GGGGGGGGGGG 33333333333
GGGGGGGGGGGGG 3333333333333
GGGG 3333
GGGG 3333
GGGG GGGGGGGG 33333333333
GGGG GGGGGGGG 3333333333333
** GGGG GGGG 3333 **
*** GGGG GGGG 3333 ***
******* GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG 3333333333333333333 *******
**************** GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG 333333333333333333 ****************
+-----------------------------------------------------+
| The Comprehensive Sega Genesis/MegaDrive Game Guide |
| by Sam Pettus (aka "the Scribe") |
| version 2.05: released 11/09/1999 |
| --- --- --- |
| "The end is only the beginning..." |
+-----------------------------------------------------+
>>>>> FINAL PUBLIC DOMAIN EDITION! <<<<<
copyright (c) 1999 Eidolon's Inn, all rights reserved
(but feel free to duplicate and distribute at will)
===========================================================================
A special G3 release to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of Zophar's Domain,
one of the best and oldest continuously operated emulation sites on the Web
http://zophar.malacia.net
===========================================================================
INTRODUCTION
------------
This document is intended to serve as a reference guide of sorts to the
various titles that were released for the Sega Genesis/MegaDrive (G/MD)
computer videogame console. It covers 1031 Genesis/MegaDrive titles, 85
32X titles, 262 Sega/Mega CD titles, and 22 Pioneer LaserActive titles -
for a total of 1400 unique titles (alternates noted). It provides basic
information on each game - who did it, what kind is it, what's it about,
and so on. You will not find comprehensive reviews on each title because
I tried to keep the size of this FAQ down as much as possible. Besides,
everybody has their own opinion, which might not coincide with mine. Those
of us who have been involved with this project are fairly well certain that
we have documented almost all of the English-language titles, but we're not
so sure about the non-English ones. If you know of any titles that are out
there that aren't listed, whatever the content or language, then by all
means - please drop us a line!
Anybody who so desires can use part or all of this document in whatever
manner they see fit. That's why it was made in the first place - to save
you the time and trouble of digging up this stuff yourself. I have looked
at a lot of Genesis-related web sites, and everybody has had this idea at
one time or another, but nobody has quite carried through with it - until
now, that is. This represents a lot of research and compilation on my
part, so anything you can do to help out would be greatly appreciated.
Need more information? Then try out G3 Online, or "G3O" as it is more
commonly known. It has loads of information, including screen snapshots
and box art scans, that you will find nowhere else!
G3O home page http://eidolon.psp.net/g3o
This FAQ is also maintained on a large and sundry number of gaming sites
across the World Wide Web. For starters, why not try Zophar's Domain?
Zophar's Domain http://zophar.malacia.net
PRINTING ADVICE
---------------
G3 is a massive document. It is well over 300 pages long when printed,
should you ever decide that you want it in hardcopy form. That's a lot of
paper to chew up, so here's a way to cut down on the bulk somewhat. First,
load up G3 in your favorite word processor (Microsoft Word is what I use).
Next, change the page setup to LANDSCAPE, and then change the page layout
to have 1" margins while you're at it. Now, you need to go back and select
the ENTIRE document (i.e. highlight the whole thing), then change its font
style to Courier 6-point type (or your favorite fixed-width type). With
the entire document still selected, reformat it from one column to two
columns. You should now have a copy that you can print two "pages" per
hardcopy page, which cuts the actual printed size in half. If you have a
laser printer capable of duplex printing (prints both sides), then so much
the better!
GENESIS/MEGADRIVE/NOMAD
-----------------------
The year 1987 found Sega in a curious position. The world was awash in
16-bit technology, and personal computers such as the Commodore Amiga and
Atari ST were making large inroads on the 8-bit home videogame market.
Sega's own 8-bit system, the Sega Master System (SMS), had not fared as
well as had been hoped due to the dominance of the Nintendo Entertainment
System (NES), but even that revered 8-bit console was losing out to these
newer, high-end computers and their impressive array of videogames. Sega
had already enjoyed considerable success with 16-bit arcade videogames such
as Space Harrier and OutRun, and it got them thinking. The time had come
to bring 16-bit technology to the home videogame console market, and Sega
quickly decided to be the first to make the move. If 16-bit personal
computers were being accepted so rapidly, they reasoned, then why not
16-bit videogame consoles? Nintendo, their chief competition, already had
a 16-bit console in the design pipeline (the Super Famicom, aka the Super
Nintendo), but they were in no hurry to market it. They were content to
rest on the laurels of 8-bit sales, and thus left themselves wide open to
the one-two marketing punch that Sega was about to pull.
Sega's new console was introduced to the Japanese market in November 1988
under the name MegaDrive. It came to the United States in October of the
following year as the Genesis, with the name signifying a new beginning in
videogame technology (US$350). It made it to Europe and Brazil under the
old MegaDrive label just in time for the 1990 Christmas shopping rush. No
other home videogame console could compete with Sega's powerful new 16-bit
system at that time, apart from NEC's Turbo Graf/X 16, but that system did
not do as well despite an excellent program base. Even so, Sega's system
floundered for about two years against the popular NES, until along came a
little Japanese game in July 1991 about a feisty blue hedgehog created by
artist Maoto Oshima and developed by programmer Yuji Naka. The rest, as
they say, is history. Nintendo had no choice but to rush the Super
Nintendo (SNES) to the North American market due to the sudden and massive
popularity of Sega's system and the veritable flood of sales that the new
game had sparked. That game was Sonic the Hedgehog, and it was the chief
reason why Sega knocked Nintendo out of the number one spot in the American
and European videogame markets. It was a bitter loss of face for the
arrogant Nintendo, and it would be five years before the humilated
videogame giant was able to briefly reclaim its throne (which it quickly
lost again to the upstart Sony PlayStation).
July of 1992 saw the addition of the TradeMark Security System (TMSS) to
all Sega 16-bit consoles. This altered the boot-up sequence in two
important respects. First, it would not display the message "PRODUCED OR
LICENSED BY SEGA ENTERPRISES" unless a specific string of microcode was
found in the header of any cartridge plugged into the unit. This was an
attempt to stop the proliferation of unlicensed Genesis and MegaDrive
games, and was the subject of a famous lawsuit between Sega and second-rate
videogame vendor Accolade. Second, it checked the language and video
output signals that the inserted cart required and would refuse to boot
the cartridge unless they matched those that were hard-wired into the
newer consoles. This was an attempt to prevent games made in one market
from working in another, but enterprising users quickly discerned how to
come up with various hardware hacks that bypassed this feature of the TMSS,
and a similar conversion was later incorporated into newer cross-market
cartridge adapters.
Due to a lack of third-party support, especially once Nintendo unleashed
the SNES to worldwide distribution, the Sega Genesis never became as
successful as Nintendo's 16-bit console. Nevertheless, about 28.5 million
consoles were sold worldwide during its lifetime, compared to about 48
million SNES consoles. It took a long time for Nintendo to eventually
regain the number one spot on the market from Sega, and the only reason
that the SNES finally overtook the Genesis in 1996 was that Sega's console
was already declining in popularity. 32-bit videogame systems had been
introduced in the last half of 1995 (the Sony PlayStation and the Sega
Saturn), and suddenly 16-bit technology didn't look as appealing anymore.
Nintendo, having decided to skip the 32-bit wave altogether, helped the
underpowered SNES limp along via cartridges fitted with special enhancement
chips, but Sega was not content to rest on its laurels. The Sega Genesis
was allowed to slowly wither away, and it was officially discontinued in
all markets in 1998.
In retrospect, it was definitely no mistake to invest in Sega's 16-bit
videogame console. Among the 1000 or more titles that were released during
its lifespan, which lasted about 10 years (1988 - 1998), are some excellent
games that are unique to the system itself and many other evergreens that
deserve to be played even today.
VARIATIONS ON A THEME
---------------------
There are three flavors of the standard Genesis. The Genesis 1 console is
a somewhat rectangular affair with an offset raised circle, originally
released in 1988, and is the only model with a headphone jack and volume
control. The Genesis 2 console is the now-familiar square low-profile
affair first released in 1995, with a streamlined case design and no
headphone jack. The Genesis 3 console is a bargain-basement model that was
made under license by Majesco in 1998 and somewhat resembles a portable CD
player. It is often derisively called "the hockey puck" due to its rather
squat appearance and limited capabilities (as compared to earlier models).
The Genesis 3 lacks the expansion port of its predecessors; hence you
cannot use a Sega CD player with it.
The Sega Genesis was sold under two different names. Genesis is the name
used in the North American marketplace. MegaDrive is the original name,
first used in Japan and later employed in all markets except North America.
Both MegaDrives are essentially identical to the Genesis under the hood,
but their case and cartridge styling are a tad different in order to keep
them apart.
Sega borrowed the Genesis hardware and later incorporated it into an arcade
console called the MegaPlay, which hit the coin-op arcades in 1989. The
concept was similar to SNK's multigame cabinets also available at that
time. There are two known versions of the unit. The first had Thunder
Force 2, Altered Beast, Tetris, Last Battle, Space Harrier 2, and Golden
Axe; and the second added Sonic the Hedgehog. According to reports, the
unit could be configured however the vendor desired because the internals
consisted of a uncased Genesis PCB, a 10-slot multi-cart adapter, and the
appropriate coin-op and cart-switching hardware! That meant that all of
the Genesis cheats for these titles also worked with their MegaPlay
"arcade" versions. The cabinet had two screens, a large gameplay screen,
and a smaller instruction screen. Gameplay was timed via additional
hardware, and the gameplay screen would flash green to let you know that
extra credits were required. The multicart adaptor was later vended as a
standalone accessory.
The Nomad (US$150) is a portable Genesis console that was released only in
the Japanese and North American markets in 1995. It had a built-in color
LCD screen like the one used in the 8-bit Game Gear unit. Along the lines
of the Nomad is the MegaJet, of which obscure references can still be found
lurking about. This was a Japanese variation of the Nomad that lacked the
built-in screen. It was designed for use on Japanese airlines (hence the
name), as many planes in the Japan Air Lines (JAL) fleet had small LCD
televisions installed into the armrests of each seat for the convienence of
their passengers. You could bring your own games, but JAL is reported to
have stocked a limited selection of four titles on each flight. Two of the
titles known to have been in JAL's rotation included Super Monaco GP 2 and
the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
One variation of the Genesis deserves special mention, and that is the Sega
TeraDrive. This was an ordinary AMD 386SX-25 PC clone with 1MB of RAM and a
40 MB hard drive, but it also included a built-in MegaDrive as a 16-bit ISA
card. The original Japanese TeraDrive was black in color and vended by Sega in
in conjunction with a now-unknown Japanese company for use by MegaDrive
developers. It shipped with a software development kit (SDK) which made it
possible to develop your MegaDrive and Mega CD games (the Mega CD accessory
appears to have been an option). The TeraDrive eventually found its way
outside of Japan in late 1993 under the sponsorship of Amstrad, the noted
computer system vendor. They changed the case color to cream, beefed up
the memory to 2 MB, and made the MegaDrive SDK optional. The unit wasn't
very successful regardless of market, and this was largely due to its high
price (about US$3000). A souped-up version called the MegaPlus was later
offered based on a 486DX-33 CPU machine with 4 MB of RAM, but very few seem
to have made it out the door. The TeraDrive and its successor have all but
disappeared with the passage of time. Christian Schiller (of Eidolon's Inn
fame) owns one of the rare Euro survivors and won't part with it for any
amount of money. He would, however, like to get his hands on a copy of the
TeraDrive SDK, as his system did not come with one. Can anybody help him
in this regard?
Any game designed for either the Genesis or MegaDrive should work
with its foreign counterparts, but the unit may have to be set for the
specific market (USA, Japan, Europe) involved. This usually involves a
well-documented hardware modification to the unit in question. The Nomad
will not work with European releases, but works equally well with U.S. and
Japanese games. There are some titles with which the Nomad has problems
due to its internal design.
EMULATION ON THE G/MD
---------------------
Most folks nowadays do not know that the G/MD included a Sega Master System
(SMS) firmware emulator. In fact, the G/MD was one of the first videogame
consoles specifically designed to support emulation of another videogame
system. The SMS emulator is referred to in the G/MD tech docs as "VDP mode
4" and is believed to be triggered somehow by a special signal on the !BYTE
line, which is pin B31 of the console's cartridge port. This signal causes
the console to download a copy of the SMS boot ROM from a device attached
to the unit's cartridge port and then reset, after which it detects the SMS
boot code in memory and immediately switches itself into VDP mode 4. The
result is a reconfigured console that behaves almost exactly as a real SMS
console would under normal conditions.
The PowerBase Converter (PBC), sometimes called the Master Deck, was a
Sega-vended accessory available from day one that allowed you to use SMS
cards or cartridges with a G/MD console. It either directly supports or
can be hacked to work with all G/MD models and third-party consoles except
the Nomad, which does not include VDP mode 4 support. It also supports
the SMS 3D goggles and light gun for those SMS games that reqire them, and
will support dual-language (English and Japanese) SMS games just like it
would in normal operating mode. There are two different versions of the
PBC, with the second version having a more compact design which forced the
omission of the SMS card slot. The first version of the PBC was designed
specfically for use with the Genesis 1 console and is custom-tailored to
to fits its rather unique case. The second version of the PBC, which is
similar in design to the Sonic and Knuckles pass-through cart, will work
with all G/MD compatible consoles regardless of their case design.
There was at least one unauthorized third-party SMS adapter released for
the G/MD, and that was the no-frills Mega Master by Datel Electronics of
the United Kingdom. It also lacked the SMS card slot, and had the SMS
PAUSE button mounted on the side of the unit. I have only seen one picture
of it, and it appears to be similar in both shape and design to the second
version of Sega's PBC unit.
There are two documented G/MD carts which are actually SMS carts in
disguise and include their own SMS mode trip hardware. These are the
ultra-rare Phantasy Star MD by Sega and the equally rare Megadrive 16-in-1
bootleg from Hong Kong. Since they contain their own hardware, no PBC or
comparable adapter is required in order to use them with a standard G/MD
console.
No Game Gear converter was ever commercially vended for the G/MD, although
there was a lot of talk about making one. The name that was passed around
was the Mega Game Gear, and it would have included supplemental hardware
that would have added to the G/MD's SMS emulation mode the Game Gear
specific components that it lacked. Lack of interest seems to have been
the chief cause of its demise, although there is currently discussion
underway by some reputable Sega hackers about building a homebrew unit.
There is one more emulator that, although never commercially vended,
deserves special mention all the same. Sometime around 1991, during the
heyday of the Sonic years, Japanese programmer Yuji Naka started work on an
NES emulator for the MegaDrive. It wasn't very good by his own admission
and only supported a few games, such as Super Mario Brothers, but it gave
him great satisfaction to see Nintendo's games running on Sega hardware.
This program has been lost with the passing of years; nevertheless, Yuji
Naka's accomplishment is generally regarded as the first "true" videogame
emulator (all software, no special hardware required). It is yet another
jewel in the crown of Sega's accomplishments with the G/MD hardware.
FACTOIDS ABOUT THE G/MD
-----------------------
- Looking at the different regions of the world, the Genesis was most
successful in the United States. It was quite strong in Europe, too -
in particular Great Britain, which is famous for being the European Sega
stronghold. Even so, it did not succeed very well in Japan, which was
"Nintendo country."
- There were a number of accessories produced for use with the beloved G/MD
during its heyday. Among these were such basics as joysticks (either 3 or
6 button, depending on your playing style and game support), joystick
multitaps (for multiplayer support), and the Menacer light gun. Some more
esoteric items include the Mega Mouse, the Activator (a Twister-style
foot-driven input device that replaced the joystick), Batter-Up (for use
with baseball games, it was a sensor-rigged baseball bat), Tee Vee Golf
(same as Batter-Up, but this time for golf games), and both the X-Band
and Mega Modems (for dial-up play, quite rare nowdays). Some of the truly
odd ones include the Miracle Keyboard, the Outback Joey exercise bicycle,
and the karaoke module (which reqired a Mega CD add-on unit).
- One of the rarest of all G/MD accessories to find nowadays is the once-
popular Super Key from Action. This allowed you to play games on your
own G/MD console regardless of intended market or console version. It
also worked with the Sega CD and the CD-X, as well as the JVC X-Eye. Its
popularity waned after inquisitive users learned how to hack their own
consoles.
- Three announced Sega peripherals that were never released were the
MegaPad (a graphics tablet along the lines of the venerable KoalaPad),
the MegaKeyboard (yes, there WAS a keyboard announced), and an external
3.5" floppy disk drive along the lines of the Nintendo unit for the NES.
They never made it out the door due to the poor market performance of the
Mega Modem in Japan. This was also the reason why the Mega Modem (i.e.
Telegames Modem) was never released in any other market. As for the
MegaPad, it eventually evolved into the graphics pad used for the Sega
Pico educational computer system.
- AM2's Arcade Racer analog steering wheel for the Sega Saturn was
originally worked up for use on the Genesis and 32X versions of Virtua
Racing. It was advertised for the Genesis but never released due to high
production costs.
- The following Genesis titles are known to have difficulty with or not to
work at all on the Nomad: Bonkers, Chakan, Decap Attack/Magical Hat
Adventure, Forgotten Worlds, Golden Axe 2, Phantasy Star MD, Pit-Fighter,
Outback Joey, Shadowrun, Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage. I suspect
that the Chinese bootleg MegaDrive 16-in-1 may not work, either, for the
same reasons that Phantasy Star MD does not work (no VDP mode 4 support).
- MSX was an attempt by several Japanese computer companies at setting a
unified standard for personal computers, much in the same fashion that
the IBM PC set the standard in American markets (which eventually
supplanted MSX). At least two of the MSX-2 AX series computers (the
AX-330 and the AX-990) included MegaDrive hardware and had a MegaDrive
cartridge port near the top edge of the case. These were released in the
Middle East by Universal (the Japanese vending company, not the movie
studio). There is rumor that the AX-990 came with an unofficial 50-game
multicart in Arabic of already available titles, but this has not been
confirmed.
- If you ever hear the term "J-cart," then this is referring to the special
carts released by Codemasters that had two extra joystick ports built
into the cartridge. This permitted four-way gameplay without a multitap
adapter. Only six J-carts were released: Pete Sampras Tennis, Pete
Sampras Tennis 96, Micro Machines 2, Micro Machines 96, Micro Machines
Military Edition, and Super Skidmarks. All were later released as
standard carts.
A WORD ON ADULT TITLES
----------------------
There are a scant handful of titles available for the G/MD, all of which
are unauthorized by Sega, that contain strong sexual themes or content. In
some cases, they often depict women in certain situations that some cultures
would consider immoral, debased, or perverted. While I do not and cannot
condone such content, nevertheless I feel it is my duty as a writer to be
honest in reporting these titles and have described them accordingly. If
this material offends you, or is offensive to those who might receive this
FAQ from you, then you have my permission to edit or even remove said
material according to the dictates of your personal tastes. The only
conditions I require is that you must advertise that you are distributing
an edited version, and must include the phrase "EDITED FOR CONTENT"
centered under the line containing the version number at the top of your
altered FAQ. The best way to locate this content is to go to the glossary
at the end of the FAQ and do a word search on all adult-related terms.
This is the only such warning you will receive regarding this subject.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
#
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 16-Tile Mahjongg
see JYUUROKU HARI MAHJONG
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 1607 (aka Dai 1607)
see TAIKOU RISHINDEN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 2-in-1 Player 40
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Multititle (both shooters)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A rather rare multicart containing both Twin Hawk and
Fire Shark within the same package.
IMPRESSIONS: I would like to thank Peter Hammond for sending me the
initial data on this cart. For writeups on each game,
please consult the individual reviews.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 3 Ninjas Kick Back
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Three young boys training as ninjas travel to the Orient
as a favor to their sensei. Based on the feature film of
the same name starring Pat Morita.
IMPRESSIONS: Mediocre arcade game based on a mediocre movie. You
know, Psygnosis normally does better than this. Perhaps
the fact that this is a prerelease beta for a game that
never made it out the door explains why it falls below
the quality that we've come to expect from Psygnosis.
VARIATIONS: There is some debate as to whether or not this was
actually released in game cart format. The "ROM" is
widely available in certain back corners of the Internet.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 688 Attack Sub
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Simulation (military)
LANGUAGE: English (with Russian on some instrument consoles)
PREMISE: Command either an American or Russian nuclear attack
submarine in various Cold War missions around the world.
IMPRESSIONS: A better-than-average submarine simulation that was
much ballyhooed in its day, but shows its age now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 777 Casino
AUTHOR/VENDOR: City Man Technologies
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Gambling
LANGUAGE: Chinese/English mixed text
PREMISE: Your basic gambling sim - start out with a few hundred
dollars and try to build a fortune by playing the various
games of chance inside the casino.
IMPRESSIONS: Decent enough, as far as gambling sims go. Slight adult
content at times, although you have to work hard to find
it - like beating the stuffings out of the house.
VARIATIONS: This appears to be a Hong Kong hack of the Japanese
original by VAP - hence the adult content. Does anybody
have the Japanese cart for comparison?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
A
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: A Q Renkan Awa
AUTHOR/VENDOR: C&E Soft
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: Chinese
PREMISE: A cute-looking Chinese quiz quest designed to teach the
basics of Chinese grammar to young children. The
soundtrack is a transparently ripped compiliation of
several Joplinesque ragtime tunes (I'm almost certain
Maple Leaf Rag is one of them).
IMPRESSIONS: Better than most Hong Kong products I've seen. I
actually kinda liked it, even though all texts are in
Chinese and I had to more or lest stumble my way through.
That's too bad, in a way - but then again, I know many
of you don't like these kind of games....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: "A" Ressha de Ikou
see TAKE THE "A" TRAIN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TITLE: Aah! Harimanada
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kodansha
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Sumo wrestling, like most sports, is an acquired taste.
Western audiences for the most part fail to grasp the
rich tradition behind this Japanese sport and instead
focus on appearances - two really fat guys standing on a
square wooden plaftorm and trying like crazy to shove
each other out of a ring inscribed within the edges of
the platform. Once you understand sumo and its rituals,
though, it can be just as entertaining (and in my opinion
even more so) than its American so-called "professional"
counterpart.
IMPRESSIONS: Faithful to the sport except for some obvious Street
Fighter 2 inspired touches. Great graphics, great sound,
decent gameplay. Hey, did I just see Akebono in there?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: AAAHH!!! Real Monsters
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Real Time Associates/Viacom New Media
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: AAAHH Real Monsters is one of Nickelodeon's most beloved
children's cartoon shows of the 1990s. In this game,
Ickis, Krumm, and Oblina (the would-be monsters) have to
prove themselves on the Monster midterm exam if they want
to call themselves "Real Monsters". There are over 25
different levels to explore, including five bonus levels.
IMPRESSIONS: To paraphrase General Robert E. Lee, "This game is a
great looker. I am in doubt as to its other qualities."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Abrams Battle Tank
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Simulation (tank combat)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Old and rather dated military ground combat sim that
highlights the American M1 Abrams main battle tank, the
same that earned its legendary reputation during the Gulf
War.
IMPRESSIONS: A decent enough simulation of what it's like to operate
a modern military battle tank. Shooter fans will get
quickly bored, but the sim fans will love it. Features
decent polygonal graphics and excellent gameplay, but
the sound is downright crappy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aces of the Deep
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sierra On-Line
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Similation (military)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A sweet little WWII submarine combat simulation that
lets you have your choice of boat and combat zone.
IMPRESSIONS: Announced but never released. It is unknown if the game
ever got beyond the planning stages.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Action 52
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Far Sight Technologies/Active Entertainment
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A collection of pathetically bad programs [mostly bad
takes on popular titles] written especially for this
cartridge by Action Industries. Produced without Sega's
approval. (Rage Games)
IMPRESSIONS: Keep this one for the kids. Serious gamers, be well
advised to stay as far away from this one as you can.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Addams Family series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ocean/Acclaim
RELEASED: various
TYPE: various
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Two very different games inspired by the popular live-
action movies starring Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, and
Cristopher Lloyd - both derived from the long-running
comic strip created by Charles Addams for the New Yorker
magazine.
IMPRESSIONS: I'll keep it short and sweet - the good movie got the
bad arcade game, and the bad movie got the good role-
playing game. The third movie was so pathetic that it
didn't get a game at all - but then again, it didn't have
the late Raul Julia, either.
VARIATIONS: The Addams Family (1993, chan-style platformer in which
Gomez must search the Addams estate for the lost
family fortune)
Addams Family Values (1994, top-down adventure game in
which Uncle Fester takes over the search for the
missing baby Pubert, the newest member of the family -
often referred to as Fester's Quest on the boards)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Advanced Daisenryaku
see the DAISENRYAKU series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Advanced Military Commander
see the DAISENRYAKU series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Adventures of Batman and Robin
See BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE ADVENTURES OF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends
see ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE, THE ADVENTURES OF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aero Blasters
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kaneko
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Fly, shoot, kill, destroy - one of many such games.
IMPRESSIONS: One of the best horizontal shooters out there! Has
awesome graphics and perfect gameplay. It's not that
difficult, but is still challenging enough. For full
enjoyment, check out the two-player mode! Way too good
to be this old. (Skyline)
VARIATIONS: Air Buster (American release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aero the Acrobat series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Iguana/Sunsoft
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Introducing our three chief protagonists: Aero the
Acrobat, a daredevil bat who is the star of the circus;
Edgar Ektor, clown prince and mean guy extraordinare; and
Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, Ektor's chief henchman whose
sense of duty and loyalty seem strangly misplaced.
IMPRESSIONS: Probably the most concerted effort by a software house
in cloning the success of the Sonic series. Gets old
fast, ridiculous in places, but you never lack for
action. I'm told that these games sold by the bucketful
when they were first released, so Sunsoft's strategem
musta worked.
VARIATIONS: Aero the Acrobat (1993, first in the series, has a
really annoying circus music soundtrack)
Aero the Acrobat 2 (1994, sequel to the original, with
a new plot and less offensive music)
Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (1994, spinoff that gives Zero
the chance to play hero for a change - the best of
the series, it compares well with the original Sonic
in its own way)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aerobiz series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Simulation (business)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Experience the joys and thrills of building up and
operating a major air carrier in this unusual and unique
series from one of the top names in the sim genre.
IMPRESSIONS: Cool, if you like this sort of thing. Managing an
airline isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, let
alone convert into a computer game. Think "SimAir" and
you kinda get the picture.
VARIATIONS: Aerobiz (1992, the Japanese original is titled Air
Manager and sometimes called Air Management)
Aerobiz Supersonic (1994, the Japanese original is titled
Air Supersonic - the sequel adds new airplane types and
several new game options)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Afterburner 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft/Sega
RELEASED: 1987
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Fly the U.S. Navy's top fighter, the F-14 Tomcat, in
wave after wave of dangerous missions against all sorts
of airborne foes. Ported from the hit arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Quite faithful - an almost perfect port, if it weren't
for the choppy scaling. The game itself gets a little
boring and repetitive after a while, but the action never
slows down.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Air Busters
see AERO BLASTERS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Air Diver
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Asmik
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You have been selected to fly on a top-secret mission
to attack the stronghold of a fanatical MidEast
terrorist organization. They are well-armed and have
the backing of several "unfriendly governments," so your
only two advantages are the stealth fighter that you will
fly and your own combat skills. Good luck, because
you're gonna need it....
IMPRESSIONS: A dogfighting simulation that reminds one of the original
Wing Commander. Boring and unimpressive. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Air Manager, Air Management
see the AEROBIZ series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Air Supersonic
see the AEROBIZ series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Airfield Battle
see SUPER MILITARY COMMANDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aladdin
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom/Disney Software/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Play as Aladdin, the "diamond in the rough" who discovers
a magical lamp that leads him on all sorts of adventures.
Based on the hit Disney movie, itself inspired by the
original tale from the 1001 Arabian Nights compilation.
IMPRESSIONS: Fairly solid gameplay, impressive graphics with stunning
colors, and great character animation. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aleste - Full Metal Fighter Ellinor
See M.U.S.H.A.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1987
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Alex Kidd is the brother of King Igul, ruler of Planet
Aries. Acting on a rumored sighting of their missing
father, Alex travels to the planet Paperock to find him.
Why the name? Because the child's sport of Paper-Rock-
Scissors is a planetwide institution, and those who
visit must display some talent in the game. The only
known MegaDrive entry in the long-running and popular
series of arcade and console games by Sega.
IMPRESSIONS: Don't laugh at me for this, but I think it's actually a
really good platformer. Not very challenging, but well
worth playing. Not bad for a game made back in 1987.
(Skyline)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Alien 3
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Something has gone terribly wrong on the Suliaco's return
trip back to Earth. Flight Officer Ellen Ripley finds
herself alone on a prison planet, the sole survivor of
ship's unexpected destruction. Unknown to her and the
inmates, she has brought an unwelcome visitor with her -
an old and deadly acquaitence that could mean death for
them all. Loosely based on the live-action sci-fi film
starring Sigourney Weaver.
IMPRESSIONS: I usually don't like movie translation games, but this
one's quite good. By the way, you get to be Ripley, but
I don't know whether that's good or not. Good graphics,
too. (Skyline)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Alien Soldier
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treasure/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (dual language game)
PREMISE: It is the year 2015. A spacefaring terrorist group
known as Scarlet has become strong enough to seal the
space lanes around Earth. A sudden, desperate attack
planned in secret wounds Scarlet's leader Epsilon,
causing a power struggle among the terrorists and giving
humanity time to regroup and fight back. Two old foes
among the genetically-enginerred terrorists now vie for
control of the organization, the outcome of which could
determine the fate of mankind.
IMPRESSIONS: From the makers of the legendar Gunstar Heroes, this
shooter is reminescent of Contra but with more options.
Loud graphics and louder audio, looks cool and plays
pretty decently. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: There are widespread claims that this game was never
released in the United States. I have copies of the
Japanese and European box scans, but have yet to see an
American one.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Alien Storm
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Save the humans from the mean nasty aliens in this
side-scrolling blastathon ported from the arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Golden Axe in a semi-futuristic setting. Passable
action, but pales next to Streets of Rage. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Alisa Dragoon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gainax/Game Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Fantasy-themed arcade game in which you play a beautiful
babe who's quite proficient in the art of magic. Her job
is to embark upon a quest to find a lost meteorite. News
has it that the falling star is the source of the evil
that is spawning all of the evil creatures that have
begun to plague the lands. Only one person is strong
enough to fight their evil spells and save the day. That
person is you - Alisa Dragoon.
IMPRESSIONS: One of many excellent Japanese-produced action games.
The ladies will like this one, since you play a sexy
female heroine with a cute morphing animal sidekick
Still, it ain't bad, it ain't bad at all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Altered Beast
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1988
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You have been summoned from your grave by Zeus, king of
the Olympians, to resuce his kidnapped daughter. A
straightforward port of Sega's classic side-scrolling
arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: One of the first games released for the Genesis, and one
of many arcade conversions. Not very sophisticated, but
still decent despite its age. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ambition of Caesar
see WARRIOR OF ROME
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: American Gladiators
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gametek
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (multigame)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Inspired by the syndicated TV game show released by the
Samuel Goldwyn company. 'Nuff said.
IMPRESSIONS: A boring arcade game based on one of the dumbest TV shows
to ever hit the airwaves. As Frank said in the Rocky
Horror Picture Show, "Lots of charm but no muscle."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Andre Agassi Tennis
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Lance Investments/TecMagik
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (tennis)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring tennis superstar Andre Agassi, who
also helped in the design of the game.
IMPRESSIONS: Not great graphically, and the sound is merely adequate,
but the player animation is smooth and it has some of
the best gameplay you will ever see in a tennis sim.
A keeper, if only to say you have a tennis sim in your
pile of Genesis carts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Andre Panza's Kickboxing
see BEST OF THE BEST - CHAMPIONSHIP KARATE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Animaniacs
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami/Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: That loveable looney trio of Wakko, Yakko, and Dot have
decided to go into business for themselves. They plan on
selling real Hollywood show props, but they don't have
any inventory right now. Where do we get inventory?
Why, the Warner Brothers back lot, of course! Arcade-
style game based on Steven Spielberg's hit syndicated
animated TV series.
IMPRESSIONS: A decidedly different animal than the over-the-top SNES
game. Has a heavy puzzle-solving bent, but also has nice
graphics and preserves the looniness of the series.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Another World
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Delphine/Virgin
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You're Lester Knight Chaykin, a physicist who likes to
work alone. During your latest stint down at the lab,
lightning struck the particle accellerator and caused
your anti-matter experiment to go haywire, opening a
dimensional vortex and hurling you into another world -
a world where you have only your wits to survive the
many perils ahead.
IMPRESSIONS: A fantastic-looking, excellently-executed, and hard-as-
hell adventure game that is well worth the frustration.
The opening cinema alone is now an acknowledged classic
in the genre. A bit heavy on the puzzles, to be sure,
but man - what a game!
VARIATIONS: Out of This World (American, distributed by Interplay)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aquatic Games
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Millenium/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (multigame)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Now that he's finished with the bad guys, supersecret
agent James Pond has decided to relax by doing his most
favorite thing in the whole world...alright, his SECOND
most favorite thing in the whole world - track and field
with his friends, the Aquabats!
IMPRESSIONS: A spinoff from the James Pond trilogy of action games,
this tongue-in-cheek homage to the multisports sim
would be decent even without the aquatic theme.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Arcade Classics
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Amoeba/Sega
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A multipack that includes three of Atari's classic
arcade games - Ultra Pong, Centipede, and Missile
Command.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics and sound are primitive, just like their
ancestors, but the gameplay is still there. A good grab
if you don't have these already.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Arcade's Greatest Hits
see WILLIAMS (INC.) - ARCADE'S GREATEST HITS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Arch Rivals
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Midway/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1987
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A tongue-in-cheek homage to the in-your-face style of
basketball played nowadays. Ported from the arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Fairly decent, but the emphasis seems to be more on fouls
and cheap shots than on actual gameplay. The missed
calls and rather physical style of play are nice touches,
to be sure, but that's not what the game of basketball is
supposed to be about.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Arcus Odyssey
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Yet another one of those Japanese games in which you
choose a hero who will go on a quest to recover a fabled
weapon and defeat the monstrous evil plaguing the land -
in this case, a jilted sorceress.
IMPRESSIONS: A nicely done isometric game with plenty of action for
all, and the obvious anime influence adds to the flavor.
It's a welcome change for bleary-eyed RPGers and dungeon
crawlers.
VARIATIONS: Arcus Spirits (SNES version)
The sequel is the Sega CD title Arcus 1-2-3; see
separate entry for more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ariel - The Little Mermaid
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Blue Sky/Magical/Disney
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Relive the magic of the animated Disney classic in this
game based on the original story by Hans Christian
Anderson. Ariel, a young mermaid and the daughter of
King Triton, falls in love with a human prince. To win
him, she must thwart the wiles of the evil sorceress
Ursula, who plans on using her quest to take over the
undersea kingdom and oust Triton.
IMPRESSIONS: One of Disney's early arcade conversions and somewhat
different than the SNES version. It's okay, but pales
next to their other releases. Great graphics and
gameplay make this worth the look. Tell your friends
that you got it for your little sister. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Also referred to as The Little Mermaid, which is the
name of the NES version.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Arnie the Aardvark
see SMAARTVARK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Sports (golfing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring Arnold Palmer, one of the true legends
of the sport. Ported from the arcade original.
IMPRESSIONS: An aging but still graceful golfing simulation. It's not
Leaderboard by a long shot, but it's better than nothing.
VARIATIONS: Super Masters Golf (Japanese version, non-YACEG)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Arosohtrau
see DUNGEONS & DRAGONS - WARRIORS OF THE ETERNAL SUN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Arrow Flash
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Perky-looking female fighter jock takes on the space
aliens from hell all by her lonesome.
IMPRESSIONS: A pathetically bad space shooter. The only thing good
about it is the 15-second cinema during the game demo.
Smacks strongly of a Konami or Irem shooter, but not as
fully developed. Don't bother.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Art Alive
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sega's take on Mario Paint - a paint program for a game
console.
IMPRESSIONS: At least Sega was smart enough to add some catchy music
and sound effects. Useless for game collectors, but the
young ones seem to like it well enough.
VARIATIONS: This is one the few titles for the console to support
the Sega Mouse, and some versions came packaged with it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Art of Fighting
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SNK/Takara
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Ryo's sister has been kidnapped by the master criminal
Mr. Big and is being held somewhere in the city. Ryo
enlists the aid of his sometime martial arts rival
Robert, and together they battle their way through Mr.
Big's minions as they try to find Ryo's sister before
time runs out. A popular videogame that inspired a
short anime film.
IMPRESSIONS: A seriously revamped Double Dragon clone that has more
of a Street Fighter feel to it. It's not Streets of
Rage, but is still pretty decent and will provide hours
of mindless fun.
VARIATIONS: Ryouko no Ken (Japanese original, some character names
may be different)
The sequel, Art of Fighting 2, does not appear to have
been ported to the Genesis
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aryton Senya's Super Monaco Grand Prix 2
See SUPER MONACO GRAND PRIX 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Asterix series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design/Infogrames
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: During the Roman occupation of France, a lone Gaul
warrior arose from among his fellows to do battle with
his largely incompetent foes. Meet Asterix, the
undersized hero of the first French Resistance. Based
on the hit European comic series.
IMPRESSIONS: Excellent concept, excellent games. I must admit to a
certain bias, as I am a fan of the original comic, but
even non-fans have found the games to be entertaining.
Highly recommended.
VARIATIONS: Asterix and the Great Rescue (1993, Asterix must save
his village from a planned Roman attack)
Asterix and the Power of the Gods (1995, Asterix and
his sidekick Obelix must rescue a sacred shield stolen
by the Romans - three different versions of the cart
exist: English-only, English/French/German, and
English/French/German/Italian)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Atomic Robo-kid
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treco
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Earth colony Terra-12 is under the iron control of its
recent alien conquerors. The colonists' only hope lies
with one power-suited hero - Atomic Robo-kid!
IMPRESSIONS: An R-Type clone that has the same graphics style, but
also has irritating sound and unimpressive gameplay.
Avoid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Atomic Runner
see CHELNOV
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: ATP Tour Championship Tennis
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (tennis)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring many American tennis professionals.
IMPRESSIONS: A solid tennis sim with great gameplay and even greater
graphics. It may not appeal to the elusive "girl gamer"
as all the characters are men, but the superb quality of
this game may very well make up for it. (Derek "Seconal"
Hull)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Australian Rugby League
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (rugby)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Rugby is the British field game from which American
football is derived. The main differences are in the
rules, field layout, and the absence of pads worn by the
players. Oh yeah, no forward pass and dogpiling (aka
"the scrum") is perfectly legal.
IMPRESSIONS: If you're tired of all those American football sims and
want to try something different, this is an excellent
alternative. Hey, it's an EA Sports release - need I say
more?
VARIATIONS: Rugby World Cup 95 (American, has different team rosters,
some minor graphics and menu changes)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Awesome Possum
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tengen
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Awesome Possum, savior of the ecosystem, does battle
with the environment-destroying automatons created by
the evil Dr. Machino.
IMPRESSIONS: A politically correct platform game. The graphics and
gameplay are merely passable, and the frequent use of
annoying sound samples adds nothing to the experience -
not to mention all that environmental crap. I say we fry
the little marsupial and serve him to Dr. Machino with a
salad on the side.
VARIATIONS: The full title of this game, according to the game's
chorus, is "Awesome Possum Kicks Dr. Machino's Butt."
How pathetic.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: AWS Pro Moves Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ASCIIWare
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An arcade-style World Cup soccer sim.
IMPRESSIONS: Decent, but any game in the FIFA series can dribble rings
around it. Cool tunes, though.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Axis FZ
see FINAL ZONE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
B
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Baby's Day Out
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Designer Software/Hi-Tech Enterprises
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are the guardian angel of a baby who is the target
of some rather moronic would-be kidnappers. Help him
escape by guiding him through all sorts of platform
puzzles. Inspired by the movie of the same name starring
Lara Flynn Boyle.
IMPRESSIONS: Poor movie, poor game. Gets old fast, and the digitized
graphics don't help.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Back to the Future 3
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe/Arena
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It's the third time around for time-traveler errant
Marty McFly, and this time he and Doc go back to the
days of the Wild West. Inspired by the Steven Spielberg
feature film of the same name starring Michael J. Fox,
Christopher Lloyd, and Mary Steenburgen.
IMPRESSIONS: You've got to hand it to Arena for having the guts to
take the crappy inside of a leftover Genesis cartridge,
smacking a label on it, and then selling it for fifty
bucks. If you are anything like me and value the time
you have in this life, then you'll avoid this game like
the bubonic plague. (Derek "Seconal" Hull)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bad Omen
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Ball and paddle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: There once was a royal couple enjoying an idyllic
existence in their kingdom until a jealous demon decided
to intervene. He turned the prince and princess into
stone paddles. Then, without warning, a mysterious blue
sphere fell from the sky....
IMPRESSIONS: A colossal failure. The idea of a scrolling Breakout is
original, but poor execution (such as the ball reflection
angles) causes the game to fail to entertain. (Rage
Games)
VARIATIONS: Devilish - The Next Possession (all non-Japanese markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bahamut Bahant Senki
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SquareSoft
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG/Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Come journey to a land where the forces of good and
evil fight for ultimate dominon. A land where each side
has it share of wizards and warriors, elves and mages,
knights and dragons. That land is the island continent
of Bahamut, and this is the Record of the Bahamut War....
An early release from the company who earned its well-
deserved reputation for excellence in the fantasy genre.
IMPRESSIONS: Confusing to anyone who doesn't know the language. It
strives to find the middle ground between Shining Force
and Phantasy Star, and adds a dash of Risk to stir up the
mix.
VARIATIONS: Better known as Record of Bahamut War, which is a rough
translation of the title. The Bahamut game for the SNES
is a decidedly different animal; it appears to have been
derived (not ported) from the G/MD original.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ball Jacks
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Ball and paddle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The game of Ball Jacks was invented in AD 7650 as a
worldwide televised gameshow, where contestants battled
for top honors with life-sized equipment. Thankfully,
you can save your life and experience the home computer
verison instead....
IMPRESSIONS: A confusing combination of Pong and Breakout which didn't
hold my interest for long. Still, I can see how someone
might like the game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ballz
AUTHOR/VENDOR: DF Magic/Accolade
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An unusual-looking versus fighter with heroes made from
stacked steel balls. Can you fight your way to the top
to a one-on-one duel with the Jester?
IMPRESSIONS: It's always impressive when a 3D game can be pulled off
on a 2D platform, but lackluster gameplay cripples this
effort. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Barbie series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hi-Tech Expressions
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Join in the fun with Barbie and her friends as they
embark on various adventures. Inspired by the popular
girl's fashion doll made and marketed by the Mattel toy
company.
IMPRESSIONS: Perhaps the closest thing you will find in the English
G/MD library to a shojo-style game. They're every little
girl's dream, and every serious gamer's nightmare. My
niece insisted on playing them over and over until I had
to throw the main breaker and cut off the power. Kids
may love 'em, and that's all fine and good, but I don't.
VARIATIONS: Barbie - Super Model (1993, coded by Tahoe Software,
Barbie embarks on the road to super model stardom -
ridiculous plot, easy puzzles, crappy graphics, and the
sound just plain stinks)
Barbie - Vacation Adventure (1994, coded by Software
Creations - Barbie takes a vacation and visits various
places in the U.S. in the process - a big improvement
over its predecessor with improved graphics, but
experienced gamers will find it a boring breeze; also
sports a two-player option in some minigames)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Barcelona 92
see OLYMPIC SUMMER GAMES - BARCELONA 92
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bare Knuckle series
see the STREETS OF RAGE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Barkley - Shut Up and Jam series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A two-on-two hoopsfest in the same mode as NBA Jam,
endorsed by NBA superstar Charles Barkley.
IMPRESSIONS: Nice sound, adequate gameplay, passable graphics. A
bit more serious than NBA Jam, and has a few tricks of
its own. I recommend the sequel over the original, as
it is superior in most respects.
VARIATIONS: Barkley - Shut up and Jam (1994)
Barkley - Shut up and Jam 2 (1995, nice digitized
graphics, significantly improved gameplay)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Barney's Hide and Seek Game
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Lyon Group
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Help Barney the dinosaur find his missing friends in
this game inspired by the hit PBS children's TV series.
IMPRESSIONS: Oh GOD, it's the !@#*@$! purple dinosaur thingey,
complete with sampled dialogue! Only for Barney
masochists, but the preschool crowd seems to think it's
a swell game, too. No wonder American kids are growing
dumber with each passing year. Sigh....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bart vs. the Space Mutants
see THE SIMPSONS - BART VS. THE SPACE MUTANTS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bart's Nightmare
see THE SIMPSONS - BART'S NIGHTMARE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bass Tournament
see the TNN BASS TOURNAMENT series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bass Tournament 96
see the TNN BASS TOURNAMENT series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: BASS Masters Classic series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Black Pearl/TH*Q
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (fishing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Pick one of several colorful characters and participate
in the annual BASS Masters (TM) fishing tournament.
IMPRESSIONS: Neat idea, but for me the game ended up being more of a
commercial for various kinds of fishing gear. Why not
just grab a pole and hit the lake? It's far easier and
a lot more satisfying, too.
VARIATIONS: BASS Masters Classic (1994)
BASS Masters Classic - Pro Edition (1995, has better
graphics and gameplay, and features cameos by several
well-known professional anglers)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bastard! Ankoku no Hakai-shin
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Cobra Team/Kaneda
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Based on the anime OAV about a 400-year old master
sorcerer/fighter named Darshu (Dark Schneider in some
translations) who is reluctantly drafted as a "good guy"
in the battle against the powerful disciples of the
imprisoned dark mage Anthrax. Originally created by
Kazushi Hagiwara in 1992 - and yes, almost all the names
used in the show are taken from popular "heavy metal"
rock bands from the era.
IMPRESSIONS: This is an unauthorized attempt by Kaneda to port this
unique SNES/SFC fighter to the G/MD. It is in its very
early stages (the fight engine isn't even included), but
shows promise.
VARIATIONS: The name loosely translates as Bastard! The Destructive
God of Darkness.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Batman series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East/Sunsoft
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of action platformers starring our favorite
Caped Crusader, all but one of which were based on the
first three live-action feature films. Based on the
original characters created by Bob Kane for DC Comics.
IMPRESSIONS: Terrible graphics that get better as the series goes.
Mediocre game engine that doesn't show much improvement
throughout. Average gameplay at best. All in all,
they're rather flat and uninspiring.
VARIATIONS: The Konami Batman game is a totally different animal and
is not considered part of this series, as is Acclaim's
Batman Forever. See seperate entries for more details.
Batman (1990, straightforward port of the acclaimed 8-bit
NES title that may look better but plays worse than its
predecessor - based on the first feature film starring
Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, and Jack Nicholson)
Batman - Revenge of the Joker (1991, a somewhat improved
game that draws directly on the comic book for its
inspiration, this appears to be a humdrum port of the
mundane Amiga original)
Batman Returns (1993, third and final game in the Data
East series is the best looker and player of the three,
even though it's still the same old game engine with
almost all of the same gripes intact - based on the
second feature fim starring Michael Keaton, Michelle
Pfeiffer, and Danny DeVito)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Batman Forever
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: "Riddle me this, riddle me that - who's afraid of the big
bad bat?" Once again, masochistic masters of criminal
bent are rampaging 'round Gotham City. This time, it's
the animated antics of the rapscallious Riddler with the
help of the horrible Two-Face that threatens the peace of
Gotham. It's up to the compound crafts of the Dyanamic
Duo to decidedly deuce this troublesome twosome. Sorry,
I couldn't resist - I'm a fan of the original TV series.
Inspired by the mediocre in-your-face live-action movie
starring Val Kilmer, Chris McDonnell, Nicole Kidman, Jim
Carrey, and Tommy Lee Jones; inself based on the original
characters created by Bob Kane for DC Comics.
IMPRESSIONS: Far from being the standard movie tie-in, this game is
actually a commendable effort. It's no Mortal Combat,
and your character choices are limited to just Batman and
Robin, but it does have a host of fighting moves and
fairly decent enemies. If only the levels weren't so
repetetive, then this might have been a must-buy. As it
is, it's a game that all fans of the Dark Knight will
love. (Game Guides Online)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Batman and Robin, The Adventures of
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Once again, deadly peril threatens Gotham City. Three of
of the city's top criminals (The Joker, Two-Face, and the
Mad Hatter) have escaped from Arkham Asylum and are
teaming together to bring the city under their iron
control. Once again, the Dynamic Duo must leap into the
breach and save the people from this terrible threat. An
original game inspired by the hit Warner animated series.
Based on the original characters created by Bob Kane for
DC Comics.
IMPRESSIONS: At long last! A game worthy of the title it bears! A
3D action platformer with great graphics and animation
culled directly from the TV show. This is the ONLY
Batman game for the Genesis that you will ever need.
VARIATIONS: All versions of this game feature the same European
technosynth soundtrack that is quite different from the
music that was used in the original animated series.
This was corrected on the Amercian SNES port, but not so
for American Genesis owners.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Frenzy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Domark
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: December 2049 - an alien armada assaults the Sol System.
Using data gathered from a captured alien cruiser, you
mission is to board the enemy's main battle cruiser and
disable all sixteen of its main plasma nodes. To prepare
you for the fight ahead, the Battle Frenzy chip (code
name Bloodshot) is implanted into your neural net, which
will turn you into the ultimate killing machine.
IMPRESSIONS: A first-person 3D shooter that bears a strong resemblance
to Wolfenstein 3D. Walk around, blow stuff up, kill the
bad guys, avoid the traps - pretty standard fare by now.
VARIATIONS: Blood Shot (European release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Golfer Yui
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Sports (golfing)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Two high-school Japanese girls, the red-headed Mizuhara
and the black-haired Ryokozawi, become involved in a
strange adventure involving high-tech science, ancient
magic, and the unusual sport of "battle golfing."
IMPRESSIONS: Another one of those weird Japanese imports, this tries
to wrap a convoluted plot around a pretty decent golfing
sim. At least the developers were wise enough to make
the rather laughable plot optional.
VARIATIONS: Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf appears to use a modified
form of the Battle Golfer Yui game engine, and may in
fact be a heavily retooled and stripped-down version of
this title. See separate entry for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Isle
see LAST SURVIVOR
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Mania series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Vic Tokai
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Mania Ohtori and Maria Waneda aren't just your average
gorgeous-looking babes with a bit of an attitude. They
are in truth the infamous mercenary team of Madison and
Crystal, better known as the Trouble Shooters, who will
take on any job for the right amount of money. This
is an apparent take on the popular Japanese manga/anime
series Dirty Pair.
IMPRESSIONS: A cute Japanese shooter with only passable graphics,
gameplay, and weapons systems. Otaku can take it out for
a spin, otherwise avoid. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: The first game were released in English-speaking markets
under the title of Trouble Shooter. There is some
speculation as to whether or not the second title was
ever released in an English language version.
Battle Mania (1992, aka Trouble Shooter - Madison and
Crystal are called into an unnamed foreign country to
find the assasins of the king's son, and as expected
shoot and blow up the whole place in the process)
Battle Mania 2 (1995, aka Trouble Shooter Vintage - the
girls take on an powerful enemy who is bent on taking
over the city with the help of an array of both bestial
and high-tech stooges)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Master
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Arena/Mirrorsoft
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Long ago, an ancient crown with great powers was broken
into four pieces and divided among the various kingdoms
of the world. Prophecy says that the crown will only be
restored when one comes worthy enough to put an end to
all wars. No one has heeded the prophecy for many
centuries, but now comes one who is willing to take the
challenge - a brave soul who is willing to take up the
quest to become the one and only Battle Master....
IMPRESSIONS: A more traditional RPG than its Japanese cousins, with
just a hint of arcade play thrown in for good measure.
Simplistic by Phantasy Star standards, so its probably a
good starting point for those new to the genre.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle of the Tower
see BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - ROAR OF THE BEAST
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Squadron
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Innerprise/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You, a humble fighter jock in the Earth Defense Fleet,
are all that stands between the planet Terrania and the
hordes of the Barrax Empire. Oh, and while your at it,
would you mind rescuing a couple of your fellow pilots
who are being held prisoner by the enemy?
IMPRESSIONS: Reminds me an awful lot of the original Xenon, except
that its pastel colors seem garish and it lacks Xenon's
techno soundtrack. Otherwise, it's lots of fun.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Wings
see STEEL EMPIRE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battletech
AUTHOR/VENDOR: FASA/Malibu/Extreme/Activision
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Mecha-oriented isometric shooter inspired by the popular
RPG by FASA.
IMPRESSIONS: The legend is now available for the Genesis. While it
isn't going to touch the later first-person versions,
it's one of the best mecha shooter for the platform,
period. Now, is it just me, or is that a Zentraedi
Officer's Battlepod in the opening cinema?
VARIATIONS: Mechwarrior 3050 (alternate title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battletoads series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rare/Tradewest
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Who you gonna call? The Battletoads? Yes, these three,
er, um, "fellas" would make turtle soup out of the Ninja
Turtles - and besides, their chief nemesis the Dark Queen
has more sex appeal than Shredder ever would. A series
of platform fighters that appear to be either a tongue-
in-cheek homage or a direct ripoff of the Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles.
IMPRESSIONS: Venerable platform slugfest ported from the old NES, but
with several minor improvements. It's difficult, but
it's worth checking out. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Battletoads (1991, straightforward port of the 8-bit NES
original with several minor improvements - difficult,
according to Rage Games, but worth checking out)
Battletoads and Double Dragon - The Ultimate Team (1993,
the Lee twins help the Battletoads fight space aliens -
a bit more of a fighter than its predecessor, but the
graphics have taken a hit in the process)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Beast Warriors
see BEAST WRESTLER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Beast Wrestler
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Telnet Japan
RELEASED: Sega
TYPE: 1991
LANGUAGE: Fighting
PREMISE: An isometric Street Fighter clone featuring monsters,
aliens, cyborgs, and demons.
IMPRESSIONS: It's...well, ahh, umm...unique...you know...uhh...
unique. The isometrics take some getting used to, and
many of the fighters and their attacks are downright
weird. Uhhh...I think, umm, it's okay - in a strange
sort of way - but it's not something I'm gonna spend a
lot of time playing.
VARIATIONS: Beast Warriors (non-American markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Beauty and the Beast series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft/Disney
RELEASED: 1993 (both titles)
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Two passable arcade games loosely inspired by characters
and situations from the Disney animated version of the
classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics aren't up to Disney's usual standards (or
Sunsoft's, for that matter), and gameplay is merely
passable at best. Roar of the Beast is the better of
the two games under this title, but Belle's Quest is the
more faithful to the film. Take your pick - I really
don't care for either one.
VARIATIONS: Belle's Quest (the more faithful of the two to the movie,
although the graphics aren't worthy of the franchise)
Roar of the Beast (sometimes mistakenly referred to as
Battle of the Tower, this is a side story in which the
Beast must save his domain from enchanted monsters
driven by "the evil outside" - the better looking but
more ridiculous of the two, and the worse playing, too)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Beavis and Butt-head
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Viacom New Media
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Uhh...we, uh, got some Gwar tickets. (Gwar! Gwar!) Shut
up! Oh, yeah. And...uh...like, Anderson's dog ate them
(that sucks!). But then the dog blew them back up (ha-
ha-hee-hee-hah-huh-hah-hah). Then Anderson ran over them
with his mower (what a fartknocker) and...uh...we gotta
get new ones (we need some help, assmunch). Shut up!
Uhh, got any Gwar tickets? (Yeah, Gwar rulez! Gwar!
Gwar! Gwar! [WHACK] Owwwww!) Shut up, bunghole! Or
they won't play the game.
IMPRESSION: This is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT and superior game to that
piece of crap that was done for the SNES. Instead of
being a straightforward platform game, it is a sort of
interactive cartoon in the same mold as Virtual Stupidity
and just as fun. Worth the look even if you're not a
fan of the show.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Beggar
see THE KING OF BEGGARS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Belle's Quest
see BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - BELLE'S QUEST
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Berenstain Bears Camping Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Real Time Associates
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This platformer for the younger set highlights the
adventures of the Bernstein twins as they explore the
wonders of the forest during a family camping trip.
Inspired by the popular series of children's books.
IMPRESSIONS: Features graphics that are faithfully rendered from the
books, cute and appropriate sound, solid gameplay,
excellent design, and an above-par story for a game of
this type. Shucks, even this adult-aged kid had fun
playing it! Well worth the look.
VARIATIONS: Elite trainer hack (unlimited lives/energy)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Berzerk (public domain)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Paul Lee
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Wander around the maze-like corridors, shoot the robots
before they shoot you, avoid the bouncing ball when it
appears.
IMPRESSIONS: An extremely faithful port of the Atari arcade original.
It's not pretty, but it plays quite well. The source is
available on the Internet for anyone who's interested in
coding their own G/MD games.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Best of the Best - Championship Karate
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Loricel
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (kickboxing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: No, it's not karate - actually, it's kickboxing, a hybrid
between boxing and karate.
IMPRESSIONS: A unique game in the Genesis sports genre. Having no
competition is not a bad idea, since there are no others
to either rip you off or show how bad you are. It's
decent enough, but it ain't no Street Fighter - nor is
it supposed to be.
VARIATIONS: Andre Panza's Kickboxing (European, YACEG original with
some cosmetic differences - like the fighter lineup)
Super Kickboxing (alternate title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Beyond Oasis
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ancient
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese
PREMISE: Our hero stumbles across an ancient power in a long-
forgotten cave that proves to be the start of a
dangerous quest to thwart the rise of an evil which also
hearkens from the past. A single-player RPG that comes
across as something of a cross between the Norse Eddas
and the Arabian Knights.
IMPRESSIONS: A top-down Zelda-like adventure, with great character art
and animation along with Street Fighter style special
moves. Not many enemy types, but decent gameplay and
great graphics. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: The Story of Thor (all non-American markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bible Adventures
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wisdom Tree Games
RELEASED: 1994?
TYPE: Edutainment (religious)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Be a part of classic Bible stories as these exciting
characters come to life. Assisted by direct quotes from
God's Holy Word.
IMPRESSIONS: Oh-kay, another one of those great ideas that fails to
deliver. This collection of minigames isn't going to
hold anybody's interest except those who are a few miles
to the radical right of the nerdiest computer geek you
can imagine. This cart makes the Barney game look like
high-caliber software.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bikkuriman World
see WONDERBOY 3 - MONSTERLAND
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bill Walsh College Football series
see the COLLEGE FOOTBALL series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Billy Shogun
see the NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION SERIES (second game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bimini Run
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nuvision/Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Race a powerboat though the many hazards of offshore
waters whilst chasing various bad guys in this arcade
conversion.
IMPRESSIONS: Appears to be an offhanded nod to Miami Vice, but I hope
the show's producers aren't too offended. It's pretty
much a waterlogged version of Thunder Blade, and about
as attention-grabbing. No, come to think of it, Thunder
Blade held my attention longer than this. Avoid unless
you are desperate for a gaming fix.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bio-Hazard Battle
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: One of the better R-Type clones on the market, this
features some truly original biogenetic ship designs.
IMPRESSIONS: Starts out easy, gets hard fast. This is about as close
to Gradius 3 on the Genesis as you're going to get, guys,
which makes it an absolute must. Oh, and let's not
forget the two-player mode, either! Get it now!
VARIATIONS: Crying (Japanese)
Alpha Flight "trained" bootleg
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bio-Ship Paladin
AUTHOR/VENDOR: UPL Limited
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: What plot? Who says you need a plot for a sci-fi
shooter? Just fly and shoot anything that isn't you.
Ported from the arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Passable R-Type clone, but kinda slow. The music didn't
stoke up my fires, either. All in all, it's just another
Japanese shooter - not really bad, but not all that good,
either.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Gunship Gomora, Spaceship Gomora, and
Uchusentei Gomora, all of which refer to the Japanese
version.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bishojo Sensi Sailor Moon
see SAILOR MOON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Black Crypt (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Raven Software/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992 (planned)
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Delve into this fully animated adventure with over 20
interconnected dungeons, dangerously animated monsters,
and four character classes. It's an adventure like
you've never seen before! (EA promo)
IMPRESSIONS: EA had high hopes for porting the acclaimed dungeon
crawler to the Genny, but the project fell apart for
reasons that remain unknown (although many intimate that
it was due to the rampant piracy of the Amiga original).
A partially completed working alpha is known to exist.
There is also a two-level Win95 demo available from Raven
that gives non-Amiga fans a taste of what it would have
been like.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Blades of Vengeance
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Beam Software/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Beam Software's stab at a Rastan clone has you playing
your pick of three fighters (valkyrie, barbarian, wizard)
as you side-scroll your way through hordes of enemies on
a mystic quest for the usual bearded deity.
IMPRESSIONS: A fantasy-themed platformer that rises above the crowd
due to its excellent graphics and sound. It's too bad
that the gameplay is only passable at best. Think of it
as a 2D Golden Axe, and you'll begin to get the picture.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Blaster Master 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Drive your little armed and armored recon vehicle around
the landscape, blowing away any enemy mecha and the odd
hostile local or angry animal that you run across.
IMPRESSIONS: An odd little game that tries its best to be just like
one of the classic Psygnosis side-scrollers. Great
graphics with some unique tricks of its own, and decent
enough sound, but the gameplay sucks big-time. I'm told
that the SNES version was a lot better. Now that I've
played the game, I can believe it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Block Out
AUTHOR/VENDOR: California Dreams/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A 3D Tetris clone, but this time you spin your playing
pieces about all three axes as you use them to fill up
a deep well.
IMPRESSIONS: Ugly as sin and sluggish, but great gameplay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Blockbuster Competition Cart series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of multigame carts produced exclusively for use
by Blockbuster in their North American stores. There
were usually two "hot" games to each cart. Please look
under the individual titles to find the reviews for each
game.
VARIATIONS: NBA Jam/Judge Dredd (second cart in series)
Micro Machines/Psycho Pinball (unconfirmed)
Rambo 3/Tetris (unconfirmed)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Blood Shot
see BATTLE FRENZY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Blue Almanac
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hot-B
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A sci-fi RPG strangely reminescent of the second Phantasy
Star. I'd tell you more, but I can't read kanji!
IMPRESSIONS: This seems to be an entertaining RPG. Although the
battles are quite frequent and I'm stuck now in one part
of the game, I enjoy playing it. Still, I don't think
it is up to the standard of the Phantasy Star series.
(Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: B.O.B.
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Foley Hi-Tech Systems/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A cute little game about a teenage android who gets in
trouble way over his head after he wrecks his dad's space
cruiser on a distant asteroid.
IMPRESSIONS: Pretty standard fare, but the music is nice and B.O.B.'s
wisecracking maintain the game's sense of humor. Makes
for an interesting evening's excursion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Body Count
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: The Earth has once again been invaded by a horde of
aliens, and it's up to you (as an isolated resistance
fighter with an itchy trigger finger) to stop 'em all
by your lonesome. Appears to be an arcade port.
IMPRESSIONS: A hard-as-hell shooter intended for use with the Menacer
light gun. Sucks big time when using a gamepad, but
still tons better than T2 Arcade.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bomberman 94
see MEGA BOMBERMAN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bomberman (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Factor 5/Hudson Soft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is the original Bomberman game for the Genesis.
According to Eidolon, Factor 5 was asked to do a Genesis
port of Bomberman and came up with this 8-player version
that used multiple joystick port adaptors. Hudson was
impressed, but decided in favor of licensing a local
Japanese company instead.
IMPRESSIONS: Eight players on the Genesis is impressive enough, and
the trademark frantic gameplay is still there! This
game's a riot! Compared to this, Mega Bomberman seems
rather stilted and awkward.
VARIATIONS: Also known as the Bomberman Eight Player Hack. I also
note in passing that although it was never commercially
released, this "ROM" demo is still covered by Hudson's
copyright on the Bomberman franchise.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bonanza Brothers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: The Bonanza Brothers have been assigned the task of
gathering evidence needed to stop the corruption in
Badville. To do so, they must avoid all kinds of
platform-style hazards. On the other hand, I am told
that the Japanese version of the plot cast them as small-
time crooks out to make the big score. Hmmm.... Ported
from the arcade original.
IMPRESSIONS: Has a rather distinctive graphics style found in only a
few other games, such as the Puzzle and Action series.
Slow paced, but fairly challenging at times.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bonkers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Disney
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Arcade game based on the syndicated Disney televison
series about a police mascot who has his own unique
talents for solving crimes.
IMPRESSIONS: Graphically not on a par with most Disney titles, and
gameplay is ridiculously easy. Save this one for the
kiddies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Boogerman - A Pick and Flick Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Interplay
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A truly unique arcade game that takes the superhero
concept and then cuts the cheese with it. You are
Boogerman, savior of the world of gross, and you must
battle your many enemies with an assortment of farts,
belches, booger flicks, and so on.
IMPRESSIONS: If Earthworm Jim is the all-time screwball platformer,
then this is a close runner-up. The concept alone will
keep those with a sense of humor giggling for weeks,
which is probably why the various blue-nose groups frown
on this game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Boogie Woogie Bowling
see CHAMPIONSHIP BOWLING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Boxing Legends of the Ring
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electrobrain
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (boxing)
LANGUAGE: English and Spanish
PREMISE: A decent enough boxing sim focusing on legends of the
middleweight class - all but a few of who will be
unfamiliar to most people.
IMPRESSIONS: Good graphics and gameplay, adequate sound. Superior
to Foreman for Real in one or two aspects, but not all.
VARIATIONS: Chavez 2 (Spanish, 1994 copyright, YACEG variant with
Julio Chavez and a different lineup of boxers)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bram Stoker's Dracula
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Destroy the evil Count Dracula and his army of undead
minions in this game inspired by the live-action film
produced by Francis Ford Coppolla and starring Gary
Oldman in the title role.
IMPRESSIONS: It's a good thing that Sony hired the boys from Scotland
to do the game, because quality programming yields
quality results. Fans of the Shadow of the Beast series
will at once recognize their beloved game engine, and
the rest of us will enjoy all the bennies that result
from adapting a proven performer. Possibly the best
Sony platformer written for the Genesis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Breach 2 - The Assault
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treco/Mindcraft
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It's the Federated Worlds vs. the UDP and aliens in this
port of the popular squad-level wargame.
IMPRESSIONS: Programmer David Ashley notes in his resume that he
worked on the Genesis port of this IBM PC shooter, and I
have seen it listed now and again with used cart vendors.
No other information is available.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Breakthru
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Artech/Spectrum Holobyte
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A Tetris variant in which you job is to tear down a
wall of colored bricks instead of preventing one from
being built.
IMPRESSIONS: A heck of a challenge, especially at advanced levels,
and it all works nicely together to make the game an
addictive pasttime. (Gordon Goble)
VARIATIONS: The only version known to exist is the one produced for
exclusive use by the Sega Channel (thanks for the info,
HeadCase 22). The ESRB reviewed a standalone version
designed for use with a regular Genesis console, but
nobody seems to know what happened to it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Brett Hull Hockey 95
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (hockey)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG hockey sim with the uniqueness of an isometric
court - part of the Accolade Sports series.
IMPRESSIONS: It's an Accolade Sports game, so that in itself should
clue in the knowing gamer that it's a knockoff of a
better piece of software - in this case, EA's NHL series.
Passable, but it can't touch its inspiration. The only
reason to mess with it is the pseudo-3D court, which some
folks prefer over the EA NHL's top-down approach.
VARIATIONS: The original game, Brett Hull Hockey, is not available
for this platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Brian Lara Cricket series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Codemasters
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (cricket)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Cricket is the British sporting institution from which
the American game of baseball was derived. That said,
most Americans find cricket about as interesting as
watching the grass grow. A YACEG cricket sim from
overseas featuring one of the best batsmen of the sport.
IMPRESSIONS: Simplistic graphics compared with other games, but
fantastic gameplay. If you're not willing to judge this
game on its own merits, then avoid it like the plague.
Otherwise, it gives fans of the sport hours of fun.
VARIATIONS: Brian Lara Cricket (1994?, original release)
Brian Lara Cricket 96 (1996, improved graphics and game
engine - also re-released in a 1997 YACEG variant in
Australia as Shane Warne Cricket)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Brutal - Paws of Fury
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gametek
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A Street Fighter clone in everything but characters -
in this game, the tournament participants are intelligent
animals with refined martial arts skills.
IMPRESSIONS: Fast-paced and furious, it features smooth character
animation of large hand-drawn characters. Moves are
kinda limited, but the rest of the game makes up for
this minor oversight. Entertaining and even funny at
times, this should prove an enjoyable diversion for
fighter fans.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bubba and Stix
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Core does their own rendition of a Toejam and Earl style
game. Bubba the redneck and his wooden pal Stix are lost
on an alien planet, and have to figure out how to get
back home.
IMPRESSIONS: A weird little platformer featuring lots of eye candy
and lots of annoyingly frustrating puzzles to solve -
too many for my tastes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bubble and Squeek
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A juvenile platformer that is too cute for its own good.
Bubble is a little bald boy, and Squeek is his big blue
pal, er, friend, um, whatever. Together they take on all
sorts of colorful plaform threats and puzzles.
IMPRESSIONS: Features Simpsons-style graphics, a handful of overly
bright tunes, and all the usual stuff to be found in a
Sunsoft Sonic clone. Yet another misfire from the king
of software misfires - so close, and yet so far.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bubble Bobble 2
see RAINBOW ISLANDS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bubsy series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Bubsy is a smart-aleck bobcat (sans pants, of course) who
seems to spend most of his time running around and
dealing with the various platform pratfalls and arcade
antics that compose his strange little life.
IMPRESSIONS: According to Harry Tuttle of the The Dump, Accolade spent
a lot of time and effort developing and promoting what
was to be the ultimate Sonic clone. In short, it was
overly long in development and overly short in gameplay.
The first game has loads of cheap shots, and the whole
point seems to be to see the ultracool death sequences.
The second game is more balanced and even takes a stab at
a pseudo-3D element, but why couldn't Accolade get it
right the first time? Oh, yea - gotta make money. A sad
footnote in the history of Sonic clones.
VARIATIONS: Bubsy - Clawed Encounters of the Furred Kind (1992, the
first and worst of the series in terms of gameplay -
frequently referred to simply as Bubsy the Bobcat)
Bubsy 2 (1993, Bubsy explores the hyperdimensional
mansion from hell - not as easy to get killed now, but
still rather silly)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Buck Rogers - Countdown to Doomsday
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Strategic Simulations/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The alien Gorg fleet is preparing to destroy Earth with
its massive Doomsday Laser, and only Buck Rogers and his
team of specialists can stop it in time. Based on the
classic 1940s newspaper comic strip.
IMPRESSIONS: A futuristic strategy game in the classic sense - one
that players can't possibly hope to comprehend without
reading the thick game manual from cover to cover.
Graphically unimpressive, too. I'm no simulation buff,
but I think players should try more current offerings
before tackling this one. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Budokan - The Martial Spirit
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A street tough escaping from his latest round with the
law is surprised by an elderly Oriental gentleman who
tells him that he fights like a "headless chicken," but
has promise. He then offers the tough the chance of a
lifetime - joining the Tobiko-Ryu Dojo and learing the
true path of the warrior.
IMPRESSIONS: An early entry in the two-player beat-'em-up genre.
Think Jordan Mechner's Karateka with a two-player versus
mode but without the cool story and you begin to get the
idea.
VARIATIONS: This is one of three early Electronic Arts games that
only work with the original version of the G/MD console.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bugs Bunny - Double Trouble
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe/Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: One of the better entries in the many games inspired by
the Looney Toons, this draws upon several of those
classics for its plot. Bugs Bunny has to battle his
own clones, not to mention all the usual mayhem as well.
IMPRESSIONS: Graphics and animation are outstanding, but gameplay can
be frustrating at times.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bulls vs. Blazers
see the NBA PLAYOFFS series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bulls vs. Lakers
see the NBA PLAYOFFS series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Buraiden
see NINJA BURAI DENSETSU
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Burning Force
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are a cute blue-haired girl patrolling the outer
zones on your trusty red airbike. What's this? Bad
guys on the horizon? Oh no - not on my shift!
IMPRESSIONS: A 3D shooter that strives for 2D playability, but falls
somewhat short of the mark. The graphics are appealing,
to say the least. If you enjoyed Space Harrier 2, then
this might be a good follow-up. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Buster Douglas Knock-Out Boxing
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Sports (boxing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring the noted world champion heavyweight
boxer.
IMPRESSIONS: Another one of those mundane arcades with a quickie
graphics patch for the celebrity endorsement. It's
little more than a side-view Punch Out clone.
VARIATIONS: Final Blow (all non-American markets, no celebrity
endorsement)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
C
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cadash
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: "Welcome!" says the king, "Long have I awaited your
arrival. My kingdom of Dirzar was once a peaceful place
until the Balrog came. He has abducted my daughter and
laid waste to the land. Now I must trust in you to bring
her back to me safely and rid us of this terror." With
that, you begin your quest as either warrior or magician
to rid the land of the evil Balrog. A scaled-down port
of the hit arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: A side-scroll fantasy platformer that strives for RPG
variety but utimately fails. The RPG element tends to
slow down the game, as it needlessly complicates the
power-up process. If they had just stuck to the arcade
element, then Taito might have had something here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Caesar's Palace
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Gambling (multievent)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enjoy a full course of various games of chance at the
legendary Ceasar's Palace casino in Las Vegas, Nevada,
United States.
IMPRESSIONS: A very good gambling sim. It actually gives you the
feeling of being in a casino. Lots of fun and
excitement, and best of all, you don't lose any REAL
money! Not much more to say. Chech this out - I'm sure
you'll like it. (Skyline)
VARIATION: There is a Japanese SNES/SFC port that goes by the title
of Super Casino. I am not sure if a Japanese G/MD port
exist, but it would probably be know by that title.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cagey Capers
see SYLVESTER AND TWEETY - CAGEY CAPERS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cal Ripkin Jr. Baseball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mindscape
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG endorsed by Cal Ripkin, one of baseball's all-time
great players.
IMPRESSIONS: Wow! Now here's a great baseball game - one in which
you can actually hit the ball, even if you're a beginner.
(Slam)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Caliber 50
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mentrix
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It's twenty years after the end of the Vietnam War. Your
mission, should you decide to accept it, is to venture
forth once again on the Ho Chi Minh trail and try to
rescue some of the downed American airmen left behind.
IMPRESSIONS: Okay, so it's an Ikari Warriors clone. At least it's a
good one, and in some ways betters its inspiration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: California Games
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Epyx/Novotrade
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Take part in one of several activities related to the
California beach culture in this multievent sports sim
from Epyx, authors of the original Summer Games.
IMPRESSIONS: The definitive version of this hoary old Commodore 64
classic. Has the best graphics and sound of all the
ports, but not as many events. Gameplay is what you
would expect from the series - sometimes easy, sometimes
hard. Still enjoyable after all these years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Campeonato Argentino
see INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR SOCCER DELUXE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cannon Fodder
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Panel Comp/Sensible Software/Virgin Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Okay, men, here's the situation. We're going to go to
war, but we need dolts who are willing to fight. That's
right - you're the lucky volunteers. Now go out there,
train your squad up to snuff, and blow away anything
that isn't us. Got it? Good - so get your ass in gear
and go! Move it! Move-it-move-it-move-it-go-go-go!
IMPRESSIONS: A hilariously funny military shooter that had me in
stitches the first time I played it. An almost faithful
port of the original from the almighty Amiga, except for
the sound. I personally prefer this to General Chaos,
although there are others who would argue the other way
around.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Capt'n Havoc
see HIGH SEAS HAVOC
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Captain America and the Avengers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Red Skull is out to conquer the world once again
(like he ever does anything else), so it's up to Captain
America and the Avengers to stop him and his army of
thugs. Inspired by the DC Comics serials.
IMPRESSIONS: A sad platform beat-'em-up that could be a lot better
than it actually is. Gameplay is decent enough, but the
graphics are rough and the bad sound gets on your nerves
after a while. Fans of the comic books will like it, but
that's about it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Captain Lang
see HIGH SEAS HAVOC
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Captain Planet and the Planeteers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: TBS Productions
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Arcade game based on the politically correct kid's
animated TV series about an ecological superhero who,
with the help of his young friends, fights to save the
Earth from greedy industrialists.
IMPRESSIONS: A mediocre platformer that's actually better than its
stupid and inane source material, but not by much. Don't
waste your time unless you're a collector of lame games.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Captain Tsubasa
see TECMO CUP FOOTBALL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Carmen Sandiego series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Broderbund/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: You are one of the top sleuths of the ACME Detective
Agency who has been called in on an alarming case. The
notorious art thief Carmen Sandiego is on the loose
again, and its your job to stop her.
IMPRESSIONS: A well-written and immensely popular series of games
that first made their appearance on the venerable
Commodore 64 and have been kicking around in one form
or another ever since. Only the first and third in the
the series were ported to the Genesis; it is unclear
why the second (Where in the USA...) was not.
VARIATIONS: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (1992, Carmen
and her game are stealing the world's great art
treasures - originally packaged with the 1992 New
World Almanac)
Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego? (1992, Carmen and her
gang have stolen a time machine and are stealing the
great historical treasures from around the world -
originally packaged with the 1992 New American Desk
Encyclopedia)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Castle of Illusion
see the MICKEY MOUSE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Castlevania - Bloodlines
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The only game in the Castlevania line to be released for
the Genesis, this one follows the exploits of two vampire
hunters as they battle a mysterious countess bent on
reviving Count Dracula.
IMPRESSIONS: Features your choice of two characters, the usual solid
Castlevania gameplay, [outstanding] graphics, and lots
and lots of blood. I don't like it as well as
Castlevania IV [for the SNES], but it's still worth a
try. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Castlevania - The New Generation (European)
Akumajo Dracula - Vampire Killer (Japanese)
It should also be noted that there is a well-documented
bug in the original game code that occurs on level 6-2
and will sometimes cause the game to crash.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Castlevania - The New Generation
see CASTLEVANIA - BLOODLINES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Censor hacker demos (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Censor
RELEASED: 1992?
TYPE: Demo
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A trio of hacker demos by the Swedish hacking group
Censor made back in the early 1990s .
IMPRESSIONS: It's nice to know that the G/MD had it share of good
hacker demos, too. The Movie Trailers demo is amazing
given the hardware involved, and the Smiley Face demo is
downright hysterical. Magical's demo was the only thing
we had for so long that it was beginning to grate on the
eyes....
VARIATIONS: Censor 3D Intro (a well-done collection of C64 demo
snapshots accompanied by various eye candy and the
"Dr. Feelgood" track ripped from Crue Ball)
Censor Intro (almost identical to their trademark SNES
demos, wavy brown-lettered logo and all.)
Censor Movie Trailers demo (a fast-moving full-motion
collage of clips from various sci-fi movies (I see
2010, among others)
Censor Smiley Face demo (better see this for yourself -
makes nice use of a ripped X-Men track, too)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Centurion - Defender of Rome
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bits o' Magic/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A historical wargame sim in which you get to take part in
the rise of the Roman Empire.
IMPRESSIONS: Rather old and kinda hard to navigate without a manual.
Historically accurate, but hardcore fantasy RPGers will
get bored fast.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chakan - The Forever Man
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The tale of a demon hunter who was so skilled that he
defeated the Angel of Death in armed combat, and is now
cursed with eternal life until all evil is wiped off the
face of the Earth.
IMPRESSIONS: Although a hit item when it was first released, Chakan's
gameplay and graphics aren't even worthy of mention now.
(Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Challenge series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (multievent)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Accolade's 16-bit attempt at duplicating the success of
Epyx's hit 8-bit Games series, which allow you to compete
in various Olympic sporting events.
IMPRESSIONS: Mildly entertaining at best, with grainy game graphics
and unimpressive sound mixing.
VARIATIONS: Winter Challenge (1992, highlights selected events from
the quadrennial Winter Olympic Games)
Summer Challenge (1993, focuses on events held during the
quadrennial Summer Olympic Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chameleon Kid
see KID CHAMELEON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Champions World Class Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Flying Edge/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Your typical World Cup soccer sim that appears to have
been hastily ported from the SNES - or perhaps it was the
other way around?
IMPRESSIONS: A decent but ultimately unimpressive soccer sim from the
programming house that took the word "mundane" as their
motto. You want a real soccer sim? Go get any of the
FIFA games, and watch them stop this poor clone into the
ground.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Championship Bowling
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mentrix
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (bowling)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A bowling sim - what else is there to say?
IMPRESSIONS: This is the only bowling sim I've seen for the Genesis to
date, which makes it kinda hard to judge. Still, the
graphics are hideous and the music is way too loud and
peppy. Even so, gameplay is decent enough and you have a
nice set of options from which to choose. I just wish
there was an alternative available.
VARIATIONS: Boogie Woogie Bowling (original Japanese release -
features typical chan-style characters, which Mentrix
replaced when they ported the game to English markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Championship Pool
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bitmasters/Mindscape
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (pool)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG pool sim, with the endorsement coming from the
Billards Masters of America.
IMPRESSIONS: Loads of options allow you to play just about any kind
of pool game you want, from homebrew freestyle all the
way to official tournament play and everything inbetween.
No fancy graphics, but great gameplay. It doesn't have
Side Pocket's pizzaz, but it's the better-playing game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Championship Pro-Am
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rare/Tradewest
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Racing (RC)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hey, here's an original idea - let's simulate remote-
control car racing on a computer! Neat, huh?
IMPRESSIONS: Doesn't offer much in the way of graphic variety, but
the animation on the cars is unbelievable and the
controls are great - it works just like a real radio-
controlled car. The addition of weapons spices up the
races a bit. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Also released under the title RC Pro-Am for the Sega
Master System and other consoles.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Chaos Engine series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bitmap Brothers/Renegade
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: One or two player can choose from an assortment of
mercenaries to do battle with a wide variety of mutants
in an apocalyptic setting. Collect money along the way
to buy new and improved gear.
