2876 lines
135 KiB
Plaintext
2876 lines
135 KiB
Plaintext
From: din@gradient.cis.upenn.edu (Clarence Din)
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Newsgroups: rec.games.video
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Subject: TG-16 REVIEWS LIST
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Message-ID: <105030@netnews.upenn.edu>
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Date: 15 Jan 93 16:42:02 GMT
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Organization: University of Pennsylvania
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Lines: 1423
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****************************************************************************
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** Introducing: THE LIST! **
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** **
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** Turbografx-16, TurboDuo, and PC-Engine News and Reviews **
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** 90 *BIG* Reviews!!! **
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** by **
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** Clarence K. Din, aka The TurboKid **
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****************************************************************************
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Edition 01.11.93
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NOTE: All reviews written by TurboKid unless otherwise noted.
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In some reviews, "Ed." stands for "Editor." That's me again!
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New Games Reviewed in Recent Editions of the Review List:
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--------------------------------------------------------
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Air Zonk - need I say more?
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Browning - excellent graphics, but horrible gameplay... see review!
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New Adventure Island - save your family from an evil being!
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Soldier Blade - fast and furious vertical shooter
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SportsTalk Hockey - great fun for one to five people!
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Time Cruise - fast and furious video pinball action
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The TurboKid Rating System:
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--------------------------
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I use a rather unconventional grading system for rating games: A++ to F
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(4.6 to 0.0). Basically, a game will earn a C if it conforms to the
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minimal standards as to what a game should look, sound, and play like on
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a particular system. A game like Super Mario Bros. on a Nintendo and
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Sonic the Hedgehog on a Genesis would both receive A's, even though there
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are striking differences in graphics, sound, and playability between the two.
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Likewise, a game which does not use the hardware to its present (known)
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maximum potential will receive a mediocre grade. Slowdown or flickering,
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for example, would lower a game's graphics score considerably as well as
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lower playability.
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Basically, most games will get a B or B+. You think this is high? Well,
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if I really didn't think much of my system, I would've traded it in or
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sold it long ago. In the same light, most Genesis and Nintendo owners
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would probably give most of their games good reviews, too. I base most of
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my purchasing decisions by watching store demos of games or, as a last
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resort, studying the graphics screens on the backs of boxes. If I saw a
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lemon, I wouldn't buy it! That's why most of the games in this list can be
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called "winners." An occasional lemon may slip in, but that's usually
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because of too much reliance on slick packaging. Not everyone may share my
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opinions or tastes in games. I like shooters more than Mario-type games,
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but if a certain Mario-type game has a twist in it, like Bonk with its spin
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attack, I may find it interesting, play it, and give it a good review.
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However, if you think that some of my reviews don't give certain games enough
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credit, tell me. I'll be happy to study the game in question more closely.
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Some games have hidden surprises, secret levels, and the like, which increase
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a game's value. I may have missed some of these surprises, so tell me if you
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find any of them and I'll pass them along to other fellow gamers!
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Anyway, my OVERALL scoring formula is simple: Add up all values, taking
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LONGEVITY into account twice, and get an average. An 'A' would be a 4.0,
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an 'A-' a 3.7, a 'B+' a 3.3, etc. LONGEVITY is how long the game will
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maintain your interest (ie. will you want to play a game again and again or
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will you play it once and be disgusted with it?). For most gamers, LONGEVITY
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is more important than graphics or sound effects. Some of the best games
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have really bad graphics (eg. Tetris).
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If you would like to add to a review or possibly change a rating, please send
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me mail (din@gradient.cis.upenn.edu) and I'll take your comments into account!
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Thanks!
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The Rank Order Scale
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--------------------
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Periodically, I will be posting a listing of all of the games reviewed in
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my list in rank order, from highest overall rating to lowest. This list may
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be used as a basis for purchasing decisions. The real value of it lies in
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the fact that you can easily see if one game is exceptionally superior to
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another. Of course, different people have different opinions. That's why
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I have stated in the list that a difference of 0.1 between two games is
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usually not significant, that is, game X with a 3.4 and game Y with a 3.5
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are about the same overall (if comparing shooters to shooters; you shouldn't
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compare a 3.5 RPG with a 3.5 shooter!).
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Do You Have Reviews?
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-------------------
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Certainly, one man's opinion is not enough to base your decision to rent or
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purchase a game. If you have had any experience with a certain game and
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would like to share your experiences with other fellow Turbografx-16 owners,
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please send your reviews my way. I will take all of your comments into
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account and adjust my grades accordingly based on their soundness and wisdom.
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Credit will be given to the original reviewer. Please use the review format
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presented below and send them to din@gradient.cis.upenn.edu. Thanks!
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Please, please, PLEASE follow the format of the reviews for everyone's sake!
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The idea is to give other gamers the most clear and concise information
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possible!
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TurboKid's Board of Reviewers
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-----------------------------
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The following people were integral or most helpful in my assembling these
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reviews for all you TurboDuo, Turbografx-16, and PC-Engine gamers.
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Thank you all!
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Bryan Duvan, Chris Fleming, Tin Yau Fung, Jeff Graham, Brad Hamlett,
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Pete Ikusz, Kevin Kramer, Jeffrey Naiman, Sergey Shimkevich, James Stepanek,
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Laly Thao
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Format of Reviews
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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(game title) (format: CD-ROM, SCD-ROM, Hu-Card) Review by (your name).
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------------
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short, concise, encapsulated review or preview
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(Please make sure the following are in upper-case in your reviews!!!)
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GRAPHICS : (A++ to F rating with optional comments in parentheses)
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SOUND :
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MUSIC :
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GAMEPLAY :
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LONGEVITY:
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PLAYERS : 1
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IMPROVEMENTS: (this is optional)
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OVERALL : (convert your letter grades to a 4.6 to 0.0 scale (A++ to F)
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and add them all up counting the longevity score twice... divide
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the sum by 6 to get the overall score)
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COMMENTS : (or end comments... this is optional)
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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# The Addams' Family (CD-ROM) Review by Bryan Duvan and TurboKid.
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------------------
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Wander around the Addams' family house searching for the Addams' money
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vault all the while battling the Addams' family members.
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GRAPHICS : A- (Game is cartoon-like. Characters are a little too blocky and
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two-dimensional)
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SOUND : A (Excellent... this game uses the CD technology wisely)
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MUSIC : A (Addams' theme at the start of the game... nice!)
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GAMEPLAY : B (Even with a joystick, you'll need to get the hang of
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jumping over obstacles)
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LONGEVITY: B- (Frustrating... no save feature!)
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PLAYERS : 1
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IMPROVEMENTS: This game needs some serious fixes in gameplay mechanics.
