Ms. Pac-Man (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco
Released: 1995

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

+ Has a few exclusive mazes from Level 9, and the difficulty curve is more gradual than the Atari Lynx port (1990).

+ Unlike the Atari Lynx version, this one includes a zoomed-in camera option in addition to the full maze view.

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

+ Bonus fruits bounce around the screen to raise suspense, and the extra tunnels give you more ways to escape enemies.

- Bare-bones port compared to the Sega Master System version (1991), as it's missing a large amount of mazes and modes.

- Gameplay speed is quite pedestrian throughout, and there's no option to skip the between-stage cut-scenes.

- While Pac-Man (1991, Sega Game Gear) offered competitive and turn-based multiplayer, this game only has the latter.

Ms. Pac-Man (NES review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco Hometek
Released: 1993

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

+ 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.

+ Extra tunnels have been introduced to the mazes, which is a brilliant idea that gives you multiple ways to escape foes.

- Curious port that only has a small selection of mazes and none of the additions seen on the Sega Master System (1991).

- Likewise, while Sega's 8-bit port offered co-op and competitive multiplayer, this one is turn-based only.

- Controls are often infuriatingly sticky on maze corners and the game doesn't always respond to your d-pad presses.

- Difficulty is more akin to the Atari 5200 version (1983) and the immediate challenge might deter some players.

Wagyan Land (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco
Released: 1991

Wagyan Land is a platformer and an enhanced port of the 1989 Nintendo Famicom title of the same name.

+ World map has multiple routes for you to explore, which is a great incentive to return for repeated attempts.

+ Enemies can be stunned to create platforms, which is a brilliant gimmick for strategically traversing the environments.

+ Later stages add a few new wrinkles to keep things fresh, including spring boots that allow you to stomp on bad guys.

+ Colourful graphics are reminiscent of Namco's Pac-Land (1984, Arcade) and there's some neat platform layering effects.

- Like Yo Noid! (1990, NES), the game has an identity crisis and doesn't stay on one idea long enough to make an impact.

- Word chain boss battles slow the gameplay down unnecessarily and it's tough for non-Japanese speakers to partake.

- Obtaining four Wagyanizers grants invincibility, but it's too overpowered and allows you to skip 60-70% of most levels.

Adventure Island 3 (NES review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Hudson Soft
Released: 1992

Adventure Island 3 is an action-platformer and the sequel to 1991's NES title Adventure Island II.

+ Controls and gameplay feel as good as ever, and the level design features some fiendish layouts to test your skills.

+ Some fun boss battles, and the option to choose a playable dinosaur before each stage gives you a ton of flexibility.

+ Addition of triceratops character is a blast and being able to spin in mid-air is helpful for getting out of tricky situations.

- Minor graphical spruce-up with more background texture detail, and the overworld map makes the adventure seem grand.

- Very little in the way of series innovation and everything feels like Adventure Island 2.5 than a real sequel.

- New boomerang weapon is vastly inferior to the axe, as it leaves you in jeopardy and unable to fire until it returns.

- Difficulty spikes much quicker than the previous game, and many of the same jingles have been ported over.

Adventure Island II (NES review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Hudson Soft
Released: 1991

Adventure Island II is an action-platformer and the sequel to 1988's NES title Adventure Island.

+ Dinosaurs are a great addition to spice up the gameplay and you can select whether to use them prior to each stage.

+ Bite-sized levels are the perfect length and each is well designed to challenge your skills / reactions in different ways.

+ Has some fun vertically-scrolling cloud stages, as well as levels where you can choose to travel underwater or above ground.

+ Controls are spot-on and there's a neat push/pull battle between rushing through and making sure you collect enough fruit.

+ Whimsical music compliments the scenic backdrops, and the game's difficulty curve is perfectly executed.

- Doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from the original game, and the locales / level design are very familiar.

- Heavy slowdown in later areas can affect your platforming accuracy, and the 'Choose an Egg' mini-game is lacklustre.

Splatterhouse 3 (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco
Released: 1993

Splatterhouse 3 is a side-scrolling beat-em-up and the sequel to 1992's Sega Mega Drive / Genesis exclusive Splatterhouse 2.

+ Small, but respectable range of attacks on offer, with the powerful Mutated Rick having many exclusive moves.

+ High replayability, as the game allows you to choose your route through each stage and there's four different endings.

+ Music creates a seriously creepy vibe that heightens the gameplay and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

+ Stunning graphical effects, ghoulish enemy design and cut-scenes that deepen your investment in the game's plot.

- Time limits to save your loved ones are excruciatingly short and it doesn't help that enemies take a ton of hits to defeat.

- Gets very repetitive mid-way through, as the level design is entirely devoid of any memorable set-pieces.

- Lacklustre bosses aren't even remotely intimidating and instead feature cheap attack patterns that frustrate.