IMPRESSIONS: The original did for sci-fi shooters what Gauntlet did
for fantasy action games. The second is a letdown on all
fronts save for the two-player split-screen mode, which
allows better freedom of movement.
VARIATIONS: The Chaos Engine (1993, states the original premise and
lets you choose from six mercenaries)
The Chaos Engine 2 (1994, only four mercenaries left to
choose from, and more reminescent of a dungeon crawler
than a shooter - this was never released, although
copies of a partially working beta do exist)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Charles Barkley Basketball series
see the BARKLEY - SHUT UP AND JAM series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chase HQ 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action/racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: You're a tough-nosed cop who chases various criminals
in your vehicle - an armed police pursuit special.
Ported from the classic arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Not as good as the arcade original, but still lots of
fun.
VARIATIONS: Super Chase HQ (foreign markets and SNES version - only
major difference is that the speedometer reads in k/ph
instead of m/ph)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chavez 2
see BOXING LEGENDS OF THE RING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cheese Cat-astrophe
see SPEEDY GONZALES - CHEESE CAT-ASTROPHE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chelnov
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Chelnov is a young scientist turned superhero thanks to
his power armor, which he must use in an all-out struggle
with an invading alien army that has managed to take him
captive. First he must bust out of jail, and then it's
time to lock and load. Go figure.
IMPRESSIONS: Decent enough port of a less-than-satisfactory arcade
game. The characters are way too small, and the crappy
gameplay is preserved perfectly. The sound is even worse
than the pathetic mix used in the original. Consider a
version for another platform before this one.
VARIATIONS: Atomic Runner (American and European versions)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chester Cheetah series (2 titles)
Due to some unique information regarding the first title,
I have elected to list each game separately.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chester Cheetah - Too Cool to Fool
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kaneko
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Chester Cheetah is the popular animated mascot for the
Frito-Lay snack food Cheetos. In his first videogame
outing, Chester must go through all sorts of trials while
trying to recover his stolen scooter bike.
IMPRESSIONS: A mundane platformer that seems to be populated with all
sorts of characters and graphics that must have escaped
from a rejected Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon. Yawn -
another Mario wannabe. At least the graphics are kinda
cool, and the music is better than what's offered in the
sequel.
VARIATIONS: The Genesis version includes a hilarious intro cinema
that was removed from the SNES version and replaced
with something more mundane. This cinema is probably
the best part of the whole game, in my opinion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chester Cheetah 2 - Wild Wild Quest
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kaneko
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Frito-Lay mascot is back, and this time you get to
go along for the ride as he tours the United States.
IMPRESSIONS: Chester does Super Mario World. Sigh. Both graphics
and gameplay have improved noticeably, but the sound
mix is worse than before. No thanks, I'll pass - I
don't care for Cheetos, anyway.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chibi Maruko-chan - Waku Waku Shopping
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco/Takara
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Based on the 1991 manga/anime about a typical Japanese
elementary-grade schoolgirl named Sakura, her friends,
the adults with whom she interacts, and her life in
general. The series titles comes from Sakura's nickname,
Chibi Maruko, which means "little round-faced child."
A board game reminescent of Life in which you can play as
Sakura or one of her schoolkid friends, as you go around
town doing the shopping thing.
IMPRESSIONS: I wouldn't mind if this game were never translated.
(Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: The name roughly translates as "Our little round-faced
friend Maruko goes on an exciting shopping trip!"
Oohh-kay....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Coconuts/Virgin
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring golfing legend Chi Chi Rodriguez.
IMPRESSIONS: Fairly decent golfing sim that apparently uses an
overhauled version of the Battle Golfer Yui game engine.
Even so, I prefer Leaderboard - thanks, anyway.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Choplifter 3 - Rescue and Survive
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Broderbund/Beam Software/Extreme
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An update of the old arcade fave in which you cruise
your chopper into enemy territory, seeking to rescue
your comrades while avoiding enemy fire from all sorts
of vehicles and emplacements
IMPRESSIONS: It's nice to see an old fave get more than a just a
cosmetic facelift. Every aspect of this game has been
improved, including the already difficult gameplay.
Well worth the trouble for both old fans and newcomers
alike.
VARIATIONS: I checked with Atari, and they confirmed that a Genesis
port WAS made, although I have yet to see it. Perhaps
it was never released? Anyway, it's supposed to be
fairly close to the SNES version.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chiki Chiki Boys
see MEGA TWINS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chuck Rock series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core/Virgin
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Unga-bunga! It's a jungle out there, and our good friend
Chuck Rock has more than his share of daily troubles. A
prehistoric platformer from the vaults of the people who
went on to create Tomb Raider (Laura Croft - rrowrrr!),
and yet another title ported from the software library of
the almighty Amiga computer.
IMPRESSIONS: An excellent game already, this is as good as any port
I've seen for any other platform. Graphics, sound, and
gameplay are all great (whoever heard of using your gut
as a weapon?!) and an enjoyable experience overall. A
welcome change of pace for bleary-eyed Sonic fanatics.
VARIATIONS: Chuck Rock (1992)
Chuck Rock High Society trainer hack (unlimited lives
and energy, stage select option)
Chuck Rock 2 - Son of Chuck (1993, Chuck's bad-ass son
gets into the act - even funnier than the original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Classic Collection 4-in-1
see the MEGA GAMES series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Clay Fighter
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Visual Concepts/Interplay
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Who among the circus freaks is going to be "king of the
ring? A Street Fighter clone that eschews traditional
hand-drawn characters in favor of digitzed claymation
figures.
IMPRESSIONS: Doesn't offer many features compared to current releases,
but gameplay is passable. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cliffhanger
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A bunch of hijackers have lost their goods in the
mountains, so they shanghai a couple of professional
mountain climbers into helping them retrive the stuff.
Based on the live-action movie starring Sylvester
Stallone and John Lithgow
IMPRESSIONS: Average platformer following the plot of the movie.
Yawn. Typical Stallone fare, which makes for one
cheesy game. Terrible, just terrible. You'd be better
off getting your colon flushed then playing this game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Clock Tower
see JANTEI MONOGATARI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Clue
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Scultured Software/Parker Brothers
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Everybody needs a Boddy sometime (sorry, couldn't resist
that, folks). The only problem is that Mr. Boddy is
quite dead, and his body has been dumped in the hallway
of his home. As one of his overnight guests, it's up to
you and the others to determine who did it, where, and
with what. Based on the classic board game by Waddington
and distributed by Parker Brothers.
IMPRESSIONS: I never though I'd say this about a Genesis board game
translation, but this is a piece of crap. You would
think they would have taken advantage of the Genesis
hardware, instead of making it look and sound just like
every other platform's version of Clue. Dull and boring.
I get more of a kick playing the original board game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Coach K College Basketball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG focusing on the 1996 NCAA Final Four college
basketball tournament featuring an endorsement by
legendary coach Mike Krzyzeweski of Duke. Includes all
of the tournament teams, full tournament play, and a wide
range of user options that let you custom the game to
suit your playing needs.
IMPRESSIONS: The best damn college basketball game of its day for a
16-bit plaform - period. If you don't believe me, go
play the game! (Mark Pettus)
VARIATIONS: Uses the NBA Live game engine (see separate entry).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cold Shadow
see the DONALD DUCK series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: College Football series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: High Score Productions/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of solid and challenging YACEG football sims
utilizing the proven Madden game engine. Spotlights the
top NCAA football picks for a given year. The first two
games were endorsed by coaching legend Bill Walsh - he
eventually moved on to the NFL, so the endorsement was
dropped.
IMPRESSIONS: Every bit as fun as the Madden NFL series but set for
the college scene. It really doesn't matter which one
you have - aside from the graphics, the team rosters,
and some minor tweaking of the AI, they're all pretty
much the same game.
VARIATIONS: Bill Walsh College Football (1994)
Bill Walsh College Football 95 (1995)
College Football 96 (1996)
College Football 97 - The Road to New Orleans (1997)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: College Football's National Championship (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Sports
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enjoy some good ol'-fashioned college football as you
relive past seasons with the top 32 NCAA teams for a
given year.
IMPRESSIONS: This stands out from the pack because when you first slip
into it, you'll think you're going blind...Sega's been
toying with the zoom feature for years, but never has it
worked so seamlessly.... I also like the locker room
scene...and having to wait until the last minute to know
which side you'll be playing on. (Electric Playground)
VARIOUS: Uses the same game engine as comparable entries in the
Sega NFL Football series; see separate entry for more
info.
College Football's National Championship (1994, covers
the top 32 NCAA teams of 1993)
College Football's National Championship 2 (1995, covers
the top 32 NCAA teams of 1994)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: College Games
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Multievent
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A multievent college sports sim, apparently.
IMPRESSIONS: All I can tell you is that, according to TCI of Michigan,
it was listed as being a Sega Channel exclusive for 1996.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: College Slam
see the NBA JAM series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Columns series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Vic Tokai/Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: This has long been regarded as the nemesis of Tetris.
Arrange the falling jewels to form a horizontal,
vertical, or diagonal group of three of the same color.
(Rage Games)
IMPRESSIONS: This has a more serious atmosphere than most puzzle
games, and the graphics are beginning to show their age.
Great gameplay, though. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Columns (1990)
Columns 2 does not exist for the Sega Genesis
Columns 3 - Revenge of Columns (1994, aka Super Columns -
minor improvements throughout and a brief stab at plot
ala Puyo Puyo)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Combat Aces (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Teleplay Interactive
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Two-player isometric arcade shooter in which the players
duke it out using WWI biplanes. Intended for use by two
players utilizing a modem.
IMPRESSIONS: It's fortunate that this game never hit the market,
because it's a poor shooter at best. No sound, either.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Comix Zone
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: You play a highly-respected comic book artist who, by a
strange twist of fate, gets sucked into his own creation.
Now he must play the hero against the very villians that
he designed himself!
IMPRESSIONS: Pretty much passed over when it was released, this is a
better game than one might think. Features a novel
concept, a well-designed story, and decent gameplay.
Great sound and graphics as well, all adding up to quite
an enjoyable experience. Also, KGen author Steve Snake
considers it to be one of the best games ever written
for the Genesis platform - now there's an endorsement for
ya! What are you waiting for? Go get it - now!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Commando 2
see MERCS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Congo - Lost City of Zinji
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Viacom New Media
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Action game inspired by the lame movie, itself inspired
by the Michael Crichton novel. One of the last Genesis
games commercially released before Sega stopped in-house
production, and considered by many to be the penultimate
release for the platform.
IMPRESSIONS: Supposedly nowhere as impressive as the SNES or Saturn
versions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Contra - Hard Corps
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A highly skilled and trigger-happy squad of mercenaries
is Earth's last hope against an massive alien invasion.
IMPRESSIONS: Equals the SNES Contra 3 in graphics, exceeds it in play
options and length. You get four characters from which
to choose, each with their own set of weapons.
Fantastic gameplay and insane difficulty, as always.
(Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Mega Probotector (most non-American releases)
Also sometimes referred to as Contra 4 because it is the
fourth release in the Contra series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cool Spot
see the SPOT series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Corporation
see CYBER-COP
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cosmic Spacehead
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Codemasters
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: A Maniac Mansion style adventure with a juvenile bent
featuring a pint-sized superhero
IMPRESSIONS: I wish I could recall what Derek "Seconal" Hull had to
say in his review back in the days of The Dump - Genesis,
because he put it better than I ever could. Lacking
that, I'll quote my six-year old nephew in saying, "This
is a stupid game." 'Nuff said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cotton Panorama
see PANORAMA COTTON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Crack Down
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sage's Creation
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An evil warlord and his pet supercomputer are hell-bent
on taking over the world, so the U.S. President sends in
two Secret Service agents to take him out. Ported from
the arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: This is no Contra, folks, as it requires a fair amount
of strategy and planning to beat each level. Don't get
me wrong - there's still a lot of shooting and stuff -
but those with itchy trigger fingers will have to look
elsewhere for their jollies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Crash Test Dummies
see THE INCREDIBLE CRASH TEST DUMMIES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Crayon Shin-chan
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ma-Ba
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: First shown on Japanese television in 1992, this weird
series details the misadventures of a very rude and
obnoxious boy named Shinoske Nohara whose escapades make
Beavis and Butt-head seem rather mild in comparison. He
is quite popular in Asia for the same reason that those
two dunces are popular here - he gets to pull all the
stunts that good little boys and girls can't.
IMPRESSIONS: Based on the only anime series I know of with an
exhibitionist hero.... Your main attack is to jump on
enemies' heads, which is rather difficult to do in a
pseudo-3D game...not worthwhile gameplaywise. (Rage
Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Croc World
see WANI WANI WORLD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: CrossFire
see SUPER AIRWOLF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Crude Busters
see 2 CRUDE DUDES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Crue Ball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NuFX/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Pinball
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Pure pinball paradise, heavy metal style! Rock out to
the music of Motley Crue as you look for the secret
"backstage" levels that turn your Genesis into the
ultimate metal machine! (Electronic Arts)
IMPRESSIONS: A pretty decent pinball sim with blatant promos for the
then-new Motley Crue album Dr. Feelgood grafted on top.
The European version doesn't have the good Doktor, but
retains the horrid digital renditions of the album
tracks. No, on second thought, they sound better than
the album did....
VARIATIONS: Twisted Flipper (European market, cuts most of the
Motley Crue references)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Crusader of Centy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nextech/Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese versions
known to exist
PREMISE: All has been peaceful and serene for as long as anybody
can remember - that is, until the monsters came.
Creatures from the time before the light have once again
appeared in the land, destroying at will and increasing
their number. You, a young boy just entering into
manhood, are destined to follow in your father's
footsteps and defend all that is good from the evil
that is threatening all that you hold dear.
IMPRESSIONS: The similarites between this game and Zelda 3 [for the
SNES] in terms of graphics and gameplay cannot be mere
coincidence. The quality is also a close copy, so this
is worth the look if you liked Zelda. Now, if only your
animal helpers didn't look so cheesy as they follow you
around - they're always one step behind you, which means
they sometimes hover over pits and pass through walls.
(Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Ragnacenty (Japanese original)
Soleil (most European markets - the British release makes
for some interesting translation differences with the
American release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Crying
see BIOHAZARD BATTLE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Crystal Pony's Tale
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: All of your pony friends have mysteriously disappeared,
and it's up to you to save them. Apparently inspired in
part by the My Little Pony animated TV series from around
the same time.
IMPRESSIONS: The title should tell you right away that this is a
kid's game. Has some rather impressive graphics and
sound, although whoever designed the pictogram-style
puzzles should be locked away inside a padded cell.
Otherwise, it's your typical platformer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Curse
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Micronet
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Yet another R-Type clone. Yawn....
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics are nice but suffer from jerk-and-flitter
syndrome, sound is better than most, but the rest is
only maudlin' at best. There are better R-Type clones
out there, folks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cutey Suzuki's Ringside Angel
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Asmik
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Sports (wrestling)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Here's a new one for you - a YACEG sports sim featuring
...women's professional wrestling?! Yep, that's right!
Wrestling has as big a following in Japan as it does
here in the United States, it seems, and this is the
only game of its kind for the Genesis platform.
IMPRESSIONS: It's no better or worse that other games in this genre,
although it pales in comparison to some of the better
SNES titles (Beauty Girl Wrestling comes immediately to
mind). Still, there's decent enough artwork here to keep
those lusty otaku drooling for weeks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cutthroat Island
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Software Creations/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enjoy swashbuckling action on the Spanish Main in this
homage to old pirate films. Take your pick of one of
the two protagonists from the recent live-action movie
of the same name starring Geena Davis.
IMPRESSIONS: A typically mundane game which was part of the extensive
merchandising behind one el-stinko bomb of a Hollywood
film. Oh well, at least you get your choice of male or
female characters to play, and the action is somewhat
reminescent of Golden Axe. Now if only those BGM tunes
weren't so hideous....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cyberball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tengen
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A 21st-century take on the rough-and-tumble sport of
American football - or at least that's what the game
claims. Hey, I don't come up with this stuff, I just
report it.
IMPRESSIONS: Has some unique twists to liven up the game, such as an
exploding football, but it wears thin fast and soon you
find yourself rooting around in the cart pile for one of
the Madden NFL games. Maybe it's the crappy graphics,
or the simplistic gameplay, or something else - I just
plain don't care for it.
VARIATIONS: The Japanese version includes support for Mega Modem
gameplay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cyber-Cop
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core/Virgin
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Wander through rendered polygonal corridors shooting or
grabbing the occasional sprite object, or blowing away
the occasional animated enemy sprite, while all the time
trying to avoid a green genetic nightmare called "the
Ripper" that has somehow escaped from its cage.
IMPRESSIONS: A first-person shooter in the same mode as Wolf3D, but
lacking its polish and charm. Some nice touches here
and there, as one might expect from Core, but this is
one marriage of polygons and sprites that just doesn't
work. Good, but not as good as Zero Tolerance.
VARIATIONS: Corporation (all non-Japanese releases)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cyborg Justice
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Your spaceship has crash-landed on an alien world that
is populated entirely by cyborgs. Near death, they save
you by implating your still-functioning brain into a
cyborg body. Their intent is to reprogram you to become
one of their laborers, but your unconscious mind
successfully resists their best efforts, and you awake
to find yourself in a hostile environment. You must
use all the cunning and skill at your disposal, along
with the capabilities of your new cyborg body, to fight
off your many foes and escape before you are cornered
and exterminated.
IMPRESSIONS: This game lets you build a robot from parts with
different attributes, like jumping ability and attack
power, then use it in a highly repetitive and
graphically unimpressive brawling game. Bearable, but
not great. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Robot Wreckage (beta release, missing title and between-
level sequences; also, the graphics are considerably
rougher than the finished product)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
D
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Daffy Duck in Hollywood
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Professor Duckbrain (?!) has stolen all of Yosemite
Sam's movie awards, so our hero gets the job of getting
them back and nabbing the bad guys with his trusty
bubble gun (?!), while avoiding dynamite-laden booby
traps hidden all over Hollywood.
IMPRESSIONS: Outstanding sound and graphics, but only average
gameplay and story. Still, it's one of the best of the
Looney Toons games for the Genesis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dahna Megami Tanja
AUTHOR/VENDOR: IGS
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: You play the role of a beautiful young warrior babe in
this bloody arcade beat-'em-up whose plot is the typical
"I must avenge/attack/defend (fill in the blank here)"
storyline.
IMPRESSIONS: A side-scrolling beat-'em up in the same vein as Golden
Axe, but with far fewer moves and smaller graphics. Has
a violence content worthy of Hokouto no Ken, and has
some of the most original level design to be found in a
platform fighter of the day. Its power-up animation
sequence is by far superior to most other Golden Axe
clones, and it has some rather unique gameplay elements
of its own. Easy to learn, difficult to master, well
worth the effort.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dai 1607
see TAIKOU RISHINDEN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Daikoukai Jidai
see UNCHARTED WATERS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Daikoukai Jidai 2
see UNCHARTED WATERS - NEW HORIZONS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dai Makai Mura
see GHOULS 'N' GHOSTS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dai Sen Pu Hurricane
see TWIN HAWK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Daisenryaku series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Systemsoft
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: How would you like to fight a war, with all the resources
of a modern military force at your disposal? That is the
basic premise behind this popular series of Japanese
strategy sims - so popular that at least one port was
made for every major gaming console and home computer
system in Japan at the time. I've also been informed
that its descendants continue to be produced for the
newer systems.
IMPRESSIONS: If you are a strategy buff, then you will go ape over
what are the most sophisticated wargaming titles to be
found for the platform. If you are an arcade gamer, look
elsewhere - you will get bored fast.
VARIATIONS: Advanced Daisenryaku (1988, aka Advanced Military
Commander - a true historical wargaming sim, as you get
to take on the role of Adolf Hitler [!] as he conquers
Europe during the initial stages of World War II - an
English translation was released for the Sega Saturn
under the name Iron Storm, and my thanks to Dean Siren
for that tidbit of data)
Super Daisenryaku (1989, aka Airfield Battle, Taisengata
Daisenryaku, Super Dai, Sato Raiden Sengo - ditches
the historical perspective in favor of a pure hex-map
battle sim)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dangerous Seed
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A mundane-looking yet fast-paced overhead shooter in the
same vein as the venerable Moon Cresta, but with far
superior gameplay.
IMPRESSIONS: Decent enough for a shooter. Mildly interesting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Darius 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: Sequel to one of the most popular side-scroll shooters
to hit the arcades. The Darius team investigates an
SOS from a mysterious solar system and wind up battling
an old enemy. Ported from the arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: This is one of the best R-Type clones ever made, and the
only version available for the Genesis. The graphics are
a bit grainy and dated, but gameplay is frantic even when
two are sharing the fun. A simple yet addictive game,
and a must for shooter fans.
VARIATIONS: Sagaia (English release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dark Castle
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Three-Sixty Pacific/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It was a dark and story night. On top of the hill, the
ominous Dark Castle sat, awaiting its next challenger.
You, the intrepid young adventurer, took a deep breath
and then walked inside.... Ported from the Commodore 64
original.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics are so 8-bit bad as to be pathetic, the
classical score is rendered rather lamely given the
Genesis hardware, gameplay is obstinately awkward, and
the story speaks for itself. The occasional touch of
black humor is not enough to save it. Bury this in the
cold, hard ground - and leave it there.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dark Waters
see THE PIRATES OF DARK WATER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Darwin 4081
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Top-down graphically intense futuristic Japanese shooter
ported from an arcade original.
IMPRESSIONS: This kinda reminds me of Sidewinder, an old fave from my
Amiga days. It's your basic mindless shoot-'em-up, with
just enough looks to be interesting and just enough
gameplay to keep it from being too easy.
VARIATIONS: I'm told that the name of the arcade original was Darwin
4087. That seems to ring a bell with somebody else's
product....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dashin' Desperadoes
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: Side-scrolling run-and-jump supposedly depicting the
misadventures of two little boys who like to run around
in cowboy outfits and tangle with the usual platform
problems and obstacles.
IMPRESSIONS: A pretty decent Sonic and Knuckles clone, split screen
and all. Can't touch it's inspiration in terms of
gameplay, but everything else is there. Too cute for
its own good, but handy to keep around just to remind
you how good Sonic and Knuckles is.
VARIATIONS: Rumble Kids (Japanese version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: David Crane's Amazing Tennis
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Absolute
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (tennis)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: European YACEG (?) featuring tennis great David Crane.
IMPRESSIONS: Yeeeeeecccccchhhhhh! I thought I'd never see a tennis
sim worse than Jennifer Capriati's and here Absolute has
to go and make a liar out of me. Avoid at all costs!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: David Robinson's Supreme Court
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ACME Entertainment
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: YACEG endorsed by "The Admiral" himself - a fella who I
remember well from back during my plebe year at the U.S.
Naval Academy.
IMPRESSIONS: With all due respect to Mr. Robinson, this is definitely
not the best basketball sim available for the Genesis.
Oh, it's decent enough in the popular arcade style of
play that some prefer, but it's no Coach K and seems
rather weak in comparison. That's a shame - Dave is a
great guy, and he deserves better than this. At least
the NBA Action series came along to redeem the value of
his endorsement.
VARIATIONS: David Robinson Basketball (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Davis Cup series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Loricel/Tengen
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (tennis)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Two well-designed tennis sims from the Old World built
around competition for the Davis Cup, one of the sport's
top honors.
IMPRESSIONS: Now this is more like it! The graphics are a bit silly
and the gameplay leans on the arcade side, but it plays
smooth and has all the options most people would ever
want. Easy to manage, too. It's not the best tennis sim
out there, but it'll do for most folks.
VARIATIONS: Davis Cup World Tour Tennis (1993, aka Davis Cup Tennis)
Davis Cup World Tour Tennis 2 (1994, aka Davis Cup 94 -
never released, but a playable beta is available)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Daze Before Christmas
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Funcom/Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The creators of Aero the Acrobat bring you this happy
holiday platformer, in which Santa must recover all of
his stolen toys from the Evil Louse and his henchmen.
No, I'm not making this up - that's the plot!
IMPRESSIONS: A typical Sunsoft platformer - they could have
substituted Aero the Acrobat and all his buddies and you
wouldn't be able to tell the difference from an Aero
game. Oh, yeah, it has that inevitable Sunsoft touch of
irritatingly rendered digital music. Go play Sonic,
damnit!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Deadly Moves
see POWER ATHLETE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Death Duel
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Razor Soft
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Drive around a big bad mecha and use the weapons at your
disposal to blow up various bad guys hiding behind all
sorts of obstacles.
IMPRESSIONS: Yawn. I suppose this game must have been made with the
Menacer light gun in mind, because gameplay sucks using
a gamepad - and it's not all that great a game, either.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Decap Attack
see MAGICAL HAT ADVENTURE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Demolition Man
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are a recently thawed-out 20th century cop who had
a reputation for being just a little trigger happy. In
a future that knows no crime, you have been revived to
deal with a violent criminal from your own time who was
revived by mistake and is running rampant. Based on the
live-action movie of the same name starring Sly Stallone
and Wesley Snipes.
IMPRESSIONS: Decent arcade take on the better-than-expected film.
Smacks strongly of The Chaos Engine or Alien Syndrome
and just as fun, although a two-player option would have
been nice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Deion Sanders Prime Time Football
see NFL PRIME TIME
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Desert Demolition
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Blue Sky Software
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In the lone Road Runner entry for the Genesis, you get to
play Wyle E. Coyote (canis ravenous) or the Road Runner
(speedicus birdicus) as they engage each other in their
eternal battle of wits.
IMPRESSIONS: It's just standard platform fare, to be sure, but the
graphics and character animation are incredibly accurate
and have to be seen to be believed. Now, if I can just
find ACME's phone number and see if they still have any
jet-powered tennis shoes in stock....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Desert Strike - Return to the Gulf
see the STRIKE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Desert Strike 2
see the STRIKE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Desert Strike 3
see the STRIKE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Devil's Course 3D
AUTHOR/VENDOR: T&E Soft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (golfing)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Play the 18 most challenging holes of golf in the world
with this golfing sim from across the Pacific.
IMPRESSIONS: This is one sweet polygonal golfing sim. It's on the
same level as Pebble Beach Golf Links and PGA Tour 96.
My two resident golfers loved it. I personally still
prefer Leaderboard, but I'll begrudge this a place among
the all-time best G/MD golfing games.
VARIATIONS: An English-language version was released for the SNES
under the title Wicked 18.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Devil Crash MD
see the DRAGON PINBALL series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Devil Hunter Yohko - The Seven Bells
see MAMONA HUNTER YOHKO - MAKAI KARA NO TENKOSEI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Devilish - The Next Possession
see BAD OMEN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Devilish Mahjongg Tower
AUTHOR/VENDOR: C&E Soft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A mahjongg game with neat cyberpunk-style graphics.
(Eidolon)
IMPRESSIONS: I'm not a fan of tile games, but man - does it look ever
so cool.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dial Q O Mawase
see STRIP Q MAHJONGG CLUB
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dick Tracy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You play Chester Gould's famous comic-strip detective
as he fights the evil crimelord Big Boy Caprice and his
mob of goons. Inspired by the live-action film starring
Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna.
IMPRESSIONS: Lame action and long, boring gameplay. Avoid. (Rage
Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dick Vitale's "Awesome Baby" College Hoops
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG basketball sim endorsed by one of the more
colorful announcers on the NCAA basketball scene - Dick
Vitale, the man who made the phrase "awesome, baby" his
trademark.
IMPRESSIONS: A fast-pased, first-person, true 3D hoops sim in the
One-on-One style - a real eye-catcher considering the
limits of the stock Genesis hardware, although animation
does tend to get jerky at times. There's plenty enough
stuff here to keep even the most jaded sports sim fan
happy, and thank God that Dick's voiceovers can be
turned off (I personally find him rather obnoxious).
Definitely work the look, especially if you've played
Coack K so much that you're on your third replacement
gamepad.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dino Dini's Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The European concept of what an arcade soccer sim should
be like. Adapted by the noted programmer from his own
arcade game, but with many enhancements for the home
console version.
IMPRESSIONS: A concerted effort by the Brits to do EA Sports one
better on a soccer sim. They came pretty damn close,
too, except that their on-field graphics stink.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dino Land
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Pinball
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Pinball sim with a chan-style dinosaur theme.
IMPRESSIONS: It's okay, I guess. I'm not the pinball fan I used to
be, and superdeformed dinosaurs smack way too much of
Bubble Bobble or Wagyan Land, but it seems to be a
decent enough game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dino Racer (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: ?
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: A Dinosaur's Story
see WE'RE BACK - A DINOSAUR'S STORY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dinosaurs for Hire
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tom Mason/Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Arcade shooter featuring gun-toting dinosaurs.
IMPRESSIONS: A really funny action game. (Slam)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Divine Sealing
AUTHOR/VENDOR: C.Y.X.
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Adult/shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A mysterious call from a beautiful humanoid female is
the start of a long and vicious battle in which you must
save her people from an attacking alien horde.
IMPRESSIONS: This is a strip-tease arcade shooter, in which you are
rewarded with several soft-porn pics for successfully
completing each level. The artwork on the pics is
decent enough if you like that sort of thing; the actual
game itself stinks to high heaven.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: DJ Boy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kaneko
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Help, DJ Boy! A local tough has kidnapped your girl,
and he's getting away! Can you fight your way through
his goons, catch up with him, and save the day?
IMPRESSIONS: A juvenile Double Dragon seemingly intended for the
younger set. Not bad, but the sound design reminds me
of somebody merrily banging away on a piece of sheet
metal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dokuritsu Sensou
see LIBERTY OR DEATH
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dodge Ball - Kuy Kid
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (playground)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A pseudo-sport often seen on elementary school
playgrounds, where the object is to hit the other
players with the ball, thus taking them out of the game.
(Rage Games)
IMPRESSIONS: A nice blend of action and strategy. Cute graphics, and
may appeal even to non-sports fans. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Also known by its untranslated Japanese title, Dotsushi
Danpei. The full translation of the original Japanese
title is "the flaming dodgeball kid," and it is often
called Fire Dodge Ball as a result.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dominus
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ASCIIWare
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A medieval strategy game along the same lines as M.U.L.E.
but with better graphics.
IMPRESSIONS: Think of it as the light and low-fat version of
Powermonger. It's okay, and can get quite involved, but
honestly it's not my cup of tea.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Donald Duck series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Disney interactive
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A series of run-and-jumps staring the high-tempered
Donald Duck from the stable of Disney cartoon stars.
IMPRESSIONS: Yet more Disney platformers - good graphics and sound,
but maudlin' gameplay.
VARIATIONS: Quack Shot (1991, aka Quack Shot - The Great Duck
Treasure - Donald helps his nephews search for a
legendary treasure; apparently inspired by the Duck
Tales animated series - can play in either language
by toggling the console version setting)
Maui Mallard (1995, aka Cold Shadow - Donald is on
vacation in Hawaii and gets drafted to recover a local
tiki named Shabum Shabum from a haunted mansion -
better in all respects than its predecessor - only
"dedicated" language versions seem to exist)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Donkey Kong Country
see SUPER KING KONG 99
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Doom Troopers - The Mutant Chronicles
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Adrenalin/Target/Playmates
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: For the first time, humanity is doomed to be snuffed out
by the forces of the Dark Legion. Algernoth and his
forces emerge from their portals and establish citadels
across the solar system. The megacorporations, desperate
to retain power, have unleashed the Doom Troopers to
cleanse the solar system of the Dark Legion. Their
mission is to [eventually] force Algenoth back through
his portal, trapping him in the Dark Symmetry. (premise
as stated in game)
IMPRESSIONS: This is the kind of game that sets the Christian
Coalition back on their haunches and starts them
screaming about mock violence and the need for better
ratings systems. It is a dark, gloomy, and violent
platform shooter - exploding heads, vomiting monsters,
disembowled cyborgs, and so on. It really didn't need
all that, because otherwise it's an excellent shooter
in the same vein as Contra 4 or Gunstar Heroes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Doraemon vs. the Dream Thief and the Seven Gozansu
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Fujiko/Shogakukan/TV Asahi
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Yet another platform adaptation of a popular Japanese
children's cartoon, this one revolves around the
misadventures of a cute blue cat who must rescue his
owner and companions from the clutches of an evil space
alien. A huge success in Japan, the series spawned a
number of computer games, but this is the only one known
to exist for the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: The show is juvenile and so is the game, but that's not
necessarily a bad thing. In fact, this is probably the
ultimate Super Mario clone for the Genesis! The game
design and gameplay are so similar that you'll soon
begin to wonder if the same programming house designed
both games. Bravo! A job well done.
VARIATIONS: The title given above is a rough translation from the
Japanese - Doraemon Yume Dorabouto 7 Nin no Gozansu.
Most folks simply refer to it as just Doraemon. The
Mega CD game is supposedly identical; see separate entry
for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dotsushi Danpei
see DODGE BALL - KUY KID
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Double Clutch
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ASCIIWare
RELEASED: 1992?
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Top-down off-road racing game. Player gets to choose
from three different drivers, each with their own
vehicles.
IMPRESSIONS: One of the lesser known racing games. Plays like Micro
Machines, but you get off-road action instead. My
favorite thing to do in racing games is to power slide
around the corners, and this will let you do just that.
(Skyline)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Double Dragon series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tecnos Japan/Accolade
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The platform brawler that started it all, this legendary
series focuses on the lives of the Lee twins - two
skilled street fighters who use their martial arts talent
to further the cause of justice.
IMPRESSIONS: A well-known series that was good in its day, but for
some reason just couldn't find a way to adapt well to
new plots and formats. By the time that the final
installment rolled around, it bore little resemblance to
its intense and at times daring ancestors. Get the first
two for the memories (or the history); you can skip the
rest if you so wish.
VARIATIONS: Double Dragon (1989, rereleased in 1992 by Acclaim -
first in the series, in which the Lee twins' favorite
girl is kidnapped by a street gang - this was the first
brawler with this premise, and it spawned oh-too-many
imitators - dare I mention Art of Fighting, Final Fury,
and Streets of Rage?)
Double Dragon 2 - The Revenge (1991, released by Palsoft
- this game opens with the shooting death of the
aforementioned girlfriend right before the Lee twins'
eyes in a scene which was quite controversial in its
day, so all they care about now is revenge - graphics
have noticeably improved, and you now have the ability
to accidentally hurt each other in two-player mode)
Double Dragon 3 - The Rosetta Stone (1992, released by
Flying Edge - the vendor's name says it all, as the
quality of the series begins to drop with this "world
tour" adventure for the boys - documented as "Double
Dragon 3: The Arcade Game" in Barry Cantin's Genesis
FAQ)
Double Dragon 4 - The Return is not available for the
the Genesis
Double Dragon 5 - The Shadow Falls (1994, released by
Legend and marketed by Tradewest - "Aaackk! What a
way for this series to die!" reads the Rage Games
review, as the coders abandon everything that made the
originals so entertaining in favor of a lame Street
Fighter 2 clone)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Double Dribble - Playoff Edition
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Wow! A major overhaul to an arcade classic, and how!
Ain't it nice to be able to play full-team, full-court
hoops without having to worry much about the rules or
the ref?
IMPRESSIONS: Before NBA Jam, there was Double Dribble. A basketball
game with no simulation elements to drag gameplay down
whatsoever. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Hyper Dunk - Playoff Edition (Japanese release)
The original 8-bit game, Double Dribble, was not released
for the Genesis. Many people make the common mistake of
confusing this game with its ancestor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Double Trouble
see BUGS BUNNY - DOUBLE TROUBLE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
see PUYO PUYO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dracula
see BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dragon - The Bruce Lee Story
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An interactive story fighter that is modeled around the
all-too-short life of martial arts movie star Bruce Lee.
Based on the feature film starring the late Brandon Lee
as his father.
IMPRESSIONS: Has all the standard features of second-generation
fighters - multiple play options, choice of game modes,
cinematic intermissions, and so on. It's not bad, but
it's no Street Fighter 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dragon Ball Z - Bu Yu Retsuden
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bandai
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: French and Japanese
PREMISE: One or two player versus fighter based on the characters
and situations from the popular Japanese anime series
Dragon Ball Z. This is either a Genesis port of the SNES
fighter Dragon Ball Z - Super Butoden 3 or a unique game
in and of itself.
IMPRESSIONS: Excellent gameplay, plus some neat tricks and moves not
found on its SNES counterpart. The story is difficult
to follow (especially if you choose Goku), but you can
pick anybody, good or bad, and the order of opponents is
different for each one. It's a great game that should
challenge a lot of people. (Chiranjeevi)
VARIATIONS: Dragon Ball Z - L'Appel du Destin (French version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dragon Slayer - The Legend of Heroes series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Falcom/Hudson Soft
RELEASED: various
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A graphically rich and lushly detailed series of RPGs
ported from the 8-bit originals.
IMPRESSIONS: Visually appealing, decent sounding. Gameplay of the
first is a lot better than the second.
VARIATIONS: Dragon Slayer - The Legend of Heroes (1993)
Dragon Slayer - The Legend of Heroes 2 (1994)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dragon's Eye - Shanghai 3
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Homedata/Mediagenic
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An updated version of Shanghai, the Concentration-style
tile game for us poor slobs who can't fathom mahjong.
Simple enough to grasp, but not so simple to beat. Not
to be confused with the Shanghai game series released by
Activision.
IMPRESSIONS: No impression, really. Not good, but not bad either
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dragon Pinball series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Naxat Soft/Tecnosoft/Tengen
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Pinball
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: A series of wonderful pinball sims with a dark fantasy
theme. These appear to have been inspired by Hudson's
Crush series (Alien Crush for TG16, Jaki Crush for SNES)
IMPRESSIONS: Excellent! Fantasy fans, you need the first one for
those nights when you've had one too many Phantasy Star
sessions. You also need the second one for the day
when you think you can beat the first one blindfolded -
you'll be surprised just how fast you are humbled. An
absolute must for any pinball fan.
VARIATIONS: Dragon's Fury (1992, originally released in Japan under
the name Devil Crash MD)
Dragon's Revenge (1994)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Draxos
see RISKY WOODS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Duel - Test Drive 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: DSI/Accolade/Ballistix
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A true classic in the racing genre, Test Drive 2 built
upon the proven formula of its successor by adding
multiple courses and a head-to-head option. Sadly,
though, the Genesis version omits the two-player option.
IMPRESSIONS: This was the first road racing game that I truly enjoyed
(back on the almighty Amiga), and playing it again
brings back a lot of fond memories. Though sadly dated
now, it still has enough zing left to keep the kids
fighting as to who's going to drive next. Get it for
your young ones, and for the memories.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Duke Nukem 3D
AUTHOR/VENDOR: 3D Realms/Tec Toy
RELEASED: 1998
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The most famous personage in the DOS shooter genre makes
his way to the MegaDrive in this rare and unique release!
This utilizes a specially designed 16-bit game engine in
order to faithfully reproduce all of the fun and mayhem
from the original. Licensed by Tec Toy and produced
totally in Brazil, Duke Nukem 3D is the most ambitious
port ever attempted for the MegaDrive. It's the same
plot, levels, weapons, and monsters as the original. An
army of aliens has taken over Los Angeles, so Duke deals
with them as only he can - kill 'em all, and let God sort
'em out! Do you have the balls to play such an intense
game? (loosely translated from the Tec Toy press release)
IMPRESSIONS: Well, it's unique, I must say. I'm surprised Tec Toy
managed to pull it off at all. What do I think? Yes -
the graphics stink, the sound sample tranfer is limited,
and the levels are nothing like the original. Yes, it's
pretty much the Zero Tolerance game engine with Duke3D
graphics and sound grafted on top. At least they carried
on the Sega tradition of leaving in the violence (guts go
everywhere after a RPG hit) and the style is there, if
not the feel. It's worth the look, but don't expect an
exact clone of the IBM PC original - after all, we're
talking about limited 16-bit hardware here, folks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dune 2 - The Building of a Dynasty
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Westwood/Virgin
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and German
PREMISE: Abandoning the RPG take of its predecssor, this chapter
in the Dune saga thrusts upon you the momentous task of
building up your own strongholds and resources among the
vast desert wastes of the planet Arrakis. No manual is
required, as the programmers thoughtfully included a
tutorial mode that tells you almost everything you need
to know in order to play.
IMPRESSIONS: No matter where I turn, this game is in the number one
slot of EVERYBODY'S list of Genesis strategy games. It
has been called the precursor of Command and Conquer,
and with good reason. Well written and well executed,
this is a game that everybody should try at least once.
VARIATIONS: The original, Dune, is available in an enhanced form for
the Sega CD. The "2" in this game's title was somehow
dropped in the porting process. I list the title as it
should be - not how the game displays it. This game was
recently remade and rereleased in an extensively
overhauled version for the IBM PC called Dune 2000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dungeons and Dragons - Warriors of the Eternal Sun
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom/TSR
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Duke Hector Barrik, beseiged in his castle by a vicious
goblin army, is musing over his demise. "Let the bards
praise our courage," he says just as battle is about to
be joined. Suddenly, the earth trembles and the sky rips
open. Man and goblin alike are sucked into a bottomless
void. When everyone's senses return to normal, they
find that the castle, its folk, and the goblins have all
been transported to the bottom of a deep and wide valley
surrounded on all sides by impossibly high cliffs. The
Duke decides to act before the goblins recover, and sends
for four of his best people to scout their new home.
"The gods have given us a second chance," he tells them.
"Serve me well, bring us allies, and you will be richly
rewarded." Based on the popular role-playing game
created by Gary Gygax.
IMPRESSIONS: An Ultima-style RPG set within the now-famous fantasy
game. No, not really - it's actually a better-than-
average Japanese RPG retooled with AD&D graphics and
names. Not bad, but not great, either - and not worth
the trouble considering that Ultima 7 is a far better
game and available for the Genesis as well.
VARIATIONS: Arosohtrau (Japanese original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dyna Brothers series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: CSK Research Institute
RELEASED: 1992 (both games)
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Since I don't understand Japanese, these games are pretty
hard to describe - but here goes. "The Egg" is the
sacred source of life for the Dyna Brothers - chan-style
dinosaurs who live in a tropical paradise along with some
friendly humans way off somewhere. Their life is made
difficult by a marauding band of semi-intelligent and
largely incompetent aliens, who want The Egg for
themselves and do all sorts of nasty things (shoot, blow
up, unleash alien monsters) to the Dyna Brothers. Your
job is to nurture the Dyna Brothers from hatchling to
adulthood and then help them fight off the alien menace.
IMPRESSIONS: Reminds me a lot of Namco's Wagyan Land series, but more
involved as far as gameplay is concerned. The Norseman
compares them to a couple of oversized tamogotchi.
Eidolon sez they're cute and addictive. Why don't you
grab one and see what the ruckus is all about?
VARIATIONS: Dyna Brothers (1992)
Dyna Brothers 2 (1993)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dynamite Duke
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Seibu Kaihatsu
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: No story here, just aim and blow away anything that
looks even the least bit hostile.
IMPRESSIONS: A pretty decent shooter, assuming you have a Menacer
light gun handy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dynamite Heddy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treasure
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A great game in which you bop enemies with your head.
IMPRESSIONS: Cutsey Sonic clone that, although it has some neat
touches, ends up as being rather bizzare. It makes a
nice change-of-pace for Sonic fans, but little else.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
E
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: E-SWAT Cyber Police - City Under Siege
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the arcade game about a police officer who gets
to embark on various tough assigments, all of which
eventually require the procurement of an ESWAT power suit
once the going gets tough. Suit design is reminescent
of those found in the popular Bubblegum Crisis OAV, which
had just hit the market the year before, and the game may
have been influenced by that legendary anime title.
IMPRESSIONS: Although based on one of my favorite arcade games of old,
the Genesis port has been altered to the point where it
no longer stands out from the host of other platformers.
Don't bother. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: EA Hockey series, EA International Hockey series
see the NHL HOCKEY series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: EA Sports Double Header (combo cart)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This combined the first EA Hockey and John Madden
Football games onto a single cart.
IMPRESSIONS: Please see the individual reviews on each game for a full
write-up.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Earnest Evans
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An Indiana Jones inspired side scroller about a daring
adventurer looking for fame and treasure amid the ruins
of a lost city deep in the South American jungles.
IMPRESSIONS: Aaakk! I've often wondered why they didn't use rotation
to animate a character's limbs more smoothly. Now I know
why. This game looks awful and plays worse. Avoid,
avoid, avoid! (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Earth Defense
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Realtec
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: What appears to be a really lame space shooter.
IMPRESSIONS: I dunno - all I have is the box scan, courtesy of Forever
Sega
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Earthworm Jim series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Shiny/Playmates
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Meet our hero - a sweet and loveable fella who just
happens to be a steroid enhanced earthworm. This is
the wild and wacky platform shooter that everybody talks
about, and was a big hit when it was first released.
IMPRESSIONS: Stellar gameplay and animation featuring a hilarious
main character. Gameplay is only passable, but it's
well worth the look. The first game has an extra level
not found in the SNES version, though some of the SNES
graphic effects are missed. The second has lots of
subgames, including an isometric shooter. Groovy!
(adapted from the original Rage Games reviews)
VARIATIONS: Earthworm Jim (1994, Jimbo vs the scum of the universe
in various zany platform levels)
Earthworm Jim 2 (1995, our hero must rescue his new
girlfriend from the evil dude that kidnapped her -
more of the same madcap platform hilarity)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ecco the Dolphin series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Novotrade
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of platform games concerning a talented dolphin
and the underwater habitat that he strives to protect
from various and sundry threats.
IMPRESSIONS: A remake of an old gaming classic, this has spectacular
graphics and animation. Now if weren't for those
frustratingly difficult puzzles, it would be a classic
all over again. Still, it's an original approach to
the proven platform formula. Spawned two sequels that
are both as eye-catching and difficult as the original.
VARIATIONS: Ecco the Dolphin (1993, Ecco is separated from his family
by a freak storm and spends the next 20 or so levels
trying to save them and the rest of his fellow dolphins
from harm)
Ecco 2 - The Tides of Time (1994, Ecco must save all of
the world's sealife from a futuristic threat - adds the
ability for Ecco to morph into other sea creatures)
Ecco Jr. (1995, tooled for a younger mindset, casts you
as Ecco's son who along with his friends goes in search
of the old blue whale)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Egawa Suguru no Super League
see the SUPER LEAGUE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: El Viento
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: From the makers of the Valis series comes the tale of
a young female warrior, an expert with her custom
boomerang, who in 1928 travels to New York on a personal
vendetta against a mob boss and his henchmen.
IMPRESSIONS: This is yet another one of those impossibly plotted
Japanese platformers in which the anime-style cinemas
are better than the game itself. Boomerangs against
Tommy guns and Harleys? Come on, get real! Gameplay
and music are decent, but not awe-inspiring. I didn't
much care for the Valis series, and I don't for this
game, either
VARIATIONS: A sequel, Annet Fututabi, was released for the Mega CD;
see separate entry for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Elemental Master
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Technosoft
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A young warrior with magical powers as well as fighting
skills embarks upon a quest for justice against an evil
warlord.
IMPRESSIONS: This is just your basic fantasy-themed top-down shooter
with all the usual trappings thereof. Nothing special
here, just run and shoot. Watch out for those bosses,
though. Looks and plays pretty decent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Eliminate Down
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SoftVision
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are a lone fighter pilot in the middle of one of
the biggest space battles of all time. Remember the
rules of the space shooter - maneuver often, fly
furiously, get power-ups at every possible opportunity,
and shoot anything that isn't you!
IMPRESSIONS: This is one truly impressive R-Type clone, and reminds
me a helluva lot of the Macross shooter for the SNES.
Fantastically detailed multi-plane scrolling backgrounds,
a driving musical score, a well-designed weapons and
shielding system, and just plain solid gameplay put this
squarely in the top five all-time great Genesis shooters.
Its only real drawback is the total lack of a plot, but
shooter fans really don't care about such stuff, do they?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Elitserien series
see the NHL HOCKEY series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Empire of Steel
see STEEL EMPIRE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Enchanted Castle
see ALEX KIDD IN THE ENCHANTED CASTLE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: ESPN Sports series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (various)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Various YACEG sporting sims featuring appearances by
noted ESPN sportscasters, who provide limited color
commentary.
IMPRESSIONS: A mixed lot, really, so you'll have to judge them for
yourself. To be brutally honest, though, I didn't waste
any sleep over them.
VARIATIONS: ESPN Baseball Tonight (a surprisingly good baseball sim
with neat graphics and solid gameplay)
ESPN National Hockey Night (the number two all-time
hockey sim for the Genesis, in my opinion - right
behind EA's NHL series and a far cry above Brett Hull)
ESPN Speedworld (a lousy stock car racing game that would
have looked quite at home on the Action 52 cart)
ESPN Sunday Night Football (an average pro American
football sim at best with lousy sound and graphics that
appear to have been designed with the SNES in mind)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Eternal Champions
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Eternal Champion is striving to restore the balance
between good and evil in our universe. In order to do
so, he must choose one of nine deceased warriors of great
skill and talent who will be revived and bestowed with
his powers to regain that balance. Should he or she
prove successful, then they will be given a second chance
at life. "Only one may live so that balance may again be
achieved. Let the contest begin...."
IMPRESSIONS: A Street Fighter clone that would be unimpressive even
if its gameplay were on the same level. Don't waste your
time. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: A superior remake was issued for the Sega CD; see
separate entry for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: European Club Soccer
see JAPAN LEAGUE CHAMPION SOCCER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Evander Holyfield's "Real Deal" Boxing
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ACME Interactive
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Fighting/sports (boxing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG boxing sim featuring former WBA world heavyweight
boxing champion Evander Holyfield
IMPRESSIONS: One of several boxing games in which the focus is on
the celebrity endorser, and not the sport itself. You
can relive Holyfield's entire career up the point when
he won the belt, or you can just wade right in and start
slugging away like all the other boxing sims. In a
market plagued by hordes of Street Fighter 2 clones,
a realistic approach to fighting is a welcome change
indeed.
VARIATIONS: Greatest Heavyweights of the Ring uses the same game
engine (see separate entry).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ex-Mutants
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Malibu Interactive
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It is the year 2055. Radioactive fallout from the
worldwide nuclear war years before have turned most of
the population into mutants and cyborgs. A lone cyborg
scientist has a dream of recreating the human race
through his six genetically pure samples, but his fellow
mutants aren't too crazy about the notion - I mean, why
recreate the race that almost destroyed Earth?
IMPRESSIONS: A lackluster platformer featuring nobody's favorite X-Men
wannabes, the Ex-Mutants. Yawn... (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ex-Ranza
see RANGER X
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Exile
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Telnet Japan
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: You play the role of the warrior Sadler in this fantasy
RPG set amid warring desert kingdoms. You were the one
to bring peace the first time war erupted in the land,
and now you must restore peace once again.
IMPRESSIONS: This is no Phantasy Star, and the tiny game graphics are
irritating, but the overall game itself is decent enough
and I kinda like its laid-back musical score.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Exo-Squad
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Novotrade/Playmates
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A graphically impressive arcade game based on the
syndicated animated TV series of the same name about a
war between humanity and its genetically derived
offshoot, the Neo-Sapiens.
IMPRESSIONS: A pretty even mix of fighting, shooting, and platform
action from both side-scroll and first-person
perspectives. Some of the mini-games are better than
others - the 3D first-person shooter is the best I've
ever seen on a stock Genesis, whereas the platform games
seem kinda slow. All told, though, it's an enjoyable
experience.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Exodous - Journey to the Promised Land
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wisdom Tree Games
RELEASED: 1994?
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: As Moses, you must wield your staff and the spoken Word
of God against many obstacles, both physical and
spiritual, as you lead the chosen people to the Promised
Land. Illustrated with 50 colorful reward screens and
includes over 250 in-game questions spanning the entire
book of Exodous.
IMPRESSIONS: Like most of Wisdom Tree's titles, this is an uninspiring
arcade game with just enough Biblical trappings applied
to appeal to the Bible-belt and blue-nose set. "Don't
play those nasty evil sinful arcade games - play this
instead!" Lady, it's the same thing, but with Egyptian
soldiers instead of Dr. Robotnik's goon squad. As the
saying goes, "A difference that makes no difference is no
difference." Man, oh man, what some folks will do to
inflict Puritanism on us all....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
F
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: F-15 Strike Eagle 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: MicroProse
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Flight simulator (military)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The 8-bit classic roars back to life in a new 16-bit
version loaded with the fast action and vivid graphics
that were the trademark of the original. Enhancements
include all-new 3D solid polygon graphics, a quarter of
a million square miles of authentic terrain divided among
four battle zones, streamlined flight and weapons
control, a new "no crash" option, and true distance
scaling. In the words of Computer Shopper (1990), "This
may be the best air-combat simulator you've ever flown."
Ported from the home computer version.
IMPRESSIONS: So much had to be recoded and reduced in order to port
this to the Genesis that the end result is pretty much
useless. It's kinda hard to have a full-blown flight
sim that runs off of a three-button gamepad. No thanks -
I'll take the personal computer version, because at least
then I can get at all the controls. It's a shame, you
know, because this was one cool military fighter sim in
its day.
VARIATIONS: "MPS Labs" version (this appears to be a beta release,
with different opening screens and no sound)
"Sega" version (this is the commercial release version as
most of us know it)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: F-22 Interceptor
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Flight simulator (military)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hop a ride on the U.S. Air Force's choice for its 21st
century air superiority fighter - the F-22. Your choice
of three different skill levels at which to play.
IMPRESSIONS: Jeez, what crap! This looks like somebody unearthed the
original version of subLogic's Jet, took some coloring
pencils to it, and ported it to the Genesis. The
polygonal graphics engine is the worst I've ever seen in
this kind of game, and sound is minimal at best. Only
useful as a trainer for better flight sims - no, in fact,
ANY other flight sim.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: F-117 Night Storm
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Flight simulator (military)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: How would you like to be a Ghost Rider? Try your skills
at flying with the USAF's 416th Tactical Air Squadron and
its now-legendary stealth aircraft that proved its value
in Panama and Iraq - the F-117 Night Storm.
IMPRESSIONS: An excellent air combat simulator that takes into account
the limitations of the Genesis hardware, unlike another
that shall remain nameless in this review. One of the
best in the genre for the platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: F1
see F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: F1 Circus MD
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nihon Bussan/Nichibutsu
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Racing (Formula One)
LANGUAGE: Japanese (lots of English texts, though)
PREMISE: Top-down professional level Formula One sim with a decent
array of options.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics are on the slim side and the sound could be
better, but it's still quite fun. Think of it as a
seriously souped-up Rally-X.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: F1 series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Varie
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (Formula One)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A series of very different Formula One YACEGs endorsed by
one of Japan's top drivers, Satoru Nakajima
IMPRESSIONS: Mixed. The first two are pretty good top-down racers,
whereas the third is an impressive first-person pseudo
3D racer that is among the best for the platform.
VARIATIONS: These are also sometimes referred to as the Satoru
Nakajima F1 series, due to his involvement in their
design.
F1 Grand Prix (1991, similar in approach but superior in
execution to F1 Circus MD by Nichibutsu)
F1 Super Licence (1992, more of the same, but the anime
babes are a neat touch that do nothing to the game
other than give it some much-needed eye candy)
F1 Hero MD (1992, released in an English-language version
by Flying Edge under the title Ferrari Grand Prix
Challenge with minor retooling of the artwork and game
options)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: F1 World Championship series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Domark
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (Formula One)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of Formula One racing sim endorsed by the
sport's governing body, FIA. Spawned two sequels, and
the game engine was recycled for another racing game.
IMPRESSIONS: The best of the various Formula One racing sims. All
feature a fast, smooth-scrolling first-person view with
great sound effects and top-notch gameplay. It doesn't
matter which one you get, 'cuz they're all keepers!
VARIATIONS: F1 World Championship (1993, also known as F1 or Formula
One - the first, but not the last)
F1 World Championship Editon (1994, extensive use of
digitized backdrops in the selection screens, player
options also reworked)
Kawasaki Superbike Challenge (1994) uses the F1 game
engine - see separate entry for more info
F1 World Championship Edition (1995, distributed by
Acclaim, appears identical to the 1994 release until
you start setting up the race, then you begin to
notice changes in the options sequences - also feels
faster throughout than its immediate predecessor)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Faery Tale Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: New World Computing/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You play your pick of three brothers who sets out on a
quest at the request of his village mayor to recover a
sacred talisman. Ported from the classic Amiga RPG.
IMPRESSIONS: One of the Amiga's better-known RPGs, the Genesis port
does not have that silly manual-check copy-protection
scheme, thank God. The graphics show their age rather
badly and some might find the organ music irritating,
but keep in mind this was the title that seems to have
caused Lord British to retool the latter releases in the
Ultima series of fantasy RPGs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Family Feud
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gametek
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Game show
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Computerized version of the popular American TV game
show. Apparently ported from the home computer version.
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another mundane conversion of a TV games show. Most
PC versions are superior in every category, but this
could prove useful for those who don't have a good home
computer yet.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Famista 90
see KYUKAI DOTYUUKI PUROYAKYUU
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fantasia
see the MICKEY MOUSE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fantastic Dizzy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Codemasters
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Cute-looking platformer with a hero that resembles a
miniaturized Humpty Dumpty who (of course) must endure
all sorts of platform dangers to rescue his girlfriend
from the bad guys.
IMPRESSIONS: The standard plot is rendered rather silly by the game's
design, but the graphics and sound are neat, plus you
carry inventory - something not usually found in a
platform game. Interesting....
VARIATIONS: Also known as Fantasy World Dizzy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fantasy Zone
see SUPER FANTASY ZONE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fastest 1
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Human
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Racing (Formula One)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Racing game similar to Human's Grand Prix series for the
SNES, right down to the first-person perspective.
IMPRESSIONS: A Formula One racer that is typical of most of Human's
products - a poor imitation at best. The sound is full
of static, the graphics are rather small and blocky, and
gameplay is minimal at best. Don't waste your time - go
go play one of the Domark F1 games instead.
VARIATIONS: This was originally released in Japan under the title
Human Grand Prix for the Super Famicom (SFC). Its SNES
equivalent is the game F1 Grand Prix.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fatal Fury series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Takara
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A young American street fighter enters the Fatal Fury
tournament in order to discover the reasons behind his
brother's death. Leastways that's what the OAV says....
IMPRESSIONS: One of the early Street Fighter 2 clones, and not quite
up to its level of excellence. Character choice is
limited, as are the graphics and sound. Still, the
animation is decent enough, and some of the enemies have
some rather unique special moves. The second title adds
limited pseudo-3D movement, adds some more fighters, and
reworks the game engine - resulting in a game that's
almost as good as Street Fighter 2.
VARIATIONS: This series was originally released overseas under the
title Garou Densetsu. There is also a unique Sega CD
"special edition" release. I also have a pic of a cart
claiming to be Fatal Fury Special in MegaDrive format,
but I don't know whether or not is indeed a port of the
Sega CD release. This is the title from which the
legendary NeoGeo series The King of Fighters is derived.
Fatal Fury - King of Fighters (1993, aka Fatal Fury
Special in European markets)
Fatal Fury 2 (1994)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fatman
see SLAUGHTER SPORT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fatal Labyrinth
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: Old, top-down dungeon crawler with the standard plot of
saving the village/city/land (pick only one) from the
evils lurking within an ominous-looking castle.
IMPRESSIONS: A rather bland arcade-style RPG featuring cameos from
some of the Dark Castle critters and a few more from
other such games. Unimpressive and boring.
VARIATIONS: Shi no Mekyu, aka Labyrinth of Death (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fatal Rewind
see THE KILLING GAME SHOW
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ferias Frustradas de Pica-Pau
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tec Toy
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Portuguese
PREMISE: Average platformer based on the popular animated avian
troublemaker Woody Woodpecker, created by Walter Lantz.
IMPRESSIONS: Colorful and cartoony graphics that evoke the mood of the
original short films. Gameplay is nothing to write home
about.
VARIATIONS: Also referred to as the Portuguese Woody Woodpecker game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge
see the F1 series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fester's Quest
see ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fever Pitch
see HEAD-ON SOCCER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fido Dido
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Teeny Weeny Games/Kaneko
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A platformer with a somewhat different approach - you
are a cartoon character mixing it up with elements from
the real world.
IMPRESSIONS: It's the opposite of Comix Zone, both in design and
style. Don't look for Marvel-style heroic action here -
this is a pretty laid-back game that's very cool. Neat
graphics, huge levels, the occasional puzzle. Cool!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: FIFA International Soccer series (5 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Extended Play/EA Sports
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: World-class soccer, as only the folks at EA Sports can
bring you. Its hallmark isometric playing field sets it
apart from most of the competition, as does its range of
options.
IMPRESSIONS: Often copied, rarely equaled. Any game in the series is
a peach, although they tend to get bigger and more flashy
as you go. FIFA 97 Gold is my personal favorite, seeming
to have the best balance between gameplay and style, but
judge for yourself. If you're looking for a soccer sim
and want more than just arcade-style action, then EA
Sport's FIFA is the place to be.
VARIATIONS: FIFA International Soccer (copyright 1993, aka FIFA
Soccer 94, FIFA 94 - the first, but not the last, and
the graphics are a bit crude when judged by its own
sequels)
FIFA 95 (copyright 1994 - a warmed-over rehash of the
first game)
FIFA 96 (copyright 1995 - features sharper graphics, an
improved AI, and all the teams that played in the 1995
World Cup)
FIFA 97 - Gold Edition (copyright 1996 - adds indoor
arenas and the ability to create your own teams and
players)
FIFA 98 - Road to the World Cup (copyright 1997 - one of
the last titles released for the Genesis, it now
includes not only the 1997 World Cup lineup but also
club teams; however, the BGM tracks stink by some
folks' standards)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fighting Masters
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treco
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Versus fighter apparently ported from the arcades that
gives you your pick of ten human and mutated animal
fighters.
IMPRESSIONS: An obvious and poor Street Fighter 2 clone. 'Nuff said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Final Blow
see BUSTER DOUGLAS KNOCK-OUT BOXING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Final Zone
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation/Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Guess what? You get to fight off a robotic alien
invasion in this Gundam-like shooter.
IMPRESSIONS: An isometric shooter in the same vein as Battletech, but
with its own ideas on mecha combat. Frankly, I liked
Battletech better.
VARIATIONS: Axis FZ (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fire Mustang
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NMK/Taito
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A side-scrolling 1941? Yup, that's what this appears to
be. A high-speed shooter with a World War II aerial
combat theme.
IMPRESSIONS: It's just what you'd expect if 1941 was converted to
side-scroll format, except for the following: you're
flying the world-famous P-51D Mustang instead of a P-38
Lightning, you can now drop bombs (along with all of the
other non-historical power-ups), and you can blow away
both Nazis and Nips (my apologies to my many Japanese
friends - just trying to maintain the historcial slang).
It's a WWII buff's arcade gaming dream! How much of the
hardware bearing down can you identify?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fire Pro Wrestling Gaiden
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Human
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (wrestling)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A Japanese Wrestle War clone.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks bad, plays worse. Avoid - but then again, Wrestle
War didn't port very well, so you might want to take a
look if you're one of the pitiful zombies that are hooked
on this sham sport.
VARIATIONS: Thunder Pro Wrestling (English version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fire Shark
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toaplan/Dreamworks
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: A 1943 Kai clone for the MegaDrive. The only thing
missing is a two-player mode.
IMPRESSIONS: Adequate, but uninspiring.
VARIATIONS: Every now and again I stumble across a reference to a
a port of the old NES shooter Flying Shark for the
MegaDrive. I tend to believe that they are references to
this game, although I would welcome conclusive proof to
the contrary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fire Team Wars
see FIRETEAM ROGUE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fire Team Rogue (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Flying Goat/Accolade
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Concerns a band of fighters duking it out in a sci-fi
shooter that combines elements of both ground and air
combat. This was a tie-in to a planned animated series.
IMPRESSIONS: According to Flying Goat, the whole project was shelved
on the day it was completed. "These things happen," or
or so they say; however, the Genesis and SNES protos for
the games must still exist.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Firepower 2000
see MEGA SWIV
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fist of the North Star
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toei/Shoei System
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: It is in the days of the nuclear winter, when the lands
are ruled and policed by superhuman heroes with fantastic
fighting skills, one hero must battle his way through
countless foes to rid the land of evil. Based on the
legendary anime series of the same name, which was noted
for its extreme violence.
IMPRESSIONS: Punch and kick your way through the side-scrolling scenes
on your way to one-on-one arena bouts with the various
level bosses. Decent graphics, but weak gameplay. I
can't believe they left in the exploding heads! (Rage
Games)
VARIATIONS: Hokouto no Ken 2 (original Japanese title)
Last Battle - Legend of the Final Hero (censored
American version, most of the more violent content
excised - including the aforementioned exploding heads)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Flashback - The Quest for Identity
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Delphine Software/U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You're trapped on a distant planet inhabited by aliens
plotting to overtake the Earth. The only problem is
that you don't even know who you are! To stop the alien
attack, you must discover your true identity and fight
your way back through the galaxy to warn Earth! From
the creators of Another World. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: The follow-up to an all-time gaming classic. Like its
predecessor, it has great polygon-animated cinemas,
stellar character animation, and cool graphics. Also
like its ancestor, it requires careful strategy and can
be quite frustrating at times. Well worth a look for
gaming masochists. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Flicky
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: You play Flicky, a cute blue bird who has to save its
chicks from some rather frisky kitties. The game that
seems to have inspired Sonic 3D Blast, according to
Steve Sharp. Ported from the 1984 arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Cutesy platformer in the same vein as Bubble Bobble,
right down to the nauseatingly saccharine techno tunes.
Why? Why not? Do yourself a favor and save it for the
kids.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Flintstones
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You play the loveable Ralph Kramden of the stone age as
he runs around Bedrock on various errands, such as
finding his wife Wilma's necklace.
IMPRESSIONS: Not to be confused with the movie-based game [for the
SNES], this platformer features colorful graphics and
decent gameplay. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Flying Shark
see FIRE SHARK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Foreman for Real
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Software Creations/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (boxing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Graphically appealing boxing sim based on the career of
heavyweight George Foreman, the oldest boxer to ever win
the world title.
IMPRESSIONS: The digitized boxers are a bit grainy, but the animation
is quite fluid and gameplay is consistent with the sport.
If you're a Punch-Out fan, then you'll love this game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Formula One
see F1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Forgotten Worlds
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: Another one of those sci-fi fly-and-shoots, with some
player characters (not ships) that kinda resemble Duke
Nukem. Hmmm.....
IMPRESSIONS: Conversion of a once-popular arcade game. The gameplay
is still passable, but it is beginning to look a bit
dated. Devoted shooter fans may want to give it a try
anyway. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG endorsed by star MLB player Frank Thomas.
IMPRESSIONS: A far cry from the Sega Saturn version; but even taking
that into account, it isn't all that it should be. Looks
and sounds nice, but only plays fair. Go get Triple Play
Gold instead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Frankenstein
see MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Frogger
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega/Morning Star Multimedia/Hasbro/Majesco
RELEASED: 1998
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You're a little green frog who's lost his way. Can you
make it back to the pond without getting squashed on the
highway or drowning in the lake? Ported from the classic
arcade original. Commissioned by Majesco for release
with their "Genesis 3" console, this was the very last
commercially released G/MD game.
IMPRESSIONS: This is an exact clone of the original Konami arcade game
that Sega brought Stateside as its first videogame,
simplistic graphics and all. That's the trouble with
faithful arcade ports - sometimes they're too faithful.
Buy hey - it's only 1 mbit, so it'll fill that little
hole in the ol' cart collection nicely. Besides, the
gameplay still can't be beat, even if it doesn't look as
nice as its SNES cousin. All in all, it's a fitting way
to end the long run of this legendary 16-bit console.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fun 'n' Games
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Leland Interactive/Tradewest
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A multitude of activities intended for the juvenile set.
IMPRESSIONS: Thankfully, us big kids have better things to do than
waste our time with this effort.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fun Car Rally series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: MCom/Accolade
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Your typical top-down car racing game, with a few quirks
thrown in to liven things up a bit.
IMPRESSIONS: Top-down racers in the same vein as Double Clutch. I
can't keep the kids away from these, although the
inability to turn off the timer is rather irritating.
They are some of Slam's favorite games, though, who calls
them "nice Micro Machines clones."
VARIATIONS: Fun Car Rally (1992 - the original, player enters their
own name, stresses off-road tracks)
Combat Cars (1994 - the sequel, with different drivers
from which to choose and various live ordinance options
to liven things up a bit)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Funnyworld Balloon
see MEGADRIVE 2-IN-1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
G
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: G-LOC - Air Battle
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A new and improved take on Afterburner, which once again
has you at the controls of an F-14 Tomcat on various
military-style missions. The big difference between this
and its predecessor is its first-person in-cockipt
perspective. Another one of Sega's arcade hits ported to
the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: Notably improved graphics and gameplay over Afterburner,
but it is no longer the crowd-pleaser that it once was in
its day. The simplistic design might appeal to those who
can't stand true flight sims.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gadget Twins
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Imagitec Design/Gametek
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Gadget Land is a world of intelligent airplanes (?!).
The King's Magic Jewel has been stolen, and it's up to
the Gadget Twins to find it.
IMPRESSIONS: Bright and colorful cartoon graphics are the highlight of
this juvenile Sonic clone. Level design is not the
greatest, though, and the gameplay is just plain awful -
not to mention the nauseatingly peppy BGM tracks. It
paints a pretty picture, but that's all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gaiares
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Telnet Japan/Renovation
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: Earth has been turned into a wasteland by centuries of
abuse. This is just fine to the galactic terrorist
organization Gulfer, who plan to use all that waste to
make some pretty nasty weapons. Dan Dare, a resourceful
fighter jock, is the underdefended Earth's only hope
against this menace.
IMPRESSIONS: The music is nice and catchy. The graphics are somewhat
pixelated, but still give the sensation of flight. Oh,
let's not forget the nifty little grappling hook that
comes with your ship, which you can use to snag your
enemies and suck energy from them, adding to your own
supply - a truly original idea. Even so, this is a game
that only the hardest of hardcore shooter fans might want
just to add to their collection. (Silverdice)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gain Ground
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Top-down shooter featuring you as the great white hunter
fighting your way through the African jungle while
trying to survive attacks by the locals. Ported from the
arcade original.
IMPRESSIONS: Gameplay is way too slow, and it's way too easy to die.
Do yourself a favor and stay away from this one.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Galaga
see SEGGALA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Galaga 90
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Update of the classic Space Invaders clone, with new
graphics and sound.
IMPRESSIONS: I checked with Atari, and they say that a version of this
game WAS ported to the G/MD. I haven't seen it, so I
can't tell you more than that....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Galahad
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Arcade platformer inspired by the adventures of Sir
Galahad, one of King Arthur's knights of the Round Table.
IMPRESSIONS: Solid control and good special effects for the era, but
the levels are difficult to navigate. The color palette
is drab, and the artwork is hideous. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Galahad, Young Galahad, and The Legend of
Galahad. Originally released on the Amiga under the
title of Leander, and advertised as such in several EA
press releases from early in that year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Galactic Empire
see QUADRANT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Galaxy Force 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: CRI/Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Port of the highly regarded sci-fi arcade shooter of its
day. No plot - just fly and shoot, then go through the
tunnels to find the boss, defeat him, and move on.
IMPRESSIONS: A Sega arcade classic in the same vein as Afterburner and
other such first-person shooters, but with superior
graphics and gameplay. This one made for an easy and
faithful port to the Genesis, and is quite enjoyable even
after all these years. The enemy scaling is still rather
choppy, but at least it isn't as bad as Space Harrier 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gamble Hall
see PACHINKO CANYON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gambler Jiko Cyusinha
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gemuashi/Yieroukoun
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Gambling (tile game)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Betting is a universal activity, and one can bet on just
about anything. It should come as no surprise then that
the folks in the Orient bet on tile games. This is a
Genesis port of the first of a series of games involving,
appaently, a group of elementary school teachers and
their rather interesting students - not to mention some
of the local neighborhood characters as well. Well-known
in Japan, this series has acquired something of a cult
following.
IMPRESSIONS: I'm not a fan of tile games; however, I must admit that
somebody did a great job of putting this one together.
The exaggerated, cartoonish approach is a welcome change
from other games of this type, and I must admit to having
smiled at the opening cinema. It's easy to see why this
inspired a number of spinoffs and sequels (although I've
yet to find them for the Genesis). If you don't know the
language and culture, though, it's best to stay away.
VARIATIONS: Frequently referred to as either Sorrow or Gyanbura; the
latter is a romanization of the first word in the title.
This is also frequently referred by its subtitle, Kiwane
no Gatari Koyato. There is a sequel available for the
Mega CD; see separate entry for more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Garfield series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Paws/Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Help! Garfield has been zapped inside his TV set though
a series of highly improbable circumstances, and it's up
to you to guide him out of this mess. Based on the
popular syndicated cartoon strip character created by Jim
Davis.
IMPRESSIONS: Great animation and colorful graphics. The gameplay is
nothing to write home about, though. Garfield fans won't
be disappointed, but I'm not as big a Garfield fan as I
used to be. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Garfield - Caught in the Act (1995)
Garfield - The Lost Levels (1996, a Sega Channel
exclusive featuring levels that never made it into the
commercially released game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gargoyles
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Buena Vista Interactive/Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Gargoyles become involved with the Eye of Odin, an
ancient magic artifact created by Viking sorcerers in the
10th century AD. Based on the syndicated animated TV
series.
IMPRESSIONS: Has a dark atmosphere and great animation, like the
animated TV series. The gameplay is a bit awkward,
though. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Garou Densetsu series
see the FATAL FURY series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gator World
see TROUBLE WORLD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gauntlet 4
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Tengen
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action/RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The granddaddy of multiplayer fantasy arcade games is
back in a new and enhanced version written specifically
for the Genesis (or so I understand). Take your pick of
four different warriors - barbarian, valkyrie, elf, and
sorcerer - and go toe-to-toe with hordes of evil mean
nasty uglies in the ultimate coin-op dungeon crawler.
IMPRESSIONS: I can't say enough about Gauntlet, especially this
version. You can play the originals, or the new RPG mode
with all-new levels and a credible story to boot. Bring
your friends over and waste a few weekends on this
classic.
VARIATIONS: Gauntlet (Japanese original, starts up with a multiplayer
mode warning and is missing the "IV" in the title, can
also toggle between English and Japanese by setting
the console accordingly)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gekijoban Sangokushi series
see ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gemfire
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: There was a time when Ishmeria was a land of peace and
bliss, guarded from all evil by six mages. The king of
Ishmeria, seeking to wield total control over his lands,
used the power of the Crown of Seven Jewels to summon a
Fire Dragon to enforce his absolute rule. Ever since,
the open use of magic against the king has meet with
swift retribution. Now, Princess Robyn has turned
against her father's misdeeds and sent out a summons for
the six mages and their allies to unite their powers and
come to Gemfire for a showdown with the king. If they
succeed, then Ismeria's curse will end. If not, well,
better not to think about that.
IMPRESSIONS: A Risk-style strategy game with some limited RPG elements
thrown in as well. Not particularly impressive, as there
are better titles available in this genre.
VARIATIONS: Royal Blood (Japanese original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: General Chaos
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Game Refuge/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action/strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hilarious squad-level wargame in which you build up a
small army and then engage the enemy until one side is
the only one left standing.
IMPRESSIONS: I just can't get into these kind of games, but if you
like the genre then I recommend checking this one out.
I can see how a strategy buff might get hooked - bad.
(Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Generations Lost
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pacific Software/Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Like the brilliant Earthworm Jim (which I love to mention
in just about any situation), Generations Lost sees you
in charge of an electropowered super suit with strange
powers, but unlike Earthworm Jim you don't have a cool
name. Instead you are known as 'Monobe' - boy, life in
the schoolyard must have been tough. With those
schoolyard taunts such as "Monobe's a Moron" still
ringing in your ears you set out - a hardened tribal
warrior, with a lust for discovery and danger - and
chocolate moose in your heart. (Steve Polak)
IMPRESSIONS: It is basically a Flashback clone. Now admittedly this
would be about as popular as a rectal cough in an
elevator if it were released on SNES, but because
Generations is a G/MD title it is more welcome, as we
haven't seen too many games of its ilk throbbing away in
the black box. (Steve Polak)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Genesis 6-Pak
see the MEGA GAMES series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Genghis Khan 2 - Clan of the Grey Wolf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Take on the role of Genghis Khan, the legendary Mongol
warlord who conquered a large portion of ancient China
during the tenth century B.C.
IMPRESSIONS: If you've played the Nobunaga's Trilogy series until you
can't stand it anymore, then here's a nice change-of-
pace for you. Similar to the RO3K series in style, it
features the usual solid Koei gameplay, neat graphics,
and decent sound.
VARIATIONS: Aoki Gentyouhishi (Japanese original, name may not be
entirely correct)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: George Foreman's Knock-out Boxing
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Flying Edge/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Fair-to-middlin YACEG featuring the noted heavyweight
boxer who became the oldest person to win the world
heavyweight championship.
IMPRESSIONS: Another decent boxing game that has nothing to do with
the Buster Douglas title with the similar name. There
is also a Game Gear version. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ghost Hunter
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Senchi Technology/Jumbo
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A wierd little shooter featuring a manga-style ghost
hunter who throws his mystic harpoon at various bouncing
enemies.
IMPRESSIONS: Is the premise silly? Yes. Is it any good? Yes, but
it's one of those titles that grows on you. Is it
challenging? Undoubtedly. Is it addictive? Quite.
The original and its various spinoffs were huge hits in
Japan, and it's easy to see why - even in this toned-down
and somewhat distorted MegaDrive version.
VARIATIONS: Pang (name of original Japanese arcade game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ghostbusters
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Activision
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! Another Commodore 64
gaming classic is overhauled and re-released for the Sega
Genesis. Chase ghosts, monsters, and other ectoplasmic
horrors around the various buildings of New York, but
watch out for the Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man! Based on
the 1984 hit feature film starring Bill Murray, Dan
Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts.
IMPRESSIONS: The boys who chase ectoplasm have gotten the
superdeformed treatment. The graphics aren't great, but
the gameplay is decent enough. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ghouls 'n' Ghosts
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: O brave knight, save us from the Demon Lord and his
minions! He has seized your love, the Princess, and
carried her away to his dark delvings. Can you fight
your way through the many enemies and obstacles in you
path to save her - and her kingdom? Ported from the
megahit arcade original, which was the sequel to the
legendary Ghosts 'n' Goblins.
IMPRESSIONS: Colorful graphics and awesome gameplay. Two gripes,
though. First, once you jump, you're committed to a
landing spot even if an enemy pops up there. Second,
after clearing the first six stages, you have to go back
and play through them a second time. Still, it's worthy
of mention in the same breath as Sonic. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Dai Makai Mura (Japanese)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gleylancer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NCS
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: It is the year 2025, and opposing space fleets are locked
together in a massive and deadly war. A beautiful young
fighter pilot is given the chance to solve the mystery of
her father's disappearance when she is assigned to pilot
the Greylancer - an experimental tactical fighter
prototype whose capabilities are powerful enough to
possibly change the inevitable outcome of the war.
Against orders, she takes the Greylancer and flies out to
meet her destiny....
IMPRESSIONS: Another outstanding R-Type clone with the added bonus of
a real plot. Highlights include a well-designed weapons
and upgrade system, and the fantastically detailed
multiplane scrolling backgrounds that put it in the same
league as Eliminate Down and the SNES Macross shooter.
The opening cinema is a work of art in itself, strangely
reminescent of the Legend of the Galactic Heroes anime.
Shooter fans will go absolutely ape over this!
VARIATIONS: The Japanese often confuse the R and L when romanizing
spoken words. The correct romanization of the title is
"Greylancer;" but since the mistranslation was burned
into the original cart, that's what we know it by.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Global Gladiators
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Cartoonish platformer licensed by the McDonalds fast
food chain about two kids who get to become their
favorite comic book heroes.
IMPRESSIONS: Not as bad as it sounds, if you can forgive the stupid
plot. Looks nice, sounds good, plays decent.
VARIATIONS: The full title of this game is "Mick and Mack as the
Global Gladiators." The original working title was
McKids.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gods
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bitmap Brothers/Mindscape
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Play the man in the mask running about ancient Greece,
duking it out with the local monster population as you
strive to complete your quest.
IMPRESSIONS: There are three things you come to expect with a Bitmap
Brothers game - great graphics, a driving musical score,
and truly wild gameplay. This has all three in spades,
which means even jaded platform freaks won't get bored
too quickly. Another triumph for the Bitmap Brothers,
and another excellent port from the almighty Amiga.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Golden Axe series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: One or two players can choose from a limited assortment
of characters and match skill and steel with the minions
of the evil Death Adder, who has taken over the kingdom.
Ported from the acclaimed series of coin-op games.
IMPRESSIONS: This is the legendary Sega platform fighter that was the
rage of the arcades during its day. The sequels don't
add much except for one or two new characters and some
different moves - although fans of the series say that
the third is the best of the lot. While they can't hold
a candle to the Streets of Rage series, there's still
enough in here to keep the average gamer content for a
long time. Good graphics, decent sound, and better-than-
average gameplay which gets rather involved at times.
VARIATIONS: Golden Axe (1989)
Golden Axe 2 (1991)
Golden Axe 3 (1993)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Goofy's Hysterical History Tour
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Absolute Entertainment
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Playing as Goofy, you are assigned the job of cleaning
Professor Drake's museum prior to the day when a new
exhibit opens. You co-worker, Blackeye Pete, wants to
make sure you get fired and is busy messing up the
exhibits in an effort to see that you get blamed for
making a mess and fired on the spot.
IMPRESSIONS: A childish game - what more can I say? Don't play this
game if you're not a kid. It may suck even to a seven-
year old child. (Pamela)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Granada
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation/Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A mysterious battle tank of unknown origin and awesome
firepower has been striking without warning at the
armies of Africa, destroying everyone and everything in
it's path.