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OVERALL : 3.34
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COMMENTS : This game really needs a save feature because you die too
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easily. "Am I the only one who thinks this game is a
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waste?" - Ed.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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# Aeroblaster (Hu-Card) Review by Bryan Duvan.
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Also known as Air Buster (Genesis). This is a side-scrolling shooter
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game which I truly like because of the simultaneously two player gameplay.
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GRAPHICS : A (Very nice... especially in the later stages)
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SOUND : B (Could be better)
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MUSIC : B (Very nice... above average)
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GAMEPLAY : A (Needs a joystick)
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LONGEVITY: B (Grade A if play with two players. Keeps you coming back for
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more)
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PLAYERS : 1 or 2
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IMPROVEMENTS: The smart bomb has to go... it takes too long to power-up!
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OVERALL : 3.40
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COMMENTS : Grab your buddy and play this baby. Guaranteed to make your
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fingers go numb.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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# Aim For The Top! GunBuster, Volume 1 (SCD-ROM) Review by Sergey Shimkevich.
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------------------------------------
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Top o Nerae! GunBuster is a game that is very similar in concept to Sherlock
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Holmes and Murder Club - it is basically a board game where you are presented
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with a situation and have to pick out a correct action to progress further.
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It is based on a very popular 6-part OVA (Original Video Animation) of the
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same title (recently released in the US with subtitles). The game is based on
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the first two parts of the series.
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The storyline in the game is the same as in the video. Noriko Takaya is a
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student at Okinawa Space High School for girls where combat pilots are being
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trained. Rather unsure of herself, she also has to carry on the legacy of her
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late father, Admiral Takaya who was killed in a space battle with the aliens.
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In the first part of the game, the goal is to survive the tribulations of high
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school (self-doubt, sibling rivalry) and to get assigned to the new
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battleship, Exelion. In the second part there are more obstacles to overcome,
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including a terrifying ghost from the past.
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The gameplay is very simple. After the opening intro (accompanied by a short
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version of "Fly High"), you see the options screen (looks exactly like the
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screen in Science Lessons) where the super-deformed Noriko and Kazumi tell you
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about the options. You can then start a new game, continue a saved one, go to
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a sound test mode or hear the background info on the three main characters.
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If you choose to do so, a super-deformed Coach Ohta will tell you about this
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option and then proceed to introduce the character that you've selected. After
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that, the character will introduce herself. You'll also see such vital
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statistics as birthdate, height and blood type displayed (turns out that
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Noriko is 0, Jung-Freud is AB and I forgot about Kazumi).
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When you select a new game or continue, you then get to a main screen where
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all action takes place. There is a display, about 1/4 of the screen where the
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action takes place, two windows where the commands are displaced and a Stress
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Meter. When you make the wrong decision, the Stress Meter goes up. When it is
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full, the game is OVER!!!
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You see a short animated sequence (the closest to full-motion animation that
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I've seen on the Turbo/PC Engine) and then you have to make a choice. If you
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make the wrong choice, you see the often hilarious results (for example when
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Jung-Freud is introduced to Noriko and Kazumi, one of the wrong responses is
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to "take a look at Jung's, er, bosom", also some wrong responses can get you
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slapped by Kazumi - OUCH!), your Stress Meter goes up and you have to make
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another choice. When you make the right choice, the story continues.
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At some point you'll be allowed to save your game and continue. You can also
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save the game at the end to have access to endgame options that include a
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command that replays the game automatically from the beginning to the end and
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a short comedy routine by Noriko, Kazumi and Jung-Freud.
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Also, when you put a regular system card instead of a Super System card, the
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results are absolutely hilarious. You see a parody of a Science Lesson where
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Kazumi asks Noriko questions about the PC Engine (no, the Coach doesn't show
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up at the end, too bad).
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GRAPHICS : A- (Unfortunately PC Engine/Turbo shows its limitations)
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SOUND : A+ (It's all speech)
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MUSIC : A+ (Two songs from the OVA!!!)
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GAMEPLAY : A+ (Lots of fun - if you like the show)
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LONGEVITY: A+ (You'll want to play it again, just to see the often hilarious
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results of incorrect responses)
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PLAYERS : 1
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OVERALL : 4.20
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COMMENTS : If you liked GunBuster and have a Turbo/PC Engine, you'll most
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probably love this game. On the other hand, if you do not know the story
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beforehand and/or do not speak/read Japanese, this game will not be much fun.
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Even though it is fairly easy to get through by the trial and error method,
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the story wouldn't make much sense.
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A bit on the negative side: unfortunately the PC Engine/Turbo hardware shows
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its limitations. The animation is still jerky and it is only in 1/4 of the
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screen (just like in Sherlock Holmes). Still, it is a very nice game and I
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enjoyed it a lot.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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# Air Zonk (Hu-Card)
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--------
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Zonk gives new meaning to the term "Cyberpunk" as he flies through 5
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stages of super-fast horizontally scrolling shooting action. The
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parallax scrolling is fantastic and there is enough variety in the
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powerups to keep your interest. One unique feature about this game is
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your ability to pick up a "satellite" shooter and merge with it.
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GRAPHICS : A+ (much improved over the original Bonk series and with
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more detailed graphics and use of colors... you will
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recognize many of the same characters here as in the
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original Bonk adventures and the way the game designers
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updated them to a more futuristic level is awesome)
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SOUND : A (nice explosions and shooting sounds)
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MUSIC : A- (cool music... not annoying)
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GAMEPLAY : B+ (as with all shooters, this game would be much better
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with a joystick)
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LONGEVITY: B+ (there are 3 modes of play with 1, 3, or 5 lives... level 4
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is an interesting horizontal, then vertical scrolling stage...
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you'll want to play again to find out what some of the
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other powerups do or try to beat the game with 1 life!)
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PLAYERS : 1
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IMPROVEMENTS: There are only 5 levels in this game. They're all challenging,
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but the game is a bit too short!
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OVERALL : 3.65
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COMMENTS : The scrolling is fast, flicker-free, and even Sega shooter fans
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who have "seen it all" will be impressed by the graphics in this
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cart. There was a lot of advance notice (hype) surrounding this
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game. It was well worth the wait. While it is no Gates of Thunder,
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Air Zonk is a cool shooter in its own right and is now the
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"official" mascot of Turbo Technologies. Move over, Sonic!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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# Andre Panza Kick Boxing (Hu-Card)
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-----------------------
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Almost all the sights, sounds, and realism of professional kickboxing.
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GRAPHICS : A+ (The boxers are surprisingly detailed and realistic, but
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the characters are two-dimensional, reminiscent of earlier
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sports games for other systems)
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SOUND : A (Realistic hits, grunts, and digitized referee voice)
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MUSIC : B (Only a title screen tune)
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GAMEPLAY : A (This game plays better with a Turbopad than a joystick,
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especially when you have to make a diagonal move. The feel
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is still a little sticky in the beginning, though,
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especially since your boxer is pretty cruddy at first)
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LONGEVITY: B+ (If your reflexes are pretty good, you can probably beat
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Andre Panza, the top guy, in one long night of playing.