Splatterhouse 2 (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco
Released: 1992

Splatterhouse 2 is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that's exclusive to Sega's 16-bit console.

+ Weapons are only available sparingly to add to the survival motif, but each one packs a punch and feels ultra satisfying.

+ Action has a rhythmic quality to its enemy / hazard placement, and the fair checkpoints help to eliminate frustration.

+ Stage IV features multiple paths where falling down a hole takes you to an underground sewer instead of an instant death pit.

+ Atmosphere is incredible from the outset thanks to the cinematic cut-scenes, creepy music and gory stage settings. 

- There's nothing here that advances the series and overall it's very similar to the original game (1988, Arcade).

- Bosses aren't particularly memorable and the eight short stages mean the game can be beaten in less than 30 minutes.

- Heavy slowdown when more than a handful of enemy sprites are on-screen, which can affect input responsiveness. 

Yo Noid! (NES review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Capcom
Released: 1990

Yo Noid! is an action-platformer that stars Domino's Pizza's mascot called Noid.

New York City is being wrecked and it's up to you to stop your lookalike Mr. Green from causing further damage. Noid's main attack is his yo-yo, but spells and magic powers can be obtained by collecting scrolls. The level design can best be described as functional, as no imagination went into creating each stage layout; it's almost exclusively a left-to-right affair with no deviance apart from small sections where you can take a higher or lower path. It makes the cute and inviting world seem completely bland and although you'll initially want to dive in and see what it has to offer, there's nothing of interest here from a graphical or design perspective. Your large character sprite features an inconsistent hit-box, and the spotty collision detection means you'll face many unfair deaths, illuminating and exacerbating the one-hit death rule to a greater degree. However, my biggest gripe is reserved for the real-time strategy mini-game that's also used for the final boss. Here, you have a series of numbered battle cards and the object is to score more points than your opponent (e.g. playing a 3 card vs a 1 card will result in two points for the victor). Multiplier and defensive power-ups can also be used if you've found them during the main levels. While everything works fine, it brings the action to a screeching and unnecessary halt (especially as you're repeatedly forced to participate) and at least one proper boss battle would have livened up the action. I also don't like how power up cards are usually revealed in levels by randomly firing into thin air, as it's a lazy way to encourage exploration.

Yo Noid! could have used more time on the drawing board to flesh out its under-cooked level design and to rethink the lackluster boss battles. While I do appreciate Capcom trying something different, the base concepts just don't come together as a cohesive whole, leaving behind a very mediocre action-platformer.

Random trivia: The original Japanese version (called Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru) featured a young masked ninja in place of Noid.

New Adventure Island (Turbografx-16 review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Hudson Soft
Released: 1992

Here's a side scrolling platformer that I absolutely hated on my first playthrough due to its frustrating gameplay and over-reliance on trial-and-error. However, I gave it another chance and I'll admit it did grow on me.

The game consists of seven worlds with four levels each (apart from World 7 which is just a fortress battle with the final boss). Enemies can kill you with one-hit but there's a number of weapons you can pick up including an axe, boomerang, fireballs and arrows. You must keep an eye on your health meter as it constantly depletes and the only way to stay alive is to pick up the fruit that's scattered around the levels. Despite its cute graphics this is actually an extremely difficult game! The core mechanic basically involves dying repeatedly before finally memorising each and every level. It can be frustrating and it's mainly due to enemy placement as they seem to appear just as you're about to make a tricky jump. There's also times when a lightning fast enemy will run up from behind you and it's almost impossible to avoid it unless you know it's coming. Thankfully there are unlimited continues and you start back on the same level that you just played rather than the beginning of the world. In the fourth level of every world you'll reach a boss. These aren't too tough but if you die you're taken right back to the start of the level - luckily each one is quite short. I do like that you get you choose your preferred weapon just before you reach the boss as you'll find that certain ones work best for particular fights. If there's a consistent theme to each world I couldn't tell as the setting seems to change erratically from one level to the next. The cut-scenes are very, very strange with Master Higgins hula dancing and dressing as a ballerina in full makeup!

The graphics are beautiful with a huge, bright palette that really shows off how many colours the Turbografx-16 can have on screen at once. The animation is smooth and there's lots of attention to detail such as Master Higgins' hat blowing in the wind when he sprints. I've seen people complain about the music but it's actually pretty good. The issue is that you die so frequently you'll hear the same track dozens of times before you progress - by this point you're sick of it!

Don't be fooled by New Adventure Island's aesthetics; it's an extremely difficult game and one that will frustrate you. It does rely too heavily on trial-and-error rather than straight-up reactions but like Mega Man (NES) it grows on you and you'll feel like your gaming skills have improved by the end!

Random trivia: If you don't own a Turbografx-16 and want to play this game it's also been released on the Wii's Virtual Console (2006) and PlayStation Network (2009).