WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game (Sega 32X review)

Developer: Sculptured Software, The Black Team
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Released: 1995

WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game is a wrestling title that was also ported to the Sega Genesis in 1995.

+ Beat-em-up gameplay is atypical for the genre, but seamlessly blends grappling with slapstick attacks and projectiles.

+ Large roster of wrestlers are available, each with extensive move sets that are executed via simple button commands.

+ Handicap bouts are great fun, and two players can battle against each other, or cooperatively against the CPU.

+ Features more frames of animation compared to the Genesis version and the voice clips are much higher in quality.

- However, the action only runs at 30FPS (half the Genesis port) and the overall upgrades from the 16-bit version are minimal.

- While there are difficulty options, the CPU is brutally aggressive which doesn't help with easing new players in.

- Needed additional solo modes, and it's a shame the Royal Rumble is exclusive to the WWF Championship finale.

Virtua Fighter (Sega 32X review)

Developer: Sega CS4
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1995

Virtua Fighter is a one-on-one fighting game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1993.

+ Enormous amount of moves for each fighter, and the slow, methodical gameplay is a nice change of pace for the genre.

+ Being able to attack a downed opponent opens up the combat and there's nothing more satisfying than using it for a K.O.!

+ Responsive controls and the game runs at a rock solid frame-rate, even in widescreen mode which performs admirably.

+ Music is outstanding, and despite some graphical cutbacks the game holds its own against the Sega Saturn version (1995).

- Could have used a Training mode, as the number of moves and steep learning curve can be overwhelming to newcomers.

- Rather than immediately transitioning from one enemy to the next, a short pre-fight build-up would have added personality.

- Has noticeable bugs, such as in the Backside 1P camera angle where foes can continually walk backwards for a Ring Out.

Corpse Killer (Sega 32X-CD review)

Developer: Digital Pictures
Publisher: Digital Pictures
Released: 1995

Corpse Killer is a Full Motion Video (FMV) game that was also released on the Sega CD in 1994.

Airdropped onto the tropical island of Cay Noir, your mission is to rescue four comrades and stop the evil Dr. Hellman from releasing hordes of zombies onto the world. Your normal gun can be upgraded with powerful armor-piercing or datura-coated bullets (necessary when facing certain zombies), and antidotes can also be obtained to restore your ever-depleting health. The action is repetitive and when you're not watching the endless cut-scenes and looking around the map screen the only thing to do is occasionally take part in a shooting gallery where you blast ridiculous looking zombies as they scale towards you. The on-screen target cursor is unbelievably laggy and inaccurate to the point where luck often replaces skill; in fact, it's so bad that you could be fooled into thinking you have a defective CD! The Sega Menacer light-gun is advertised as being compatible, but seriously, don't bother as it's wildly unreliable and utterly broken. The FMV quality is the worst I've seen in regards to 32X-CD games with dull, grainy backgrounds, heavily pixelated zombies and an extremely low frame-rate. To top things off, the audio constantly cuts in-and-out while you're firing, and the same SFX plays ad nauseam after you've killed a zombie. The gameplay is not without some merits though, and I do like the non-linear approach that allows you to choose where to battle next from a map screen. Also, you can save your progress at any point, as well as retreating when health / ammo is low, meaning some strategy is involved; it's just a shame that the rest of what's presented here is so unpolished and monotonous.

Corpse Killer is a shallow title and the fancy FMV footage is a misguided attempt to fool you into thinking its gameplay is more substantial than it really is. After the first ten minutes you've seen and experienced pretty much everything it has to offer and there's nothing in the way of variety to keep you coming back.

Random trivia: Dr. Hellman was played by Vincent Schiavelli, who also featured in the 1992 Batman Returns movie as the Organ Grinder.

Space Harrier (Sega 32X review)

Developer: Rutubo Games
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1994

Space Harrier is a third-person rail-shooter that was first released in the Arcades in 1985.

Playing as a Sentinel named Harri, your mission is to reclaim Dragonland from the demon Valda. There's 18 stages and while using a jet-pack to fly around the auto-scrolling playfield you can shoot enemies with your laser. Gameplay wise, the sprite scaling is terrific and although this port only runs at 30 frames per second (compared to 60 in the Arcades) the animation is smooth. The sense of speed is incredible and at times it's almost too fast as bullets, enemies and scenery litter most of the playfield! What's most difficult is judging spatial distance when enemies and bullets scale towards the front of the screen; pattern recognition and learning A.I. placement is key to succeeding and as long as you're a patient gamer you'll find lots to love about Space Harrier. There's a huge range of unique enemies and memorable stages (especially the ones featuring vertically narrow corridors) and I love that each level ends in a cool boss battle. The Bonus Stages where you ride a creature and bash obstacles for points is also a welcome addition to mix things up. However, while you can lower the difficulty and increase your life count from 3 to 5 in the Options menu, the action is still extremely challenging; unless you're well-versed in the game's patterns and enemy placement you will see the Game Over screen within minutes and it can be disheartening replaying the same early stages in order to advance just a few seconds past your previous best. One saving grace is the hidden Arcade Mode that can be unlocked via a button combination (see below) that affords you three continues.

If you're a fan of tough-as-nails Arcade shooters, Space Harrier is easy to recommend and this Sega 32X port is impressive thanks to its fast-paced action and awesome sprite scaling. For casual gamers, it's likely more of an acquired taste and the lack of continues in this home conversion could be a detriment to its playability.