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All you have to do is stay in the gym and build up your
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abilities. The game is good for relieving frustrations)
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PLAYERS : 1 or 2
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IMPROVEMENTS: Make the referee say more than just "1, 2, Go!" Make the
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game three-dimensional!
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OVERALL : 3.48
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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# Ballistix (Hu-Card) Review by Jeff Graham.
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---------
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For those of you who haven't played the game, a little background info is
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needed. You play a gunner firing little balls at a target ball trying to get
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the ball to the goal on the other side of the field. Sounds easy, right?
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Wrong!! It's not that easy to direct the ball once it starts moving, and it
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does move fast at times (I've not been able to follow it at times). Also,
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various power-ups and obstacles are on the playfield causing havoc: all
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firing balls to player one, all to player two, opponent can't fire, gate
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(blocks your goal so your opponent can't score) 4-, 8-, and 16-way split of
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the firing ball, etc. Obstacles including bumpers, warp gates (moves ball
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"underground" to the other gate, arrows that redirect the balls (target and
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firing).
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Players start with 15 firing balls. When those are gone you have to wait for
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them to slowly regenerate. To make things worse, about every 5 seconds, the
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firing balls for both players are swapped (ex: you have 8 opponent has 0, balls
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swap, now you have 0 and opponent has 8; annoying and frustrating if your about
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to score).
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There are 100 levels in the game; when you play level 100 it starts back at
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level 1. You can set various options such as ball speed, CPU difficulty,
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length of match, number of goals to win a game, starting level (2-player only),
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and gravity (primarily used on the 1-player solo game).
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GRAPHICS : A (Very smooth and VERY fast)
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SOUND : B- (Decent sound of your shots and ball bouncing)
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MUSIC : B (Not a bad tune, not a great tune; mildly annoyting after a while)
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GAMEPLAY : A (Solo game very addictive; see comments for 2-player game)
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LONGEVITY: B+ (You'll want to play again, but extended playing will make you
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very frustrated; I have a hole in the wall and a busted
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controller as proof)
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PLAYERS : 1 or 2
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IMPROVEMENTS: Improve the graphics on the power-ups: several of the symbols
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look very similar, and I'm sure you can't tell the difference
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in symbols on the Turbo-Express; change that tune; give wider
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range for difficulty levels (there are only four; the computer
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moves like a spaz on all four levels; the only difference in
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difficulty I could see was the rate at which the computer
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regenerated balls to fire at the target ball); allow the
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players to turn off the ball switching option; add a level
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designer ("That's a LOT of add-ons!" - Ed.)
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OVERALL : 3.38
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COMMENTS : This is a great game for one player, but when you play two player
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the game is terribly unbalanced. I played a 10 match game against
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a friend, with me as player 2. He beat me nearly every match
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because he regenerated firing balls faster than I could. This was
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the case for nearly every stage we started on. A call to the
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hotline was answered by a moron saying "It's supposed to play that
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way. Try it with the turbo switches in the lowest position." (Why
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allow different firing rates if they want you to play with the
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slowest firing rate).
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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# Battle Royale (Hu-Card) Review by Bryan Duvan.
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-------------
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Wrestling game in which you and couple of your buddies can unleash angers
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and frustrations by kicking and punching each other. You have to throw
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them outside of the ring in order to be the champ.
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GRAPHICS : C+ (So-so graphics, but nothing ground-breaking)
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SOUNDS : C (Too many pings and pangs)
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MUSIC : C (Could be better)
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GAMEPLAY : B (Needs a joystick!)
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LONGEVITY: C (Very repetitive)
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PLAYERS : 1 to 5
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IMPROVEMENTS: Should add more moves (ie. body slam, suplex, throw others
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to the ropes, etc) instead of just punches and kickes.
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OVERALL : 2.22
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COMMENTS : Hopefully, Turbo Technologies will bring out another wrestling
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game because this game * SUCKS * IMHO.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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# Blazing Lazers (Hu-Card)
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--------------
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Once in a long time a game emerges which takes the basic shoot-everything-
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or-die scenario and spices it up to make for a truly worthwhile contest.
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That game is Blazing Lazers. You begin the game with a ship with limited
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firing power and defense mechanisms. By capturing power pills, you can
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arm your ship with one of four different missile types and one of three
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different defense aids. You must shoot your way through nine levels of
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scrolling landscapes and background scenery. Your enemies are many and
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varied. Each has a certain "best" way of killing it. Others are more
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easily avoided. A big "boss" midway and at the end of every level taunts
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the player and hinders further progress. The graphics and sound in this
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game are fantastic. Backgrounds are very detailed. A computer voice
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announces the type of weapon or defense aid you received when picking up
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a power pill. There is very little flicker in this game (unlike R-Type).
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The standard Turbopad is adequate for gameplay although a joystick is
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recommended. Easily equals the best Genesis shooters available.
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GRAPHICS : A (Very detailed backgrounds)
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SOUND : A (Nice explosions and computer voice)
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MUSIC : B+ (Catchy theme tunes)
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GAMEPLAY : B+ (Use a joystick!)
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LONGEVITY: A- (You will want to play again and again!)
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PLAYERS : 1
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IMPROVEMENTS: Improve the stereo image. Make some of the bosses harder
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to destroy. Have a 2-player mode!
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OVERALL : 3.67
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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# Bloody Wolf (Hu-Card)
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-----------
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You are a Rambo-like character out on a mission to save your people and
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destroy all enemies. Lots of weapons to choose from.
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GRAPHICS : C- (Looks like a Nintendo game... spotty graphics)
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SOUND : B (Nice intro theme, but nothing spectacular throughout)
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MUSIC : B- (Music is annoying)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (Better with a joystick... especially when fighting the bosses)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B- (A challenging game marred by bad programming)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Redo the graphics!
