Disney's Beauty and the Beast (SNES review)

Developer: Probe Software
Publisher: Hudson Soft
Released: 1994

Disney's Beauty and the Beast is an action-platformer that was also released on the NES in 1994.

+ Great graphics and fantastic use of parallax scrolling to give the environments a real sense of depth and scale.

- Beast is a real slog to control and his heavy movements mean you can barely adjust his position while in mid-jump.

- Opening stage makes a terrible first impression, as instead of easing you in it focuses on tricky jumps / enemy placement.

- Progression relies heavily on trial-and-error and a lot of the stages can't be beaten first time on pure skill alone.

- Game seems like it wants to screw you over at every opportunity and gives you little time to react to incoming enemies.

- Later levels completely omit checkpoints and place you in arduous disappearing platform areas like Mega Man (1987, NES).

- Bosses are uninspired and the zoomed-in screen causes problems with not being able to see them charging to attack.

Wild Guns (SNES review)

Developer: Natsume
Publisher: Natsume
Released: 1995

Wild Guns is a third-person gallery style shooter that was re-released on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console in 2010.

+ Gameplay has a great flow to it and once you become accustomed to the dash mechanic you'll quickly even the playing field.

+ Ability to throw dynamite back towards enemies is immensely satisfying and the close quarters melee battles add variety.

+ Allows you to choose from four stages once you've beaten the opening level which is excellent for honing your skills.

+ Two-player co-op mode is a blast and keeps track of your scores separately to encourage friendly competitiveness.

+ Graphics are gorgeous with highly detailed backdrops and stunning pixel art that immerses you into the game world.

+ Bonus Rounds are reminiscent of Street Fighter II Turbo (1993, SNES) and give you a great opportunity to rack up points.

- You can see everything it has to offer in 30 minutes, and when things start heating up you'll suddenly be watching the credits.

On the Ball (SNES review)

Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Released: 1992

On the Ball is a ball rolling game that was originally released as Cameltry (1989, Arcade).

+ 100 stages are available, so there's plenty to keep you occupied and the inclusion of 3 credits per world is generous.

+ Multiple paths throughout the stages results in increased replayability as you attempt to beat your high score.

+ Scattered time bonus items add a risk-reward element as to whether it's worth obtaining them due to the ticking clock.

+ Controls are spot-on (affording you extreme precision) and the ball physics are surprisingly accurate.

- Offers nothing new after the first world and the difficulty pacing is wildly inconsistent as you progress.

- Some gimmicks tend to frustrate rather than entertain, such as the reverse gravity that flips your controls.

- Game doesn't remember your progress after beating a world, so you must enter a password at the title screen to continue.

Sunset Riders (SNES review)

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Released: 1993

Sunset Riders is an action game that was first released in the Arcades in 1991.

There's four playable characters and your mission is to eliminate crooks to bring back peace to the valley. You can slide to avoid incoming bullets and your main weapon is a gun that can be upgraded to dual pistols or rapid fire by collecting Sheriff's badges. The horizontally-scrolling stages are an absolute treat thanks to their environmental hazards (such as being able to shoot barrels to squash enemies) and captivating set-pieces (e.g. needing to jump between bulls as they stampede toward you). The slower-paced gameplay is highly enjoyable, as you can take your time to pick off enemies from the best angle and interestingly the duck-and-cover action isn't worlds apart from Shinobi (1987, Arcade). Then there's the vertically-scrolling stages that play great and mix things up by introducing perilous falling rocks. There is a disproportionate level of challenge between the main stages and the boss fights though, as the former offer a realistic challenge while the latter are brutally difficult (at least on Normal difficulty and above). One neat feature though is the Boss Damaging Level score after you clear each one, as it shows the hit-rate in co-op mode which is perfect for some friendly competition and bragging rights! The boss voice samples are also excellent with clear speech that adds to their personality. There are some auto-scrolling stages where you ride on horseback and jump over logs, but they're a bit of a mess due to the finicky controls and the inclusion of enemy wagons that clutter the screen real estate; as a result, you often don't have time to adequately prepare for incoming foes / bullets.

Sunset Riders is a faithful port of the Arcade original and while there are a few lacklustre stages, the majority of the levels are terrific. Carefully planning your method of attack is engrossing thanks to the clever item placement and the ability to battle as four different characters greatly adds to the overall replayability.

Random trivia: In 1992, a version was released on the Sega Genesis that features a number of cut-backs and alterations.

Batman Returns (SNES review)

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Released: 1993

Batman Returns is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that's based on the 1992 movie of the same name.

