Ariel the Little Mermaid (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: BlueSky Software, Disney Software
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992

Ariel the Little Mermaid is an action title that was previously released on the Sega Genesis (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.

- However, using button combinations to summon them is clunky and they sometimes wander off-screen without helping!

- Frame-rate is dreadful, the game randomly speeds up and down, and the scrolling is so jerky it'll hurt your eyeballs.

- Controls are wildly unreliable and you're never quite sure if a light d-pad tap will make Ariel inch forward or zoom ahead.

- Checking the map to locate polyps is tedious and it also takes a painful amount of time for the graphic to draw-in.

- Ariel frequently gets stuck on the scenery, and the adventure is all too brief as there's only four short levels.

- Bosses are extremely disappointing, as you can stand in one spot and blast away at the static foe in front of you.

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.

Summer Games (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Zap Corporation
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Summer Games is a sports title that was released on numerous platforms including the Atari 7800 (1987).

+ Similar to Track and Field (1983, Arcade), each event includes a pre-set World Record to give you a benchmark.

+ Presentation is excellent with high-quality chip-tune versions of all eight national anthems and tons of catchy jingles.

- However, the game makes you listen to them on repeat and the tunes irritatingly hold up your attempts at each event.

- 100m Dash has little excitement, as the CPU pacer runs at a pathetically slow speed and you'll always be miles ahead.

- Platform Diving is choppier than the Atari 7800 version and Gymnastics has a crude way to consistently gain a top score.

- Pole Vault has finicky timing over 5.10 height, and 100m Freestyle favours button bashing over the 7800's stroke cadence.

- Only five events and the judges' scores can vary wildly, with the difference sometimes being a whole 2-3 points.

Surf Ninjas (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: NuFX
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1993

Surf Ninjas is an action title that's based on the 1993 movie of the same name.

+ Offers on-the-fly strategy, as you can press Pause at any time to exchange gold for special weapons and upgrades.

+ Stage 1's restaurant setting is a great opener, and locating the hidden cave to obtain the Kwantzu item is rewarding.

- However, the majority of the game's other stages are mundane with copy/paste layouts and bland scenic backdrops.

- Animation is jerky and button presses are frequently delayed or refuse to register entirely in the heat of battle.

- Double jump is unreliable, which leads to cheap deaths in later stages where precision platforming is expected.

- While checkpoints are fair, the game can spawn you in front of enemies who immediately deliver uncontested attacks.

- Suffers from a low frame-rate, and Johnny's pedestrian walking speed forces you to constantly jump to move quicker.

Asterix (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega CS2
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Asterix is an action-platformer that's exclusive to Sega's 8-bit console.

+ Stages are beautifully crafted with bite-sized challenges and many secret areas to locate if you're willing to explore.

+ Replayability is huge, as most stages allow you to play as either Asterix or Obelix with your choice affecting the layout.

+ Has a nice mixture of basic puzzles, along with auto-scrolling sections and areas where you can travel above / below ground.

+ Stage 4-2 is a highlight, as a hidden key can only be found by throwing an explosive into a cannon to blast yourself upwards.

+ Controls are rock solid with the perfect amount of jump momentum and mid-air finesse, making every death your own fault.

- Noticeable lulls in boss fights due to them being front-loaded, and jumping out of water involves too much button bashing.

- Some later levels rely heavily on monotonous block breaking, and Stage 8's finale is a real let-down in its limited scope.

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).

Ace of Aces (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Artech Studios, Tiertex
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Ace of Aces is a combat flight simulator that was released on numerous formats including the Atari 7800 (1988).

+ Having multiple plane viewpoints is spectacular and there's tons of nuance to staying alive, such as dousing onboard fires.

+ There's real intensity when flying below the clouds to bomb trains and U-boats, especially as you're so close to ground level.

+ Practice mode is great for working on specific missions, and the pre-stage images are clearer than the Atari 7800 version.

- However, the difficulty is more random than on the 7800 and taking damage seems like pot-luck rather than lack of skill.

- Frame-rate is low and it's irritating having to constantly realign your altitude because of delayed button presses.

- No take-off or landing sequences does deter from the game's realistic feel, and there can be huge lulls in the action.

- Rockets have a slow travel speed that makes them pretty much useless, and the droning plane SFX is annoying.