IMPRESSIONS: A wild top-down shooter whose only faults are tiny
graphics and a less-than-spectacular power-up system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Grand Slam Tennis
see JENNIFER CAPRIATI TENNIS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Great Circus Mystery
see the MICKEY MOUSE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Great Voyage of Hyoutanjima
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This whimsical little board game centers on the
adventures of a group of marionettes who live on a
floating island. Based on a popular Japanese children's
TV show from a while back.
IMPRESSIONS: Reminds me a lot of some of the shows I used to watch as
a kid - oops, there I go, dating myself again (anyone for
Kula, Fran, and Ollie?).
VARIATIONS: The full untranslated Japanese title is Hyoukori
Hyoutanjima no Daikoukai. It is often referred to either
as Hyoukori Hyoutanjima or Hyoutanjima no Daikoukai.
There is also a Game Gear rendition available. Be sure
to use joystick port 2 for gameplay!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Great Waldo Search
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Radiance/THQ
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Where's Waldo? Can you find him in the picture? If so,
then more's the joy! Based on the popular series of
children's books.
IMPRESSIONS: Stupid premise, stupid game. Stupid books, too. You'd
be better off trimming your toenails than wasting your
time with this.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Greatest Heavyweights of the Ring
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Sports
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (boxing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Historical boxing sim featuring some of the sports'
greatest fighters, such as Muhammed Ali, Joe Lewis,
Jack Dempsey, and Rocky Marciano (who to this day
remains the only undefeated world heavyweight champion).
IMPRESSIONS: Pretty good, but the digitized soundbites tend to get
irritating after a while.
VARIATIONS: Uses the Evander Holyfield game engine (see separate
entry).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Greendog - The Beached Surfer Dude
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A nebbish beachcomber is stuck with a mystic amulet by
one of those gorgeous goddess babes and sent on a mystic
quest. Huh? Say again?
IMPRESSIONS: This is what happens when Sega tries to create a popular
mascot and fails. The main character is too awkward to
like, and the fact that the game itself is lame doesn't
help, either. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Greylancer
see GLEYLANCER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Grind Stormer
see V-5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Growl
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In the early 20th century, a group of reckless poachers
nearly hunted the big game animals of Africa into
extinction. Guess what? You are the lone ranger who
has the unenviable task of getting rid of them.
IMPRESSIONS: A shallow platform fighter that deserves to get the crap
beaten out of it at every chance that comes along, due
in part to its politically correct plot and in part to
the fact that it's such a sorry piece of code.
VARIATIONS: Runark (Japanese original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gunship
AUTHOR/VENDOR: MicroProse/U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Flight simulator (military)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Take the joystick of the AH-64 Apache military attack
helicopter in this upgraded version of the classic flight
simulator.
IMPRESSIONS: Unlike the SNES version, which reduced this Commodore 64
classic to a side-scroll Choplifter clone, the Genesis
version retains the flavor and feel of the original.
That's not necessarily a good thing, though, because it
pales in comparison with other 16-bit games designed from
scratch. Military flight sim fans can relive those C-64
memories; shooter fans might want to stay away.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gunship Gomora
see BIO-SHIP PALADIN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gunstar Heroes
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treasure
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Earth has been taken over by a power-hungry, hi-tech
dictator and his formidable army. Mankind's only hope
are the Gunstar Heroes.
IMPRESSIONS: Contra WHO? Gunstar adds the ability to pick up your
enemies and throw them at each other, thus breaking the
monotony of the standard run-and-shoot formula. Colorful
cartoony characters and enemies, along with some really
awesome special effects - and don't forget those bosses!
(Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gyanbura
see GAMBLER JIKO-CYUSINHA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gynoug
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NCS/Masiya
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The name is pronounced "jii-nug," and it's about the
planet Iccus - home of the flying men. Your planet has
been taken over by the evil Destroyer and his mutants.
Many have gone up against him and died. Now it's your
turn.... (Starbase 299)
IMPRESSIONS: Excellent powerup system with lots of hidden treasures,
better graphics than usual for a NCS release, geekish
music, and a sound mix that does little more than get the
job done. It's just cool enough so as not to forget as
the years go by. (Starbase 299)
VARIATIONS: Wings of Wor (American release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
H
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hard Drivin' series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Polygames/Atari/Tengen
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The first of the polygon-rendered racing sims, the
original coin-up took the arcades by storm. Just about
every trick used in today's sophisticated 3D racers can
be seen here with the notable exception of texture
mapping.
IMPRESSIONS: It may look and play rather laughable now, and the
Genesis version isn't the best of the various ports, but
at least everything's here that I remember from the
arcades. Give it a look, if only to see just how far
we've come since then.
VARIATIONS: Hard Drivin' (1990, original game)
Race Drivin' (1993, sequel adds a track editor and a few
more driving challenges)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hard Wired
see RED ZONE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hardball series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade/Ballistix
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The one and only - the first baseball sim grudgingly
acknowledged by both sports fans and gamers alike as
worth the trouble of learning. One of the first baseball
games to offer first-person on-the-diamond views, which
only added to its popularity. Hardball set the standard
by which all subsequent baseball games were measured.
IMPRESSIONS: Still surprisingly enjoyable after all these years,
although time and technology have passed them by.
VARIATIONS: Hardball (1991)
Hardball 2 does not appear to have been released for the
G/MD
Hardball 3 (1993)
Hardball 94 (1994, noticeably improved graphics)
Hardball 95 (1995, little different from its predecessor
except for the team stats)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Haunting
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The sleazy Sardini family has moved into the home that
you haunt, and they are slowly but surely making your
life miserable. What's a disgruntled ghost to do? Why,
scare them out, that's what! You must use your spectral
powers to affects various items in the house to frighten
the Sardinis into leaving. Only then can you rest in
peace.
IMPRESSIONS: Original concept, with nice isometric graphics and decent
sound, but player control is somewhat confusing and the
premise wears thin fast. The built-in tutorial is a nice
touch.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hentai Collection 1 (public domain)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: (name withheld)
RELEASED: 1999?
TYPE: Slideshow (adult)
LANGUAGE: not applicable (graphics only)
PREMISE: A collection of various stills culled from several
different adult (aka hentai) Japanese manga. Includes
examples of all the more common perversions, from
softcore teases to hardcore closeups. This originated on
the Brazilian MegaDrive scene in 1999. The source is
well known there, but I have choosing not to reveal his
identity (by personal request).
IMPRESSIONS: The digital conversion is decent enough, given that this
is the first time I've seen anything like this for the
G/MD. The subject matter itself remains questionable at
best, unless you're into that sort of thing. Given my
staunch Southern Baptist upbringing, I can only say that
I found only one picture that I might consider halfway
decent as far as the subject matter was concerned, and
some of the more fundamentalist types would be shocked
even at that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Head-on Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: A world-class soccer sim from overseas.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks and plays like one of the FIFA games, but with the
bare minimum of setup and options. FIFA still wins out
in the game configuration department, but that appears to
have been the last concern of the programmers; instead,
this emphasizes gameplay above all else. An excellent
choice for those who just want to play the game - and
almost nothing else.
VARIATIONS: Fever Pitch (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Heavy Nova
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Micronet
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hidden deep within the Sol System's asteroid belt are a
a number of military bases. One of these is a mecha
testing and training facility, where the Heavy Nova
prototype combat mecha is being put through its final
tests. You have been chosen to pilot the Heavy Nova
against a variety of foes and dangers. Can you do it?
IMPRESSIONS: An awful robot fighting game with an added platform mode.
Avoid. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Heavy Unit - MegaDrive Special Edition
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toho/Kaneko
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: What premise? It's a side-scroll fly-and-shoot, okay?!
IMPRESSIONS: One of the better R-Type clones out there, this port of
the original Japanese arcade game features new levels and
powerups especially written for the occasion. My only
grip is that your enemies are sometimes capable of flying
through seemingly solid obstacles, and it's things like
this that keep a good game from being a truly great game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hellfire
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toaplan/NCS/Masiya
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: As the dropship deposits you in the battlezone, you try
to get in the right frame of mind for what's ahead.
"There is no right frame of mind for this," you hear a
a voice inside your head say. "Wha-?" you mutter.
"That's right," it says, "this is just another mindless
blastathon. Ha-ha-ha-ha-hah!" And with that, the first
wave of aliens descent upon your tiny fighter....
IMPRESSIONS: A straightforward R-Type clone with an awkward weapons
system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Herzog Zwei
AUTHOR/VENDOR: TechnoSoft
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A departure from the usual top-down sci-fi shooter in
that this features a three-mode transformable battle
tank. Intended from the onset for two-player dual play,
although it can be played with just one player.
IMPRESSIONS: What was that title again? This resembles more of a
top-down Macross shooter than anything original. Still,
it's a challenging game with a dash of strategy thrown in
for good measure. Two player dual mode is supported -
and highly recommended!
VARIATIONS: It is my understanding that a sequel for the Sega Saturn
was eventually released before that platform's demise.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: High School Soccer MD - Kunio-kun
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Technos Japan/Palsoft
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Yet another Technos game featuring the loveable mug of
Riki Kunio. Riki hooks up with the high school soccer
team, and, well, you can kinda guess from there.
IMPRESSIONS: This is a port of the 8-bit original, and it shows. Game
graphics are horrid, and the music (while decent) is not
what it could be. Gameplay is fair at best. In fact,
the only thing that saves this are the plot and, of
course, the presence of the irascable Riki Kunio himself.
VARIATIONS: There are many, many titles for various platforms in
which Riki Kunio appeared. This seems to be the only
G/MD release, but there could be others.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: High Seas Havoc
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Cute-looking and humorouse side-scroll platformer that
feature a swashbuckling purple dinosuar privateer who is
called out of retirement to keep the evil pirate Bernardo
from finding a legendary magical gem.
IMPRESSIONS: A decent but not too addicting platform game featuring a
cool main character. Worth the look, but probably not
more. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Capt'n Havoc (Japanese release)
Captain Lang (European release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hiryu
see STRIDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hit the Ice
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Williams/Taito
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (hockey)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An arcade-style hockey sim - what else can I say?
IMPRESSIONS: Has some pretty neat moves, although it goes without
saying that the NHL rulebook is thrown out in the
process. Humorous graphic design, but jerky animation
and only adequate sound. Makes a nice bookend to Arch
Rivals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hokuto no Ken 2
see FIST OF THE NORTH STAR
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Home Alone series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Imagineering/THQ
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of games based on the first two hit feature
films of the same names starring the young McCauley
Caulkin as a mischevious and ingenious young boy who has
to take care of himself when he is accidentally abandoned
by his parents.
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another round of stupid arcade conversions of popular
Hollywood movies. Both have too many cheap shots for my
tastes, and I think they should be left at home - alone!
VARIATIONS: Home Alone (1992, save the neighborhood from a pair of
incompetent thieves - decent enough except for the
"water bandit" crap and the many, many cheap shots)
Home Alone 2 - Lost in New York (1993, same idea, but
different location - is somewhat more bearable, but
just barely so)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hook
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: What if Peter Pan decided to come back to our world and
give up Never Never Land? That is the interesting
premise behind the controversial Steven Speilberg film,
inspired by the original James Barrie children's novel.
In the film, an adult Peter Pan must somehow rediscover
the magic of his lost youth and use its power to save
his kidnapped children from the clutches of the villanous
Captain Hook. The computer game picks up at the point
in the movie where Peter is first reunited with the Lost
Boys, and must first prove who he is before they will
help him....
IMPRESSIONS: The idea is certainly original and the movie was
halfway decent, with some beautiful scene-chewing going
on between Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman, though you
must admit that the the roller coaster was a really
STOOPID idea. The game itself ultimately falls flat. I
can't put my finger exactly on why it does, but it does.
Save your money for something else.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: House of Fun (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: 1996?
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This was inspired from the song of the same name by the
popular 1980s music group Madness. The group is better
known in the United States for its Top Ten hit "Our
House," and the music video became one of the true MTV
classics. It may have been prompted by the band's
breakup in 1996
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Human Wrestling
see FIRE PRO WRESTLING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Humans
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Gametek
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform/strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Help a group of cavemen stumble up the path of progress
by assigning each specific tasks to overcome obstacles.
IMPRESSIONS: This obvious Lemmings clone might be entertaining if
game control wasn't so awkward.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hurricanes
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Arc Developments/U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Oh, boy - another TV spinoff. I vaguely remember seeing
this one on my satellite dish. Help the Hurricanes
battle the bad guys as they embark on a tour to play
various other soccer teams around the world.
IMPRESSIONS: For a game inspired by the sport of soccer, there seems
to be next to no actual soccer play in the game. It has
more in common with Marko's Magic Football than the FIFA
series, although not quite as appealing as Marko. Bright
and cartoony graphics can't hide the fact that this is at
best an average game.
VARIATIONS: Also commonly referred to as Hurricanes on Tour.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Hybrid Front
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Onrio
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Sci-fi strategy game revolving around clashes between a
futuristic police state and "a gang of terrorists" (or
revolutionaries - it all depends on your point of view).
IMPRESSIONS: Has one of the longest intros I've ever seen in a console
game, ranking right up there with the one for the SNES
Lodoss cart, but you DO need to read it before playing.
If you don't know Japanese, then you're outta luck....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hyoukori Hyoutanjima
see THE GREAT VOYAGE OF HYOUTANJIMA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hyoutanjima no Daikoukai
see THE GREAT VOYAGE OF HYOUTANJIMA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hyper Dunk - Playoff Edition
see DOUBLE DRIBBLE - PLAYOFF EDITION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
I
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ichidant - Puzzle and Action
see the PUZZLE AND ACTION series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: IMG International Tour Tennis
AUTHOR/VENDOR: High Score Productions/EA Sports
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (tennis)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: EA Sports branches farther afield, as it tries its hand
at a professional tennis sim.
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another winner for the EA team. No other Genesis
tennis sim comes close, and only Wimbledon surpasses it.
Is there a sporting sim at which EA hasn't excelled yet?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Immortal
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Will Harvey/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This game starts with a mystery and builds from there.
You have stumbled across a message left behind by a lost
sorcerer who was battling an immensely powerful and evil
force, and you feel compelled to take up the challenge.
A fantasy-themed RPG that was a legend in its time, and
yet another port from the almighty Amiga computer.
IMPRESSIONS: This was the first dungeon crawler I recall that
successfully employed 3D isometric perspective, along
with correctly proportioned and fantastic-looking
graphics to boot. This game is the great-granddaddy
of the smash multiplayer hit Diablo, which came along
years later and reaped the field that The Immortal had
sown.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Incredible Crash Test Dummies
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Grey Matter/Leisure Concepts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Avoid various road hazards before all of your body parts
get knocked off. Inspired by Vince and Larry, the
popular spokesmen for a series of auto safety commercials
in the United States.
IMPRESSIONS: The only original idea in this game is that you slowly
fall to pieces while taking damage, instead of losing
strength on a meter. Other than that, it's as dumb and
stupid as the rest. Don't bother.
VARIATIONS: Often called simply Crash Test Dummies
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Incredible Hulk
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe Software/U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Side-scrolling arcade game featuring the Marvel Comics
superhero - an ordinary scientist who was exposed to an
accidental superbust of gamma radition and can transform
a superstrong, hulking figure when sufficiently angered.
IMPRESSIONS: Animation is good, character design and gameplay are not.
Uncompelling graphics and sound, only passable gameplay.
(Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tiertex/U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Those mean ol' Nazis are still chasin' after holy relics
for unholy purposes, and this time they want the Holy
Grail - the cup Christ used at the Last Supper and which
is supposed to possess divine powers. So much for Indy's
summer vacation.... Based on the hit feature film, the
third in the Indiana Jones trilogy, starring Harrison
Ford, Sean Connery, and John Rhys-Davies.
IMPRESSIONS: This is yet another one of those movie-inspired marketing
efforts that ultimately wears thin. Looks good, plays
fair, and eventually gets boring after a bit. This was
a contract job for Lucasfilm, and it shows.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Insector X
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito/Hot-B/Sage's Creation
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is the poor cousin of Bio-hazard Battle - a side-
scrolling shooter with an insectoid motif.
IMPRESSIONS: A 2D sidescroll shooter with an unimpressive weapons
system and uncompelling gameplay. The visuals aren't too
bad, but nothing makes this stand out from the shooter
crowd. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Instruments of Chaos
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Lucasfilm Games
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In late World War I, a youthful Indiana Jones matches
wits worldwide with agents of the Kaiser on a secret
mission. Based on the television series.
IMPRESSIONS: Standard run-and-jump fare. Nice use of digitzed
backgrounds, although the game graphics seem shabby in
comparison and character animation is rather limited.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Young Indy Jones.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: International Rugby
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Domark
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (rugby)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Top-down rugby sim in the same vein and spirit as
Sensible Soccer. (Oli)
IMPRESSIONS: Why splurge on fancy graphics and sound when gameplay is
what you're after? Oli's nailed this one on the head -
this is what Sensible Soccer would be like if it were a
rugby game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: International Superstar Soccer Deluxe
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English, Japanese, and Portuguese
PREMISE: A high-end World Cup soccer sim.
IMPRESSIONS: The only Genesis soccer sim I've seen to date that could
give the FIFA series a run for its money. Damn, it's
good!
VARIATIONS: Fighting Eleven (Japanese release)
Campeonato Argentino (Portuguese user hack)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Introducing the Humans
see THE HUMANS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Iron Storm
see the DAISENRYAKU series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ishido - The Way of the Stones
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Publishing International/Accolade
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is a deceivingly simple tile game that plays like
Concentration or Pyramid Solitare.
IMPRESSIONS: At last! An Oriental tile game in English! I vaguely
remember seeing this when it first came out, but I felt
about tile games then like I do now - I'm not all that
crazy about htem. Still, it's decent enough and is as
challenging as the rest, so it might bear a quick look.
VARIATIONS: This is one of three early releases games that will
only work with the original version of the G/MD console.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: It Came From the Desert
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Cinemaware/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: All that atomic testing out in the Arizona deserts back
in the 1950s has caused something terrible to happen.
Most humans don't know the danger that lurks under the
desert sands, but they soon will. You are the only one
who knows what is coming, and you must save the others
before it is too late. Adapted from the popular Amiga
title, although the Genesis port bears more resemblance
to the movie Tremors than to its original inspiration,
the classic film Them!
IMPRESSIONS: Oh, my God, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THIS GAME?! What
was once one of the top three all-time classic Amiga RPGs
has been reduced to little more than an extremely
difficult and quickly frustrating arcade shooter. Almost
everything that made this such a wonderful experience
has been neatly excised, leaving not enough game to
bother with. Do yourself a favor and dispose of this
in the nearest bucket of hyena offal.
VARIATIONS: Amiga and IBM versions of the original game are still
out there, and well worth the trouble of obtaining over
this mindless piece of crap.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Itchy and Scratchy Game
see THE SIMPSONS - ITCHY AND SCRATCHY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings
AUTHOR/VENDOR: U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1996?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: For those of you who might remember, Izzy was the mascot
of the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta, Georga
(United States). His job is to collect all five of the
Olympic Rings, and you get to use his unique morphing
abilities to aid him in his quest
IMPRESSIONS: Bright and colorful, this seems to work best with the
younger crowd. Has some nice touches worthy of the elite
in platform games, but uneven level design keeps it from
joining their ranks. All in all, it's a decent enough
game to play - provided you can still find it, of course.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
J
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jack Nicklaus Power Challenge Golf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: When Jack Nicklaus, one of the most recognizable names
in professional golf, lends his name to a golfing sim,
then you'd better sit up and take notice....
IMPRESSIONS: Long the rival of Leaderboard on the Amiga, this pumped-
up version of the original game somehow doesn't seem as
nice as the original. The graphics are downright lousy
compared to Leaderboard, but it has better options and
gameplay is a bit easier for first-timers to grasp.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: James Bond - The Duel
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Domark/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Actor Tim Dalton's image graces this run-and-jump that
seems inspired by the older Bond flicks. So much for
the plot.
IMPRESSIONS: Has some Shinobi-inspired touches, but these are largely
offset by poor gameplay. Even diehard Bond fans may want
to pass on this one.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: James Pond series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Millenium/Vectordean/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A tongue-in-cheek tribute to the James Bond films from
one of the better British programming houses. Help
secret agent James Pond as he battles the wits and many
minions of the evil Dr. Maybe.
IMPRESSIONS: Starts out mediocre, gets better as it goes, and by the
time you get to the third game the series is actually
quite enjoyable.
VARIATIONS: James Pond - Underwater Agent (1990)
James Pond 2 - Robocod (1991)
James Pond 3 - Operation Starfish (1993)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jammit
AUTHOR/VENDOR: GTE Vantage/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Street basketball, plain and simple.
IMPRESSIONS: The digitized graphics are horrid and the sound isn't
all that it could be, but gameplay is decent enough.
Don't expect Coach K when you play this game, and you
should make it through all right. Original premise,
lackluster execution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Janou Touryumon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: GameArts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A straightforward YACEG Oriental tile game, whose
celebrity (don't ask, I don't know who it is) offers
occasional advice during gameplay.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks decent enough, but is useless without some kind
of translation.
VARIATIONS: Often referred to as GameArts Mahjong.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jantei Monogatari
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Telnet Japan
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: You play the role of a private investigator whose latest
case takes him to an exclusive all-girls school. The
story is advanced by playing a tile game with the various
characters, or you can skip the story and just play the
tile game itself.
IMPRESSIONS: If you are ignorant of Japanese, if you are not a otaku,
if you don't care for tile games, or some combination of
the three, then you'd better skip this one. It's a
shame, really, because this has some of the best anime
cinemas I've ever seen in a MegaDrive game, and the story
is actually pretty good given the constraints of the
format. If only they had made a true RPG out of this
one...sigh....
VARIATIONS: This game is commonly referred to as Clock Tower due to
the opening cinema. It is not to be confused with the
game of the same name for the SNES or PSX.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Japan League Champion Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Shogakukan/Krisalis/Game Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A first-rate soccer sim from a country with a world-class
reputation within FIFA.
IMPRESSIONS: I'll still give the various FIFA games the edge in the
gameplay department, but that's about the only category
where this game doesn't equal them or come close.
VARIATIONS: European Club Soccer (European market, features teams
from the European soccer league)
World Trophy Soccer (European market, features many of
of the teams that appeared in the FIFA 1992 World Cup)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Japan League Pro Striker series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Multilanguage
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Sega's in-house soccer sim for the Japanese market.
IMPRESSIONS: Does it play like FIFA? Yes. Does it sound like FIFA?
Yes. Does it look like FIFA? No, the game texts are all
in Japanese and the playing field is viewed via top-side
pseudo 3D slant view instead of isometric. That's the
only real difference that matters. This series starts
good and gets better as it goes, with Final Stage being
the equal of the latter FIFA games. Now, if only it were
in English....
VARIATIONS: This series is also commonly referred to as the J-League
Pro Striker or the Pro Striker series.
Japan League Pro Striker 93 (1993, also referred to as
Japan League Pro Striker)
Japan League Pro Striker 2 (1994)
Japan League Pro Striker - Final Stage (1995)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Japanese Baseball
see SEKAI SHOKUBO SOHANSEN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jelly Boy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ocean/Probe/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are a pink gob of humanoid-looking goo who wanders
around the usual platform levels enduring the typical
platform pratfalls.
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another Super Mario World wannabe. Yawn. At least
the kids liked it. Lots of primary colors, fairly simple
gameplay, and features Chuck Rock's "special" attack
mode - heh, heh.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jennifer Capriati Tennis
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Telnet Japan/System Sacom
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG quickly put together by patching the endorsement
over an existing Japanese chan-style tennis game.
IMPRESSIONS: It's not bad, it's just that I didn't know that Ms.
Capriati resembled a superdeformed manga babe.
VARIATIONS: Grand Slam Tennis (original Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jeopardy series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Park Place Productions/Gametek
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Game show
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Digital conversion of the popular "here's the answer, now
come up with the question" American TV game show hosted
by Alex Trebek.
IMPRESSIONS: Computerized TV game show conversions usually come up
short, but I'll give this one credit for making a
determined effort at preserving the original's sound
and atmosphere. That's all, though - I'd rather watch
the original, and more recent versions for other
platforms make this look pathetic in comparison
VARIATIONS: Jeopardy (1993, original release)
Jeopardy - Deluxe Edition (1993, same game, different
questions)
Jeopardy - Sports Edition (1993, same game, different
questions)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jerry Glanville's Pigskin Footbrawl
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Midway/Razorsoft
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG with a rather unusual premise - play American-style
football back in the Middle Ages. Come again?
IMPRESSIONS: I have no idea who Jerry Glanville is (shows you what I
know), but I wouldn't blame him for going into hiding
after endorsing this sad arcade game. Sorry, Midway, but
the premise just doesn't work - and the lame graphics and
gameplay don't help, either.
VARIATIONS: Pigskin 621 AD (European release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jewel Master
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Do battle with the evil Demon King by wielding your holy
blade against his army of evil minions.
IMPRESSIONS: A rather poor platformer that is needlessly complicated
by a badly designed spell system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jim Power - The Arcade Game
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Loricel
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: I suppose Jim Power is or was something big overseas,
big enough to warrant his own arcade game....
IMPRESSIONS: Arcade action in the same vein as 3 Ninjas Kick Back,
with every thing pretty much the same except for better
looking graphics and superior gameplay.
VARIATIONS: Not to be confused with Jim Power in The Lost Dimension,
written expressly for the SNES.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker Challenge
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Archer McLean/Virgin Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (pool)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Snooker is a popular British variation of pool, and this
game is as slick as they come. Features some nice 3D
perspectives you won't see in any other G/MD pool game.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks and plays fast, and has nice music, too.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Joe Montana series
see the NFL FOOTBALL series for the appropriate game
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Joe and Mac - Cavemen Ninja
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East/Takara
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Neanderthals who live across the valley need women -
your women in particular, so they drop by one night and
make off with the lot. It's up to you and your friend to
go rescue them.
IMPRESSIONS: What might have been a pretty good tongue-in-cheek game
is crippled by jerky graphics and an obnoxious jungle-
drum soundtrack. The sequel is not available for the
MegaDrive, and perhaps that's for the best....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: John Madden Football series
see MADDEN NFL series for the appropriate game
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jordan vs. Bird - Super One-on-One
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: EA Sports's first venture into the Genesis arena was a
remake of this venerable Commodore 64 classic.
IMPRESSIONS: Graphics and sound are superior to the 8-bit original,
gameplay and user options have been extended, and yes -
the hotspots are back! Long since surpassed, but still
worth the look - if only to see how far we've come.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Joshua
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wisdom Tree Games
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You, as Joshua, must lead God's people into the land of
promise - but watch out! There are falling rocks,
soldiers, battering rams, and elite forces that will try
to block your every move.... (The Christian Link)
IMPRESSIONS: It's still a humdrum arcade game in spite of its
religious trappings - the old "wolf in sheep's clothing"
business, in my opinion. Easily forgettable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Judge Dredd
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Crime has become such a problem in the future that law
and order are enforced by the Judges - who combine the
roles of policeman and trial court, with orders to pass
judgement and carry out their sentences on the spot.
Based on the hit feature film starring Sylvester Stallone
in the title role, itself inspired by the popular long-
running British comic book series.
IMPRESSIONS: A rather tedious game with nothing to hold your interest.
It's not horrible, but there's just nothing special about
it. Try it, if you like those games that make you
explore every nook and cranny of a level to move on.
(Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: JuJu
see THE LEGEND OF TOKI - GOING APE SPIT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jump 'n' Run
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kaneda
RELEASED: 1999
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is a programming test to show just how a simple
jump-and-run (e.g. platform) game can be set up. It
features Mick of the Global Gladiators running up and
down a series of hills
IMPRESSIONS: Pretty bland on the surface, but the actual prize here
is the accompanying text file. Kaneda explains just how
he did it and how everything works. A valuable resource
for future G/MD programmers
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Junction
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Micronet/Konami
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A ball rolls along pieces of track cut into a slide
puzzle. You must slide the tiles around to keep the
ball from rolling off the side. (Rage Games)
IMPRESSIONS: Enjoyable at first, but gets frustrating in later levels.
Puzzle addicts should give it a try. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Jungle Book
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Eurocom/Disney Software/Virgin Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and French?
PREMISE: Mogowli, the jungle boy raised by wolves from birth and
cared for by his animal mentors, must find his way back
to civilization. Based on the classic Disney animated
film, itself inspired by the tales of British author
Rudyard Kipling.
IMPRESSIONS: Earthworm Jim does Pitfall. Visually stunning, but
average gameplay - about what we've come to expect in a
Disney title. Still, the kids didn't seem to mind....
VARIATIONS: Le Livre de la Jungle (French release?)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Junkers High
see OUTRUN 2019
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jurassic Park series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: various
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: "Welcome to Jurassic Park." This is the only place in
the world where dinosaurs still roam the earth, having
been genetically recreated from eons-old DNA samples.
Unfortunately, they've proven too much to handle for the
park resources, and now have the run of the place. Can
you carry out your various tasks without becoming a quick
meal for one of them? Based on the hit feature films by
producer Steven Speilberg, both of which were derived
from the novels by author Michael Crichton.
IMPRESSIONS: On the whole, better than most other movie tie-ins.
Great sound, great graphics, good gameplay, decent stage
design. The first two are must-haves, while the third
suffers from a noticeable drop in quality.
VARIATIONS: Jurassic Park (1993 by Ocean, you get to choose your role
as either man or raptor as you roam the broad expanses
of the park - superior in almost every respect to the
notably different top-down SNES shooter)
Jurassic Park - Rampage Edition (1994 by Blue Sky
Software, you play a palentologist investigating the
failed park who must contend not only with the local
wildlife but also with big-game hunters out to bag the
ultimat quarry - best game in the series)
Jurassic Park - The Lost World (1997 by Appaloosa
Interactive, a top-down multiplayer shooter in the same
vein as The Chaos Engine - this was the very last
commercially released G/MD game in the United States
until Majesco's issue of Frogger over a year later)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Justice League Task Force
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The forces of good and evil vie for control of Metropolis
in this Street Fighter 2 clone based upon the popular
characters from various DC Comics serials. Take your
pick from the Justice League - Superman, Batman, Wonder
Woman, The Flash, Green Arror, Aquaman - or from the
forces of evil - the notorious Darkseid and his minions.
IMPRESSIONS: Its as good as any SF2 clone out there, but I question
the logic behind some of the special moves assigned to
the fighters. Other than that, it looks and plays great.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jyuuroku Hari Mahjong
AUTHOR/VENDOR: City Man Technologies
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Tile game (adult)
LANGUAGE: Chinese
PREMISE: A Chinese strip mahjongg game that supposedly depicts
three popular Japanese idol singers as your opponents.
IMPRESSIONS: Rather difficult if you don't know the language. In
addition, your opponent laughs and giggles at you
whenever you make a mistake - hence I don't play this
very much. (Robert Worne)
VARIATIONS: More commonly referred to as 16-Tile (or 16-Tel) Mahjong.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
K
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ka-Ge-Ki - Fists of Steel
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sage's Creation/Kaneko
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An unusual pseudo-3D fighter that eschews the traditional
SF2-style platform approach in favor of superdeformed
characters matched together in ring-style bouts.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks rather comical, but is well done. Takes some
getting used to, though, so you might want to save it
for those days when you're tired of standard fighting
fare.
VARIATIONS: Surely a Japanese original exists for this game, although
I have yet to see it. I base this on the use of columnar
texts in the title screen, which run top-to-bottom from
right to left, just like traditional Japanese text would.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kabuki Maoh Renjitsu, Kabuki Quantum Fighter
see MYSTICAL FIGHTER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kartoon Kombat (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sierra On-Line
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A wild and zany spoof of Mortal Kombat that was
originally part of the multigame title Stay Tooned.
Features cartoon fighters in a real-world environment.
IMPRESSIONS: Makes for an interesting comparison with Brutal, although
I'd say that Brutal is the better of the two.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kawasaki Superbike Challenge
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Domark/Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (motorcycle)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Ever wanted to drive one of those superfast racing bikes?
Here's your chance, with this excellent polygonal
motoracer from the creators of the F1 World Championship
series.
IMPRESSIONS: WOW!!! That's about all I can say. I didn't expect
this game to be so addiciting. Graphics aren't that
good, but the gameplay and sound effects really shine.
You can almost feel the g-force when you accellerate!
If you don't have this game, then you're missing out.
(Skyline)
VARIATIONS: The sequel, Kawasaki Carribean Challenge, was apparently
not released for the G/MD. This entry uses the Domark F1
game engine - see the F1 series for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kick-Off series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Anco/U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Arcade-style soccer sim with graphics better than most.
IMPRESSIONS: Plays fast and furious, as an arcade game should. The
transparent full-field view is a nice feature not found
in other sims.
VARIATIONS: Also known simply as Kick-Off. The "super" moniker was
added to boost sales and advertise certain enhancements
over the 8-bit original. Kick-Off 2 seems not to have
been ported to the G/MD for some unknown reason.
Super Kick-Off (1992)
Kick-Off 3 - European Challenge (1994)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kid Chameleon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The newest game in the local arcade is a popular life-
sized virtual reality environment that is in truth part
of a scheme by the forces of evil. When local youth
start disappearing while playing the game, it's up to
Kid Chameleon to save the day.
IMPRESSIONS: If you're looking for a Mario-style game, this may fit
the bill - provided you don't mind the ancient graphics.
You can take on several different forms during the game,
which adds to the variety. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Chameleon Kid. A trainer verison by
Schlappi of the hacker group Alpha Flight is known to
exist.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Killing Game Show
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Raising Hell/Psygnosis/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: Englisn
PREMISE: "And now it's time for the greatest show on Earth!" Not
if you're one of the contestants - strapped inside an
ostrich-like mecha within the deep caverns of a deserted
island that's slowly sinking. Your sole purpose is to
get out alive, but that won't be so easy - what with all
booby traps, unstable rock, and steadily rising water.
In the meantime, your predicament is being broadcast to
thousands of blood-hungery TV viewers around the world.
"Get ready to die!" the announcer screams, and with that
the show begins....
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another Amiga classic by the boys from Scotland that
makes a faithful port to the G/MD. Take your standard
platform game, throw in a shooter element, then add a
liberal dash of inescapable hazards that must be avoided
to successfully complete a given stage, and you wind up
with a game that is either extremely challenging or
considerably frustrating. My only real gripe is that
the premise doesn't fit all that well.
VARIATIONS: Fatal Rewind (American release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: King Colossus
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Brainbusters
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A charming, Zelda-like story created by Makoto Ogino and
apparently ported from an 8-bit original.
IMPRESSIONS: Kinda reminds me of Final Fantasy - Mystic Quest in a way
but the plot is simpler. Gets pretty challenging in
places, especially during the action sequences.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: King of the Monsters series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SNK/Takara
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Are you a fan of Japanese monster movies? Did you ever
wonder what it would be like to be thirty feet tall,
destroying everything in your path and duking it out
downtown with the competition? Now you can in these
ports of the two popular arcade games by SNK.
IMPRESSIONS: Slant-perspective fighters that remind me of pseudo-3D
versions of Rampage, with all the delicious fun that the
comparison invites. Now if it weren't for those little
JSDF vehicles running interference now and again, you
might be able to beat your foe with ease - but hey!
You're one of the big boys now! I'll just put my foot
over this pesky little tank, and - STOMP! Hey, fighter
jock! Try my 15-ton backhand for size! WHACK! Hours
and hours of enjoyably mindless mayhem.
VARIATIONS: King of the Fighters (1993 - set in 1996, this gives you
your choice of four monsters, with all of downtown
Tokyo as your battleground)
King of the Fighers 2 (1994 - three years later, the
three surviving monsters get to deal with six alien
monsters at various sites around the world)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: King Salmon - The Big Catch
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sage's Creation
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Simulation (fishing)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: One of several fishing simulations for the MegaDrive.
IMPRESSIONS: Easier to play than most, due to the fact that it's not
as sophisticated as the others.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: King's Bounty - The Conqueror's Quest
AUTHOR/VENDOR: New World Computing/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A simplistic old-school RPG. 'Nuff said
IMPRESSIONS: A really old game, and it shows it. It looks and plays
like the piece of garbage that I remember from my youth.
Avoid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kinkangun Kyodai Zo
see SEKAI SHOKUBO SOHANSEN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kishin Daisenryaku
see PANZER COMMANDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The King of Beggars
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Seichen?
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Chinese
PREMISE: A delightful little tale about a wealthy young man named
So, who goes from riches to rags overnight, and
eventually works his way up to leader of the Beggar
Society in an effort to clear his name. Inspired by the
popular Hong Kong film of the same name starring Chinese
funnyman Stephen Chiao Sing-Chi and directed by Gordon
Chan.
IMPRESSIONS: I had a Chinese friend of mine look this over (he's the
one who supplied the title translation), and you should
have seen the love light in his eyes. He knows the movie,
and he loves the game. Hmmm ... at least the movie is in
subtitles. Based on his glowing praise for both, I'm
going to have to watch the thing myself someday.
VARIATIONS: Originally known as Beggar and sometimes translated as
The Beggar King. The first kanji character represents
"new," so this is apparently a remake or souped-up
bootleg of an earlier effort. If it is a bootleg, then
it's one of the slickest I've seen yet from the Hong Kong
scene.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kiwi Kraze
see THE NEW ZEALAND STORY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Klax
AUTHOR/VENDOR: various
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A fast-paced, awesome puzzle game in the same vein as
Tetris.
IMPRESSIONS: The Genesis port isn't the best available, as it lacks
the colors of the Turbo Graph/X version and the cool
music of the SNES version. It's still worth the look,
though, since it's probably the only version you'll ever
see for the Genesis. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: There are two slightly different versions of this game -
the English release by Atari/Tengen, and the Japanese
release by Namco. The Japanese verison goes a long
way towards redressing some of the graphics deficienies
of the English version.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: KP Cock 2
see MYSTIC DEFENDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Krusty's Super Funhouse
see THE SIMPSONS - KRUSTY'S SUPER FUNHOUSE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kujaki-Oh 2 - Peacock King
see MYSTIC DEFENDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kyukai Dotyuuki Puroyakyuu
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A Little League baseball sim.
IMPRESSIONS: Reminds me somewhat of The Miracle Nine, although it
can't compare in terms of quality. Easy enough to play,
though, and it helps that the game splurges with the
frequent English texts.
VARIATIONS: Sometimes referred to as Famista 90, although it seems
that it would be called Famista 92 instead. The Famista
series was a long running and popular line of baseball
sims by Namco.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kyukyoku Tiger
see TIGER HELI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
L
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Labyrinth of Death
see FATAL LABYRINTH
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lakers vs. Celtics
see the NBA PLAYOFFS series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Landstalker - The Treasure of King Nole
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Climax/Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English, French, German, and Japanese versions known to
exist
PREMISE: You assume the role of Nigel, an expert treasure hunter
just back from his latest adventure who rescues a pixie
from being captures and in exchange is given the general
location of the legendary lost treasure of King Nole.
From the creators of Lady Stalker - The Apocalypse Engine
for the SNES.
IMPRESSIONS: Isometric-view pseudo 3D fantasy game with cute manga-
style characters and a nice soundtrack. This predates
Lady Stalker and is supposed to be a bit more serious,
but the questionable English translation gets rather
amusing in places and I'm willing to bet the same for
the other Indo-European tongues. Once you get used to
isometric gameplay, then it becomes one of the better
offerings in the fantasy genre for the G/MD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Langrisser Hikari series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treco
RELEASED: various
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Prince Elwin, the son of King Alfador of Baltia, is given
care of the legendary sword Warsong in order to battle
the forces of the evil Dalsis empire. A highly regarded
series of RPGs from a company not noted for such games.
IMPRESSIONS: The first is an average-looking and average playing game
that in the long run does little more than set the stage
for its predecessor. The second is generally considered
to be the best strategy-oriented RPG for the plaform with
the possible exception of Vixen 357, which uses the same
engine. Both have good graphics and decent sound, and
will keep fantasy RPG fans suitably entertained.
VARIATIONS: The first game was released for the SNES under the title
Der Langrisser and in an English version for the Genesis
under the title Warsong. Because of this, the second
game is often called Der Langrisser 2 or Warsong 2. The
English version changes many of the character names; for
example, Prince Elwin becomes Prince Garrett.
Langrisser Hikari (1991, Prince Elwin escapes into the
to raise an army after the Dalsis lay seige to his
father's castle)
Langrisser Hikari 2 (1994, Prince Elwin and his faithful
friend Hein embark upon a quest to find Hein's
kidnapped friend Riana)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: LaRussa 95
see the TONY LARUSSA series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Last Action Hero
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bits/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are Jack Slater, hero at large. Your mission is to
save a school that has been taken over by a maniacal
terrorist and his army of thugs. Inspired by the
underappreciated "Ah-nuld" movie of the same title.
IMPRESSIONS: An old-style side-scrolling punchout in the same vein as
Altered Beast but with enough differences to avoid being
a true fighting game. Great graphics and animation, but
poor gameplay and lots of cheap shots. No thanks, I'll
pass.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Last Battle - Legend of the Final Hero
see FIST OF THE NORTH STAR
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Last Survivor (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Blue Byte Software
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A futuristic strategy game similar to both Warcraft and
Command and Conquer, in which you take one of two sides
in a full-scale war over the resources of the planet
Chromos. Massively popular in Europe.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Better known as the first game in the Battle Isle series.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Lawnmower Man
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sales Curve/Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A sinister government agency known only as The Shop has
sponsored a sophisticated experiment involving the use of
virtual reality therapy and mind-altering drugs in an
effort to increase human intelligence. When one of their
test subjects, Jobe the simpleton, shows a particular
adeptness for the treatment, they deliberately overdose
him in an effort to accellerate his progress. The effort
backfires, resulting in a psychotic intelligence that
is capable of existing as pure energy and who both
resides in and manipulates to his own ends the cyber
environment of the world's interlinked computer systems.
Inspired by the feature film starring Pierce Brosnan,
itself loosely based on the original short story by
Stephen King under his Richard Bachman pseudonym.
IMPRESSIONS: Mainly a platformer, but features lots of 3D subgames.
It's too bad that it's insanely difficult.... (Rage
Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Leaderboard Golf
see WORLD CLASS LEADERBOARD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Leander
see GALAHAD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Legend of Galahad
see GALAHAD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Legend of Maten
see MATEN DENSETSU
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Legend of the Tanji Warrior
see TANJYA BURARI DENSETSU
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Legend of Toki - Going Ape Spit
AUTHOR/VENDOR: TAD Corporation
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: An evil wizard has kidnapped your babe and turned you
into a spitting monkey. You must use your newfound
"ability" to overcome the many obstacles that stand in
your way as you seek to rescue your beloved and regain
your humanity. Go figure.
IMPRESSIONS: Standard platform fare, so far as it goes. It does play
some interesting tricks with background perspectives that
are rarely seen in such titles.
VARIATIONS: Juju (Japanese version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Legends of the Ring
see BOXING LEGENDS OF THE RING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lemmings series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: DMA Design/Psygnosis
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Lemmings are the cute little rodents who have a penchant
for committing mass suicide every few years by running
off cliffs in large herds. This time, you get to save
them by detailing one of several special abilities to
chosen lemmings, a given combination of which will enable
the herd to avoid the pitfalls in their path. Faithful
ports of the legendary Amiga arcade games.
IMPRESSIONS: Awesome graphics, and quite funny...really sadistic...
should keep anyone who can stand a little frustration
busy for aeons. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Lemmings (1992, the one and only original)
Lemmings 2 - The Tribes (1994, the sequel adds lots more
tasks from which to choose, your choice of different
"tribes" to save, and even a plot of sorts)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lethal Enforcers series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: First-person arcade shooters ported to the G/MD that were
intended for play using a light gun. It included its
own - the Justifier.
IMPRESSIONS: Ugh! Decent enough, but the ugly digitzed sprites leave
a foul taste in your mouth. Also, they're no fun playing
with a joystick.
VARIATIONS: I have seen postings on various Japanese web sites for
the first title under the name Risaru. This is not an
alternate title; it is the way that the average Japanese
would pronounce the English word "lethal." Substitute
the letter "L" for "R" in this romanji word, and you'll
see what I mean.
Lethal Enforcers (1993, you are a police officer who
gets to blast away at the bad guys in various places)
Lethal Enforcers 2 - Gun Fighters (1994, same idea but
employs a Wild West theme)
Lethal Enforcers 2 Elite trainer hack (unlimited lives)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Leynoss - Assault Suits
see TARGET EARTH
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: LHX Attack Chopper
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Flight simulator (military)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Be the first to fly the experimental and highly
classified LHX attach chopper in the most advanced
aerial combat simulator ever made! Pilot the LHX or the
AH-64 Apache on over 30 different missions in Europe,
the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. (Electronic Arts)
IMPRESSIONS: This is an ambitious flight sim centered around a so-
called concept prototype built for the U.S. Army in the
late 1980s. Features polygonal graphics on the same
order as MiG-29 Fulcrum, adequate sound, and a
surprisingly easy in-flight control system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Liberty or Death
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The year is 1775. The place is North America's eastern
coast, location of Britian's thirteen colonies in the New
World. The problem is that the colonists have decided
to revolt against oppressive taxation and form their own
country, free from the yoke of British rule. Choose
either side to play in this detailed re-enactment of
the American Revolution.
IMPRESSIONS: An excellent historical sim that makes up in concept and
gameplay what it lacks in sound and graphics.
VARIATIONS: Dokuritsu Sensou (Japanese version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Light Crusader
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treasure
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: In an age of heroes and adventurers, a solitary knight
named David has returned to find his hometown in turmoil.
People have been disappearing and no one seems to know
why. Being a noble warrior and a friend of the king and
the people, David is appointed with the quest of finding
the missing people and stopping the horror that ravages
the town folk. Armed with a sword, the four elemental
magics, and his wits, David must travel to the depths
below the town to stop goblins, a renegade wizard's
guild, and numerous monstrous bosses before his job is
done. (Game Informer)
IMPRESSIONS: An average-looking title. The gameplay could have been
better, but you won't be disappointed if you like RPGs.
(Slam)
VARIATIONS: Relayer (alternate title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lightning Force
see THUNDER FORCE 4 - LIGHTNING FORCE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Link Dragon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Songtly & Jumbo Team
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: An Oriental version of Wild Snake, in which you clear
the screen with your dragon while trying not to touch
the walls or cross your ever-growing tail. The only
problem is that it gets longer every time he eats
something, and that's what you have to do in order to
advance to the next level.
IMPRESSIONS: One of the most unappealing Wild Snake clones that I have
ever had the misfortune to play.
VARIATIONS: There are reports that Sega authorized a Genesis port
of Wild Snake or a close clone for use with the Sega
Channel. It is possible, although unlikely, that those
reports may be a distorted reference to this title, which
was not available in the United States at the time. It
is also possible and indeed highly probable that this
appears in one of the Hong Kong multigame bootleg carts
under another title (see separate entry).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Lion King
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Westwood Studios/Disney Software/Virgin Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Now you can experience the magic and wonder of the movie,
in which Simba the lion must come of age and regain the
rule of the veldt, unlawfully usurped by his conniving
uncle. Based on the hit animated Disney feature film,
which was an unabashed in-your-face direct rip-off of the
classic anime movie Jungle Emperor (i.e. Kimba the White
Lion) by legendary Japanese anime sensei Osuma Tezuka.
IMPRESSIONS: Excellent animation, with your choice of two characters
to play (cub and later adult Simba). Potentially
frustrating in later rounds, and the ending isn't worth
the effort - except in saying that you beat this game.
(Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Little Mermaid
see ARIEL - THE LITTLE MERMAID
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lobo
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ocean
RELEASED: 1996?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Game inspired by the popular comic book series.
IMPRESSIONS: This is supposed to be a hideous platformer, but I have
yet to see any version of the game - let alone a good
screenshot.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lord Monarch
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Falcom
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Lord Monarch combines elements of Warcraft and Populous.
The modest goal is to take over the world. Populate your
domain, then spread out over the rest of the map. Sweep
away the other lands and bring the one truth - yours - to
the rest of the world.... If you're clever enough to get
past the initial world, the warfare moves to the deadly
battleground of fast food restaurants.... (KickAss Games)
IMPRESSIONS: An RPG that doesn't take itself too seriously. The self-
pompous music is well suited to this tongue-in-cheek
adventure. Employs both top-down and isometric graphics.
The kingdom-building and battle systems are among the
easiest to understand for this kind of game, even if you
don't know the language. You don't have to read Japanese
in order to enjoy this game, folks - it's a riot!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lords of Darkness
see the NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Lost World
see the JURASSIC PARK series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Lost Vikings
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Silicon and Synapse/Interplay
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and German
PREMISE: One or two players control the actions and exploits of
Eric, Baleog, and Olaf - a trio of medieval Norsemen with
various talents who wind up having a close encounter of
the third kind on an otherwise quiet Arctic night.
IMPRESSIONS: Just as fun as Lemmings but not as fast-paced, so you
actually have time to sit back, enjoy the gameplay, and
laugh at the occasional slapstick humor and sly graphics
asides. Excellent, excellent!!!
VARIATIONS: The sequel, Norse by Norsewest, was eventually released
for the Sega Saturn.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lotus Turbo Challenge series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gremlin/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Experience the fastest two-player head-to-head racing
you will find for the Sega Genesis. Race the Lotus
Turbo or Elan through a wide selection of cross-country
courses and in all kinds of weather conditions. (culled
from various Electronic Arts press releases)
IMPRESSIONS: A beautiful OutRun clone done Test Drive style, these
games have enough fidgets and widgets to keep even the
most jaded racing sim fan happy for a long time.
VARIATIONS: Lotus Turbo Challenge (1992)
Lotus 2 RECS (1993)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lovely Soldier Sailor Moon
see SAILOR MOON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lufia and the Fortress of Doom (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: You are a descendant of Maxim the hero, who long ago
saved the world from the Sinistrals. Now, monster
attacks are on the rise, and they seem to be connected
somehow with the sudden appearance of an amnesiatic
young girl. Could these both have something to do with
the rumored return of the Sinistrals?
IMPRESSIONS: This legendary SNES RPG was scheduled for release on
the Genesis. Work was already well underway when the
project was cancelled in mid-1995 for reasons unknown.
Protos are known to exist.
VARIATIONS: Estpolis Bibliographica (original Japanese title), also
sometimes referred to as Estpolis Denki
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
M
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: M-Nine Baseball
see THE MIRACLE NINE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: M1 Abrams Battle Tank
see ABRAMS BATTLE TANK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Madden NFL series (9 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: High Score Productions/TH*Q/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The best-selling computer football game of all time is
now available for the Sega Genesis. All the features
that made Madden the Omni magazine "Best Computer Sports
Game of the Year" (1991) are here - player ratings,
matchups, field conditions, injuries, penalties, and
more. Also includes play-by-play analysis, user-
friendly menus, 3D perspective gameplay, instant replay,
and even advice from Madden himself! (culled from various
Electronic Arts press releases)
IMPRESSIONS: Excellent YACEG endorsed by one of the true legends of
the sport. For those of you unfamiliar with American
pro football, John Madden started out as a player, then
moved on to become a coach, then after retiring became
one of the game's most popular television sportscasters.
The basic game engine and outstanding gameplay remained
the same throughout, with all the usual tweaking and
fiddling with the graphics, sound, and user options. It
really doesn't matter which one in the series you get -
they're all worth the trouble. The series spawned many
imitators over the years, but few came close to matching
this football gaming classic.
VARIATIONS: John Madden Football (released 1991, copyright 1990 -
features over 100 of Coach Madden's own plays and team
stats out the wazoo - impressive in itself had not
superior sequels followed)
John Madden Football 92 (the most notable feature of the
sequel is the crude attempt at digital animation
during Coach Madden's lectures)
John Madden Football 93 (the graphics as a whole have
improved considerably, along with the digital
animation - now Coach Madden looks like he's dancing
the rhumba, but at least he's recognizable - also adds
split-screen play calling, quarterback "stop clock"
gameplay, and no-huddle offenses)
John Madden Football 93 - Championship Edition
(identical to its precursor in almost every feature
save one - it also includes the eight greatest NFL
teams up to that time, so now you can relive classic
matchups or try out your favorite what-if scenarios -
this was a Blockbuster videogame rental exclusive)
Madden NFL 94 (first game under the Madden NFL title and
the first featuring the High Score Productions intro
banner, it now includes lots of digitized graphics and
soundbites - miles ahead of its precursors in almost
every respect, the game engine itself would undergo
very few changes from this point forward)
Madden NFL 95 (apparently the choice was made to ditch
all the fancy digital stuff in favor of gameplay, and
it shows - this probably has the best gameplay and
in-game graphics of the entire series)
Madden NFL 96 (somebody must have complained about the
previous game, because this installment includes way
too many digitized graphics and sound for its own
good - the only notable improvement is that this was
the first game in the series to allow four-player
simultaneous play)
Madden NFL 97 (the most balanced game of the series in
terms of flash vs. substance and my personal favorite)
Madden NFL 98 (way too flashy for its own good, it
features a slick but confusing side-slide menu system)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Madou Monogatari
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Compile
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This is a fantasy tale revolving around the cute and
loveable Aruru Nadja, better known as the heroine of the
Puyo Puyo games.
IMPRESSIONS: An old-fashioned but cleverly styled RPG similar to
Shining in the Darkness. (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Road of Magic Story and The Magic Story
Road. There is an SNES version available, and also a
series of three Game Gear games as well.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Magical Taluluto-kun
see MAGICAL TROLL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Magical Hat Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Another run-and-jump based on a popular Japanese kid's
cartoon series, which kinda reminds me of a poor Dragon
Ball clone.
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another Mario World wannabe, right down to the
superdeformed graphics. Not as blatant as Doraemon in
its intentions, but not even half as good.
VARIATIONS: The actual Japanese title is Majikaru Hashito no
Butsutobi Turbo! Daibouken, which translates to Magical
Flying Hat Turbo Adventure. This was released in English
speaking markets with a considerable graphics facelift
under the title Decap Attack, sporting a mock-horror
motif with a headless mummy as the hero. My thanks to
fellow Sega fan Matt Boehland for pointing out the
similarity that the rest of us had missed all this time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Magic Girl
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gamtec
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Details the trials of a little witch whose village is
decimated by a bunch of evil mean nastys, and takes it
upon herself to do something about it.
IMPRESSIONS: I don't usually go for cute shojo shooters, but this one
kinda gets to you - especially after watching the intro.
The cinemas are done in a style similar to that of Clamp
(Magical Knight Rayearth) and gameplay is fairly
challenging for a shojo game, although the could have
done away with the jerky sprites. Not half bad, as far
as it goes.
VARIATIONS: Elite trainer hack (unlimited lives/stars/select level
start)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Magic School Bus
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Scholastic
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Explore and learn about the Sol System in this
interactive educational game based on the popular PBS
animated children's series.
IMPRESSIONS: As a game, it stinks. As a learning tool, it's excellent
and a hit with the preschool set. Save it for the young
ones on snow days.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Magical Christmas Demo (public domain)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Magical
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Hacker demo
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Merry Christmas greets from a 1990s era warez group
known for its offerings.
IMPRESSIONS: Rather simple compared to others I've seen, but it does
the job for which it was programmed. Brings back those
fond hacking memories of my days back on the Commodore 64
and the original Amigas. Sigh....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Magical Troll Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toei/Bandai
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Cute little Japanese platformer centered around a small
blue-haired boy and his friend, the title character of
the game. Inspired by Toei's popular Japanese anime
series of the same name.
IMPRESSIONS: Bright, colorful graphics and top-notch sound are the
highlights of this title. Makes occasional use of
digitized sound sample, but doesn't bludgeon the user
with them like many other games of this sort. Gameplay
is none too shabby, either. You don't need to know the
language - it's straightforward enough and quite fun.
VARIATIONS: The actual Japanese title is Majikaru Taluluto-kun.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mahjongg Club
see STRIP Q MAHJONGG CLUB
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mahjong Cop Ryu
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Take a standard Japanese tile game, graft a story on top
about an undercover detective, and you wind up with this
mess.
IMPRESSIONS: One of Sega's Japanese titles that (thankfully) didn't
make it across the pond. Think Technocop with all the
arcade sequences removed and replace with a traditional
Oriental tile game, and you begin to get the picture.
About as exciting as watching cows crap, unless you're
really into tile games.
VARIATIONS: Mahjong Dragon (alternate title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mall Rats (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: 1995 (planned)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Based on the movie of the same name starring Ben Affleck
and Shannon Doherty about two slackers who, having lost
their girlfriends, engage in all sorts of odd and unusual
antics at the local shopping mall in order to win back
their hearts. Sounds stupid, yes, but the movie turned
out to be a minor hit and a stepping-stone in the career
of Ben Affleck.
IMPRESSIONS: This never made it past the concept stage to the best
of my knowledge, and I'm so glad that it didn't. What
little I know points to an SNES-style Beavis and
Butt-head run-and-jump.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mamona Hunter Yohko - Makai Kara no Tenkosei
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NCS/Masiya
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Yohko is an attractive, perky high-school girl who is
not what she appears to be. In fact, she's really a
demon hunter from a long line of demon hunters. The
underworld is not too happy about her activities, so
they decide to take her out before she can cause them
any more harm. Based on the popular anime OAV series.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics make a determined effort to recapture those
of the videos, and the sound is decent enough. Gameplay
gets fiendishly difficult in places.
VARIATIONS: Trainer hack (gives you 30 extra lives at the start)
Known in English-speaking countries as Devil Hunter
Yohko - The Seven Bells, which is a translation of the
Japanese title.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Man Overboard - S.S. Lucifer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Codemasters
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Your job is to rescue the passengers of a doomed ocean
liner that is slowly sinking and filling up with water.
IMPRESSIONS: At least the concept's original, if nothing else.
Moderately entertaining.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Manchester United Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Krisalis/Ocean
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Full-blown YACEG soccer sim centered around one of the
UK's more popular teams. Has a variety of options,
including both top-down and isometric playing views.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks decent enough, judging from the screen shots, but
I can't find a copy of the G/MD version of the game to
evaluate!
VARIATIONS: According to Krisalis, the G/MD version is unique and not
to be confused with the equally excellent SNES/SFC game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Maou Action
see MYSTICAL FIGHTER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Marble Madness
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Racing (other)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Race marbles down surreal courses. Fall off the edge as
often as you want - just don't let the timer run out.
(Rage Games)
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics are absolutely incredible, and it supports
two player simultaneously. I love this game dearly, and
not just because of my affection for marble mazes. I
just wish it wasn't so short. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mario Andretti Racing
AUTHOR/VENDOR: High Score Productions/Systemsoft/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: First-person racing sims have come a long way since Night
Driver (oops, there I go, dating myself again), but the
basic idea is still the same - go as far as you can and
as fast as you can in the shortest possible time. A
YACEG Formula 1 racer graced by Mario Andretti, one of
the legendary drivers of the sport.
IMPRESSIONS: A typically excellent EA product that should please just
about everybody out there. My only gripe is with the
sprite scaling, as I prefer Domark's fast polygonal F1
game engine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mario Lemeiux Hockey
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ringler Studios/Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Sports (ice hockey)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: One of the first (if not the first) hockey sim for the
Genesis, endorsed by well-known Canadian player Mario
Lemeiux.
IMPRESSIONS: An old and aging YACEG that might have been somewhat
impressive when first released, but has been stomped
mercilessly into the dirt by EA's NHL series ever since.
Don't bother unless you're looking for something simple.
VARIATIONS: This game was ported to the SNES/SFC about a year later
under the Virgin banner, carrying the title of Super
Slapshot
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Marko's Magic Football
AUTHOR/VENDOR: The Cartoon Mavericks/Domark
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: An evil toymaker is bent on taking over Sterlington with
his secret sludge formula, and Marko is the town's only
hope.
IMPRESSIONS: A Mario wannabe that comes pretty damn close, except that
gameplay is way too slow even with the help of your magic
soccer ball. Still, it's well worth the look.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Marko Soccer. An Elite trainer-hacked
version is also available.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Marsupilami
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Marsu/Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: You play a yellow marsupial with an extremely long tail
with which you can do all sorts of things to help your
slow-witted elephant pal. Inspired by the syndicated
animated TV series.
IMPRESSIONS: Another almost-but-not-quite-there Mario clone. Takes a
while to master, and many people will get frustrated long
before then.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Marvel Land
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: The bad guys have taken over the kingdom of Coni, so it's
up to you to save 'em.
IMPRESSIONS: This is a rather sad Super Mario clone that even its
superdeformed graphics and decent sound can't save from
mediocrity.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Talmit's Adventure
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are the title character, the animated cadaver created
by Baron von Frankenstein as part of a laboratory
experiment to discover and harness the essence of life.
Inspired by the live-action film starring Robert de Niro,
itself rather loosely based on the original novel by Mary
Shelley. I'm told that this was originally released as
a Blockbuster rental exclusive.
IMPRESSIONS: Yawn...another movie spinoff....zzz......zzzzzz......
sknxxx......zzzzzz......sknxxx......zzzzzz......sknxxx
......zzzzzz....................
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Master of Monsters
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Systemsoft/Toshiba EMI
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: An early fantasy-themed strategy game built around those
hexagonal battle maps that us old-school strategy buffs
have groan to love (heh, heh, sorry about that).
IMPRESSIONS: Resembles a straightfoward conversion of a traditional
tabletop strategy game, and as such will be boring to
anybody except a dedicated strategy fan. Newbies may
want to consider more flashy, less traditional fare.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Master of Weapon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A top-down shooter similar in both style and gameplay to
that old arcade fave Megaforce.
IMPRESSIONS: Although different in style and level development, this
has the same air to it as Darwin 4081, and just about as
entertaining.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Maten
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Sixteen years ago, your adopted father rescued you from
the clutches of a vile demon who had taken you away from
your real parents. Now he has passed on, and the time
has come for you to face your destiny and challenge the
forces of darkness that would keep you from it. That's
what it looks like, anyway - sorry, but I can't handle
the kanji....
IMPRESSIONS: This game looks, well, "8-bitish." (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: This is not to be confused with the sci-fi RPG for the
SNES/SFC by Takara. The actual full title is currently
unknown to us Westerners.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Math Blaster
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Davidson Software
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You play the title character, hero extraordinare and top
pilot in the Galactic Patrol. An evil alien nabs your
sidekick Spot and leaves a nasty trail of garbage in his
wake. Can you clean up the mess and save your friend?
IMPRESSIONS: One of the best selling math games ever made, it
skillfully combines learning with fun. Covers all four
major math operations (addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division) and has twelve skill levels
for your enjoyment. Highly enjoyable for all ages.
VARIATIONS: Also known as In Search of Spot and Math Blaster Episode
One. There is considerable evidence for the existence of
a G/MD port, although nobody seems to have it now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Maui Mallard
see the DONALD DUCK series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mazin Saga - Mutant Fighter
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Dynamic Planning
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The Earth has been devastated as the result of an
invasion by the alien Godkaiser Hell and his biobeasts.
What remains of humanity has fled underground, giving the
aliens free run of the planet's surface. This situation
is about to change, though, as Dr. Kabuto has created a
new mecha that can deal with the aliens on their own
terms. Created by Go Nagai (Cutey Honey) and loosely
derived from the classic anime series Manzinger Z.
IMPRESSIONS: This has some of the smallest characters I've ever seen
in a MegaDrive platform fighter, although I'm told that
they're true to the original story. Average gameplay.
Nice music, though.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Mutant Wars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: McDonalds' Treasure Land Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treasure
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Colorful run-and-jump staring the spokesperson for the
McDonalds fast-food joints, Ronald McDonald. He is
wandering aimlessly through the woods one day (as usual),
when he finds a piece of a treasure map. Excited at his
discovery, he decides to find the rest of the map and
thereby find the treasure. This was originally produced
at the time as a special nationwide promotion for the
Japanese franchises.
IMPRESSIONS: I usually think of Yu Yu Hakusho or Gunstar Heroes
whenever I see the Treasure logo gracing a game. It's
discomforting to know that they made some losers along
with their many winners. Don't get me wrong - it looks
and sounds great, and plays pretty decently, but the
whole concept sucks. I'll pass, thank you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: McKids
see GLOBAL GLADIATORS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mechwarrior 3050
see BATTLETECH
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Bomberman
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hudson Soft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: What plot? While the Bomberman addicts will launch into
this whole long spiel about the little fella, his world,
and his many friends and foes, here's the premise in its
basics. This is a multiplayer action game in which the
object is to clear a maze of obstacles. The fun come out
of laying bombs (hence the title) to blow up obstacles in
your path, loose monsters, and (of course) your fellow
opponents (snicker, snicker). Hidden power-ups under
some of the obstacles are revealed when you clear them,
and come in various flavors. The first one to the exit
in the center of the playing field wins. It's a souped-
up version of Pengo that substitutes high explosives for
the moving ice blocks, and it's a blast!
IMPRESSIONS: One player mode is awful - plant a bomb, watch it blow
up, then move on. Start adding other players, though,
and the ensuing chaos will keep everybody up all night.
While lacking the sophistication of some of the later
SNES releases, it's still a ton of fun. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Sometimes referred to as Bomberman 94. See the separate
Bomberman entry for more information on the develpment of
the Genesis port of this popular game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Games series (6 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: These were multigame packs released to the European
MegaDrive market, though a couple did make it to the
U.S. under other names. Please look under the
individual game titles for their respective reviews.
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another way for Sega to make a fast buck with its
older titles. Grab 'em while you can, because many of
these classics are no longer available separately.
VARIATIONS: Mega Games 1 (Super Hang-on, Columns, World Cup
Italia 90)
Mega Games 2 (Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Revenge of
Shinobi)
Mega Games 6 Volume 1 (all six titles in Mega Games 1
and 2)
Mega Games 6 Volume 2 (Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of
Rage, Columns, Sega Soccer, Super Monaco Grand Prix,
Revenge of Shinobi)
Mega Games 4-in-1 (Gunstar Heroes, Flicky, Alex Kidd,
Altered Beast - also know as the Classic Collection
4-in-1 here in the States)
Mega Games 10-in-1 (Tec Toy release in Portuguese that
has Sonic, Super Shinobi, Super Monaco GP, and 7 other
unknown titles)
Genesis 6-Pak (American version of Mega Games 6 Volume 2
- identical except for Super Monaco Grand Prix, which
was replaced by Super Hang-On)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega-Lo-Mania
see TYRANTS - FIGHT THROUGH TIME
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Probotector
see CONTRA HARD CORPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Q - The Party Quiz Game
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Quiz show
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A fast-paced and colorful title adapted from one of
Japan's most popular TV game shows. You can choose from
a number of options, including home or TV show rules.
Ported from the hit Japanese arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: It's a helluva lot better than Gametek's flat offerings
of such American quiz shows as Wheel of Fortune and
Family Feud. Its major drawback is that the entire game
is in Japanese, so you're S.O.L. if you don't know the
language.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega SWIV
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sales Curve/Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A terrorist organization has been stealing lots of
conventional and advanced military hardware from around
the world in their plan to sieze control of the planet.
A special ops force is sent to their island headquarters
using the most advanced ground and air armed and armored
to date, with orders to exterminate with extreme
prejudice.
IMPRESSIONS: Though inferior in some ways to the SNES version in terms
of graphics and sound, the stellar two-player gameplay is
still intact, and the levels and enemies have been
improved for the Genesis. This is worth considering if
you've played the SNES version so many times that you're
desperate for a change. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Firepower 2000 (name of SNES version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Trax
see QUAD CHALLENGE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Turrican
see the TURRICAN series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Twins
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Port of the popular superdeformed arcade platformer from
a while back about a pair of cute little warriors and the
cute little monsters they spend most of the game fighting
off in order to complete their various missions.
IMPRESSIONS: Colorful, cute graphics with a heavy Japanese influence.
Gameplay is only average. Otaku should take a look,
others should not. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Chiki Chiki Boys (Japanese original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: MegaDrive 2-in-1 (2 titles included)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Realtec
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Two game cart featuring two simple platform games - Funny
World and Balloon Boy
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Erronously referred to in previous versions of G3 as
Funnyworld Balloon
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: MegaMan - The Wily Wars
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A triple-pack of the first three MegaMan games, and the
only title in the series available for the Genesis. For
those of you unfamiliar with the series, MegaMan is an
average young man who has been equipped with special
cybernetic implants with which to battle the ever-growing
lineup of enemies at the beck and call of the evil Dr.
Wily, who dreams of taking over the world.
IMPRESSIONS: The MegaMan series is famous for its stellar gameplay.
Graphics are spartan but well designed, enemies and
bosses are perfectly engineered, and gameplay is
challenging but never cheap. Awesome control, lots of
weapons, cool moves - in short, it's perfect platform
perfection. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: RockMan - Megaworld (Japanese original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: MegaMan X3
see ROCKMAN X3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Megapanel
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Yet another Japanese Tetris clone from the arcades, but
this one sports a pseudo-Mexican motif.
IMPRESSIONS: Cute and colorful, but not original. Puyo Puyo does it
it better in all aspects. Still worth looking at if you
need the change in scenery.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Menacer 6-in-1
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A collection of six small games included with Sega's
light gun add-in, the Menacer. Most of them feature
colorful graphics, and all are pretty playable. Whack
Ball (yes, Whack Ball) uses the gun like a mouse. (Rage
Games)
IMPRESSIONS: Pretty boring, even the Toejam and Earl game. There are
better Menacer-supported carts in the G/MD library, but
I guess they needed something cheap to go with the gun.
VARIATIONS: The following titles were on the original cart:
Frontline, Pest Control, Rockman's Zone, Whackball,
Space Station Defender, and Ready! Aim! Tomatoes!
(starring Toejam and Earl).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mercs
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: The rogue nation of Quira has recently developed the
ability to build and deploy ballistic missiles. Fearing
that this would upset the global balance of power, the
United States sends two of its Wolf Force spec-ops troops
to take out this threat (sigh - there go those nosy
Americans again, telling the world what they should and
should not do - so hypocritical, those bullies). This
of course will involve lots of shooting and blowing stuff
up, and these "mercs" love that sort of thing....
IMPRESSIONS: A Commando clone with lame graphics and gameplay. Don't
bother. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: The Japanese version is known as Commando 2. It appears
to be a sequel to the arcade verion of the same name.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Metal Fangs
AUTHOR/VENDOR: JVC
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (other)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Anybody who remembers the short film "Running Man" from
MTV's Liquid Television or the Streamline video release
Neo-Tokyo will immediately recognize the style and flavor
of this game, in which the drivers are cybernetically
linked to their hyped-up antigrav sleds.
IMPRESSIONS: Fast, smooth, and cool. A must for racing fans!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ultimate Productions
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Michael Jackson saves the kidnapped kids from mobsters,
street punks, zombies, and whatever else happens along.
Inspired by the music video anthology. Features digital
renditions of some of the singer's best known hits from
the 1980s - "Beat It," "Smooth Criminal," "Thriller,"
"Another Part of Me," "Billie Jean," and "Bad."
IMPRESSIONS: A fun game, even for Michael Jackson - not as good as
other arcade games, but still mildly entertaining. It
can't touch the original video, though. The best reason
to get this is for the music. I may not be overly fond
of the artist himself, but he did some great tunes back
then, and they're well worth the listen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mickey Mouse series (6 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Disney Software
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of arcade games of various quality featuring
Disney's number one animated star, Mickey Mouse.
IMPRESSIONS: I never was a really big fan, but most of these arcade
games do the franchise justice. At worst they are run-
of-the-mill, at best they are as fantastic as only Disney
can produce. Get 'em and judge for yourself.
VARIATIONS: Castle of Illusion (1990 by Capcom, released in Japan
under the title Mickey and Minnie's Magical Adventure -
Mickey must save Minnie from the clutches of the evil
witch Mizrabel)
Mickey's Ultimate Challenge (1991 by Hi-Tech Expressions,
you can play as Mickey or Minnie as they get to take
part in a fairy tale themed adventure)
Fantasia (1991 by Infogrames, loosely derived from "The
Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of the movie in which
Mickey must recover all the notes missing from his
master's music)
World of Illusion (1992 by Illusion Soft, released in
Japan as Fushigina Majiku Bokusu - Mickey and Donald
are practicing a magic act and are sucked into a world
of real magic by an evil magician)
The Great Circus Mystery (1994 by Capcom, released in
Japan under the title Mickey and Minnie's Magical
Adventure 2 - a retooled take on Castle of Illusion in
which you must rescue several missing circus animals
from a haunted house)
Mickey Mania (1994 by Sony Imagesoft, guide Mickey
through recreations of several of his classic cartoons)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Micro Machines series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Codemasters
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (various)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You get to drive around in those little vehicles that
Galoob sells by the ton on some very strange tracks -
like the bathtub, on the dining table, and so on. You
even get to choose your driver from some rather crazy
looking characters. (Skyline)
IMPRESSIONS: Helluva funny concept. You don't have to enjoy racing
games to have fun with these. (Skyline)
VARIATIONS: Micro Machines (1993)
Micro Machines 2 - Turbo Tournament (1994)
Micro Machines 96 (1995, aka Micro Machines Tournament
Edition)
Micro Machines - Military Edition (1996, developed by
Supersonic Software)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Midnight Resistance
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A really original premise - you are a lone soldier duking
it out with an army of enemies. Now why hasn't somebody
come up with this before, eh?
IMPRESSIONS: A good action game, with good playability and an awesome
arsenal for your soldier. (Marco Aurelio Lopez)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: MiG-29 Fighter Pilot
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Domark
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Flight simulator (military)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Here's a change of pace for a flight sim - try your
skills with Russia's top dogfighting aircraft! Oh, and
what a great little piece of work it is in real life,
too. A port of the game originally produced for the
personal computers of the day.
IMPRESSIONS: Typical for a polygonal flight sim of the period, but
more playable than the Genesis port of F-15 Strike Eagle
2. Reminds me a lot of the Amiga version of itself and
the original Falcon. This is my personal favorite among
the Genesis flight sims, and it makes a nice bookend to
F-117 Night Storm.
VARIATIONS: The original was called MiG-29 Fulcrum, after the plane.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Might and Magic series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: New World Computing/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of Bard's Tale style RPGs developed during the
days of the almighty Amiga and ported to the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: Popular dungeon crawlers that I remember well from the
many copy parties I attended. Old, but still kinda fun.
The music kinda grates on the ears, though.
VARIATIONS: The first game is not available on the G/MD.
Might and Magic - Gates to Another World (1991, aka Might
and Magic 2)
Might and Magic 3 - Isles of Terra (1993)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mighty Max, The Adventures of
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ocean
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Colorful and non-violent run-and-jump based on the
syndicated animated TV series created in Britian.
IMPRESSIONS: A youth-oriented cartoonish-looking platform that is at
best moderately challenging.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bandai
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Platform fighters inspired by the American TV series and
movie derived from a popular cannibalized Japanese TV
series dealing with the exploits of five powersuited
teenagers battling incompetent villans on the streets and
oversized monsters with their "zords." 'Nuff said.
IMPRESSIONS: Dreadfully easy and somewhat reminescent of Double
Dragon 2, yet both games have nice graphics and lots of
moves.
VARIATIONS: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (1994)
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers - The Movie (1995)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mike Ditka Power Football
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade/Ballystix
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Early YACEG football effort for the Genesis featuring
Mike Ditka, who was at the time coach of the Chicago
Bears - the Super Bowl champion American footbal team.
IMPRESSIONS: Before Unnecessary Roughness, Accolade put forth this
poor excuse for a Madden clone. You know, this cart
makes a great prop for that one short leg on the sofa.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Military Commander series
see the DAISENRYAKU series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: MineDemo (public domain)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kevin Banks
RELEASED: 1998
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The author's attempt at recreating an underdeveloped port
of the classic game Minesweeper for the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: Not bad for a PD effort - in fact, it's probably Mr.
Banks' best effort so far at developing for the console.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Minnesota Fats - Pool Legend
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (pool)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG billiards sim featuring the legendary pool player,
who is probably best known for his appearance in The
Hustler as the champion pool player that Paul Newman's
character is determined to defeat.
IMPRESSIONS: A top-down arcade-style pool sim endorsed by one of the
sport's greatest legends. Not bad, although the story
mode is downright laughable. Still, I'll take Side
Pocket any day of the week.
VARIATIONS: The Pool Master appears to have been the name of this
game's working title.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Miracle Piano Teaching System
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Software Toolworks
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This nifty cartridge allowed you to connect your G/MD
to a stripped-down MIDI digital keyboard and do all sorts
of neato musical things.
IMPRESSIONS: Lots of hype when it was first released, then quickly and
rightly forgotten.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Miracle Nine
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A cute-looking and cute-sounding chan-style baseball sim
that never made it overseas.
IMPRESSIONS: Reminds me an awful lot of the Pawafuru Puroyakyu series
of baseball sims for the SNES, but tons better all
around. Really easy to figure out even if you don't know
the language, and one of my personal favorites.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Misadventures of Flink
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Vic Tokai/Psygnosis
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Flink, an apprentice wizard, is appointed by the people
of his island to rescue their four elders from the hands
of the Demon Guardians, servants of the sinister Wicked
Wainwright.
IMPRESSIONS: The boys from Scotland do their own impression of a
Wonderboy clone, and it's a pretty good one at that.
The only real complaint that I hear from the peanut
gallery is that the color palette is too dark.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: MLBPA Baseball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: EA's first attempt at a pro baseball sim on the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: A real winner, as far as baseball sims go. Has all the
adjustable options one would expect, as well as top-notch
gameplay. The only thing missing is an all-out brawl.
(Game Guides)
VARIATIONS: EA's Triple Play series is the follow-up to this game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mondu's Fighting Palace
see SLAUGHTER SPORT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Monica series
see the WONDERBOY series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Monopoly
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Magical/Papillion/Parker Brothers
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This has to be one of the most popular board games to
program, as I've seen versions and variations for every
personal computer system to date. Up to eight players
can take part in a surprisingly realistic real estate
speculation game - who will be the first to get a
monopoly and break the other players?
IMPRESSIONS: This Genesis version is identical in almost every way to
its counterparts on other contemporary consoles - which
is to say that both graphics and sound are limited, but
nothing can take away from the spectacular gameplay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Monster Hunter (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1997 (planned)
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An unreleased Menacer game. May have been inspired in
part by the Italian monster movie Anthropophagus 2, which
is better known by the shorter and more succinct title of
Absurd.
IMPRESSIONS: Some have said that this concept sparked the idea for
what would eventually become House of the Dead. Sounds
logical enough, but I don't have any evidence to back it
up.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Moonbase (public domain)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kevin Banks
RELEASED: 1998
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An early alpha of a shareware space shooter.
IMPRESSIONS: Lunar Lander with guns; leastways, that's what it looks
like. The graphics are pathetic and the game control is
horrible. The author admits that he quit when he got
stuck during game design, so maybe that's a good thing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Moonwalker
see MICHAEL JACKSON'S MOONWALKER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mortal Kombat series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe/Sculptured Software/Midway/Acclaim
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: There are many worlds besides our own, many realms where
both good and evil hold sway. For centuries, Shang Tsung
of the Outworld has sought to control the Mortal Kombat
tournament for his own ends. Now a new champion must
arise from our world that will fight to the bitter end
and put an end to Shang Tsung's ambitions. This video
game series was so popular that it spawned both a live-
action and an animated TV series, and a live-action movie
starring Christopher Lambert as Rayden.
IMPRESSIONS: It is the considered opinion of most video game experts
that the MK games are more hype than they are substance.
Their opinion is that they are flashy SF2 clones that
don't always deliver the goods. That didn't keep Midway
from selling copies by the bucketful, and the Mortal
Kombat franchise has been one of its most profitable
ventures since its inception. Perhaps its reputation as
a violent game with lots of blood-letting during the
fights is what gave the series its overhyped reputation.
VARIATIONS: Mortal Kombat (1993, featured the now-familar cast of
Earth and Outworld fighters in their first contest -
by far the worst graphically of the bunch, as the
jerkiness and poor digitzation show)
Mortal Kombat 2 (1994, the contest moves to the Outworld
as Sonya Blade continues her pursuit of Kang - this
introduced several new characters and is generally
considered to be the best of the Genesis series)
Mortal Kombat 3 (1995, even more characters join the
roster as the Outworld launches its invasion of Earth -
nice graphics and decent gameplay, but the jerky
animation has unfortunately returned)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995, same as MK3 but with
several "enhancements," including more blood and gore
during the fight scenes)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mr. Chunga
see OTSOMATSU-KUN HACHAMECHA GEKIIO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mr. Nutz
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ocean
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The title character is a cute and loveable squirrel who
journeys through his woodland domain taking care of all
all the fruits, vegetables, and nuts that have "gone bad"
(audience groans). No, I mean it - that's the plot in
a nutshell! (whizzzzzzz...thwak) Owww! That hurt!
IMPRESSIONS: A pretty decent Ghosts 'n' Goblins clone. Nice graphics
and adequate sound are offset by less-than-challenging
level design and a stupid premise. Even so, the platform
fans will find enough to keep them busy. The only thing
missing from the SNES version is the zoom-in scaling at
the stage stars, but that was unnecessary to begin with.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ms. Pac-Man
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco/Tengen
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Maze game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The sequel to a classic arcade game. More of the same,
but with different mazes and a female bit-chomper this
time around.
IMPRESSIONS: A fairly decent port of the popular arcade classic,
but the up-and-down scrolling of the screen gets old
fast.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: MTV Extreme Sports (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gray Matter/Viacom
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Sports (multievent)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Summer Games style multievent competition based on the
weekly MTV series, which highlighted some rather unusual,
er, sports.
IMPRESSIONS: Unknown - none of the scattered references I've found
offer any opinions on the game.
VARIATIONS: Appears to have been abandoned for reasons unknown. A
working proto is thought to exist.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Muhammed Ali Heavyweight Boxing
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Park Place Productions/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (boxing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Relive the career of celebrated heavyweight boxer Cassius
Clay, better known as Muhammed Ali.
IMPRESSIONS: A nice combination of spirtes and polygonal scenery,
although this does tend to slow the game down at times.
This is one of the few boxing sims I've seen where
footplay is important, as it was with Ali in real life,
One of the best titles in its genre for the Genesis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mulan
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: 1999
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A self-sacrificing young girl takes her brother's place
in a warlord's army and goes on to become a hero. This
is based on the Disney movie of the same name, itself
loosely inspired (and I mean VERY LOOSELY) on a popular
Chinese folktale.
