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