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.63
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Bomberman (Hu-Card or secret pack-in on TurboDuo SCD)
|
|
---------
|
|
Move around in a maze setting up bombs and praying that the enemy will
|
|
get close enough to them when they eventually set off.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (Nice cartoon-like graphics)
|
|
SOUND : B (Nothing more than nice explosions and bleep sounds)
|
|
MUSIC : B+ (Catchy tune, but annoying after extended play)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B- (Controls are a little too sensitive and the character has a
|
|
tendency to move more than expected)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (This game is Fun with a capital "F"... a winner!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : up to 5
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Better sound effects.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.50
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This surprise game comes on the 3-in-1 SCD disc that comes
|
|
with the Duo. At the title screen, press up, right, down, left,
|
|
and II to get a chime. Press RUN for the game.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Bonk's Adventure (Hu-Card or SCD-ROM)
|
|
----------------
|
|
You are Bonk and you're off on an adventure to save Princess Za. Like
|
|
Sonic and Mario, Bonk is TG-16's color mascot (I say "color" because
|
|
HudsonSoft released Bonk for the Gameboy)!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+ (The cartoon-like graphics could be improved)
|
|
SOUND : B+ (Lots of bleeps and bloops in the right places)
|
|
MUSIC : A- (Catchy tune which is sparse and unannoying)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (The Turbopad is adequate here, but a joystick would be better)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (You will want to play again and again)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: The graphics have been improved in Bonk's Revenge.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.67
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Bonk's Revenge (Hu-Card and SCD-ROM) Review by Bryan Duvan.
|
|
--------------
|
|
Sequel to Bonk's Adventure. You're Bonk trying to save Princess Za's
|
|
planet once again.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Much better and faster than its predecessor... Bonk's Adventure
|
|
was basically a linear game... Bonk's Revenge has you climbing
|
|
vertically as well as horizontally... check out how Bonk climbs
|
|
vines!)
|
|
SOUNDS : A (A bit more complex than the simplistic sounds of Bonk's
|
|
Adventure)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Very nice music)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (I like the multiple spins in Bonk's Adventure than the single
|
|
spin here)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (Extremely long game to master... lots of tricks you need to
|
|
learn... two practice modes get you in gear for the challenge!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.83
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Very nice game... Hopefully, Bonk 3 will be better than the first
|
|
two.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Boxyboy (Hu-Card)
|
|
-------
|
|
This is a puzzle game which involves pushing blocks into bins. Not as easy
|
|
as it sounds!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (Spitting image of Bomberman in terms of graphics)
|
|
SOUND : C (Nothing spectacular here)
|
|
MUSIC : B (Good tune, but gets annoying after awhile)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (This game is so simple to play that a Turbopad is perfect)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (A first-rate puzzle)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Improve the music.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.45
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Bravoman (Hu-Card) Review by Bryan Duvan.
|
|
--------
|
|
Same old punching and kicking game with the only exception that your
|
|
arms and legs extend.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Nicely done in the underwater scene)
|
|
SOUNDS : C+ (Pings and pangs)
|
|
MUSIC : C (Repeats itself every stage)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (Pad is sufficient for this game)
|
|
LONGEVITY: C (Same old things except different stages... punch... kick...
|
|
punch)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Include weapons to fight enemies.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.55
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# BROWNING (PC-SCD) Review by Sergey Shimkevich.
|
|
|
|
Company: Riot (Telenet), TJCD1020
|
|
|
|
Best described by the text on the box...
|
|
|
|
>"SEA SQUARE", a gigantic man-made island on the Atlantic Ocean, an
|
|
>armed fortress controlled by a mysterious army. It is evident that
|
|
>they are developing the most evil weapon for slaughter to maintain
|
|
>and grasp its superiority of military power in the world.
|
|
|
|
>Joint forces have taken the motion for a special action (irregular
|
|
>combat) and have prepared a mobile weapon "BROWNING" to destroy
|
|
>the ultimate weapon.
|
|
|
|
In short, a very disappointing side-scroller. The game graphics are
|
|
very impressive with several layers of parallax scrolling. Your
|
|
mecha (robotic weapon) is large and very well animated (when you
|
|
turn it actually turns, also its left and right sides are
|
|
different). The music is good, the intro is impressive (in English,
|
|
too, in fact, the whole game plays in English), too bad there
|
|
aren't any real intermissions, just shorts between the rounds. The
|
|
sound effects are one of the best I've heard on any system - the
|
|
booming steps of your robot are especially impressive...All of this
|
|
is laid to waste by the very bad gameplay.
|
|
|
|
For starters, the game is too short - only five levels, the last
|
|
two being simply fights with one boss after another. To compensate
|
|
for that, it is made to be difficult and it is, to the point of
|
|
being frustrating. The gameplay is extremely linear - just walk,
|
|
run or hover (interesting but practically wasted options) to the
|
|
right until you meet the boss which you have to take out with your
|
|
pea-shooter before the timer runs out. Continues are unlimited and
|
|
you'll most definitely need them.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A
|
|
SOUND : A
|
|
MUSIC : A
|
|
GAMEPLAY : C
|
|
LONGEVITY: C
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Let's hope that they do a sequel and do it right.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.00
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : If you are a mecha fanatic and can get it cheap, go for it.
|
|
Otherwise, save your money and get something else.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Bubble Gum Crash! (Hu-Card) Review by Teh Kao Yang.
|
|
-----------------
|
|
Menu driven adventure game with some arcade sequences mixed in. Based on the
|
|
popular Anime series of the same name.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (Has nice pictures of the Knight Sabers)
|
|
SOUND : C
|
|
MUSIC : C
|
|
GAMEPLAY : C (Boring and repetitive)
|
|
LONGEVITY: C+ (Pretty long and difficult, but not worth playing over)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: This game should have been done on CD. More freedom to explore
|
|
and harder puzzles would be nice.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.27
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This is the only video game I know of that features the popular
|
|
Knight Sabers. However aside from some nice graphics the game isn't that
|
|
interesting. Playing isn't much more than reading a lot of boring Japanese
|
|
text, but some arcade sequences spice it up a bit. It's worth checking out
|
|
for the Bubble Gum Crisis fans.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Cadash (Hu-Card) Reviewed by Pete Ikusz
|
|
------
|
|
Cadash is a 1 or 2 player side-scroller a la Legendary Axe, with more of a
|
|
storyline and D&D feel. You initially get to select to play 1 of 4 characters.
|
|
The story begins in a king's castle and you quickly move to the underground
|
|
caverns. Between levels, there are cities where you can purchase armor, get
|
|
rest, etc.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+ (Some pretty nice screens and characters.)
|
|
SOUND : A-
|
|
MUSIC : B- (Could have been better.)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (Plays as expected.)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+ (Lots of stuff to do, as with Axe, it's a pain having
|
|
to continue from the start everytime though.)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Better music. Not bad overall for a Hu-Card game though.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.33
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Great for 2 player action. Compares favorably to the
|
|
Legendary Axe series.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# China Warrior (Hu-Card)
|
|
-------------
|
|
Side-scrolling punch and kick game with little variation.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (Absolutely HUGE graphic characters with no flicker)
|
|
SOUND : B- (Adequate punching and kicking sounds)
|
|
MUSIC : B (Music is annoying after awhile)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B- (A little awkward with the Turbopad)
|
|
LONGEVITY: D (Despite its awesome visual and good audio effects, the game is
|
|
weak in its ability to capture the interest of the player)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS : Add more moves to the game.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.35
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Cosmic Fantasy 2 (CD-ROM) Reviewed by Pete Ikusz
|
|
----------------
|
|
If you are a Ys 1&2 fan (or addict), CF2 is a must for your TG CD library.
