990, C64), there's a mountain of collectables to find if you want to see everything the game has to offer.

- Tries to be both a slower Mario game and a fast-paced Sonic title, but the juxtaposition of styles doesn't mesh well.

- Repetitive level design is littered with unavoidable hazards and brutal enemy placement that relies on trial-and-error.

- Often forces you to jump around like an idiot in the hope of finding a hidden block to advance the path forward.

- Stiff aerial controls when jumping horizontally from a prone position, and oversensitive while dashing in mid-air.

- Weapons and attacks feel weak due to overbearing enemies, and the 22 symbol password system is convoluted.