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.

Jurassic Park (SNES review)

Developer: Ocean Software
Publisher: Ocean Software
Released: 1993

Jurassic Park is an action game that's based on the 1993 hit movie.

A computer malfunction at Jurassic Park has resulted in hundreds of prehistoric predators escaping from their pens; as Dr. Alan Grant you'll need to complete tasks such as activating motion sensors and destroying the raptors' nest before exiting the island. Weapons include a Shotgun and Missile Launcher, and all can be obtained in either the top-down outdoor areas, or the indoor first-person sections. With the former, the game world is sprawling and it's easy to lose your bearings due to the lack of a map; it's not always clear what your next objective is either as the game does a terrible of guiding you. There's little scenic variety and ammo is severely limited which makes combat rather redundant, as you'll be so overpowered by the speedy dinosaurs that you might as well try and avoid them. Hints and tips are often displayed, but they take up half the screen and prove problematic when incoming dinosaurs are partially obscured! The indoor first-person sections are impressive from a graphical standpoint with lots of texture detail. However, once again, without a map it's a tedious process to make headway, and the slow, choppy frame-rate doesn't help matters. The dinosaur A.I. is completely dumb and as long you're at a slight distance they won't bother to attack despite looking directly at you! Saying that, if you shoot whilst a door is opening the SFX of bullets will play, yet no projectiles fire, leaving you open to damage for a split-second! The game's Achilles heel is not having a save or password feature, as despite it being a lengthy, non-linear adventure you're expected to beat it in one sitting!

Jurassic Park deserves credit for its lofty ambition and for trying something new, but in reality the execution leaves a lot to be desired. It's almost impossible to beat without a walk-through, and the lack of in-game maps, saves or passwords makes for some laborious play sessions where you spend most of your time wandering aimlessly.

Random trivia: Jurassic Park was also released on the Sega Mega Drive in 1993 but it was an entirely different game and took on the form of a side-scroller.

Space Megaforce (SNES review)

Developer: Compile
Publisher: Toho
Released: 1992

Space Megaforce is a vertically scrolling shoot-em-up that was released as Super Aleste in Europe and Japan.

Mechanical spheres have fallen from space and it's your job to stop them attacking cities around the world. Eight weapons are available (such as Lasers and Missiles) and each can be powered up by collecting chips; your health is dependent on the latter, as while taking damage at the maximum Level 6 will only decrease your power, getting hit at Level 0 results in a lost life. The game is a visual beast and some of the effects are astonishing, such as Stage 2's Mode-7 graphics where enemy bases scale and rotate into view from the distance; equally remarkable is Stage 5 with its distorted backgrounds and large amount of destructible scenery. Throughout, there's zero discernible slowdown which is mighty impressive given the ridiculous amount of sprites, bullets and environmental debris littering the screen at all times. Perhaps the main highlight are the huge bosses that can sometimes take up almost the whole screen and each is complimented with clever attack and vulnerability patterns. The range of weapons on offer is vast and I love how you can collect chips to power-up further, as it creates an interesting risk-reward element where you sometimes have to put yourself in harms way. However, when you reach the latter stages it's easy to start having a love/hate relationship with the weapons, as it's not uncommon to accidentally obtain a less powerful one due to icons appearing on screen for lengthy periods of time in crowded spaces. Also, while the stages are usually quite lengthy, a handful are over in a heartbeat and they almost finish in an anti-climactic manner without any sign of a boss battle.

Space Megaforce is a technical marvel and its intense gameplay, interesting level design and unique power-up system make for one of the most satisfying shoot-em-ups on the console. It does have a few shortcomings (the main irritation being the cluttered weapon icons), but overall they don't detract from an otherwise top-notch experience.

Random trivia: The Japanese version of Super Aleste has a number of differences including a more fleshed out plot and ending.

Star Fox (SNES review)

Developer: Argonaut Software, Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1993

Star Fox is a 3D shooter (released in PAL territory as Starwing) that uses the Super FX GSU-1 chip.