|
|
|
|
After a small introduction screen, you begin your adventure in the Ys 1&2
|
|
style. (3-d type of movement rather than side scrolling.) Fighting scenes are
|
|
quite different from Ys though, you are able to select from a variety of options
|
|
ranging from using weapons or magic to fleeing the encounter. When an encounter occurs
|
|
the monsters are displayed on the screen, and the players in your group are listed.
|
|
You are given the option of which player to control, and/or which monster to attack.
|
|
|
|
I will not bother going over the story line. It is very well done, the actors
|
|
voices are done superbly, and there are some excellent graphic intermissions.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A+ (Wow!)
|
|
SOUND : A (A few more weapons sounds would have been neat, but not important.)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (Great musical scores.)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A+ (Easy to understand and get used to.)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A+ (It makes you want to play more and more.)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: You are only allowed 2 saved games. A few more would have been
|
|
nice. There is a slight load/track switch delay when going
|
|
into combat. This is quite often, and becomes a slight pain.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.25
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : It really doesn't get any better than this. Now there is another
|
|
reason to buy a TG-CD! (Other than Ys I & II)
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Davis Cup (Hu-Card) Review by Bryan Duvan. Additional notes by TurboKid.
|
|
---------
|
|
This tennis game lets you and four of your friends compete to see which
|
|
team can win the prestigous Davis Cup.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (Nicely done on the animation)
|
|
SOUNDS : A (The sounds are great!)
|
|
MUSIC : C (Could be better)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (The split screen is hard when I first played, but after
|
|
a while, I got used to it)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (Really fun when all four players play at the same time)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 to 4
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Graphics could be improved a little.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.00
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Love the game... especially in practice mode.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Deep Blue (Hu-Card) Review by Bryan Duvan.
|
|
---------
|
|
Side-scrolling shooter underwater style.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (I like the background of this game)
|
|
SOUNDS : C (So-so sounds... pings and pangs)
|
|
MUSIC : C+ (Decent)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : D (Horrible... would have been a B if the gameplay improved)
|
|
LONGEVITY: D (You die too easily in this game, so I hardly play it)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Need to improve on the control. Your movements are too slow to
|
|
react against the faster enemies.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 1.72
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Devil's Crush (Hu-Card)
|
|
-------------
|
|
This is pinball with several twists.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Excellent detail... one of the best in this area)
|
|
SOUND : A (Good sound made great via Turbobooster)
|
|
MUSIC : A- (See previous line)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (The Turbopad is more than adequate for this game)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+ (The game is fun for short durations)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: None.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.72
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Download 2 (CD-ROM) Review by Jeffrey Naiman.
|
|
----------
|
|
GRAPHICS : A-
|
|
SOUND : A
|
|
MUSIC : A
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+
|
|
LONGEVITY: A-
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.56
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Dragon Spirit (Hu-Card)
|
|
-------------
|
|
Vertical-scrolling shooter where you take on the role of a dragon with
|
|
enormous firepower. Beautiful backgrounds will delight your eyes.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (Nice scrolling backgrounds... nice detail in dragon)
|
|
SOUND : A- (Nice explosions and bleeps reminiscent of Bomberman)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Cool soundtrack)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (Use a joystick!)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (A fun shooter!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Improve the stereo. Add more detail to flying enemies.
|
|
Add a continue feature. This game should definitely
|
|
have a 2-player option like the Atari arcade version, but
|
|
that will be left for Dragon Saber, due out soon.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.68
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Dragon's Curse (Hu-Card) Review by Teh Kao Yang.
|
|
--------------
|
|
A conversion of Wonderboy 3 on the Sega Master System for the Turbografx.
|
|
A side-scrolling action-RPG game.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (Bright, cartoony graphics)
|
|
SOUND : B
|
|
MUSIC : A- (Some really good catchy tunes)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (Simple but addicting)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A-
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.47
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This game is extremely good considering it's only 2 megs. It's got
|
|
cute graphics, very nice music, and addicting gameplay. Your character changes
|
|
form several times during the game and you have to learn different techniques
|
|
for each character.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Dragonslayer : The Legend of Heroes (SCD-ROM)
|
|
-----------------------------------
|
|
Review by Tin Yau Fung. Additional notes by TurboKid.
|
|
|
|
A young prince by the name of Serios, age 16, was to inherit the throne in
|
|
two months. When he was 6, his father and his kingdom were invaded by
|
|
monsters. For 10 yrs, Serios was in the custody of one of the King's
|
|
courtmen. One night, herds of monsters attack and destroy Serios' castle.
|
|
Later, Serios finds out that his guardian, who is taking the power until
|
|
his inheritance, is rebelling. Thus, left alone, Serios sets on a new
|
|
adventure to reclaim the throne and defeat Akubamu.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (Although the graphics are much better than the PC version,
|
|
the graphics still look very fuzzy. It was especially
|
|
annoying that the screen was very small and difficult to
|
|
look at)
|
|
SOUND : A- (The game gives the option of choosing between PGM and CD.
|
|
While the CD sound is apparently more pleasing, PGM is not
|
|
really bad and it lessens the tremendous reading the CD-ROM
|
|
has to do. "This is a NEAT concept and should be
|
|
incorporated into all future CD games!" - Ed.)
|
|
MUSIC : A-
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (Actually, it is okay. There is even an option in which the
|
|
computer do the fighting for you. All I have to do is
|
|
walk around and bump into enemies. But, even so, the
|
|
gameplay is somewhat boring)
|
|
LONGEVITY: C (I don't think I will want to play it again)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.90
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This game is made by the same company (Falcom) that created the
|
|
Ys series. This is one reason I choose to play it. However, I find the
|
|
game does not live up to my expectations. I would not recommend this game.
|
|
Too much is lost when they ported this to the CD-ROM. This game is just as
|
|
bad as Ys III on the CD. But I would definitely would wait for Ys IV.
|
|
"I LIKE Y's III, but that is MY opinion!" - Ed.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Drop Off (Hu-Card) Review by Bryan Duvan.
|
|
--------
|
|
Similar to Arkanoid genre.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : C (Decent)
|
|
SOUND : C- (All you hear is the ball bounces... ping... ping)
|
|
MUSIC : C (Needs a better tune)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (Turbopad is sufficient... very easy to use)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (Very addictive if you're in Arkanoid freak)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Better tune and should have more diverse power-ups.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.45
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This game lacks in graphics and sounds, but makes up for
|
|
it in gameplay and fun factor.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Dungeon Explorer (Hu-Card)
|
|
----------------
|
|
Explore dungeons and castle layouts, fight horrible monsters, find valuable
|
|
loot. This arcade RPG has it all!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (Makes excellent use of available colors)
|
|
SOUND : B+ (Appropriate sound effects)
|
|
MUSIC : A- (Nice theme song)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (Needs a joystick to move diagonally)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (A little too frustrating in one-player mode)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : up to 5
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Add skill levels. Playing one-player is too difficult!