IMPRESSIONS: First of all you have the typical post-Walt product from
Disney that completely tears apart the original story and
retools it with an inferior one of its own. Second, this
is another one of those infamous Hong Kong bootleg
products, which means that it is a pale imitation of the
actual game (whatever that was for). Bad movie, bad
game, bad hack. Don't bother.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: M.U.L.E. (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ozark Software/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The theory is simple enough - assume the role of one of
several spacefaring races and attempt to gain control of
a space colony through resouce management. The execution
is not so easy, though, as the other colonist compete
with you in a cut-throat competition of land grabs, price
wars, and downright nasty power politics. An update of
the Commodore 64 original by the author himself, the
legendary (and now deceased) Dan Bunten.
IMPRESSIONS: "I almost got a Sega Genesis version through EA in 1993,
but at the alpha phase they insisted on adding guns and
bombs (or something similar) to "bring it up to date."
I was unable to comply." (Dan Bunten, from the GrubSoft
interview)
It's been generally assumed from the late Mr. Bunten's
interview that the alpha copy for M.U.L.E. still exists,
but has yet to see the light of day. Others were
apparently willing to listen, and ports are available for
other systems (the NES in particular).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: M.U.S.H.A.
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Seismic Software/Compile
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: There were going to be five of you going up against the
massive enemy assault. The others have been blown out of
the sky, though, so it's just you and your MUSHA mecha
against the entire armada. From the creators of Space
Megaforce, the legendary arcade shooter for the SNES.
IMPRESSIONS: Great gameplay and an excellent weapons system. I'm
annoyed by the ancient Oriental look of the enemies, but
that's about my only gripe. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Aleste - Full Metal Fighter Ellinor (original Japanese
version)
The term M.U.S.H.A. stands for Massive Unit Super Hybrid
Armor. There is a sequel availalble for the Mega CD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mutant League series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (various)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: These are supposed to be futuristic depictions of popular
American pro sports. Not to be confused with the Mutant
League animated series.
IMPRESSIONS: Loud, proud, and dumb - these games go too far overboard
in their attempts to be unique.
VARIATIONS: Mutant League Football (1993)
Mutant League Hockey (1994)
Mutant League Basketball (1995? - unreleased, may not
even exist for the Genesis)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mystic Defender
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Shueisya
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: Zareth, henchman of the evil king Zao, has kidnapped
Alexandria, daughter of the supreme deity, and imprisoned
her deep within the ancient Azuchi Castle in Japan. He
plans on using the captive maiden's lifeforce to revive
his fallen master. Enter Joe Yamato, loner and powerful
user, who decides to take Zareth on single-handedly and
stop his plan before it can be completed. Based on a
little-known Japanese anime TV series named Peacock King.
IMPRESSIONS: Appealing but unimpressive graphics, and lackluster
gameplay. Even if you could find a copy, it wouldn't be
worth the time. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Kujaki-Oh 2 and Peacock King 2 are the common Japanese
references; also often erroneously referred to as KP Cock
2 by some sources. There were at least two different
anime TV series based on the original premise; this game
was inspired by the second one.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mystical Fighter
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito/Dreamworks
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English, Japanese, and Portuguese
PREMISE: Imported Japanese platform fighter seemingly inspired by
the Japanese theater style known as kabuki. Leastways,
that's what the characters resemble for the most part -
angry kabuki actors, garish makeup and all.
IMPRESSIONS: Graphics are reminescent of Karateka or Budokan. Rather
old and primitive by today's standards.
VARIATIONS: Kabuki Mau Renjitsu, Maou Action, Maou Ren Jishi
(Japanese version, three different titles)
Kabuki Quantum Fighter (?)
Legend of Kabuki (Portuguese version?)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
N
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Nadia no Fushugi no Umi
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Nadia is a dark-skinned teenage orphan who works with her
pet lion cub at a 1880s-era travelling circus. Jean is a
young inventor who dreams of buidling his own working
flying machine. Their paths cross once Nadia is targeted
for abduction by a crime syndicate, who thinks she is the
key to finding the sunken continent of Atlantis. In
their efforts to escape their pursuers, Nadia and Jean
flee to the oceans, where they have an unforgettable
encounter with the legendary Captain Nemo - the one
person who holds the key to Nadia's mysterious past.
Based on the phenomenal Japanese anime TV series.
IMPRESSIONS: One of the best anime-to-console adaptations I've ever
seen, and the best available for the Genesis. It's easy
to get lost if you don't know Japanese, but there are
English-translated videos of the TV series available to
help you get started. This is a must for RPG fans.
VARIATIONS: Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water (English translation of
the original Japanese title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NBA Action series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sega's standard in-house pro basketball game.
IMPRESSIONS: Something about the game changed in a major way every
year, and not always for the best. It stated off with
such promise, then went downhill fast. I'd rather stick
with EA's NBA Live series instead.
VARIATIONS: NBA Action 1994 (1994, pseudo-3D perspective and the best
of the series that I've personally reviewed)
NBA Action 1995 (1995, actual programming by Double
Diamond Studios - a horrid YACEG with a laughable 2D
game engine and a token endorsement by David Robinson)
NBA Action 1996 (1996, no info available)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NBA All-Star Challenge
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Flying Edge/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The irrepressible Flying Edge grist mill churns out yet
another quick Genesis title - this time, it's a clone of
EA's Super One-on-One.
IMPRESSIONS: It's a bad imitation of a superior game. 'Nuff said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NBA Hang Time
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Funcom/Midway/Williams
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Midway does their own NBA Jam one better in this release,
but the premise is the same - two-on-two basketball,
arcade style.
IMPRESSIONS: This features fast and furious gameplay, an avowed
emphasis on individual showmanship, and some of the
smoothest animation to be found in the genre. The only
real drawback is the sound, which is not on a par with
the rest of the game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NBA Jam series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sculptured Software/Midway/Acclaim
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The arcade basketball sim that has since become the stuff
of legend. Hardware was somewhat limited when this game
was being developed, so the programmers opted to reduce
the number of players in order to allow up to four people
to play the game at the same time without having to worry
about what any computer-controlled players were doing.
A wise move, in retrospect, as this was quite popular in
its day and spawned a number of sequels and ports. The
chief programmer was one Steve Snake, better known
nowdays as the author of the KGen G/MD emulator and the
brains behind the classic Sega game collection known as
the Sega Smash Pack.
IMPRESSIONS: Two-on-two basketball, without having to worry about
things like fouls and the laws of gravity. Seriously,
though, the pure action approach can be appealing even
if you're not a basketball fan. Up to four players
supported. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: NBA Jam (1993, the original and rather limited port of
the arcade game, and the only one that includes
legendary NBA player Michael Jordan)
NBA Jam - Tournament Edition (1994, has bigger team
rosters, more hidden characters, and court hotspots)
College Slam (1996, a somewhat enhanced version of NBA
JAM TE featuring top college teams - the best in the
series, according to original programmer Steve Snake)
This game was ported to almost every major home console
in production during the late 1990s. It is Steve Snake's
considered opinion that the 32X port is the best, and
that the Sega CD port is among the worst. See separate
entries in the respective sections for more detais.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NBA Live series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: By the time that the mid 1990s rolled around, EA's
standard basketball game engine was beginning to get
downright creaky. They decided to rewrite the whole
thing from scratch, developing an new isometric engine
for 16-bit platforms and a full-perspective polygonal
engine for 32-bit platforms. These are the Genesis ports
of the 16-bit games, and they carry on the EA tradition
of sporting sim excellence.
IMPRESSIONS: When you first see the opening sequence of NBA Live 95,
you know this series isn't going to be like anything that
preceeded it - and it isn't. Many game historians
consider the NBA Live series to be the finest basketball
sims ever created for a 16-bit platform, and it's easy
to see why. Great graphics, great sound, great gameplay,
user options out the wazoo - for what more could a fan
ask? If you consider yourself a serious Genesis gamer,
then you need to have at least one of these in your
cart collection. Hey, they're from by EA Sports - what
better advertising do I need?
VARIATIONS: NBA Live 95 (1994, first appearance of EA Sports'
fantastic isometric game engine for basketball sims)
NBA Live 96 (1995, minor improvements over the original,
adds the "create player" option, considered by many to
be the best in the Genesis series)
NBA Live 97 (1996, manages to fall a notch or two below
its predecessor - not because of the game itself, but
it's "happenin'" style, which turns many players off)
NBA Live 98 (1997, one of the last Genesis games released
and the last of the 16-bit versions of the game)
Coach K College Basketball (1997) also uses the NBA Live
game engine - see separate entry for more details
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NBA Playoffs series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It's time for the NBA Playoffs, and only the best will
make it all the way to the final game. A series of
basketball sims highlighting the teams playing in the
NBA post-season tournament for a given year.
IMPRESSIONS: Pretty standard basketball sim in the same mold as
Double Dribble, but with superior sound and graphics.
VARIATIONS: Lakers vs. Celtics (1990, features an expanded NBA
1990 tournament schedule and the 1990 All-Star Team)
Bulls vs. Lakers (1991, features an expanded NBA
1991 tournament schedule and the 1991 All-Star Team)
Team USA Basketball (1992) uses the NBA Playoffs game
engine - see separate entry for more info
Bulls vs. Blazers (1993, has all 16 1992 NBA playoff
teams plus the All Star teams, as well as the
signature moves for certain well-known players)
NBA Showdown 94 (1994, one more outing for this aging
basketball sim, great sound and gameplay, somewhat
better-looking player sprites)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NCAA Final Four Basketball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mindscape
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Computerized basketball sim of the 1995 NCAA college
basketball tournament.
IMPRESSIONS: Make no mistake - this is NOT Coach K. Still, it's
pretty decent, and the animation is quite fluid - no
doubt due to the SNES-sized players. You're better off
with Coach K, but this makes a palatable substitute if
you can't find that legendary game.
VARIATIONS: Sometimes erroneously referred to as NBA Final Four 95.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NCAA Football
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mindscape
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: College football sim highlighing the teams of the NCAA.
IMPRESSIONS: A none-too-shabby effort that manages to deliver the
goods, although it pales in comparison to the likes of
EA Sports. The tiny SNES-style graphics are compensated
for somewhat by decent gameplay and sound. Makes a
decent stand-in for the Bill Walsh games.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: New Horizons
see the UNCHARTED WATERS series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The New Zealand Story
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are the only kiwi chick left in all of New Zealand,
because a nasty walrus has bagged all of your buddies.
Your job - rescue them.
IMPRESSIONS: Stupid premise, but this is a cute and rather addictive
Mario clone that has inspired a following of its own.
VARIATIONS: Kiwi Kraze (alternate title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NFL Football series (7 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sega's in-house pro football sim - a YACEG series that
went with Joe Montana as its spokesman until the 1996
release, when the decision was made to use Deion Sanders
instead. The second, NFL Sportstalk Football, was the
very first videogame to feature a running commentary, and
was the subject of a special feature on the British
television program Tomorrow's World.
IMPRESSIONS: The series got progressively better as time went on, and
by the end could rightly be called a decent competitor
to the Madden NFL series. I find its auto zoom mode
quite irritating, but that's a personal pique.
VARIATIONS: Joe Montana Football (1990, an obvious port of the 8-bit
Master System game - old and forgettable)
NFL Sportstalk Football (1992, also called Joe Montana 2,
Joe Montana Football 92 - Sega's first football game
to employ its "Sports Talk" feature, which gave you
phenome-based running commentary during the game)
NFL Sportstalk Football 2 (1993, also called Joe Montana
3, Joe Montana Football 93 - first use of the zoom
feature which focused in on the action immediately
around the ball handler during gameplay)
NFL 94 (1994 by Double Diamond Studio, also called Joe
Montana 4, Joe Montana Football 94 - the series finally
starts to play like a decent football sim, featuring
an overhauled game engine and making good use of
digitzed sound samples)
NFL 95 (1995 by Double Diamond Studio, also called Joe
Montana 5, Joe Montana Football 95 - little more than
a rehash of the previous year's release with some more
tweaking of the game engine)
NFL Prime Time 97 (1996, aka Prime Time NFL, NFL 97,
Deion Sanders Prime Time Football - Joe Montana's
endorsement is ditched for Deion Sanders' in this
highly regarded YACEG)
NFL Prime Time 98 (1997, aka NFL 98 - little changed
from its predecessor)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NFL Quarterback Club series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Iguana Entertainment/Acclaim
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A top-notch professional football simulation in the same
vein as EA's John Madden series.
IMPRESSIONS: These games represent a formidable challenge to EA's
Madden franchise. They are so much alike in many
respects that you would think Iguana either cloned or
back-engineered the Madden game code. Great graphics,
great sound, great gameplay. Play for yourself and
decide which is best.
VARIATIONS: NFL Quarterback Club (1994)
NFL Quarterback Club 96 (1995)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NHL All-Star Hockey 95
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (ice hockey)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sega's take on a professional ice hockey sim.
IMPRESSIONS: Damn, this is smooth! I think this may be the only time
I'll ever recommend a Sega Sports title over an EA Sports
title in a given genre (boo! hiss! goes the EA peanut
gallery). Be careful out on the ice, though, because
the other guy's stick isn't always aimed at the puck!
VARIATIONS: This must be part of a series of such games, but so far
I've only seen the one.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NHL Hockey series (8 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Park Place/High Score/TH*Q/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (hockey)
LANGUAGE: Czech, English, German, and Swedish known - possibly
other versions exist
PREMISE: Real hockey, real players, real action. Skate with the
game's greatest players as you go head-to-head with over
500 professional hockey stars. Challenge faster, more
more intimidating goalies, injure key opposing players,
and track individual player stats. (Electronic Arts)
IMPRESSIONS: This series has earned a worldwide reputation for its
overall excellence, and its easy to see why. Excellent
sound and graphics throughout the series, and the
gameplay ROCKS, plain and simple.
VARIATIONS: This series was released under the name Elitserien in
the German and Scandanavian markets, and under the name
EA International Hockey in other world locales. The only
real difference is that those titles feature teams and
players from around the world instead of the American
National Hockey League (NHL). The variants listed below
are the American ones, but should also apply to their
non-American cousins under the appropriate name.
NHL Hockey 91 (the first in the series - not as
impressive graphically as its sequels, but a good
start nonetheless - the Euro variant is referred to as
"EA Hockey - European League" in Bruce Cantin's Genesis
FAQ)
NHL Hockey 92 (so much like the first game, except for
the team rosters, that it's often hard to tell them
apart - one clue is the different artwork used in the
title screens)
NHLPA Hockey 93 (significant improvements in graphics,
sound, and gameplay, and the best in the series before
High Score Productions got their on-screen credit)
NHL Hockey 94 (not as good as its immediate precursor,
the game tunes just plain stink - what a waste)
NHL 95 (the first of the High Score games, and a big
improvement over the previous installment)
NHL 96 (the most balanced of the NHL Hockey series, and
the "house favorite" among fans of the sport)
NHL 97 (no observable difference between this and NHL 96
apart from the music and the team rosters; there is
also a user-hacked Czech version apparently out there)
NHL 98 (identical to NHL 97 for all practical purposes
aside from the team rosters)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NHLPA Hockey series
see the NHL HOCKEY series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Nigel Mansel series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gremlin Graphics
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (Formula One)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of Formula One YACEGs featuring celebrated
Indy car driver Nigel Mansel.
IMPRESSIONS: Easily the rival of Domark's F1 series, and some of the
smoothest-looking gameplay you'll ever see in the genre.
VARIATIONS: Nigel Mansel's World Championship (1993, marketed by
Gametek)
Newman Haas Indy Car Racing (1994, marketed by Acclaim -
the better of the two games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Nightmare Circus
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You get to investigate some mysterious goings on at the
big top in this mildy horror-themed arcade-style game.
IMPRESSIONS: Ho, hum, yet another platformer from Sega. At least the
concept is original and the sounds are cool. Tends to
be frustratingly difficult, though.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ninja Burai Densetsu
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: The legendary Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga has been
reincarnated as an evil demon lord bent on conquering
the world. You, a lone ninja, are destined to defeat
him - but you'll need a little help along the way.
("Death")
IMPRESSIONS: An early and rather complex strategy game in the same
vein as Shining Force, but more like Master of Monsters
or Warsong. Gameplay could be better, but it's worth a
try. (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Buraiden and by the English translation of
its title, Legend of the Ninja Warrior.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ninja Gaiden
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tecmo/Hudson Soft
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: Mixed English and Japanese texts
PREMISE: Compilation of the three games in the Ninja Gaiden
series, which were originally released on the NES.
IMPRESSIONS: A solid action game, with stellar graphics (in most
stages, anyway) and a variety of weapons. The story is
told intermission-style between stages with awesome
cinemas. Unfortunately, the latter stages tend to be
frustratingly hard. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Ninja Ryukenden Tomoe is the original Japanese name. The
Genesis release is often referred to as the Ninja Gaiden
Trilogy for obvious reasons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: No Escape
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Based on the Ray Liotta movie about a former military
officer found guilty of insubordination who is trying to
escape his sentence (and his fellow prisoners) from a
futuristic Devil's Island style prison.
IMPRESSIONS: Pretty standard platform fare, as far as Sony goes. Yes,
it's yet another retooling of the Beast 2 engine (just as
Dracula was). A definite drop from the normal level of
excellence you expect from Psygnosis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Nobunaga's Ambition trilogy (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: This is Koei's highly regarded historical strategy series
based upon the life and exploits of Oda Nobunaga, the
heartless Japanese warlord who is grudgingly given credit
for unifying the nation under the Emperor's rule during
the latter part of the 16th century AD. Nobunaga's
efforts were eventually solidified into the Japan we know
today by one of his chief lieutenants - Tokugawa Ieyasu,
first of the Tokugawa shoguns.
IMPRESSIONS: One of the most ambitious historical sims yet conceived
and second only to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
series in terms of worldwide popularity. Pretty standard
stuff as historical sims go, but well done and gives you
a chance to experience some of the history behind one of
the oldest continuous monarchies in the world. Highly
recommended.
VARIATIONS: Nobunaga no Yabou Shin Chou (1988, English and Japanese
versions available, English version titled Nobunaga's
Ambition - first in the series, deals with the rise of
Oda Nobunaga as a formidable warrior)
Nobunaga no Yabou Haouden (1989, English and Japanese
versions available, English version subtitled Lords of
Darkness and sometimes referred to as Shogun or Billy
Shogun - starts in 1535 after the burning of the
Imperial Palace and covers Nobunaga's early military
campaigns)
Nobunaga no Yabou Bushou Fuun Roku (1990, Japanese only,
alternate English title is Rising of the Sun - deals
with Nobunaga's later military campaigns in the years
leading up to his assasination and the rise of his two
chief lieutenants - the brillant Hideyoshi and the
crafty Tokugawa)
I have seen a listing for another Koei title - Nobunaga
no Yabou Busho Fuun Roku, but I'm not sure if it's one
of the above or a unique listing; hence, I have not
counted it among the unique titles.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Normy's Beachbabe-o-Rama
AUTHOR/VENDOR: High Score/Realtime Associates/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Space aliens have kidnapped the beautiful beach babe
goddess and her handmaidens, and it's up to nerdy Normy
and his magic time-travel sunblock to save them. No,
I'm not making this up - that's really the premise!
IMPRESSIONS: The guys at EA must have decided to take a collective
breather and let off some steam when they came up with
this weird little game. It reminds me of a cross between
Leisure Suit Larry and a Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon.
The humor is uneven - funny in places and stale in others
- but it's not for lack of trying. An original attempt
at a platform game, and not bad at all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
O
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Olympic Games series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: U.S. Gold
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (multievent)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: A series of multievent Olympic sports games in the spirit
of the old Epyx games for the Commodore 64.
IMPRESSIONS: A fair start, but gets better as the series goes. By the
time you get to the last one, you won't even remember the
first. U.S. Gold shows with this series that it can
learn from its mistakes and make better sequels, unlike
some distributors....
VARIATIONS: Olympic Gold - Barcelona 92 (1992, more resembles the
arcade hit Track and Field than it does Summer Games)
Olympic Winter Games - Lillehammer 94 (1994, leaves
Accolade's Winter Challenge far behind in almost
every category)
Olympic Summer Games - Atlanta 96 (1996 by Black Pearl
Software, also known as Atlanta 96 and the Centennial
Olympic Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Omega Race
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pure-Byte
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the popular vector graphics arcade game that is
best described as playing Space Invaders on a racing
track.
IMPRESSIONS: Bland, but so was the original. Plays as good as it ever
did.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Onslaught
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nextgrand LTD/Spotlight Software/Ballistic
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An old Amiga fantasy-themed action game ported to the
Genesis by the guys at Ballistic.
IMPRESSIONS: It was a mediocre game then, and it still is now. Don't
waste your time messing with this when there are so many
superior games in the same vein out there.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Ooze
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You're a worker drone at a toxic chemical plant who
made the mistake of accidentally stumbling upon a
company scandal. Ever grateful for your intervention,
the evildoers flush you down into a chemical sludge tank,
convinced that they've put an end to your ass. Not so
fast, fellas - instead, the sludge has transformed you
into an amorphous green ooze with unusual abilities -
talents which you will need to settle with those bastards
and put an end to their little schemes!
IMPRESSIONS: Interesting and original, this is a great little action
game that probably got overlooked for the same reasons as
Comix Zone. A bit tricky to master at first, but well
worth the effort.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Operation Europe - Path to Victory 1939-1945
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Now you can refight the major European land battles of
World War 2. Choose your side (Allies or Axis), manage
your resources, deploy your forces, and roll with the
flow of battle. Adjust to ever-changing circumstances
and experience the chance to rewrite history more to
your liking! Who will win this time? Only you can
decide the final outcome.
IMPRESSIONS: This does for WWII's European theatre what P.T.O. does
for the Pacific theater. I didn't like this as much as
I did P.T.O., but that's probably my naval bias showing
through. Features the usual solid Koei gameplay, and
recommended for history or strategy buffs.
VARIATIONS: World War II (Japanese original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Otsomatsu-kun Hachamecha Gekiio
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: You play a goofy-looking boy with a slingshot running
around on a tropical island tangling with the locals and
the usual platform pratfalls. Appears to have been
inspired by a children's manga or anime series.
IMPRESSIONS: A rather lame and hackneyed Super Mario Brothers clone
obviously intended for a juvenile audience. If you don't
have it, then you're not missing anything.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Mr. Chunga and Mr. Otsomatsu
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Ottifants
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Graftgold
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Platform game based on the popular European animated
comedy series.
IMPRESSIONS: A colorful and cute game that's decent enough as far as
gameplay goes.
VARIATIONS: Prerelease German-language demo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Out of This World
see ANOTHER WORLD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Outback Joey
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Heartbeat
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Exercise accessory
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This cartridge contained software and hardware that
interfaced with a specially constructed exercise bike (!)
for home use.
IMPRESSIONS: This is the largest and most ridculous accessory ever
built for the G/MD system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Outlander
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mindscape
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An arcade-style take on the sci-fi cult classic film
The Road Warrior, second in the Mad Max trilogy. In a
post-apocalyptic future, you cruse the highways of the
Outlands trying to find enough fuel and supplies to keep
moving and thereby stay alive. The Outland is not a
pleasant place, though, as there are biker gangs and
wasteland toughs bent on stopping you any way you can.
IMPRESSIONS: Successful combination of action and car racing in the
same style as TechnoCop. In short, an excellent game
that has aged gracefully and is still fun to play - which
is more than can be said of Nintendo's "official" Mad Max
game for the NES. In fact, while it doesn't look as good
as the SNES version, it plays a lot better. Grab a copy
and hit the road!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: OutRun series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Back in the Stone Age of full-color arcade games (that
would be post-Reagan), Sega decided to reinvent the
first-person racing game. The end result was Super
Hang-On, and it proved so popular that they decided to
retool it as an auto racing game, tweaking the game
engine in the process for better performance. Thus was
the road racing legend known as OutRun born. In this
series, you (and oftimes your girlfriend riding shotgun)
get to take part in a long cross-country road race that
measures not only your endurance but your ability to stay
on the road while avoiding various obstacles, such as
other vehicles coming at and from behind you. Spawned
several successors and many, many imitators; however, its
the original that everybody from that time remembers.
IMPRESSIONS: The one and only - Sega's road racing classic! All of
the entries are quite faithful to their arcade originals,
which means that they have the same bonuses and flaws.
Get the original because it's a classic; get the others
because they're cool, too.
VARIATIONS: OutRun (1991, ported straight from the arcade, complete
with your girlfriend riding shotgun, the multi-leg
California road race, and your choice of the original
BGM tunes - kinda slow compared to the original, and I
I tend to prefer the faster Amiga version, but still
enjoyable)
Turbo OutRun (1992, same idea as before but this time
you're in a race across the United States - not all
that different gameplaywise, but one can note slight
improvements in the game engine that would be more
fully realized in the next entry)
OutRun 2019 (1993 by Sims Co. LTD, released in Japan and
certain other markets under the title Junkers High -
this time the road race is set in the future, but you
get to drive a turbo-assisted rocket-powered car on a
rather difficult track that has some new hazards not
seen in the earlier entries)
OutRunners (1994, ported straght from the arcade - it's
the classic OutRun revisited but adds a split-screen
two-player head-to-head mode and gives you a small
selection of cars frim which to choose - this is in
most fans' opinion the best game of the Genesis series)
There are two other titles in the series available for
the Sega Master System - Battle OutRun and OutRun Europa
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
P
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pa-Penga
see PENGO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pac-Man series (3 titles)
Because of the decidedly different nature of these games,
they have been listed separately....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pac-Attack
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A Tetris clone featuring the Namco characters that seems
to have been derived from the Japanese title Cosmo Gang
Puzzle.
IMPRESSIONS: Not as good as Columns, and not as cute as Puyo Puyo, but
still fun to play.
VARIATIONS: Pac-Panic (European release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pac-Man 2 - The New Adventures
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The entire cast of characters of the Pac-Man games star
in this side-scroller. It seems that Inky, Binky, Pinky,
and Clyde (aka "the ghosts") have teamed up with new
ally who could prove to be trouble for Pac-Land. Can
Pac-Man and his family take on the newcomer? We'll see!
IMPRESSIONS: Definitely a unique approach to the concept. This time
around, Pac-Man has a series of quests to complete, and
instead of guiding him directly you ask him to move left
or right. Depending on his mood he may or may not
listen, and you can use a slingshot to get his attention
or knock threats out of the way. Nice graphics and great
humor. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pac-Man
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1989?
TYPE: Maze game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are Pac-Man, a little yellow sphere with a very big
appetite. Your job is to eat all of the power pellets in
the maze without the four-ghost tag team getting you
first. Converted from the popular Namco arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Deceivingly simple, this game was a legend in its own
time. I dunno anything about the MegaDrive version, but
I suspect that it was originally an unreleased Tengen
prototype port.
VARIATIONS: The only known source for this game is the Mega Multi
7-in-1 bootleg cart.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pac-Mania
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco/Sculptured Software/Tengen
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Maze
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A pseudo-3D update of the original arcade classic.
IMPRESSIONS: A 3D Pac-Man game with the debatable ability to jump
added to the mix. Graphics are impressive enough to
warrant the loss of playability. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pac-Panic
see PAC-ATTACK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pachinko Canyon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SoftVision
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Adventure/pachinko simulation
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: You take on the role of a superdeformed Chinese girl
who is on a sacred quest and stumbles across pachinko
heaven nigh to the Great Wall.
IMPRESSIONS: Does it play in Las Vegas? No, but that would have been
the perfect location for this odd and boring game.
(Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Also known on the Internet as Gamble Hall, although I'm
unsure as to why. That was an entirely different game
that was part of the Pachislo series of platformers for
the SNES.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pacific Theatre of Operations series
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: You get to choose sides in recreating several of the most
famous naval battles in the Pacific theater of World War
II. It's United States against Japan, and it's your
chance to rewrite history.
IMPRESSIONS: One of my all-time favorite WW2 strategy sims, probably
due to my naval background. All historians agree that
the one thing that stemmed the Japanese tide was the
"miracle at Midway" - but what if Japan had won outright
the Battle of the Coral Sea days before? What if they
had retaken the Phillipines in the Battle of Leyte Gulf?
What if the last legendary mission of the superbattleship
Yamato had been successful? You can refight these and
other battles controlling either the U.S. or Japanese
fleets in this excellent release. It makes a great
bookend to Operation Europe.
VARIATIONS: Known in Japan as Teitoku no Ketsudan. The sequel was
released for the Sega Saturn
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Pagemaster
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are cast in the role of a bookish young boy who gets
sucked into a world filled with characters from his
favorite fiction. Inspired by the live-action film of
the same name starring MacCauley Caulkin.
IMPRESSIONS: It's on a par with Disney's better arcade titles and
about as memorable; still, it does indulge in the
occasional cheap shot just for unfairness' sake.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pang
see GHOST HUNTER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Panorama Cotton
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Success/Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A 3D first-person perspective arcade shooter whose plot
concerns the misadventures of a superdeformed red-headed
witch. This was but one of many products inspired by a
well-known and popular Japanese manga character.
IMPRESSIONS: Gameplay is actually halfway decent, with lots of
oncoming stuff to dodge and shoot. Lots of powerups,
and options which can fly in different formations.
Graphically, this game is astounding - from the
picturesque anime-style cinemas to its polygonal
scrolling backgrounds. Unfortunately, the scaling is
rather choppy - as is common with games of this type.
It's no competition for the SNES StarFox, but man - it
was oh-so-cool for thes time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Panzer Commander
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Systemsoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A World War 2 based historical strategy game in which you
get to fight massed tank battles as only the Germans can.
Remember - they wrote the book on tank warfare, and the
word "blitzkrieg" is now part of the military vocabulary
as a result.
IMPRESSIONS: Extensive use of isometric and digitzed graphics coupled
with a better sound mix than one would expect for a
strategy sim make this an enjoyable experience for all -
even if you're the type that locked you G.I.Joe or Action
Man away years ago. This is unquestionably the best tank
battle sim available for the platform.
VARIATIONS: I'm told that the actual Japanese name is probably Kishin
Daisenryaku (i.e. "battle-tank commander"). Most folks
simply call it Panzer or "the Genesis Panzer game."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Paperboy series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Tengen
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Race your bike down the street, chucking newspapers at
peoples' porches. Hit a burglar and make the news
next day, hit a window and lose a subscriber. This is
only a small taste of what the game is like. (Rage
Games)
IMPRESSIONS: This is one of the all-time gaming classics, both well
thought out and well executed. It's worth at least the
look, although the isometric perspective does take some
adjustment. That may account for the mixed review that
Rage Games gave, noting that "gameplay isn't the best."
VARIATIONS: Paperboy (1991, the original, plays slow as molasses on
a New England winter's day)
Paperboy 2 (1992, the sequel, plays a lot faster and has
loads more eye candy and hazards - you can also pick
between paperboy or papergirl, which female gamers will
welcome - this is the one to get)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pat Riley Basketball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring the famous coach of the NBA Los Angeles
Lakers.
IMPRESSIONS: Sega's first stab at a 16-bit hoops game is like many of
its other titles from the period - that is to say, great
idea but lackluster execution. The graphics are on the
cartoonish side (even the digitized ones), the sound mix
tends to grate on the ears, and the in-game cinemas tend
to bog down the game right at those points where it needs
to play fast. There's no point in wasting your time on
this one, what with so many other superior titles
available.
VARIATIONS: Super Real Basketball (all non-American markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Patlabor
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ma-Ba
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: It is the year 2001. Tokyo Bay has been dammed and then
drained for real estate development. At the heart of
this project are the Labors - giant mecha developed for
heavy-duty use. Equipment such as this obviously has
both lawful and unlawful uses, so the Patlabor Mobile
Police was developed to help control this new technology.
As one of the members of the famed SV2 Second Unit, your
job is to ensure that law and order concerning the Labors
is maintained. Inspired by the classic anime OAV series.
IMPRESSIONS: Presents you with a variety of missions and objects just
like the anime, not all of which require you to draw your
gun. You also have to train your Ingram police mecha to
your particular style, and it learns new moves as you
become accustomed to its use. You can even practice
between missions to enhance your skills. Most of it is
dreadfully easy (except one or two spots), but the best
parts are the gameplay and the character interaction -
even provided that all texts are in Japanese! That will
lose a lot of folks right there, but it's highly
recommended for Patlabor fans. (Anime SFC Resource
Center's review for the identical Super Famicom game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Payne Stewart Golf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1996?
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring the famed Missouri professional golfer
who died in a dramatic plane crash in October 1999.
IMPRESSIONS: Unknown - commercially released, but no info available.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pebble Beach Golf Links
AUTHOR/VENDOR: T&E Soft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Take your pick of four different male and female golfers
along with your choice of caddies, and select a variety
of golf game types - from practice all the way to full
tournament play.
IMPRESSIONS: A truly fantastic golfing sim that came pretty damn close
to dethroning Leaderboard on my all-time favorite list of
golfing sims. Highly detailed courses and some excellent
background tunes as well. Animation tends to be a bit on
the jerky side, and it has the same course-building lag
time problem as EA's PGA Golf series. Offers options and
flexibility that Leaderboard could only dream about. If
this isn't the all-time best Genesis golfing sim, then
it's a no-brainer for the number two spot.
VARIATIONS: Pebble Beach no Hatou (Japanese version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pele Soccer series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Radical Entertainment/Accolade
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG European football game featuring the endorsement
of the greatest player to date who has played the game.
The soccer entry in the Accolade Sports series.
IMPRESSIONS: This poor man's EA Sports FIFA clone borrows (or steals)
a lot from its competition, including the isometric field
view - except that Pele's slants in the opposite
direction of FIFA's. The other differences are more
subtle, but one gets the impression after playing for a
while that EA's FIFA engine is more robust and offers
better gameplay than Accolade's Pele engine. Good enough
to recommend grabbing if you can't get your hands on any
of the FIFA games.
VARIATIONS: Pele Soccer (1993)
Pele's World Tournament Soccer (1994, also known as Pele
Soccer 2 or just Pele 2 - better graphics and sound,
but that's about it)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Penga
see PENGO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pengo
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese combined text
PREMISE: It's the standard save-the-world plot, except in this
incarnation you play a cute blue penguin whose primary
weapon is kicking things, like ice blocks, at his foes.
A 16-bit update of a beloved arcade classic.
IMPRESSIONS: Classic arcade gaming fans and Bomberman fans will love
this single-player game, that while similar to Bomberman
in overall style lacks its spontenaiety and fast-paced
gameplay. It can get challenging, though, especially in
the later rounds. Hours and hours of mindless fun, and
a must for any true gamer's collection.
VARIATIONS: Penga (Japanese release, the kana in the game title
actually translates as Pa-Penga)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pete Sampras Tennis series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Codemasters
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (tennis)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring Pete Sampras, one of the better-known
players of the sport in the late 20th century. Standard
tennis sim fare, so far as it goes. Features a first-
person behind-the-back view of the court, your choice of
multiple male or female players, and your pick of several
different styles of play - including head-to-head and
mixed doubles.
IMPRESSIONS: The difference between the two games in this series is
like the difference between Hunts Catsup and Heinz
Ketchup. The first one is only mildly interesting at
best, whereas the second one could give Wimbledon a run
for its money.
VARIATIONS: The working name for the first game was Tennis All-Stars.
Pete Sampras Tennis (1994)
Pete Sampras Tennis 96 (1995)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: PGA Tour Golf series (5 titles
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enter the world of big-time professional golf as you
compete with pro golfers on some of the best courses in
the game. Includes a unique 3D putting grid and instant
replay, as well as a useful gamesave option to assist in
tracking your stats. (Electronic Arts)
IMPRESSIONS: Though not the rival of World Class Leaderboard until
late in the series, it has gameplay options that WCLB
sadly lacks. The graphics got better as the series
progressed, resulting in notorious slow build times for
the courses. If all you're interested in is quick and
dirty gameplay, then get the original; but if you want
a real looker with maximum options, then get the 1996
release. I still prefer WCLB, but I can see how people
might be attracted to this series.
VARIATIONS: PGA Tour Golf (1991 with game design by Sterling Silver
Software - has only four courses and simplistic
gameplay at best, but has few problems with the slow
build times that plagued the later games in the series)
PGA Tour Golf 2 (1992 with game design by Polygames -
this was the first one to have real problems with slow
course build times)
PGA Tour Golf 3 (1994 with game design by Polygames and
High Score Productions - an improvement over its
predecessor, but still plagued by slow course build
times)
PGA European Tour (1994 with game design by Polygames -
features European greens and pros)
PGA Tour 96 (1995 with game design by NuFX - without a
doubt the best playing and best looking game in the
series - not as many courses and pros, but the lush
graphics make up for that)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Phantasy Star series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English, Japanese, and Portuguese
PREMISE: A multigenerational saga that mixes together elements of
the sci-fi, fantasy, strategy, and RPG genres. The
underlying thread that unites the series is that of an
ancient evil which arises in various forms to threaten
the peaceful existence of the inhabitants of the Algo
star system. Time and again it is defeated, only to rise
again in an even more threatening form with each new age,
until a climatic confrontation is forced in the fourth
and final installment.
IMPRESSIONS: This is for Sega Genesis/MegaDrive fans what the Final
Fantasy series is for the various Nintendo platforms.
It is an ABSOLUTE MUST if you an RPG fan. The third game
in the series doesn't quite fit, as it deals with a side
story, but the fourth and final installment was such
a huge success that it inspired its own anime TV series
in Japan. Its continued popularity can be judged in part
by the demand for the rare G/MD cart of the first game.
Don't just take my word for it - play the series and see
for yourself!
VARIATIONS: Phantasy Star (aka Phantasy Star MD, PSMD - initally
released for the SMS in 1988, rereleased 1993 in a
special anniversary edition for the MegaDrive limited
to just 1000 copies - it is the rarest known commercial
G/MD cart in existence with a current street value of
around US$200 - nevertheless, it's an exact copy of the
Japanese SMS game, folks)
Phantasy Star 2 (1989, the direct sequel to the first
game - according to Chochobo's RPG Ranch, it has the
best ending of any game in the series and can hold its
own against PS4 - there also seems to have been a
a variation or derivative with modem support released
in Japan that was documented in Mega Play issue #2)
Phantasy Star 3 - Generations of Doom (1991, released in
Japan under the title Tokino Seishousha - deals with
a side story in the saga, as three generations of
characters interact, marry, and breed to raise a new
crowd to do the same - four different endings based on
how the game is played)
Phantasy Star 4 - The End of the Millenium (1993, also
released in the United States under the title The Final
Terror - takes all of the previous games, even PS3 to
some extent, and ties them together into one grand
finale)
I would also like to note that the entire series is
available on one big multigame CD in Japanese for the
Sega Saturn - provided you can still find it - and there
is an active campaign underway to get Sega to port this
collection to IBM PC platforms. There are also at least
a dozen or so Game Gear "side story" games, which were
eventually collected and released on two separate discs
in the Game no Can series for the Mega CD in Japan.
According to Steve Snake, Sega did consider porting
one or more of the "regular" Phantasy Star games to the
Sega CD, but nothing ever came of it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Phantom 2040
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Viacom New Media
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It is the year 2040, and things are out of control in the
city of Mertropia. The Madison corporation is executing
an ambitious scheme to take control of the world, while
at the same time the Free Orbital movement is engaging
in terrorist activities to suport its own cause. Someone
has to care, and that someone is a legendary superhero
who has existed since the dawn of recorded human history.
He is "the ghost who walks" - the Phantom. Based on the
syndicated animated TV series, itself inspired by the
long-running Hearst Publications comic strip.
IMPRESSIONS: If Super Metroid on the SNES wasn't enough for you, then
this may be the next game to try. Decent action, nice
graphics, and excellent atmosphere. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Phelios
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are Apollo Phelios, the god of dawn. The evil deity
Typhon has kidnapped your sister Artemis, so you ride to
her rescue on the mighty winged steed Pegasus....
IMPRESSIONS: A playable but otherwise unimpressive shooter. Worth a
glance, but little more. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pigskin 621 AD
see JERRY GLANVILLE'S PIGSKIN FOOTBRAWL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pink Goes to Hollywood
AUTHOR/VENDOR: TecMagik/Head Games
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Pink Panther has nothing better to do, so he decides
to see what gives over in Hollywood. Inspired by the
cartoon character created by De Paitie/Freleng Studios,
with background music based on the cartoon soundtrack by
legendary composer Henry Mancini
IMPRESSIONS: It's your basic run-and-jumper, but one helluva looker
and sounder. The graphics are true to their origins as
well as the plot, although the bad guys are in sad need
of more animation frames. The digital rendition of the
classic Mancini score is first-rate, considering the
limited hardware involved.
VARIATIONS: Also referred to as The Pink Panther and The Pink Panther
Goes to Hollywood
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pinocchio
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Disney Interactive/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You play the title character, the little wooden puppet
created by the Italian carpenter Geppetto who, despite
his many failures along the way, honestly wants to become
a real human boy. Based on the beloved Disney animated
feature, which was itself adapted from the classic
children's novel by Carlo Collodi.
IMPRESSIONS: Your typical Disney platfomer - looks great, sounds
great, plays fair. The kids will eat it up.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Pirates of Dark Water
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Iguana Games/Sun Corporation
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The world of Mer is slowly being taken over by a viscious
liquid known as Dark Water. Your job is to make your way
past many perils and dangers in order to recover the
thirteen lost treasures of the Crown and thereby save
Mer - unless, of course, the pirate captain Gloth and his
henchmen stop you first. Pick your hero - Ren, the
youthful prince, Loz, the two-fisted pirate, or Tula, the
sprited heroine. Features three quests from which to
chose, and even lets you change heroes duing gameplay.
Based on the short-lived animated series by Hanna
Barbara, and features story elements that were not
explored due to the cancellation of the series.
IMPRESSIONS: A wonderful adventure game. (Marco Aurelio Lopez)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pirates! Gold
AUTHOR/VENDOR: MicroProse
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: As a privateer captain, you'll criss-cross your way
along the untaimed Spanish Main in search of adventure!
You'll lead your crew of wild buccaneers along the
open seas of the 17th century Caribbean and into new
harbor towns! And you'll risk your booty and your life
in bold attacks upon enemy ships. A very rare and
awesome game!!! (Player's Choice)
IMPRESSIONS: This game is held in high regard by many gamers for a
variety of reasons - the premise, the graphics, the
excellent gameplay, to name but a few. Worth the look
and a weekend or two to boot. Ranks right up there with
the Phantasy Star series.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pitfall - The Mayan Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Activision
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A complete overhaul of the original 8-bit classic that
probably owes its inspiration to the Indiana Jones saga.
This time around it's Pitfall Harry who's in trouble with
the natives, and it's up to his son to use the tricks of
the family trade and save his dad.
IMPRESSIONS: Nice graphics and great character animation, but the
game is loaded with cheap hits and impossible bosses.
The original Atari 2600 version hidden within is probably
its best feature. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pit-Fighter - The Ultimate Competition
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Tengen
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A side-view head-on-head fighter with crappy digitized
graphics that was years ahead of Mortal Combat in both
concept and style. Ported from the arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Old and dated. This was a hit when it first came out,
but Mortal Combat quickly relegated it into dusty
obscurity. This makes the MK series look good as far
as gameplay goes, which says a lot. About the only nice
feature I found was the crowd, which will throw you back
into the fight if you stray too close to them. That's
not enough to justify ownership, though. Discard and
destroy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pocahontas
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Disney/Funcom/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Pocahontas is a brave Amerind maiden, a free spirit among
her people, who takes a liking to the handsome stranger
who calls himself John Smith and came in the very large
canoe from across the Big Lake. Inspired by the animated
Disney feature, which took MANY LIBERTIES with the
original historical tale.
IMPRESSIONS: This is the best of the Disney platformers to date. It
has a heavier-than-usual puzzle bent, and some are quite
frustrating to solve, but the ability to switch among
characters is a big help. It's a game that will keep you
coming back for more, if only to say that you beat it.
(Ann Chovy)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Poltergeist Report
see the YU YU HAKUSHO series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Pool Master
see MINNESOTA FATS - POOL LEGEND
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Populous series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bullfrog/Electronic Arts/Virgin Games
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Known as "the god game" when first released, this award-
winning title allows you to create, populate, modify, and
wreak havoc upon your worlds. Ported from the almighty
Amiga original, it spawned two sequels and many clones.
IMPRESSIONS: The original is a true gaming classic that retains all
of its majesty despite the passage of time. The sequels
are even more impressive, but it's too bad that the
third and final installment (Populous 2 - The Challenge
Games) never made it to the Genesis.
VARIATIONS: Populous (1991)
Populous 2 - Trials of the Olympian Gods (1992, also
known as Wrath of the Gods and released in Europe as
Two Tribes - this time you're not alone in the god
game, as over two dozen of the most powerful deities
on Mt. Olympus challenge your right to be counted among
their number - biggest improvements are the deity
creation system and the ability to summon multiple
effects at once)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Athlete
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kaneko
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Kaneko's attempt at a straightforward Street Fighter 2
clone - nothing more, nothing less.
IMPRESSIONS: A below-average versus fighter, with gameplay and
graphics that are a far cry from SF2 standards - or even
Art of Fighting, for that matter. (The Norseman)
VARIATIONS: Deadly Moves
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Challenge Golf
see JACK NICKALUS TURBO CHALLENGE GOLF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Drive
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rage Software/U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: An off-road racing sim in the traditional European vein -
which means compact cars, not monster trucks (awwww, goes
the American audience).
IMPRESSIONS: A nice change-of-pace from the usual crowd of racing sims
with a slant-view perspective. Looks nice, sounds nice,
plays well. Has a decent selection of options, and you
can use your winnings to upgrade your car. Kinda hard to
steer, though, even after you've played it a while.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Instinct
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Altus
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The focus of the rather limited plot is on the defending
fight champion Oume - a gnarled old hag who's actually
a first-class fighter and can transform into a vivacious
beauty by absorbing her opponents' vitality. Yes, it's
another SF2 clone, but at least the plot and characters
are original.... (Anime SFC Resource Center)
IMPRESSIONS: Has a few original touches, but suffers from frequent
sprite flitter and harsh digitized sound. Worth the look
though, if your eyes can take it.
VARIATIONS: Goutekuji Ichizoku (original Japanese title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Rangers
see MIGHTY MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Rangers - The Movie
see MIGHTY MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS - THE MOVIE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Wing
see SLAP FIGHT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Powerball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Sports (invented)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: No, this has nothing to do with the lottery - it's a
Japanese Speedball clone. Still confused? Think rugby
in power suits.
IMPRESSIONS: Yawn...Speedball was so much better....
VARIATIONS: Wrestle Ball (all non-Japanese markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Monger
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bullfrog/Sprytes/Electronic Arts/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: From the designers of Populous comes and unprecedented
game in which you fight battles, invent new technologies,
make alliances, or spy on your enemies. In a world
without kings, power is the only law. Unite each
territory under your control by either word or sword, or
or face bitter defeat at the hands of other powermongers.
Your choice of human or computer oppoents. (Electronic
Arts)
IMPRESSIONS: Power Monger has even more addictive qualities than
Populous (Computer Gaming World)
VARIATIONS: The sequel, Power Monger - World War I Edition, is not
available for the Genesis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Predator 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Teeny Weeny Games/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Isometric shooter based on the movie of the same name
starring Danny Glover. You play a tough New York cop
who deals everyday with the usual mix of gun-toting
thugs and hyperarmed drug dealers. Today is going to
be different though, because unknown to you a Predator
has picked your precinct as the perfect hunting ground
in which to sharpen his skills.
IMPRESSIONS: The movie was a total departure from the original, which
may explain why it was so good. The game itself isn't
bad, if you don't mind aimless wandering and shooting
in the pseudo-Contra mode. The Chaos Engine it ain't,
but it's still fun.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Premier Manager series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gremlin
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: So many sports sims put you out on the playing field.
These put you in the owner's box, as you try to manage
the various repsonsiblities involved in both owning and
maintaining a viable pro sports team. If can somehow
shepherd your team to the championship, then you can cash
in on the profits! If not, well, you can always go back
to shoveling manure.... An update of the 1982 Spectrum
computer classic.
IMPRESSIONS: This is as close to a strategy-style sim that you'll find
in the sports genre, and makes up in originality what it
lacks in attractiveness. Hey - at least it tries to be
different, guys!
VARIATIONS: Premier Manager (1995, the original)
Premier Manager 97 (1996, lots of updated features and
graphics)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pretty Girl Mahjong
AUTHOR/VENDOR: City Man Technologies
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Tile game (adult)
LANGUAGE: Chinese
PREMISE: An adult tile game in the same vein as Western strip
poker. Beat the girl, see the goods.
IMPRESSIONS: I'd like to tell you more about it, but I can't play
mahjong! (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Primal Rage
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe/Time Warner
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Welcome to the planet Urth, where humanity has reverted
to barbarism and ferocious dinosaurs vie for supremacy
over them - aw, forget the crap. It's a versus fighter
in the Street Fighter 2 mode featuring digitized stop-
motion dinosaurs.
IMPRESSIONS: A poor port of the arcade original, and the digital
beasties are so bad that you'll think you're watching a
16mm film print of The Valley of Gwangi. Still, it's
nice that the Genesis version has that neat quicke power-
up option (munch, munch, slurp, gulp - belch - phtui!).
Too bad the SNES version isn't as ballsy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Prime Time NFL
see NFL PRIME TIME
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Prince of Persia
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Broderbund/Domark
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: As the dashing young Arabian hero, you must rescue your
love - the sultan's daughter - from a forced marriage to
the evil vizer. It's not going to be easy, though - the
vizer has gotten wind of your plans and had you
imprisoned in the deepest dungeons of the palace. Can
you escape, fight your way through his guards, and defeat
the vizer before time runs out? An updated version of
the classic 8-bit original by Jordan Mechner.
IMPRESSIONS: Great graphics and animation, and the swordfighting
sequences are cool. It's too bad that the need to plan
each move gets tedious after a while. However, if you
don't mind the sluggish gameplay and occasional
frustration, then it can be quite fun. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: The sequel, The Shadow and the Flame, was apparently not
released for this platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pro Quarterback
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Leland/Tradewest
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A first-person pseudo-3D pro football sim with rather
limited options.
IMPRESSIONS: It's not a good idea to attempt scaling on a 16-bit
platform unless you got either good code or specialized
hardware. This game has neither, and it shows rather
badly. In fact, this may be the worst pseudo-3D football
game available for the platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Probotector
see CONTRA HARD CORPS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Psy-O-Blade - Moving Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: T&E Soft/Sigma Enterprises
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Deals with a 22nd century attempt by humanity to colonize
another planet due to dangers threatening the Earth.
IMPRESSIONS: This was the only game of its type (RPG with anime-style
cinemas) for the Genesis at the time, yet it is below
average. Most of the touted animation consists of
nothing more than lips moving. The game itself is
beatable in two hours without any knowledge of Japanese.
It has zero replayability. (Inkspots)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Psycho Pinball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Codemasters
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Pinball
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: A fast and furious European pinball sim that offers you
a choice of four unique tables for gameplay.
IMPRESSIONS: My personal favorite of the half-dozen or so pinball
sims for the Genesis. Lots of eye and ear candy, solid
gameplay, great sound, no frivolous gimmicks - what more
could you want?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Puggsy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Traveler's Tales/Psygnosis
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Our friend Puggsy is a squat, teardrop-shaped brown alien
who has crash-landed in the ocean not far away from a
tropical island. Can you help him find his way around in
this strange new world?
IMPRESSIONS: A wonderful puzzle-oriented platformer from the boys in
Scotland.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pulseman
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: In a plot that echoes of both Tron and Megaman, this is
a story about a Japanese scientist who creates a digital
superhero and a rival who would like to take control of
that creation for his own ends.
IMPRESSIONS: Like Ristar before him, Pulseman strives for Sonic's
level of perfection but falls just short. It's just a
little too easy to get hit when you're going at full
speed, and you're required to use his special move (with
which you bounce off walls like a billiard ball) way too
often. But hey - anything remotely close to Sonic is
better than almost anything else out there. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Punisher
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Marvel Games
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Platform slugfest based on the dark superhero of Marvel
Comics fame - a former Vietnam veteran whose family was
wiped out in a random and senseless killing, and since
has devoted himself to terminating any criminal he runs
across.
IMPRESSIONS: The Marvel Comics character comes out in his own arcade
game. It's your usual monotonous punch-and-kick side
scroller.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Puyo Puyo series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Compile
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A series of cute chan-style characters engage each other
in a Tetris-like game involving stacked blobs. Based on
the exploits of one Aruru Nadja, red-headed warrior babe
extraordinare, and her many friends and enemies. Spawned
many sequels and even an RPG or four.
IMPRESSIONS: The best of the Tetris knock-offs, this Japanese product
adds some new moves, a plot of sorts, and great artwork.
An excellent port of the arcade original, or so I've been
told. The built-in tutorial mode is also a nice touch.
VARIATIONS: Puyo Puyo (1992, the beloved original)
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (1993, a custom English-
language version of Puyo Puyo made by Compile for Sega
of America - the biggest difference is that the
chan-style graphics and plot were ripped out and
replaced with a Sonic-derived setup)
Puyo Puyo 2 Expert (1994, the classic is back with even
more enhancements to enjoy - there is a regular Puyo
Puyo 2, but I have not seen a MegaDrive version - the
Expert version is tagged so by the green kanji that
follows the kana on the title screen)
Fans of Aruru Nadja may also want to check out the entry
for Madou Monogatari, the RPG series in which she stars.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Puzzle and Action series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A compilation of dozen or so minigames and puzzles
centered around two rotund heroes. Overall graphics
style is the same as Bonanza Brothers, with which these
games are sometimes confused. Ported from the popular
Japanese arcade games of the same name.
IMPRESSIONS: The music is infectious, and the games are engaging. In
fact, the whole thing is so fun that you almost forget
the fact that the game text is in Japanese and therefore
unreadable to most Westerners. Don't let that stop you
from trying them out, though - they're great!
VARIATIONS: Puzzle and Action - Tanto-R (1994)
Puzzle and Action - Ichidant (1995)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pyros
see WARDNER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
Q
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Quack Shot - The Great Duck Treasure
see the DONALD DUCK series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Quad Challenge
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Racing (4-wheeler)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: We have just about every other kind of racing game under
the sun, so why not four-wheelers? Ported from the
arcade original.
IMPRESSIONS: Dated graphics, but still good enough to stand on its
own when compared to the rest of the pack. Reminds me
somewhat of Super Mario Kart (SNES) or Wacky Races (DOS).
VARIATIONS: Mega Trax (European release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Quadrant
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kevin Banks
RELEASED: 1999
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A deceivingly simple-looking sci-fi strategy game in
which two players work against each other in order for
one to gain control over all the planets in the quadrant.
IMPRESSIONS: This is a playable beta, and one of the best yet from
Mr. Banks. Yes, it's buggy, but it's still kinda fun.
There's something to be said for simplicity.
VARIATIONS: This is a port of the classic videogame Galactic Empire.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
R
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Racing Demo
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: none
PREMISE: This appears to be an alpha of a overhead-view racing
game. No sound, but decent color graphics.
IMPRESSIONS: Vewy, vewy quiet. Gets rather boring after a short time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Radical Rex
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Beam Software/Activision
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You take on the role of a brown skateboard-riding
dinosaur out doing his thing in the jungle, Sonic-style.
Based on the syndicated animated TV series.
IMPRESSIONS: Cute platformer bearing a somewhat passing resemblance to
its Japanese cousins. The tongue-in-cheek humor gets a
little silly at times, but it doesn't detract from a
quite entertaining game.
VARIATIONS: Baby T-Rex is the name of a playable demo that was
released for the SNES/SFC. I do not know if such a demo
was ever released for the G/MD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ragnacenty, Ragunacenty
see CRUSADER OF CENTY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Raiden Trad
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Micronet
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Conversion of the popular arcade coin-op - your typical
graphically impressive, hard-as-hell Japanese top-down
shooter.
IMPRESSIONS: Decent weapons systems and power-ups. It kinda reminds
me of Darwin 4081 in a strange sort of way, but is far
superior in almost every respect. Will keep all of those
glassy-eyed shooter fans happy for a while.
VARIATIONS: Raiden Densetsu (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rainbow Islands - The Story of Bubble Bobble
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The sequel to one of the most popular and obnoxiously
cute arcade games ever made. This time, you play a
little boy who's a good friend of Bub and Bob.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks and sounds as good, but not as fun as the original.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Bubble Bobble 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rambo 3
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Carloco
RELEASED: 1988
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: Former Vietnam-era Green Beret John Rambo is called back
to duty one last time to rescue his former commander, who
was captured during a covert ops mission in Russian-
controlled Afghanistan. Based on the third of the Rambo
series of live action films starring Sylvester Stallone
and Richard Crenna.
IMPRESSIONS: This is not the side-scrolling, Barbarian-style shooter
that I remember from the Amiga. Rather, this is a top-
down Ikari Warriors style free-for-all and lots more fun.
Watch for the cameo by the Thunder Blade 'copter!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rampart
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Tengen/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the classic Atari arcade game. As a medieval
warlord, you must design and build an empire defended by
castles, ships, and artillery. Bombard your opponent's
defences whilst strengthening your own. Once the
onslaught ends, quickly rebuld and expand. Includes
several weapons enhancements not found in the original.
(from an Electronic Arts press release)
IMPRESSIONS: Plan well, fight fiercely, and above all don't lose your
head. Why? Because you will - if you lose the game.
(Player's Choice)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ranger X
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gau Entertainment
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A fantastic Japanese mecha shooter in which you get to
pilot the Ranger X while singlehandedly fighting off a
massive assault on your home base.
IMPRESSIONS: This beautiful-looking shooter reminds me an awful lot of
the arcade classic Sidearms. It has the same incredible
graphics, the same ear-catching sound, and the same
awkward gameplay. Manages to do some neat visual tricks
rarely seen before or afterwards in a G/MD game, though,
and that's probably worth the hassle for most folks.
VARIATIONS: Ex-Ranza (original Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ransei no Hasha
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SystemSoft/Asmik
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This is a MegaDrive port of one of those feudal Japanese
strategy games that was originally released in 1989 for
8-bit systems. An early SystemSoft release - the company
better known for the Daisenryaku wargaming sim series.
IMPRESSIONS: I never thought I'd see a Japanese game as pathetic as
Dark Castle, but here it is - a game so 8-bit bad that
you'd swear you were playing on the old Famicom (aka
NES to you English-speaking types). The actual game is
decent enough - it's the pastel graphics, PC-speaker-
quality sound, and blocky kanji that are the true
nightmare. Don't worry if you don't have it - you're not
missing anything.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rap Jam, Volume 1
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mandingo/Motown
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hip-hop soundtracked street basketball with teams drawn
from synergy-minded rhymers like Public Enemy, Queen
Latifah, Warren G, Onyx, and Naughty By Nature. Only the
Genesis version features NWA founder Eazy-E, whose own
gangsta-flavored game, Hittin' Switchez, was also
scheduled for release shortly before his premature death
in 1995. (Entertainment Weekly)
IMPRESSIONS: My opinion is based on the SNES cart, as that's the only
version I have right now, so here goes. It's an
unsuccessful attempt to graft together Jammit and NBA Jam
with a little YACEG frosting on top. In other words,
it's a complete waste of silicon and plastic.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rastan Saga 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The sequel to the popular fantasy-themed side-scrolling
hack-and-slash arcade hit.
IMPRESSIONS: Impressive in its day, but not so now. Identical to its
predecessor in just about everything except for somewhat
improved graphics, so you're not missing anything if you
haven't seen the first one.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: RBI Baseball series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Tengen
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A popular series of arcade baseball sims that was ported
to just about every computer and gaming platform during
their existence.
IMPRESSIONS: Emphasizes an arcade-style approach to the game as
opposed to realism, which tends to outrage many so-called
"true sports fans." The later installments are so good
that I've caught these very same blue-noses playing them
when they didn't think I was looking. A great choice for
people who don't want to mess with the Sega Sports or EA
Sports baseball sims.
VARIATIONS: The first three games in the series are 8-bit titles that
are not known to exist for the G/MD.
RBI Baseball 3 (1991)
RBI Baseball 4 (1992)
RBI Baseball 93 (1993)
RBI Baseball 94 (1994)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: RC Pro-Am
see CHAMPIONSHIP PRO-AM
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Red Zone
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Zyrinx/Scavenger
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Madman Ivan Retovitz rips off an arsenal of Soviet
nuclear weapons and threatens to transform the world into
a radioactive desert. As the leader of three covert
commandos, you must pilot the AH-64B Apache fighter
chopper and traverse the underground bunkers to destroy
this nuclear madman.
IMPRESSIONS: The promos for this game advertised a lot, and it
delivers. This is probably the most sophisticated
top-down arcade shooter in existence for the console.
Gameplay isn't bad, either. This one's a must if only
for the fluid pseudo-3D animation, which rivals that of
the Vectorman series.
VARIATIONS: Hard Wired (beta test/demo version, public domain - the
FMV sequences are arranged differently and are lacking
the animated cutscenes from the final product, and only
a portion of the final product's gameplay is present.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Relayer
see LIGHT CRUSADER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ren & Stimpy - Stimpy's Invention
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Viacom New Media
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Help Ren and Stimpy find all the missing pieces to the
Mutate-o-Matic, Stimpy's latest invention.
IMPRESSIONS: Based on the TV show and even features LOG! Nice
gameplay and graphics, with the same feel as the 'toon.
VARIATIONS: This is the only title in the series available on the
Genesis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rent-a-Hero
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This is a modern-day story set in the fictional Japanese
town of Corja. You play an otherwise normal teenager who
through a strange series of circumstances comes into the
posession of a suit of power armor - thereby becoming the
unlikely vigilante alluded to in the title.
IMPRESSIONS: Not only does it have excellent sound and graphics, but
it also maintains a sense of humoer similar to that found
in the anime title MADOX-01. A great RPG that will keep
you coming back for more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: ResQ
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tempest Software/Psygnosis
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Good evening, Mr. Phelps. Your mission, should you
decide to accept it, is to undertake a perilous rescue
mission to the Adrianne star system. The planet has been
laid waste by corporate raiders from the Wellmax company,
who are even now going planetside to conduct a mopping-up
operation for the few survivors hiding out in the city's
tunnel system. Time is limited, so the decision to act
must be made immediately. This tape will self-destruct
in five seconds....
IMPRESSIONS: Only the boys from Scotland could pull off a funny little
arcade game that manages to combine the best of both the
platform and shooter genres. The attempts at humorous
stabs of various financial personages and events is
stilted, but it's still a fun game to play. It's a shame
that Sony chose not to distribute it here, because it
sure is a neat little piece of work.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Revenge of Fu Manchu
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gametek
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In this colorful little Hong Kong product, you play a
wise old ghost hunter out to save the populace from the
undead.
IMPRESSIONS: A poor imitation of Zombies Ate My Neighbors. 'Nuff
said.
VARIATIONS: I have sometimes seen this game referred to as Master
Chu - by mistake, I would think. Master Chu is a horrid
little action game by Color Dreams for the NES.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Revolution X
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rage Software/Midway Games/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the popular arcade game featuring the music and
digitzed voices of the rock group Aerosmith. You get to
help Steve Tyler and the boys save the world along with
all things good from the likes of Mistress Helga and her
fellow blue-noses of the New World Order.
IMPRESSIONS: Unbelievable premise, lousy gameplay - unless you have a
Menacer, that is.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Richard Scarry's Busytown
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Novatrade
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A multipuzzle, multilevel educational game that
faithfully recreates the enviroment of author Richard
Scarry's series of children's books.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics are true to the original illustrations, the
puzzles are just right for the ageset in mind, the sound
sampling is among the best of any Genesis title, and it
works with the intended audience. What more can I say?
VARIATIONS: This game is documented as "Busy Town" in Barry Cantin's
Genesis FAQ. It is frequently referred to as such in
various other places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rings of Power
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Naughty Dog/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to
collect all of the Rings of Power and use them to remake
the Rod of Creation, thus restoring the Golden Age.
IMPRESSIONS: A fantasy RPG utilizing the same scrolling isometric
world scheme as Populous, but not as successfully. In
addition, the colors are garish and animation is awfully
jerky. The authors were obviously inspired by Tolkien's
Lord of the Rings trilogy but their enthusiasm did not
seem to spill over into making a good game. In fact, the
hidden "Easter egg" may be the best thing about it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ringside Angel
see CUTEY SUZUKI'S RINGSIDE ANGEL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Risaru
see LETHAL ENFORCERS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rise of the Robots
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mirage/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A futuristic Street Fighter 2 clone featuring battling
robots. Includes a story mode for anyone who cares.
IMPRESSIONS: Well, the rendered graphics are nice. It's too bad that
the moves are awkward, the characters are strange, and
the gameplay in general is just not up to snuff. (Rage
Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Risk
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Parker Brothers
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The classic military strategy game of world conquest -
now with all the excitement of a video game. You're the
general - defend your countries, capture new territories,
occupy vast continents, and keep building your armies so
you can conquer the world! (Player's Choice)
IMPRESSIONS: Intriguing, to say the least. I never was a fan of the
board game, but I'll admit to playing this version for a
while. The modest but eye-catching enhancements seem to
be sufficient enough to cause non-fans like myself to
take a look, whereas the game's fundamental structure
and strategic play remain intact. One of the better
board game conversions available for the platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Risky Woods
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: For centuries, mystic monks have guarded the wisdom of
the Lost Land. Now that the evil Draxos and his legions
have turned the monks into stone, the darkness is free
once again to roam unchecked. It is up to you, the
young warrior Rohan, to stop it. Enter the Risky Woods,
find the monks, and free them from their petrified
captivity. (Electronic Arts)
IMPRESSIONS: This has all the trappings of one of those top-notch
Psygnosis games, but something seems missing somewhere
that I can't quite put my finger on. All in all, it
just doesn't impress me as well as does Psygnosis fare.
Even so, just missing that comparison makes it heads and
shoulders above most other such games.
VARIATIONS: Draxos (European release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ristar
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In a distant galaxy not too long ago, the forces of evil
were hard at work. The evil tyrant Greedy had taken over
and enslaved the people, even going so far as to capture
and imprision their legendary hero. A desperate plea for
help was sent out, and answered by the hero's own son
Ristar.
IMPRESSIONS: Bionic Commando, meet Sonic the Hedgehog. Character
design and control are fantastic, but gameplay is
hampered by poor enemy and level design. The puzzles
are intriguing and simple enough to solve, but this game
could do as well without them. Graphics and music are
great, though. So close to being a great game, and yet
so far.... (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Road of Magic Story
see MADOU MONOGATARI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Road Blasters
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Tengen
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Same basic idea as Thunder Blade or Bimini Run - a first-
person vehicular shooter somewhat reminescent of the road
sequences from Outlander.
IMPRESSIONS: Better execution than the above-mentioned Sega titles.
The screen scrolling is particularly smooth, and the
sprite scaling is at least tolerable. It's your basic
drive-and-shoot, but a well done arcade port.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Road Rash series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (motorcycle)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Strap on your helmet, kickstart your bike, and get ready
to shove your opponent into oncoming traffic! Road Rash
blends the thrilling speed of motorcycle road racing
with the no-holds-barrd excitement and danger of a
street fight. Non-stop action from start to finish -
avoid angry motorists and fight off attacks from your
fellow racers. The racing is unsanctions, unofficial,
unnerving, and certainly unlawful. (Electronic Arts)
IMPRESSIONS: Stiff-arming, side kicks, and the occasional crowbar
or chain laid across the ol' visor will do much to help
you win the race, so long as you find time to pay
attention to the road as well. A fun racing game in the
Mad Max mold which spawned two sequels on the Genesis
and more on other platforms, as well as a host of
imitators and one derivant - Skitchin'.
VARIATIONS: Road Rash (1991, original)
Road Rash 2 (1992, smoother graphics and gameplay, also
includes a two-player head-to-head option)
Skitchin' (1994, different content but uses the Road
Rash game engine - see separate entry)
Road Rash 3 - Tour de Force (1995, arguably the best in
terms of gameplay and the worst in terms of choppy
digital graphics)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Road Runner - Desert Demolition
see DESERT DEMOLITION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Road Wars 2000 (public domain)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Jason Meehan
RELEASED: 1998
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This SpyHunter clone was an early Genesis programming
effort by the author of the VGen Sega CD emulator.
IMPRESSIONS: Not worth the trouble. The program is in a very early
phase of production, and as such looks bad and is buggy
as all out - not to mention the fact that the gameplay
stinks by any standard.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Roar of the Beast
see BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - ROAR OF THE BEAST
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Robocop 3
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Flying Edge/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Platform shooter inspired by the third film in the
Robocop saga.
IMPRESSIONS: Terminate crime with extreme prejudice. Yawn.
Marginally better than the movie, which isn't saying
much.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Robocop vs. the Terminator
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bethesda Softworks/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In the future, the human forces battling SkyNet discover
a new and unexpected weapon to aid their fight - RoboCop,
a prototype cyborg policeman from the past who may turn
out to be their best hope in battling SkyNet's never-
ending series of Terminators
IMPRESSIONS: Rather gory and quite hard. Good graphics, decent sound,
intense gameplay. Original plot, appropriately dark
atmosphere. A unique idea that got the attention it
deserved and wound up being a good arcade shooter.
VARIATIONS: There is also a prerelease beta of this game floating
around the Internet.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Robot Wreckage
see CYBORG JUSTICE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rocket Knight Adventures series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Konami's spin on the Sonic phenomena. Sparkster is a
valiant opossum warrior fitted with a rocket backpack
that he can use to launch himself at his foes.
IMPRESSIONS: A cartoony Contra, more or less. Challenging and highly
playable, with great graphics. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Rocket Knight Adventures (1993)
Sparkster (1994, aka Rocket Knight 2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rock 'n' Roll Racing
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Blizzard/Interplay
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Your typical isometric racing sim, but with a bit of a
sci-fi twist. One nice touch is that you can use your
prize money to soup up your vehicle, or buy a new one
altogether.
IMPRESSIONS: The digitally rendered pop/rock soundtrack is well done,
and even the Peter Gunn theme (aka the SpyHunter BGM
track) puts in an appearance. Excellent graphics and
intense action. Thoroughly enjoyable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rockman - Megaworld
see MEGAMAN - THE WILY WARS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rockman X3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rockman X3
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Dr. Doppler, a scientist with ulterior motives, has
managed to gain control of all the Maverick reploids and
plans to use them to take over the world. "Oh no, here
we go again," MegaMan mutters as he prepares to do battle
once again with the forces of evil in an effort to
destroy the Mavericks and bring Dr. Doppler to justice.
IMPRESSIONS: This is another one of those infamous Hong Kong bootleg
ports that pop up from time to time, so it's not quite
like the Super Famicom original. The copyright notice is
absent, the story is completely missing (as is Zero), and
the gameplay itself is rather bland. Still, it's nice
having another MegaMan game for the Genesis - even if it
is only a bootleg.
VARIATIONS: Known in the United States as MegaMan X3 (but never
released there for the Genesis)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Adventures of
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Absolute Entertainment
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hey, Rocky! Boris and Natasha are up to their usual
tricks, and we gotta do something - don't we? Based on
the classic animated TV series.
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another example of a wonderful cartoon that was
warped into a lame platform game. That's a shame,
because you can tell that the programmers' hearts were
there - but not their heads, sadly. Forget the game and
watch the videos instead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Roger Clemens MVP Baseball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Step up to the plate and feel the heat of a Roger "The
Rocket" Clemens fastball. This game features enhanced
graphics and sound, full season league play, close-up
plays at the bases, and player-controlled leading and
stealing. Follow your team standings to the championship
and get strategy tips from Clemens himself. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: Yawn. Not much better than Sega's offering at the time.
This YACEG deserves to be forgotten.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rolling Thunder series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1992 (both titles)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of games seemingly inspired by the James Bond
films. Take your pick of either secret agent Albatross
or his sexy sidekick Leila and fight your way through
countless foes, solving the occasional puzzle along the
way.
IMPRESSIONS: These games are better than they have any right to be.
The graphics and sound aren't all that great, but the
gameplay is - in fact, it can get rather intense and
sometimes frustrating in the later levels.
VARIATIONS: The first in the series, Rolling Thunder, is apparently
not available for the platform.
Rolling Thunder 2
Rolling Thunder 3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rolo to the Rescue
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Vectordean/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Rolo is a little elephant who lives in the woods with
his fellow animals. One day some mean nasty humans come
along with plans to capture them all. It's up to Rolo
to rescue his pals so that they can put a stop to the
human and his sidekicks.
IMPRESSIONS: It's your typical Mario clone. The graphics are cute,
and you can switch around to your animal buddies when you
get stuck. Other than that, no difference. (Ann Chovy)
VARIATIONS: Zou! Zou! Zou! Rescue Daisa Kusen (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Romance of the Three Kingdoms series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Koei's highly-regarded series of historical strategy sims
about the long and laborious process involved in China's
transition from an almalgam of warring feudal states into
a unified country. You assume the role of one of the
principal warlords involved in the "unification" process.
IMPRESSIONS: This series is every bit as good as the Nobunaga Trilogy,
so it's a must for strategy types. Graphics and sound
are only fair, but it's the Risk-style gameplay where it
shines.
VARIATIONS: The first installment in the series is apparently not
available for the platform. The fourth and final
installment is available as a Japanese-only release for
the 32X.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2 (1991)
Romance of the Three Kingdoms 3 - Dragon of Destiny
(1993)
This series is known in Japan and other Asian markets
under the title Gekijoban Sangokushi.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Royal Blood
see GEMFIRE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rugby World Cup 95
see AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rumble Kids
see DASHIN' DESPERADOES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Runark
see GROWL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ryouko no Ken, Ryo Tora no Ken
see ART OF FIGHTING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
S
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: S.S. Lucifer
see MAN OVERBOARD - S.S. LUCIFER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sagaia
see DARIUS 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sailor Moon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ma-Ba
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Usagi is just your typical whiny, self-centered 14-year-
old teenage girl without a care in the world, until a
talking black cat changes her whole life. Now she must
(unwillingly) save the world from the forces of evil as
Sailor Moon, leader of the Sailor Scouts. The first, but
not the last videogame based on the popular shojo anime
TV series, this one focuses on the first major storyline
dealing with Sailor Moon's battles against Queen Beryl.
IMPRESSIONS: Kawaii! I love this game! I simply adore the show, and
the game is a lot like the show! The only thing I could
find wrong with it is lack of multiplayer support. It
would be nice if I and my friends could all play at the
same time, instead of taking turns. Oh well, there's
always the SNES games! (Ann Chovy)
VARIATIONS: The full Japanese title is Bishojo Sensi Sailor Moon,
which translates as Lovely Soldier Sailor Moon. None of
the other titles in the series appear to have been
ported to the MegaDrive, although there were plans to
port the first Sailor Moon R versus fighter to the Mega
CD. Rumors of a MegaDrive beta of Sailor Moon R persist
to this day, although they have yet to be confirmed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Saint Sword
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English, Japanese, and Spanish
PREMISE: You play a warrior possessed with mystic powers who does
that superhero thing of battling endless hordes of evil
beings. Arcade game based on the Japanese anime series
Saint Seiya. A Spanish-dubbed version of the show was
also syndicated throughout Central and South America
under the title Los Caballeros del Zodiaco.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks and plays about like the first Valis game. If you
can handle that, then you can handle this.
VARIATIONS: I have not seen either the Japanese or Spanish releases.
I am 95% certain that a Japanese version exists, and I am
about 75% certain that a Spanish version exists. Those
titles would be the same as the respective TV titles.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Samurai Shodown
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SNK/Takara
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: "A samurai fears nothing, struggles to triumph over evil,
and lives for one purpose - to destroy all enemies." A
conversion of the popular arcade versus fighter that
manages to stand out from the crowd of Street Fighter
clones due to its unique premise.
IMPRESSIONS: Ported from the old Neo-Geo system, this is one of the
worst Genesis fighters on the market. Almost nothing
that matters has survived the porting process. Passable
graphics, jerky animation, and frustrating gameplay. I
like the SNES version better, but barely. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Samurai Spirits (Japanese original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Samurai Spirits
see SAMURAI SHOWDOWN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sangokushi Retsuden
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sotsu Agency
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Based on the 1991 anime TV series produced by Shi'nei
Doga that tells the story behind the unification of
China.
IMPRESSIONS: A fantastic wargame that feels very much like the R3K
clone that it is. Looks and sounds better than the Koei
games, although gameplay isn't as sophisticated. You'll
quickly learn to appreciate the game's isometric battle
displays, and the BGM tracks are first rate.
VARIATIONS: This is not to be confused with the Sangokusi series by
Koei (aka Romance of the Three Kingdoms), although the
two share the same plot. Erronously referred to as
Sangoku Retuden by many less-informed sources.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sato Raiden Sengo
see SUPER MILITARY COMMANDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Satoru Nakajima series
see the F1 series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Saturday Night Slam Masters
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (wrestling)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: One fantastic arcade wrestling sim based on (and with
many a reference to) Capcom's Super Street Fighter 2.
IMPRESSIONS: Easily the best of the G/MD wrestling sims, in my humble
opinion - and this comes from someone who does NOT live
and die by the WWF and WCW bout schedules. This will
kick the ass of any other G/MD wrestling game any day of
the week.
VARIATIONS: Muscle Bomber - The Body Explosion (Japanese release)
Slam Tilt (European release?)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Savage Heroes (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: The Game Factory
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: What if they made a platform fighter out of Brutal? If
you can imagine that, then you begin to get the idea....
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Scavenger
see TARGIS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Scooby Doo Mystery
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Illusions/Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Ever wanted to role-play in one of the all-time classic
Saturday morning cartoon shows? Now's your chance, as
you get to play Shaggy - the beatnik owner of that
loveable sleuthing hound, Scooby-Doo. Go for a ride with
Fred, Daphne, and Velma in the Mystery Machine and try
to solve your pick of two different mysteries. Inspired
by the long-running animated TV series created by Hanna
Barbara Studios.
IMPRESSIONS: Quite a different animal from the SNES game, this employs
the Maniac Mansion style approach. One of the most
sophisticated single-player RPGs you will find in the
G/MD library, with its only drawback being a game save
option. Bravo to Sunsoft for releasing such an excellent
game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Scrabble
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Speer Games/Supervision Entertainment
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Computerized version of the popular wordbuilding game.
IMPRESSIONS: A far cry from the blandness of the Parker Brothers
adaptations. Offers support for four different languages
and some tweaking of the rules. Has a neat and sometimes
downright warped sense of humor. This is the best of the
G/MD board conversions, and it's a shame that it never
made it Stateside during the heydey of the console.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: SD Valis
see the VALIS series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sea Prince
see the DAIKOUKAI series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: seaQuest DSV
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sculptured Software
RELEASED: Black Pearl
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Take command of the UEO's super submersile SeaQuest as
you train for the harrowing mission that lies ahead.
A former UEO commander has joined forces with the Morey
Pirates to seize control of the world's oceans, and
SeaQuest is the UEO's only hope.
IMPRESSIONS: A 3D isometric shooter, and another decidedly poor clone
of the Strike series. Gameplay is slow, sluggish, and
frustrating. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Second Samurai
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Vivid Image
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Travel through time as you seek to free trapped souls
from their, er, um, bottles? Oh-kay....
IMPRESSIONS: Psygnosis tries their hand at an Oriental action game.
It's not bad for a Western effort, and features their
usual top-notch soundtrack and demented sense of humor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Secret Weapon X (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: The Game Factory/Foley Hi-Tech Systems
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In-house concept game built around the stock space
shooter formula.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Sega Channel
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995-1998
TYPE: Subscription TV service
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This was a cable TV service offered to subscribers in
both North America and Europe from 1995-1998. It
provide its users with special hardware that allowed them
to download and play Genesis games using a special non-
battery-backed RAM cartridge. It offered a special
parental control feature that allowed parents to lock out
offensive titles. You could even play against users in
other households. This was billed as "the world's first
interactive TV service" in the Sega press releases. The
service was officialy discontinued in North America near
the end of 1997, and in Europe in mid-1998 - a victim of
of the Internet and advances in gaming techology.
IMPRESSIONS: "It works like that video-on-demand we're all waiting
for - subscribers get to SELECT IN REAL TIME from over
50 games.... You can't save the downloaded games, by the
way. They come and go as you select and quit.... Toy
stores actually BENEFIT in areas where the Sega Channel
is offered...the sampling of 50 games each month each
month causes subscribers to buy more games at retail...."
(QLM Marketing web posting, 1996)
VARIATIONS: The following games are either known or rumored to exist
as titles that were unique to the Sega Channel.
Breakthru
Bust-a-Move, aka Puzzle Bobble
College Games
Garfield - The Lost Levels
Klondike
Wild Snake
There are apparently a few more, but I am unable to link
titles with half-remembered descriptions as of this date.
There were also a few hundred three-level playable demos
apparently produced (or hacked) of the many titles in the
G/MD cart library. I appeal to anybody who has copies of
those demos and other unique Sega Channel software to
contact me immediately.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: SegGala
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bill Eubanks
RELEASED: 1999
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is eventually going to be a fairly accurate port of
a classic arcade shooter.
IMPRESSIONS: It's nice to have an alpha that's playable. Yes, the
enemies are dumber than bricks, but it's still fun. Bill
is pretty thorough in his docs about all the stuff that
still needs to be added or fixed, but thumbs up for what
he has done so far
VARIATIONS: The arcade original is called Galaga.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sekai Shokubo Sohansen
AUTHOR/VENDOR: C&E Soft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Central League pro baseball sim; i.e. Japanese text and
Japanese teams.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks and plays like an 8-bit game. Combine that with
the Japanese texts and you have a game to avoid.
VARIATIONS: Many thanks to Jeffrey Young for providing both romanji
and English translation of the game titles, which until
now has been commonly referred to as Japanese Baseball.