Random trivia: The game contains both an Arcade Mode and a Diagnostic Mode by entering certain button combinations.

Darxide (Sega 32X review)

Developer: Frontier Developments
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1996

Darxide is a shoot-em-up that was only released in Europe.

It consists of ten levels (each featuring a four minute time limit) and your mission is to stop the alien attack force from destroying the Darxide star system. Buttons A and C control your throttle, B fires your laser, and Z launches a bomb (from Level 5 onwards). The first thing to note is the excellent texture mapping and shadow effects that could easily be mistaken for an early PS1 title! Gameplay wise, shooting down large boulders that break off into smaller pieces resembles Asteroids (1979, Arcades); however, some missions have a hint of Defender (1981, Arcades) where you're tasked with saving miners. It's fun multitasking and the decision to either destroy a firing alien craft, hunt down stray boulders, or save a suffocating miner is strategically enjoyable. Despite the cursor being a little too fast for my liking, the controls are solid and choosing to either zoom around the playfield or pick off targets from a prone position feels tight and responsive. There is a small amount of auto-aim which is ideal for counteracting the minor cursor issues, allowing you to easily despatch fast moving craft in an instant. The draw distance is limited though, and while it's understandable given the 32X's hardware limitations, it is annoying when a target appears for a very brief moment before disappearing. Compounding this problem further is the overly strict time limit, as even the opening level is brutal. What also doesn't help matters is the confusing map indicator which has zero differentiation from the main playfield. To top things off, the difficulty settings don't appear to do anything and extra lives are in very short supply.

Darxide shows all the makings of a second generation Sega 32X title, but even the varied missions and tight controls can't hide the severe flaws that unacceptably mar the gameplay experience. The time limit is the main offender and without real difficulty options you're left to slog through the same levels ad nauseam.

Random trivia: A reworked version of the game called Darxide EMP was released on mobile platforms in 2003.

Night Trap (Sega 32X-CD review)

Developer: Digital Pictures
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1994

Night Trap is a Full Motion Video (FMV) game that was also released on the Sega CD in 1992.

Your mission takes place at a lakeshore winery house and the objective is to protect a group of teenagers from incoming perpetrators. To do this, you need to constantly switch between eight surveillance cameras, snoop on conversations to find clues, hunt for bad guys and set off traps when necessary. These traps can only be activated when the sensor metre is in the red (otherwise your control will be temporarily locked) and you must also listen out for the ever-changing access code in order to actually use them. Unfortunately, despite an upgrade in quality compared to the Sega CD version, it's possibly the worst looking Sega 32X-CD game due to the low frame-rate and grainy video. The gameplay involves lots of trial and error, as the scenes don't follow any logical pattern; it's not always clear what to do or which room to switch to next, and you're always bound to miss something important when choosing to either follow the story or capture criminals. Finding a good balance between gameplay and story is tough, as while flicking through cameras like a madman is partially effective, you'll likely miss a change to the access code, resulting in a quick Game Over. (in my opinion, a simple hint option would have been extremely beneficial to give newcomers at least some guidance). This does mean that lots of replayability is on offer, but how much enjoyment you get from the gameplay depends on how patient you are. At least the cheesy B movie style murder scenes are humorous! The HUD is also neatly condensed onto the lower part of the screen and the camera load times are brief.

There's no doubting that Night Trap is an ambitious concept, but its rigid gameplay and severe trial and error results in an aggravating experience that's unlikely to hold your attention for too long. Truth be told, there's barely any depth to its gameplay and the memorisation requirement will be a turn-off to all but a select audience.

Random trivia: In 2017, the game was remastered and published on Microsoft Windows and the PlayStation 4.

Slam City with Scottie Pippen (Sega 32X-CD review)

Developer: Digital Pictures
Publisher: Digital Pictures
Released: 1994

Slam City with Scottie Pippen is a Full Motion Video (FMV) basketball game that was also released on the Mega CD in 1994.

There's five opponents and you can choose to play to a time limit (3-9 mins), or until a specific score is reached (7-21 points). 1 billion respect points are needed before you can face Scottie, which can be earned by scoring, dunking, or blocking shots (it also decreases if your rival manages to do these). On Offense, the A button shoots and the B button attempts to break past an opponent. What makes the gameplay so tough is that you have no control over spatial distance; the game wants you to create space, but even when an opening appears the footage will cut away to a completely different scene (e.g. it doesn't match up), and your opponent will easily block your shot. As a result, you either need to guess or get extremely lucky to even score a point, especially as there's no consistency as to how much power is required when shooting. Defensively, A raises your hands, B attempts a block and C attempts a steal. Again, the action is confusing, as you can have perfect positioning, yet the video will cut-away to your adversary breezing past and dunking over you. Similarly, you can be face guarding the opposition and their shot will swish through the hoop while the video makes it seem as if you were playing two metres away! The FMV often transitions far too quickly (giving you no chance to react) and even if you do successfully steal the ball or block a shot it's usually a fluke rather than actual skill. The FMV video lacks detail and I have no idea why the game frequently cuts-away mid-contest to focus on fan interactions and chat-up scenes; this interrupts the flow in favour of cringeworthy acting!

Slam City with Scottie Pippen is an ill-advised FMV sports title that takes the exciting world of basketball and reduces it to a laughing stock. The list of problems is never-ending (especially the shoddy core gameplay and unresponsive controls) and you're much better off playing NBA Jam: Tournament Edition (1995, Sega 32X) instead.

Random trivia: The game wasn't released in Brazil until mid-1996.