|
|
Having the 5-player capability is a nice touch.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.28
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Efera and Jiliora - The Emblem From Darkness (CD-ROM)
|
|
-------------------------------------------- Review by Sergey Shimkevich.
|
|
Efera and Jiliora is a role-playing fantasy game based on a Japanese animated
|
|
movie "Gu-De-Crest: Women Warriors Efera and Jiliora".
|
|
|
|
This game is very similar to Y's Book 1&2. The only differences are better
|
|
graphics and that your character can move diagonally, plus a slightly
|
|
different method of attack.
|
|
|
|
When you start the game, you can pick either Efera or Jiliora. There is a
|
|
two-player mode which allows two people to play at the same time, something
|
|
that is unusual in RPG's. Jiliora is a strong fighter, but she cannot use
|
|
magic. She obtains magic rings as her level goes up which enable her to
|
|
power-up her sword for a short time, recover lost HP and to become invincible
|
|
for a short time. Efera is a weaker fighter, but she can use magic spells
|
|
which are very effective against boss enemies. She does not possess a healing
|
|
ring and depends on medicine and healing magic which uses a lot of MP. MP can
|
|
be restored only by magic herbs that she has to carry with her and there is a
|
|
limit to how many items your character can carry. Thus, it is easier to
|
|
explore with Jiliora since she can restore her HP anywhere, but fighting the
|
|
bosses is much easier with Efera. For example, it takes a lot of time and
|
|
effort to kill the final enemy with Jiliora, but it is extremely easy with
|
|
Efera, granted that you use the right spell. (Also, Efera is cuter, IMHO).
|
|
|
|
An interesting detail is that, unlike other RPG's, you can swing your sword
|
|
in the towns as well. However, if you kill one of the townspeople by
|
|
accident, the others will come and strike you down in a moment - game over.
|
|
Since you use the same button for closing the conversation window and for
|
|
striking with your sword, make sure your turbo-fire switches are off when
|
|
you enter the towns, or else you might kill the person you've been talking
|
|
to with dire consequences.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Even though this is an RPG, some of the levels are very
|
|
graphically impressive)
|
|
SOUND : B (What sound?)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (Exceptional high-quality soundtrack)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (Better than Y's!)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (This is an RPG, so once you finish it, it is over. The quest
|
|
is fairly long, though)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.78
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS: If you liked Y's I&II, you'll enjoy this game.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Exile (CD-ROM) Review by Brad Hamlett, Comments by TurboKid.
|
|
-----
|
|
Exile is an action/RPG very similiar in gameplay to Ys III. While in a town,
|
|
the perspective is from a 3/4ths top-down view. Playing the alter ego of
|
|
Sadler, you walk around gathering clues and buying weapons/armor/etc. In the
|
|
'wilderness' perspective shifts to a multi-scrolling side view. All combat
|
|
takes place on the side view screens. Like in most RPGs, in Exile, you gain
|
|
experience which nets you more hit points/magic points and combat power. The
|
|
magic system in Exile is very limited. There are only three types of magic --
|
|
a fire-slash, ice-bomb, and restoration. The first two are simply a way to
|
|
fire ranged attacks at oppenents instead of hitting them with your weapon.
|
|
Both fire-slash and ice-bomb have three power levels. Restoration simply
|
|
drains your magic points to restore your hit points.
|
|
|
|
You will gather NPCs along the way. They simply offer advice or important
|
|
items, but do not participate in fights. The storyline seems to be based on
|
|
the Crusades of Medieval Europe...in fact, most of the story is based in the
|
|
Middle East.
|
|
|
|
The intermissions are interesting and the voice acting is decent, about as
|
|
good as that in Cosmic Fantasy 2. The music is excellent and sets the mood
|
|
perfectly. The biggest flaw with the game is that it is far too easy. It
|
|
took me all of two nights to complete. There are no really difficult puzzles
|
|
and only the last fight is truly challenging. Besides being easy, the game
|
|
is just way too short, shorter than Ys III by half.
|
|
|
|
One last side note. You may have seen the ads for Exile advertising the
|
|
'uncut' version. This probably amounts to the pool of blood seen when you
|
|
die and the Festival of Bakus (their spelling, not mine) in one of the
|
|
cities. Save your money, rent this one over a weekend.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A-
|
|
SOUND : A+
|
|
MUSIC : A+
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+
|
|
LONGEVITY: D (it's too easy)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.93
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This game lost lots of points in the longevity section.
|
|
I, myself, had the Genesis version of Exile for 2 days, got bored
|
|
with it, and traded it for Alisia Dragoon! - Ed.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Fantasy Zone (Hu-Card)
|
|
------------
|
|
Side-scrolling shooter with very cute graphics.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+ (Very colorful cartoon-like graphics)
|
|
SOUND : B (Sounds only come from missiles and picking up coins)
|
|
MUSIC : B- (Annoying theme song)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B- (Awkward without a joystick. Movement of your ship and enemy
|
|
characters are too slow)
|
|
LONGEVITY: C+ (An average shooter with nice touches)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Add more sound effects.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.72
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Far East of Eden II, Manji Maru (CD-ROM) Review by Tin Yau Fung.
|
|
-------------------------------
|
|
This is a sequel to Far East of Eden, Ziria. The player assumes the role
|
|
of Manji Maru. The game stands apart from other ordinary RPGs in that it
|
|
has the most animation and voice-acting among all RG games. Playing the
|
|
game is like watching a drama.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (The overworld map and the dungeon parts were superb.
|
|
However, when characters enter places like villages, they
|
|
suddenly look very blocky)
|
|
SOUND : A++ (Excellent! There is a section in the instruction manul
|
|
which explains how tough it is to make good traditional
|
|
Japanese music. Ed. note: "Since this game has sound and
|
|
music that's probably a cut up above the rest of the A or
|
|
A+ games, I'm going to use a numerical rating of 4.6 for
|
|
an A++")
|
|
MUSIC : A++
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (The game is not action-oriented. Characters fight by
|
|
choosing commands from a list of options)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (Just the animation will blow you away. You definitely want
|
|
to see it again)
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: The game is far too easy. I think it would be great if they
|
|
could do a decent translation in the US version.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.03
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This is *THE* RPG game to play if you just got a Super System
|
|
Card 3.0 upgrade. Actually, this game is what NEC Japan
|
|
uses in their ads for their promotions of the new PC Engine Duo.