Your job is to stop the Red Triangle Circus Gang from taking over Gotham City and foil the evil plots of The Penguin and Catwoman. There's seven stages and alongside punches and kicks Batman can fling opponents or use special Test Tubes to inflict major damage. The brawling is highly responsive and there's a satisfying thud (complete with screen shake) whenever you hit an enemy. Being able to fling them from the foreground to the background through glass windows is endlessly amusing, and grabbing two opponents at once and smashing their skulls together is hilarious! What makes the gameplay so special is how there's always a myriad of ways to tackle opponents and aside from the typical attacks you can also throw Batarangs to temporarily stun them, or even block using L or R; this affords you a huge amount of freedom which naturally leads to some fun combat-based experimentation. The action and locales are constantly shifting which is an interesting way to mix things up while keeping you guessing as to what's coming up next. This feeds through to the level design which constantly throws new cool scenery and environmental hazards at the player (e.g. falling fireballs and claustrophobic battles on swaying scaffolding lifts). There's even a stage where you control a Batmobile and shoot enemies in your path; the frame-rate is a little choppy here, but it's an entertaining diversion that resembles Batman Returns (1993, Sega CD). Presentation wise, the game is top-notch with great looking cut-scenes and detailed graphics, while the orchestral music does an outstanding job of keeping the tension high.

Batman Returns pushes the beat-em-up genre to new heights by taking an established formula and enhancing it with strategic combat additions, awesome stage design and gripping storytelling. Varying gameplay styles can be tricky to execute correctly, but everything here is fine-tuned to perfection and it's an absolute blast throughout.

Random trivia: A prototype ROM was found in 2003 that includes a few minor differences.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (SNES review)

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Released: 1992

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time is a beat-em-up that was first released in the Arcades in 1991.

Your objective across the game's ten levels is to locate the missing Statue of Liberty that's been stolen by a flying android. It supports 1-2 players and the four playable turtles have their own attributes in terms of attacks, speed, etc. The controls are fluid and responsive, and grabbing hold of an enemy before repeatedly slamming them into the ground never gets old (while also being great for wiping out multiple foes when you're overwhelmed). The sprite scaling when you throw a bad guy towards the screen is impressive too, as is the animation which gives you the nice option of choosing between two different styles (Anime or Comic). The level design is daring, as while it offers typical locales such as sewers and city streets, it also takes you on a journey throughout time and before you know it you'll be fighting prehistoric creatures and battling on pirate ships! There's also an auto-scrolling water section to break things up, as well as an awesome Mode-7 battle area where the camera is positioned behind your character. Each level is the perfect length to avoid outstaying its welcome and tying everything together are some neat cut-scenes to progress the story. A minor criticism is that you're stuck playing as your chosen turtle until you reach the Continue screen; this is a step-back from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (1992, NES) where strategy was greatly afforded by being able to select a new turtle after each lost life. The catchy music is outstanding, but while the bosses are enjoyable (with some large sprites) their attack patterns are a little basic and easily exploitable. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time is a terrific beat-em-up that shines in pretty much every department, and its unusual stage locales manage to both surprise and delight throughout. Add to this the rock-solid controls and cool attacks, and you have one of the best examples of the genre on any system.

Random trivia: In 2009, a 3D remake called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

The Firemen (SNES review)

Developer: Human Entertainment
Publisher: Human Entertainment
Released: 1995

The Firemen is a top-down action game that was only released in Europe and Japan.

A high-tech factory carrying the explosive chemical MDL has caught fire and it's up to you and your team to save the trapped workers and put out the spreading blaze. Control wise, the Y button fires a straight spray of water, B fires downwards, while X uses one of your limited extinguishing bombs that destroys flames in the surrounding area. The action could easily have become repetitive, but it does a great job of keeping you engaged by throwing in cut-scenes to tie the story together. It also slowly introduces new fire patterns and environmental hazards, forcing you to strategise and multitask. The level design is top-notch too due to its varied scenery and interesting floor layouts, and the responsive controls give you fluid 360° motion of your hose, reminding me of Simon Belmont's whip in Super Castlevania IV (1991, SNES). I also like how each stage seamlessly transitions into the next one (fully immersing you in the epic mission at hand) and the timer is fair, adding extra intensity to each stage. Your CPU teammate is usually helpful, but is annoyingly vacant when it comes to boss fights! These bosses are expertly designed with cool patterns and huge sprites in narrow quarters that make you use every trick in your arsenal! The game is short with only six stages, but it does have some replayability if you take on the extra challenge of clearing 100% of the fire in each one. This is surprisingly addictive, in large part thanks to the emotive story that hooks you into wanting to protect the trapped workers. However, the game's obvious and glaring omission is the lack of a two-player co-op mode.

The Firemen is a terrific title with great controls, interesting level design, a compelling story and gameplay that could almost be described as a shoot-em-up in disguise. While it is a shame that there's no multiplayer option, what's here is still highly enjoyable and there's plenty of variety throughout to keep you invested.

Random trivia: A prototype of the cancelled U.S. Super Nintendo version is available online and includes a few script differences.