Ms. Pac-Man (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Tengen
Publisher: Tengen
Released: 1991

Ms. Pac-Man is a maze game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1982 as the sequel to Pac-Man (1980, Arcade).

+ Tons of extra mazes are available, including some that fiendishly reposition energy pills for a greater challenge.

+ New two-player modes open up the gameplay for real longevity, especially as you can battle competitively or in co-op.

+ Difficulty curve is much more gradual than the Atari 5200 version (1983), and the ghost A.I. is particularly impressive.

+ Bonus fruits return, but this time with the treacherous twist of bouncing around the playfield to raise the suspense.

- Sluggish controls are unreliable, as your inputs don't always register when attempting to quickly turn a corner.

- Gameplay stops after Level 32 and without an Endless mode high score chasers might feel shortchanged.

- No option to have the entire maze visible, and the Pac Booster is rather pointless as it barely increases your speed.

Ms. Pac-Man (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Innerprise Software
Publisher: Tengen
Released: 1991

Ms. Pac-Man is a maze game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1982 as the sequel to Pac-Man (1980, Arcade).

+ Tons of extra mazes are available, including some that fiendishly reposition energy pills for a greater challenge.

+ New two-player modes open up the gameplay for real longevity, especially as you can battle competitively or in co-op.

+ Difficulty curve is much more gradual than the Atari 5200 version (1983), and the Pac Booster helps to even the odds.

+ Ghosts have unique behaviours and speeds, and their A.I. is incredible as you can actively watch them trying to flank you.

+ Bonus fruits return, but this time with the treacherous twist of bouncing around the playfield to raise the suspense.

- Gameplay stops after Level 32 and without an Endless mode high score chasers might feel shortchanged.

- Unfortunately there's no option to have the entire maze visible, so you can't always see where foes are located.

Rolling Thunder (NES review)

Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Tengen
Released: 1989

Rolling Thunder is an unlicensed action game that was first released in the Arcade in 1986.

+ The multiple platform levels result in a fun game of cat and mouse where you constantly need to think two steps ahead.

+ Being able to hide in a doorway to avoid an enemy and then pop out at an opportune time is an engaging mechanic.

+ Difficulty balance is superb in welcoming newcomers, before gradually ramping up the challenge with fresh enemy types.

+ Art style is striking and your character's otherworldly appearance along with the spy music sets a cool, mysterious tone.

- Jumping always feels awkward, as you can't shoot in mid-air, nor can you adjust to quickly get yourself out of harms way.

- Platforming in later stages is poor due to the aforementioned controls and enemies that suddenly appear from nowhere.

- Enemies frequently exit doors just as you're about to enter them, which results in a multitude of cheap hits.

Marble Madness (Sega Mega Drive review)

Developer: Tengen
Publisher: Tengen
Released: 1993

Marble Madness is a ball rolling game that was released exclusively in Japan and differs from the Sega Genesis version (1991).

+ Multiple routes are available, which is great for shaving off precious seconds by finding the optimal path.

+ Some neat ideas to advance the gameplay such as catapults and tilting ramps, and the two-player option is intact.

+ More faithful to the 1984 Arcade original than the Genesis port in terms of colours, ball physics and challenge.

- Game is extraordinarily light on content and once you've beaten the measly six courses there's nothing else to do.

- Difficulty spike in Level 4 is sharp and nothing prepares you for the extreme precision that's required.

- The main incentive is to gain a high score, but unfortunately there's no battery backup available to save them.

- Music is less grating than the tunes found in its Sega Genesis counterpart, but overall the soundtrack is very ill-fitting.

Marble Madness (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Steve Lamb
Publisher: Virgin Interactive
Released: 1992

Marble Madness is a ball rolling game that was first released in the Arcades in 1984.

+ Multiple routes are available, which is great for shaving off precious seconds by finding the optimal path.

+ Marble physics are good and there's some neat ideas to advance the gameplay such as catapults and tilting ramps.

- With only six courses, the game can be beaten in minutes and there's no other modes to keep you playing.

- Unlike the NES version (1989), there's no two-player competitive option which is a big missed opportunity.

- Difficulty spike in Level 4 is sharp and nothing prepares you for the extreme precision that's required.

- Doesn't always restart you in the most advantageous position, leading to enemies knocking you off the edge immediately.

- The main incentive is to gain a high score, but unfortunately there's no battery backup available to save them.

Marble Madness (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Steve Lamb
Publisher: Tengen
Released: 1992

Marble Madness is a ball rolling game that was first released in the Arcades in 1984.

+ Multiple routes are available, which is great for shaving off precious seconds by finding the optimal path.

+ Marble physics are good and there's some neat ideas to advance the gameplay such as catapults and tilting ramps.

- With only six courses, the game can be beaten in minutes and there's no other modes to keep you playing.

- Difficulty spike in Level 4 is sharp and nothing prepares you for the extreme precision that's required.

- Trackball implementation from the Arcade original is sorely missed, as the d-pad on the handheld is overly sensitive.

- Ill-fitting music contains rudimentary bleeps and bloops, and has a tendency to slow down when the action gets busy.

- The main incentive is to gain a high score, but unfortunately there's no battery backup available to save them.

Gauntlet (NES review)

Developer: Tengen
Publisher: Tengen
Released: 1988

Gauntlet is a hack-and-slash game that was first released in the Arcade in 1985.

+ Plenty of secrets to be found and there are often several routes / exits in each stage that require careful key management.

+ Your steadily depleting energy metre ups the intensity and forces you to constantly think two steps ahead in order to survive.

+ Lengthy gameplay (including a handy password feature) with 100 stages that are unique in design vs. the Arcade version.

+ A wide range of foes are on offer and its impressive just how many sprites are displayed on-screen at once.

- However, the abundance of enemy sprites comes at a cost as slowdown is rampant, leading to unregistered button presses.

- Challenge is brutally hard within the first world and you'll struggle mightily unless you're willing to invest some serious time.

- Failing any combination puzzle on your first attempt leads to the final rooms being locked (making continued play pointless).