|
|
Let me quote the ad info here...
|
|
|
|
Total Characters : 3000
|
|
Enemy Characters : 400
|
|
Map : approx 20000 screens
|
|
Villages/Dungeons : about 250
|
|
Magic : about 100 different types
|
|
Items : approx 500
|
|
Narration : about 3 hours, 10000 messages
|
|
Animation : about 30 minutes
|
|
BGM : 80 entries
|
|
Expected time to finish the game : 70 to 80 hours
|
|
Staff : 150 people
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Fighting Street (CD-ROM) Review by Laly Thao.
|
|
--------------- Additional notes by TurboKid.
|
|
|
|
Someone should have reviewed this a while ago, but since no one has, here
|
|
is my opinion/observation. This is Street Fighter I for those who haven't
|
|
already realized it. You are Ken (Ken and Ryu in two player) and you go
|
|
to five countries to test your skills. You can choose to start in Japan,
|
|
England, USA, or China. After selecting a starting country, the remaining
|
|
countries are randomly selected. After defeating the two fighters from
|
|
each country, you head to Thailand to fight two Thai kickboxers.
|
|
|
|
If you don't have a joystick, you will develop a cyst-infested thumb trying
|
|
to do the special moves (fireball, thunder (?) kick, and dragon punch). After
|
|
a couple of minutes, you won't even notice your thumb.
|
|
|
|
The intensity of the moves (kick/punch) are controlled by how long you hold
|
|
the kick/punch buttons.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (Not too great but you get used to it after a while.)
|
|
SOUND : C+ (The voices associated with the fireball, thunder kick and
|
|
dragon punch are all there. The groans when getting hit are
|
|
also present. Biggest gripe here are the voices of the
|
|
opponents. The voices were written into the program rather
|
|
than recorded on the CD. The dialog spoken by the opponents
|
|
is unintelligible. Good thing they printed the dialog, too.)
|
|
MUSIC : A (The only thing making this a CD game is the CD quality music.)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (Better played with a joystick. The only move I did consis-
|
|
tently was the thunder kick (and that was with the kick button
|
|
set to mid-turbo). I was successful 80% of the time I tried
|
|
it. I accidentally did a dragon punch but that never happened
|
|
again. I threw a couple of fireballs in the midst of getting
|
|
clobbered. Without the special moves mastered, once I got to
|
|
Thailand, the kickboxer promptly splattered me over the ruins.
|
|
Response to moves was also very slow. It is supposed to be a
|
|
fast paced game but it leaves a lot to be desired.)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (Good for times when you want to beat up people :-) Also good
|
|
for two player action to find out who's going to pay for the
|
|
pizza.)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: A very poorly designed game. The voices should have been
|
|
digitized onto the CD, rather than stuffed in the program
|
|
itself. Very poor voice quality. Additionally, the CD was
|
|
accessed every time a match was to be fought. It would have
|
|
been better if the CD were accessed only if something
|
|
different were needed, so if you died in that level, you don't
|
|
need to access anything new, hence the CD would not be accessed
|
|
except for music.
|
|
|
|
Especially frustrating if you were beaten up by a character
|
|
and wanted immediate revenge. You'd have to wait for the
|
|
program to load again... *SIGH*.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.05
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This game could've been placed on a Hu-Card!
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Final Lap Twin (Hu-Card)
|
|
--------------
|
|
Racing game with three options:
|
|
1. Race by yourself against computer.
|
|
2. Race against your friend and computer.
|
|
3. Race as far as you can on a "quest."
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (Very nice... pretty details in the artwork)
|
|
SOUND : B (Average to good)
|
|
MUSIC : B (Nicely done)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : C (After racing for awhile, fingers and hand start to hurt)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (In "quest mode," the game lasts awhile)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Improve on the gameplay.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.83
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Not a bad game when you're competing against a friend.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Final Zone II (CD-ROM) Review by Pete Ikusz. Additional notes by TurboKid.
|
|
-------------
|
|
The look and feel of this game is quite similar to that of the arcade
|
|
game, Commando. It is a vertical scroller where you play one of 5
|
|
characters, each different at different levels, each having different
|
|
weapons. In levels 4-7 you are allowed to choose which you would like
|
|
to play. There are only 4 different power ups, one to restore partial
|
|
strength, one to increase ammo, one to increase strength meter, and one
|
|
to restore all of your strength. This game is very straightforward, but
|
|
definitely not easy.
|
|
|
|
The introductory story line was okay at best, along with the graphics.
|
|
Nothing special. There are a few intermediate screenplays, but they are
|
|
of the intro quality.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+ (A little better than Bloody Wolf, but not as good as Last
|
|
Alert)
|
|
SOUND : B+ (Your standard sound effects for a game of this type... voice
|
|
makes it a bit better than Bloody Wolf)
|
|
MUSIC : A- (Decent CD music)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (You need a joystick for this game)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (It gets you aggravated enough to MAKE you play again!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: When your character is killed (if you continue), you begin
|
|
at the beginning of that level. (Arghh!!! to say the least)
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.50
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : There is no save game feature. "Very disappointing to say the
|
|
least. What the hell did I buy my CD unit with !@#$% memory
|
|
backup for?" - Ed. Now this would be a great 2 player game...
|
|
|
|
EDITOR'S COMMENTS : I found this game to be very similar to Last Alert,
|
|
except for small play mechanics and graphics. I found the
|
|
graphics to be only a little better than Bloody Wolf's. Also,
|
|
Last Alert has your character confined to a smaller moveable
|
|
area, whereas the other two games allow you to move around the
|
|
immediate vicinity better. I prefer the maneuverability (or
|
|
lack of maneuverability?) of Last Alert over this game, though,
|
|
and your tastes may be very different from mine when comparing
|
|
games of this sort. The lower price tag of Last Alert definitely
|
|
helps sway my decision to go with Last Alert over Final Zone II.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Galaga '90 (Hu-Card)
|
|
----------
|
|
The classic shooter based on Galaga '88 and the best Galaga translation on
|
|
any home system. A definite must-have for your "classics" collection.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+ (As good as Galaga can get on a home system!)
|
|
SOUND : A- (an almost exact duplication of the arcade game)
|
|
MUSIC : A- (See previous line)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (The Turbopad is more than adequate for this game... simple
|
|
left/right movement with fire)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (A top-notch shooter that will keep you coming back for more)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.68
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Gate of Thunder (SCD-ROM)
|
|
---------------
|
|
You control an awesome spacejet flying over beautiful terrain and meticulously
|
|
detailed enemy strongholds. Three shooting weapons and homing missiles add to
|
|
the fun. Better than Gradius, Darius, R-Type, and all shooters before it!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A++ (some of the fastest, flicker-free images on ANY game
|
|
system... animation sequences and parallax will thrill you...
|
|
check out levels 4 and 5... damn good graphics!)
|
|
SOUND : A+ (killer explosions and shooting sounds)
|
|
MUSIC : A++ (in a word, pulse-pounding... the music fits perfectly in with
|
|
the graphics)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (one of those games which would benefit greatly with a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A++ (for shooters, there is no substitute! Packaged with every
|
|
TurboDuo. Will definitely win a place in the Turbo Hall of
|
|
Fame)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.33
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This game comes on a 3-game CD including Bonk's Adventure and
|
|
Bonk's Revenge. Before the title screen, Bonk does a little
|
|
narration. The viewer is thrilled with a 3D rotation and
|
|
scaling demo (and Sega people said it *couldn't* be done!).