It roughly translates to World Championship Baseball.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sensible Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renegade/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Win as many games and tourney cups as possible! (Feesh)
IMPRESSIONS: Let's get one thing straight - this game is the best
soccer game for any system. Throw your copy of FIFA
away - this has style! Gameplay is the watchword here,
as the players are the size of pinheads (!), but it
allows you to better follow the pitch of the game. You
can score from anywhere, and the balls go in as soon as
you play - the learning curve is learing the skills.
Miss this at your own peril! (Feesh)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sesame Street - The Counting Cafe
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Riedel Software/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This award-winning educational program features the
characters from CTW's Sesame Street television series
teaching young kids their numbers.
IMPRESSIONS: Excellent, excellent. Nice presentation and arrangement
of materials. Why aren't more edutainment titles like
this? (review based on PC version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shadow Blasters
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sage's Creation/Sigma Enterprises
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Take your pick of any four heroes (two male, two female)
and duke it out with countless foes in this boring Valis
clone.
IMPRESSIONS: I'm not impressed - been there, done that. Take it away
and give me a real action game.
VARIATIONS: Shiten Myooh (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shadow Dancer - The Secret of Shinobi
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A Shinobi side story that pits our hero against a vicious
reptillian evil that has taken over New York and is
enslaving the people.
IMPRESSIONS: Standard Shinobi fare, but better graphics than usual.
Dated but playable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shadow of the Beast series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The story of a mutant humanoid who embarks on a long and
dangerous quest to gain true humanity; and once having
found it, must embark upon another quest to save that
which he holds most dear. Ported from the now-legendary
series of Amiga arcade games that made Psygnosis a name
of whispered reverence among gaming fans.
IMPRESSIONS: Well do I remember the day when the preview disk for the
first game arrived at my local Amiga dealer and blew all
of us away with its mind-numbing graphics, spectacular
stereo music tracks, and intense gameplay. It's a real
shame that the Genesis music is only an echo of the
original (not to mention a good deal of the intermission
artwork from the first game and the opening cinema from
the second), but the eye-popping graphics and
frustratingly hard gameplay are still there. Handicapped
as they are, the Genesis ports are equal or superior to
the SNES versions in evey single category. If you can't
find the Amiga originals, then get these!
VARIATIONS: Shadow of the Beast (1991)
Shadow of the Beast 2 (1992)
There was a third title in the series, Shadow of the
Beast 3, but I have as yet found no evidence of a G/MD
port. Rumors abound that there was one, but conclusive
proof remains lacking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shadow of Yserbius (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sierra
RELEASED: 1994?
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A fantastically detailed fantasy RPG in the traditional
Sierra vein. Released for many other systems, there seem
to have been definite plans to port the Amiga version to
the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: A well regarded game on other machines that may have made
an excellent Genesis port. A working beta reputedly
exists somewhere in Europe, although I have yet to pin
it down. Chase lists is as having been released,
although there I can find no proof to back up his claim.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shadowrun
AUTHOR/VENDOR: FASA Corporation
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The year is 2050 and the megacorporations rule by the
power of information. Everyone is on file in the global
mainframe - everyone but you and a handful of "invisible"
outlaws called shadowrunners. Move through the grim and
magical realities of futuristic Seattle and uncover a
diabolical plot that could destroy the world. (Player's
Choice)
IMPRESSIONS: Awesome concept, passable game. The action sequences are
done overhead-style. The cyberjacking sequences are both
graphically impressive and fun to play. It's too bad
that every corporate computer system starts to look alike
after a while. The story is decent enough, but is rather
hard to enjoy when constantly interrupted by game
sequences. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shane Warne Cricket
see the BRIAN LARA CRICKET series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shanghai 2 - Dragon's Eye
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Activision
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A sequel to a version of the classic Oriental tile game
released by Activision for other systems.
IMPRESSIONS: Has some pretty backgrounds and soothing mood music, but
otherwise it's the usual dull tile game. I kinda prefer
this one over the Mediagenic release, but not by much.
VARIATIONS: Super Shanghai (Japanese markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: SHANGHAI 3
see DRAGON'S EYE - SHANGHAI 3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shaq series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Delphine/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: various
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Two decidedly different YACEG titles featuring veteran
NBA superstar player Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neil.
IMPRESSIONS: What's an overrated professional basketball player doing
in such underwhelming games? Earning the big bucks, of
course, by lending what little reputation he has to these
lousy titles. Shaq, stick to playing hoops - okay?
VARIATIONS: Shaq Fu (1994 fighter in which our hero visits a little
backstreet shop and winds up playing hero in another
dimension, Street Fighter style - to quote Rage Games,
"Tiny characters and lame gameplay - avoid.")
Shaq Slam (1995? basketball sim which pits our hero
against one of the true legends of the sport - this
appears to have been announced but never released)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shi Kin Joh
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A very nice puzzle game that is comparable to Sokoban,
but a little more complex. (Eidolon)
IMPRESSIONS: It takes some time to check the game system because it's
written in Japanese, but you soon become addicted to it
after a while. This is one of my favorite puzzle games
and one of the few titles that support the X-Band modem.
(Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shining Force series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sonic/Climax/Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The Continent of Rune has slumbered in peace for 50
generations. A horde of invaders swarm across the
border, while a dragon that has slept for centuries stirs
in its tomb. Only the King's youngest swordsman and his
war party can defy the Dark Dragon's evil power and crush
the mighty army! (box promo for first game)
IMPRESSIONS: Aaahhhh, Shining Force...I must have played this game all
the way through at least ten times. This is where RPGs
like Vandal Hearts and Final Fantasy Tactics got their
ideas....[and] just when you though the first one
couldn't be topped, the second one comes along. More
enemies, more allies, more weapons....[Shining Force 2]
is my favorite Genesis RPG of all time. (Chochobo's RPG
Ranch)
VARIATIONS: Shining Force - The Legacy of Great Intention (1993)
Shining Force 2 - Return of the King (1994, an entirely
new story in which the Shining Force team reunites to
deal with a revived King Zeon, the Evil of All Ages)
There were also some Game Gear titles released as part
of the series in Japan, and a special edition produced
exclusively for the Mega CD - see appropriate entry for
more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shining in the Darkness
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sonic/Climax/Sega
COPYRIGHT: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Vanish the fiendish forces of Dark Sol and restore peace
to the enchanted Kingdom of Thornwood. Search for the
powerful Arms of Light and fight the savage ceatures that
roam the darkness of the Labyrinth. Use your warrior's
skills and cunning to pass the test of the Ancients and
become a shining Knight. (Player's Choice)
IMPRESSIONS: A fun game with a surprisingly easy gameplay system for
an RPG. I had a lot of fun with this one! It has only
one town, but that town has one HUGE dungeon. Enjoy!
(Chochobo's RPG Ranch)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shinobi series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A popular series of arcade games involving a Japanese
warrior and his faithful hound ported to the Genesis in
order to boost the platform's slow sales.
IMPRESSIONS: Impressive in their day, with neat 2D sidescrolling
graphics. Animation is rather limited, but it's the
wild gameplay that everybody remembers. The series gets
better as it goes, but they're no match for the arcade
originals.
VARIATIONS: The first game in the series, Shinobi, was released for
the Sega Master System in 1987. It is not available for
the Genesis so far as is known.
Revenge of Shinobi (1989, aka Super Shinobi - the most
faithful "feel" of the original arcade ports, according
to the Rage Games writeup - also features a cameo by
Spiderman - both English/Japanese in one cart, set
console accordingly)
Shadow Dancer - The Secret of Shinobi (1990, a side story
that pits Shinobi against a reptilian evil bent on
enslaving New York)
Shinobi 3 - Return of the Master (1993, aka Super Shinobi
2 - fast-paced, challenging, and playable, according to
the original Rage Games review)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shinomekyu
see FATAL LABYRINTH
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shiten Myooh
see SHADOW BLASTERS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shogi no Hoshi
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Home Data
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A juvenile-oriented shogi videogame. For those who are
not familiar with the game, shogi is the Oriental version
of chess and plays very much the same, except that
captured pieced can be "recruited" into your ranks and
put pack into play anywhere on the board.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics and animation are hideous, especially by the
high Japanese anime standards that we've come to expect,
and what story exists is one of the stupidest I've ever
seen in a computer game. This makes Cosmic Spacehead
look like Phantasy Star. Avoid.
VARIATIONS: Henrik Sankala says that this can be translated as Star
of Shogi, which appears to fit the context of the game's
premise. Commonly known on the boards as Shougino.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shougino
see SHOGI NO HOSHI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shove It! The Warehouse Game
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NCS/Masiya/Dreamworks
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A challenging game in which players must stack boxes
correctly inside a series of warehouses.
IMPRESSIONS: It's not as simple as it looks, and plays a lot like
those little slider puzzles all of us enjoy from time to
time. (Ann Chovy)
VARIATIONS: Sokoban (Japanese original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Side Pocket
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito/Data East
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (billards)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Arcade-style billards sim.
IMPRESSIONS: In my opinion, this is the best pool sim ever made.
Flawless gameplay, perfect controls, and quite addictive,
too. There's even a trick shot game. Too hard for me,
but very good if your into pool. (Skyline)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Simpsons series (5 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: various
TYPE: various
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of varied arcade games based on the characters
created by cartoonist Matt Groenig (Life is Hell) for the
Fox Television Network.
IMPRESSIONS: Rather uneven, but that's not surprising considering that
several different software houses were involved. I'd
say it's a tossup between Bart's Nightmare and Virtual
Bart in terms of overall excellence, but I'd also give a
nod to Itchy and Scratchy for sheer mayhem.
VARIATIONS: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1992 by Flying Edge, Bart
is the only person who can save his home town of
Springfield from an alien invasion - the oldest game
in the lineup, and it shows)
Krusty's Super Fun House (1992 by Flying Edge, a thinly
disguised Lemmings clone in which Krusty the Clown sets
out to trap a bunch of rats that are running loose)
Bart's Nightmare (1993 by Sculptured Software, Bart falls
asleep while doing his homework and has a nightmare in
which he chases his lost homework pages all over a
Twilight Zone rendition of Springfield)
The Itchy and Scratchy Game (1994 by Bits, mindless and
plotless mayhem in which Itchy and Scratchy do their
usual thing of beating each others brains out and
trying to find inventive new ways to off one another -
loosely based on the "cartoon-within-a-cartoon" shorts
as seen on the Simpsons TV series)
Virtual Bart (1994 by Sculptured Software, a collection
of several differently themed arcade minigames that
depict the daydream fantasies of Bart Simpson - riding
a motorcycle, throwing tomatoes at his classmates,
living as a dinosaur, seeking ancient treasure, etc.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Skeleton Krew
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You can take your pick of any one of three alien bounty
hunters who are stalking their colony on a futuristic
Earth.
IMPRESSIONS: A tough isometric shooter from the folks who would later
go on to create Tomb Raider. Plays as good as it looks
and sounds, and offers multiplayer support as well.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Skitchin'
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (rollerblade)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Rollerblade racing using the Road Rash engine, with all
the benefits and problems thereof. 'Nuff said.
IMPRESSIONS: Is it me, or is there no difference from Road Rash apart
from the game sprites and intros? Nice tunes, though.
VARIATIONS: This game uses the Road Rash game engine - see the Road
Rash series for more information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Slam Dunk
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bandai
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Experience the joys and thrills of young men's basketball
as you follow the season with one of the best teams to
ever come out of Japan's school system. Based on the
highly acclaimed 1993 anime series by Toei.
IMPRESSIONS: This is a good-looking and quite different basketball
game - unique in that it has a plot, along with the
requisite anime-style cinemas in between each game.
Could it be a classic? Unfortunately, all the texts are
in Japanese and I don't care about them - I just want to
play ball! (The Norseman)
VARIATIONS: While this is the only title currently known to exist for
the MegaDrive, there were a whole series of SNES games,
as well as one or two for the Game Gear.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Slam Tilt
see SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Slap Fight
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toaplan/Tengen
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A top-down shooter in the same vein as Xevious, but with
the extra incentive of add-on weapons as power-ups. Add
enough of these to your craft and you can turn it into a
"power wing" - an unstoppable killing machine.
IMPRESSIONS: Like most Japanese arcade games, this looks good and
plays furiously. Gets kinda mindless after a while, but
so do most other arcade shooters.
VARIATIONS: Power Wing (alternate title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Slaughter Sport
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Razorsoft
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An early versus fighter in which you train to become part
of the stable of combatants at Mondu the Fatman's Fight
Palaces.
IMPRESSIONS: If you've ever wonder just how bad a Street Fighter 2
clone can get, then you've come to the right place. All
this needs is cheezy 8-bit graphics, although the ones
provided aren't that far removed. Looks bad, sounds
awful, plays worse - in fact, the only Genesis fighter
worse than this is Street Smart. I've been told that
this is supposed to be one of the classics of the fighter
genre, but the version people reminesce about must be
from another platform - or possibly another dimension.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Fatman, Tongue of the Fatman, and Mondu's
Fighting Palace
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Smart Mouse
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Seichen?
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: Chinese
PREMISE: You play a cute brown mouse running around a maze and
doing your best to stay alive.
IMPRESSIONS: It's a slightly modified Pengo clone, with the only thing
original being the graphics. You're not missing a thing
if you don't have it.
VARIATIONS: I've seen this game advertised on one or two of the Hong
Kong Super Multi-in-One collections - see that entry for
more information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Smaartvark (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: ?
PREMISE: Listed in Chris Foulger's MegaDrive FAQ.
IMPRESSIONS: Info, anyone?
VARIATIONS: Also known as Arnie the Aardvark
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Smash TV
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Williams/Probe/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You take part in the ultimate TV game show, where you
compete for cash and prizes by offing your opponents.
This is a near-legendary title for the NES that was
derived from the arcade original.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics are horrible, but gameplay is both fast and
furious. A wide variety of options are available. A
must-try for Robotron fans. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Super Smash TV - yes, the games are one and
the same. The "Super" label seems to refer to the fact
that this is a 16-bit version of the original game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Smurfs series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virtual Studio/Infogrames
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Now you can relive the magic and wonder of the cute
little blue guys, created by the Belgian artist Peyo,
in this series of arcade games for the MegaDrive. The
Smurfs live in the forest and pretty much smurf to
themselves, except when that nasty wizard Gargamel takes
it upon himself to smurf with them. Each smurf has his
own talent except for Smurfette, but she doesn't need
one - she's the only female Smurf in the whole village!
Now that you have the frame, you can smurf the picture by
smurfing the games.
IMPRESSIONS: Like Disney's platformers, these games are every bit as
good graphically, but even more sparsely populated with
enemies and less fun to play. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: These characters go by various names in different
countries. The appropriate label will be displayed
according to the language you select.
Les Schtroumpfs (French)
The Smurfs (English)
Die Schlumpfe (German)
Los Pitufos (Spanish)
I Puffi (Italian)
The Smurfs (1995, Hefty Smurf gets the unenviable task
of rescuing four fellow Smurfs from the clutches of
Gargamel the wizard)
The Smurfs 2 - Smurf Around the World (1996, Nosy Smurf
and Smurfette mess around in Papa Smurf's magic
supplies and get sent on a worldwide tour - drops
Italian as a language option, lets you choose either
Nosy Smurf or Smurfette as your character)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Snow Bros - Nick and Tom
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toaplan/Tengen
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Overly cute run-and-jump about a pair of short snowmen
who are trying to rescue their lady loves from captivity.
Now if it weren't for all those monsters and other
platform hazards in the way....
IMPRESSIONS: Your standard Bubble Bobble clone, complete with the
requisite cutsey music and endearingly cutsey music. I
think I'm going to hurl some major chunkage if I see too
many more of these kind of games. At least the opening
anime-style cinema is tolerable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Socket - Time Dominator
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Vic Tokai
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Meet Socket - Sonic's illegitimate half-cousin, I guess -
who powers up by plugging his tail into the nearest
electrical outlet.
IMPRESSIONS: A Sonic clone that's got everything but character design.
If four Sonic games aren't enough for you, then this is
worth the look. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sokoban
see SHOVE IT! THE WAREHOUSE GAME
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sol-Deace
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: It's machine vs. machine in this side-scrolling shooter
about an attempt to destroy a supercomputer system that
has taken over the Earth and is quite capable of
defending itself, as all those recently deceased pilots
who tried found out.
IMPRESSIONS: One of the best R-Type clones you will ever see for the
platform. Fast-paced and furious, with a nice but not-
too-overpowering range of power-ups, and some interesting
enemies to counter.
VARIATIONS: For some reason, the Sega CD version is named Sol-Feace.
I've been told that they're the same game except for the
CD enhancements, so why the name change?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Soldiers of Fortune
see THE CHAOS ENGINE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Soleil
see CRUSADER OF CENTY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sonic the Hedgehog series (8 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sonic Team/Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: various
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Who would have thought that a fast-paced arcade game
about a smart-alecky blue hedgehog and his efforts at
preventing the evil Dr. Robotnik from mechanizing the
world would have turned into the hit series that it
became? The original is a legend as far as arcade games
go, the sequels are for the most part just as good or
better, and the venture finally provided Sega with
something it desperately needed at the time - a new
mascot. Every Sega plaform since has had at least one
Sonic game.
IMPRESSIONS: Colorful graphics, catchy tunes, and fast gameplay are
the standard hallmarks of the Sonic series. These
titles remain as popular as they ever were, with each
new entry adding its own particular twists. The first
is a must, and so are most of the others.
VARIATIONS: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991, the one and only original, and
the game that was most responsible for the popularity
of the platform - the Japanese version has scrolling
clouds in the background)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992, same idea as before but adds
a second player-controllable character in Tails the
Fox - this was the most successful G/MD title ever
produced, according to Video Gamers Online - the beta
version, which has been recently unearthed, includes
levels that didn't make it into the commercial release)
Sonic Spinball (1993, a pinball game designed around the
Sonic franchise that has all the visual appeal of the
platform games, but somehow just doesn't wash - there
are two different versions, with slight musical
variations being the only notable difference)
Sonic Crackers (1994, an in-house beta developed by Sega
to test several new concepts - only two stages are
playable, but this was the first Sonic game to employ
the "bungee attack mode" that would be more fully
realized in Knuckles Chaotix for the 32X - there are
also other elements that were later used in other Sonic
games, isometric perspective being a notable one)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994, the last in the commercially
released series of 2D platformers - not designed for
speed as before, you encounter a boss at the end of
every level, Sonic was redesigned to give him a more
fierce look, Knuckles puts in his second appearance
in a Sonic game, and has only six very large stages -
the MegaDrive release apparently has some different
music than the American release, such as when Knuckles
first appears)
Sonic and Knuckles (1994, Sonic squares off against Dr.
Robotnik's newest henchman, Knuckles the enchindia -
this employed a special "lock-on" pass-through design
that allowed you to plug in Sonic 2 or 3 and play them
as either Sonic or Knuckles - you're in for a bit of a
surprise if you try using Sonic 1 with it - this is
considered by some Sonic fans as the best of the
original 16-bit side scroller series)
Sonic 3D Blast (1996, also known as Flicky's Island in
Europe - Sonic travels to the island of the Flickies
to save them from Dr. Robotnik - in part inspired by
old Sega platform arcade game Flicky - the first
commercially released Sonic game to make use of
isometric perspective, which takes a lot of adjustment
for fans of the series)
Sonic Classics 3-in-1 (1996, combines the first two
Sonic Games and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine into
a single cart)
Also released around the same time was Kunckles Chaotix
for the 32X and Sonic CD for the Sega CD. As a side
note, Dr. Robotnik is known as Dr. Eggman in Japan due to
his appearance, and the nickname has been quickly
accepted over on this side of "the pond."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sorcerer Kingdom
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NCS/Masiya
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Fantasy RPG in the same vein as Crusader of Centy or the
Phantasy Star MD. Kinda reminds me of my all-time
personal fave - Origin's Times of Lore.
IMPRESSIONS: It may look and sound horrid, but the gameplay is pretty
decent. I mean, that's what retro gaming's all about,
right? Okay, have it your way....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sorcerian
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Falcom/Hudson/American Sammy
RELEASED: 1987
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A combination role-playing/action game in which you
control a party of four characters (made up of fighters,
mages, and the like) through numerous, generally
unrelated quests - pretty much just for the sake of doing
the quests, as each was given its own story with nothing
relating to the others. (Matthew Murray)
IMPRESSIONS: Similar in concept to Cadash and in execution to Ys 3.
Bland graphics and a laughable English translation don't
help things too much, not to mention that some of the
puzzles are just plain stupid. Way too easy to get lost
in the dungeons, which makes for a confusing and
frustrating experience. I'd have to say "thumbs down" on
this one.
VARIATIONS: Sorcerian Forever (IBM PC version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sorrow
see GAMBLER JIKO-CYUSINHA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sutoraida
see STRIDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Space Harrier 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1988
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sequel to Sega's hit first-person arcade shooter.
IMPRESSIONS: A slight reworking of the original arcade classic with
some new enemies, but otherwise the same old game. The
scaling of enemies is pretty choppy...but the checkboard
effect on the ground is cool. Fairly playable, but it
doesn't offer much else. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: The original, Space Harrier, was released for the Master
System, the 32X, and in a Sega Ages Collection disc for
the Saturn.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Space Invaders series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Updated versions of the original classic arcade shooter
with a few new tricks up its sleeve. The premise is the
same, though - you are presented with a screenful of
aliens, and you must blow them ALL away before they get
all the way to the bottom and destroy you.
IMPRESSIONS: While it won't trump the simple purity of the original,
it's well worth the look. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum....
VARIATIONS: Space Invaders 90 (original Japanese release)
Space Invaders 91 (all non-Japanese markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Space War (public domain)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kevin Banks
RELEASED: 1998
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A shareware clone of the popular arcade game featuring
the starship Enterprise from Star Trek - The Next
Generation as the ship of choice.
IMPRESSIONS: Appears to be in an early alpha stage, so it sucks by any
comparison. It might be all right if it's ever finished,
but the author's going to have to lose the multiple
Enterprises for obvious legal reasons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Speedball 2 - Brutal Deluxe
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bitmap Brothers/Mirrorsoft/Arena
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Sports (invented)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the second of the two popular Amiga games, which
are best describe as the Bitmap Brother's digital homage
to the classic sci-fi feature film Rollerball. Speedball
is a fast-pased and often violent form of human polo
invented in the future by the megacorporations to placate
the restless masses.
IMPRESSIONS: The only thing missing from the Amiga original are the
awesome background music tracks. Great graphics, great
gameplay, adequate sound.
VARIATIONS: The original, Speedball, is apparently not available for
the platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Speedway Pro Challenge
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The usual racing sim...
IMPRESSIONS: In a word, forgettable - as nobody seems to remember it.
It seems to have seen at least a limited European outing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Speedy Gonzales - Cheese Cat-astrophe
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Ay, carumba! That weekid pussygato, that Syeelvester,
he grab my girl and run. Holy freholes! Stoopid pussy-
gato, he loco la cabesa! I must save her before he
eat her, and then no more keeses for me! Un-del-aay,
ariba, riba, YEEEEEHHHHHHAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
IMPRESSIONS: Familar premise wrapped around the same old boring run-
and-jump. At least the graphics look nice....
VARIATIONS: This title is unique to the Genesis. It is sometimes
confused with the SNES game, Los Gatos Banditos.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Spiderman series (5 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: various
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of games based on the wall-crawling superhero
personally created by Stan Marvel for Marvel Comics.
IMPRESSIONS: You would think that with all these different programming
houses involved, at least one would do justice to the
franchise. They don't. The best of the series is only
mediocre, and some are downright obnoxious. Spiderman
fans will probably have a field day, but the rest of us
will get bored fast.
VARIATIONS: Spiderman vs. the Kingpin (1991 by Sega, Spiderman
squares off against a mob boss bent on taking over the
city - not bad for an early effort, and certainly not
as obnoxious or pretensious as some of the latter
entries in the series)
Spiderman - The Animated Series (1993 by Western
Technologies and marketed by Acclaim, ol' Spidey has
to deal with three of his more formidable foes after
they stage a daring jailbreak and begin to raise all
sorts of hell - average graphics and gameplay, and has
the worst sound mix of the lot)
Spiderman and the X-Men - Arcade's Revenge (1993 by
Software Creations, marketed by Acclaim under their
Flying Edge product line, Spidey gets the unenviable
task of saving his fellow superheroes the X-Men from
an unknown enemy - the silliest story of the lot, and
kinda frustrating in places)
Spiderman and Venom - Maximum Carnage (1994 by Software
creations and released by LJN, Spidey teams up with
his alterego Venom to fight his second alterego
Carnage - confusing plot unless you're familiar with
the comic books, but at least the graphics are decent
and the gameplay is bearable)
Spiderman and Venom - Separation Anxiety (1995 by
Software Creations and released by Acclaim, Spidey and
team up once again to help Venom fight off his own
clones and the people responsible for them - very much
like its predecessor, where you beat people up for
twenty or so levels - this is one of the hardest Spidey
games to track down because it was the last one
released for the platform)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Spirou
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Infogrames
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Spirou must rescue the world-famous scientist Count
Champaignac from the clutches of an evil organization
intent on using his latest invention to take over the
world. Based on the popular French comic series.
IMPRESSIONS: Another excellent platformer in the same vein as Pitfall
and Jungle Book - solid plot, great graphics and sound,
intense and often frustrating gameplay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Spiritual Warfare
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wisdom Tree Games
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Edutainment (religious)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You're a soldier in the army of the Lord, exploring the
regions of a modern city as you attempt to collect the
full armor of god. Along the way, you will encounter
villanous characters and numerous obstacales designed to
test your faith. Correctly answering Bible questions
will help restore your health and strengthen your spirit.
(The Christian Link)
IMPRESSIONS: This is a poor excuse for a Zelda clone. 'Nuff said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Splatterhouse series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It has been some time since your escape from that awful
place, and only now have you regained your sanity. Even
so, you are still haunted by the nightmares - dreams of
your beloved Jennifer, who never escaped that place.
"We can still save her," comes a voice from one side.
You look, and it is what you expected it to be. It is
the mask - that terrible mask with its supernatural
powers - and wearing it will give you the only chance of
defeating the demon-infested Splatterhouse and rescuing
Jennifer from a slow and agonizing death at the hands of
the creatures within.
IMPRESSIONS: Original in concept, which breathes new life into the
tried and true platform fighting genre. Nice graphics,
appropriate sound, fiendishly difficult gameplay. The
latter of the two games is better in most respects than
its predecessor.
VARIATIONS: The first game in the series, Splatterhouse, was only
released for the Turbo Grafix 16.
Splatterhouse 2 (1992, your first trip back - limited
side-scrolling action, but at least you can pick up
and use the weapons and power-ups you find along your
route)
Splatterhouse 2 Alpha Flight trainer hack (gives you
infinite lives, but you have to restart whatever level
you died on)
Splatterhouse 3 (1993, your second and final trip back -
great graphics, pseudo 3D action, level design is such
that you can go all over the house instead of always to
the right, nice intermission cinemas that help advance
the plot - this is the Splatterhouse game to get)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sports Talk Baseball
see the SUPER LEAGUE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sports Talk Football series
see the NFL FOOTBALL series for the appropriate game
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Spot series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Eurocom/Virgin
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You play as Spot, the popular 1980s mascot for the 7UP
soft drink company, as he wanders about in various places
collecting enough stuff to free his buddies.
IMPRESSIONS: Character animation is awesome, and gameplay is great.
Unfortunately, some of the scenery is recycled in later
levels, and the ending may not be worth the considerable
frustration involved in clearing the last part of the
game. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Cool Spot (1992, aka Spot and Spot - The Arcade Game,
2D sidescroller)
Spot Goes to Hollywood (1995, pseudo 3D isometric action
that is superior in most ways to its predecessor and
possibly worthy of comparison to Sonic 3, although
gameplay is nowhere near as fast)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Control - Famous Battles of the Ur-Quan Conflict
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Reiche and Ford/Ballistic
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter/Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Details the war between Earth and its allies and a
savage alien race known as the Ur-Quan. Ported from the
IBM PC original.
IMPRESSIONS: A seriously overhauled ripoff of the old arcade classic
Space War that retains the fantastic gameplay of its
inspiration while also throwing in a good dose of
strategy and tactics - not to mention tons of options.
Looks old, but it plays great!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Cruiser
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Arsys/NCS/Masiya
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A first-person 3D shooter in the same vein as Zero
Tolerance, but with the addition of a limited RPG
element. (Eidolon)
IMPRESSIONS: Enjoyable and addictive. (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: At one time NCS planned to release an English-language
version titled Star Odyssey, but the deal fell through
for unknown reasons. There is also apparently a Japanese
sequel, Star Cruiser 2, but I do not know if it was ever
released for the MegaDrive.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Starflight
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Binary Systems/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Explore the vast reaches of interstellar space in your
trusty starship while making sure you have the reserves
and resources aboard to maintain operational ability.
Your ultimate goal is to find the mysterious Crystal
Planet, which has the power to save the galaxy.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics and sound are both dated, but this still has
the deep and involved gameplay that everybody remembers.
It was first released back in 1987 for 8-bit systems, and
is still one of the all-time best space exploration games
to date. Well worth the look and more, even if it isn't
very pretty by today's standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Stargate
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tantalus/Probe/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A special forces Marine batallion has stepped through a
Stargate on Earth and wound up on the planet Abydos on
the other side of the universe. Now they must fight to
survive among the planet's animal life, several tribes
of ancient Egyptian descendants, and the planet's
intelligent alien population. Based on the hit feature
film starring Kurt Russell that later became a television
series (starring Richard Anderson) for the Showtime
premium cable channel.
IMPRESSIONS: Wow! Great graphics and animation, cool tunes and sound,
and gameplay that just borders on frustratingly hard.
Has a lot in common with Super Star Wars for the SNES
in terms of level design and advancement. If you liked
the movie, you'll like the game. If you haven't seen the
movie, then you might want to after playing the game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Trek series (2 titles)
Because of the decidedly different nature of these games
and the fact that they deal with two different spinoffs
of the original Star Trek franchise, I have decided to
list each game separately
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Echoes From the Past"
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Spectrum Holobyte
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: "Captain's log. It has been two days since Starfleet
cancelled our leave on Hobson Delta II. The Enterprise
has been sent to the Neutral Zone to monitor new Romulan
activity, which is under the premise of a search for a
lost research team. While the crew is unaware of the
full extent of our orders, they can read a star chart
as well as I. They know where we are...."
IMPRESSIONS: Maneuver your favorite members of the Enterprise crew in
away-team missions around various sites, using their
individual skills to solve various puzzles. There are a
few flight simulator scenes aboard the ship as well.
Trekkies will grok this one, but the rest of us will need
a hint book to get anywhere. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - "Crossroads of Time"
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Novatrade/Playmates
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action/adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: "Station log, stardate 46871.6. Station traffic is at
a near standstill due to political unrest on Bajor. Our
only visitor today is a Cardassian warship 'showing the
flag.' Either of these could have something to do with
several recent attempts at sabotaging the station. We
are currently investigating the problem...."
IMPRESSIONS: A notable departure from the usual platform game. You
have the run of the station in just about any direction
you choose. Graphics and animation are fairly decent,
and the development of the game's plot is both logical
and sensible. Treat this as your normal run-and-jump,
and you will get bored fast. Accept it for the
interactive puzzler that it is, and you will have lots of
fun. One of the more enjoyable titles among the many
games based on Gene Roddenberry's legendary franchise.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Steel Empire
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hot-B/Flying Edge
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The Motorhead Empire has conquered almost the entire
planet. Only the Republic of Silverhead stands in their
way to total world domination, a country with the weapons
to match their foes and the willpower to use them. And
so, with the Motorhead air and ground forces en route,
Silverhead decides to strike first....
IMPRESSIONS: A futuristic shooter with graphics design reminescent of
of the Hayao Miyazaki anime classic Laputa. Nice
variation of the standard shooter, with all kinds of
retrotech hardware to blow away.
VARIATIONS: Released in Japan as Battle Wings and in Europe as Empire
of Steel. Other alternate but unoffical titles include
Imamio Thunder and Death by Steel.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Steel Talons
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Tengen
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Flight simulator (military)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A high-tech combat flight simulation highlighting a
futuristic Army attack helicopter.
IMPRESSIONS: Compares well with LHX, but has more of an arcade feel
to it. One of its unique features is a two-player mode,
in which a second player can assume the role of copilot
and take over piloting duties during combat missions,
while the first player concentrates on operation the
weapons systems. Interesting!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Steven Segal - The Final Option (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: RSP/Tecmagik
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: Engish
PREMISE: YACEG based on the movie of the same name.
IMPRESSIONS: Plays kinda like Batman Forever, but with more freedom of
movement.
VARIATIONS: A one-level playable demo is available for the SNES. The
Genesis port apparently never got past the alpha stage,
if even that far.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Stormlord
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hewson/Razorsoft
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are a brave warrior called in by the faeries to help
them defeat an enroaching evil.
IMPRESSIONS: By the time this game [was ported to the Genesis], the
naked faeries weren't naked anymore - leaving no reason
to mess with this mediocre game. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Story of Thor - A Successor to the Light
see BEYOND OASIS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Story of Three Kingdoms
see SANGOKUSHI RETSUDEN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Street Fighter 2 series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: They come from all over the world, from all walks of
life, from all beliefs and cultures. Male and female,
young and old, small and large, tall and short, they have
but one thing in common - they are Street Fighters. A
breed apart from your average brawler, the Street Fighter
is the ultimate physical fighting machine. Each has his
or her own unique talents and skills, and each lives by
the Street Fighter code. Every year, once a year, they
travel all over the world and battle each other for the
world championship among their kind. Are you capable
enough to join their ranks and compete for that ultimate
prize? The one and only original which spawned a ton
of ripoffs and imitators, although only a few (Mortal
Kombat, Tekken, etc) came close to duplicating its
success.
IMPRESSIONS: God, I hope you're familar with this by now. A great
game, but it is showing its age. Besides, Super Steet
Fighter 2 renders [all previous entries] obsolete. (Rage
Games)
VARIATIONS: The original Street Fighter 2 (aka Street Fighter 2 - The
World Warrior) was apparently not released for the G/MD.
Street Fighter 2 Turbo (1992, aka Turbo Hyper Fighting -
expands the roster from eight to twelve fighters, but
little else has changed from the original - I have
seen only a copyright-less Japanese beta of this that
is also missing the Capcom logo - this may have been
the basis for the G/MD Championship Edition - I have a
strong suspicion that this version of the game was
never officially released)
Street Fighter 2 Plus - Chamionship Edition (1993, this
is the best-known of the SF2 variants, with a twelve
character fighter roster and overhauled game engine)
Super Street Fighter 2 - The New Challengers (1994, the
most impressive of the Genesis series with a sixteen
character fighter roster - this is the only known 40
mbit cart in existence for the platform, utilizing a
unique bank-switching technique to access its stored
backgrounds - the extra room was required for the
improved graphics and expanded roster)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Street Racer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Vivid Image
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Racing (go-kart)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hey, it's Mario Kart for the Genesis! No, really, it's
actually an excellent clone of the same....
IMPRESSIONS: Has a funky soundtrack, cool characters, and some of the
smoothest animation and sprite scaling you will ever see
in a Genesis racing game. Looks and plays fast, and even
offers split-screen play for two-player mode. I like
this better than the SNES version, even though it's not
nearly as sophisticated. - which is probably all for the
best. What a ride!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Street Smart
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treco/SNK
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A poor attempt at a Street Figher clone. 'Nuff said.
IMPRESSIONS: One-on-one fighting, Double Dragon style. For reasons
now unclear to me I liked the arcade version, but even I
couldn't bring myself to like this downright boring home
version. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Streets of Rage series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Magical/Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Axel, Adam and Blaze - ex-cops, the solution to punk
pollution. The city's a war zone, and they're going out
two at a time to give the gangs a kick in the guts. This
is the ultimate in street combat. These fighters are
martial arts maniacs with a battery of 40 individually
controllable attacks - including jabs, head butts, and
overhead kicks. (box promo for first game)
IMPRESSIONS: Although eclipsed by its later sequels, [the original]
sports more moves and variety and has the techno
soundtrack that made composer Yuzo Koshiro famous. The
second game adds one more player for a total of four,
plus new moves for everyone and a soundtrack that is
every bit as awesome as the first one. The third and
final entry replaces one character and adds two hidden
ones - no platform fighter before or since has offered
better variety or gameplay. Too bad the music isn't as
good, because some of the tracks are just plain awful.
(compiled from the original Rage Games reviews)
VARIATIONS: These games were originally released in Japan under the
title Bare Knuckle. It is reported that the Japanese
originals are more violent than the American releases.
Streets of Rage (1991, aka Bare Knuckle, English/Japanese
selectable - set console accordingly)
Streets of Rage 2 (1992, aka Bare Knuckle 2, English/
Japanese selectable - set console accordingly)
Streets of Rage 3 (1994, aka Bare Knuckle 3)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Strider series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom/Tiertex/U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1990 (both titles)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Ports of the infamous Capcom side-scrolling arcade games.
The first was a notable hit when first ported to the G/MD,
the second kinda came and went.
IMPRESSIONS: The first 8 mbit cartridge games (or so Sega claims),
these platform fighters don't compete well with more
modern offerings. Gameplay is decent enough and Hiryu
has tons of techniques, but they could move a bit faster.
Formerly glorious. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Strider (aka Hiryu, Sutoraida)
Strider 2 (aka Journey into Darkness, Return of Hiryu)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Strike series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Granite Bay/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It takes a special breed of pilot to join the Strike
Team - one who's an expert in air-to-air and air-to-
ground combat, one who's ready to fly at a moment's
notice, one who won't fold when things begin to get
hairy. With the rise in global terrorism, the Strike
Team is looking for new recruits to face the ever-growing
dangers of modern life. Will you be the one that will
save the world?
IMPRESSIONS: Not shooters in the true sense, as they apply a healthy
dose of real-world military combat, but still lots of
of fun nonetheless. The isometric perspective does take
some getting used to, though, but once that's done you
can sit back and enjoy some truly awesome games.
VARIATIONS: Desert Strike - Return to the Gulf (1992, inspired by
the Gulf War, you get to blow away a fanatical MidEast
dictator and his desert-based loon squad)
Jungle Strike (1993, sequel in which your old protagonist
has relocated to the tropics - requires game manual for
password check)
Urban Strike - (1994, the eldest son of your old foe has
taken his dead father's place and is quietly building a
terrorist organization within a large American city)
There are also three other games in the series for other
platforms - Surgical Strike for the Sega CD, Soviet
Strike for the Saturn, and Nuclear Strike for personal
computer systems.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Striker
see the ULTIMATE SOCCER series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Strip Q Mahjong Club
AUTHOR/VENDOR: City Man Technologies
RELEASED: 1992?
TYPE: Tile game (adult)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This Hong Kong release is a take on a popular Japanese
mahjong game. You get to call in to a mahjong club and
play with its various female members. The better you do,
the more clothes she loses. Once you've won and seen
your "prize," then you get the phone number of your next
opponent. (adapted from Robert Worne's original review)
IMPRESSIONS: Probably the best of the three strip mahjong titles known
to date for the MegaDrive. Has some nice and inoffensive
background music, spectacular anime-style artwork, and
a fair enough mahjong game engine. If you don't play
mahjong and need some motivation to learn (wink, wink),
then you might give this a try. Be sure to have a
rulebook handy, though, because all texts are Japanese.
VARIATIONS: The English title is supposedly adapted from the Japanese
original, Dial Q O Mawase. There is also supposed to be
a non-adult version of this game, although I have yet to
see it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sub Terrania
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Zyrinx
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Aliens have invaded a vital subterranean mining colony.
Fly a prototype fighter through impossible caverns to
rescue miners and blast the aliens into the darkest pits
of space! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Having to constantly fight gravity (like in Lunar Lander)
can get annoying when you have to worry about enemies
shooting at you as well. Not a true shooter per se, so
it won't necessarily appeal to shooter fans - or anyone
else, for that matter. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Summer Challenge
see the CHALLENGE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Summer Games - Atlanta 96
see the OLYMPIC GAMES series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sumo Wrestling
see AAH! HARIMANDA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sunset Riders
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A somewhat faithful port of the popular coin-op, in which
you get to choose one of four gunslingers and run around
inside Konami's aracde tribute to spaghetti Westerns.
IMPRESSIONS: A Western-themed arcade shooter with some nice touches
and gimmics, but otherwise pretty standard fare.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Airwolf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kyugo Trading
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Arcade game based on the short-lived CBS television
series starring Jan Michael-Vincent and Ernest Borgnine
as a pair of mercenaries who flew a high-tech military
helicopter on various and sundry missions.
IMPRESSIONS: Even the worst episode of Airwolf was better than this
Xevious clone, which is lame, lame, lame. Only for
bleary-eyed shooter fans.
VARIATIONS: CrossFire (non-American markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Baseball 2020
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SNK/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A fun and fast-paced futuristic baseball game in which
each team can use the money earned in the previous game
buy certain "enhancements" for their players - beefed
up skills, cybernetic implants, bionic limbs, power
suits, and in some cases new programming. Imagine being
able to jump 100 feet straight up into the air to catch
a pop fly, or round the bases at half the speed of sound!
Ported from the smash hit arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: A nice change of pace from the standard baseball sim.
The concept is well-thought out and excellently executed.
It also has some nice little touches, like the gradual
wearing-down of your powersuits and droid players, as
well as the ability to repair and upgrade. Try it!
You'll like it!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Battleship
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Synergistic/Mindscape
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Capture the thrill of commanding a naval fleet with this
brand new spin on the classic game of Battleship. Gives
you all the challenge of the original, and adds a whole
new range of weapons and features to enhance the game.
IMPRESSIONS: Yes, it looks great. Yes, it sounds great. Yes, it's
got options out the wazoo. So why don't I like it? It's
needlessly complicated, lacking the simple yet effective
gameplay of the classic original. If I want complicated
naval strategy, I'd rather go play one of Koei's P.T.O.
games - not this lame pretender.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Battletank - War in the Gulf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Absolute Entertainment
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Gulf War will go down as one of history's greatest
tank battles. Now is your chance to relive the conflict
in this full-fledged Desert Storm combat simulation. Get
behind the controls of an M1A1 Abrams main battle tank,
and go kick some Iraqi ass all the way back to Baghdad!
IMPRESSIONS: Wander aimlessly through the dunes, spot an enemy tank,
blast it, then move on. God, this is so booooooring, and
the graphics are hideous. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: The sequel was never released for the Genesis, nor was
it missed by any measure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Bubble Bobble
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Port of the popular arcade game about Bub and Bob, two
cute chan-style dinosaurce who battle various animated
enemies by burping bubbles at them. Once the threats
are trapped within, they can then stomp on them. Sounds
silly, I know, but simple premises are often the ones
that stick, and this game is an arcade legend.
IMPRESSIONS: Another infamous Hong Kong bootleg SNES port
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Columns
see the COLUMNS series
(not to be confused with the adult SNES game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Cyclone
see TWIN HAWK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Fantasy Zone
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sun Denshi/Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: A puzzling yet challenging shooter done in nice pastel
colors that leaves most shooter fans scratching their
heads. It was one of the first to force players to pay
(and earn) cash in order to buy upgrades for their ships.
Adapted from the hit series of arcade shooters.
IMPRESSIONS: If you can stand the game's, er, uniqueness, then it
comes across as a pretty challenging shooter. It's no
Area 88 by a long shot, though.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Hang-On
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Racing (motorcycle)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: Can you win the ultimate long-distance motorcycle road
race? One of the true Sega gaming classics, and an
extremely faithful port of the original arcade game.
This was the direct ancestor of the legendary road racing
game OutRun.
IMPRESSIONS: It's OutRun on motorcycles, more or less, but gameplay is
a lot faster and smoother than its 8-bit descendent; the
port seems to have been more successful. A must-have if
you are into classic racing games.
VARIATIONS: The American and overseas versions appear identical in
all respects save one: the speedometer reads in k/ph, not
mph (i.e. English vs. metric systems)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super High Impact
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Midway/Arena
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Genesis port of the popular arcade game, itself based on
the teams, players, and exploits of American professional
football. 'Nuff said. This was the de facto standard
in arcade football games until Midway's NFL Blitz series
was released.
IMPRESSIONS: This and the later Tecmo Super Bowl games are unique in
offering a from-the-stands slant-view perspective. Nice
graphics and good sound. It's also the only G/MD
football sim I've seen with a "fighting mode" - once set,
your players will play rough, take cheap shots, and argue
with their opponents and the refs. It's nice to have
something that emphasizes arcade-style gameplay over
techincal accuracy, while at the same time remaining
competetive with its rivals both in the graphics and
sound departments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super HQ
see CHASE HQ 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Hydlide
AUTHOR/VENDOR: T&E Soft/Seismic Software
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Awaken, young hero! A dark evil from days long past has
once again reared its ugly head, seeking to conquer all.
It is your destiny to face this challenge. What the
world will lose, you shall recover.
IMPRESSIONS: An ancient-looking RPG that has not aged gracefully.
Appears to be an arcade port of some kind. Hey, at least
it's in English! That's about all I can say for it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Kick-Off
see the KICK-OFF series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Kick-Off 3 - European Challenge
see the KICK-OFF series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super League Baseball series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Sega's original in-house baseball game especially coded
to promote sales of the then-new Genesis/MegaDrive.
Features the top lineups and players for the Central
League as of the date of coding. "Central League?" you
ask. In case you didn't know, professional baseball is
currently split into three major leagues - the National
and American, both in the United States; and the Central,
based in Japan. Each has their own unique variations on
the standard rules of the game.
IMPRESSIONS: Older pro baseball sims with a bit of a cartoonish look
to them now - that's after looking though dozens of
latter and superior titles. Not bad, but why bother
unless you're really into the Central League?
VARIATIONS: The Mega CD version features a celebrity endorsement by
Central League player Egawa Sugoru. It is possible,
although not yet proven, that his mug may appear on the
Super League game released as Tommy Lasorda Baseball.
More information would be appreciated.
Super League Baseball (1989, released to the Amercian
market in a YACEG English translation as Tommy Lasorda
Baseball)
Super League Baseball 91 (1990, Japanese release only,
new team rosters and a somewhat improved game engine)
Sports Talk Baseball (1992, practically the same as Super
League 91 but in English and with American MLB teams)
There apparently was a Japanese version of Sports Talk
Baseball released for the Mega CD; see appropriate entry
for details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Daisenryaku
see the DAISENRYAKU series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super King Kong 99
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nintendo (original author, port unauthorized)
RELEASED: 1999
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: An true arcade classic gets revisited in this, one of
the all-time great SNES platformers. Features rendered
graphics in a then top-notch digitzation, big and well-
designed levels, and of course the introduction of
Donkey Kong's nosy little nephew, Diddy Kong.
IMPRESSIONS: Beautifully rendered graphics and decent gameplay to
boot. Everyone and their dog has played it, of course,
so why do you need a review? (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: The SNES original upon which this is based is best known
as Donkey Kong Country (aka Super Donkey Kong). This is
an inferior Hong Kong bootleg, of course, ported without
Nintendo's permission. Don't let the "big N" catch you
with it!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Mario World
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Seichen?
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is a Hong Kong bootleg hack that is supposed to be
Super Mario World, but plays more like Super Mario 2 or
The Lost Levels. It is not authorized nor sanctioned by
Nintendo. Must be tete-a-tete for the Nintendo Sonic
game, eh?
IMPRESSIONS: A rushed hack, and it shows. Game control is off, lots
of little details in the REAL game is missing, and what's
that SUPER MARIO BROS sign doing in there as a second
title screen? The whole thing winds up looking and
feeling like a port of the public domain game Mario VGA.
Nintendo is not happy about the existence of this
unlicensed port, and it's easy to understand why.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Monaco Grand Prix series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Racing (Formula 1)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The first, but not the last, of the Formula 1 racing sims
for the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: Decent graphics, a well-thought out range of options, and
simple yet effective gameplay. There are flasher racing
sims, and there are better playing ones, but few have
been able to strike a happy balance between those two
points. Super Monaco Grand Prix does that, and so does
its sequel to a somewhat lesser extent.
VARIATIONS: Super Monaco Grand Prix (1990, simple but sweet, and one
of the few G/MD titles to support multiple console
versions - you can pick either the English or Japanese
version)
Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco Grand Prix 2 (1992, this
YACEG sequel set new standards in Genesis racing sims
that would be surpassed by only a select handful of
titles - the English-only version is the only one known
to date, although a Portuguese version is rumored)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Multi-in-One series (17 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: various unknown Hong Kong pirate companies
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: various
PREMISE: We've known about the existence of a big pirate game
market in Hong Kong for some time, whose specialty was
ripping off popular titles and issuing them on multigame
carts. Leave it to one of G3's field reporters, Zhenying
Wu, to stumble across a small cache of them on eBay in
September 1998. His find started a big expansion to this
entry, so let's give a big round of applause for his
efforts! Oh, and while I'm at it, let's also give a big
"thank you" to Kossman for his original eBay auction
posting.
IMPRESSIONS: What is there to say? The ones that aren't direct rips
or pirated versions of Japanese games are pretty sad, by
all accounts. Let's hope someone gets these to me so I
can judge them more objectively. All I have to go on
right now on my part are poor-quality scans of the
horrendous box/cart art and what limited data I can
gather from back-channel sources.
VARIATIONS: These go by various names and various assortments, but
are most commonly referred to as the "Hong Kong pirate
carts." I've tried to match commercial games with their
Hong Kong counterparts, but these matches are tentative
at best.
MegaDrive 16-in-1 (This is one of only two known
MegaDrive carts that are actually SMS carts in
disguise, with the other being Phantasy Star MD. It
includes 16 SC3000/SMS games - My Hero, Soccer,
Baseball, Teddy Boy, Ghost House, Bank Panic, Machine
Gun, Astro Flash, Spy vs. Spy, Pit Pot, Hang-On,
Satellite 7, Super Tennis, Super Astro, Easy Ghost, and
Kid Fighter. Super Astro is a retitled Astro Flash,
and Easy Ghost is a retitled Ghost House. Many thanks
to Obscure Pixels for the info and the cart/box scans.)
Mega Multi 7-in-1 (This was actually released in Hong
Kong and recently showed up on zero-chan's ebay auction
posting. It includes Sonic 1, World Cup 92, Super
Volleyball, Tengen's Tetris, Columns, Tiny Toons:
Busts Loose, and Pac-Man)
Super 2-in-1 (Spiderman, Fantasia)
Super 3-in-1 (Hellfire, Columns, and another unknown)
Super 4-in-1 (Twin Hawk, Fire Shark, Aleste, Wonderboy 3)
Super 4-in-1 (Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, Thunder Force
2, Batman, Fire Shark)
Super 4-in-1 (Street Smart, Bare Knuckle, Quack Shot, and
another unknown)
Super 4-in-1 (Bingo 75, Lucky Bingo, Honey Peach, Chess
Academy)
Super 4-in-1 (Bare Knuckle, Fire Mustang, Street Smart,
Aero Blaster)
Super 6-in-1 (Master Chu [aka Fu Manchu?], Metal Fighter,
Galactic Crusader, Auto-Upturn, Magic Cube [aka Smart
Mouse?], Super Pang [aka Ghost Hunter?])
Super 6-in-1 (Q-Boy, Gaiapolis, Thunder Blast Man [aka
Rockman/Megaman?], Jurassic Boy, Millionaire, and Link
Dragon)
Super 6-in-1 (Super Mario Brothers, Columns, Flicky,
Fatal Labyrinth, Block Out, Super Ping-Pong)
Super 7-in-1 (box is identical to the second Super 6-in-1
and appears to have some of the same games, with at
least one unknown unique new one added)
Super 8-in-1 (Jovial Race, Twin Eagle [aka Twin Hawk?],
Little Red Hood [aka Akazukin Cha Cha?], Silent
Assault, Super Pang [aka Ghost Hunter?], Minesweeper,
and two others)
Super 10-in-1 King's Card #1 (Super Air Wolf, Bare
Knuckle, Street Smart, Moonwalker, Batman, Super Real
Basketball, Aero Blaster, Shadow Dancer, Magic Prince
[?], Verytex)
Super 10-in-1 King's Card #2 (Street Smart, E-SWAT,
Shiten Myooh, Aleste, Dangerous Seed, Wonder Boy 3,
Heavy Unit, Final Blow, Ghost Busters, Streets of Rage)
Super 14-in-1 (Super HQ, Columns, Flicky, The
Flintstones, Mahjongg Coy Ryu, Ms. Pac-Man, Sokoban,
Taz-Mania, Tiny Toon Adventures, and others)
Super 15-in-1 (Sunset Smart [Street Smart?], Chase HQ 2,
Rambo 3, Tetris, Alex Kidd, Ms. Pac-Man, Shove It!,
Chivalrous [?], Rescue Secret Agent [?], High Sea[s
Havoc], Indian Area [?], Go to the Arsenal [?], Snowy
Area [?], Jungle Battle [?], Blow Up All The Enemy
Weapons [?!])
Super 30-in-1 (contents unknown)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Off-Road
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tradewest/Ballistic
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Racing (4WD)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A hoary old monster truck racing sim from the arcades.
Features up to four tiny trucks on a single-screen track.
IMPRESSIONS: Long since surpassed - don't bother.
VARIATIONS: The sequel, Super Off-Road - The Baja, was not released
for the G/MD platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Ping-Pong
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pure Byte
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Ball and Paddle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: If you don't know what Pong is by now, you're hopeless.
The classic, reworked in color and ported to the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: Blip-blop-blip-blop-blip-blop...yawn....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Real Basketball
see PAT RILEY BASKETBALL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Shinobi 2
see SHINOBI 3 - RETURN OF THE MASTER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Skidmarks
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acid/Codemasters
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Racing (4WD)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A pseudo-3D isometric off-road racing game supporting
up to four-players via split-screen view.
IMPRESSIONS: The Amiga version of this Micro Machines 2 clone was
superior to that game, but the people who ported this to
the MegaDrive made a complete hash of the job. It's
jerky, and somehow the control just isn't right. It's
several stages past dire. Get Micro Machines 2 instead.
(The Norseman)
VARIATIONS: The only version currently known to exist appears to be a
prerelease beta - the same that was hurredly issued in
the European markets.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Slapshot
see MARIO LEMIEUX HOCKEY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Smash TV
see SMASH TV
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Tecmo Bowl 2 Limited
see TECMO SUPER BOWL 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Thunder Blade
see THUNDER BLADE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Volleyball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: System Video
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Sports (volleyball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A side-view arcade style volleyball sim that leaves a lot
to be desired, although not for lack of trying. Appears
to be a port of an arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Oh, it's not too bad, but better multiplayer support and
a pseudo 3D game view would have been more desirable than
what is provided.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Superman series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Two very different platform fighters based on the
popular superhero and flagship personality from the pages
of DC Comics.
IMPRESSIONS: Disliked the first game, loved the second. Both have
great graphics and sound, but something about the first
game just doesn't click. I'm glad that Sunsoft got it
almost right with the second title.
VARIATIONS: Superman (1992, smacks strongly of a warmed-over
Spiderman and the X-Men with altered graphics)
The Death and Return of Superman (1995, based on the
now-infamous story arc in which Superman actually
died and four wannabes arrived on the scene each
claiming to be the Man of Steel reborn - far superior
to the first game, although I find it hard to believe
that a simple punch can do so much damage to a
Kryptonian superhero)
Superman fans may also want to take a look at the DC
Comics versus fighting game, Justice League Task Force
(see separate entry for review)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Surging Aura
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mitsumi Inomata/Japan Media Programming
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A fantastic RPG with a storyline that is worthy of the
Arabian Nights - the kind of saga that you bleary-eyed
Final Fantasy hardship cases would drool over. Better
know the language, though, as all texts are in Japanese.
IMPRESSIONS: This rates right up there with Phantasy Star IV as one of
the best games of its type for the platform, and as one
of the all-time 16-bit fantasy RPG greats. Eidolon is
currently attempting an English translation, but it's
slow going....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sword of Sodan
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Innerprise/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A really old and hoary Rastan clone that was released for
several different 8-bit platforms back in the mid 1980s.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks okay, sounds fair, but gameplay is horrid despite
the improved game engine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sword of Vermillion
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: An older fantasy RPG from the Genesis with the now-
familiar "hidden prince discovers his true identity and
embarks on a quest to regain his throne" standard plot.
IMPRESSIONS: Excellent sound and graphics, average gameplay. Great
if you like RPGs, boring if you don't.
VARIATIONS: Vermillion (original Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Syd of Valis
see the VALIS series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sylvester and Tweety - Cagey Capers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Alexandria/TecMagik
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You play Sylvester the Cat. Your job is to catch the
irrepressible Tweety Bird. Sounds simple, you say?
You obviously don't know your Looney Toons! Inspired
by the classic Warner animated shorts.
IMPRESSIONS: Although it lacks the polished graphics and animation of
other titles inspired by the Looney Toons, this one is
the most true to its source material. You even get the
occasional odd bit of help and look of reproach from you
son Junior whenever you do something wrong. My personal
favorite of the Looney Toon games.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Syndicate
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bullfrog/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A strategy game dealing with criminal corporations. You
run the syndicate, so little things like murders, gang
wars, and hostage-taking are all in a day's work! Do
you have the cajones for the job, or would you rather be
pushing up the daisies for one of your ambitious
underlings?
IMPRESSIONS: This was an excellent game for the 16-bit personal
computers of the day (Amiga, Atari ST, IBM PC-AT), but
the G/MD port is a crappy conversion with childish
graphics that do little justice to the original. (Baalim)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Syura no Mon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Appears to be an anime-style karate game in which our
hero takes part in a school tournament that will
eventually pit him against a deadly champion, with his
girlfriend cheering him on the whole way.
IMPRESSIONS: A decent enough fighter, with a touch more real-world
flavor than the usual fare. Easy enough to play once
you stumble past the many Japanese texts.
VARIATIONS: The title can be translated as Gate of Fighting. My
thanks to Henrik Sankala for his help on this one.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
T
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Taiga Drama Taiheiki
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NHK
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A feudal Japanese tale apparently based on an NHK TV
program.
IMPRESSIONS: Your typical historically based Japanese strategy game
based in the country's feudal era. If you don't know
the language, then you can pass this one by.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Taikou Rishinden
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Set in the late 16th century during the unification of
Japan, this game follows the exploits of a ronin (i.e.
masterless samurai) who's out to get a job with one of
the local warlords.
IMPRESSIONS: Has touches of both Uncharted Waters and the Nobunaga's
Ambition series, along with some surprisingly infectious
music for a Koei RPG. If you can handle the language and
haven't tried one of Koei's sims before, then this might
be a good place to start.
VARIATIONS: Also known on the Internet as Dai 1650.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Taiwan Tycoon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: C&E Soft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Board games
LANGUAGE: Chinese
PREMISE: Care to try managing a budding bus line in Taiwan?
IMPRESSIONS: A cute little game in the same vein as Chibi Maruko-chan,
if you like that sort of thing. It sure did hold my
attention - yeah, right - once I managed to wade past all
the kanji setup screens. Nice chan-style graphics,
though.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Take the "A" Train
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Artdink
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Business simulation
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Players operate competing urban rail lines and vie for
top honors by moving the most passengers and cargo.
IMPRESSIONS: Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon it ain't, that's for sure,
Still, it does have good point or two...lemme think...
ummm.......zzzzzzz.......zzzzzzz.......sknxxxx.......
zzzzzzz.......
VARIATIONS: Take the "A" Train is a translation of the actual
Japanese title, "A" Ressha de Ikou.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Talespin
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Magical
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Soar into the wild blue yonder with Kit and Baloo, your
madcap buddies. Scramble to win the world's zaniest
flying contest ever, in Higher for Hire's famous flying
machine, the Sea Duck. The prize: a lucrative air
transport contract and glory for all! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: I'm rather annoyed that one of Disney's best animated
series to date was reduced to this humdrum platformer
with mediocre graphics. Not awful, but not worthy of
the license. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Talmit's Adventure
see MARVEL LAND
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tanjya Burai Densetsu
see NINJA BURAI DENSETSU
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Target Earth
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NCS/Masiya
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Earth's outcasts have returned from the depths of darkest
space ready to retake the planet for their own, with the
will and the weaponry to match. The Earth Defense League
isn't about to let them do it, though. Yeah, it's a bit
of a Macross clone; leastways, that what the game intro
resembles.
IMPRESSIONS: A challenging side-view mecha game with a great storyline
and anime cinemas throughout. Gameplay is a bit sluggish
but it should appeal to all fans of the Strike series.
(Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Assault Suits Leynoss (original Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Targis (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: JTP/Dynamix
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Game author David Ashley noted in his on-line resume that
he did a commercial port of his Amiga shareware original
for Dynamix. It would have featured 200 levels, along
with built-in level and character editors.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently Dynamix decided not to release the game, for
reasons unknown. What happened to his port remains a
mystery.
VARIATIONS: Scavenger (alternate title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Task Force Harrier EX
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treco
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You get to fly a Harrier jump jet against all kinds of
foes in this port of the fair-to-middlin' arcade shooter.
IMPRESSIONS: A top-down military shooter just like all the other
Japanese top-down shooters out there. Kinda reminds me
of Capcom's Area 88, but nowhere near as good.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tatsujin
see TRUXTON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Taz series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Headgames
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Arcade-style platformers inspired by the syndicated
animated series by Warner Brothers. The show concerned
the misadventures of the Tasmanian Devil, aka "Taz," and
his family in his native New Zealand.
IMPRESSIONS: With graphics and plots pulled straight from the TV show,
how could you go wrong? Easy - poor level design and
difficult game control, which gets frustrating fast. As
Rage Games said in their reviews, "Sega, why for you bury
Taz in the cold, cold ground?"
VARIATIONS: Taz-Mania (1992)
Taz in Escape from Mars (1994)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Team USA Basketball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: EA Sports/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Now you can play the ultimate Dream Team of Olympic
Basketball - the first American squad to feature players
from the NBA. The roster reads like a Who's Who of the
sport: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Clyde
Drexler, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Carl Malone,
John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin, David
Robinson, and Christian Laettner! Full-court 5-on-5
action with 15 of the best Olympic basketball teams from
around the world. (Electronic Arts)
IMPRESSIONS: The most popular of the early EA Sports Genesis
basketball games for obvious reasons - sort of a "NBA
Stomps the World" as I recall, just like they did in the
Olympics during that first glorious appearance.
VARIATIONS: Uses the NBA Playoffs game engine (see separate entry).
Also know as USA Basketball World Challenge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tec Toy multigame series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tec Toy
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: Portuguese
PREMISE: Several collections of various older Sega titles in the
same vein as the European Mega Games series. Officially
licensed by Sega.
IMPRESSIONS: Read the reviews on the individual games for more info.
VARIATIONS: Sega Top 5 (1997 - include Super Thunder Blade, Flicky,
Sega Soccer, Shinobi, and Super Monaco F1 Grand Prix)
Sport Games (1998 - includes Super Real Basketball,
Super Volleyball, and World Championship Soccer 2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Techno Clash
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Zono/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is a tale of magic users trapped in our machine-
oriented world by a freak interdimensional portal. Their
only wish is to return home, and they spend most of their
time wandering about Las Vegas looking for the one person
who might prove to be their only hope - the mysterious
"Machine Man."
IMPRESSIONS: Not exactly a game to thrill your toes off, but it's not
boring, either. Save it for one of those long rainy
weekends when you have nothing else to do.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Techno Kid (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: The Game Factory/Foley Hi-Tech Systems
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An unreleased in-house concept game. This never got
beyond the alpha stage, apparently.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Technocop
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Razorsoft
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the classic Amiga game, in which you play a
Magnum P.I.-style policeman who chases down violent
criminals in his red Ferrari. Use either your pistol
or capture net to silence any would-be enemies, and try
to catch the designated criminal before time runs out.
IMPRESSIONS: This was always a big fave at the many copy parties that
I attended in my Amiga days, and it's nice to see that
the Genesis port is so faithful - right down to the
unintentionally funny death scenes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tecmo Cup Football
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tecmo
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Young Robert had a dream - to play on a World Cup soccer
team. His childhood is now behind him, but the dream
remains. Robert is now an acclaimed soccer player, and
his team has just qualified for the World Cup. It's up
to Robert and his teammates to see that the dream comes
true.
IMPRESSIONS: Make no mistake about it - this is a slightly retooled
version of the highly acclaimed Japanese cinematic soccer
game known as Captain Tsubasa, based on the long-running
manga/anime series created in 1992 by Yoichi Takahashi.
My copy is the English one (thanks, Zhenying Wu!), which
means that the character art has been modified and
Occidental names substituted for the oriental ones. That
doesn't matter - I can spot a Tsubasa game regardless of
minor mods, and this one is every bit as good as its SNES
counterparts.
VARIATIONS: Captain Tsubasa (Japanese, existence unconfirmed)
This may be a simplified version of the Mega CD game; see
separate entry.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tecmo Super Baseball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tecmo
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the popular arcade baseball sim.
IMPRESSIONS: No better, or no worse, than any other Genesis baseball
sim that I've seen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tecmo Super Bowl series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tecmo
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of side-scrolling arcade-style football sims
that bear a strong resemblance to Super High Impact.
These games stress gameplay over realism, so don't be
surprised to see things that wouldn't happen in real
life.
IMPRESSIONS: A nice change-of-pace from the seriousness of EA's
Madden NFL franchise. Great for gamers who just want
to play ball and not have to worry about the details.
VARIATIONS: Tecmo Super Bowl (1993 - not bad, but the graphics are
so 8-bit bad that you'd swear you were playing an NES)
Tecmo Super Bowl 2 - Special Edition (1994 - far superior
to the original, featuring a slant-view pseudo-3D
playing field)
Tecmo Super Bowl 3 - Final Edition (1995 - adds a team
editor and player generator, as well as some more
razzle-dazzle to the Super Bowl 2 engine - this is the
one to get, folks)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tecmo Super Hockey
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tecmo
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (hockey)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the popular arcade ice hockey sim.
IMPRESSIONS: This is so easy to learn, almost simplistic in fact, that
it reminds me a lot of the hockey sims I used to play on
my trusty ol' Commodore 64. Makes a great poor man's EA
Sports NHL Hockey substitute - once you turn off all of
those damn cutscenes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tecmo Super NBA Basketball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tecmo
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the popular arcade basketball sim.
IMPRESSIONS: When I wasn't playing Coach K, then I was playing this -
and it's hard to find a hoops sim anymore that includes
the legendary Michael Jordan in its player rosters. Has
snazzy sound and good graphics. Turn off the cutscenes,
and you've got a great arcade-style basketball game.
(Mark Pettus)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tecmo World Cup 92
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tecmo
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the popular arcade soccer sim.
IMPRESSIONS: An arcade-style soccer sim that is lacking in many areas
when compared to the FIFA series. Still, this might make
a good trainer for them, or can be saved for those times
when all you want is a quick and dirty game with next to
no options to mess with - just fast and simple gameplay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A series of fighting games based on the cult characters
from the syndicated animated TV series. The Turtles were
four normal terrapins who were doused with radioactive
goo and mutated into the lovable superheroes we know.
With the help of their martial-arts sensei Shredder the
Rat and the occasional aid of TV news anchorwoman April
O'Neil, the Turtles fight to rid the streets of the
influence of the evil Shredder and his minions.
IMPRESSIONS: If you've seen one Turtles game, then you've seen them
all - they're pretty much the same platform fighter with
some variation in background graphics and the occasional
new villian or two. That can't be said for Tournament
Fighters, though, which in many gamers' opinion is one
of the finest Street Fighter 2 clones ever made.
VARIATIONS: This series was known as the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
in most Asian markets. Since the title is quite a
mouthful, most folks just abbreviate it to TNMT instead.
TNMT - The Hyperstone Heist (1992, released in Japan
under the title The Return of Shredder - the Turtles
must foil a plot by Shredder to defeat his foes with
the aid of the mysterious Hyperstone)
TNMT - Tournament Fighters (1993 - ditches the platform
fighting engine for SF2-style versus bouts)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Teitoku no Ketsudan
see PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tekken Special
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Namco clones Sega's Virtua Fighter and adds a few twists
of its own. I'm sorry, I know there's more to it than
that, but all of these fighters are starting to look
alike to me now.
IMPRESSIONS: Previously undocmented, a lone cart mysteriously appeared
on ebay in mid-August 1999. More info would be welcome,
as it is obviously a Hong Kong or Taiwanese bootleg port.
VARIATIONS: See also V.R. Fighter vs. Taken 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tel Tel Baseball Stadium
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A superdeformed Japanese baseball sim intended for use
with the Mega Modem and Sega's doomed GameNet network
in Japan.
IMPRESSIONS: Not as cute as Famista 90, and not as enjoyable as Super
League 91.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tel Tel Mahjong
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sunsoft
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A standard mahjong simulation with support for up to
four players, intended for use with the Mega Modem and
Sega's doomed GameNet network in Japan.
IMPRESSIONS: Well, it's nice to know that Sunsoft can do other things
besides platform games. Has a nice selection of players
and options.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Telstar MegaDrive multicarts (16 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Telstar
RELEASED: various
TYPE: multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: These were a series of multigame carts released in the
United Kingdom. Two games came on each cart.
IMPRESSIONS: A quick, fast way to build a MegaDrive library. (Stuart
Easton)
VARIATIONS: This is a complete list of all known Telstar multicarts:
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 / Bubsy the Bobcat
EA Sports Double Bill (Blockbuster Cart 2 plus
Lotus 2 RECS, so there's actually 3 games here)
Global Gladiators and World of Illusion
Zool / James Pond 3: Operation Starfish
Alien 3 / Predator 2
Back to the Future 3 / Batman Returns
Sonic the Hedgehog / James Pond 2: Robocod
Corporation / The Aquatic Games
Gynoug / Strider
Batman / Terminator
WWF Wrestlemania / Power Monger
LHX Attack Chopper / Shadow of the Beast
OutRun 2019 / Lotus Turbo Challenge
Another World / Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
The Flintstones / Lemmings
Wrestle War / Pit-Fighter
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tennis All-Stars
see the PETE SAMPRAS series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Terminator series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe Software
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In the future, humanity is trapped in a desperate battle
for survival with its own creation - the SkyNet computer
system, which has deemed mankind unfit for survival. To
that end it has created (among many other weapons) the
Terminator series of cyborgs - souless killing machines
which cannot be distiguished from humans until it is too
late. SkyNet's data banks have predicted its ultimate
demise at the hands of the humans, so it launches a last
desperate effort to survive. By mastering time travel
and sending Terminators into the past, it hopes to kill
off the human leader John Conner before he can grow into
the deadly threat to SkyNet's existence that he will
certainly become. Based on the hit series of films that
made Austrian actor and former bodybuilding champion
Arnold Schwarznegger an international film star.
IMPRESSIONS: What can I say? The games fail to live up to the
excitement of the original movies (especially the first
one), but they get better as they go. By the time the
last installment rolls around, which is the best of the
lot, you wonder what took them so long in coming out with
a pretty decent game.
VARIATIONS: According to creator James Cameron, there should be no
"the" in the title of the first film - it should just
read Terminator. The extra word was added over his
objections by the film studio prior to release of the
movie. By the time the second film rolled around, he had
gained enough clout to ensure that the objectionable word
was dropped in the sequel's title.
Terminator 2 - The Arcade Game (1992, released by Arena
Entertainment - inferior port of the original arcade
shooter, almost impossible to play without a Menacer)
Terminator 2 - Judgement Day (1993, released by Flying
Edge/Acclaim - first of the side-scroll action games
and the inferior of the two)
Terminator (1994, released by Virgin Games - second and
best of the side-scrolling action games)
Fans of the series may also want to look at another game
released for the Genesis - Robocop vs. the Terminator.
See separate entry for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Test Drive 2
see THE DUEL - TEST DRIVE 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tetris
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pageantsoft/Dr. Pepper Studio
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Groups of falling blocks in various sizes and colors fall
down to the bottom of a 2D well. Your goal is to keep
the well from filling up as long as possible. You can
slow the filling progress by steering the falling block
so that a row of four blocks with matching colors is
created - thereby making them go away and causing the
blocks above them to fall farther down the well. Ported
from the classic 8-bit original created by Alexi Patijoy
and originally released by Spectrum Holobyte.
IMPRESSIONS: I don't have to tell you what a thoroughly addictive game
Tetris can be. Addictive and highly recommended. (Rage
Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Theme Park
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bullfrog/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Business simulation
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Think you can design and build the greatest amusement
park in the world? You select the site, you lay out the
rides - in fact, you control every aspect of running a
profitable amusement park - from hiring employees to
developing new rides and maintaining an adequate supply
of soft drinks. Any mistakes, and the hordes of fun-
seekers will let you know. Oh, and that merry-go-round
in flames is a clue, too. (Player's Choice)
IMPRESSIONS: Cute-but-empty sim that makes every level into a simple
pattern. (StocDred)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Thomas the Tank Engine
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Britt Alcott LTD
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: This is based on the popular international TV series
about a little blue railroad locomotive who works with
his many friends on the English island of Sobor.
IMPRESSIONS: While it has less appeal than the TV series, there are
enough activities included to keep kids happy. It's
really cool - I like Thomas, and I like this game.
(Dillon Austin)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Thunder Blade
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1988
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Action film buffs might remember the popular Hal Needham
1982 feature film Blue Thunder - starring Roy Scheider,
Randy Quaid, and Malcolm McDowell - about a supersecret
prototype military attack chopper being "loaned" to the
LAPD for field testing. This classic Sega arcade shooter
was inspired by the movie, and Sega apparently licensed
the chopper's design from the film studio involved. The
arcade game was inspired by the movie's aerial chase
sequences, and has you as the pilot bobbing and weaving
down a major city thoroughfare, ducking both air and
ground fire from military hardware and doing your best
to terminate your opponents with extreme prejudice.
IMPRESSIONS: The Genesis version is nowhere as smooth as the arcade
original, and is downright jerky in places. The levels
are rather short and extremely repetitive. Get it for
the memories if you're a fan; others might want to pass
it by. Oh, by the way - the Thunder Blade chopper seems
to have a habit of popping up now and again in a cameo
role in other Genesis games (Rambo 3 and Double Dragon 2,
just to name a couple).
VARIATIONS: Super Thunder Blade is the actual title of the G/MD
release. This is apparently in order to differentiate
it from the Master System release. Most fans of the game
have not noticed any major difference between the arcade
and G/MD version save some minor level development
changes and the gameplay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Thunder Force series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Technosoft
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This this the shooter series for the Genesis that got a
a lot of attention when it came out. It's your basic
blast-any-thing-that-moves sci-fi side-scrolling shooter,
but with a reputation for gaming excellence.
IMPRESSIONS: Fairly decent R-Type clones that get better as the series
advances. Decent weapons, impressive graphics, intense
gameplay.
VARIATIONS: The first game in the series, Thunder Force, is not
available separately for the Genesis. There is also a
derivant called Thunder Spirits that was made for the
SNES, although it is generally acknowledged to be an
inferior product.
Thunder Force 2 (1989, one of the few sequels that
incorporated its ancestor into itself - the top-down
down sequences are reminsecent of Bosconian, the side-
scroll sequences smack strongly of R-Type)
Thunder Force 3 (1990, the top-down view is now gone,
leaving only the side-scroll game - better graphics
and a slightly enhanced weapons system)
Thunder Force 4 (1992, also known as Lightning Force -
best of the lot, but still not as good as R-Type)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Thunder Fox
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A wave of terrorism is sweeping the world, and only the
world-class antiterrorism team of Thunder and Fox can
put the bad guys back in their place (no, I'm not making
this up).
IMPRESSIONS: Typical platform fighter from the era - old, slow, and
silly. Has limited moves and uninspiring sound. This
makes Last Battle look like a five-star game. Avoid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Thunder Pro Wrestling
see FIRE PRO WRESTLING GAIDEN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Thunder Spirits
see the THUNDER FORCE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Tick
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Software Creations
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Platform fighter based on the tongue-in-cheek animated
series from the Fox Television Network.
IMPRESSIONS: It's every bit as funny and self-ridiculing as the series
itself. This parodies the fighting genre as much as the
show parodies the superhero genre. Sometimes I found
myself laughing so hard at what was going on that it was
hard to keep playing. This is how a video tie-in SHOULD
be done.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tiger Heli
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treco/Taito/Toaplan/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The place - the megafortress of the terrorist regime.
The problem - Cantun, the aforementioned regime, has
become power-hungry and plans to take over the world.
That's where you come in, flying the Tiger Heli - the
world's most advanced stealth jetcopter. (Starbase 299)
IMPRESSIONS: Poorly animated graphics and sluggish gameplay. The
weapons system lacks as well. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Twin Cobra (European release)
Kyuukyou Tiger (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Time Killers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Incredible Technologies/Black Pearl Software/T*HQ
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Throughout time, Death has tried to overcome his enemy,
Life.... After centuries of plotting his ultimate
revenge, Death has taken these heroic warriors from the
entire span of humanity's past, present and future, and
pitted them in a ferocious battle in which there can be
only one winner. Now these great champions stand frozen
in time, ready to do battle in the ultimate contest of
fighting skill - against Death himself - for lasting
immortality. All the action of the original arcade hit
from Strata! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Action yes, but asthetics? No. This is a horrid-looking
fighter that somehow manages some nice touches of black
humor. Laden with jerky animation and ragged gameplay.
Its style reminds me of that old Epyx classic Barbarian,
so far as it goes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tin Head
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Spectrum Holobyte/MicroProse
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The evil goblin Squidge is sucking up all the stars at
the edge of the universe and scattering them far and wide
on sundry worlds. A lonely outpost near the borders of
explored space hears a distress call, and its sole
occupant Tin Head decides to come to the stars' aid.
IMPRESSIONS: An obvious Sonic clone with stunning graphics and neat
moves and tunes, but slow gameplay and an stupid plot.
Worth the look if you're a Sonic fan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tintin in Tibet
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Infogrames
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Tintin embarks on a quest to the country of Tibet in
search of the legendary Abominable Snowman. Based on the
popular series of children's books by French writer Herge
Moulinsart. They also served as the basis for an
excellent animated TV series.
IMPRESSIONS: Graphics and story are pulled straight from the original
books, and it shows. Gameplay is only average at best.
VARIATIONS: Also know by its original French title, Tintin au Tibet
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tiny Toon Adventures series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: various
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The Tiny Toons are the brainchild of famous film producer
Steven Speilberg, who like most of us is a big fan of the
classic Warner Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies series of
cartoon shorts. The Tiny Toons are cartoon characters
in training, learning their art at Acme University under
the supervision of such famous Warner toon stars as Bugs
Bunny and Daffy Duck. Of course, that doesn't mean that
they don't have time to do some cutting up on their own -
as the popular TV series proved....
IMPRESSIONS: These games are better than most in their respective
genres, due no doubt to the quality control of the
software house and franchise involved. Great graphics
that are faithful to the show, decent sound, and decent
gameplay.
VARIATIONS: Buster's Hidden Treasure (1993, also know as Buster's
Treasure Hunt - a surprisingly good Sonic clone in
Buster Bunny must recover the pieces to a treasure
map that Montana Max has stolen)
Acme All-Stars (1994, a multigame sports sim that has
improved sound and graphics over the original, and
a wonderful sense of humor as well)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tiny Toons - Buster's Treasure Hunt
see TINY TOON ADVENTURES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: TNN Bass Tournament series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ASCIIWare/CEG
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (fishing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Take your choice of lakes and weather conditions, pick
the right gear, and off you go to catch a nice string of
fish!
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another set of fishing games. They're not bad, but
the sad attempt at imitating a banjo on the Genesis
hardware was a mistake that makes many first-lookers
think, "This is a redneck game." Decent enough, but I've
seen and played better.
VARIATIONS: TNN Bass Tournament (1993)
TNN Bass Tournament 96 (1996)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Todd's Adventures in Slime World
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Epyx/Micro World
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Todd and Rooney are mild-mannered go-getters who believe
it is easier and more rewarding to drive a space-cruiser
than to navigate a desk in some windowless office. One
dreary day, it seems that a new planet has been
discovered near Beta Delta and the administration feels
that Todd and Rooney are perfect for the job! The
mission briefing says that the blue-green giant is made
of some unknown semi-liquid material, but the two gung-ho
guinea pigs are out the door before they can read on.
The blue-green-but-mostly-green Slime Planet's many
winding tunnels and slime meanies await their next
victims! (adapted from the box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Unimpressive. This game is as boring as it sounds, and
it smells like an 8-bit port. One of the last gasps from
the company that used to make such awesome 8-bit games.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Toejam and Earl series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: JVP/Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and German
PREMISE: Toejam and Earl are two happenin' space dudes who run
into a spot of trouble when their space crusier is forced
crash-land on the planet Earth. Now they have to figure
out a way to deal with the stupid and rather primitive
natives that this strange planet seems to have inflicted
upon them.
IMPRESSIONS: Cute and funny, these are some of the true treasures of
the Sega Genesis game library. As Rage Games noted,
"For a game with no gameplay it sure is fun to play."
VARIATIONS: Toejam and Earl (1991, our heroes must find all the
pieces needed to repair their wrecked space cruiser
while avoiding the humans - all levels are randomly
generated and has two-player simultaneous gameplay)
Toejam and Earl 2 - Panic on Funkotron (1993, our heroes
have made it home but find to their chagrin that some
of those boorish humans have sneaked along for the
ride - graphically superior to, but not as funny as
the original)
The off-world duo also make a cameo appearance in the
mini-game Ready! Aim! Tomatoes!, which can be found on
the Menacer 6-in-1 game cart.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Toki
see THE LEGEND OF TOKI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tom and Jerry - Frantic Antics
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Beam Software/High-Tech Expressions
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This was an obvious tie-in to the animated Tom and Jerry
feature film that was released about the same time. One
or two players can play as either Tom or Jerry in this
graphically authentic recreation of the world depicted in
their many MGM cartoon shorts.
IMPRESSIONS: Gameplay is less than I expected, but the kids loved it.
That just goes to show you what they know....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tongue of the Fatman
see SLAUGHTER SPORT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Toni LaRussa Baseball series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Strategic Simulations
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of YACEGs featuring the noted MLB manager. The
predecessor to EA Sport's Triple Play series.