Piloting an Arwing ship, your objective is to defeat the Emperor Andross and foil his evil plans to control the planet of Corneria. Armed with a Laser Blaster, you can also use a limited number of Nova Bombs, as well as barrel roll, boost and brake. The variety in the game's three missions is fantastic and one minute you'll be travelling through farmland and high-rise buildings, while the next you'll be fighting in space while avoiding asteroids. It constantly throws new ideas at you and I like how it includes environmental challenges to mix things up (such as weaving in-and-out of sliding doors and boosting to avoid falling platforms). One of the game's best features is how cinematic the whole experience is, and there's a multitude of standout moments, especially when you seamlessly transition from an outdoors first-person perspective to an indoors third-person angle, complete with amazing cut-scenes. Speaking of which, the opening cut-scene of each mission where you fly out of the base is iconic and still looks impressive today! The 3D graphics are stunning (with some huge, detailed bosses) and the music does a terrific job of complimenting the intense gameplay. Where it falters is in its steep difficulty curve and it's not helped by the lack of a crosshair in the third person view. Additionally, due to the low frame-rate it can be tough to see exactly what's going on, meaning you'll take damage despite having no way of spotting incoming projectiles. You can easily miss checkpoint markers too and have to restart levels from the beginning; personally, automatic checkpoints would have been favoured.

Star Fox is a good game but annoyingly there's an even better game lurking beneath the technical limitations of the system. As such, it hasn't aged all that well and unless you grew up playing it you'll likely have a tough time dealing with the poor frame-rate and lack of crosshairs that can lead to unfair deaths and plenty of frustration.

Random trivia: The cancelled sequel called Star Fox 2 was finally released in 2017 as part of the Super Nintendo Classic console.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES review)

Developer: Square
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1996

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is a role playing game that was only released in Japan and North America.

Your mission is to overthrow the Smithy Gang by reclaiming the seven Star Pieces so that wishes can once again be granted. You control 3 of 5 characters (Mario, Mallow, Geno, Bowser and Princess Toadstool) in turn-based battles and you can either use normal attacks, special attacks (requires flower points), items (e.g. to increase health or restore a downed team member), or defend / run away (to lessen damage). A timed hit mechanic is also included whereby pressing a button at the right moment will either increase your attack or decrease the damage you take from enemies. In a nice twist, the game throws away the rule book immediately by placing you into battle with Bowser! A lot of the enjoyment comes from learning enemy attack patterns and timing your attacks / blocks; it's a neat element that adds plenty of skill to the action. The world is a joy to explore with diverse locales, and I like how enemies are visible, allowing you to choose whether or not to attack rather than engaging in random battles. The game also does a great job of signposting and making sure that you're not wandering around aimlessly. It's a very lengthy experience too with tons of content, lots of interesting mini-games, as well as an abundance of secret items. The writing has a terrific sense of humour (with many hilarious in-jokes that give it a unique personality) and there's also an intriguing story that keeps you emotionally invested. There are a few clunky moments though such as the 3D Maze that you have to navigate blindly, and the platforming sections where the isometric viewpoint makes spatial distance hard to judge.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is extremely ambitious and it successfully executes pretty much every part of its gameplay, presentation and story arch. The gigantic amount of content will make you want to revisit its charming world often, and its uncomplicated mechanics make it an ideal entry point to newcomers of the genre.

Random trivia: The game was included on the Super Nintendo Classic console that was released in 2017.

Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES review)

Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1997

Kirby's Dream Land 3 is a platformer and the follow-up to 1995's Kirby's Dream Land 2 (Nintendo Game Boy).

