Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Probe Entertainment, Atod, Climax Enterprises
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1996

Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble is an action-platformer that was also released on the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive in 1996.

+ Mimics the 16-bit version astonishingly well, and there's plenty of variety in the mission objectives and gameplay types.

+ Difficulty is toned down versus the Sega Genesis, and the zoomed-out window makes it easier to spot incoming foes.

- However, the character sprites are minuscule and it can be tough to precisely and successfully time your jump attacks.

- Objectives are awfully obtuse and the pre-mission hints don't do an adequate job of explaining the requirements.

- Slippery controls lack precision, and the Roman Legion Hare and Haunted Hare levels drag with tedious fetch quests.

- Hare-Abian Nights stages are a poor man's Aladdin (1993, Sega Genesis) due to bland layouts and obscured platforms.

- Missing the cool faux-3D Spaced Out Bunny levels from the console version, and the collision detection is questionable.

Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Probe Entertainment, Atod, Climax Enterprises
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1996

Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble is an action-platformer that was also released on the Sega Game Gear in 1996.

+ Like Toy Story (1996, Sega Genesis), the action has tons of variety, both in its mission objectives and gameplay types.

+ Spaced Out Bunny levels feature impressive faux-3D graphics, and the sprite animations are excellent throughout.

- Objectives are awfully obtuse and the pre-mission hints don't do an adequate job of explaining the requirements.

- Slippery controls lack precision, and the Bully for Bugs and Haunted Hare levels drag with tedious fetch quests.

- Hare-Abian Nights stages are a poor man's Aladdin (1993, Sega Genesis) due to bland layouts and obscured platforms.

- Collision detection is unreliable and it's typically pot-luck as to whether you take damage when jumping on an enemy.

- Zoomed-in view doesn't give you adequate time to react, and some levels decrease your vision further via spotlights.

Road Rash (Master System review)

Developer: Probe Software

Publisher: U.S. Gold

Released: 1994

 Road Rash is a vehicular combat racing game that was also released on the Mega Drive (1991) and Game Gear (1994).

There's five levels of difficulty that consist of five races each; the objective is to place fourth or better in each race to win cash, upgrade your bike and move on to the higher levels. The gameplay involves dodging obstacles and assaulting opponents with punches, kicks or the rare club you can steal from a would-be attacker. The racing is slower that the 16-bit original but I'm glad the developers took this approach as it means the frame-rate is relatively stable and there's a lack of choppiness to the action. I was seriously impressed by how authentic the gameplay is with its smooth handling and great draw distance that makes it easy to spot incoming cars and objects. The sprites are smaller but this actually helps the racing as cars take up less of the road, giving you more room to manoeuvre. Instead of adopting for simpler, flat surfaces, the developers kept in the rolling hills and it's still thrilling to catch air while trying to control your bike for a smooth landing back on the road! Similarly, the combat is enjoyable, especially when you manage to knock over a policeman or grab a club from an opponent! However, I did find myself having to press the punch button a little earlier than usual to actually make contact with a fellow rider. The track design is the weakest part of the game as they're too similar to each other and don't really have any stand-out features. There's also nothing to signify how close you are to the finish line and the track distance isn't displayed before you start a race. The voice samples are missing but the music does a great job of mirroring the Mega Drive originals in 8-bit form.

Road Rash is an outstanding port and I'm amazed that despite the console's lack of power it plays just as well as the Mega Drive classic. While the track design is weak, the racing and combat are fantastic and the developers did a great job cramming so much in while making an extremely playable game.

Random trivia: Two sequels called Road Rash II (1992) and Road Rash 3: Tour De Force (1995) were released exclusively on the Sega Mega Drive.

T2: The Arcade Game (SNES review)

Developer: Probe Entertainment Limited

Publisher: LJN

Released: 1994

T2: The Arcade Game is a rail shooter that first appeared in the Arcades in 1991 as Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Playing as a reprogrammed Terminator, your job is to save John Connor and destroy SKYNET and the T-1000. It supports 1-2 players (co-op) and allows you to use a regular controller, a Mouse or the Super Scope light-gun. The game adopts a first-person perspective and while the levels auto-scroll you must wipe out enemies with either your Gun or a limited secondary weapon such as Missiles. The action is non-stop and makes sure you're fully engaged by overloading you with things to kill. It's generally entertaining and the destructible scenery is a great idea as you can usually find power-ups (such as Smart Bombs) and more ammo. However, being an Arcade game there are cheap hits due to enemies that pop-in quicker than you can fire. Although a few of the levels outstay their welcome, there are some cool missions that break up the action; these include destroying 227 pieces of Cyberdyne's research facility, or protecting a vehicle from AHKs and Gold Endos. The bosses are the clear highlight, especially the battle against SKYNET where you need to destroy its perimeter defenses, or the showdown against John Connor where you knock him down and then drench him in liquid nitrogen. I love that there's multiple controller options but the pad is too slow to react and the Super Scope gun doesn't have a moveable crosshair when you stop firing; it's a real annoyance as you have to guess when you do start firing which can lead to accidentally killing innocent bystanders. The SNES Mouse is the preferred way to play as it offers the highest level of speed and accuracy without the crosshair issue.

  

T2: The Arcade Game does have some enjoyable moments and the fact that it supports so many different controller configurations is a plus. It is a bit repetitive and uninspired but if you're looking for some mindless shooting action (especially with two players) you could do a lot worse than this.

 

 

Random trivia: The game was also ported to numerous other systems including the Amiga, Game Gear and Mega Drive.

FIFA Soccer 96 (32X review)

Developer: Probe Entertainment

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Released: 1995

 

FIFA Soccer 96 is a sports game that was released on a number of different consoles including the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

 

The modes are plentiful and include Friendly (single match), League (between 16 teams), Tournament (World Cup with six groups) and Playoffs (knockout round). These feature over 3,500 players from 200 teams and 12 leagues, but the main innovation is the six camera angles you can switch between. Once the action starts any hope of a smooth transition to 3D for the series vanishes as there's multiple gameplay issues including an extremely choppy frame-rate. Button presses are frequently ignored and the game sometimes refuses to select the nearest player, leaving your opponent to wander freely up the pitch. Team stats also seem to account for nothing as in the matches I played the lowly Luxembourg were just as fast as the mighty Brazil and covered my players with relative ease. The camera angles continue the downward spiral, particularly the isometric Stadium and Shoulder views; here the action is zoomed in too far and on many occasions you'll pass the ball and the camera will lag behind. Telecam shows the action from the middle of the pitch for a better view but amusingly it's now zoomed out too far and the players look like pixilated dots! Sideline is probably the most palatable view as it's still at centre pitch but gives you a closer look at what's happening. Cable and Endzone shift around from an isometric view to above the goalposts but the violent sweeping camera is vomit inducing. The guitar-heavy music is good but the crowd noise is distorted. The graphics are also poor with jagged lines, screen tearing, horribly pixilated crowds and dreadful animation.

 

While I'll give FIFA Soccer 96 credit for trying to move the series into the 3D era it fails miserably and the end result is an unplayable mess that fails in both gameplay and technical execution. It has very few redeeming qualities and in my opinion you're better off sticking with the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis versions instead.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game is one of only two 32X titles to be released exclusively in Europe; the other is Darxide (1995).