IMPRESSIONS: These eschew fancy digitized graphics and sound in favor
of solid gameplay. Worth the look.
VARIATIONS: Toni LaRussa Baseball (1993)
Toni LaRussa Baseball 95 (1994)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Top Gear 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kemco/Gremlin
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Legendary first-person road racer ported from the arcade
original.
IMPRESSIONS: A simplistic yet enjoyable road racing game that somewhat
a cross betwen Sega's OutRun and Domark's F1. Graphics
are kinda bland, but the scrolling is oh-so-smooth.
VARIATIONS: The other two games in the series, Top Gear and Top Gear
3000, do not appear to have been released for the G/MD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Top Pro Golf series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SoftVision
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of arcade-style golfing sims.
IMPRESSIONS: This comes across as a PGA Tour Lite. It might have been
alright if the developers hadn't limited themselves to a
256x256 screen. The resulting graphics are in that small
and crushed format that SNES players are by now familiar
with, and the game smacks strongly of a hurried port from
that platform. The second installment is marginally
better than the first. Not recommended unless you are a
serious golfing nut.
VARIATIONS: Top Pro Golf (1992)
Top Pro Golf 2 (1993)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tora! Tora!
see PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Total Football
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Domark/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A slick-looking, slick-playing soccer sim from the
German programming powerhouse Domark.
IMPRESSIONS: Sweet, if you like arcade-style soccer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Toughman Contest
AUTHOR/VENDOR: High Score Productions/Visual Concepts/EA Sports
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: How many of you remember the Dennis Quaid film Tough
Enough, in which he played an average Joe Sixpack who
decided to enter the then-unknown Toughman Contest? Give
it a look the next time you want to go rent a video, and
you'll then get the idea for the premise of this game.
Based on the annual U.S. sporting event, where real-life
street fighters beach each other's brains out for the
honor of being "tough enough."
IMPRESSIONS: This, in many gamers opinion, is the finest fighting game
ever made for the platform. It's not as flashy as its
Japanese counterparts and SF2 fans will bemoan the lack
of special power moves, but its realism is seldom matched
by its competitors. Great graphics, great sound, great
animation, great setup.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Toxic Crusaders
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Troma/Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Toxic Avenger, better known to his fans and foes as
"Toxie," has to battle a sinister organization intent on
taking over his turf. Based on the character created by
Troma Pictures.
IMPRESSIONS: In the beginning, Troma created a low-budget film
sensation. And Troma saw that it was good, and Troma
made a sequel. And the people were glad, and Troma saw
that it was good, and Troma decided to make an animated
series. Now it came to pass that Troma commissioned an
arcade game to promote their new series, for they
foretold that its sales would increase their provender
and render their wallets fat. But the people were wroth,
and cried unto Troma, "It playeth like a sack of shit,
and it stinketh." So it was that the legend of the Toxic
Avenger passed away, and now few remember his tale.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Toy Story
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Traveller's Tales/Psygnosis/Disney Interactive
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: What happens to your toys once all of the real people
leave the room? This is the premise behind the hit
Disney animated feature from 1996 (computer-rendered
graphics courtesy of Pixar), in which a little boy's toys
have lives of their own and have to deal with a new and
egotistical toy who thinks he's really the character that
he depicts.
IMPRESSIONS: This was one of Disney's biggest movies, and it turns
out to be one of their biggest video games, too. For
starters, you get the same kind of computer-generated
graphics that made the movie such a visual treat. The
characters are dead-on true to the movie - and they're
huge. The gameplay follows the movie's plot and begins
simply enough. This isn't the most challenging game
you'll ever play, but the later levels are enough fun for
even seasoned gamers. It is probably the best-looking
16-bit game you'll ever see. (Tribune Media Services)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Toys
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Absolute Entertainment
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A old and wise toymaker decides to teach his young,
irresponsible heir a lesson and allows the family toy
factory to be taken over by a militaristic fanatic.
Inspired by the live-action film starring Robin Williams.
IMPRESSIONS: A boring, lame movie inspires a boring, lame arcade game.
Gag me with a Hoover somebody, before I start spewing
some serious chunkage. This game's only redeeming
aspect is its refund value - assuming you still have the
receipt.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Trampoline Terror
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NCS/Masiya/Dreamworks
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is a weird little top-down Q-Bert style run-and-jump
set on a series of interlocking trampolines floating high
in the sky.
IMPRESSIONS: It's needless to say that this is stupid, stupid, stupid
- so stupid that it is generally regarded by most gamers
as the absolute worst G/MD game ever made.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Traysia
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Telnet Japan
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A traditional tale of a young warrior who leave true love
and home behind as he sets off to explore new horizons.
IMPRESSIONS: Newbies to the fantasy RPG genre will have a lot of fun
getting their feet wet with this game. Heck, I enjoyed
this one, even though it's one of the simpler RPGs that
I've seen, and I've seen a lot of RPGs in my research.
It compares well with a toned-down Zelda or Soleil -
although nowhere near as silly - and will keep you
entertained for quite a while.
VARIATIONS: Minato no Treasure (original Japanese version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Triple Play series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: EA Sports
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: EA's second go at a Genesis baseball sim takes the MLBPA
engine, refines it to the point of excellence, adds new
graphics and sound, and updates the player rosters. The
successor to the Toni LaRussa YACEG series.
IMPRESSIONS: Once again, EA Sports strikes gold in this excellent
baseball sim. The graphics are a bit chunky and jerky at
times, but the excellent sound and graphics more than
make up for this oversight. Hey, it's from EA Sports -
need I say more? The last entry is considered by most
G/MD fans as one of the top five baseball sims for the
platform.
VARIATIONS: Triple Play 96 (1995)
Triple Play Gold (1996, aka Triple Play 97)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Triple Score 3-in-1
see MEGA GAMES - VOLUME 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Troll Adventures
see MAGICAL TROLL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Trouble Shooter series
see the BATTLE MANIA series
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Trouble World
see WANI WANI WORLD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Troy Aikman Football
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Williams/Tradewest
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG pro football sim featuring Troy Aikman, the noted
quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys during the 1990s.
IMPRESSIONS: A blatant ripoff of the Madden NFL series. Grainy
graphics, jerky animation, and tiny players. A good
find for the bargain hunter, but serious football fans
might want to stay away.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: True Lies
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Lightstorm/Beam Software/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You play a secret agent whose true occupation is unknown
by his wife until she accidentally becomes entangled in
his latest mission. An arcade shooter inspired by the
live-action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie
Curtis.
IMPRESSIONS: The movie was a riot. The game is fun enough so far as
it goes - an one-person arcade shooter similar in style
to The Chaos Engine - but it didn't exactly inspire me to
play it any more than I had to.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Truxton
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toaplan
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A top-down arcade shooter in the same vein as Raiden Trad
or Power Wing.
IMPRESSIONS: Bland, ordinary, and dull. This should be sought only by
shooter fans who are desperate for any kind of change.
VARIATIONS: Tatsujin (Japanese original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Turbo OutRun
see the OUTRUN series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Turma de Monica
see WONDERBOY 5 - MONSTERWORLD 3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Turrican series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: various
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In the future, mankind will have to deal with many
powerful alien species - not all of whom will choose to
be friendly. That is the reason behind the Turrican suit
- a one-man set of power armor that turns any Earth Force
soldier into a nearly unstoppable killing machine. These
games are either ported from or inspired by the original
series of British arcade shooters that were such big hits
on the almighty Commodore 64 and Amiga computers.
IMPRESSIONS: The difference between these two games is like night and
day. The first is a great-looking but poor-playing port
straight from the Amiga, which looses just about every
nice feature (including the Chris Huelsbeck music) in the
the process. The second, developed specifically for the
G/MD platform, is one helluva shooter that can hold its
own with the best of them. I agree with Eidolon when he
says, "...play Mega Turrican, which is far better."
VARIATIONS: Turrican (1991 by the Code Monkeys, marketed by Accolade
and rereleased by Ballistix - fight your way through
thirteen extremely difficult, action-packed stages with
huge bosses - the game engine shares some similarities
to that used by Universal Soldier)
Mega Turrican (1995 by Factor 5, marketed by Data East -
the change in software houses is telling - with its
anime-style cinemas, impressive graphics and sound, and
gameplay that subtly increases in difficulty instead of
being hard all at once, this is without doubt one of
the most enjoyable 16-bit shooters that I have ever had
the pleasure of playing and possibly the best Turrican
game for any platform)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Twin Cobra
see TIGER HELI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Twin Hawk
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toaplan
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: A decent clone of the classic arcade game 1943 for the
Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: Has some interesting gameplay twists of its own, but the
obvious lack of a two-player dual-play mode hurts this
otherwise excellent shooter.
VARIATIONS: The actual Japanese name is Dai Sen Pu Hurricane, which
is commonly translated as Super Cyclone
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Twinkle Tale
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wonder Amusement Studio/Toyo Recording
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Yet another one of those eye-pleasing manga-style top-
down shooters in the same vein as Magic Girl. The otaku
will love it.
IMPRESSIONS: Ho, hum, another Japanese shooter. Neat graphics, as
always. Average sound and gameplay. Nothing to really
make it stand out from the crowd.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Twisted Flipper
see CRUE BALL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Two Crude Dudes
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: There's trouble in the bombed-out slums, so the President
sends in two mercenary mutants to clean out the place.
IMPRESSIONS: Typical post-apocalyptic platform fighter in the same
vein as Double Dragon, but with better graphics. A fair
set of moves to work with, and it is possible to hurt
your buddy in two-player dual-play mode. Fun to play, if
not exactly original.
VARIATIONS: Crude Busters (all non-American markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tyrants - Fight Through Time
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sensible Software/Renegade/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and French
PREMISE: This is a strategy game rather like Populous or perhaps
The Settlers. It involves resource management and
development, then finally - on each level - the
conquering of the other civilizations on the island.
(Steve Sharp)
IMPRESSIONS: A refreshingly different take on the "god" genre that is
lots of fun to play. (Steve Sharp)
VARIATIONS: Mega-Lo-Mania (all non-American markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
U
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Uchusentei Gomora
see BIO-SHIP PALADIN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ultimate Qix
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Updated version of the classic arcade game with improved
graphics and sound. The idea is still the same, though -
try to mark off as much territory as you can without any
monsters catching you or the Qix touching an uncompleted
border line.
IMPRESSIONS: Has the same basic gameplay as the original, but this
time your enemies are giant monsters who bounce around
the playing field. Unfortunately, the original's
simplistic but appealing graphics are gone. If you don't
mind these flaws, then it's a unique and addictive game.
(Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: Volfied (all non-American markets)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ultimate Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rage Software/Sega Sports
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Whilst Sega of Japan was busy with the J-League Pro
Striker series, Sega of Europe contracted Rage Software
to produce this excellent series of World Cup soccer sims
for the European market.
IMPRESSIONS: Sega of Europe was so proud of thess game that they stuck
Sonic in them, and rightly so - these are among the best
arcade-style soccer sims to be found on a 16-bit console.
Graphics are small but well done, sound is excellent, and
gameplay is as fast and furious as a Sonic game. If
you're tired of FIFA's realistic approach and need a
change, then fire one of these up and play ball!
VARIATIONS: Ultimate Soccer (1993)
Striker (1994, aka Super Striker, Ultimate Soccer 2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ultraman
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Ma-Ba
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: As you may know by watching the many Toho monster flicks,
the island nation of Japan is constantly being attacked
by giant monsters of all sorts (grin). To counter this
threat, an advanced alien race bestowed special powers on
a member of the Ultra Force - the JSDF unit designed to
meet these constant threats. Now, whenever one of these
monster comes along, it has to deal with Ultraman - a
thirty-foot humanoid with his own superstrength and
special powers who can deal with the monsters on their
own terms. Based on the classic 1960s Japanese TV series
by Tsuburaya Productions, which was the granddaddy of all
of those Ranger-style shows ever since.
IMPRESSIONS: I'm old enough to remember this series, and religiously
watched every badly dubbed episode on my local UHF-TV
station (WPTY-TV 24 in Memphis, TN - hi, guys!). This
fighter brings back a lot of pleasant memories, and has
cameos by all of the show's major guest monsters (yes,
Gojira himself shows up, too). The game itself is on a
par with most SF2 wannabes - decent graphics, limited
moves, fair sound, average gameplay - but I still found
it fun. "Ultraman, Ultraman, watch our hero fly...."
Get it for the memories.
VARIATIONS: This is the lone Ultraman game for the MegaDrive; it
does not appears that any of the other titles were ever
ported.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Uncharted Waters series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: various
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Eighty years ago, your great-grandfather was lost at sea
on a mission for King John I of Portugal while questing
for the legendary kingdom of Prester John. Since then,
the Alcobaca family has become the subject of public
scorn and ridicule, and you have bitter memories of a
poor and difficult childhood. You are an adult now, and
have managed to rebuild the family resources to the point
where you no longer live in poverty. The time has come
for you, Lord Alcobaca, to follow in your sire's wake and
sail the high seas in an effort to restore your family's
honor and status to its former glory.
IMPRESSIONS: An original series of historical simulations from the
acknowledged masters of the genre. The first one is only
mildly interesting, but the second one is fantastic and
makes a great counterpoint to MicroProse's Pirates! Gold.
VARIATIONS: This series was originally released in Japan under the
name Daikoukai Jidai.
Uncharted Waters (1993, aka The Sea Prince, mediocre in
everything but the plot - you might want to skip unless
you want the "historical depth" behind the second game)
Uncharted Waters - New Horizons (1994, aka New Horizons,
well thought out and executed, with six different ship
captains representing six different countries from
which to choose, including one female - this is the
keeper of the series)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Undead Line
AUTHOR/VENDOR: T&E Soft/Palsoft
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: The premise is in Japanese, but the game seems follow
your typical "human warrior(s) against the creatures from
hell" storyline.
IMPRESSIONS: A vertical scrolling shooter that kinda reminds me of
Commando....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Universal Soldier
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Carolco/Ballistic
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This film spin-off pits you as a soldier for hire against
anything that moves. Based on the live-action movie
starring Dolf Lundgren.
IMPRESSIONS: Another mindless shooter in the Contra mold, but lacking
the thoughtful level design. Looks and plays like
nothing more than the horrid Turrican port that it is,
with the obligatory window dressing, of course. Just
shoot and maim and kill and destroy and blast and...
well, you know.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Unnecessary Roughness 95
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Accolade's in-house pro football sim, updated for the
1994-1995 season.
IMPRESSIONS: Not much has improved over the IBM PC original, and it
still looks like a poor cousin of the Sega Sports
football games. Is it me, or does this seem slow when
compared to the other Genesis football sims out there?
Yet another ho-hum entry in the boring Accolade Sports
lineup.
VARIATIONS: The original release, Unnecessary Roughness, does not
appear to have been ported to the platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Urban Strike
see the STRIKE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: USA Basketball World Challenge
see TEAM USA BASKETBALL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: USHRA Monster Truck Wars (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Off-road racing, but with the oversized 4WD vehicles
affectionately known as "monster trucks."
IMPRESSIONS: There are press statements from Acclaim announcing the
release of this title for the Genesis, and it is listed
as an impending release by the game magazines of the
period. Apparently 8-bit versions did make it out the
door for Game Gear and Gameboy. Whatever happened to the
16-bit version remains a mystery.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
V
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: V-5
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toaplan/Tengen
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: One of many in the crowd of top-down, graphically
impressive Japanese shooters in the same vein as Raiden
Trad.
IMPRESSIONS: Good graphics, fair sound, repetetive yet challenging
gameplay.
VARIATIONS: Grind Stormer (English release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Valis series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Telenet Japan
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Yuko is just your average everyday attractive teenage
schoolgirl, with an average life in an average town.
Little does she know that she is the chosen one who will
wield the legendary Valis sword and save the inhabitants
of a parallel dimension from an evil that threatens their
existence.
IMPRESSIONS: A rather lame and dated platformer featuring (what else?)
another one of those teenage sword-wielding Japanese
schoolgirls. I just wish the games were half as good as
the concept, which can be seen in the occasional anime-
style cinema. It's my understanding that a short-lived
anime series followed not long after the release of the
original games.
VARIATIONS: Surely Japanese originals exist for these games, although
I have yet to see them.
Valis (1991, the one that sets it all up, and the second
worst-playing one of the lot - graphics aren't bad,
though, and the anime-style cinemas are first-rate)
Valis 2 is not available for the Genesis. It is part
of the Turbo Graphix 16/PC Engine game library.
According to some, Syd of Valis is for the most part a
reprise of this game.
Valis 3 (1991, this time you get your pick of three girls
and have to face fiercer enemies - the best game in
the Genesis series.)
Syd of Valis (aka SD Valis, which is actually the correct
title - the SD stands for "superdeformed," so this is
actually a cute-looking self-parody of the premise -
the stupidest and worst-playing game in the series)
There is also a fourth installment in the series, M'aider
Maiden, which was apparently not released for any Sega
platform of the day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Vampire Hunter, Vampire Killer
see CASTLEVANIA - BLOODLINES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Vapor Trail
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Telnet Japan/Data East
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Help! The city's being invaded, and we need fighter
pilots to take out the attackers. You can have your pick
of three different planes, each with its own unique
characteristics and capabilities.
IMPRESSIONS: A top-down shooter kinda reminescent of the legendary
Area 88, but gameplay more like 1943. Oh, and yes
indeedy-deedy - two can play at the same time! Its about
as close as you'll get to playing either of those classic
arcade shooters on the Genesis, and highly recommended.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Vectorman series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Blue Sky Software
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A graphically impressive arcade game with a politically
correct plot. Sometime in the near future, Earth has
been laid waste by man's pollution. A series of robots
have been developed to help clean it up. By a freak
series of circumstances, one of these gets hooked up to
an old nuclear warhead, develops megalomaia, and, well,
you can guess the rest. Vectorman is the game's hero -
the pilot of a spacefaring garbage scow who decides to
take Warhead the cyber-dictator head-on.
IMPRESSIONS: The fantastic graphics, almost liquid animation, and
driving technosynth score make up for the holes in the
plot. Both are must-haves for every Genesis fan.
VARIATIONS: Vectorman (1995)
Vectorman 2 (1996)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Verytex
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Asmik
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Top-down arcade shooter kinda reminescent of Megaforce,
an old arcade fave of mine.
IMPRESSIONS: Looks, sounds, and plays just about like all of the other
top-down shooters out there. Has one or two neat twists
of its own, so shooter fans won't get bored too quickly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Viewpoint
AUTHOR/VENDOR: American Sammy
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The inhabitants of Ralfredacc, a gigantic death orb, have
stockpiled an impressive arsenal of alien weaponry which
they plan to use to annhiliate all life on Earth - as
vengeance for being banished years before. What we need
now is a top-notch Byupo probe pilot with a quick trigger
finger and the guts to see this thing through. (Starbase
299)
IMPRESSIONS: Quite impressive graphically, but the awkward perspective
hampers gameplay a bit. Frustratingly hard and laden
with slowdown. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtua Fighter 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sega's answer to Battle Arena Toshinden - one of the
first third-generation fighting games with the same style
as Mortal Kombat, but using new technology to deliver a
true 3D street fighting experience. This is not a sequel
to the original 32-bit arcade game, but is instead a
"special edition" rendered in now-familiar 2D side-scroll
SF2 style in order to avoid the hardware limitations of
the standard 16-bit Genesis console.
IMPRESSIONS: Well, what can I say? The requirements of the original
were so steep that only the 32X could deliver on a true
port of the arcade game. It's probably the best SF2
clone in existence for the console, but it seems kinda
stale after you've experienced the arcade original.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtua Fighter Animation (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1998 (planned)
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Fighting game based on the anime TV series that was
derived from Sega's hit arcade fighters. Includes both
battle and story modes.
IMPRESSIONS: Think of an enhanced version of the Game Gear title and
you get the idea. It was definitely planned; I have a
Sega promo brochure that includes a black-and-white
picture of the G/MD box. I do not have a clue as to
why the G/MD version never made it out the door, but I
suspect that the death of the console may have had a lot
to do with it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtua Racing
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the phenomenal hit 1992 arcade racing game, in
which you get to drive a Formula One race car around
several different tracks. This is the most sophisticated
polygonal-based title available for the platform, due
largely to its internal "SVP" chip (Super Virtual Play) -
which is actually a Hitachi SH1 RISC processor in
disguise. Because of this, it will not work with the 32X
adaptor as a "pass-through" cart.
IMPRESSIONS: Is it impressive? Hell, yes - probably the most
impressive racing game for the platform. Is it limited?
Yes - only one car and three tracks. Does it have its
problems? Certainly, as polygonal engines of the day
were rather limited, which means that it is really rough
around the edges and has absolutely NO texture mapping.
Is it still cool? Yes ... unless you can get your hands
on the superior 32X version. To quote Steve Sharp from
an early review, "I actually think it's a pretty good
conversion, but I also agree it isn't worth the price
tag."
VARIATIONS: For more information on the background of Virtua Racing,
see the intro to the 32X section. It should be noted
that the operating frequency of the SVP chip often
causes problems with certain older-model cordless phones
and may cause them to ring for no apparent reason.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtual Bart
see THE SIMPSONS - VIRTUAL BART
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtual Pinball
AUTHOR/VENDOR: BudgeCo/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Pinball
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A neat pinball sim from Bill Budge, author of the
now-legendary Pinball Construction Set.
IMPRESSIONS: While it lacks the pizzaz and in-your-face style of other
Genesis pinball games, it makes up for that with some
deceptively simple yet superbly designed tables for your
pinball pleasure. It also has a nice assortment of user
options, which is something the competition sadly lacks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Vixen 357
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NCS/Masiya
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A great Gundam-style RPG that can be quite addictive
provided you can surmount the language barrier. Appears
to have a helluva plot, but I can't read kanji....
IMPRESSIONS: Shines in every department, from its anime-style cinemas
to its impressive strategy-oriented game engine.
VARIATIONS: Uses the Langrisser Hikari 2 game engine (see separate
entry for more details)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: V.R Fighter vs. Taken 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: 1997?
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A bootleg attempt at combining two popular fighting games
into one. This has recently been confirmed as a Hong
Kong bootleg, and not the beta cart that Western sources
have assumed for so long.
IMPRESSIONS: Everything about this bootleg is about what you would
expect in such - pixelated graphics, jerky animation,
scratchy sound, and irregular gameplay. The idea of
combining two popular fighting games isn't bad in itself,
but the beta is still a far cry from a finished product.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Virtua Fighter vs. Tekken 2, which is the
way that they should be written.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: VR Helmet series (4 titles) (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993 (planned)
TYPE: various
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of games intended for use with the abandoned
VR Helmet project by Sega. The VR Helmet would have
used a pass-through connector to plug into the cartridge
port, and then the game would plug into the VR Helmet's
connector. It immersed the player into a full virtual
reality environment not unlike that used in the Amiga-
based Virtuality arcade game. The VR Helmet was
demonstrated at the 1993 Summer CES in Chicago, Illinois.
It was scheduled to go to market that December, but Sega
pulled the plug before its release. They appear to have
abandoned the VR Helmet before release due to high costs
and projected poor sales. Given the Nintendo Virtual Boy
fiasco, it was probably for the best.
IMPRESSIONS: The only game we know about is Iron Hammer, thanks to
Bernie Roehl's review of the working prototype as
reproduced in the VR Resource Guide. He was impressed
by Sega's efforts at the time, even though the project
was still rough around the edges. I have recently heard
from a source claiming to have data on the other three,
but this information was not provided in time for the
current G3 release.
VARIATIONS: All of the following four games were announced for the
VR Helmet project, and all four were shown at the 1993
Summer CES. They are all 16 mbit in size.
Iron Hammer (1993 by Novalogic, a Stellar 7 clone with
look-and-shoot capability not unlike that found in
modern attack aircraft - this is apparently playable
without [!] the helmet)
Matrix Runner (no info available)
Nuclear Rush (this was the game that would have come
with the helmet)
Outlaw Racing (first-person racing game announced for
the VR Helmet project)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: VR Troopers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Syrox Development
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Street Fighter 2 clone based on the American syndicated
television series edited from a Power Rangers clone made
for television in Japan...gasp, gasp, wheeze....
IMPRESSIONS: Has everything you'd expect in a late-model SF2 clone
except for the graphics, which aren't as polished as they
could be.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Volfied
see ULTIMATE QIX
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
W
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wacky Races (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Eden Entertainment Software
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Dastardly and Muttley are set on winning (or sabotaging)
the annual Wacky Races. A YACEG lap racer bearing a
strong resemblance to Apogee's Wacky Wheels with several
characters from various Hanna Barbara cartoons behind
the wheels of their respective cars.
IMPRESSIONS: Might have made a pretty good competitor for Mario Kart
if the game had been completed. The known beta is
playable and looks decent enough, but suffers from poor
sound.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wacky Worlds Creativity Studio
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Headgames/Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Combination paint-and-activity program with cameos by
Sonic the Hedgehog and various other items from G/MD
games designed to keep the younger set entertained.
IMPRESSIONS: Reminds me of a digital "big fun book," except that this
one comes with its own crayons and paints. Not worth the
trouble unless you have kids or are a serious G/MD cart
collector.
VARIATIONS: This is one the few titles for the console to support
the Sega Mouse, and some versions came packaged with it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wadome no Mori
see WARDNER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wani Wani World
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kaneko
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A colorful and cute platformer featuring a pair of
hammer-wielding dinosaurs being chased by a bunch of mad
robots
IMPRESSIONS: "And in business news, it appears that Bubble Bobble was
the victim of a merger with the joint team of the Mario
Brothers and the Burgertime chef." Yawn.....zzzzz.....
sknxx.....zzzzz.....sknxx...wha? Oh, the review...right
.....it's okay, I guess...yawn.....zzzzz.....sknxx.....
zzzzz......
VARIATIONS: Trouble World (American release)
Croc World (European release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wardner
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Visco/Mentrix
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: You and your sister are traipsing along merrily through
the forest when - boo! The evil meanie Wardner shows up
and kidnaps your sister. Now it's up to you to save her.
A perfect conversion of the original arcade game with
new items added on every stage - hence the "special"
label.
IMPRESSIONS: Gameplay is only average, and jumping across the many
hazards to be found is quite tricky and can get on your
nerves easily. That's the point, though - as a perfect
arcade conversion, it show the same limitations as the
original, with no improvements as far as gameplay is
concerned. Check it out if you liked the original,
otherwise play Ghouls and Ghosts instead. (Baalim)
VARIATIONS: Wadome no Mori is the name of the Japanese release.
The original was known as Pyros in American arcades.
The G/MD version is often referred to as Wardner Special
due to its inclusion of features that were not part of
the original arcade game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Warlock
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Trimark Interactive/Real Time Associates
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: As a modern-day descendant of the ancient Druidic
priesthood, you must stop an evil warlock from unleashing
the forces of evil upon the world. Based on the cult
live-action film starring Julian Sands in the title role.
IMPRESSIONS: Nice graphics and awesome animation, but defending
yourself is practically impossible. Awful gameplay.
(Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Warp Speed
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Oh, my...an alien armada has warped into our sector of
space and is relentlessly pummelling our outposts. They
need some help, fast. Hmm, I wonder what sucker's gonna
get to pull that duty. Huh? Who, me? But I don't...
but...but...yessir. Damn....
IMPRESSIONS: This is what you get when you try to combine a flight sim
with a space shooter - a game that shows off the worst
qualities of both. Avoid!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Warrior of Rome series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Micronet
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Are you familiar with the exploits of Julius Caesar and
the other Roman generals who conquered the lands that
would make up the Roman Empire? Then how would you like
to try your hand at wargaming, Roman style?
IMPRESSIONS: Pretty standard stuff as far as wargame sims go, but the
historical perspective is an added bonus. The second is
is more ambitious than the first, although it is crippled
by the language barrier and the need for a manual.
VARIATIONS: Warrior of Rome (1991, aka Ambition of Caesar)
Warrior of Rome 2 (1992, aka Ambition of Caesar 2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Warsong series
see the LANGRISSER HIKARI series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Water Molecule
see PUYO PUYO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Waterworld
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rama Design/Ocean
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are a seafarer in a future where the Earth's surface
is almost entirely covered by water. You must battle
vicious sea pirates of all sorts as you seek to complete
your quest - finding a patch of real, honest-to-goodness
dry land. Inspired by the ultra-expensive live-action
film starring Kevin Costner and Dennis Hopper (which has
yet to turn a profit).
IMPRESSIONS: A visually impressive isometric arcade game with decent
enough sound, but gameplay sucks - as is the case with
most movie spinoffs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wayne Gretzky and the NHLPA All-Stars
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (hockey)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring the loveable mug of the famous Canadian
hockey player - considered by all pro hockey afficianados
as the greatest player to ever play the sport.
IMPRESSIONS: This game is just okay, folks. I hate to break it to ya,
but there's no way this can live up to the title of "The
Great One." For starters, the hockey just doesn't feel
like it's being played on any kind of ice I've ever seen.
Secondly, the destroyer of sports titles, problematic
control, is rampant throughout. Despite its flaws, it
still manages to charm us with flashy extras and the best
fights I've ever seen in a hockey game - which probably
explains the loss of the NHL's endorsement. (Electric
Playground)
VARIATIONS: Commonly referred to as Wayne Gretzky Hockey, which was
also the title of a hockey sim for the Commodore Amiga
produced by Bethesda Softworks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wayne's World
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gray Matter/TH*Q
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Wayne is just your average overage teenager who lives in
Aurora, Illinois (USA) and just happens to run a cable TV
show out of the basement of his parent's home. He and
his friend Garth, the show's co-host, were playing the
games at Noah's Arcade when they were suddenly sucked
inside one and Garth was hauled away by the Purple People
Eater. It's up to a superdeformed Wayne and his acoustic
guitar to save his friend from the digital menace. Can
he do it? Inspired by the short subjects and feature
film derived from the NBC television series Saturday
Night Live, created by and starring comedian Michael
Myers as Wayne and fellow comedian Dana Carvey as Garth.
IMPRESSIONS: If they had stayed away from the digitized graphics and
focused more on the game itself, then this might have
been pretty decent. As it stands, it sucks, and is quite
forgettable - ranking right down there with Zantar the
Gelatinous Cube. Go watch the movie instead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Weapon Lord
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Visual Concepts/Namco
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Since the dawn of time, man has battled. In an age of
conquerors, the Weapon Lord reigns supreme. At the
height of the demon's power, six brave warriors dare to
face him.
IMPRESSIONS: A muddy-looking SF2 clone in which the only original
element is the plot. Has all the options and extras you
might expect, including battle and story modes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: We're Back! - A Dinosaur's Story
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Funcom/Hi-Tech Expressions
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of various arcade games based on the plot of
the animated feature film by Amblin Entertainment, in
which a trio of prehistoric intelligent dinosaurs winds
up in New York.
IMPRESSIONS: Comparable to some of the better Disney platformers, and
the arrangement of the subgames is quite logical. Neat
graphics, smoooth sound, decent gameplay, and some of
the smoothest 3D sprite scaling you'll ever find in a
Genesis game
VARIATIONS: The listed title is the full title of the movie. It
seems that this was released in American markets under
the title We're Back and in non-American markets as A
Dinosaur's Tale. Go figure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Whack-a-Critter
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Realtec
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Mediocre game based on the carnival sport. You have a
broad, flat surface with an number of holes. Critters
pop up at random in the holes. You whack them back down
with your hammer. The more you can whack, the more
points you score. Beware, though - their appearances
become faster and shorter the longer you play the game.
IMPRESSIONS: I was unsure as to the existence of this game for over a
year until the Phantom managed to confirm it with scans
of the box and cart. It should be noted that it required
a special nine-button controller (packaged with the cart)
to play the game. Way too complicated for such a simple
premise, and not worth the trouble of acquiring.
VARIATIONS: There was a demo for the Sega Saturn along the same lines
featuring Amy the Hedgehog (Sonic's love interest from the
Sonic CD game) known as Amy's Whack-a-Mole.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wheel of Fortune series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gamtek
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Game show
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are presented with a word puzzle to solve. Spin the
cash wheel, and earn money each time you correctly guess
one of the missing letters. Fill in enough of the puzzle
to correctly guess its solution, and you get to keep your
winnings and play another round. A digital rendition of
the popular long-running American TV game show featuring
Pat Sajak as the host and the lovely Vanna White as the
letter-turning girl.
IMPRESSIONS: Poor adaptations of the TV game show. Mediocre in almost
every measure, including the puzzles. Get the home
computer versions instead - at least the graphics there
are visually appealing.
VARIATIONS: Wheel of Fortune (1992, the original - bland, bland,
bland - did I say it was bland?)
Wheel of Fortune - Deluxe Edition (1993, the only notable
improvements are the improved graphics and the lovely
digitized picture of celebrity endorser Vanna White -
game engine remains unchanged, but not so the database)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?
see the CARMEN SANDIEGO series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
see the CARMEN SANDIEGO series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Where's Waldo?
see THE GREAT WALDO SEARCH
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Whip Rush 2222 AD - The Invasion of the Voltegians
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In 2222 AD, three exploratory ships left Earth in search
of new worlds. They disappeared shortly after reaching
the planet Voltegus. Less than a week later, a Voltegian
battle fleet materialized in Mars orbit, attacking
anything in their path, and headed on a direct bearing
for the planet Earth.
IMPRESSIONS: An early and passable stab at making an R-Type clone for
the G/MD. Not much of a challenge to jaded shooter fans,
but a good start for newbies and decent enough for the
casual gamer.
VARIATIONS: Commonly abbreviated as Whip Rush.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wicked 18
see DEVIL'S COURSE 3D
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Williams Inc. - Arcade's Greatest Hits
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Williams Entertainment
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Williams was one of the companies that pioneered the
arcade game revolution, and many of its titles have now
become the stuff of gaming legend. This multipack
includes five of their most beloved titles: Joust,
Robotron 2084, Sinistar, Defender, and Defender 2 -
Stargate.
IMPRESSIONS: As faithful as arcade ports can be given the porting
process and the limitations of the new hardware.
VARIATIONS: This was actually the first in a series of classic
arcade multipacks planned for release. The others never
made it beyond the discussion stage due to the death of
the platform; however, they are available for several
popular personal computers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wimbledon Championship Tennis
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Sports
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: Sports (tennis)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A high-end single-or-multiplayer tennis sim set in a
digital rendition of the world-famous clay courts of
England's Wimbledon.
IMPRESSIONS: In my humble opinion, this is the best tennis sim ever
made for the G/MD. Others may better it in one or two
areas, but they can't touch it as a whole. The graphics
are good if not spectacular, the animation is fluid, and
the sound and gameplay are just about unmatched. If you
can get only one tennis sim for your Genesis, get this
one and forget the rest.
VARIATIONS: Frequently referred to as Wimbledon and Wimbledon Tennis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wings of Wor
see GYNOUG
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Winter Challenge
see the CHALLENGE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Winter Olympics
see the OLYMPIC GAMES series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wiz 'n' Liz in the Frantic Wabbit Wescue
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bizzare Creations/Psygnosis
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: "Far, far away on the planet Pum, the wabbits were happy.
That is, until they were taken away. Who will save
them?" (quoted from the game intro)
IMPRESSIONS: Yet another tongue-in-cheek first class platformer from
the creators of the almighty Shadow of the Beast. This
is a game that takes full advantage of the hardware, and
is the only non-Sonic game that has the same ultra-fast
feel in its gameplay. The level design isn't as good as
as a Sonic game, but the graphics are just as good as
Sonic 3's. Highly recommended.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wolf Child
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design/JVC
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The world's most renowed genetic scientist has been
kidnapped and brainwashed into creating an army of
bloodthirsty mutant warriors. Suddenly the fate of all
mankind rests in his youngest son, and in a top-secret
mutating experiment known as "Project Wolfchild." (box
promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This reminds me a lot of Switch Blade and Jim Power.
The original was quite good. (Baalim)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wolverine - Adamantium Rage
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Teeny Weeny Games/Marvel Comics/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Wolverine is by far the most popular member of the Marvel
Comics superhero team known as the X-Men. This arcade
game highlights his particular origins and problems.
IMPRESSIONS: This is possibly the best of the Marvel platformers I've
seen for the Genesis, with the sole exception of X-Men
2 - Clone Wars. That's a remarkable opinion, given the
fact that I am not an X-Men fan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wonder MIDI
AUTHOR/VENDOR: JVC
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This was an exclusive release offered for the WonderMega,
the original Japanese release of the JVC X'Eye. It
allowed the use of MIDI instruments with the unit (whose
internal music hardware was superior to Sega's own). It
also supported JVC's Piano Player keyboard, although it
could be used with any MIDI-capable keyboard.
IMPRESSIONS: Reports indicate that it compares well with the Miracle
Keyboard system, although it was geared primarily towards
the schooled musician. It did include teaching software,
though, as well as music composition tools. Wonder MIDI
and its accessories were jettisoned during the WonderMega
redesign due to poor sales, and did not survive the
Atlantic crossing when the WonderMega became the X'Eye.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wonderboy series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: WestOne
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English, Japanese, and Portuguese
PREMISE: A popular series of Japanese arcade game conversions
featuring the superdeformed warrior Wonderboy and his
cute green-haired girlfriend as they undertake various
quests, visit strange lands, and battle terrifying
monsters.
IMPRESSIONS: Wonderboy has a long legacy going back to the 8-bit
systems such as the Sega Master System, and I understand
that he also put in an appearance on the 32-bit Sony
Playstation. I can't for the life of me see why these
games are so popular - to me, they're just cute-looking
platformers - but even I'll admit that Wonderboy in
Monsterworld is a game worth considering. Eidolon is a
Wonderboy fan and he can't say enough about them, so
there you go. I guess the best thing to do is let you
judge for yourselves.
VARIATIONS: The first two games in the series are not available for
the G/MD. They are available for the Sega Master System
and various other 8-bit platforms from the period.
I note in passing that the Portuguese releases of certain
titles (Brazilian market) transformed Wonderboy into a
deformed-looking squirrel named Turma de Monica. That
was the only real change other than various proper names.
Wonderboy 3 - Monster Lair (1990, aka Monster World 1,
Bikkuriman World)
Wonderboy 4 (aka Monster World 2) is not available for
the G/MD.
Wonderboy 5 - Monster World 3 (1991, aka Wonderboy in
Monsterworld, Turma de Monica na Terra Dos Monstros -
the best known of the series due to its incorporation
of adventure game elements, this was ported to quite
a large number of 8-bit and 16-bit game consoles - an
English version has long been rumored to exist, but I
cannot confirm it at this time)
Wonderboy 6 - Monster World 4 (1994, a radical departure
as far as the premise goes in that it features
Wonderboy's girlfriend and was released only in Japan
- many fans consider it to be the best of the series
despite the language problem)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Woody Woodpecker
see FERIAS FRUSTRADAS DE PICA-PAU
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Championship Soccer series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Sports
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sega's stab at an in-house soccer sim series.
IMPRESSIONS: A couple of horrid little games that serve little more
purpose than to take up space in your cart collection.
Being early meant that they sold well, but they were
eventually surpassed by far superior products. Any other
G/MD soccer sim is better than both of these games put
together.
VARIATIONS: World Championship Soccer (1989, aka Sega Soccer, World
Cup Soccer, World Cup Italia 90)
World Championship Soccer 2 (1994, aka World Cup USA 94
- five times larger than its predecessor, but a paint-
and-body job can't hide the fact that it's still the
same lame game engine, or a close relative thereof)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Class Leaderboard
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Access/Tiertex
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Back in the mid 1980s, Access Software created the first
true first-person perspective golfing sim for personal
computers - Leaderboard. Its graphics and gameplay went
unmatched for so long that it became the de facto
standard for golfing sims for over a decade. This is the
final incarnation of that legendary game, featuring a
souped-up game engine and improved graphics that made it
the preferred golfing sim among Amiga and Atari ST owners
alike. Every golfing sim since Leaderboard has adapted
its style and approach, and the Links series is its
direct descendant.
IMPRESSIONS: There are lots of imitators, and many of its more serious
competitors may outstrip it in one or two areas, but
no G/MD golfing sim puts it all together as well as this
game. It is an absolute must-have whether you are a
golfing fan or a casual gamer - a game historian or a
first-time player. The G/MD port is a surprisingly
faithful rendition of the Amiga game, with no discernable
differences between the two unless you know what to look
for. It remains the best all-around G/MD golfing sim
ever created.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Cup Soccer
see WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SOCCER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Cup Italia 90
see WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SOCCER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Cup USA 94
see WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SOCCER 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Heroes
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SNK
RELEASED: Sega
TYPE: 1994
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Yet another SF2 clone...yawn...I've seen so many of these
that I'm beginning to play them in my sleep.
IMPRESSIONS: At least this one is pretty decent compared to some and
compares well with the first Fatal Fury game. I'll still
take the one and only SF2 when it comes to fighting
games, but this will probably be appreciated by those in
serious need of new contestants.
VARIATIONS: The second installment, World Heroes 2, was apparently
not released for the G/MD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World of Illusion
see the MICKEY MOUSE series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Series Baseball series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sega's in house baseball sim.
IMPRESSIONS: Sega's in-house baseball sim is every bit the equal of
its competition from Electronic Arts. The sound and
solid gameplay were there from the beginning, and the
only things that really changed over the series were
the team rosters and minor tweaking of the graphics and
game AI. Any one makes an excellent alternative if you
can find any of EA's Triple Play series.
VARIATIONS: World Series Baseball (1994)
World Series Baseball 95 (1995)
World Series Baseball 96 (1996)
World Series Baseball 98 (1997, one of the last games
commercially released for the Genesis during its
original production run)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Trophy Soccer
see JAPAN LEAGUE CHAMPION SOCCER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World War II
see OPERATION EUROPE - PATH TO VICTORY 1939-1945
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Worms
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Team 17/Ocean
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You command a smallish army staffed with worms trained
for various duties. Your object is to fight a war, and
your goal is to be the last worm left crawling....
IMPRESSIONS: A rather intriguing strategy game with a tongue-in-cheek
sense of humor that proved to be quite popular. Think of
it as a mix of Lemmings and Cannon Fodder
VARIATIONS: The sequel, Worms 2 - Armageddon, is not available for
the G/MD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wrestle Ball
see POWERBALL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wrestle War
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Sports (wrestling)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The classic pro wrestling arcade brawler makes a faithful
port to the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: The sound and graphics are there, alright, but animation
is jerky and the game is rather sluggish. Also, the
colors don't quite seem to match the original. I dunno,
but I think the original coin-op was better.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: WWF series (3 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sculptured Software
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Sports (wrestling)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Now you can experience the thrill and wonder of the best
that the World Wrestling Federation has to offer right in
your living room! Set up your own dream matches, or get
a friend and duke it out as your favorite wrestler! Body
slam! Suplex! Pile driver! Can you stand the action?
This is raw, baby - RAW!
IMPRESSIONS: The first two stink, the third is a decent enough
conversion of the coin-op brawler. I used to be a
wrestling fan back in the days of my innocent youth, but
these games did little to help revive those long-dormant
memories.
VARIATIONS: WWF - Super Wrestlemania (1992, distributed by Flying
Edge - if you bought the original, then you should have
taken it back for a refund, because it's that bad)
WWF - Royal Rumble (1993, distributed by Flying Edge -
some changes in the wrestlers and the graphics, but
still the same old crappy game)
WWF Wrestlemania - The Arcade Game (1995, arcade original
by Titan Sports and distributed by Midway Games - the
best of the lot, with smoothly animated digitized
character graphics and a style somewhat reminescent of
Mortal Kombat 3 or Batman Forever - this is definitely
the keeper of the bunch)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wyle E. Coyote - Desert Demolition
see DESERT DEMOLITION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
X
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: X-Band Modem games (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Catapult Entertainment
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: various
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The X-Band was one of a handful of 2400 baud modems
designed to let owners of various 16-bit consoles play
over the phone. One of its "Easter eggs" was the
inclusion of two small games that were accessed by a
special sequence of gamepad button presses. These were
generic to the modem and used its internal hardware,
thereby allowing play across consoles. Blockade is a
simplistic version of the old "don't cross your ever-
growing tail/trail" premise, and Maze is exactly what
it says - try to find your way out of the maze before
the timer runs out.
IMPRESSIONS: I'm told that many an X-Band user spent a lot of time
playing these two games while trying to find opponents.
Their simplicity was their appeal - they were right
there, kept your attention for a bit, and could be killed
almost instantly once an opponent had connected.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: X-Men series (2 games)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Marvel Games
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: "Fearing the rising tide of anti-mutant hysteria,
Professor Charles Xavier, a mutant telepath, formed the
X-Men to confront the fear that mutants will enslave
humanity.... The X-Men stand as humanity's only defense
against other powerful mutants, such as Magneto, who do
not share their dream and insist that the only way
mutants can survive the persecution is by forcefully
taking their rightful place as humanity's masters."
Based on the popular serial by Marvel Comics.
IMPRESSIONS: This first one is a rather plain and mediocre side-
scroller with frustrating gameplay, whereas the second
has noticeably improved gameplay and graphics and offers
a better choice of player characters as well. Popular,
for obvious reasons.
VARIATIONS: X-Men (1993 by Sega - you can play as any four pre-chosen
X-Men and see cameos from the others)
X-Men 2 - Clone Wars (1995 by Headgames - Magneto decides
to temporarily switch sides under the threat of an
evil techno-bio cloning machine known as the Phalanx -
you can even play as Magneto in this one)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: X-Perts
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A bunch of terrorists have taken over an major underseas
complex and have set up a thermonuclear bomb somewhere
inside. They are threatening to detonate it unless the
usual demands are met. A special three-person U.N.
strike force known as the X-Perts is called in to deal
with the situation before things get out of control.
IMPRESSIONS: This is a blatant rip-off of the X-Men games. It looks
great, sounds great, plays fairly well, and that's all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: X-Women - The Sinister Virus (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Marvel Comics/Sega
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This was the next-to-last commercial release announced
for the Genesis/MegaDrive during its original production
run. It was an action game in the same mold as X-Men 2
and featuring the ladies from that very same superhero
team. It is known that an early form of the game,
possibly a late alpha or early beta, was demonstrated
during the Innoventions show at Walt Disney World in
October of 1996.
IMPRESSIONS: This game does not appear to have made it out the door
due to the termination of the console's original
production run. It is listed by several used cart
vendors as part of the G/MD library, usally in their
"will buy" section. A preproduction copy is known to
exist. A Game Gear port was also apparently announced,
although almost nothing is known about it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: XDR
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Unipacc
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Just a plain and simple sidescroll shooter. Shoot, and
shoot, and shoot, and shoot.... (Slam)
IMPRESSIONS: Jeez, what crap. I could have programmed a better
Scramble clone myself on an old Commodore VIC-20 in my
youth without any add-on memory.
VARIATIONS: The letters in the title stand for X-Dazedly Ray, which
is an oft-used alternate title.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Xenon 2 - Megablast
AUTHOR/VENDOR: The Bitmap Brothers/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of an eye-catching Amiga shooter, itself inspired by
one of the early hit shooter games for that beloved
computer system. Written by the same programmers as the
original, the legendary Bitmap Brothers, who would go on
to create other titles like Gods and The Chaos Engine.
IMPRESSIONS: I didn't like this as much as I did the first Xenon,
although I will admit that game control is improved
considerably. The Genesis-rendered music is downright
horrid when compared to the Amiga original, but the
gameplay is still there for those who care.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
Y
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Yogi Bear's Cartoon Capers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hanna Barbara/Blue Turtle/Empire Software
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hey there, it's Yogi Bear - possibly the most conniving
creature to ever grace Jellystone Park. Now you can
help him have the run of the place while trying to avoid
pitfalls, traps, and the park rangers. Based on the
popular animated short subjects and TV shows.
IMPRESSIONS: I never was a Yogi fan, but I must admit that the
programmers did a good job graphicswise - it looks just
like the show. Sucky gameplay is the counterweight that
dooms this effort to failure - I was under the
impression that Yogi had more ways to deal with his foes
than with his butt cheeks. In short, a notable failure.
VARIATIONS: The copy I have appears to be a prerelease beta, and
omits the "Cartoon Capers" in the title.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Young Galahad
see THE LEGEND OF GALAHAD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Young Indiana Jones
see INSTRUMENTS OF CHAOS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ys 3 - Wanderers from Ys
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Falcom
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The third installment in the popular Ys series of RPGs
(and the only one for the Genesis) finds our heroes
travelling to the town of Kenai, where a mysterious evil
has taken root.
IMPRESSIONS: Great graphics, great sound, good gameplay, and an
intriguing plot (albeit a gawdawful long intro to wade
through - good thing you can skip it). This is one of
the all-time best Genesis RPGs, and is a heckuva lot
better than that laughable SNES version....
VARIATIONS: The original, Ys 1 - Vanished Omens, is available for
the Sega Master System. The sequel, Ys 4 - Mask of the
Sun, is available for the Mega CD. The second Ys game
does not appear to have been released for any Sega
platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Yu Yu Hakusho series (2 titles)
Because of the decidedly different nature of these games,
they have been listed separately....
VARIATIONS: The name translates from the Japanese as Poltergeist
Report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Yu Yu Hakusho Battle
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treasure
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Yuusuke...Botan...Kazuma...Kurama...Hiei...and more.
They're all here in this versus fighter, which both
Otanooki Temple and Harry Tuttle of the Dump have called
"the best fighter ever made for the Genesis." Take your
your choice of characters, each with unique talents and
attacks (rei gun, reikinoken, rose whip, jagan, dragon
spirit, etc.) Support for multiple players means
multiple chances to crash and bash - it's not limited to
one or two players anymore! Inspired by the popular
anime series that first premiered on Japanese television
in 1992.
IMPRESSIONS: A strange mix of adventure, RPG, and fighting, but with
good graphics. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Yu Yu Hakusho Gaiden - Makyoto Issen
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This focuses on the antics of a group of young high
school delinquents, both human and demonic, and of one in
particular. Yuusuke is the resident bad-ass who is
actually was a pretty nice guy in his previous life and
is willing to go to great lengths to regain his lost
humanity. Based on the popular anime series.
IMPRESSIONS: This take on the popular Japanese anime leans more toward
the RPG element than does its counterpart. The end
result is that the story and graphics are fantastic, but
the fight sequences are terrible. Music and sound remain
excellent, as always. This has some of the best anime-
style cinemas to be seen in a MegaDrive game, so it's
well worth the look.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
Z
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zan Yash
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Yet another software house offers their own take on the
constant warfare that took place in feudal Japan.
IMPRESSIONS: The animated battle sequences are a nice touch, but you
have to go so far and wade through so many menus to see
them that you're often left wondering if it was worth the
trouble. The game has more options than a Swiss army
knife, but gameplay becomes needlessly complicated as a
result. Nice BGM tracks, though.
VARIATIONS: The other games in the series do not appear to be
available for the G/MD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zany Golf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sandcastle/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1990
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A nice take on golfing sims, in which you get to test
your skins game on a wild and wacky miniature golf
course. Can you deal with all the various traps and
obstacles and still maintain par for the game?
IMPRESSIONS: Great idea, great execution. It's games like this that
made game creator Will Harvey a programming legend. Yet
another faithful port from the almighty Amiga.
VARIATIONS: This is one of three early Electronic Arts games that
only work with the original version of the G/MD console.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zeewolf (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Binary Asylum
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and German
PREMISE: Planned port of the popular Amiga AGA game about an
experimental combat helicopter that could decide the
outcome of a awar.
IMPRESSIONS: A fine helecopter-blastin' thang on the Amiga, although
I dunno how the Genesis could have handled its rather
sophisticated graphics.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zenobian Scout (unreleased?)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: The Game Factory/Foley Hi-Tech Systems
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Action?
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An unreleased in-house concept game.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zero Tolerance series (2 titles, public domain)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Zyrinx/Technopop
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: As your dropship screams toward the strangely silent
space outpost Europe-1, your commander briefs you on the
mission ahead. Your detatchment of the Planetary Defense
Corps has been called in to find out who attacked the
station, and (more importantly) if they're still around.
You won't have much time to find out, though - Europe-1's
nuclear reactor was damaged in the firefight, and it's
building towards a meltdown that will incinerate the
entire station. That said, you gather your gear and
debark through the boarding dock, anxious at what lies
ahead....
IMPRESSIONS: The only real Wolfenstein 3D clone in existence for the
MegaDrive, but this offers strategy far beyond Wolf3D.
It's way too long, though, and it tends to get tedious
before you're halfway through - especially when you have
to hunt down EVERY single monster to advance to the next
level - hence the title. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: These games were unique in that they featured head-to-
head gameplay via a special link cable. Sold separately
by Zyrinx, it passed data back and forth between the
player's consoles via the second (unused) joystick port.
Zero Tolerance (1994, marketed under the Accolade banner)
Zero Tolerance Elite trainer hack (unlimited energy and
weapons)
Beyond Zero Tolerance (1996, aka Zero Tolerance 2, never
released)
These games have been put into the public domain by
Zyrinx on the sole condition that they can only be
distributed in their original unmodified form. My thanks
to Zoop for the original tip on this info, and also to
Zyrinx themselves for confirming it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zero Wing
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Toaplan
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: An alien being known only as CATS has disabled an Earth
exploratory cruiser, leaving it helpless in deep space.
Fearing a further attack that could result in the loss
of his ship, its captain orders every space fighter on
board armed and launched to deal with any unwelcome
visitors that CATS might send along....
IMPRESSIONS: Moderately playable shooter. The ability to catch and
toss around enemy ships with a tractor beam is a nice
innovation, but limited power-ups and awful ship designs
hurt this title. All texts are in English, but they're
so poorly translated that they're hilarious - I haven't
laughed so hard in months! (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zombie High (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: School's out - of control! Just when you though high
school couldn't get any weirder, it's zombie-stomping
time in the classrooms, hallways, and stairwells. Watch
out for the mutant gym teacher!
IMPRESSIONS: My thanks to Cowering for sending me a copy of the EA
promo that talks about this game. I have no idea if it
was ever released, as the ad shows only a concept box.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zombies Ate My Neighbors
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami/LucasArts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This tongue-in-cheek shooter pits you against the vast
army of the undead, resurrected by a freak toxic spill.
The goal is to save your neighbors before the zombies
munch 'em for dinner.
IMPRESSIONS: Hey, how did this little jewel slip past me? I thought
I knew all of the LucasArts titles, but I guess not.
Anyway, it's a great little game, especially in two-
player mode, and far superior to the SNES version in
every aspect except perhaps the sound.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zool - Ninja from the Nth Dimension
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gremlin/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Meet Zool the Ninja - faster than a speeding Sonic, more
powerful than Ken the Street Fighter, able to leap tall
fighting mecha in a single bound! Yes, it's Zool -
strange visitor from another world who has crash-landed
on the very planet he was supposed to be rescuing! Can
he still save the day?
IMPRESSIONS: This neat little Sonic clone was quite popular when it
was originally released for the almighty Amiga, as Sega
was rather reluctant at that time to port Sonic away from
the Genesis. It seems a bit childish now that there are
so many other good titles to compete with it, but it's
still worth the look.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zoom
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Discovery Software
RELEASED: 1989
TYPE: Maze
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A pseudo-3D first-person Pac-man clone.
IMPRESSIONS: This could have been a contender, with all kinds of
fancy 3D effects and a solid game concept, but character
control is weak and once a stage is almost complete it
becomes nearly impossible to see what tiny sections
haven't been finished yet. You might want to try it
anyway, because it's oh-so-close to being incredibly
cool. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zoop
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Viacom New Media
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A puzzle game somewhat reminescent of Tetris, except
that there's four-way action this time around and you
blast the pieces that appear in each track instead of
steering them.
IMPRESSIONS: Confusing, to say the least. I'm told this was a highly
popular game once upon a time, but it didn't hold my
interest for long.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zou! Zou! Zou! Rescue Daisa Kusen
see ROLO TO THE RESCUE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
32X/MEGA 32X/SUPER 32X
----------------------
The year 1993 found Sega busy trying to figure out a way to add polygonal
3D support to the Genesis that would perform at the same level as its
arcade games. Nintendo had already led the way in this regard with its
Super FX chip for the SNES, and Sega sensed that it was beginning to lose
ground against the growing support for Nintendo's 16-bit console. Borrowing
from its then-current videogame technology, it developed a prototype
product called the SVP Adapter. SVP stands for Super Virtual Play, and the
heart of the adapter was a Hitachi SH1 RISC processor - the same found in
many of Sega's arcade games at the time. All three of Sega's popular AM2
arcade videogame releases - Daytona USA, Sega Championship Rally, and
Virtua Racing - were tentatively scheduled for SVP release. Unfortunately,
accurate arcade conversions demanded more horsepower, and so SVP technology
eventually evolved into a different and more capable concept. The SVP
version of Virtua Racing, the only game which had received a full SVP
workup, was released as a standalone cart in 1994 in order to give Sega
gamers a taste of what was to come.
The 32X, heir to the SVP effort, was designed as an add-on accessory for
the Genesis. It connected to the Genesis by plugging into the cartridge
port and overlaying the base unit's video feed with an additional one of
its own. The combined feed was then sent to the user's display via a
special cable. It added better color depth, sound, and speedier
performance to a standard Genesis console. The main advantage in owning a
32X was that it added to the Genesis those features (true scaling, sprite
rotation, etc). that it was sadly lacking. The power of the 32X was in
large part due to its onboard twin Hitachi SH2 RISC processors - the same
used in Sega's arcade games of the day and the direct ancestors of the SH3
(Saturn) and SH4 (Dreamcast). Even though the 32X hardware took over the
Genesis unit (for the most part), it would still allow you to play Genesis
games by simply passing the data through from older cartridges and not
processing it.
The 32X adapter was first released in the U.S. in November of 1994 (US$150),
with subsequent releases a few months later in the European, Australian,
and Japanese markets. A few apparently made their way north and south of
the U.S. border to both Canada and Mexico. The premiere title was id
Software's DOOM, the monster hit first-person shooter of that year, and the
32X port is generally regarded as the finest and most faithful to the
original IBM PC release (DOOM 64 notwithstanding). Other titles soon
followed, but it soon became obvious to consumers that everybody (including
Sega) was holding back. There was a general feeling across the videogame
market that Sega and its licensees seemed to be waiting on something, and
that more than anything probably contributed to the mixed reception and
general sense of unease that was afforded the 32X by both consumer and
developer alike.
The 32X was discontinued at the end of 1995 due to sluggish sales and the
successful debut of the Sega Saturn earlier that summer. The Saturn had
been originally scheduled for release later that fall, but certain moves by
rival videogame console vendor Sony caused Sega to bump up the Saturn
release date by several months. Sony was making its first foray into the
videogame market with a console called the PlayStation (PSX), and Sega
wasn't about to let itself get blindsided as it had done to Nintendo
several years earlier. The move effectively killed the 32X, since Sega's
developers and licensees had little desire to work on releases for a system
that they perceived as going nowhere. The very last release for the 32X,
DarXide by Frontier Developments (originally intended for the abandoned
Neptune console), eventually found its way to the European markets in early
1996. It never saw an American release.
In retrospect, most videogame historians put the 32X on the same level as
the original prototype of the Sega Saturn. It was probably the best 32-bit
cartridge-based videogame console system of its day, and could have held
its own against the Saturn prototype in almost every category except the
size and complexity of its releases. It was probably a bad move on Sega's
part to have two 32-bit systems on parallel development tracks, and one of
them would have had to be killed sooner or later to make way for the other.
Sega chose to go with the Saturn, and the 32X passed away into videogame
history. It is all but forgotten now, except by those who research the
development of videogames over the years and by we Sega fans who were (or
are) fortunate enough to own one.
FACTOIDS ABOUT THE 32X
----------------------
- The 32X was capable of generating 32,768 simultaneous colors on-screen
and added two more sound channels to the Genesis.
- About 100 or so titles had been released or announced as of 12/95. Only
about one-third ever made it out the door as 32X releases.
- Datel's CD-Plus cartridge (v3.0B or later) works with the 32X. The 32X
also works with the JVC X'Eye and other similar licensed third-party G/MD
consoles.
- The cancelled Saturn Neptune would have been an all-in-one 32-bit gaming
console that incorporated all of the hardware for the Genesis and 32X
into one unit. Sega saw no need to move beyond its prototypes due to
dying sales of its 16-bit consoles. There is at least one working unit
(apparently in the custom Neptune prototype case) that supposedly
exists, but nobody seems to know what happened to it.
- There was also apparently another all-in-one concept consisting of
Neptune-class hardware married to a faster CD drive. Known as the
GigaDrive, this seems to have been the origin of the Sega Saturn. No
known dedicated prototype is known to exist; apparently Sega cobbled
several units together using off-the-shelf components.
- The G/MD version of Virtua Racing does not appear to work with the 32X's
"pass-thru" option - possibly due to the SVP chip causing problems with
the 32X's internal hardware.
32X CARTRIDGE GAMES
-------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
#
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 32Xtreme (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: 989 Sports? (or possibly Sega)
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Some type of sports sim that was supposed to showcase the
power of the 32X hardware.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
A
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Afterburner (aka Super Afterburner)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: A seriously overhauled version of Sega's classic arcade
shooter made to show off the capabilities of the 32X
hardware. Fly an F-14 Tomcat in a first-person, behind-
the-plane shooter that plays both fast and furious.
IMPRESSIONS: Better than the Genesis version - in fact, pretty damn
close to the speed of the arcade.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Alien Trilogy (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You get to role-play as space veteran Ellen Ripley as she
tackles our favorite xenomorphs - first on a planetside
colony, then in a maximum-security prison, and finally on
the alien mother ship.
IMPRESSIONS: A DOOM-style first-person shooter with lots of goodies
but poor level design. Still, it can be every bit as fun
as the Alien TCs for DOOM and Quake, or will fill in if
you can't find those excellent add-ons. This eventually
made it to the Saturn.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aliens vs. Predator (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rebellion/Fox Interactive
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It was around this time that Fox Interactive decided to
redesign the Alien vs. Predator game. Instead of the
sidescrolling shooter for the SNES, this was to be a
DOOM-style 3D first-person shooter where players could
get their pick of marine, alien, or predator. Inspired
by the popular movies of the same name.
IMPRESSIONS: The 32X port was announced, and that was all. Work was
quickly ported over to the Saturn, but died a couple of
years later when Fox shifted its emphasis to the PC
version. That was released in 1999, four full years
after the 32X was dead and gone, and it is one helluva
game. I have no clue as to how the 32X version would
have looked, as its design was always in a state of flux.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Alone in the Dark (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: I-Motion/Interplay
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You get to play the role of a private investigator (take
your pick of Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood) who is
investigating a series of occult-oriented deaths somehow
linked to the Old Ones described by H. P. Lovecraft in his
supernatural novels. Ported from the IBM PC original and
featuring the same third-person polygonal graphics style.
This is now considered to be one of the all-time gaming
classics.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
B
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Batman Forever (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Platform fighter inspired by the less-than-appealing
feature film, and a step above the Genesis version in
terms of graphics and gameplay.
IMPRESSIONS: A working 32X beta was demonstrated at the 1996 Sega
Gamers Day show, according to JAyton, but the death of
the console seems to have precluded its release.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: BC Racers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (moto-stone)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The third and final game in the Chuck Rock series of
Jurassic Age arcade games, but Chuck and his son are
nowhere to be found! Instead, you get to take part in
a prehistoric bike race with your favorite babe riding
shotgun beside you.
IMPRESSIONS: The fun factor in this game is especially high, and this
version is better than the Sega CD game in every respect
except for the music. (Sega Force)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: BIOS Fear (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ASG/Zinc/SenseNet
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It's up to you to save what's left of humanity from its
own greed and corporate profit motives. What little
remains of Earth's ecosystem is protected within giant
biodomes, and the dome systems are failing. Can you find
a way to fix them before all life on Earth dies?
IMPRESSIONS: This was announced for a number of other platforms as
well, with the Panasonic 3DO and Atari Jaguar among their
ranks. No version seems to have seen the light of day,
although an Atari Jaguar prototype seems to exist (I have
a lone screenshot from it).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Blackthorne
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Blizzard/Interplay
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Psygnosis-style platform shooter in which you play a
badass with a shotgun wandering around various platform
levels, solving puzzles, rescuing prisoners, shooting
bad guys, and blowing stuff up.
IMPRESSIONS: If you're willing to put up with the sluggish and
sometimes frustrating gameplay, then it's a decent game.
Polished graphics, good sound, and a grim atmosphere.
(Rage Games)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Brutal - Above the Claw (aka Brutal Unleashed)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gamtek
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The 32-bit sequel to Brutal - Paws of Fury. The familiar
cast of animal fighters and a few new ones make their
way back to Brutal Island for a new tournament.
IMPRESSIONS: Smooth! If you liked the original, then you'll love the
32X version. It's fast and furious, and comes with a
catchy pop/rock soundtrack that will stay with you for
days.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
C
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: C2 - Judgement Clay (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Interplay
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: More of the same - an enhanced Street Fighter 2 clone
featuring a circus theme and rather ugly digitzed
claymation actors, but with more characters and moves
than the original.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Clayfighter 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Casper - An Interactive Adventure (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Interplay
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Pretty-looking game based on the live-action feature film
from a few years back, itself inspired by the classic
animated short films about a nice young ghost who would
rather help people than scare them.
IMPRESSIONS: The 32X version was announced by Interplay in mid-1995,
and that's the last anybody heard of it. Apparently the
release of the Saturn killed the project, with what work
that had already been done quickly ported over to the new
platform.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Castlevania - Vampire's Kiss (unreleased)
(aka Akumajo Dracula X)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: Would have been a port of the TG-16 game that would have
addressed the deficiences of the SNES version. The TG-16
original is considered to be the best entry in the 16-bit
series of games, according to fans. This was also the
first Castlevania title to employ anime-style graphics,
which proved so popular that the practice was continued
ever after.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Clayfighter 2
see C2 - JUDGEMENT CLAY
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: College Basketball's National Championship (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An NCAA baskeball sim based on the NBA Action game
engine.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Comix Zone (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Technical Institute
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enhanced version of the original Genesis cart, in which
you play a comic book artist who gets sucked into his
story by its villian.
IMPRESSIONS: KGen author Steve Snake has stated unconditionally that
this was one of the finest games ever written for the
Genesis, so one can only imagine what a 32X-enhanced
version would have been like. Apparendly the Genesis
cart sold so poorly that work on the 32X version was
abandoned - which seems a shame, in retrospect. My guess
is that it would have been similar to the IBM PC port.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Converse City Basketball Tour (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: I'm told that this was the sequel to Hardcore Hoops, but
that's all I know. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Converse Hardcore Hoops (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: According to rumor, this was supposedly one of the first
console basketball games to employ polygonal characters
(a novelty back then). More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: Started as a pure G/MD title, was moved over to the 32X,
and died there. A pure-G/MD beta apparently exists.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cosmic Carnage (aka Cyber Brawl)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: A disjointed Street Fighter 2 clone that was supposedly
even more strange that Sega's first arcade fighter, Dark
Edge.
IMPRESSIONS: This game sucked...had even weirder futuristic characters
than Dark Edge and the 3D camera zooming effect of
Samurai Shodown (arcade version), plus a few very poor
visual gimmicks.... Two years after its release,
Blockbuster stores were selling off their copies for
under US$5. (Spotlight Media)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cyberbrawl
see COSMIC CARNAGE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
D
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: DarXide
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Frontier Developments
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Earth's command fleet is destoyed, and the massive alien
armada revels in its victory. Only DarXide, a tiny solar
system, stands between the invasion fleet and Earth.
This time it's personal ... it's payback time ....
IMPRESSIONS: This was the UK's "Best Game of 1995" and is the only 32X
space shooter to feature texture mapping. As such, it
looked better than many comparable Saturn games. It was
pretty much a 3D take on Asteroids, with a novel control
system designed by Peter Irwin. (David Braben, co-author).
VARIATIONS: While DarXide shares many similarities with Elite, there
never was a version of Elite released for the G/MD in any
form, shape or fashion. Dark Side was our working title,
but the name was changed at the last minute for trademark
reasons. (David Braben, co-author)
This is one of only two documented Euro-only 32X releases,
with the other being FIFA Soccer 95.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Descent (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the popular IBM PC 3D shooter, in which you fly
a space fighter through a maze of tunnels and against all
sorts of robotic nasties as you attempt to both rescue any
humans left alive and generally try to blow up the place.
If the port was even half of what the IBM PC game was,
it would have been one helluva 32X game.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: DOOM
AUTHOR/VENDOR: id Software
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hell of a day, eh Marine? The Slipgate project on the
Martian moon of Phobos has gone horribly wrong and opened
a portal to an invasion of aliens that seem to come
straight out of Dante's Inferno. You're the last jarhead
left alive after the initial assault, having been left
behind to guard the dropship, so now it's all up to your
lonesome to kick some alien ass all the way back to the
hell from which it came. This was the very first title
released for the 32X, hitting the stores the same day as
did the console, and was ported directly from the IBM PC
original.
IMPRESSIONS: Ah, the legend...the one and only...the almighty
successor to the excellent Wolfenstein 3D...the game that
changed the first-person shooter genre forever. This is
the most faithful cartridge version of the game in terms
of graphics, sound, and gameplay; but it only has 17 of
the original 27 levels, and that includes the two hidden
ones.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dracula X
see CASTLEVANIA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
E
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ecco series (2 games) (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Novotrade
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action/strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hyped-up version of the Genesis cart. You play a
puzzle-solving dolphin in this politically correct,
environmentally conscious platform game.
IMPRESSIONS: According to JAGBOY, the 32X version of Ecco was dumped
in favor of Kolibri. Craick and Chantal merely note that
both it and Ecco Jr. were abandoned before completion due
to the death of the console. There are screenshots
floating around that purport to be from one or more
magazines showing a working 32X alpha, but none have been
confirmed as of this date.
VARIATIONS: Ecco the Dolphin (Ecco is separated from his family by a
freak storm and spends the next 20 or so levels trying
to save them and the rest of his fellow dolphins from
harm)
Ecco Jr. (Tooled for a younger mindset, this casts you as
Ecco's son who along with his friends goes in search of
the old blue whale)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Elite
see DARXIDE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
F
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: FIFA Soccer 96
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hyped-up version of the original Genesis cart. Soccer
as only EA Sports can do it.
IMPRESSIONS: This was worked up as a playable beta by EA Sports back
in 1994, but was held back due to uncertainty over the
impending fate of the console. The beta was eventually
released in Europe, but the demise of the 32X precluded
an American release. My thanks to Doni Grande for a copy
of the European release, and to EA Sports for a scan of
the proposed (but unused) American release box.
VARIATIONS: This is one of only two documented Euro-only 32X releases,
with the other being Frontier's DarXide.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Firestorm: Thunderhawk 2 (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: If 26 missions, texture-mapped 3D terrains, polygon-
generated vehicles, multiple camera views, ingame speech,
a fantastic intro sequence, and a thumping techno
soundtrack aren't enought for you, then try admiring the
stunning views from Firestorm: Thunderhawk 2! (Db-Line)
IMPRESSIONS: The project was moved to the Saturn and eventually
released for that platform.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hyped-up version of the Genesis cart. YACEG baseball
game, as slick as most of the latter Genesis ones but
with 32X enhancements - possibly making it like Ken
Griffey's Winning Run on the SNES.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
G
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Garfield (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Announced at the 1996 Winter CES, this appears to have
been either an upgrade or a sequel to the Genesis game.
It might have something to do with the Sega Channel
exclusive Garfield - The Lost Levels, although I have no
confirmation of this.
IMPRESSIONS: Appears to have abandoned along with the 32X.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gekijoban Sangokushi 4
see ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Golf Magazine's Best 36 Holes starring Fred Couples
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Sports
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Golf Magazine has selected 36 spectacular golf holes and
more for you to play! Go against Fred Couples, two-time
PGA Tour Player of the Year; or play as Fred and drive the
ball 300 yards! Match & stroke play, tournament, shoot-
out, skins, practice, and scramble modes. 32X graphics
reproduce lush fairways, rolling greens, and devilishly
deep sand traps. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: It offers an afternoon of golf that even Donald Trump
could not manage any other way. (Darrin Hill, Detroit
News Cyberia)
VARIATIONS: A 32X-CD version with bonus courses was planned but
apparently never released. My thanks to Sega for that
bit of information, plus a scan of the planned box.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
H
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Head-on Soccer (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: 32X upgrade of the popular soccer sim.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Fever Pitch in Japan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Heavy Machinery (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega?
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This appears to have been the working title of a mecha
combat game; whether it was unique to the 32X or not is
unknown.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
I
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A game expressly designed to promote Izzy, the
uninspiring mascot of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Summer
Games. 'Nuff said.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
J
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jack Nicklaus Golf 95 (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Accolade
RELEASED: 1995 (planned)
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Supposedly a souped-up version of the old G/MD game.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
K
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kingdom - The Far Reaches (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: CapDisc/Interplay
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A talisman known as "The Hand" was shattered into five
pieces and hidden throughout the Far Reaches. Dark magic
spread throughout the land and the evil wizard Torlok
began his reign of terror and suffering. Now the fate of
the Five Kingdoms rests on the quest of a young man, the
last of the Argent Kings. The fulfillment of ancient
prophecy, his challenge is to seek out and rejoin the
shattered pieces of the talisman, restoring freedom to a
doomed world. Over 30 magic spells and items of power
and skill give the player the tools necessary to combat
the evil that threatens to stand in his way. (Interplay)
IMPRESSIONS: As an adventure game, Kingdom: The Far Reaches lacks
interactivity, depth and fun. As an "interactive movie",
it's in dire need of decent characters and an interesting
story. It'll wow the kids at the kiosk in the store, but
gets tiresome quickly.... What we have here is a Magical
Misery Tour. Forget the interactive movie - I'm going
back to Zork. (Chris Adamson's CD-i version review)
VARIATIONS: This seems to have been under development as a 32X-only
CD release, but I couldn't tell you why. The death of
the platform seems to have been the primary motivation
behind abandoning the port.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Knuckles Chaotix
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The sneaky red echidna from the Sonic games proved to be
so popular that he got his own game in this, designed
espically for the 32X console. Imagine Sonic 3 with
four different player characters, scaling and rotating
graphics and enemies, Super Mario-style power-ups, 25
gigantic roller-coaster levels, and "the all-new bungee
challenge" (lifed from the Sonic Crackers project), and
you get the idea.
IMPRESSIONS: One word - AWESOME!!! =D I wish somebody at Sega would
make a PC version!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kolibri
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Deep inside the earth lies a crystal that contains the
power of life. An evil twin crystal smashes into the
earth, and its powers spreads pestillance and death.
The life crystal makes its way to the surface to find
a creature to endow its power to so it can fight this
evil - Kolibri, a hummingbird!
IMPRESSIONS: Features some fine art and intense action - who needs a
spaceship for 2D shooters?! It also has some unique
gameplay elements, like eating nectar from flowers to get
power-ups, or finding out how to get out of a level rather
than just lasting to the end. Each stage must be handled
a slightly different way, and it takes a lot of trial and
error to figure things out as well as quick reflexes.
(Outpost Sega)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
L
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
M
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Metal Head
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese (set console accordingly)
PREMISE: A first-person perspective mecha fighting game, in which
you play a police mecha operator battling terrorists.
IMPRESSIONS: In a word, boring. I got absolutly no feeling of driving
a huge robot, which is a necessity in this genre. About
the only cool thing in this game is that most of the
dialogue is digitzed voices. Other than that, I would
classify it as a boredom simulator. (E. Phoenix, Game
Zero)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bandai
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It is unclear whether this was to be a hyped-up version
of the Genesis game or a "versus" fighter in the same
mold as the Fighting Edition SNES game.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mortal Kombat 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Midway/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hyped-up version of what is consdered to be the best
installment of this series of Street Fighter clones.
It's the same as before but with more characters, a new
setting (the Outworld), a hint of a real plot, and more
moves than you can shake a stick at.
IMPRESSIONS: Take the overall layout of the G/MD original, add in
some slick-looking digital graphics with almost liquid
motion, and you have the definitive version of this
well-known fighter. Only the PSX and N64 versions can
equal or better the 32X port.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Motocross Championship
see SUPER MOTOCROSS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
N
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NBA Action 96 (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: 32X version of the Genesis game - enhancements unknown.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NBA Jam - Tournament Edition
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Midway/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hyped-up version of the original Genesis game. It's
arcade-style two-on-two full-court basketball, more or
less.
IMPRESSIONS: I've been told by more than one fan that what little 32X
improvements are evident weren't worth the original sales
price. Steve Snake, author of KGen 98 and one of NBA
Jam's original progammers, has an understandably
different opinion. According to him, the 32X version is
the most faithful of all ports to the arcade original,
even to the point of incorporating certain elements from
the coin-op's game design. It was the 32X's processing
power that made this possible, he says, and challenges
anyone who thinks differently to compare for themselves.
My opinion? I'm not a big fan of basketball, period -
but man, does it look and play ever so smooth when
compared to the G/MD version.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NFL Quarterback Club
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Iguana/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enhanced version of the Genesis cart, which was one of
the better Madden NFL clones on the market. Among its
new features are multi-view perspectives, "Smooth-Cam"
instant replay, complete 1994 NFL rosters, and over 430
unique plays.
IMPRESSIONS: A damn fine game. (Matthew Neilson)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
O
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Outpost (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sierra On-line
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An asteroid named Lucifer's Hammer is going to smash into
the Earth and do a pretty good job of destroying
civilization as we know it. You get to command a space
ark sent away before the asteroid's arrival in a
desperate effort to re-establish humankind on another
planet. A highly-praised game ported from the IBM PC.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
P
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pitfall - The Mayan Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Activision
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Pitfall Harry has disappeared while on his latest quest
deep in the South American jungles, so it's up to his son
(that's you) to find him. Ported from the original
arcade game.
IMPRESSIONS: Okay, so it's better than the Genesis version. It's
still too damn difficult for the average gamer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Primal Rage
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bitmasters/Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Welcome to the planet Urth, where humanity has reverted
to barbarism and ferocious dinosaurs vie for supremacy
over them - aw, forget the crap. It's a versus fighter
in the Street Fighter 2 mode featuring digitized stop-
motion dinosaurs.
IMPRESSIONS: Very close to the arcade original, according to those
who have seen it. That doesn't make it any better than
the cheap Street Fighter 2 rip-off that it is. I must
admit, though, that the occasional side snacking on the
humans by the combatants is hilarious. The 32X version
is the one to get, assuming you have the choice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Prime Time NFL (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sega's stock football game retooled for the 32X.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
Q
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
R
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Race Drivin' (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tengen/Atari
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: 32-bit version of the followup to the ground-breaking
Hard Drivin' that would have addressed the sluggishness
of the Genesis version.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ratchet and Bolt (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Announced at the 1996 Winter CES. No other info is
available.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rayman (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: UBI Soft
RELEASED: 1995 (planned)
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The evil Mr. Dark has stolen the Great Protoon, thus
screwing up the world of the Electoon and causing all
sorts of evil mean nasties to appear. Belinda the Fairy
is too weakened by her lost contest with Mr. Dark to
do anything, so it's up to you as Rayman to save the
day. One of the slickest-looking platformers to come
down the pike in a long time, and now considered a gaming
classic.
IMPRESSIONS: Work actually started on this one, but the project was
quickly ported to the Sega Saturn and completed there.
A non-functional alpha supposedly exists.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: RBI Baseball 95
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tengen/Atari/Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: 32-bit version of the 1995 version of this long-running
arcade-style baseball gaming classic.
IMPRESSIONS: What sets this apart are a few extra features such as
"game breaker" situations and a home-run derby. It also
features great-looking characters and some of the best
animation in a cartridge game. (Ric Manning, Louisville
Courier-Journal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Revolution X (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Aerosmith
PREMISE: Mediocre light-gun shooter in which you enlist the aid
of the rock music band Aerosmith to help fight off evil
nasties bent on censorship and control. Yeah, right.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed, according to Craick and Chantal.
I've also been informed by several anonymous sources that
the proto was a lot closer to the original arcade game
than was the Genesis version.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Romance of the Three Kingdoms 4 - Wall of Fire
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: The fourth and final installment in this series of
historical sims dealing with the unification of China
into a single nation. This would have been an upgraded
version of the original G/MD release.
IMPRESSIONS: It's great to play with others, has lots of options, and
check out that 3D map. Too bad that it's complicated and
that turns take so long. Major graphics improvements
over previous entries in the series - fans won't be
disappointed. (Mr. Slam)
VARIATIONS: I would like to thank both Doni Grande (U.S.) and Kazuo
Matsuura (Japan) for finally confirming the existence of
this game. It is apparently the only unique Super 32X
release (Japanese market) to date. Across the pond, it
is known as Gekijoban Sangokushi 4.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
S
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Scottish Open Virtual Golf
see VIRTUAL GOLF
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shadow Squadron series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: An outer space shooter with obvious similarities to Wing
Commander, although it has more of an arcade feel to it.
IMPRESSIONS: Ship control is surprisingly easy and the sound effects
are awesome, although the game does tend to get
repetitive after a while. (Sega Force)
VARIATIONS: Shadow Squadron (1994)
Stellar Assault (unreleased - the project was eventually
issued for the Saturn in 1997)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shell Shock (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: U.S. Gold/Eidos Interactive
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It's 1997 and the world is in chaos, dominated by
druglords, terrorists, and barbaric dictators. Into this
global tumult step Da Wardenz, a multi-cultural, street-
smart group of urban commandos charged with "Keepin' Da
Peace". As a member of this elite squad you pilot your
M-13 Predator battletank through various war-torn
battlegrounds, smiting down those who would corrupt the
world and generally blasting away at everything in sight.
(Robert Coffey)
IMPRESSIONS: While by no means terrible, the game simply fails to
deliver the goods in almost every aspect, continually
falling short of a pleasurable gaming experience. It
gets most everything just about half-right. (Robert
Coffey)
IMPRESSIONS: The project was quickly moved to the Saturn and completed
there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: What premise? It's more of the same, more of what Sonic
fans demand and expect - fast-paced platform action with
our favorite hedgehog and his friends.