Your mission across the game's five worlds is to save the planet of Popstar by getting rid of the black clouds that are controlling King Dedede and his minions. As usual, Kirby can inhale enemies and copy their powers, but here he's joined by a cast of six animal friends that can be ridden for extra abilities. Additionally, either the CPU or a second player can control Gooey, an ally that has the same moves as Kirby and who can be thrown into action at any time. Strangely, the game's speed feels dramatically slower than previous Kirby titles, and even though you can dash the screen doesn't always scroll far enough which can lead to cheap hits where enemies attack out of sight. The level design is bland with barely any memorable moments to stop the drudgery of moving from left-to-right and you'll also see lots of repetition where the exact same layout or enemy placement is duplicated in the same level. Using Gooey is a cool idea, but it's pretty useless as unlike in Kirby Super Star (1996, SNES) using an ally takes away two of your hit points. To be honest though, with the game's low difficulty and short length it's a mechanic that's not really needed. However, I do like the playable animals and the fact that they all have different abilities (depending on your current power-up) adds to the replayability. Also, the bosses are all enjoyable and even though Whispy Woods appears yet again it's a great twist that the tree starts chasing you in a forced scrolling battle! The graphics are stunning with a gorgeous pastel look, and the special effects (such as rolling log bridges) are mind-blowing for the time.

Kirby's Dream Land 3 is a massive disappointment after the previous two games and its uninspired gameplay and level design is hard to fathom in a series so chock full of highlights. Despite its top-notch visuals, it's a rather soulless platformer that fails to excite for the majority of its all-too-brief adventure.

Random trivia: An extensive debug menu can be accessed by changing the ROM address in a HEX editor.

Kirby Super Star (SNES review)

Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1996

Kirby Super Star is a six game compilation that was released in Europe as Kirby's Fun Pak.

Spring Breeze is a partial remake of Kirby's Dream Land (1992, Game Boy). It only contains four cut-down levels and is very easy, but it's an enjoyable platforming romp. The addition of being able to use the copy ability and a co-op friend (both not found in the original) makes for some blissfully entertaining gameplay. Gourmet Race is a three round GP vs King Dedede and the objective is to collect the most treats, while placing first to earn extra points. It's a decent diversion, but it's short and needed more CPU opponents. Dyna Blade is an exclusive five level platformer that has an awesome boss rush section at the end of Level 4 and includes many secrets and optional routes to keep you coming back. A short, but charming game that's worth the price of admission. The Great Cave Offensive sees you searching a cave for 60 treasures and features a huge, interesting world to explore. It's seriously addictive hunting around and solving the game's puzzles, and I love that the game allows you to continue your quest for missing treasure even after the credits roll; easily the standout title. In Revenge of Meta-Knight you need to destroy Meta Knight's ship against the clock. It's a much grittier variation that's seriously intense due to the ever-depleting timer and the story arch that plays out while you battle. The fast-paced nature really works and it's full of surprises; a real gem. Milky Way Wishes is a platformer / adventure game; the level design isn't tight and can be confusing due to the sheer amount of paths you can take. Does feature a cool side-scrolling shooter area but overall a half-hearted addition.

Kirby Super Star contains hours upon hours of extremely entertaining content and the sheer quality and variation on offer throughout the collection is astounding. The Great Cave Offensive could easily have been a top-tier SNES retail game by itself, so consider the rest to be the cherry on top of a very delicious cake!

Random trivia: Two unexciting and throwaway sub-games called Megaton Punch and Samurai Kirby (both 1-vs-1 battles with timed button presses) are also available.

Super Tennis (SNES review)

Developer: TOSE
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1991

Super Tennis is a sports game that was a launch title for the SNES in Europe. 

It supports 1-2 players and the modes on offer are Singles, Doubles (can be played with a friend, or a CPU teammate if required) and Circuit. The latter mode consists of eight tournaments and your objective is to rack up points and gain the highest possible seeding by season end; however, your player can tire, so strategy is required when deciding whether to enter a tournament or get some rest. The options are plentiful, including three court types (Hard, Lawn and Clay) and 20 players (10 male, 10 female). The gameplay is very accessible with a fair difficulty level for newcomers, but a deep shot selection for pros that includes Top Spin, Lob and Slice. Controlling exactly where the ball will travel from a horizontal and vertical standpoint is a breeze, and there's even fun advanced options, such as adding spin to each serve. Co-op with a friend is the best way to experience the game, but it's still enjoyable advancing through the Circuit with a CPU team-mate, as the A.I. is smart and reliable. Opponents have varying styles (e.g. some frequently rush the net, while others rely on power serves / strokes) which forces you to adapt your strategy in each match. Likewise, rather than being simple palette swaps, the Hard, Lawn and Clay courts play very differently to each other (in terms of how the ball bounces) and changing your style to suit the setting and opponent is one of the game's best aspects. There's lots of memorable jingles and the action oozes personality, with players reacting with speech bubbles throughout depending on the outcome of a point (e.g. "Yeah!" or "Rats!").

