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).

Bust-A-Move (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Santos
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1996

Bust-A-Move is a tile-matching puzzle game that was first released in the Arcade in 1994.

+ 100 stages on offer with a perfectly pitched difficulty curve, and there's even a password system to continue your game.

+ Stages are cleverly designed to challenge (and teach you) in unique ways, which is very rewarding.

+ Executing advanced shots (by analysing the structure of the puzzle like a game of Jenga) is endlessly entertaining.

+ Voice clips from the Arcade original are included (e.g. "Ready, GO!"), which enhances the game's personality.

+ Plenty of power-ups to keep things fresh and the two-player VS. mode (via a Gear-to-Gear Cable) adds long-lasting appeal.

- However, the frame-rate is also heavily reduced in VS. mode, which can lead to inaccuracy when lining up a shot.

- Occasional animation stutter when completing a level, and the shake effect when the rows drop is excessive.