IMPRESSIONS: There is quite a tale behind this unreleased game. It
originally started out on the Genesis, but was moved to
the 32X to help boost sagging sales. When that platform
died, so did the game. I'm told that parts of Sonic 4
eventually wound up in Sonic CD, Knuckles Chaotix, and
Sonic R - the first Sonic Saturn title. (info courtesy
of both Eidolon and the EGM article "Games That Never
Were")
VARIATIONS: An early test version by the name of Sonic Crackers is
available for regular G/MD play; see the appropriate entry
for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Soul Star X (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The biosphere is heating up in Soul Star - and with over
40 exciting missions to conquer across 6 planets, you'll
never cool down in this amazing 3D shooter. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This was to have been an enhanced version of the respected
Sega CD game. Never released, and this was apparently due
to the death of the platform. My thanks to Core Design
for the info (and the B&W pic of the concept box).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Space Harrier
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You answer a frantic distress call from deep space and
are teleported to the land of the Dragons, which is
swarming with incredible monsters just itching to do you
in. Ported from the classic coin-op game.
IMPRESSIONS: Perhaps the most faithful rendition of the original
arcade game that you'll ever see. Still, I don't see
why 32-bit hardware was required for a game that was
16-bit in origin, as the much-lauded graphic enhancements
seem a little flat. At least it plays as fast as the
original, though, and that's a point in its favor.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Spiderman - Web of Fire
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Blue Sky Software
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A pretty good Spidey adventure, but not as good as the
Sega CD version of Spiderman vs. the Kingpin.
IMPRESSIONS: Nice colors and animation, huge end-level bosses, varied
backgrounds, and great control round out this action
title. (Sega Force)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Spiderman and Venom - Separation Anxiety (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Software Creations/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Overhaul of the Genesis game designed to showcase the 32X
hardware. Premise is the same - the villan Venom must
form an uneasy alliance with his old foe Spiderman to
stave off attacks by his own clones, who are themselves
part of a grander scheme....
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Spot Goes to Hollywood (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sequel to Cool Spot, in which 7UP's crazy mascot gets to
strut his stuff on various Hollywood movie sets.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Trek - Star Fleet Academy Bridge Simulator
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Interplay
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Command Star Fleet's finest vessels in simulation
training as you prepare for the day when you will serve
aboard and possibly command a starship. Five different
starships and dozens of scenarios, including the infamous
Kobayashi Maru test.
IMPRESSIONS: As good as a Star Trek inspired game gets for the
hardware of the day, and the best Star Trek game
available for the Genesis hardware. Looking back, it
seems like an eerie preview of a subsequent Interplay
release for home computer systems - Star Fleet Academy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Wars Arcade
AUTHOR/VENDOR: LucasArts/Sega
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Extremely faithful version of Sega's souped-up arcade
game, itself inspired by the Atari original. This was
the second Star Wars arcade game, and it was as
eye-popping in its day as the current and third release
is now.
IMPRESSIONS: As close as a port can get, with polygonal-based shading
and lots of things for for fans to see. Fantastic music
and awesome sound effects, although it could have used
more freedom in flight. (Sega Force)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Street Fighter - The Movie (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A revamped version of the classic slugfest with new
graphics and new moves. Inspired by the feature film
starring Jean Claude van Damme as Guile and Raul Julia
as Major Bison.
IMPRESSIONS: Work began on the 32X, but hardware and gameplay
requirements apparenly caused it to be ported over to the
Saturn for future development - a fortuitous move indeed,
in light of what happened to the 32X console.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Street Racer (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Vivid Image/Ubi Soft
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Racing (kart)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A hyped-up version of the Genesis original that would
have been more along the lines of the SNES version.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Afterburner
see AFTERBURNER
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Motocross
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Racing (motorcycle)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A high-end motocross that bears more than a passing
resemblance to a 32X version of Road Rash.
IMPRESSIONS: Despite its many faults, Motocross somehow proves
stubbornly playable. This said, any addictive qualities
are promptly dashed by a lack of diversity among the
courses. All vaunt a similar muddy colour scheme, and
all differ little from the curve/straight/bumpy bit
pattern. It's far from the worst 32X title, but if
you're after racing thrills check out the superior Virtua
Racing. (Games Vault)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Motocross Championship and Motocross 32X
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Space Harrier
see SPACE HARRIER
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Tempo
see TEMPO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
T
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: T-MEK
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Atari/Midway Games
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A futuristic shooter in which you pilot a gargantuan
highly armed hovertank called a MEK into various affrays,
all the while jockeying for a chance to go toe-on-toe
with Nasrac the Eliminator, the undisputed MEK Master.
You can choose from six different MEKs and all kinds of
artillery with which to equip them.
IMPRESSIONS: I found it both boring and unimpressive. Nothing here to
make this game stand out from the pack aside from all
that eye candy. It's little more than a warmed-over
Battlezone, but poor game design leaves it playing worse
than its simplistic yet highly enjoyable ancestor.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tee-Off (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Incredible Technologies
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the hit arcade game Golden Tee Golf.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tempo
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You play Tempo, a groovin' grasshooper who uses his
special "Sound Energy" to save Planet Rhythmia from the
desgins of the evil King Dirge. BGMs feature an eclectic
mix of rock, rap, and funk that reflect Tempo's mood and
lifeforce.
IMPRESSIONS: Aw, now, come on! Do we really need the 32X for this
piece of junk? The only other game I've seen that's
anything like this is The Violinist of Hamlin (SNES), but
at least it's not this silly. Discard and destroy!
VARIATIONS: Super Tempo (Japanese release)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Toughman Contest
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (boxing)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Play as any one of twenty-four different fighters in the
world-famous Toughman Contest, as depicted in the Dennis
Quaid film. A combination of arcade fighting action and
the strategy of professional boxing. Includes head-to-
head, tournament, and championship modes.
IMPRESSIONS: The graphics are a tad nicer and the animation is a lot
smoother than the G/MD original. Other than that, I'd
say there's really no difference. Don't waste your time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
U
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
V
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtua Fighter
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Research Institute
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Sega's in-house effort at a 3D fighting game that would
take players beyond the Street Fighter 2 crowd became a
landmark of the genre. This is the very first polygonal
fighting game ever, and it's still a doozy even now.
IMPRESSIONS: Forget the 2D Genesis version - this is as close to the
Model 1 arcade original as the 32X can get! While it
can't touch the Saturn version, this beats the crap out
of Tekken 2 for the SNES. No, it's not pretty, but does
it ever play so smooth....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtua Hamster (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Maze game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Virtua Hamster - we assume this isn't a cruel joke - pits
players as Chip, the world's fastest skateboarding
hamster. (Game Zero)
IMPRESSIONS: Sega discontinued the console before production could be
completed. You can find the concept artwork and box scan
at the Quakenbush web site.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtua Racing Deluxe
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Research Institute
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (Formula One)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A port of the popular Sega arcade racing game. New to
the 32X port are more tracks and a choice of cars (either
Formula 1 or NASCAR stock).
IMPRESSIONS: A far superior translation than the horrible Genesis
version. While it can't match the Model 1 arcade board,
it does a good enough job that you'll hardly mind at all.
My only grip comes from the control, which tries to
emulate analog by turning slowly at first, then speeding
up the longer you press, and it takes a while to adjust.
Get past this, and you'll have a good time. (Jester, Game
Zero)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtual Golf (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A high-end golfing sim highlighting the Scottish Open,
one of the major European golfing tournaments. It looks
have been comparable to Links386, but it's hard to judge
based on the sole black-and-white screenshot and lonely
box scan that I have of the game.
IMPRESSIONS: Never completed due to the death of the console.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Scottish Open Virtual Golf. This was
apparently the release title of the doomed Atari Jaguar
port.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: VR Troopers (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Announced at the 1996 Winter CES. No other info is
available, but I believe it would have been an enhanced
version of the G/MD game.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the console before it
could be completed. (Craick and Chantal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
W
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Series Baseball 95
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG featuring Deion Sanders as a front end to Sega's
standard major league baseball sim, back from the days
when he was a pro in both football and baseball. Unlike
previous entries, this one allows you to create entire
leagues.
IMPRESSIONS: Disappointing. Slick, and has a few graphics tricks that
the various Genesis incarnations can't match, but it
still falls far short of what the hardware could
accomplish. Compare it with the second Ken Griffey game
for the SNES and you'll see what I mean.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: WWF Arcade (aka WWF Super Wrestlemania)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Midway/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Sports (wrestling)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A near-perfect port of the original arcade game, in
which you get to play various WWF wreslters in a versus-
style wrestling match.
IMPRESSIONS: Okay, so it's almost as good as the arcade. It still
doesn't make me any more of a wrestling fan - but that
crowd will love it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: WWF Raw
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (wrestling)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Retooled version of the Genesis wrestling game, but now
with 32X enhancements. All your favorite WWF superstars
are here - Bret Hart, Lex Luger, Razor Ramon, Diesel,
Doink, and especially the Undertaker. Lots of new moves
and sideshow action exclusive to this version of the
game.
IMPRESSIONS: It's a heckuva lot better than the G/MD release, but I
still didn't care for it. Then again, perhaps that's my
anti-wrestling bias speaking.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: WWF Super Wrestlemania
see WWF ARCADE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
X
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: X-Men - Mojo World (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Marvel Games/Sega
RELEASED: 1996 (planned)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Our favorite mutant superheroes go up against the villian
Spiral and the denizens of Mojo World. Same plot as the
Game Gear game, but completely reworked to take advantage
of the 32X hardware.
IMPRESSIONS: A working beta that looked especially promising was
demonstrated at the 1996 Sega Gamers Day show, according
to JAyton. We know the Game Gear version made it out the
door, but whatever happened to the 32X version?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
Y
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
Z
===
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An evil insectoid clan is attempting to seize power!
Your mission - find and destroy the Insectoid's
Motherbase before they can break through the defensive
net. Take over enemy fighters and use their weapons to
CRUSH the invasion force. Battle through 8 levels of
pulse-pounding polygon action! Take on the enemy forces
alone OR battle a friend in 2 player battle mode! 3D
scaling and rotation keeps you guessing where the next
attack will come from. (TeleGames)
IMPRESSIONS: Clean graphics and decent sound, but rather difficult
gameplay for first-timers. Those who master it say that
it's immensely enjoyable, and those who don't curse its
existence. RIP of Game Zero is one of its ardent fans,
but he recommends you take the time to watch the demo
all the way through first before playing.
VARIATIONS: Parasquad (European release?)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
32X CD-ROM GAMES
-----------------
The following Sega CD titles were also re-released in enhanced 32X versions
intended to promote the 32X. They require both a Sega CD and a 32X adaptor
to play. See the various entries in the Sega CD section for more info on
each title.
Corpse Killer
Farenheit
Loadstar - The Legend of Tully Bodine (unreleased)
Midnight Raiders (unreleased)
Night Trap
Slam City with Scottie Pippen
Supreme Warrior
Super Strike Trilogy (unreleased)
Surgical Strike (unreleased)
Wire Head
SEGA CD/CD-X/MEGA CD
--------------------
On the 1st of December 1991, Sega released a CD-ROM unit called the Mega CD
(Sega CD in the US) to support the dying MegaDrive in Japan. It had
another 68000 CPU, additional RAM, and a new sound chip which made even
more complex games possible. Unfortunately, the price of the hardware was
very high (¥49800, approximately US$500), and the first games (Heavy Nova
and Sol-Feace) definitely weren't worth this much money. Again, Sega made
the mistake to release a new system without a top-selling game. A few
months later, though, with the release of Game Arts' fantastic RPG Lunar,
the sales increased noticeably and other companies began to develop software
for the system.
The device reached the export market at the end of 1992 with a somewhat
improved software line-up (Batman Returns, Sewer Shark etc.) than at its
Japanese release. Still, the system was far too expensive from the start,
and only a few companies announced games for it. Fortunately, the Genesis
itself was a very strong system at that time in the US (mainly because the
SNES was released too late), and so quite a lot of people bought the Sega
CD anyway. This was definitely no mistake, because some of the best RPGs
ever written, namely the two games in the Lunar series, were first released
for this system. Another great Sega CD game is Snatcher by Konami, a very
atmospherical cyberpunk graphic adventure.
There are also three known officially licensed clone consoles of the
Sega CD. All are combination units, incorporating Genesis and Sega CD
hardware inside the same housing. They are the JVC X'Eye (aka the
WonderMega, circa 1993, US$280), the Pioneer LaserActive CLD-A100 (circa
1993, US$1600), and an Aiwa CSD-GM1 portable stereo with MegaDrive and Mega
CD support.
Approximately 3 million Sega CD units were sold world-wide during the years
1991 - 1995, in comparison to 27 million Genesis/MegaDrive units. The
chief clone units, the JVC X'Eye and the Pioneer LaserVision, did not fare
nearly as well. Less than 10,000 X'Eyes were sold in the North American
market, and only a few thousand of Pioneer's budget-busting unit found
their way into American homes. No details are available regarding sales
of the Aiwa unit. I have seen the Pioneer LaserActive with a MegaDrive
module, but I chose to buy a used but still-serviceable JVC X'Eye instead
as my chief Sega 16-bit system. I'm looking for a good, complete copy of
the X'Eye owner's manual, if anybody can help in this regard.
The Sega CD was officially discontinued in 1996, and quickly disappeared in
all markets shortly thereafter. It was a notable failure, but it set the
stage for all CD-based videogame consoles that were to follow in its wake.
If anything, it showed that neither the technology nor the intended user
base were keen on FMV-based titles; the occasional cinema was fine, but the
hardware would have to be capable of a lot more processing power if FMV was
to enter the mainstream. The Sega CD, along with NEC's CD-ROM accessory
for the Turbo Graf/X 16, showed that the public was willing to entertain
the notion of a format change from cartridges to CD-ROM - provided the cost
was lowered and high-quality games were offered that took advantage of the
hardware. If anything, it helped pave the way for the acceptance of CDs
over cartridges as the standard delivery system of choice for home console
videogames during the 1990s. It was a lesson that was not lost on all of
the major players in the home videogame market, with the singular exception
of Nintendo (of course). Once again, Nintendo would be forced to pay the
price for its abysmal arrogance, although it would be Sony and not Sega who
would deliver their second humiliating fall from grace.
FACTOIDS ABOUT THE SEGA CD
--------------------------
- There are two basic versions of the Sega CD - the CD-X standalone unit
and an add-on unit tailored to plug into the rightside expansion slot of
a Genesis/MegaDrive console. The original version of the add-on unit
goes under the console, whereas the retooled version sits beside it. The
Genesis 3 console by Majesco has no expansion slot and is therefore
incompatable with the add-on unit.
- The CD-X, better known as the MultiMega overseas, was the only combo
Genesis/Sega CD unit released by Sega itself. It was aimed at the more
affluent end of the videogame market, and this was no doubt reflected by
its initial US$350 asking price. As a result, it never sold very well
and quietly disappeared a few years later, although used ones are prized
and highly desirable by Sega collectors due to their compact design.
- The JVC X'Eye, aka the WonderMega, was an oversized clone of the CD-X
unit authorized by Sega. This is because JVC made the CD players that
Sega used in its own units. They work very well, and are the closest
thing you will find to an all-in-one Sega 16-bit console outside of the
hard-to-find CD-X. Sorry, but there is no built-in 32X mode as was
intended for the abandoned Sega Neptune and GigaDrive projects. It has
come to my attention that the Japanese version was designed to be used
with karaoke discs, and this feature is also supported by the North
American version in scaled-down form. The X'Eye has become a rather rare
find nowadays, so if you're a G/MD game collector and happen to see one
loose somewhere, grab it!
- There is yet another unit that can handle Sega CD games, and this one
comes from Pioneer. The LaserActive CLD-A100 is a combination laserdisc
and videogame unit that has a plug-in bay at the bottom for various home
console units, while the disc player is employed for those consoles that
support CD games. Both MegaDrive/Mega CD and PC Engine modules were made
for it, and I'm told there were others as well. The unit had its own
unique videogame format called Mega LD (or LD-ROM), which allowed
MegaDrive or PC Engine graphics to be superimposed over streaming video
from the laserdisc player. There were almost two dozen Mega LD games
released, but the system never really took off and was eventually
discontinued. Again, these are quite rare and make excellent 16-bit
combo units, but they come at a rather steep price. They originally sold
for US$1600, but were down to US$300 the last time I checked. That was a
lone unit in my local pawn shop, but it sold before I could go back with
the money to buy it.
- Eidolon's Inn has recently posted a picture of Sega's official karaoke
accessory for its videogame systems. The unit is designed around the
MegaDrive model 1 and Mega CD model 1 combination, sitting to the left of
the combined units.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
#
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 3 Ninjas Kick Back
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Three young boys training as ninjas travel to the Orient
as a favor to their sensei. Based on the feature film of
the same name starring Pat Morita.
IMPRESSIONS: Mediocre arcade game based on a mediocre movie. You
know, Psygnosis normally does better than this. Perhaps
the fact that this is a prerelease beta for a game that
never made it out the door explains why it falls below
the quality that we've come to expect from Psygnosis.
VARIATIONS: Also available as a two-game CD along with Hook.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 3x3 Eyes - Legend of the Divine Demon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This concerns the strange adventures of a young boy and
his mysterious Tibetan companion Pai, who is in actuality
one of the legendary saizaneizu (3-eyed devils). The game
covers the Seima Densetsu story arc that forms the
backbone of volumes 3-5 of the original manga by Yuzo
Takeda.
IMPRESSIONS: A different animal than its SNES counterparts, this put
the stress more on RPG than action. Has lots of FMV
lifted from the anime, detailed graphics, and a nice
atmospherical soundtrack. This is among the best
Japanese RPGs for the platform. (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Sazanaizu Seima Densetsu (original Japanese title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
A
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: A-Rank Thunder
see LORDS OF THUNDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: A/X-101
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Absolute Entertainment
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: At the height of mankind's most glorious cultural and
technological renaissance, the Earth is laid low by
the Gurzons - a warlike and megalomanical alien race.
Our planet's cities are shattered and its population
enslaved. But if just a few Earth Defense Force pilots
can break through to the planet Prism, the Gurzons'
enemies will provide Earth with a miracle weapon that
could save the world! Fight the Gurzon legions on
colorful and detailed 3D battle screens, and view
brilliantly rendered transitional sequences that bring
all the intergalactic action to life. (Uncle John's
Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Advanced Dungeons and Dragons - Eye of the Beholder
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom/TSR
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The first game in TSR's AD&D series to adopt the Dungeon
Master style of first-person multiparty gameplay casts
you as the manager of a party of four brave warriors and
magic wielders who have been called upon to roust a
hidden evil out of a city's underground tunnel system.
IMPRESSIONS: Admirably impersonates the original. That's to say that
you get six races, six classes, nine alignments and
fourty faces from which to select your dungeon-questing
foursome. And, there's no scaling or baddie animation to
speak of, making this one of the most visually-barren
RPGs ever. It is rare amongst console RPGs for its
slavish adherence to the genre's stinking roots.
Experience tables, spell-memorising, ability score
modifiers - all are here in their brown pomp, along with
a laughably misplaced rave soundtrack. Why, they've even
resisted the temptation to replace the click-on-sword-
icon with a slightly more, ah, "fulfilling" combat
method. Is it me, or is the whole thing just very lazy?
(Games Vault)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Adventures of Batman and Robin
see BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE ADVENTURES OF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: After Armageddon
see LAST ARMAGEDDON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Afterburner 3
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: You're strapped into the Navy's fiercest jet fighter -
the F-14 Tomcat. Kick in the afterburner to outrun
deadly cannon fire `hot on your six,' then pull up
hard, lock, and launch! Roll 360 degrees to blow away
desert tank patrols, radio towers, and missile sites.
Shoot for high score, best time or most kills.
Original CD quality tunes and sound effects to rock
and rattle your cockpit. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: Despite the graphics frippery, it's still the same ol'
game with the same ol' problems. Looks great, sounds
great, plays lousy. More faithful to the arcade original
than the Genesis version.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: AH-3 Thunderstrike
see THUNDERSTRIKE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Air Shock
see ALSHARK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Aisle Lord
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: An early RPG for the Sega CD, that doesn't offer much in
terms of graphics of sound; however, this game features
the first-ever full-motion-video combined with anime
characters. I can't say anything more since I am stuck
quite early in the game due to the language barrier.
The first cut-scenes are nice to look at, though.
(Eidolon)
IMPRESSIONS: Neat graphics ang gameplay, a decent story, and beautiful
sound - especially the symphonic CD tracks. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Akira (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: T*HQ
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A gang of street bikers are by the strangest of chances
involved in a power struggle between some idealistic
terrorists and a secret government organization dedicated
to unleashing mankind's hidden psychic powers. Based on
the Katsuhiro Otomo manga series
IMPRESSIONS: Work was apparently abandoned before the game was
complete. Rumors say that the graphics design and some
cinemas would have been lifted directly from the
phenomenal anime feature film. A version without the FMV
sequences was considered as a standalone release for the
Genesis, but nothing came of the idea. This may be
somehow released to the version that was also released
for the Amiga CD32 videogame console by International
Computer Entertainment (ICE).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: AlShark
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Popcorn Soft/Victor (JVC)
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: An animesque space shooter ported from the PC Engine
CD/NEC Turbo Duo game
IMPRESSIONS: The box art kinda reminds me of Vapor Trail, and that's
all I have to go on for now.
VARIATIONS: Sometimes listed as Air Shock, which is the way it would
sound if someone of Asian extraction were saying it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Android Assault - The Revenge of Bari-Arm
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Human/Working Designs
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Launched by the alien planet Zias, an army of androids
has crushed the Earth's conventional space fleet. The
United Nations has no choice but to counter with its own
living, fighting machine - Bari-Arm. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This is a great shooter, closely comparable to the
Thunder Force series. I especially like the hard rock
CD soundtrack, which makes this game special. It is
rather short, though, as there are only seven stages.
(Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Bari Arm (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Animals, The San Diego Zoo Presents
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Arnowitz Studios
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Breakthrough video and sound technology lets you see and
hear over 200 exotic birds, animals, and reptiles in over
60 minutes of video clips. It also brings you the most
complete and up-to-date information about our animal
neighbors from experts at the world-renowed San Diego
Zoo. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Annet Again
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: Platform/fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: The sequel to the MegaDrive release El Viento. (Tim
Walker)
IMPRESSIONS: The baddest girl in fighting - powered by Sega CD
graphics and sound with japanese animation. Is there a
better combo? Sure - how about her knee to the groin
special? (KayleighBug)
VARIATIONS: Annet Fututabi (Japanese original)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Apache
see FLYING NIGHTMARES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Arcus 1-2-3
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A sequel of sorts to the MegaDrive release Arcus Odyssey,
this apparently contains all three games in the Arcus
storyline.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Asuka 120% - Burning Festival (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Fill-In Cafe
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: The setting is an all-girl's high school. You have your
pick of 11 different girls with which to fight, versus
style. Each girl represents a different part of the
school cirriculum. The 120% in the title refers to
overpowered special attacks that each fighter can use.
IMPRESSIONS: Reminds me a lot of Super Virgin Girls for the SNES.
Great graphics, great gameplay. My comments are based on
the Sega Saturn version, for reasons noted below.
VARIATIONS: This would have probably been a port or adaption of the
PC Engine game. It appears that work was started and
then quickly ported over to the Sega Saturn, where the
game was eventually released. Rumors abound that a Mega
CD version was in fact released in Japan, but I have been
unable to confirm this.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
B
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bari Arm
see ANDROID ASSAULT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Batman and Robin, The Adventures of
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami/Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action/racing
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Dark Knight is back to battle the most notorious
criminals in Gotham City, from the deadly beauty
Poison Ivy to the ultimate trickster, The Joker.
Cruise for criminals in the Batmobile, or take to the
skies with the Batwing in this exclusive Sega
thriller! (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: A unique variation produced for the Sega CD, this
incorporates FMV sequences from the Warner animated
series and several driving sequences in both the Batwing
and Batmobile. It takes Batman Returns and does it one
better. Highly recommended.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Batman Returns
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Combination platform and driving game in the same vein
as Technocop.
IMPRESSIONS: This has some of the smoothest 3D scaling you will ever
see in a 16-bit game. The music is better than the
movie itself, and manages to make the not-so-good
platform levels bearable. Control is mint throughout.
A must-have for Sega CD owners. (Sega Force)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Corps
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design/Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994?
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Get this - take control in this high-tech, tactical
blastfest that keeps on blasting. Keep those plasma
cannons charged, or you'll never make it trough the
multitude of 3D terrains to you final showdown with the
cyber-psychotic boss on the terrifying 13th mission! (box
promo)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Fantasy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Micronet
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Sword-wielding elvish maiden in skimpy outfit fights the
forces of evil in an never ending battle ... aw, haven't
we seen this plot several hundred times already?
IMPRESSIONS: I only have the box and disc scans to go by for now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battle Frenzy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Domark/Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: December 2049 - an alien armada assaults the Sol System.
Using data gathered from a captured alien cruiser, you
mission is to board the enemy's main battle cruiser and
disable all sixteen of its main plasma nodes. To prepare
you for the fight ahead, the Battle Frenzy chip (code
name Bloodshot) is implanted into your neural net, which
will turn you into the ultimate killing machine.
IMPRESSIONS: This WAS released for the Mega CD, but not many people
seem to have it - that is, nobody who's willing to fess
up and give me a review. I suspect the only major change
over the G/MD version was adding a CD soundtrack.
VARIATIONS: Bloodshot (European release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Battletech - Grey Death Legion (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Extreme/Absolute
RELEASED: 1996?
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Based on the mini-RPG by FASA concerning the exploits
of the Grey Death Legion, one of the more notorious
mercenary mecha units in the Battletech universe.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: BC Racers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design/Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (motorock)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Millionaire playboy caveman Millstone Rockerfella
arranges a wild n' wacky BC bike race, the winner of
which receives the ultimate boulderdash bike. Cool n'
Crazy Cliff Ace has had his sunglasses set on a
boulderdash bike since he was knee-high to a baby
diplodocus, so he signs up for the race - taking his
cave-babe Roxy along for the ride! BC Racers features
dino-powered dirtbike that speeds and smashes through
32 howling heats in a madcap, three-dimensional cartoon
race against a hard rock host of rocky racers! Play
single player or two-player cooperative action. (Uncle
John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: Take the screwball humor of Chuck Rock, combine it with
Super Mario Cart, and you have a neat little racing game
that's as funny as it is challenging. A must-have for
Sega CD owners.
VARIATIONS: There are two different demos available in Mega CD
format, each with different playable tracks. The race
in each lasts for three laps. Each demo can be
identified by the unique silkscreened artwork on each CD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bill Walsh College Football
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: No time left...your wishbone quarterback dives in from
the two but you're still down by one...gut check...kick
for the tie? Or GO FOR TWO and the national title. 48
teams - top 24 of 1992, and top 24 since 1978. All-new
features for Sega CD include Walsh video insight, 3D
sound effects, and enhanced graphics throughout.
IMPRESSIONS: Why? Was this port really necessary? It's the same game
as the G/MD release but with an extra layer or two
overlaid on top that (save for the FMV) don't really take
advantage of the hardware.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Black Hole Assault
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bignet USA/Anaction
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: How many out there have played Heavy Nova? If you
have, you know the concept behind Black Hole Assault.
(Ferrari Man, Game Zero)
IMPRESSIONS: It has better execution than Heavy Nova, and the better
response gave a good feel to the characters. The fight
speed meter was a nice touch. Unfortunately, 20 minutes
after picking up the controller, I solved the game on the
most difficult mode! Come on, Sega CD programmers, while
you boast extra memory with the CD-ROM, all your games
have been pathetically short. The two-player mode
somewhat revives this title's longevity, but I want more!
(Ferrari Man, Game Zero)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bouncers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: I would guess, from the title, that it would have been
about barroom brawling. This is one of several
unverified titles from Eidolon's Sega CD listing. More
info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Brain Dead 13 (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Readysoft/Empire
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action/adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An animated interactive cartoon in the same vein as
Dragon's Lair. Was to have been ported from the original
3DO release.
IMPRESSIONS: A Dragon's Lair-style game with poor animation and awful
response detection. Not worth a rental. (Rage Games)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Bram Stoker's Dracula
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This sucks you into a terrifying world of evil, and
there's only one way to survive - kill the Prince of
Darkness - but it won't be easy! From deep in the cold,
dark dungeons of Castle Dracula to the brutal
Transylvanian countryside, you'll be in a fight for your
life.... Incredibly realistic 3D graphics, digitized
footage from the actual movie, CD sound, and characters
based on real actors, [you can] turn this game into the
ultimate interactive horror movie for the Sega CD. (box
promo)
IMPRESSIONS: I had almost given up hope on seeing a good Sega CD
game, but with this third generation of titles, my
opinion of the machine is rising. To put it plainly,
this game rocks. I personally think this is the best
example of what can be done on the Sega CD. Great game
control, graphics that are unbelievable (yes, those
backgrounds are computer rendered, but the graininess
of the screen actually makes them look real), and music
that sticks in your head and follows you around after
you turn off the machine. A must have for any serious
CD gamer. (R.I.P., Game Zero)
VARIATIONS: Also available as a two-game CD along with Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Brutal - Paws of Fury
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gametek
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Around the world, invitations were delivered. Under the
watchful eye of the great master Dali Llama, the world's
greatest martial artists would return to a place they
knew well - Brutal Island. Each will use their own
unique mental and physical martial arts style and
training in a tournament to prove the world's one true
champion. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This is a brilliantly rendered game of humorous cartoon
style combat, combined with depth, philosophy, and an
attention to detail not found in many fighting games.
It features 12 fully animated characters, action replay,
loads of special moves, a unique learning system, and
extra moves available to higher belts. (Uncle John's
Attic)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Burai
AUTHOR/VENDOR: NCS
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A highly regarded RPG ported from the PC Engine library.
There was an MSX sequel. Not to be confused with Burai
Fighter for the NES.
IMPRESSIONS: This IS the same game (well, sort of) as the SNES Burai.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Burning Fist
see ASUKA 120% - BURNING FEST
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
C
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: C & C Music Factory - Make My Video
see the MAKE MY VIDEO series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cadillacs and Dinosaurs - The Second Cataclysm
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rocket Science
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It's the Xenozoic Age - 600 years in the future. You
must make a treacherous journey through a jungle of
menacing dinosaurs, traps, and obstacles that pits you
and your refitted '53 Caddy against poachers and
predators. A spin-off from the excellent but short-lived
CBS animated series, based on the popular comic book
series Xenozoic Tales.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cannon Fodder
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Panel Comp/Sensible Software/Virgin Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Okay, men, here's the situation. We're going to go to
war, but we need dolts who are willing to fight. That's
right - you're the lucky volunteers. Now go out there,
train your squad up to snuff, and blow away anything
that isn't us. Got it? Good - so get your ass in gear
and go! Move it! Move-it-move-it-move-it-go-go-go!
IMPRESSIONS: A hilariously funny military shooter that had me in
stitches the first time I played it. An almost faithful
port of the original from the almighty Amiga, except for
the sound. I personally prefer this to General Chaos,
although there are others who would argue the other way
around. There is still some debate over whether or not
this was actually released for the Mega CD; my tentative
research indicates that it was, but more info would be
welcome.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Captain Tsubasa
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Tsuchida Pro/Tecmo
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Young Tsubasa Ozoru has a simple yet challenging dream -
to become the greatest soccer player that ever lived.
Based on the long-running manga/anime series created in
1982 by Yoichi Takahashi.
IMPRESSIONS: Combine anime-style karate moves and blitz screens along
with a Slam Dunk style gameplay and you wind up with a
soccer sim that can't be beat. (Ross Levine, SNES
Cauldron)
VARIATIONS: This may be derived from the original MegaDrive game,
whose existence has yet to be confirmed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Championship Soccer 94
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renegade/Sensible Software/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: The successor to Sensible Soccer on the G/MD.
IMPRESSIONS: Superior in almost every aspect to its predecessor,
according to those who have played it.
VARIATIONS: The SNES version is called Sensible Soccer 94.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Chuck Rock series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core/Virgin
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Unga-bunga! It's a jungle out there, and our good friend
Chuck Rock has more than his share of daily troubles. A
prehistoric platformer from the vaults of the people who
went on to create Tomb Raider (Laura Croft - rrowrrr!),
and yet another title ported from the software library of
the almighty Amiga computer.
IMPRESSIONS: The only change they made for the Sega CD release was
the addition of a CD soundtrack. Boo! (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Chuck Rock (1992)
Chuck Rock 2 - Son of Chuck (1993, Chuck's bad-ass son
gets into the act - even funnier than the original)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Citizen X (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Digital Pictures
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Apparently an interactive movie inspired by the true-life
story of a Russian serial killer. More info would be
appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: Eidolon recently received a copy of the beta version of
this game. Judging from it, he says, "I guess we were
LUCKY that it was never released. Gameplay is comparable
to, say, Terminator on the Master System (which was not
one of its best games)."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cliffhanger
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A bunch of hijackers have lost their goods in the
mountains, so they shanghai a couple of professional
mountain climbers into helping them retrive the stuff.
Based on the live-action movie starring Sylvester
Stallone.
IMPRESSIONS: Ughhh.... Can anyone justify the existence of this
title? I didn't think so. Why is it that every time
Sony Imagesoft develops a game engine, they have to
release every game that year on it? (see Bram Stoker's
Dracula and Batman Returns) The cinemas in this game
were some of the grainiest I've seen on the platform,
and the gameplay reminded me of the tunnel levels on
It Came from the Desert on the TG-16 - and that's not
a complement. The only levels worth playing are the
snowboarding ones, and even they get old after awhile.
Geez, for once a product that doesn't suck specifically
because it has Stallone in it - it just sucks in general!
(R.I.P., Game Zero)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Clue (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Scultured Software/Parker Brothers
RELEASED: 1994?
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Everybody needs a Boddy sometime (sorry, couldn't resist
that, folks). The only problem is that Mr. Boddy is
quite dead, and his body has been dumped in the hallway
of his home. As one of his overnight guests, it's up to
you and the others to determine who did it, where, and
with what. Based on the classic board game by Waddington
and distributed by Parker Brothers.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparenly the Genesis original sold so poorly that the
game was never ported. Serves it right, too.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cobra Command
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Blast into explosive chopper combat straight from the
arcade hit! Your Air Cobra's heat-seeking missiles and
heavy-caliber machine guns are your only weapons in
your last ditch assault against a murderous military
menace! (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: This was the first of many FMV titles released for the
platform. Compared to today's standards, the graphics
are far outdated; however, it's a lot of fun blasting
over the Easter Islands. (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Thunder Storm FX (alternate title). This was later
re-released on a two-game disc with Sol-Feace.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Colors of Modern Rock
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Digital Pictures
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Music video
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This was a promo-only CD containing six music videos
produced in conjunction with Warner Custom Music. You
can play the videos as in a normal VCR tape. The screen
is approximately 1/3 size, combination of color and
black-and-white. It allows for play, stop, search, skip,
freeze, and storage of 9 frames based on available
backup RAM space. (adapted from the Sega CD FAQ by Games
Domain)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The first truly successful CD-based encyclopedia, ported
from the personal computer version. Includes over
54,000 articles and 5,000 pictures from the 26 volume
print edition of CIE, plus 50 full-motion videos to
enhance the learning experience.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Corpse Killer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Digital Pictures
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You're stranded on an uncharted island of death, dying
of voodoo poison. A mad genius is on your trail,
hundreds of undead are coming to chew your guts - and all
your buddies have been turned into vicious cannibal
commandos. Things could be worse - it could be a
cartoon! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Its okay, but parts of it really bite. Works better if
you have a Menacer handy, but it still bites.
VARIATIONS: There was a 32X version produced, but apparently it saw
only limited release.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cosmic Fantasy Stories
AUTHOR/VENDOR: RIOT/Nihon Telenet/Working Designs
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A compilation of the first two Cosmic Fantasy adventures.
The games revolve around two male and two female warriors
who maintain the peace in the Donakiri galaxy via their
special training.
IMPRESSIONS: Soap-opera RPG, anyone? Pure fluff, but it works. The
game appears to have been so successful that an anime
series was created from it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Crime Patrol series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: American Laser Games
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This multi-level live action thriller challenges the
player to progress through the police ranks, battling
a variety of criminal elements. As a rookie, you will
take on gang members, armed robbers, and other street
criminals. A promotion to detective will mean working
undercover against drug dealers and car theif rings.
Be prepared to confront bank robbers and terrorists
once you're selected for SWAT team assignment. Only
the better player will be able to reach Delta Force
and tangle with the criminal element. (Uncle John's
Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: This latest title in a series of first-person dizitized
video shooters is, surprisingly, pretty darn fun. The
stunt production quality compares with TV stunt-work,
from cars crashing and vaulting in the air, through guys
falling out of multi-level garages structures, to an
assailant crashing back into a high-voltage fence and
dancing to the 'lectric chicken. Now if only they'd
upgrade that tacky little clip art that serves as the
targeting reticlule.... (Computer Gaming World)
VARIATIONS: Crime Patrol (1995)
Crime Patrol 2 - Drug Wars (unreleased) (1996)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cyberwar
see the LAWNMOWER MAN series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Cyborg 009
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nihon Telenet
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Pick three of any nine cyborgs and switch among them as
you battle the forces of evil. Based on the classic
anime series of the same name created by Osamu Tezuka.
IMPRESSIONS: All of my sources agree that this game sucks big-time
regardless of the platform. What's that, Eidolon? It
TOTALLY SUCKED? That's what Steve Pearl's contacts said,
too (author, Anime Games Database). Okay, I'll be sure
to tell 'em. Folks, this game TOTALLY SUCKS, so don't
waste your yen unless you're a fan of the anime.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
D
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dai Bing
see SUPREME WARRIOR
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dai Fushinden
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This is one of several unverified titles from Eidolon's
Sega CD listing. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dark Seed (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin Interactive
RELEASED: 1992?
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the talked-about Amiga game featuring the artwork
of concept artist H.R. Gieger (Alien). It concerns a
nightmarish encounter one Mike Dawson has with a sinister
group of beings known as the Ancients.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dark Wizard
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: These are epic times for the people of Cheshire. The
kingdom of Quentin is the last stronghold in all of
Cheshire against the forces of darkness, but Quentin's
last king has been killed in battle. Cheshire needs a
successor to come forward and lead the warriors of light
in battle, and eventually against the Dark Wizard
himself. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: A quite confusing strategy game if you don't happen to
have the game manual. Still, the nice anime-like story
makes up for most drawbacks in the game - e.g. the
awfully slow loading time. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Death Bringer - The Knight of Darkness
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Riot/Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Not to be confused with the Amiga game....
IMPRESSIONS: Uses the same game engine as Aisle Lord, and doomed to be
thrown in the same trash can. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Demolition Man
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are a recently thawed-out 20th century cop who had
a reputation for being just a little trigger happy. In
a future that knows no crime, you have been revived to
deal with a violent criminal from your own time who was
revived by mistake and is running rampant. Based on the
live-action movie of the same name starring Sly Stallone
and Wesley Snipes.
IMPRESSIONS: Decent arcade take on the better-than-expected film.
Smacks strongly of The Chaos Engine or Alien Syndrome
and just as fun, although a two-player option would have
been nice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Detonator Orgun
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hot-B
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Based on the anime OAV about a young EDF worker who finds
a suit of power armor on the Moon that is somehow
connected to an impending alien attack on the Earth.
IMPRESSIONS: Basically, this is a straightforward anime story with
nice hand-drawn graphics combined with a simple adventure
game engine. Becomes boring once you've finished it,
since it doesn't have the same dramatic atmosphere as
Snatcher. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dennin Aleste
see ROBO ALESTE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Devastator
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nihon Telnet/Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1994?
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This was released for the Mega CD, but I can't find
anything on it other than inventory listings on Japanese
software sites. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: An R-Type clone in which you fly mecha instead of
spacecraft. Really nice graphics, and the music is
great! Overall, a good shooter for shooter fans.
(Advanced Imports)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Doraemon vs. the Dream Thief and the Seven Gozansu
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Fujiko/Shogakukan/TV Asahi
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Sega CD port of the MegaDrive game, based on the popular
Japanese animated series about the misadventures of a
cute blue cat and his owner.
IMPRESSIONS: It's exactly the same as the MegaDrive version. (Steve
Pearl)
VARIATIONS: The original Japanese title is Doraemon Yume Dorabouto 7
Nin no Gozansu
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Double Switch
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Digital Pictures
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An interactive movie featuring performances by Deborah
Harry (Rock and Rule) and Corey Haim (Stand By Me). In
the diabolically complicated plot, the player must
outsmart his competitors in a search for an ancient
Egyptian treasure hidden somewhere within the mansion of
a dead Egyptologist.
IMPRESSIONS: Yawn. I'm not about to waste any real money on this one.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dracula Unleashed
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Ten years after the events depicted in the original Bram
Stoker novel, the rich American Alexander Morris has come
to England in order to learn the truth behind his
brother's mysterious death. At the same time, across
Europe, a strange ceremony is invoked whereby Count
Dracula is brought back to life. Can you stop the Count
before time runs out for Alexander and his fiance
Anisette? A Sega TruVideo interactive movie with
spine-tingling Gothic suspense and mystery. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: Combines the quality of a Hollywood movie, a challenging
mystery to solve, and a new twist on the Dracula legend.
(Sega Online)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dragon's Lair series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Readysoft
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Meet our dashing young hero, Dirk the Daring, who is on
a quest across a madcap medievial montage to save his
beloved Princess Stephanie from the clutches of Singe the
Dragon. The first full-motion-video laserdisc game and a
big hit in the arcades at the time, thanks to the talents
of former Disney animator Don Bluth - this was his first
major job after leaving Disney.
IMPRESSIONS: As graphically rich and frustratingly limited in control
as the arcade game. Then again, most folks who play this
game are trying to run the movie from beginning to end
without dying and don't care that the game runs on rails.
VARIATIONS: Dragon's Lair
Dragon's Lair 2 - Time Warp (unreleased?)
In addition, a one-level playable demo was released
either at the 1993 Summer CES or the E3 show during the
same year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dune
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English, French, and Japanese
PREMISE: Far across the universe, past the edge of things known
and outcomes expected, at the intersection of both inner
and outer space lies the planet Arrakis - also known as
Dune. Traverse a world of sand and spice, of space
travel by extended consciousness and land travel on the
backs of giant sandworms. Engage in palace intrigue and
combat between vast armies massed for battle. Watch as a
young warrior prince, the one whose coming was prophesied
thousands of years ago, arises from the sand to take on
the universe. Based on the hit sci-fi movie featuring an
international cast composed of the likes of Jose Ferrer
(Cyrano de Bergerac), Jurgen Pronchow (Das Boot), Jack
Nance (Eraserhead), Francesca Annis (Macbeth), Linda Hunt
(The Year of Living Dangerously), and topped off by the
young Irish actor Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks) in his
first starring role. Produced by acclaimed director
David Lynch and based on the phenomenal science fiction
novel by Frank Herbert.
IMPRESSIONS: A port of the Amiga original enhanced by the use of FMV
clips and digitized graphics from the David Lynch film.
The flying sequences and digitized landscapes are 3D
texture mapped, and the actor/voice synchronization is
excellent. (Uncle John's Attic)
VARIATIONS: The sequel, Dune 2 - The Building of a Dynasty, is
available in cart form for the G/MD; see the appropriate
entry in the Genesis section for more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dungeon Explorer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hudson Soft
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This game plays very much like the old Atari classic
Gauntlet. You and your friends have to negotiate hordes
of enemies while seeking a way down to the next dungeon.
(Sega Force)
IMPRESSIONS: A great multiplayer game. The rock music and top-notch
sound effects do the genre justice. The only thing this
game needs is a 32X upgrade. (Sega Force)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dungeon Master 2 - Skull Keep
AUTHOR/VENDOR: FTL Games/JVC
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Shades of the past come back to life as you enter the
dungeons of Zo Keep to recover the lost pieces of the Zo
Link - a legendary artifact of the TechMages used to
explore alternate dimensions. Port of the sequel to the
popular Amiga/Atari ST dungeon crawler, and one of the
few games to support the Sega Mouse.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: The original, Dungeon Master, was apparently not released
for the platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Dynamic Country Golf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is one of several unverified titles from Eidolon's
Sega CD listing. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
E
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Earnest Evans
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An Indiana Jones inspired side scroller about a daring
adventurer looking for fame and treasure amid the ruins
of a lost city deep in the South American jungles.
IMPRESSIONS: Ummm, don't bother playing this game - it simply sucks.
Just use the cheats to skip each level and watch the
neat anime sequences. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Earthworm Jim - Special Edition
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Shiny/Playmates
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Updated version of the classic screwball shooter about
a muscle-bound earthworm....
IMPRESSIONS: This edition contains all the great playability of the
original and adds slightly better graphics, with an extra
stage and remixed soundtrack to go with it. (Matthew
Langan, Sega Zone)
VARIATIONS: Both predecessors are available for the Genesis; see the
Genesis section for more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ecco the Dolphin series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Novotrade
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A series of platform games concerning a talented dolphin
and the underwater habitat that he strives to protect
from various and sundry threats.
IMPRESSIONS: Smooth speed - that's the easiest way to look at this
game. It is very fast, just like the cart, but plays
smoother. It has the ability to just flow, and the many
levels will keep you busy for a long time....an excellent
Sega CD game. (Ferrari Man, Game Zero)
VARIATIONS: Ecco the Dolphin (1993, Ecco is separated from his family
by a freak storm and spends the next 20 or so levels
trying to save them and the rest of his fellow dolphins
from harm - features an enhanced CD soundtrack)
Ecco 2 - The Tides of Time (1994, almost identical to the
G/MD original with the exception of the sound and five
3D levels to negotiate)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Egawa Sugoru no Super League CD
see SUPER LEAGUE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Elroy Goes Bugzerk (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Headbone Interactive/Broderbund
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Elroy and his dog Blue pound the pavement in search of
an awesome cyber-bug (technoloptera) to defeat mega-jerk
Gordon Smugs in the 10th Annual Big City Insectathon.
IMPRESSIONS: Intended for a juvenile audience. Has lots of comedy
and some interesting minigames (firing a slingshot,
baking a cake, etc.) as well. Also teaches kids a lot
about the insect world. Funny, fun, and informative.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: ESPN Sports series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (various)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Various YACEG sporting sims featuring appearances by
noted ESPN sportscasters, who provide limited color
commentary.
IMPRESSIONS: A mixed lot, really, so you'll have to judge them for
yourself. To be brutally honest, though, I didn't waste
any sleep over them.
VARIATIONS: ESPN Baseball Tonight (a surprisingly good baseball sim
with neat graphics and solid gameplay)
ESPN NBA Hangtime 95 (a halfway decent basketball sim
that smacks strongly of the Dick Vitale G/MD game - not
to be confused with Midway's NBA Hang Time, which is a
souped-up NBA Jam)
ESPN National Hockey Night (the number two all-time
hockey sim for the Genesis, in my opinion - right
behind EA's NHL series and a far cry above Brett Hull)
ESPN Sunday Night Football (an average pro American
football sim at best with lousy sound and graphics that
appear to have been designed with the SNES in mind)
ESPN Speedworld does not appear to have been released
for the platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Eternal Champions - Challenge from the Dark Side
AUTHOR/VENDOR: DeepWater
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Eternal Champion is striving to restore the balance
between good and evil in our universe. In order to do
so, he must choose only one deceased warrior of great
skill and talent whom he will revive and bestow with
great powers to regain that balance. Should the warrior
prove successful, then a second chance at life will be
given. "Only one may live so that balance may again be
achieved. Let the contest begin...."
IMPRESSIONS: An updated version of the original Genesis hit, this
features: an awesome intro and excellent graphics
throughout, nice game control, excellent music, great
sound effect, 22 character fighter roster with some
hidden, individualized backgrounds, and multiple modes
of play. An awesome 16-bit fighting game. (Sega Force)
VARIATIONS: The game's predecessor is available for the Genesis; see
the Genesis section for more info. The Sega CD version
is the only Sega CD game that generates 256 simulataeous
colors on-screen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Exterminators
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1996?
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A rather obscure title that had the same premise as the
movie Ghostbusters, but dealing with insects instead of
protoplasm. Principal photography by Stargate Films
(Ground Zero Texas).
IMPRESSIONS: This apparently was released near the end of the
console's lifespan, so it came and went. More info would
be appreciated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Eye of the Beholder
see DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS - EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
F
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: F1 Circus MD
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nihon Bussan/Nichibutsu
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Racing (Formula One)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Top-down professional level Formula One sim with a decent
array of options. Ported from the MegaDrive cart
IMPRESSIONS: I wonder whether or not this is being confused with F1
Heavenly Symphony... ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: F1 Heavenly Symphony
see FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Faeria
see FHEY AREA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Farenheit
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Lead the firefighters from Company 13 as you rescue
people trapped inside burning buildings. Three different
buildings to test your skill - a burning house, a blazing
112-room hotel, and a booby-trapped university. It just
might have been inspired by the film Backdraft, produced
by Ron Howard and starring Kurt Russell in one of the
few roles that proves the boy has some acting talent.
IMPRESSIONS: Has the same feel as the SNES game The Fireman, although
the FMV graphics are clearly superior. I miss the SNES
game engine's flexibility, though - there's only so much
you can do in an FMV title crippled by slow load times.
VARIATIONS: The only references I've seen to this are for the 32X
version. I have been told by more than one source that
this was also released in a straight version, but I do
not as yet have convincing proof of same.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fatal Fury Special
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SNK/Takara/JVC
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Packing the same brand of unrestricted one-on-one fight
action that left you scabbed and broken in the arcade,
this tosses you on the street with 15 of the world's
greatest fighters - including every boss to rock a Fatal
Fury screen. And, if these guys don't knock you
senseless, more colors and larger animation surely will.
We've even brought back the lightning-fast game speed -
and the well-rested "Geese" Howard. So if it's mercy
you're looking for - go back to cartridge games (box
promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Seems better than the SNES versions to me - but what do
I know?
VARIATIONS: The original Japanese title is Garou Densetsu. There is
also a playable demo for the Mega CD floating around that
is notable for the full-color rendition of Mai, the
female fighter from the game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Fhey Area
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A way cool Japanese RPG. (KayleighBug)
IMPRESSIONS: This is definitely worth playing! Has a great symphonic
soundtrack, along with excellent anime sequences and
overall good gameplay. (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Apparently an English port was planned at one time that
would have been released under the title Faeria. No
other information on that project is available at this
time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: FIFA International Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Extended Play/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage?
PREMISE: EA Sports took the best soccer sim ever, enhanced it, and
added video clips and CD sound. The results? From the
tribal chants of the international fans to the TV-quality
CD opening, FIFA Soccer delivers a new level in sports
gaming experience. Enhancements include new secret game
modes and FMV video clips. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: The other games in the series were not retooled for the
Sega CD. The European version is often referred to as
the Championship Edition.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Final Fight CD
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Capcom
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: When the Mad Gear gang is around, you know that laws are
being broken. Enter the good guys - Haggar, Cody, and
Guy - with their killer roundhouse kicks, back fists,
uppercuts, and body slams - all raging to the coolest CD
quality tunes. When the going gets tough, grab the
nearest blade weapon and take a slice out of crime!
(Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: I'm surprised that this popular platform fighter didn't
put in an appearance as a regular Genesis cart. The game
isn't all that different from the SNES version - well,
okay, so the graphics and animation are somewhat
improved. It's still the same ol' arcade port, but with
a new CD soundtrack instead. Not worth the price of
admission.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Final Fight Guy (SNES version). The
other games in the series do not appear to have been
ported to the platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Firehawk
see THUNDERSTRIKE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Flashback - The Quest for Identity
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Delphine Software
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You're trapped on a distant planet inhabited by aliens
plotting to overtake the Earth. The only problem is
that you don't even know who you are! To stop the alien
attack, you must discover your true identity and fight
your way back through the galaxy to warn Earth! New
animated 3D cinematics and characters with live speech
reveal your history and true identity. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: This game was cool to begin with, but the all-new
intermission cinemas and cool CD music only make it
better. A must, even if you already have the cart.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Flying Nightmares (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Domark
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Flight simulator (military)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Based on the elite harrier jump jet squadron in Yuma,
Arizona, Flying Nightmares by Domark is the first flight
simulator to combine a full-featured flight model within a
complete war game. As commander of the U.S. Marine assault
on East Timor - an island just off the coast of Indonesia -
you must fly AV-8B Harrier strikes against targets in
support of the ground forces you control. Flying
Nightmares runs four aircraft simultaneously while updating
the war game in real time. Flying Nightmares features an
award-winning flight model with fast and fluid texture-
mapped graphics. (from a 3DO promo brochure)
IMPRESSIONS: Oh please! One of the best flight sims available?
Swallow our fists, Domark! Flat landscapes, the odd
building here and there, clumsy controls.... Pilot Wings
did it far better than this on the SNES four years ago.
Proper simulators cannot really manage with a console
joypad - but that's okay, because this one doesn't even
try. (Games Vault)
VARIATIONS: This would have been a port of the 3D0 original. With
impressions like this and from many others, no wonder the
port was canned. It also appears that a 32X enhanced
CD may have been briefly flirted with for a time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Formula One World Championship - Beyond the Limit
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Sports
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Racing (Formula One)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The most realistic ride of your life! Jump into the
driver's seat and floor it for the ultimate game rush!
Race against all the real pro drivers and actual teams
...exclusive full-motion digital video clips from Fuji TV
show you the real action.... Listen to real voice
instructions from your pit crew to help plot your
strategy to help take the checkered flag! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: While I admit that the cinemas in this are probably the
best on the platform, hands down, that's where the
quality ends. As a driving game, this title sucks in
both graphics and gameplay...avoid this unless you are
a desperate F1 fan - and I mean desperate. (R.I.P., Game
Zero)
VARIATIONS: Heavenly Symphony: F1 World Championship Racing (Japanese
release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Frankenstein
see MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Funky Horror Band
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: The very first RPG for the Sega CD, this was based on a
popular Japanese manga series. (Eidolon)
IMPRESSIONS: Worth the US$5 for a good laugh. (Tim Walker)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
G
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Galaxy Express 999 (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nihon Telnet
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: In the distant future, mankind is slowly losing its
identity as cybernetic implants become the rage. A lone
orphan boy, the son of a long-lost space pirate whose
mother was killed for her beautiful body, joins forces
with the lovely and mysterious galactic traveler Maetel
as they ride the legendary Galaxy Express to its ultimate
destination - the Andromadea Galaxy, which is the source
of the mechanizing evil that they are sworn to destroy.
Based on the phenomenal anime/manga series by Leiji
Matsumoto (The Cockpit, Captain Harlock, Star Blazers)
IMPRESSIONS: Very little information is available on this conversion
of the Japanese arcade game. The best information that I
can get (from Steve Pearl's anime games FAQ) is that it
was already under development in 1995, which implies the
existence of alpha or even beta copies out there. Like
the arcade laserdisc games of the time, it made heavy
use of FMV, in this case pulled directly from the anime.
Any additional information would be GREATLY appreciated,
as the editor is a seriously addicted Harlock fan....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Gambler Jiko-Cyusinha 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Gemurashi/Yieroukoun
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: Gambling (tile game)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Sequel to the G/MD game; part of a popular series of
tile games in Japan featuring a downright weird cast of
characters who are mahjong addicts.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Previously documented in past G3 releases as Grambler 2,
which appears to have been due to a translation error.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Game Garden
see the WONDERMEGA COLLECTION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Game no Can series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A series of game compilations produced for use with the
Mega CD.
IMPRESSIONS: Most of the games are pretty average, but the real jewel
here are the existence of several text adventures set in
the Phantasy Star universe. Each mini-game focuses on a
specific character from Phantasy Star 2. More information
will be added as soon as Eidolon's copy of Game no Can 2
arrives....
VARIATIONS: Game no Can Volume 1 (1994 - includes Shilka's Adventure,
Amia's Adventure, Huey's Adventure, Eusis's Adventure
[sic], and four mediocre arcade games)
Game no Can Volume 2 (more info coming soon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Garfield in TV Land
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1996?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is apparently the same as or the sequel to Garfield
- Caught in the Act for the Genesis. No other info is
available at this time.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: See separate entries in the Genesis and 32X sections for
more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ground Zero Texas
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Digital Pictures
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A Sega TruVideo interactive movie in which you lead a
military team sent in to investigate the mysterious
disappearances of a number of people in the Texas town of
El Cadron, and instead wind up battling alien
stormtroopers disguised as humans. This was the most
ambitious FMV title ever attempted for the Sega CD,
costing over US$3 million in production.
IMPRESSIONS: The only Sega CD FMV title worth playing, because it's
the most interactive one. The storyline changes somewhat
every time you play again. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
H
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hammer Soulfire (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: GTE Interactive
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: ?
PREMISE: This is one of several unverified titles from Eidolon's
Sega CD listing. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Heart of the Alien
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Delphine/Virgin
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is the sequel to Another World, but this time around
you don't play Lester Chaykin but the ominous creature in
the parallel universe that he befriended instead.
IMPRESSIONS: The gameplay is similar to the original, but I think the
sequel is a bit easier. The game features a great
atmospherical soundtrack by Tommy Tallarico. (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Another World (aka Out of This World - the prequel, which
Delphine was kind enough to include on the CD)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Heavenly Symphony
see FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - BEYOND THE LIMIT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Heavy Nova
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Micronet
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A weak Street Fighter 2 clone featuring robots.
IMPRESSIONS: Awful - truly awful. This was one of the games that was
often bundled with the early Mega CD units, and now we
know why they didn't sell very well. The disc makes a
great coaster for your soda.
VARIATIONS: The Japanese version was released for the Mega CD,
whereas the English overseas version shipped inside a
standard G/MD cart. See the Genesis section for more
info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Heimdall
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design/JVC
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: As the godsend Heimdall, you are thrust into a mythical
Viking world where - along with a motley crew of wizards,
warlords, thieves, and rangers - you must prove your
prowess in a number of tasks that eventually cuminate in
an attempt to recover the gods' mystic weapons.
IMPRESSIONS: A dark and moody isometric dungeon crawler with all the
neat little touches one expects in a Core release.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Heroic Legend of Arislan
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kadokawa
RELEASED: 1994?
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A fantasy RPG based on the short-lived anime OAV in which
a young and inexperienced prince must raise an army and
reclaim his stolen kingdom.
IMPRESSIONS: This WAS released, folks! I now have reports from three
different sources, as well as a box art scan!
VARIATIONS: The actual Japanese title would have been Arislan Senki
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hook
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enhanced port of the G/MD title, based on the Steven
Spielberg movie about a grown-up Peter Pan having to go
back to Never Never Land and rescue his children from
Captain Hook. The Sega CD version adds new computer-
generated footage of Hook's ship, along with audio
narration and CD-quality audio taken directly from the
movie soundtrack.
IMPRESSIONS: Not much different from the Genesis original, aside from
the neat CGFX sequences.
VARIATIONS: Also released on a two-game disc along with 3 Ninjas Kick
Back
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hosenose and Booger (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ASG Technologies
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Hosenose has a cold and as fate would have it, he's
managed to sneeze and suck his girlfriend Hotsnot deep
into his brain...you'll take a nose-dive into Hosenose's
sinuous nasal passages in search of the lovely yet
cerebral Hotsnot. Through every organ and orifice you'll
meet a wild cast of disgusting characters, including
Mickki Mewkus, Logjam Sam, Vicki Virus, and the Evil Dr.
Bile. (Marty Chinn for Video Source, 1994 Winter CES
report)
IMPRESSIONS: Sounds like a souped-up Boogerman to me. This was
originally an Atari Jaguar game.
VARIATIONS: Dan Lynch did some work on the graphics design for the
Sega CD port as noted in his on-line resume; therefore,
we know a proto of some sort exists.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
I
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Illusion City
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Microcabin
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: RPG (FMV)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Futuristic cyberpunk adventure set in 21st century Hong
Kong "where the dudes ride Road Warrior bikes and the
chicks don't wear much." Ported from the MSX original.
IMPRESSIONS: Couldn't play it very far due to the language barrier,
but looks quite promising. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Lucasfilm Games
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Once again racing against the Nazis, along with Sophia
Hapgood (a psychic and his love interest), Indy must
discover the location and secrets of the lost city of
Atlantis. (Matthew Murray)
IMPRESSIONS: Though there are three different paths through the game
(one with Indy alone solving puzzles, one with Indy and
Sophia, and one dealing primarily with Indy fighting),
they are all essentially the same game with the major
elements in different orders, and only a few minor
differences in puzzles and situations before the portion
in Atlantis, which is identical regardless of the path
chosen. If you don't mind that, you will probably have
fun with this very movie-like game. (Matthew Murray)
VARIATIONS: Sometimes referred to as Indiana Jones 4. There is some
doubt as to whether or not the port was even attempted.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: INXS - Make My Video
see the MAKE MY VIDEO series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Instruments of Chaos starring Young Indy Jones
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Lucasfilm Games
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In late World War I, a youthful Indiana Jones matches
wits worldwide with agents of the Kaiser on a secret
mission. Based on the television series.
IMPRESSIONS: Standard run-and-jump fare. Nice use of digitzed
backgrounds, although the game graphics seem shabby in
comparison and character animation is rather limited.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Young Indy Jones. There was a Sega CD port
produced, but debate continues as to whether or not it
ever saw the light of day. The prototype exists, though
and that's a fact that was just recently confirmed by
the on-line resume of noted developer Bryan A. Rice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Iron Helix
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Drew Pictures/Spectrum Holobyte
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Your job is to investigate a derelect spacecraft whose
systems have been invaded and crew mutated or killed off
by an unknown and sinister virus.
IMPRESSIONS: Impressive at the time, this has since been surpassed
by superior FMV titles. Worth the look though, if only
to see just how far FMV has come since then.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ishii Hisaichi no Daisekai
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: This DOES exist, folks, as I've seen it listed by several
Japanese MegaDrive fans; however, I can't speak the
language, and they provided no screen shots or box art
scans for the curious.
VARIATIONS: Translates as One ??? of the Great World
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
J
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jaguar XJ-220
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: One of the first Sega CD racing games, this was "just" an
Amiga conversion. (Eidolon)
IMPRESSIONS: This takes little to no advantage of the hardware's
special capabilities. In fact, the Amiga original is
more colorful and has smoother gameplay. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jango World Cup
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A run-of-the-mill majhong videogame, with support up to
four players.
IMPRESSIONS: Simplistic. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jeopardy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Quiz show
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enhanced version of the Sega Genesis original based on
the popular American "guess the question" TV game show.
The Sega CD version makes extensive use of digitized
video and special sequences of show host Alex Trebek shot
especially for the game, as well as CD-quality sound.
IMPRESSIONS: Quite a different animal from the Gametek titles, this
has a huge database of "answers" for gameplay. The
graphics are excellent, and the game as a whole is on a
par with the home computer release that came about the
same time.
VARIATIONS: There are several less impressive predecessors for the
G/MD console; see the entry in the Genesis section for
more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Joe Montana's NFL Football
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Sports
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Sports (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The lone Sega CD entry in Sega Sports' NFL Football
series.
IMPRESSIONS: This is without a doubt the most graphically impressive
American football game for any Sega 16-bit platform.
Its uses first-person 3D perspective in the same manner
as Dick Vitale's College Hoops, but more effectively
employed due to the hardware involved. The FMV clips
are okay but unnecessary - I'd rather just play the game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jurassic Park
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Yet another unique game based on the acclaimed Stephen
Spielberg film. You are a brave adventurer sent to the
abandoned, storm-ravaged island to find and secure that
most rare of all scientific prizes - real dinosaur eggs!
IMPRESSIONS: I was hoping for a port of the arcade game, but instead
it turned out to be a bone-headed adventure title. The
game has some okay but brief FMV sequences, and its game
save feature is a lifesaver. Even so, it's impossible to
play without some sort of hint guide. The sound effects
are awesome, but the music is crappy. I would suggest
that you pass this one by. (Poleza)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
K
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kamen Rider Zo
see THE MASKER RIDER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Keio Flying Squadron
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Success/JVC
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Describing this shojo game is rather difficult - you are
a cute bunny-eared girl, and your flying machine is some
sort of bicycle-dragon thingey. It's around the turn of
the century, and it's up to you to save the fledgling
American/Japanese alliance from the macinations of the
evil racoon Dr. Pon. It's a tongue-in-cheek chan game
kinda like Cotton or Magic Girl, if you get the idea.
IMPRESSIONS: This was a fun shooter, and I was glad to see that the
wacky setting and plot have not been revamped for
American tastes.... Shooter fans should like this. In
a world with a million DOOM clones, fighters, and
platformers, this is a fun diverson. (Michael Lambert,
Winter 1995 CES)
VARIATIONS: Keio Yugekitai is the name of the original Japanese game,
which roughly translates as Keio's Flying Machine. It is
sometimes confused with the Cotton series of shooters.
This game was eventually ported to the Sega Saturn.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kelo Yugekitai
see KEIO FLYING SQUADRON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kids on Site
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Digital Pictures
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A charming and well-respected title in which children
get to investigate a construction site and play with the
heavy equipment as they try to complete the project.
"Hard hat not included."
IMPRESSIONS: My six-year nephew is among this title's intended
audience, so I'll tell you what he said. "This game is
so cool!" The FMV is used to good effect, and the
simplistic controls add to the addictiveness - not to
mention the natural affinity little boys have with large
and loud machinery.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Kris Kross - Make My Video
see the MAKE MY VIDEO series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
L
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Last Armageddon (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Working Designs
RELEASED: 1995 (planned)
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: This was the very last game planned for release by
Working Designs on the Sega CD. More info would be
appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: The Japanese original exists, but Working Designs decided
to abandon the English translation before completion.
VARIATIONS: Also known as After Armageddon and A Side Story of
Armageddon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Laughing Salesman
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This Japanese-only release is supposed to be a semi-
humorous adventure about a run-of-the-mill traveling
salesman and the trials he has to go through while doing
his job. More information would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Also known as Waurau Salesman, and more commonly referred
to simply as Salesman.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Lawnmower Man series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It all begins inside the shadowy research agency known as
the Shop. The brilliant maverick scientist Dr. Angelo
uses the simpleton Jobe as a guinea pig in his VR-based
advanced intelligence experiments. When the Shop speeds
up Jobe's treatments against Dr. Angelo's wishes, they
create a monster - CyberJobe - who vows to avenge his
mishandling by dominating mankind. Now you must battle
against CyberJobe's minions in the real world while you
seek CyberJobe in a fantastic yet hostile virtual world.
IMPRESSIONS: Athough somewhat different in their graphics and game
engines, these share two things in common - they start
out fiendishly hard and get harder the farther you go.
In fact, the only really notable thing about it (other
than the sound) are the CyberBoogie sequences in both
games. The first game's evokes a Space Harrier feel,
whereas the second game's are downright fantastic.
VARIATIONS: The Lawnmower Man (1994, based on the movie)
Cyberwar (1996, Dr. Angelo must bypass a series of VR
boobytraps and foes as he fights his way to CyberJobe)
Apparently there were two different demos released for
this game, one by Time Warner and one by Mega Power.
I would guess that they are one and the same, since the
Mega Power release was accidentally issued in NTSC and
never recalled - which would be understandable if it were
copied from an already existing demo.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lethal Enforcers series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Port of the popular first-person arcade shooter that
included its own light gun - the Justifier.
IMPRESSIONS: The Sega CD version of Lethal Enforcers may not be
exactly like the arcade, but it's so close, who cares?!
This is an excellent arcade-to-console conversion. It
retains the feel of the arcade version almost perfectly.
One minor misgiving is the inability of the larger
weapons to shoot through things (i.e. the Magnum).
What's the point of big guns if you can't kill things
with them? All whining aside, though, this title is
still fantastic. (Salamander, Game Zero)
VARIATIONS: Lethal Enforcers (set in a modern-day environment where
you play a police SWAT officer)
Lethal Enforcers 2 (this time around, you're a sherrif in
the days of the Wild West - playable demo exists)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Light Crusader
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Treasure
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: In an age of heroes and adventurers, a solitary knight
named David has returned to find his hometown in turmoil.
People have been disappearing and no one seems to know
why. Being a noble warrior and a friend of the king and
the people, David is appointed with the quest of finding
the missing people and stopping the horror that ravages
the town folk. Armed with a sword, the four elemental
magics, and his wits, David must travel to the depths
below the town to stop goblins, a renegade wizard's
guild, and numerous monstrous bosses before his job is
done. (Game Informer)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Relayer (alternate title)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Links - The Challenge of Golf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Access Software/Virgin Interactive
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An enhanced port of Links386 for the IBM PC, with the
added bonus of FMV sequences and CD quality sound.
IMPRESSIONS: WOW! I can finally file away my well-worn copy of
Leaderboard - this kicks ass! If you're a golf sim fan,
get it now! If not, get it anyway!
VARIATIONS: This game's predecessor is World Class Leaderboard; see
entry under the Genesis section for more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Loadstar series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rocket Science/SCI
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Action (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Take the captain's chair as Tully Bodine, veteran skipper
of the vintage spaceship Loadstar as he accepts a
dangerous assignment - get a cargo of contraband camels
off the Moon. You'll have to move fast and think faster
as you dodge rival truckers, traffic accidents,
slowpokes, and avoid the police SAPs and Toasters in hot
pursuit. Don't get caught by Sherriff Wompler, or you'll
be spending some time on ice. Stars veteran actors Ned
Beatty and Barry Primus. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: A digitally enhanced version of Outrun 2019, but with
the added obstacle of the other vehicles shooting at you.
It's decent enough for a rental, but not for purchase.
VARIATIONS: Loadstar - The Legend of Tully Bodine (1994)
Loadstar 2 (1995)
In addition, a one-stage playable demo was handed out at
one of the E3 shows that also included an FMV teaser for
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lords of Thunder
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hudson Soft
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The evil god Deoric has unleashed slithering vermin,
mechanical dragons, and phantom viking fleets upon the
lands of Mistral. As the sole survivor of a dynasty of
knights, you have inherited four suits of mystic armor
that harness nature's most powerful elements - Earth,
Water, Wind, and Fire. Only you can use these elements
to defeat Deoric's demonic horde. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: A side-scrolling shooter R-Type clone along the same
lines as Biohazard Battle, but with a fantasy theme.
Every bit as good as the PC Engine CD original, but with
less slowdown. Does not reach the excellence of Thunder
Force 4, though.
VARIATIONS: A-Rank Thunder (Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Lunar series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Game Arts/Working Designs
RELEASED: various
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Welcome to the fantasy world of Lunar, where dragons
still live and magic is valued above all else. Explore
dungeons, fight terrifying monsters, and gather
information from the locals as you advance towards the
explosive final conflict that will keep you challenged
until the last. Get ready for the ride of your life!
(Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: Two incredible RPGs for the Sega CD - they contain
everything that a good RPG should, and then they throw in
Working Design's warped sense of humor on top. These are
without a doubt the best RPGs available for the platform.
(Eidolon, Joe Souza)
VARIATIONS: Lunar - The Silver Star (1992, join Alex the young
adventurer and his friends as he embarks upon a quest
to save his land from the crushing advance of Zophar
the Magic Emperor)
Lunar - Eternal Blue (1994, set 1000 years after the
original, in which two youngsters named Hiro and Ruby
work to unlock the secrets of the Blue Spire and the
strange young girl they found within before the efforts
to revive Zophar prove successful)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
M
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mad Dog McCree series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: American Laser Games
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Shooter (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Ports of the popular Wild West first-person arcade
shooters pitting you as the brave stranger against the
legendary outlaw Mad Dog McCree and his gang.
IMPRESSIONS: The programming incorporates dynamic video branching
which changes the game based on variable outcomes, such
as hits or misses. The course of play to reach the final
scene changes, depending on your choices and
marksmanship. It also features random showdowns to keep
the adrenalin pumping and a target practice routine to
get the trigger finger in shape. Gunfights get more
difficult as you get closer to the ultimate showdown with
Mad Dog McCree. (CD-ROM World)
VARIATIONS: Mad Dog McCree (1992, Mad Dog's gang have taken over a
small town, and it's up to you to save the townfolk in
a long, running gun battle that may in the end pit you
against Mad Dog himself)
Mad Dog McCree 2 - Lost Gold (1993, it's a race between
you and Mad Dog to find a legendary treasure - the
final sequence, set in a Spanish mission, is touted as
the longest FMV gun battle filmed to date)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mahao no Shojo
see SILKY LIP
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Make My Video series (5 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Music video (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You get to work with various popular musical acts from
the 1980s and 1990s as you work to make your own custom
music videos for a selection of their hit tunes.
IMPRESSIONS: So they call this multimedia, eh? BOOOORRRRRIIIINNNGGGG!
It's about as exciting as a 12-piece Lego set - you never
have enough pieces to build what you really want to make.
The videos are good given the hardware involved, and the
music is great provided it's in your tastes (most of it
isn't in mine), but all in all these just don't wash. I
can think of lots of better things to do than waste my
time making music videos that nobody will ever see.
VARIATIONS: C&C Music Factory - Make My Video (aka Power Factory)
INXS - Make My Video
Kris Kross - Make My Video
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - Make My Video
Prince - Virtual VCR (aka Prince VVCR)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Mansion of Hidden Souls
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Vic Tokai
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Welcome to a mansion where ghostly voices and blood-
curdling screams break the eerie silence. Where the
shrill echo of opening doors sends a shiver up the spine.
Where pictures seem to follow your every move. Where
some may even pull you into them. Where the rooms are
laden with clues to those who have disappeared. Welcome
- you'll never be the same again. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: A graphically impressive title in the same vein as Alone
in the Dark with a mildly interesting story, mediocre
sound, and an appalling game engine. By the way, this
was one of the few Sega CD titles re-released for the
Sega Saturn - R.I.P. of Game Zero has the opinion that
the Sega CD version is more impressive given the hardware
involved, but that it's still a lousy game.
VARIATIONS: Shinsetsu Yumemi Yakata is the name of the original
Japanese release. It is often translated as Yumemi
Mystery Mansion
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Marko's Magic Football
AUTHOR/VENDOR: The Cartoon Mavericks/Domark
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: An evil toymaker is bent on taking over Sterlington with
his secret sludge formula, and Marko is the town's only
hope. A port of the MegaDrive original.
IMPRESSIONS: A Mario wannabe that comes pretty damn close, except that
gameplay is way too slow even with the help of your magic
soccer ball. Still, it's well worth the look.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Same as the Genesis game, but packed together with Bram
Stoker's Dracula on one disc.
IMPRESSIONS: The only difference between these and their Genesis
cousins is in the music. Sony is spastic - waste of
plastic!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Masked Rider - Kamen Rider Zo
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Action (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: As the genetically engineered superhero Masked Rider, you
must battle an army of genetic mutants through ten
action-packed levels as you try to save young Hiroshi
from the clutches of the evil Doras. Based on the well-
known Japanese superhero TV series Kamen Rider.
IMPRESSIONS: Lots and lots and lots (and lots and lots) of digital
video can't hide the fact that this is a humdrum game.
VARIATIONS: Kamen Rider Zo is not only the subtitle, but it just
happens to be the name of the Japanese release. Now
imagine that!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Maverick SFG
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: 1997?
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is one of several unverified titles from Eidolon's
Sega CD listing. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega CD Demo
see ROCK PAINTINGS & HARD HITS COMBO PACK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Race
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Software Toolworks
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Get ready for the ride of your life, as you take part
in a televised futuristic road race where the goal is not
only to win, but to stay alive! The more damage you do
and blood you shed of your opponents, the higher the
ratings. Best of all, you can then take their gear and
enhance your own vehicle even more!
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Power series (8 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Mega Power magazine
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Demo
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This disks contained demos and promos for various Sega CD
titles. They were released with each issue of the
overseas European game magazine Mega Power.
IMPRESSIONS: Here are the demos of which we know so far. All are
playable demos unless otherwise noted.
Battlecorps (one playable stage)
FIFA International Soccer
The Lawnmower Man (accidentally issued in NTSC format
instead of PAL, later recalled but never reissued)
Psygnosis Christmas Sampler (demos to Wiz'n'Liz and
Puggsy, as well as the intro to Microcosom and a
music video by Sunscream - this is the only version
of Wiz'n'Liz that exists in Sega CD format)
Rebel Assault Mega Power Demo (first Hoth level)
Sensible Soccer (has memory save bug, also limited to
only "friendly" matches)
Soulstar (three playable stages)
Soulstar/Battlecorps dual demo (both playable demos on
one disc, also handed out to all takers as a special
promo by Dixon's in the United Kingdom)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mega Schwarzschild
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kogado Studio
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A rare strategy/simulation game. Ported from the
TG16/PCE release.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Merry-Go-Round
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This is one of several unverified titles from Eidolon's
Sega CD listing. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Metal Hawk
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1992?
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese?
PREMISE: Port of the 1989 classic arcade game?
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mickey Mania - The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Disney Interactive/Sony Imagesoft/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Guide Mickey through various hazards and meet with many
characters and foes from his many films over the years.
Ported from the Genesis version.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Microcosm
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Action (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are the leader of a micronized team tasked to go
inside the body of Cybertech president Tyron Korsby and
destroy the brain virus threatening his life. Seemingly
inspired by the Isaac Asimov novel Fantastic Voyage.
IMPRESSIONS: You know that when Psygnosis can't pull off kick-ass
graphics on a game, you've got problems. That's
Microcosm in a nutshell. (R.I.P., Game Zero)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Midnight Raiders
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Action (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You portray a member of four-man CIA covert ops team
sent on a one-way mission inside the Al-Shakkur base to
rescue scientist Victor Mensch, who holds the formula
for a new nerve gas compound in his head. At least, that
was the stated mission. Now you're on foot and inside,
and you've quickly come to grips with two new facts -
things aren't the way you were told, and the CIA wants NO
survivors who can tell the true story.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Might and Magic 3 - Isle of Terra
AUTHOR/VENDOR: New World Computing
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enhanced version of the Genesis RPG, itself adapted from
the third game in the Amiga series of RPGs.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: The previous two games in the series are not available
for the platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Saban/Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The evil galactic sorceress Rita Repulsa and her army of
space aliens are back to plague mankind. It's up to you
to help out our favorite teenage superheros so they can
defeat her and save the planet Earth! (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: Gag me with a spoon, please! This game sucks so bad that
you could lift a bowling ball with it. It's like one
of those really bad FMV arcade games from the 1980s -
watch the clip(s) and occasionally jerk the joystick
WHEN and HOW you're supposed to. Groan ... thrash and
trash this puppy! It's not even worth use as a coaster.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Misadventures of Flink
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Vic Tokai/Psygnosis
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Flink, an apprentice wizard, is appointed by the people
of his island to rescue their four elders from the hands
of the Demon Guardians, servants of the sinister Wicked
Wainwright.
IMPRESSIONS: Identical to the G/MD version in almost every respect
save two - the Sega CD version supports an "practice mode
with unlimited continues" (no access to the final stages)
and multiple languages (English, French, Dutch, German,
and Spanish).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Monkey Island
see THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Mortal Kombat Complete
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Arena Entertainment/Midway Games
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Prepare yourself for Mortal Kombat on Sega CD. Bigger.
Better. Louder. Meaner. Incredible bone-shattering
graphics, new animations, and a pulse-pounding soundtrack
give you all the flame-shooting, ice-blasting action of
the #1 arcade smash. Let the games begin! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: It's worse than the Genesis version. (JAyton)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: My Paint - The Animated Paint Program
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bridgestone Multimedia
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The world's first ANIMATED paint program gives you the
power to push your creativity to new heights. It's a
full-featured paint program you not only see, but hear!
(box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Myst (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Cyan/Sunsoft
COPYRIGHT: 1995 (planned)
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A strange book with the title MYST falls out of the sky
and lands at your feet. You open it to see the picture
of a fantastic-looking island in the middle of an ocean.
You touch the picture, and are immediately pulled through
an interdimensional warp to the actual island, now long
abandoned. Your goal is to solve the mystery behind this
spectacular yet empty place.
IMPRESSIONS: This is the game that proved to everybond that full-
motion video in a real-time RPG was possible on a
platform with limited resources if judiciously employed.
Spawned a ton of imitators, a sequel, and a product line
- but nothing comes close to the freshness and excitement
of the original. It was way ahead of its time, and it's
still impressive even today.
VARIATIONS: The Sega CD version of Myst was never released. A
working prototype is known to exist. Noted developer
Bryan A. Rice worked on this port, as well as the Mega LD
version for the Pioneer LaserActive system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
N
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NBA Jam
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Midway/Acclaim
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (basketball)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: An enhanced version of the G/MD original with new player
rosters, new moves, and new sound effects.
IMPRESSIONS: The only real differences are a couple of extra
presentation screens (nothing much, just stuff from the
arcade that were left out of the G/MD and 32X versions)
and the CD music (again, nothing much). Apart from that,
it was actually worse than the standard Genny version.
Slow load times and less graphics than its predecessor
make it the second-worst of the ports. (Steve Snake)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: New Megami Tensei
see SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NFL Football Trivia Challenge
AUTHOR/VENDOR: CapDisc/Phillips Interactive Media
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Pit yourself against the toughest football minds in the
country in the trivia game that puts you on the gridiron.
Famed television sportscasters Pat Summerall and Tom
Brookshier describe the play-by-play as you face over
1300 questions, illustrated by over 1200 action-packed
NFL images and 300 exciting film clips.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NFL's Greatest Teams - 49ers vs. Cowboys
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Sports
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: FMV (football)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Two great franchises, seven Super Bowl rings, and all the
top stars for these teams from the 70s, 80s, and 90s are
here in one game. Play with the likes of Staubach,
Dorsett, "Too Tall" Jones, Aikman, Irvin, and Smith take
the field against Montana, Rice, Lott, Clark, Young, and
Watters. Includes fifteen years' worth of TruVideo-
rendered game footage from the NFL Films library to make
your matchups come to life!