Super Tennis is one of the finest sports titles of the 16-bit era and it's top-notch gameplay still manages to shine. Everything from the responsive controls and intricate shot selection is first-class, and it comes highly recommended, especially if you enjoy Arcade-style sports games like Virtua Tennis (2000, Sega Dreamcast).

Random trivia: The two other SNES games available for the European launch were F-Zero and Super Mario World.

Mario and Wario (Super Famicom review)

Developer: Game Freak

Publisher: Nintendo

Released: 1993

Mario and Wario is a Japanese exclusive action-puzzler that requires the SNES Mouse.

Controlling a fairy named Wanda, your job is to safely guide your chosen character through each level, reach Luigi and remove the item that Wario's placed on his head! The available characters are Mario, Peach and Yoshi, with the only difference being their automated walking speed. Using the SNES Mouse, Wanda can change their direction, destroy enemies and obstacles, as well as adding / removing platforms. Gameplay-wise, the level design is top-notch with lots of variety to keep the concept engaging, and in some ways it resembles a simplified Lemmings (1991, Amiga). One minute you'll be swatting away bats and cannon balls up ahead, then bouncing off springs to reach higher platforms, before quickly creating walkways for Mario and team; this multitasking angle is fantastic and you'll constantly be juggling how far ahead to seek while keeping the team's immediate environment free from hazards. A nice feature is how each round only begins on your mouse click, as it allows you to strategise before the action starts. Speaking of the SNES Mouse, it's highly accurate and results in quicker, more accurate movements when compared to a standard controller. The game has a wealth of content and it's great that the first eight worlds are playable in any order; however, it's a shame there's no option to save your progress. Another downside are the end of level Bonus Stages where you hit Wario as he pilots an aeroplane; these play like Whack-a-Mole, only much less interesting, as you can just spam the attack button repeatedly. Also, most of the game's environments don't really feel 'Mario-like.'

Mario and Wario is a fun action-puzzler with lots of charm, challenge and content, and it's a real shame that it didn't see release outside of Japan. It has great controls and superb level design, and while it's simplistic in nature, Game Freak really managed to get the most out of the concept.

Random trivia: The game was designed by Satoshi Tajiri, who later went on to create the Pokémon franchise.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES review)

Developer: Nintendo EAD

Publisher: Nintendo

Released: 1995

 

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a platform game that uses the Super FX GSU-2 chip.

As Yoshi (with Baby Mario onboard), your mission is to rescue Baby Luigi from the evil Kamek. Enemies can be stomped, but Yoshi's main attack is grabbing enemies with his tongue, swallowing them to create an egg and then using them as projectiles. Eating a watermelon allows you to spit seeds, fire or ice, and you can also transform into numerous vehicles such as a helicopter and train. Each level is scored and gaining top marks involves locating 20 Red Coins, 5 Flowers and 30 Stars; these Stars are important as each time you take damage Baby Mario floats away and if you don't save him by the time your Star total depletes you lose a life. The level design is wildly varied (even within the same world) and the game never rests on its laurels and instead chooses to constantly surprise. It's almost as if Nintendo threw in the kitchen sink, yet it's cleverly done in a thoughtful, player-centric manner rather than feeling chaotic or disjointed. Everything is playful and encourages interaction (such as being chased by a giant Chain Chomp, or having to push a boulder through an entire level to mow down enemies!), and there's tons of secrets to find. The ability to max out stars, coins and flowers in each level goads you to explore every nook and cranny, and it also creates a completionist mentality that rewards you with hidden levels; this gives the game a huge amount of replayability. The bosses are imaginative too and show off the power of the Super FX GSU-2 chip in terms of sprite scaling. Rounding out the package is the beautiful art style, luscious music, and handy auto-save feature with three slots.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is one of the greatest and most unique platformers of all-time and there aren't enough superlatives to describe how good the adventure is. It's a timeless classic that manages to impress at every turn thanks to its expertly crafted levels that are an absolute blast to play.

 

 

 

Random trivia: There are several unused transformation sprites in the ROM, such as a plane, mushroom and tree.

Mario Paint (SNES review)

Developer: Nintendo R&D#1, Intelligent Systems

Publisher: Nintendo

Released: 1992

 

Mario Paint is an art game that requires the SNES Mouse peripheral.

 

Drawing Board offers 15 colours, 75 texture patterns and 120 stamps. You can sketch with tools such as pens, airbrushes and shapes, and custom stamps can be created using pixel art on a 16x16 grid. While the mouse isn't as accurate as modern optical devices, it still works well and allows for a decent amount of precision. The tools are plentiful too and provide lots of ways to construct your masterpiece. One neat addition is a pre-drawn colouring book, but the most enjoyable feature is pixel art creation, as its simplistic nature isn't overwhelming for the artistically challenged like myself! In Music Composition you build songs using 15 sound effects and loops. It's a good way of teaching basic music notation but the clever part is that it uses familiar icons rather than complicated notes. There's plenty of fun to be had, especially when you start adding in random cow noises! Animation mode gives you four, six or nine frames to work with. Drawings can be copied to new cells and the speed of movement can also be controlled. It's basic, but I love that you can overlay them onto your existing artwork, and simultaneously play tracks created in the Music Composition mode! Best of all, a Save/Load feature is available to backup everything you've done. Gnat Attack is a mini-game where you swat insects before they sting your hand; once you've swatted 100 you face King Watinga. Like Kaboom (1981, Atari 2600) it pushes your reactions to the limit and the lack of a traditional controller makes twitch-style movements much easier. It's highly addictive and strategising attacks around enemy patterns is a real joy.

 

Mario Paint is undoubtedly basic by today's standards but it has that classic Nintendo charm and tons of content to sink your teeth into. It's very accommodating to newcomers, and even if you don't find yourself enamoured with the artistic side of the game there's still the awesome Gnat Attack to provide some Arcade-style fun!

 

 

 

Random trivia: Gnat Attack was later reused in WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania (2003, Game Boy Advance).

Pilotwings (SNES review)

Developer: Nintendo EAD

Publisher: Nintendo

Released: 1991

 

Pilotwings is a flight simulator that was a launch title for the system in North America.

 

It consists of eight lessons and four events. To progress you must score enough points in each lesson by taking part in three events; you're judged based on factors like Accuracy and Speed, and failing to achieve the required score forces you to replay the entire lesson. In Light Plane you follow a guide beam, fly under arches and then land on a runway. The plane controls perfectly making it a fun event, and the landing sequence is just as intense as Top Gun (1987, NES). In Sky Diving, you open a parachute, fly through rings and land on a target. It's tough due to the precise aim you need to have when switching directions. Landing is maddening as you need to use the flare while judging altitude in relation to your proximity to the ground; being accurate takes some superhuman skill and I could never get the hang of it. In Rocket Belt, you fly through rings and then land on a target. It's an enjoyable event as the controls are intuitive and the ability to switch to an overhead view for the landing sequence makes it easier to judge distance. In Hang Glider, you ride a thermal current to a particular height and then land on a target. It's another frustrating event as learning to flare and judge the best angle / altitude to land is too challenging. Overall, the lack of a training mode leaves you with no real guidance so it's easy to feel lost when repeated failure strikes. At least the unlockable Helicopter rescue missions are worth it (via cheat codes in my case!) as you launch missiles at opposing enemies. This more aggressive based action has a great sense of freedom that reminds me of Desert Strike (1992, Mega Drive).

I can see the appeal of Pilotwings but it just didn't pull me in due to its gameplay that demands near perfection from the outset. While some events are entertaining, the Sky Diving and Hang Glider activities offer you little guidance that makes it impossible to progress through each lesson without some serious practice or a stroke of luck.

 

 

 

Random trivia: In 1996, a sequel called Pilotwings 64 was released on the Nintendo 64.