IMPRESSIONS: We're talkin' FMV here. Lots of FMV. Pick your plays,
then sit back and watch the mini-movies. Yawn. I get
more of a kick (and more exercise) watching a real game
on the telly. Another sure-fire misfire.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: NHL Hockey 94
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (hockey)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Adds 25 new features over the previous release, such as:
5-player support, new player art and animation, goalie
control, penalty shot and shootout mode, blistering slap
shots to speed up offensive play, new cross checks to
ring up opposing puckhandlers, and (of course) retooled
fights. Individual arenas with over 70 pieces of organ
music and new crowd animations. Also includes the two
then-new expansion franchises - the Florida Panthers and
Anaheim Mighty Ducks.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: The entire NHL Hockey series is available for the
Genesis; see separate entry under the Genesis section for
more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Night Striker 3
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Racing (futuristic)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A fast-paced 3D game in the best Space Harrier tradition,
this is a sci-fi racing game with all sorts of robots and
other such mecha for entries.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Night Trap
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The controversial game everybody's talking about, Night
Trap is a real vampire movie. Your mission is to rescue
unsuspecting house guests before they get attacked. Not
some cartoon mystery, but a blood-curdling interactive
horror movie where you are the star. Night Trap features
over one-and-a-half hours of full-motion instantly
interactive video and stars the late Dana Plato
(Different Strokes) as your ally, undercover agent Kelli
Medd. (Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: Considered by most authorities to be the most violent
and controversial game ever released for a 16-bit
game console. What you have here is nothing less than an
interactive R-rated horror movie. Definitely not for the
squeamish.
VARIATIONS: One of the few bonafide hits for the console, this was
eventually rereleased in a 32X version. I have no info
on what the improvements were. Also, the voiceover for
Kelli Medd in the Japanese version was done by Inoue
Kikuko (Aah! Megami-sama).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ninja Haygate
see REVENGE OF THE NINJA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Ninja Warriors
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Natsume/Taito
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Banglar the tyrant is slowly but surely bringing the
oppressed masses under his iron control. He has just
eliminated the last organized resistance to him, and
all seems save - except for one thing. Three androids
programmed by the resistance managed to escape before
their masters were overcome. They have been specifically
designed to withstand almost any force and weapon used
against them. Their goal is to crush Banglar's forces
and defeat him once and for all. Their guise? Ninja
warriors, like their legendary Japanese counterparts of
old.
IMPRESSIONS: Ho hum, yet another platform fighter. At least it looks
and sounds good, and plays about as well as the rest of
the pack. The premise is kinda ridiculous, the game only
average at best. The CD soundtrack is cool, though....
VARIATIONS: Also known as The Ninja Warriors Again (don't ask me why)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Nobunaga and his Ninja Force
see DENIN ALESTE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Nostalga 1907
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: I've only see a few lone screen shots of this game, which
apparently takes place in Japan around the turn of the
century....
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Novastorm
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter (FMV)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Year 2129 - the Bator system. A sentient computer
network known as the Data Grid has begun to wage war on
the Federation. In a last ditch effort to save humanity,
the experimental fighter Scavenger 4 has been launched.
It's mission: to track down and destroy the Data Grid's
heavily armored control center, Scarab X. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This is yet another prime example of what FMV should NOT
be used for - a game engine...I think they spent more
time trying to develop a story with this piece of crap
than developing the actual game engine...yes, FMV looks
great, but it's extremely limiting if you try to use it
for a game engine...also, this has absolutely some of the
worst sound I have ever heard...by any and all means
necessary and possible, stay away from Novastorm.
(Starbase 299)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
O
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
P
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Panic!
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Stay calm and cool, and you just might save the world
from a computer virus that has infected every electrical
system on Earth. Only the right combination of switches
and buttons will replace chaos with order.
IMPRESSIONS: This is a totally unique, weird, and funny game to play.
There are lots of gags on each game screen, and it's nice
that you don't have to visit every screen to beat the
game. That makes for GREAT replay value! (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Switch
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Panorama Cotton 2
see KELO YUGEKITAI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Penn and Teller's Smoke and Mirrors
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Absolute Entertainment
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A zany, madcap escapade featuring the two slapstick
magicians. Only prerelease copies made it out the door
before Absolute folded and the game went bye-bye.
IMPRESSIONS: This is the rarest Sega CD game known to be in existence.
I know people that would sell their mother to get a copy
of this. If you're a Penn and Teller fan, then go for
it! If not, give it a try - you'll be both surprised and
amused.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Phantasy Star Telegames Collection
see the GAME NO CAN series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Phantom City
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: RPG?
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This is one of several unverified titles from Eidolon's
Sega CD listing. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Phoenix Rising
see RISE OF THE PHOENIX
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pitfall - The Mayan Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Activision
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Join Pitfall Harry, Jr. and discover 3 new levels of
adventure as you boomerang through 13 awesome worlds.
Over 2000 frames of original animation are enhanced with
a feature film quality soundtrack that features more than
50 minutes of audio and 22 tracks of music. Pitfall's
unique CD SFX option lets players select ambient sound
effect tracks to set the mood of the jungle, waterfall,
temple, ruin, or mine environments, creating a different
feel to every level. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: Nice graphics and great character animation, but the
game is loaded with cheap hits and impossible bosses.
The original Atari 2600 version hidden within is probably
its best feature. (Rage Games)
VARIATIONS: A one-level playable demo reportedly exists.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Popful Mail - Magical Fantasy Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Working Designs/Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action/adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Kazyar...Necros...Ulgar...ghosts from the past that once
nearly destroyed Popful Mail's world. Now, the Black
Seal is about to be broken so they can return to wreak
havoc upon the world again. Three ragtag adventurers
become the only hope of stopping the second coming of
Evil.... (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: This is basically a blatant Wonderboy clone, but Working
Designs did a great job with the translation. Great
humor and great voice acting. Don't miss this little
gaming jewel! (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Drift (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1997 (planned)
TYPE: Racing (auto)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Upgraded version of the classic 1988 road racing arcade
game. You race a sort of dune buggy against 12 other
competitors on various courses. There are 5 main courses
to choose from, with 5 stages to each course - making for
25 different tracks, in effect. One of the first of
the Sega Ages series of enhanced classic in-house games.
IMPRESSIONS: As a port of a sprite-based racer, Power Drift shows its
age. The tracks look somewhat plain in comparison to
modern arcade race courses (though some of them show a
bit of imagination). The gameplay is very simplistic
with turns taken at full steering lock and braking
accomplished by shifting into low gear. The game does
include the original arcade soundtrack, as well as a
remixed version with modern instruments replacing the
original's synthesizers. (EX:Games review of the Saturn
version)
VARIATIONS: This was originally conceived as a straightforward
Genesis game. The project was ported to the Sega CD
for further development, then transferred to the Sega
Saturn and eventually released for that platform.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Factory
see the MAKE MY VIDEO series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power League
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hudson Soft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (baseball)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Port of Hudson's popular arcade baseball simulation. I'm
told that it was an almost direct port of the vesion made
for the failed NEC PC Engine FX (aka PC-FX) platform.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: The Power League series by Hudson was released for
various and sundry computer systems in Japan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Power Monger
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bullfrog/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Leaders are needed to control the destiny of this new
world. Unite each territory by word, or by sword, or
face the bitter defeat at the hands of the other Power
Mongers. Lead your followers to glory - or destruction.
Power Monger features over 195 existing worlds, or
limitless ones that you generate. Zoom in and out on the
world to interact with hundreds of people with individual
homes, personalities, and jobs. (Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Prime
see ULTRAVERSE PRIME
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Prince - Virtual VCR
see the MAKE MY VIDEO series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Prince of Persia
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Broderbund
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Your beloved princess is being held hostage. To save
her, you must battle the most skillful swordsmen on
earth. As you travel, beware of the labyrinth of the
exotic dangers and deathtraps. It's like an Arabian
Nights movie come to life. Plunge into a deadly
labyrinth of heart stopping action, challenging mazes
and superb animation. Hundreds of movie clips were used
to create animations so human they must be seen to be
believed. Quick responsive controls and a plot filled
with intrigue and surprising twists. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: The sequel, The Shadow and the Flame, is available for
the SNES.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Prize Fighter
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (boxing) (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Out of the limo, into the ring, it's like a movie! But,
when the bell rings, bud, it's just you and him! If
you've got the speed, the muscle, and the heart, then you
might last the round. Prize Fighter is directed by Ron
Stein, creator of the boxing sequences in the movies
Rocky and Raging Bull. Trainers, cornermen referees,
hecklers - they'll shout their opinions on your
performance. Meet your defeat with Honeyboy Hernandez,
Mega Joe Falco, T. Rex Hawkins, and Nuke "The Duke"
Johnson, the champion. You are "the kid," so you must
battle your way up the ladder before you can be the best.
(Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: This game appears to have been directly inspired by the
movie Raging Bull, starring Robert de Niro. It's not
bad, actually, and makes pretty good use of the rather
limited FMV technology available at the time. It's a
shame that the FMV also limits both the moves you make
and the possible outcomes. Right idea, wrong technology.
This needed a 3D polygonal texture-mapped engine for best
effect. At least the idea stuck around, though ... -_^
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Puggsy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Traveler's Tales/Psygnosis
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Our friend Puggsy is a squat, teardrop-shaped brown alien
who has crash-landed in the ocean not far away from a
tropical island. Can you help him find his way around in
this strange new world? The Sega CD version adds an FMV
intro, CD-quality sound, and additional end-of-level
sequences to enhance the gaming experience.
IMPRESSIONS: A wonderful puzzle-oriented platformer from the boys in
Scotland.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
Q
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Quiz Scramble Special
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: This WAS released in Japan, but that's all that I know.
You can find it in the on-line listings of several
Japanese Mega CD vendors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
R
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Racing Aces
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Racing
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Fly for practice, shoot for a quick race, or try to
survive the racing circuit. Work your way through four
stages of aircraft. Visit the Pro Shop for the latest
heavy metal hardware, or buy black market gear and put
something special in the air. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Sometimes referred to as Flying Aces.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Radical Rex
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Activision
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Skateboard with Rex through puzzle-game bonus levels and
meet up with a new nemesis, Skriitch. This enhanced
version of the Genesis title also features a CD-quality
soundtrack and a new title song in stereo sound. (Sega
Online)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ranma 1/2 - White Orchid Serenade
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Rumic Soft/NCS/DTMC
RELEASED: 1994?
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: ...inspired by the popular anime comedy series created
by Rumiko Takahashi (Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku).
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: The English title is translated from the Japanese,
Ranma Nibun no Ichi - Byakuran Aika. This appears to be
the only entry for the Mega CD, although there are a slew
of SNES titles.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: RDF - Global Conflict
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Time Warner Interactive
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Using a thrilling combination of 3D rendering and
explosive combat action, RDF - Global Conflict is an
interactive multimedia experience. As a tank commander
in the RDF - the elite Rapid Deployment Force - you'll
test your battle saavy in a realistic virtual world.
You must watch you back as an evil genius may pose a
threat not only to the team, but to all of mankind!
Use machine guns, the 120mm cannon, or laser-guided
missiles to battle multiple enemies! (Uncle John's
Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: This is a tank simulation with similar gameplay as
Thunderhawk. The FMV sequences are crap - but who cares?
The rest of the game is great. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rebel Assault
see STAR WARS - REBEL ASSAULT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Record of Lodoss War
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Kadokawa
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Thousands of years ago, there was a titanic struggle for
control of the universe in which Kardiss, the goddess of
destruction, was overthrown and buried beneath the isle
of Marmo. Mere decades ago, seven heroes united on the
neighboring isle of Lodoss to prevent Kardiss from being
resurrected. The time is now. New heroes arise. Parn,
son of a valiant knight who wants to follow in his
father's footsteps. Deedlit, the skilled High Elf who
(much to her surprise) has taken a liking to young Parn.
Etoh, aspiring cleric and childhood friend of Parn.
Ghim, the aged dwarf and the only one of the original
seven heroes to join the new group - albeit for reasons
of his own. Woodchuck, the skilled thief whose desire
often overcomes his good sense. Slayn, would-be wizard
and friend of Etoh who reluctantly agrees to help.
Leylia, priestess of Lodoss whose mysterious kidnapping
is not all that it seems. Together, these seven will
rise to prevent a new attempt to resurrection the evil
that is Kardiss. Based on the "Lady of Pharis" story
arc from the popular manga/anime series by Kadokawa
Shoten of Japan.
IMPRESSIONS: This was one HELL of an anime OAV, and that's putting it
mildly. I wish they had done Lord of the Rings like they
did this. Yes, the Mega CD version does exist (Eidolon
has a copy), and a full review is planned for the next
major update to this document.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Relayer
see LIGHT CRUSADER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Revenge of the Ninja
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: If you thing you have the guts, speed, and reflexes of a
ninja, then the Castle of Evil and Lougi the Dark Lord
await you. Your raw courage and pure heart are necessary
to face traps and creatures like the fire-breathing Marco
Kilmore, the Wolves of Seidenfeld, the immortal Skeleton
Warriors of the Undead, and other monsters. You will
need all of your wits, speed, and ninja skills to avenge
your father's death and become a master of the ninja
arts! Features 30 minutes of full-motion animation, 18
randomly generated levels, three modes of difficulty, and
video replay of the entire game. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Ninja Haygate (original Japanese release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Revengers of Vengeance
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action/adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Revengers of Vengeance erupts onto your screen with
heart-stopping, limb-tearing, fist-throwing, hand-to-
hand combat action, and pulls you into a fantastic and
violent world. You will be absorbed by 10 tragic and
inspiring tales of reluctant heroes battling the evil
devil king VENUM! You'll gape in awe at their savage
and brutal struggles without quarter! Features three
ways to play, including a detailed fantasy role-
playing model. Each Revenger has secret, hidden death
moves that can lay waste to their foes. If you've ever
felt the need to pummel an evil-doer into the dirt,
now's the time. (Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: Many characters to choose from, and moves are simple to
find out. Not too challenging, and there's 3 different
modes of play, such as an RPG mode! Music isn't top
notch, and neither are the graphics.... Basically, it's
a Street Fighter ripoff. (Video Game Heaven)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rise of the Dragon
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Dynamix/Sierra
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: The year - 2053. The city - Los Angeles. Amid the foul
air and dark, dangerous streets, a dragon rises from the
ashes of legend. Many fall before him. Only one will
rise to destroy him, and that one is you - "Blade"
Hunter, private investigator. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Whoever likes Blade Runner-esque cyberpunk stories will
love this game. The load times are a big pain, though.
(Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rise of the Phoenix
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: In times of war, the people of China looked to the sky
for a sign to show the coming of a wise and powerful
ruler that would save them from tribulation.... This
is a sequel of sorts to Koei's Romance of the Three
Kingdoms series, dealing with the contest between the
warlords Xiang Yu and Liu Bang over the kingdom left
behind by the death of the last Qin Dynasty emperor.
IMPRESSIONS: Excellent, if your the kind who likes Oriental wargame
strategy sims. Has sound and graphics worthy of its
predecessors, along with the tried and true Koei strategy
game engine.
VARIATIONS: Also known as Kouryuuki and Phoenix Rising.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Road Avenger
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Racing (auto) (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Road Avenger...involves the player controlling a super
sports car in the tradition of the Japanese animation
classic Riding Bean, causing massive destruction as you
cruise at dangerous speeds through freeways, mobs of
pedestrians, etc. (Entertainment Network)
IMPRESSIONS: NOOOO! I've fallen into hell! That's the only way that
a racing game could be so butchered. As a cartoon, this
was neat, entertaining, and graphically intense. As a
game, it was non-existent. There was no control nor fun
to it. Even in the manual they suggest videotaping it
and watching it instead. As a racing enthusiast, both in
video games and on the track, I long to see a Sega CD
racing game using scaling and rotation to create a truly
awesome INTERACTIVE racing game. (Ferrari Man, Game Zero)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Road Blaster FX and in Japan as Road
Buster FX.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Road Rash
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Racing (motorcycle)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Cycles, asphalt, and the music to drown out the screams!
Intense motorcycle combat racing and thrashin' music
combine for the ultimate Road Rash! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This is identical to the 3DO version, FMV cuts and all,
with the only difference being that graphically this
looks the same as previous Genesis efforts in the series.
Control is a tad sluggish at times, but it features an
excellent rock soundtrack by Soundgarden. What more
could you ask? A fun combo of racing and bashing, and
knocking the cops off their bikes is the best part. (Sega
Force)
VARIATIONS: You can also check out its lesser cousins under the
appropriate entry in the Genesis section.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Robo Aleste
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Compile
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: For almost a century now, the bloodthirsty Chugoku
Warlords have ruled and ravaged your once-supreme Oda
clan. No more! As the most decorated officer in the
White Fang Ninja Force, it's up to you to command the
infamous Robo Aleste war machine and avenge the barbarous
wrath of the anti-Oda alliance. Come home a hero...or
don't come home at all. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: The CD game is a bit, well, "slower" than the cartridge
game, hence more tactical. The CD soundtrack adds a
great atmosphere to gaming. It also makes extensive use
of zooming and rotating graphics, especially in the later
levels. Nice! (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Denin Aleste - Nobunaga and his Ninja Force (original
Japanese release)
This is the sequel to Aleste on the G/MD; see entry under
the Genesis section for more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rock Paintings & Hard Hits combo pack
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Warner Records/Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Music video (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This was a dual-disc pack-in item that was either shipped
as a promotional item or possibly included with some
retail units. The pictures that I have show a dual-disc
cardboard-sleeve "jewel case" style box, similar to the
pack-ins for Sonic CD, Prize Fighter, Sol-Feace (US), and
Sherlock Holmes Volume 1. The music list for Rock
Paintings is on the front, and the one for Hard Hits is
on the back.
IMPRESSIONS: The music is mostly crap, but some of the graphics are
rather nice. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Romance of the Three Kingdoms 3 - Dragon of Destiny
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The third in Koei's highly-regarded series of historical
strategy sims about the long and laborious process
involved in China's transition from an almalgam of
warring feudal states into a unified country. You assume
the role of one of the principal warlords involved in the
"unification" process.
IMPRESSIONS: This series is every bit as good as the Nobunaga Trilogy,
so it's a must for strategy types. Graphics and sound
are only fair, but it's the Risk-style gameplay where it
shines. It appears to be a fairly straightforward port
of the G/MD version, with the little extras usually found
in a CD upgrade.
VARIATIONS: Gekijoban Sangokushi 3 (Japanese version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
S
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Salesman
see THE LAUGHING SALESMAN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Samurai Shodown
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Funcom/SNK/JVC
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A direct port of the fifth installment in SNK's "100
Mega Shock" series, this pits you blade-to-blade against
twelve of the most heinous samurai warriors the arcade
has ever witnessed. Charlotte, Jugei Yagyu, Tom Tom,
Nakoruru and her flame-belching eagle - they're all here,
each with his or her own lethal weaponry and "methods of
mayhem." Now there's nowhere to hide! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This is the game that put SNK on the map as far as SF2-
style fighters were concerned; however, the Sega CD port
fails to include the game action scaling that made it so
visually impressive. NO SLOWDOWN at all despite massive
amounts of graphics. The twelve characters are straight
from the Neo Geo verison, and game control is almost
identical to SF2. This is easily one of the best
fighting games for the Sega CD. (Sega Force)
VARIATIONS: Samurai Spirits (original Japanese release)
Playable demo (silkscreen CD art of Galford and his dog
Poppy)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Savage Heroes (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: The Game Factory
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: What if they made a platform fighter out of Brutal? If
you can imagine that, then you begin to get the idea....
IMPRESSIONS: This would have been an enhanced version of the Genesis
game, but what the enhancements were to be is unclear.
It apparently died with the death of the platform before
release.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Secret of Monkey Island
AUTHOR/VENDOR: LucasArts Games
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Ayyye, matey! Welcome t' th' port of Melee, Mr. Guybrush
Threepwood. So ya think ya got what it takes t' be a
swashbucklin', bloodthristy pirate like the rest of us,
eh? Ya think a young swabby like yerself's gonna be th'
first t' tame mysterious Monkey Island? Well, laddie,
there's more t' bein' a swashbuckler than just swingin' a
sword an' swillin' gallons o' grog. First, ya got t'
pass the seadog test. Good luck to ya mate - yer gonna
need it! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This is an EXACT port of the PC version. It's hilarious
and very entertaining! There are some not-so-great
things about it, though. The loading time is slow, but
you'll get over it. If you have LOADS of spare time, you
might even beat it. There's no dead time in this game
besides loading time - it's all fun! (Poleza)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sega Classic Arcade Collection series
see the SEGA CLASSICS series
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sega Classics series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Multipacks of several different Sega arcade ports
originally written for the Genesis.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Also referred to overseas as the Sega Classic Arcade
Collections.
Sega Classics 4-in-1 (includes Revenge of Shinobi,
Streets of Rage, Columns, and Golden Axe)
Sega Classics 5-in-1 (same as above but adds Super
Monaco Grand Prix 2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sega Pro series (4 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega Pro magazine
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Demo
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: These are the demo CDs that were packed with each issue
of the overseas magazine Sega Pro.
IMPRESSIONS: Here are the known Sega Pro demos so far. All are
playable demos unless otherwise noted.
Flashback: The Quest for Identity
Keio Flying Squadron
Mickey Mania (the "Steamboat Willie" stage)
Novastorm (reported to be crash-prone)
Rebel Assault Sega Pro Demo (TIE Attack level)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sewer Shark
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Interact one-on-one with ace tunnel jockey Ghost and the
devious, fat-faced Slencher. Your mission is clear -
transport supplies to human outposts deep in the sewers,
and fry anything that gets in the way. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Now THIS is full-motion video! Even though it wasn't
full-screen, the intense action and the clever cockpit
backdrop made it barely noticeable. Moreover, unlike
many games in the past that have used FMV, this went
beyond just fancy intermissions. The play screens
actually incorporated live video. While the gameplay
could have used a bit more depth, Sewer Shark is
nonetheless a showcase for the capabilities of the Sega
CD. (Salamander, Game Zero)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shadow of Atlantis (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1997 (planned)
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This was to be a first person adventure game based on
the exciting characters and situations in Jules Verne's
classic novels, 20,000 Leagues under the sea and
Mysterious Island. (Quakenbush Design)
IMPRESSIONS: The screen shots look great, and the concept was sound.
It's a shame that it never made it to market
VARIATIONS: Died in production due to the death of its console.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shadow of the Beast 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A completely reworked port of the Amiga original, or so
I'm told. Once again you tangle with Beast Magic as you
set out to rescue your kidnapped sister.
IMPRESSIONS: This was a kick-ass game to begin with, and the
restoration of the original tunes in CD-quality audio
and the addition of several FMV sequences only make it
better. This one is a keeper, and a must for serious
Sega CD collectors.
VARIATIONS: The first game, Shadow of the Beast, does not appear to
have been released for the platform. It is available in
a Genesis version; see separate entry for more info.
There was also a playable demo released by Psygnosis
exclusively for dealers and in-store use.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Icom Simulations
RELEASED: various
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In these new mysteries, officially authorized by the
estate of Sir Authur Conan Doyle, you question suspects
and sift through clues to see if you can beat the master
sleuth at his own game. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: Get the TG-16/Duo version. The graphics are almost
unbearable. Please don't even let me think about this
version for another second.... (R.I.P., Game Zero)
VARIATIONS: Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective (1992, includes The
Case of the Mystified Murderess, The Case of the Tin
Soldier, and The Case of the Mummy's Curse)
Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective - Volume 2 (1993
includes The Case of the Two Lions, The Case of the
Pilfered Paintings, and The Case of the Murdered
Magnate)
The third and final volume in the series was not released
for the Sega CD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shin Megami Tensei
AUTHOR/VENDOR: SIMS/Altus
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: The line between the past and present is a fragile one
at best. There are beings who can cross that line -
intelligences that have been in existence since before
the dawn of man. Some would call them fallen angels,
others simply demons. Modern technology has made it
possible for mortal man to also cross that line, and
there are those among us who now know of the others.
In the world dominated by cybertechnology and neural
networks, a new breed of space cowboys arise - the "devil
summoner" or "soul hacker." These are human cyberjockeys
who can interface with the other side and, with their
assitance or opposition, wield the unlimited powers of a
cybermage to stop the growing soulessness of this new
world order. Based on the extremely popular anime/manga
series, this appears to be an enhanced port of the
SNES/SFC original.
IMPRESSIONS: Not visually different from the SNES version, but I've
heard from several owners that the CD soundtrack is kinda
neat. This game was eventually remade and re-released
for the Sega Saturn.
VARIATIONS: New Megami Tensei (translation)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shining Force
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sonic/Climax/Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Combines the best of the Shining Force series into four
complete role-playing adventures with over 50 battles -
all in one CD! Join the Shining Force in their valiant
struggle to beat back the power-mad King Lom and his
invading army. Defeat his evil horde and save the
Kingdom of Cypress using cunning strategy; magic spells
and even hand-to-hand combat! Includes an original CD
soundtrack and enhanced graphics. (Telegames)
IMPRESSIONS: If you're a fan of the first two games, the Shining Force
CD might be enough to justify picking up a Sega CD
system. The Shining Force series is a serious challenge
to any tactical mind. Once you get the hang of it,
you'll be hooked for good. We've played each game in
this series over and again, and we're hoping that there's
a Saturn version cooking somewhere that we'll be able to
get our hands on soon. (Tribune Media Services)
VARIATIONS: See the appropriate entry for the first two Genesis
games. In fact, there were at least three Game Gear
releases, although only the first (Sword of Hajya)
appears to have been translated into English
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Shinsetsu Yumemi Yakata
see THE MANSION OF LOST SOULS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Side Pocket - Special Edition (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Data East
RELEASED: 1997?
TYPE: Sports (billards)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enhanced version of the original G/MD release.
IMPRESSIONS: Apparently died with the death of the platform.
VARIATIONS: The original G/MD version is available; see the Genesis
section for more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: A Side Story of Armageddon
see LAST ARMAGEDDON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Silky Lip
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Nihon Telnet
RELEASED: 1996?
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Port of the almost completed but unreleased PC Engine CD
shojo game. It's a top-down game that bears more than
a passing resemblance to Sailor Moon RPG for the SNES -
in fact, if Silky Lip's title character didn't have green
hair, she might pass for a Usagi-chan clone.
IMPRESSIONS: All I've seen are screen shots and adverts written in
Japanese, so I can't tell ya a thing. It was released,
though - that much I know....
VARIATIONS: Mahao no Shojo is the actual Japanese title.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Silpheed
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Game Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The Earth-based Grayzon computer system has been "net-
jacked." Mankind's future in space is in your hands!
This highly modified SR-77 Silpheed tactical fighter is
up to the challenge - but are you? (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This game is one of the reasons why the Sega CD shouldn't
be considered a waste of time. It combines Galaga-style
arcade action with impressive polygonal backgrounds and
Star Wars style battlewagons. Overall, it's a beautiful
marriage of sprites and polygons, and I'm surprised there
wasn't a Sega Saturn version. It's a shooter's paradise!
(Sega Force)
VARIATIONS: Terra Stryker - The Silpheed Wars (European release)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: SimEarth - The Living Planet
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Maxis/Imagineer/FCI
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: Simulation
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Okay, so you're tired of building cities and playing with
ant colonies. How 'bout planet building? A new take on
the familiar Maxis theme....
IMPRESSIONS: This was found in the on-line listing of two different
Japanese software vendors, and now you know as much as I.
VARIATIONS: Erronously listed in previous FAQs as SLGEarth.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sky Sports Soccer
see SPORTING NEWS SOCCER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Slam City with Scottie Pippen
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Digital Pictures/Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Sports (basketball) (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Play street hoops with the famous Chicago Bulls forward
Scottie Pippen in dazzling full-motion video!
IMPRESSIONS: Ugh. It's not bad, but the FMV in this arcade YACEG
slows down the pace - kinda like those sports FMV arcade
games I remember from the 1980s. A great looker, but
rather limited as far as gameplay goes. As an FMV title
there isn't anything in the Genesis sports library that
can touch it, but mediocre gameplay can't justify the
extra bucks. If you still want to play street hoops but
want to save your money, then get a copy of Jammit
instead.
VARIATIONS: This was also released in a 32X edition that addressed
the sluggishness of the original and turned it into a
fairly decent game. There is also a demo version that
is known as the Digital Pictures Demo, since it contains
FMV promos for many other Digital Pictures titles. The
Slam City demo lets you shoot a few rounds of hoop with
the game character "Fingers."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Smurfs
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Virtual Studio/Infogrames
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Now you can relive the magic and wonder of the cute
little blue guys, created by the Belgian artist Peyo,
in this series of arcade games for the MegaDrive. The
Smurfs live in the forest and pretty much smurf to
themselves, except when that nasty wizard Gargamel takes
it upon himself to smurf with them. Each smurf has his
own talent except for Smurfette, but she doesn't need
one - she's the only female Smurf in the whole village!
Now that you have the frame, you can smurf the picture by
smurfing the games. Upgrade of the MegaDrive original.
IMPRESSIONS: Same as the Genesis version but with the addition of CD
music and password-entry level skipping. (Cybermedia gmbH)
VARIATIONS: These characters go by various names in different
countries. The appropriate label will be displayed
according to the language you select.
Les Schtroumpfs (French)
The Smurfs (English)
Die Schlumpfe (German)
Los Pitufos (Spanish)
I Puffi (Italian)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Snatcher
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Konami
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Attention, all Sega CD owners! You may now put the gun
down, wipe away the mounds of dust that have settled
since you beat Lunar, and prepare for one of the greatest
sci-fi adventures this side of the Pacific. Prepare for
a Blade Runner-esque ride to the future where androids,
disguised as humans, are attempting to take over the
world at the direction of a manaical scientist from ages
past. This piece of silvery plastic is far and away the
second-best game ever released for the Sega CD - Lunar
was the best.... (E. Phoenix, Game Zero)
IMPRESSIONS: This game originally appeared for the PC Engine CD, but
lucky for us Konami decided to release an English port
for the Sega CD - and what an awesome translation they
did! Great voice acting, plus a great story, add to that
great graphics, and good sound to top it all off make it
a truly unique gaming experience. Don't expect too much
in terms of interaction - all the puzzles are quite easy.
The main purpose is to tell an intriguing cyberpunk
story, which it does so well that you won't leave the
console until you finish the game! (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: Most people don't know that this game supports the
Justifier, the Konami light gun used in the Lethal
Enforcers series of arcade shooters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sol-Feace
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In the 31st century, a computer becomes "self aware" and
seeing itself superior to human beings. It gave Earth an
ultimatum - "be ruled or destroyed." As the last members
of the human resistance, you have to break through the
defenses of the computer and try to destroy it. This is
a slightly reworked Sol-Deace - nothing more, nothing
less - that was among the package of pack-in games first
released with the original Mega CD units. It was also a
pack-in game at one point with the various incarnations
of the Sega CD.
IMPRESSIONS: One of the all-time classic shooters for the G/MD ported
to the Sega CD. It has pretty good replay value, and was
also one of the first Sega CD titles that actually did
more than add music to a cartridge game. The graphics
were cleaned up, and (maybe it's just me) the CD version
seems to have slightly smoother animation than did the
original cart. If you're a shooter fan, you should
probably look into picking this one up. (R.I.P., Game
Zero)
VARIATIONS: The name of the G/MD original is Sol-Deace. I have been
unable to determine why they changed a single letter in
the title.
This was also re-released on a two-game disk with Cobra
Command.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sonic CD
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: In his fist CD adventure, Sonic goes head-to-head with
Metal Sonic - Dr. Robotnik's latest creation! Sonic
discovers Robotnik wants all of the Time Spheres from the
Little Planet so he can bend time and RULE THE WORLD!
Can you help Sonic get them first? (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Sonic CD is VGO's favorite Sonic game. It was made by
the original creators of the first game and the level
designs are awesome.... The graphics are on a par with
the other adventures, although not quite as bright as
Sonic 3.... I haven't had the chance to hear the import
version (which most magazines seem to agree has better
music), but I really enjoyed some of Spencer Nielson's
tunes in this game.... A great game that almost warrants
purchase of the Sega CD. (Virtual Gamers Online)
VARIATIONS: The Japanese release has different tunes than its
American counterpart, including a rap-style intro. The
IBM PC version is identical to the U.S. release in almost
all respects, including the music.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Soul Star
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The biosphere is heating up in Soul Star - and with over
40 exciting missions to conquer across 6 planets, you'll
never cool down in this amazing 3D shooter. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: One of the few games that takes advantage of everything
the Sega CD has to offer. Has the best graphics of its
day for the genre, although the complicated controls take
a bit to master. Gameplay is basic as with most shooters
- fly around and blow things up. Highly recommended for
the shooter crowd, if you can still find it. (Sega Force)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Space Ace
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Readysoft
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Action (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The evil Commander Borf has blasted space hunk Dexter
with his Infanto Ray, turning him into a dweebish boy,
and then kidnapped his girl Kimmy. Your job - figure out
a way to rescue her without getting hit a second time.
Features 14 levels and 50 minutes of FMV pulled from the
arcade original.
IMPRESSIONS: The second of Don Bluth's original laserdisc arcade games
makes a pretty faithful translation to the Sega CD. As
with the arcade, the graphics are fantastic but the
control is quite limited. It's nothing more that a
retooled Dragon's Lair in a futuristic setting - a great
looker, but not a great player.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Space Adventure
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hudson Soft
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Cobra is back! A new disguise hides his true identity as
he returns to blast the space trash that is terrorizing
the innocent victims of the universe. With his mega-
powerful Psyco-gun hidden in his left arm and his
beautiful partner Amaroid Lady riding shotgun, he's gonna
be tough to beat - but his back's against the wall. The
evil Pirate Guild is after his scalp, the Galaxy Patrol
wants him dead or alive, and there's a beautiful woman
lurking in the dark depths of space waiting for him.
Phew - talk about hot action! It's all here in this
brilliant adaption of the smash Japanese anime series by
world-famous artist Buichi Terasawa. So hang on and get
ready to zoom off to the outer reaches of space with the
master renegade of the first degree - Cobra! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Space Adventure Cobra 2 is the name of the Japanese
release. I wonder what happened to the first game, eh?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Sporting News Soccer
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Hudson Soft
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: YACEG soccer sim featuring the endorsement of the well-
respected newspaper. Ported from the PC Engine game.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: The ESRB lists this game as Sky Sports Soccer. Hmmm....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Space Pirates (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: American Laser Games
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Action (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Planet-hopping pirates led by the evil Captain Talon
have captured a ship of innocent space colonists. The
player, a Star Ranger, must save the colonists and head
off Talon's plans to rule the universe. The player will
face hordes of pirates in an effort to collect energy
crystals from a variety of worlds. The crystals power
the star splitter cannon, the only weapon that can blast
Talon and his misfits into another galaxy. (CD-ROM
Access)
IMPRESSIONS: As with its predecssors, play revolves around repetition,
learning the mechanics of each section, making slow
progress. However, the wide variety of planets to hop
across and aliens to encounter makes it all feel pretty
big, with enough branch points to postpone irritation
when a seemingly impossible section gets just too much to
cope with.... If you're a fan of the genre, there's no
doubt that Space Pirates is as good as its limited but
fun predecessors, and novices seduced by the format will
be entertained for a while...[but the general game
format] needs some serious re-invention if it's to
acquire anything larger than a cult following. (Paragon
Online)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Spiderman vs. the Kingpin
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Enter a vicious web of danger and disaster! The Kingpin
of Crime frames Spiderman for planting a bomb in New
York, and Spidey's only hope is to find the keys to the
bomb's location before it explodes. Help Spiderman stick
it to the Kingpin and his hordes of vicious assasins
along the way. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: The only differences I can readily notice from the G/MD
game are cleaner graphics, a few FMV clips, and a spiffy
CD sound mix. Otherwise, it's the same game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Blade
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Namco
RELEASED: 1991
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: You are alone in the gunner's chair with the entire Red
Eye armada in your face. Grab hold of your 15 ton laser
cannon and rumble with wave after wave of unrelenting
alien mercenaries. Descend deep into the evil mechanized
Planet Red Eye and obliterate the Octopus power source.
Destroy the omnipotent Iceberg battleship and the
unbeatable flagship commander. Execute Operation
Star Blade! (Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: Star Blade is an excellent conversion and is even better
than the original arcade game. It will delight all the
shoot-'em-up fans, and others as well! (Coming Soon
Magazine)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Strike (unreleased?)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1997?
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Upgraded version of the classic Intellivision first-
person shooter that was originally coded in AMOS for the
almighty Amiga.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Wars - Rebel Assault
AUTHOR/VENDOR: LucasArts/JVC
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: As Rookie One, you get to take part in a series of
events that parallel the events depicted first Star Wars
feature film. Fly on a variety of missions as either a
male or female cadet, and relive the experience that made
the movie the legend that it is today.
IMPRESSIONS: Received rave reviews when first released, but that seems
mostly due to its faithfulness to the concept. Lots of
eye and ear candy here, and LucasArts took great pains to
ensure that the grainy first-generation digital FMV was
used to its maximum effect. Flight control is quite
limited - in some places almost nonexistent. In fact,
the overemphasis on faithfulness means that parts of the
game run on rails. Still, the dogfighting sequences are
worth the price and heralded greater Star Wars games to
come - i.e. Rogue Squadron.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Star Wars Chess
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Software Toolworks
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Remember Battle Chess - Interplay's animated chess game
with its Pythonesque twist on gameplay? Same idea, but
this employs characters and "combat techniques" from the
Star Wars trilogy. Ported from the IBM PC game.
IMPRESSIONS: A novelty and nothing more. Played it, sold it. Been
there, done that. I'll still take Battle Chess any day,
which I probably why I still keep a copy of that classic
on hand.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Stellar Fire
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Dynamix/Sierra
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The largely unsung third title in the Stellar 7 series
pits you aginst the latest Draxon threat - a massive
assault against Earth itself! It's Stellar 7 in space,
with true 360 degree flight mechanics and a polygon-based
3D game engine that has to be seen to be believed. Also
includes an introductory narration by actor Michael Dorn
of STAR TREK fame.
IMPRESSIONS: Gameplay and graphics are almost identical to its Amiga
and PC predecessors; however, this installment has a
GREAT soundtrack that sucks you right onto the surfaces
of the planets that you free. (Eidolon)
VARIATIONS: The predecessors to this game, Stellar 7 and Nova 9, are
not available for the platform. Stellar 7 is available
in both 8-bit and 16-bit versions and Nova 9 in 16-bit
only for various home computers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Gal's Panic
AUTHOR/VENDOR: JVC
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Puzzle
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This is one of several unverified titles from Eidolon's
Sega CD listing. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super League CD
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Sports
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This is the Japanese version of the Genesis title Sports
Talk Baseball, but in Japanese and with Central League
teams. It is a YACEG variation feature Egawa Suguru, a
noted Central League player.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: The reall Japanese title is Egawa Sugoru no Super League.
See the Super League series in the G/MD section for more
info. There appear to have been two different versions
released - one for one-player and one for multiple
players - and I have box scans for both. The one-player
version does not have the celebrity endorsement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Super Strike Trilogy
AUTHOR/VENDOR: The Game Factory/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Compilation of the first three games in the Strike
trilogy - Desert Strike, Jungle Strike, and Urban Strike.
See the STRIKE TRILOGY entry in the G/MD section for more
details.
IMPRESSIONS: Separately, these games are a hoot - if you don't mind
incorporating a little tactical planning into your
shellfests. All together, though, they're quite a
package.
VARIATIONS: There was a sequel produced specifically for the Sega CD;
see the separate entry on Surgical Strike for more info.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Supreme Warrior
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Use lightning fists, whirling kicks, and an arsenal of
bone-crushing secret moves in this authentic high-speed
martial arts fighting game! Battle twelve opponents
portrayed by the top martial arts champions. Strategy
and skill in gameplay required to conserve your energy
level, and gain hidden abilities necessary for the
final battle. Utilize over 20 authentic martial art
manuevers, and view photo-realistic graphics created in
Hong Kong at the legendary Shaw Brothers studios, best
known for the Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon. (Uncle
John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: This makes for an interesting comparison to Prize
Fighter. Same idea, different genre - martial arts
instead of boxing. Oh, yeah, it's in color, too. Same
strengths and weaknesses, though - good use of limited
FMV technology, but a game concept that outstrips its
limits. Well worth the look, though, if only to see
the movie all the way through. I've always had a soft
spot for badly-dubbed Hong Kong chop-sockey flicks ever
since the early days of Bruce Lee.
VARIATIONS: There was also an enhanced version released for the 32X,
which is highly recommended.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Surgical Strike
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In the future, war will be fought on an open battlefield.
High-tech urban guerillas will attack out of nowhere and
then fade back into cities and villages to hide among the
innocent population. To ferret out this invisible enemy
without causing civilian casualties, the nations of the
world have banded together to create an elite special
forces unit, the Surgical Strike Team. You are in total
control of a highly maneuverable hovercraft - charge
enemies straight on, turn to explore new paths, or spin
180 degrees to face an attack from behind! Choose your
weapon! Pepper terrorist snipers with a 30MM Gatling gun
or fire laser-guided rockets to take out enemy tanks with
pinpoint accuracy. Access on-board electronic mapping to
detect hidden emplacements while a circling AWACs C-130
provides you with up-to-the-minute intelligence. (Sega
Online)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Successor to the Super Strike Trilogy - see separate
entry for more details. A 32X version was planned but
never released.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Switch
see PANIC!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Syndicate
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bullfrog/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: From the team that brought you Theme Park, Syndicate has
nothing to do with the popular manga series of the same
name. Instead, it is very clever, although somewhat
complex take on the strategy "world domination" genre.
Once you've organised your troops, the game is more
like a complex, but slightly slower version of Cannon
Fodder - only with some nice touches of its own, such
as stealing cars. (Steve Sharp)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
T
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tenbu Mega CD Special
AUTHOR/VENDOR: GameArts/Wolfteam
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Feudal Japanese strategy game apparently based on the
1571 campaigns of Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga....
IMPRESSIONS: "...a great game..." (The GamesMaster)
VARIATIONS: Also known as Tenkafubu Mega CD, although this is
probably a mangling of the original Japanese.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Terminator
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Probe/Virgin Games
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: You are Kyle Reese and your mission is to go back in time
to protect Sarah Conner, mother of John Conner - leader
of the resistance of the future. Cyberdyne Systems model
101 - The Terminator - is the enemy. Outside living
human tissue, inside hyper-alloy combat armor, it can't
be reasoned with, won't be bargained with, and will not
stop until it competes its task - kill Sarah Connor.
Relive the action of the smash hit movie, featuring six
intense levels of gameplay, scrolling action, battle and
driving sequences, and devastating, high-powered weapons
from today and tomorrow. (Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: A quite different animal than its predecessor, in that
Probe completely recoded the game for the Sega CD and let
Tommy Tallarico write a soundtrack for it. It's great!
(Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Theme Park
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Bullfrog/Electronic Arts
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Business simulation
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Think you can design and build the greatest amusement
park in the world? You select the site, you lay out the
rides - in fact, you control every aspect of running a
profitable amusement park - from hiring employees to
developing new rides and maintaining an adequate supply
of soft drinks. Any mistakes, and the hordes of fun-
seekers will let you know. Oh, and that merry-go-round
in flames is a clue, too. (Player's Choice)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Third World War
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Extreme Entertainment
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Strategy
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In [this game] you lead one of 16 real nations in the
1990s and beyond in a world that very much resembles our
own, right down to global politics and balance of
power.... Your goals are somewhat different depending on
which country you select -- but the overall goal of The
Third World War is world domination.... You make the
policies and decisions that affect your country, like
investing in industry, offering tax advantages, funding
weapons research, and negotiating peace treaties. If you
can't accomplish your goals diplomatically, you will go
to war, deploying armies (represented by icons) on
battlefields that would be at home in a Pentagon war
strategy room.... (Tribune Media Services)
IMPRESSIONS: Don't be fooled by the lame presentation at the beginning
- as soon as the first fight starts, you'll be drawn into
realtime strategy battles comparable to Command and
Conquer (but slower, though). That said, is the game
historically correct? NOT! (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Thunder in Paradise (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Software Toolworks/Mindscape
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Apparently this was to have been a port of the lousy
arcade game based on the lousy syndicated TV series
starring American professional wrestler Hulk Hogan as
the leader of a covert ops team based in Florida.
IMPRESSIONS: None - the game was cancelled in the development phase.
VARIATIONS: While this was developed using Genesis hardware, my
sources agree that it was eventually intended for a Sega
CD release and would have incorporated FMV cuts from the
series. A working proto is known to exist, although I
am unsure as to its format.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Thunder Storm FX
see COBRA COMMAND
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Thunderstrike
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Flight simulator
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In this game you fly an attack helicopter on several
missions in just about every type of landscape
environment from desert to along a forested river. In
the process you get to fight about everything from jet
fighters, tanks, missile launchers, and even other
helicopters. (Game Zero)
IMPRESSIONS: This is by far and away the smoothest, best-looking,
best-playing, best-sounding, and overall fun flight sim
for any 16-bit system. Its sprite-based 3D world is
surprisingly realistic to boot. It's games like this
that make Sega CD owners a proud crowd. (Sega Force)
VARIATIONS: Thunderhawk is the name of the European release. It is
also known as AH-3 Thunderstrike. It was the subject of
the very first Sega CD demo, issued in Mega CD format by
Core. The playable demo gives the name of the American
release as Firehawk. There was a sequel planned for
release on the 32X called Firestorm: Thunderhawk 2; see
separate entry for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Time Cop
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Cryo/JVC
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: Based on the Jean Claude van Damme feature film about a
police officer from the future sent back in time to
apprehend a dangerous criminal.
IMPRESSIONS: Nice sound and smooth animation of the digitized graphics
used for the characters. A platform fighter in the best
Batman Forever tradition, but lacking the cut scenes and
about as repetitive.
VARIATIONS: A playable demo was indeed released for the Mega CD. The
full commercial version was never released, but would
have been comparable to the SNES version.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Time Gal
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Taito/Renovation
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The devious Luda is loose in time and out to change the
history of mankind. Help Time Gal stop him before the
world as you know it is destroyed. Hang on tight to your
time machine as you travel from pre-historic times to the
future. Jump from plane to plane in a WWII dogfight,
sail a Spanish Galleon on the high seas, ride a torpedo
through the ocean, battle robots in a futuristic space
station, and escape from hungry dinosaurs. Time Gal
features 16 thrilling levels, each of which is randomly
generated so every adventure through time is different.
View over 30 minutes of full motion animation, and test
your action reaction skills with 3 levels of difficulty.
(Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: This was apparently one of the very last games released
for the Sega CD, and is supposedly a fairly faithful port
of the original coin-op.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Time Slip (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sales Curve Interactive/ASG Technologies
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: In the year 2147, a temporal rift opens between the
planets of Earth and Tiamat. Tiamat decides to use the
opportunity to invade Earth, but want to avoid a long and
costly invasion battle. Instead, they decide to send
armies back to five different periods in Earth's history
and conquer the planet before it is technologically
capable of resisting. Earth learns of this plan and just
barely has the technology to counter it, but a Tiamat
bombing attack on the time slip facility wipes out all
but one person and nearly destroys the place. Dr. Vince
Gilgamesh, the project leader and sole survivor, is able
to repair the time slip machine enough to send just one
person back. Having done that, he grabs an energy rifle
from a dead soldier and starts the countdown sequence....
IMPRESSIONS: Interesting concept, good graphics and sound, difficult
gameplay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tokyo Mahjong Gakuen
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Asmik
RELEASED: 1996
TYPE: Tile game
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: This is one of several unverified titles from Eidolon's
Sega CD listing. More info would be appreciated.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Also known as Tokyo Mahjong Gakuen and sometimes referred
to as Tokyo Mahjong Land. This game was also released
for the Sega Saturn.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Tomcat Alley
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Stargate Productions/Sega
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Flight simulator (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: A renegade Soviet commander threatens the U.S. As
tactical officer, it's up to you and your pilot Dakota to
stop him! Good hunting! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: This is one of the most realistic flight simulators
you'll ever see. How real is it? Well, we decided to
find out, so we took a trip to Air Combat USA in
Anaheim, Calif. With a little help from Navy pilot Steve
"Skids" Donnelly, who pilots an F-14 at Miramar (that's
right, the home of "Top Gun"), we flew a fighter plane in
a dogfight against another rookie, [then compared it to
the game].... This one's hot. Like Skids told us,
perhaps just a little tongue-in-cheek, "It's even more
realistic than flying the F-14." The only thing missing
is the G-force. (Tribune Media Services)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Trivial Pursuit Interactive Multimedia Game
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Adrenaline Entertainment
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Board game
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Question - which trivia game makes computers come alive
with thousands of pictures, film clips, voices, and sound
effects? Answer - the Trivial Pursuit CD-ROM. With over
4000 questions and answers, you'll hear them sing, watch
them play, see history in the making, and have hours of
fun! Features CD-quality music, movie footage,
animation, photos, and more. A new bonus screen saver
asks questions while the computer is idle, and on-line
statistics let players know their status in each
category. (Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: If anyone is a fan of Trivial Pursuit, GET this disk...
it's excellent, it's real fun to play, the questions are
spoken and you get great pictures with every question
(they actually look 24-bit on the TV, they are so clear).
(Tim Lloyd, review of the Amiga version)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
U
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ultraverse Prime
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Psygnosis/Malibu Interactive
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Fighting
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It's Prime time, and that means the hottest action in the
Ultraverse universe is coming to your home! Superhero
Prime was once just a teenager named Kevin, but after a
secret experiment he discovered he possessed
extraordinary powers. Now he's out to rescue his friend
Kelly. That means dishing out all the non-stop, no-holds-
barred action his fans have come to expect! (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Yawn - yet another Streets of Rage clone, but this time
with a pajama-clad beefcake. At least it looks cool,
sounds pretty decent, and plays fair.
VARIATIONS: This was most commonly available as a two-game disc, with
Microcosm being the other game. The original standalone
release is quite rare. Also, this is the same game as
the unreleased SNES title Prime.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Urusei Yatsura - My Dear Friends
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Game Arts
RELEASED: 1995?
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Meet Ataru, the most lecherous teenager you've ever
seen. Meet Shinobu, his long-suffering girlfriend who
gamely puts up with his antics - that is, until the
the competition arrives. Meet Lum - the gorgeous female
teenage Oni who becomes Ataru's betrothed bride (!) in
a contest to save the world. She's head-over-heels in
love with him, jealous as all-out, and uses her alien
talents to keep him in line - most notably her ability to
deliver a massive electrical charge upon command anywhere
she wants - most frequently to the straying Ataru! A
unique adventure game based on the popular anime/manga
series created by Rumiko Takahashi (Rumik World, Maison
Ikkoku, Ramna 1/2)
IMPRESSIONS: This game was apparently commercially released in Japan,
and is available through several importers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
V
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Vay
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Renovation/Working Designs
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It came from space more than two millenia before - two
tons of advanced technology programmed only for
destruction. The five mightiest wizards of the land
joined forces and drew away the power of the battle
machine, dividing it into five orbs and sealing it away
from humanity. Now, the Danek Empire has succeeded in
partially duplicating its techology, resulting in an army
of metal warriors programmed for world destruction.
Man's only hope lies in finding the orbs and restoring
power to the machine that nearly destroyed the world.
(box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Probably Working Design's worst Sega CD game. This is a
quite mediocre RPG - nothing more, nothing less. Far too
frequent battles destroy most of the fun while playing;
nevertheless, the story is quite nice and worth following
to the end. It's definitely not in the same league as
Lunar - which you can play for hours and hours, or even
play it again. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
W
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Waurau Salesman
see THE LAUGHING SALESMAN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wheel of Fortune
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Carlton Productions/Sony Imagesoft
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Game show
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: This is the most advanced Wheel of Fortune TV game ever
developed, featuring 6000 puzzles and video footage of
Vanna White shot especially for this game. Based on the
popular American syndicated TV game show, and includes CD
quality music and sound effects. (box promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Same reaction as with Jeopardy for Sega CD - a helluva
lot better than its grainy and uninspiring G/MD ancestor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Who Shot Johnny Rock?
AUTHOR/VENDOR: American Laser Games
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Somebody has killed local nightclub owner Johnny Rock,
and his girlfriend enlists you to find out who. Your
only clue is a slip of paper clutched in the dead man's
hands. Thus, the story begins....
IMPRESSIONS: One of the early FMV titles from the people who brought
you Mad Dog McCree, and one of the better releases of its
day - although it's sadly dated now. Once you beat it,
that's it - despite the fact that there are multiple
endings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wild Woody
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega
RELEASED: 1995
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Listen-up, Pencil Necks! As the quickest draw ever to
wield a sketch pad, Wild Woody's going to write off a lot
of bad guys on his way to putting together the shattered
pieces of a magic relic! To get himself out of a jam,
Wild Woody can sketch-up things like bombs, mermaids,
cyclones and ghosts - or just rub out enemies with his
big eraser butt! Get the point? Includes amazing 3D
rendered graphics and 3D bonus rounds! (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: For all the fun, humor and originality of this game, the
hero exhibits a painful lack of control. His unexact
landings may cause him a lot more trouble than he started
with. The villains can move nearly twice as fast as
Woody, which means they get in a lot of cheap shots.
Still, it's a truly interesting and original CD. (Derrick
Williams, Detroit News Cyberia)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Willy Beamish, The Adventures of
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Dynamix/Sierra
RELEASED: 1992?
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Meet Willy Beamish, your average everyday schoolkid who
just happens to be a champion Nintari player. He wants
to go to the national Nintari championships, but that's
going to be rather difficult now that his dad has lost
his job. For that matter, how's he going to get out of
the last after-school detention of the year for making
off with the principal's toupee? The first successful
departure from Sierra's traditional role-playing format
and ported from the highly touted Amiga original.
IMPRESSIONS: The whole game was both graphically and audibly
enjoyable. Unfortunately, you spent more time waiting
for the loads than actually playing the game. Sierra
really shows promise with this title, and hopefully they
will find a way to improve the load times. (Ferrari Man,
Game Zero)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wing Commander
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Origin Systems/Mindscape
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: It's the 27th century, and mankind is locked in a deadly
war with the Kilrathi Empire, a race of catlike aliens
determined to conquer the Terran Confederation. As one
of the Confederation's top pilots, you've been assigned
to defend the TCS Tiger's Claw. Pilot your Hornet,
Scimtar, Rapier, or Raptor fighter through 40 thrilling
missions packed to the max with intense action. Features
full digitized speech, multiple camera views, character
interaction, interactive communication, and ranks and
awards. Show your years of Academy training and
expertise in a deep space dogfight. Evade enemy
missiles and hurtle through asteroids and other space
debris as you take on one, two, three, or even four
relentless Kilrathi at once. (Uncle John's Attic)
IMPRESSIONS: This port falls somewhere betweent the Amiga version and
the IBM PC original in terms of quality. Load times are
a pain, and the space battles are a tad slow, but it's
still playable - and the story and mission structure
remain to this day almost unequalled for any system.
(Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Winning Post
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Koei
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Gambling (horse racing)
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Unlike other major titles in the genre, this focuses on
letting the player lead a life of thirty years as a horse
owner. You start out as a silent owner, but as you become
more friendly with trainers, you get to put in your "two
cents." The objective is to raise a horse that can
conquer the world's major races. (.games)
IMPRESSIONS: This is a rather weird horse racing game that plays a lot
like the SNES version. Didn't impress me all that much,
and all that kanji didn't help, either. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wire Head
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Digital Pictures
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Get into Ned's head! Once, Ned Hubbard was a shy,
unassuming man. Now he's the first completely
interactive live action character! An accident left him
unable to control feelings like fear, aggression, and
other strong emotions, so his brain has been implanted
with a wireless controller. Ned needs your help to guide
him away from danger and temptation. (Sega Online)
IMPRESSIONS: Dumb concept. Dumb execution. Dumb game. 'Nuff said.
VARIATIONS: There was also a 32X-enhanced version released.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wolf Child
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design/JVC
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: The world's most renowed genetic scientist has been
kidnapped and brainwashed into creating an army of
bloodthirsty mutant warriors. Suddenly the fate of all
mankind rests in his youngest son, and in a top-secret
mutating experiment known as "Project Wolfchild." (box
promo)
IMPRESSIONS: Same as the G/MD game, but with a CD soundtrack. Too
easy by far. Aw, come on, Core! You can do better than
that! (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: WonderMega Collection
AUTHOR/VENDOR: JVC/Sega
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Multigame
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A set of three games packaged on one disk and distributed
along with the Japanese version of the JVX X'Eye combo
G/MD/CD console, aka the WonderMega. The games were
Flicky, Pyramid Magic, and Puzzle Fighter. The last two
are unique to this disc, with the first being a puzzle
game and the other a strange mix of quiz show and air
hockey.
IMPRESSIONS: A rather bland mixture, but apparently well suited for
the intended Japanese market.
VARIATIONS: Known in the European Market under the title Game Garden.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Wonder Dog
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Core Design/JVC
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Platform
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A fast platform game that has nothing to do with the
cartoon superhero of American television fame. It was
developed specifically by Core for the WonderMega, and
was the last pack-in title for that console before it
was discontinued by JVC.
IMPRESSIONS: Slow platform game with a nice opening cinema. You have
to collect stars on some stages - some hidden as well.
Gets old fast. (Eidolon)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Cup Golf
AUTHOR/VENDOR: U.S. Gold
RELEASED: 199
TYPE: Sports (golf)
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: Lets you take part in the 1994 World Cup golfing tourney
at Hyatt Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico. Play solo or in
competition with 15 different types of games, 3 play
modes, rich in CD music and digitized voice samples, and
more.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: An enhanced version with netplay capability was released
for the Sega Saturn
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: World Cup USA 94
AUTHOR/VENDOR: U.S. Gold/Sega
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (soccer)
LANGUAGE: Multilanguage
PREMISE: Enhanced version of the G/MD game that now includes eight
different languages, instant video replay, flybys of all
World Cup 94 stadiums, trivia quizzes, and two bonus CD
music tracks by The Scorpions.
IMPRESSIONS: All that eye and ear candy, and it's still the same sucky
little 16-bit sorry-ass soccer sim. What a waste.
VARIATIONS: This was originally released for the MegaDrive under the
title World Championship Soccer 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: WWF Mania Tour
see WWF - RAGE IN THE CAGE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: WWF - Rage in the Cage
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Acclaim
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Sports (wrestling) (FMV)
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A special edition of the Genesis WWF series produced
exclusively for the Sega CD. As the title implies, these
are all cage matches - no running out of the ring! Makes
extensive use of actual audio and video clips from real
WWF matches.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: WWF Mania Tour (Japanese)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
X
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
===
Y
===
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Young Indiana Jones
see INSTRUMENTS OF CHAOS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ys 4 - Mask of the Sun
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Famcom/Nihon Telnet/Tonkin House
RELEASED: 1993?
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Adol Christian's fourth outing finds him going on a new
adventure to a distant country without the aid of his
constant companion Dogi, where he must deal with a land
that is in the process of being overrun by monsters. I'm
told that this is the prequel to Ys 3, although it was
released afterwards.
IMPRESSIONS: Thank goodness they've traded in the side-scroller for a
traditional top-down approach. It's pretty much the same
as the SNES game, but with a lush CD soundtrack...or so
I've been told...
VARIATIONS: Ys 3 - Wanderers From Ys is available for the Genesis;
see the Genesis section for more info. Also, Ys 1 -
Vanished Omens is available for the Master System. The
debate still rages over whether or not this title
actually exists for the Mega CD, although my Japanese
sources swear by it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Yumemi Mystery Mansion
see THE MANSION OF HIDDEN SOULS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Yuyumimi Mix
AUTHOR/VENDOR: GameArts
RELEASED: 1992
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: An interactive shojo story dealing with the misadventures
of a cute, red-headed teenage girl and the fantasy world
with which she interacts - kinda in the same vein as
Magical Knight Rayearth.
IMPRESSIONS: Dreadfully easy, but great production values. One of a
select handful of Mega CD titles that was eventually
rereleased for the Saturn.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LASERACTIVE RELEASES
--------------------
These games are on oversize laserdiscs (LD) and will only work in the
Pioneer LaserActive CLD-A100 system. My apologies in not having more
information for you, as only sparse data could be found at this time. My
thanks to Greg Nelson, Guy Biermann, Mega Driver, and the folks at REPC for
what little we do have as of this date. Some of these require the LD-ROM
module (TG16/PCE) instead of the Mega-LD module (G/MD). All Mega LD
entries will be corrected in G3O as more data becomes available.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: 3D Museum
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: ?
PREMISE: Reportedly an interactive art exhibit of some kind.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Blue Chicago Blues
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Aloiso Productions/River Hill Software
RELEASED: 1995 (#34472)
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: An interactive mystery highlighting the "blues scene"
of the American city of Chicago, Illinois.
IMPRESSIONS: Really heavy on the cinemas, and rather linear by most
accounts.
VARIATIONS: This was also released for the PlayStation and the
ill-fated NEC PC-FX around the same time. It was
recently reissued as a CD-ROM release for Win98J. An
English Win98 release is also planned.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Don Quixote
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A anime sci-fi adventure inspired by the Cervantes novel.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Ghost Rush
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Sega(?)/Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994 (#34469)
TYPE: Action
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: A cute-looking chan-style game that seems to be of the
"pocket monster" (tamogatchi) variety, judging from what
limited info I have to date.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Goku
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1997? (#66342)
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Futuristic detective fantasy. Private investigator Goku
has a computerized eye that can interface with any
electronic device at will, as well as a expandable baton
(wonder if he knows Tonya Harding?) that enables him to
skewer adversaries and vault across skyscrapers. Stylish
animation with soft-core sex and bondage motifs. Based
on the manga by Buichi Terasawa. (Anime Otaku)
IMPRESSIONS: Interesting... (Guy Bierman, who gives it 6 out of 10)
VARIATIONS: Midnight Eye Goku is the original manga title. Otaku
will also recognize Terawawa-san as the author of Space
Adventure Cobra; see the Mega CD review for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: The Great Pyramid
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: 1994 (#33588)
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: ?
PREMISE: An interactive history lesson on the Great Pyramid o
Egypt, one of the so-called "seven wonders" of the
ancient world.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hi-Roller Battle
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994 (#33590)
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: A fun 3D shooter simulation. (Greg Nelson) [8 out of 10]
VARIATIONS: One of only two Mega LD releases to be released in the
North American market; the other is Space Bezerker.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Hyperion
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: ? (#33877)
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: ?
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: Guy Bierman rates it 9 out of 10.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: I Will: The Story of London
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: ? (#33589)
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: A fun 3D whodunit, in which you have to run all over
London [England] in order to solve a mystery. The flip
side is a rather lame travelogue in both Japanese and
English. (Greg Nelson)
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Legacy (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: ?
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: ?
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Manhattan Requiem
AUTHOR/VENDOR: River Hill Software
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Adventure
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: This was recently reissued as a CD-ROM release for
Win98J. An English Win98 release is also planned.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Melon Brains
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Garage Multimedia Creator's Network/Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: "Exploring the mind of dolphins" runs one promo quip.
Apparently features an appearance by the world-famous
real-live dolphin JoJo.
IMPRESSIONS: Do you like games about the environment, nature boy?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Myst (unreleased)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Cyan/Pioneer
RELEASED: 1995 (planned)
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: English
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: Work apparently advanced to a considerable point by all
all accounts before the project was eventually shelved.
Brian A. Rice was one of its chief developers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Pyramid Patrol
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1993
TYPE: Shooter
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Fly around the pyramids in your attack helicopter, shoot
things, blow stuff up.
IMPRESSIONS: This game not only runs on rails, it just about damn near
derails the player. You do nothing but point and shoot,
while the computer does the rest. God, this is SO BORING!
Aren't we fortunate that it died with the system?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Quiz Econosaurus
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: Edutainment
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: Equal parts history and science lesson.
IMPRESSIONS: Selected by Game Informer in 1998 as one of the 25 worst
videogames of all time. Hmmm....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Road Prosecutor
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Rocket Coaster
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: Guy Bierman gives it 8 out of 10.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Space Berzerker
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: English and Japanese
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: One of only two Mega LD releases to be released in the
North American market; the other is Hi-Roller Battle.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Triad Stone
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Vajra series (2 titles)
AUTHOR/VENDOR: Pioneer
RELEASED: 1994
TYPE: RPG
LANGUAGE: ?
PREMISE: I'm just guessing, but I'm betting that they were set in
India and had something to do with the Buddhist faith.
IMPRESSIONS: ?
VARIATIONS: Vajra (LD-ROM)
Vajra 2 (Mega LD and LD-ROM)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Virtual Cameraman: Part 2
AUTHOR/VENDOR: ?
RELEASED: 1997
TYPE: ?
LANGUAGE: Japanese
PREMISE: ?
IMPRESSIONS: ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISSING IN ACTION
-----------------
There remains much confusion remaining as to whether or not certain titles
were ever released for the Genesis/MegaDrive. I must admit that I'm just
as confused as the rest of you on this matter. Below are a list of titles
that I have deemed "missing in action" - these are unconfirmed titles from
other people's lists that I have consulted during the compilation of G3.
These are not included in the official count of unique titles given at the
top of this FAQ. This list includes all of the valid questionable titles
from the Cantin, Chase, Babich, and Lipetz lists, as well as others I've
stumbled across in my research. I note in passing that ports for other
systems exist for many of these titles.
Name VendorSourceComments
----------------------- ----------- ----------- ---------------------------
A-Team U.S. Gold Babich Based on the TV show?
ActRaiser Enix Lipetz Abandoned before production
- SNES version exists
Air Cavalry, Legend of Cybersoft Lipetz SNES version exists. This
WAS announced, but I have
no info beyond that.
Al Unser Jr. Racing Mindscape Lipetz SNES version exists
Art of Fighting 2 SNK Lipetz Planned at one point, but
seemingly never undertaken
B-Bomb Sega OuiWeb Unreleased?
Baby Boom STA/Sega Lipetz/ Possibly an unreleased port
Chantal of the horrid NES game?
Bean Ball Benny NuVision Babich Unreleased?
Beethoven's 2nd Hi-Tech Lipetz Planned but abandoned -
SNES version exists
Bobby's World Hi-Tech Lipetz Planned but abandoned -
SNES version exists
Bounty Hunter Climax various Working title for the game
that became Dark Savior
on the Sega Saturn - never
made for the Genesis
Bust-a-Move (aka Taito Zoop This may be one of the many
Puzzle Bobble undocumented Sega Channel
exclusives - Game Gear
version exists
Cannondale Cup Radical Lipetz Bike racing game - SNES
version available
China Warrior Hudson Lipetz Port of the TG16/PCE game?
CJ Elephant Fugitive Codemasters Babich Would have been a port of
the Amiga version - SMS
version exists
Colorado ? Babich No info available
Cool World Virgin Babich Planned but abandoned -
SNES version exists
Creative Antics Sega Lipetz/ Edutainment that included
Babich the Sega Mouse - could be
alternate or working title
for Wacky Worlds
Daytona USA Sega Lipetz SVP version planned at one
point - alpha copy rumored
Death by Steel ? OuiWeb May be alternate title for
Steel Empire
Don't Drop Off the Brat Mirrorsoft Babich No info available
Fight Megamitense ? Lipetz Fighters Megamix alpha?
Frantic Factory Virgin Lipetz Edutainment - similar to
GameGear game.
Future Zone Electro Babich/ No info available
Brain Chase
Globdule Psygnosis Babich Platform game - Amiga port?
Go! Go! Tank ? Lipetz Port from NES?
The Godfather U.S. Gold Babich Side-scroll shooter?
Gradius Konami Lipetz Port of SNES Gradius 3
Guardian Angels ? various Fighting game loosely
inspired by actual org
Happily Ever After Imagitec Lipetz Based on the animated movie
- SNES version exists
Hard Yardage Strata Babich Coin-op conversion
Harlem Globetrotters Gametek Babich YACEG basketball sim - NES
version exists
Harrint ? Cantin/ Apparently WAS released, but
used cart I can find no info on this
vendors title - same goes for the
Game Boy version.
Home Improvement Absolute Lipetz Abandoned - SNES version
exists
Hooves of Thunder Microleague Lipetz Horse racing/gambling sim
ported from the IBM PC?
Indiana Jones - U.S. Gold Lipetz SNES version exists
Greatest Adventures
Impossible Mission 2025 Epyx Babich Update of the C-64 classic
Interplanetary Lizards Tengen Lipetz Based on the comic book
of the Texas Plains series
Isle Road Wolfteam Babich Arcade port?
Jesse "The Body" ??? Babich Apparently a port of an
Ventura earlier 1991 game that was
announced in mid-1992 - no
other data available.
Jester Sega Lipetz/ Planned at one point -
OuiWeb unreleased?
Keeper of the Gates Razorsoft Famcom RPG?
King Arthur and the Enix Lipetz Planned but abandoned -
Knights of Justice SNES version exists
Knights of the Sky Microprose Lipetz Press release only exists
Kunio no Oden Technos Babich SNES version exists
The Lost Vikings 2 - Blizzard Lipetz Planned but abandoned
aka Norse by
Norsewest
Macross - Scrambled Seismic Babich Planned but abandoned
Valkyrie
Magician's Castle Psygnosis Babich Amiga port?
The Mask TH*Q Babich Based on the movie - SNES
version exists
Matenno Sometsu Kodansha Babich SNES verison exists
Mickey and Donald's Capcom Lipetz Not the same as the Genesis
Magical Quest Illusion series - SNES
version exists
Mickey's Edutainment Hi-Tech? Lipetz No info available
Monty Python's Flying Virgin Babich Would have been a port of
Circus the Amiga original
Mr. Nutz 2 Ocean Lipetz European market only?
Mr. Tuff Ocean Babich SNES version exists
Nautilus Sega Babich This was a SC3000 game, or
it might be a working name
for the unreleased Shadow
of Atlantis
NBA Showtime 95 ? Babich Unconfirmed
Nickelodeon GUTS Viacom various Viacom says they NEVER did
a Genesis port
Nolan Ryan Baseball Romstar Babich Unconfirmed - SNES game
available
PGA Tour Golf 95 EA Sports Lipetz Never started
PGA Tour Invitational EA Sports Lipetz Never started
Pit-Fighter 2 Tengen Lipetz Planned but abandoned
Popeye the Sailor Man Technos Lipetz/ Update of the classic
Babich arcade platformer - SNES
version exists
Power Piggs of the Titus Lipetz SNES version available
Dark Ages
Railroad Tycoon Microprose Lipetz Planned but abandoned
Raamses Tengen OuiWeb Appears to have at least
been started, but nothing
else known beyond that.
Road Riot 4WD Tengen Lipetz Abandoned?
Rocko's Modern Life - Viacom Lipetz Based on the Nickelodeon
Spunky's Dangerous animated series - SNES
Day version exists
Romance of the Three Koei Lipetz Rumored to exist for G/MD -
Kingdoms (first one) Amiga version exists
Sailor Moon R Bandai Steve Definitely planned at one
Pearl point - would have been
similar to SNES version.
Someone sent Eidolon a
screenshot that doesn't
look anything like the
various SNES or TG16/PCE
releases, but declined to
send a copy of the game.
Sega Rally Championship Sega various Planned at one point -
alpha copy rumored
Seven Cities of Gold Ozark Games Lipetz Thought to exist for same
reasons as M.U.L.E.
The Shadow Ocean Lipetz Inspired by the movie -
SNES version exists
Shadow of the Beast 3 Psygnosis Babich I can find no evidence of
a Genesis port
Side Pocket 2 Data East Lipetz Possibly unreleased?
Smash Ball Sanrio rumors Unconfirmed - most likely
a port of the SNES version
Socks the Cat - Rockin' Kaneko Lipetz/ Genesis version cancelled
the White House Babich/ before production started
OuiWeb (I wonder why... -_^ ...)
Spawn Acclaim Lipetz Based on the Todd McFarlane
comic book series - SNES
version exists
Speed Racer - The Tengen/ Anime Game Abandoned - IBM PC version
Challenge of Racer X Accolade Database is available
Star Quest Namco Lipetz No info available
Stone Protectors Kemco Lipetz Fighting game created by
Vic Tokai - SNES version
exists
Super Off-Road Baja Tradewest Lipetz Sequel to Super Off-Road -
SNES version exists
Taimei Biography ? The Dump Haven't a clue
Time Trax Malibu Lipetz Inspired by syndicated TV
show - SNES version exists
Tiny Toons Cartoon Sunsoft Lipetz Probably similar to SNES
Workshop Acme Animation Factory
Touchdown Football Intermark/ Lipetz The only listings I can
Elec. Arts find are for Atari 7800
Transa Banker Sega Babich Edutainment
Vara's Code 32X ? Craick/ No info available
Chantal
Warrior of Rome 3 Extreme Babich SNES version exists
WCW Superbrawl FCI Lipetz SNES version exists
Wild Snake Spectrum Babich Might be undocumented Sega
Holobyte Channel game - SNES
version exists - see also
Link Dragon under the
commercial titles section
----------------------- ----------- ----------- ---------------------------
This is how the MIA list stood at the end of August 1999. Any corrections
or additions will be done in G3O.
COMMON TERMS
------------
2D - two-dimensional, has either height-length or length-width,
sometimes height-width
3D - three-dimensional, everything appears to have height, length,
and width
adult - English term for "sexually explicit;" the term denotes a
strong Occidental flavor as opposed to Oriental
anime - Japanese word for "animation;" denotes a particular and
highly recognizable style of graphics design first
popularized by Osamu Tezuka back in the 1960s
chan - Japanese term for "intimately familiar person;" see "SD"
first- - action appears to be taking place directly from the player's
person perspective, as if he/she were actually taking part within
the game itself
hentai - Japanese term for "sexually explicit;" the term denotes a
strong Oriental flavor as opposed to Occidental
isometric - pseudo 3D perspective in which both length and width are set
at opposing angles from the horizon, often requiring two-
button combinations to move directly forward-back or left-
right, not to be confused with "slant-view"
kawaii - Japanese word for "overly cute;" commonly used in association
with chan-style games, see also "SD"
manga - Japanese term for "comic book;" see also "anime"
otaku - Japanese word for "fanboy;" used in the same sense as
"Trekkie" to denote people who are overly fond of anime
pachinko - commonly known as "Japanese pinball," in which steel balls
are fed through an intricately designed vertical pinball-
style board - you buy your own balls at the pachinko parlors,
and can win all sorts of prizes based on how well you do
pachislot - a Japanese take on Western-style slot machines that has in
in addition to the lever a series of "skill stops" that give
you some control over each of the three spinning reels - the
object is the same, though, as you must achieve certain
patterns (three of anything is desired) in order to win the
various prises offered.
SD - short for "super-deformed;" a peculiar variant of anime in
in which cute-looking midget charactures are used often to
parody well-known anime/manga titles or as comic relief
within the same - frequently referred to as "chan-style"
by otaku with knowledge of Japanese
sensei - Japanese term for "teacher, master;" used in the latter sense
to denote one who commands mastery of a given craft
shojo - Japanese term for "girlish;" anything aimed at young girls
shonen - Japanese term for "boyish;" anything aimed at young boys
side- - action is viewed as if the player were directly beside it,
scroll begins at one side of the screen and scrolls to the other -
usually left-to-right, rarely right-to-left
slant- - pseudo 3D perspective in which only one of the axes of motion
view is slanted, usually either length or width, sometimes height,
not to be confused with "isometric"
top-down - action is viewed as if the player were directly overhead
YACEG - pronounced "yaah-segh," acronym for "Yet Another Celebrity
Endorsed Game"
THE SEGA SMASH PACK
-------------------
February of 1999 marked the commercial debut of the Sega Smash Pack - a
collection of several classic Genesis titles for use with IBM PC and
compatible systems. Many in the Sega gaming community (myself included)
were caught off guard by the fact that it uses a Win9x port of the world-
famous KGen emulation engine by Steve Snake - which makes KGen the only
"officially sanctioned" G/MD emulator. This was a long time in building,
and is a tribute to the Snake's doggedness. It is also the first time, to
the best of my knowledge, that a videogame console emulator has been
licensed for commercial release by the company whose product it emulates.
I encourage all of you to go out and show your support for both Sega and
the Snake by BUYING the Sega Smash Pack. It's still available, and the
Snake would appreciate the extra money in his pocket from the royalites. I
also note that showing your support for this and other "old" products will
encourage Sega to re-release more of its back catalog. Another Smash Pack,
perhaps? Anything's possible, given bonafide support from all of you Sega
gaming fans!
CREDITS
-------
The following people helped in saving G3 from the brink of legal death or
assisted in the making of the series two revised editions: Eidolon, Steve
Snake (our savior!), Zophar, JAGBOY, Nafligin, Adol, Matt Boehland, Matthew
Neilson, Sega Forever, the CyberGames Hardware Database, Dean Siren,
Kashue's Kingdom, ebay, Snorter, Cowering, Henrik Sankala, Chris Foulger,
Stuart Easton, MDMaster, Peter Hammond, Guy Biermann, KC's Computer Closet,
Laser Visions Direct, and many more!
I would also like to give special tribute to the following vendors for
putting up with my "ancient" questions - here's hoping that we can continue
to work together as G3O coalesces: Core Design, Raven Software, Working
Designs, and of course Sega of America.
Here's a special thank you to those who helped with the series one revised
edition: The Norseman, Game Control, Pocky, Zhenying Wu, Steve Snake,
#GameROM, Snorter, all the gang at Zophar's Domain, Point Casselaria
(Japan), Viper_Z (Brazil), jAsOn, Dave's Video Classics, Flavio, Jeffrey
Young, the folks at Digital for their AltaVista search engine, Working
Designs, Starbase 299, Steve Polak (Australia), Cybermedia gmbH (Germany),
Shion, the folks behind the Dogpile metasearch engine, Zoop, Ken Arromdee,
Johnny Rio, Obscure Pixels, Evan, Nafligin and the many fine folks at the
Phantasy Star Discussion Board, the UVL Project, and finally to my good
friend Eidolon for his continuous support.
I would also like to thank everybody else who helped in the initial building
of this FAQ: Anime Games Database, Baalim, Detroit News Cyberia, Electric
Playground, Electronic Gaming Monthly (aka EGM), Enigma Games, EPN
Playground, Famcom, Feesh, Game Informer, Games Domain, Game Guides, Game
Zero, the Game Zone, Gordon Craick, the folks at HotBot, John Babich, the
Judge, Kokee, the folks at MetaCrawler, OuiWeb, Outpost Sega, Rage Games,
Robert Worne, Sega Force, the Sega Zone, the Seiyuu Game Database, Spotlight
Media, Steve Pearl, Steve Wai, Sylvain de Chantal, Tim Lipetz, Tribune Media
Services, Uncle John's Attic, and Wired magazine. Legal concerns restrict
me in many instances from giving additional credit where credit is due, but
those involved know who you are and know how I feel. I and the rest of the
Genesis/MegaDrive gaming community will be forever grateful for your
contributions and support.
* * * * * *
FINAL THOUGHTS
--------------
It's been a long time building, hasn't it?
When I issued the very first version of the Genesis Game Guide back in
March of 1998, who could have possibly known how it would have evolved?
Who could have imagined all of the data that would have arisen, all of the
virtual rocks that got kicked over, all of the "lost titles" that would
suddenly arise without warning, and so on? I didn't, nor did I forsee how
things would develop. It's been an interesting and educational trip for
me, and helped reawaken my youthful love of computer videogames. I missed
out on the Genesis when it first came to market. Thanks to this project,
and to everyone who has contributed in his or her own unique way to G3, you
have helped me experience for the first time something you enjoyed during
its heydey. I thank you for sharing your experiences with me.
One of the sites that has long promoted G3 is Zophar's Domain. To that
end, this edition of G3 is dedicated to them and their many, many patrons.
Congratulations on your third anniversary as a continuously operated
Internet site, and here's hoping that you will have many more. Zophar and
the gang are among the best, and this updated release of G3 is just my way
of saying, "Thanks, guys. Thanks for the support."
Unfortunately, for all of us, not only the folks at Eidolon's Inn and
Zophar's Domain and all of the other sites that support this FAQ, all good
things must come to an end.
G3 has grown to the point where a simple text file will no longer suffice
to contain all it should hold. I had always intended it to be more, with
this FAQ serving merely as the backbone. That dream went long unrealized
until fall of 1999, when the folks at Eidolon's Inn made my desire become
a reality. G3O, or "G3 Online," is finally beginning to come together.
Hopefully, within a year or two, it will be THE authority on G/MD/32X/CD
releases, hands down. I'm proud of G3, and it excites me to know that G3O
will be an even better source of information for all of you Sega classic
gaming fans out there. Even the vendors have taken note, and already some
of them (including some legendary names) are lending a hand. G3O ... the
dream realized at long last.
This will be the final edition of the text-only version of the Genesis Game
Guide. You many continue to copy and distribute it at will as before, but
there will be no more updates by me, nor will I authorize any by any third
party (no matter how well-intentioned). All future updates and corrections
will be going into G3's successor, G3O. It is sad in a sense, because I
know how many of you appreciate this FAQ and would like to see it continue
in its text-only form. If you would like to issue your own unofficial "G3
Supplement" or something like that, I don't mind - just don't mess with the
original, okay? On the other hand, it's nice to know that G3O will be able
to offer lots of extras that the original G3 simply cannot include due to
its current format. If we do our job well enough, and the support stays
firm, then there won't be any need for a third-party supplement. G3O will
be the place to find the answers that you seek.
I hope that all of you who read G3 will drop by and patronize G3O. I and
its many supporters and contributors would love to hear from you. You're
cordially invited to come visit and see the metamorphosis, and also to
contribute towards it in your own special way. G3 wouldn't be what it is
today without everybody that helped me in building it. G3O won't become
what it can be unless it gets at least the same level of support. So, Sega
classic gaming fans ... whaddya waiting for?
"The last G3." Ominous words, one might think.
Not true ... for you see, the end is only the beginning.
See you at G3O.
- Sam Pettus (aka "the Scribe")
9 November 1999
spettus@cswnet.com
G3O - http://eidolon.psp.net/g3o
-> end-of-file