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Golden Axe (CD-ROM) Review by Jeffrey Naiman.
|
|
----------
|
|
GRAPHICS : B-
|
|
SOUND : B+
|
|
MUSIC : B+
|
|
GAMEPLAY : C
|
|
LONGEVITY: B-
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.78
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Hellfire (CD-ROM)
|
|
--------
|
|
Side-scrolling shooter with plenty of power-ups, big bosses, and enemies to
|
|
fight! Anime sequences are a feast to watch.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A++ (Large animated enemies and bosses. Excellent detail in
|
|
anime sequences)
|
|
SOUND : A+ (Lots of voice-acting and sound effects)
|
|
MUSIC : A+
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (You'll need a joystick to get in between tight places, like
|
|
the moving walls in level 2)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (Fun to play again and again)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.98
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# It Came From the Desert (CD-ROM)
|
|
-----------------------
|
|
Weird story background with a '50's B-movie feel to it.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (digitized moving actors move in perfect sync with their
|
|
voices... while many of the scenes are more or less full-
|
|
screen, the actors only move in a small area of the screen)
|
|
SOUND : A
|
|
MUSIC : A
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (good use of the TurboPad)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (while there is enough stuff on this CD to keep you occupied,
|
|
I'm not sure it will hold your attention after you solve the
|
|
game)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Maybe a few more colors in the digitized images? Ack! The
|
|
CD load times are S-L-O-W even on my Duo!
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.67
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : The high score that this game gets is a little misleading.
|
|
While the game exhibits excellence in each individual category,
|
|
the overall game is not excellent. Don't get me wrong. It's
|
|
very good for an interactive video. The story is good and the
|
|
acting is very good. I'm just not the type to sit and watch a
|
|
lot of video without participating in it. However, I feel it
|
|
is an excellent way to show off the capabilities of your CD-ROM
|
|
drive or Duo.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Klax (Hu-Card) Review by Chris Fleming.
|
|
----
|
|
Klax is a strategy game where you attempt to catch colored tiles as they
|
|
come down a conveyor belt, and place them into patterns of rows, columns or
|
|
diagonals. Each wave (ie. level) has a different objective, such as
|
|
forming a given number of diagonals, or getting a certain number of points.
|
|
If this sounds easy or boring, you're in for a shock when you play it. Klax
|
|
is one of the most impossible games to master, and as addictive as Tetris.
|
|
|
|
While Klax can be found on most game systems, not to mention your local
|
|
arcade, the TG-16 version of Klax has several outstanding features. First
|
|
and foremost is the price. At $15.00, this game's a steal. Another very
|
|
good feature is the extent to which you can customize the game. You can
|
|
change everything from the difficulty level to the background brightness,
|
|
but my personal favorite option is widening the playfield size: perfect for
|
|
less eyestrain on your TurboExpress!
|
|
|
|
Klax's graphics look sharp, although some of the tile colors tend to look
|
|
the same when things start moving fast. The sound is quite amusing, with
|
|
applause when you finish a wave, and musical serenades when you make an
|
|
especially good move, among others. All of the sounds and voices are
|
|
digitized, and add to the game, rather than detract from it. Unfortunately,
|
|
all of the sounds and voices were digitized at too low a sample rate, as
|
|
they are fuzzy-sounding (a minor point, I know!).
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B
|
|
SOUND : B
|
|
MUSIC : B
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A
|
|
LONGEVITY: A
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.50
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Overall, I would highly recommend Klax. The gameplay is easy,
|
|
the longevity is high, the difficulty is high, the game is addictive, and
|
|
the price is low. What more could you want?
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Lady Phantom (SCD-ROM) Review by Brad Hamlett.
|
|
------------
|
|
Lady Phantom is a strategy game whose theme is borrowed heavily from Japanese
|
|
animation (such as GunBuster or Bubble Gum Crisis). You control a team of 5
|
|
women in battlesuits. Each battlesuit is unique in its own set of weapons
|
|
and armor characteristcs. There are 25-30 different weapons in the game,
|
|
each rated for range, damage, rate of fire, and hit probability. Your team
|
|
of five will fight other enemy battlesuits, gun emplacements, and various
|
|
spacecraft. As your team completes a mission, they will recieve experience
|
|
based on how many kills were scored and on how well the mission was completed.
|
|
Gain enough experience and team members will improve piloting and gunnery
|
|
skills and gain rank.
|
|
|
|
Gameplay is a turn-based strategy type game... no reflexes needed here. Every
|
|
unit (friend and foe) executes their action before the next unit. (i.e. one of
|
|
your team will get to move and fire and then another unit... not necessarily
|
|
one of your own... will move). The 'board' is hex-based and the facing of
|
|
your people matter, as the game takes into account front/side/rear armor and
|
|
evasion. If one of your battlesuits is destroyed in the battle, the pilot
|
|
will not receive any experience for the mission, but will be available for the
|
|
next one. There are 10 missions, ranging from straight-out fights to escort
|
|
missions to sabotage. A number of options allow you turn animations on/off,
|
|
set movement options, turn the hex-grid on/off, etc.
|
|
|
|
Lady Phantom has to be one of my favorite PCE games because of the complexity
|
|
of the units involved. Each of the women in your team has a speciality.
|
|
Jennifer likes up-close combat, whereas Cindy prefers long range missle fire.
|
|
The animation and sound effects for battles are top-notch and simply add to
|
|
the effect. In between missions, animated intermissions tell the story.
|
|
|
|
The only downside to the game is that it is one player. Once you have played
|
|
through the 10 missions, the game is done. The missions kept me busy for
|
|
awhile, though, and the various objectives are fun to achieve. A top-notch
|
|
game.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+
|
|
SOUND : A
|
|
MUSIC : A
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A
|
|
LONGEVITY: B-
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Decrease CD lag time when loading scenes.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.45
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : A very good game overall. The amount of Japanese text in the game
|
|
could be a stumbling block... it took me awhile to figure out what
|
|
everything was, but it's definitely worthwhile if you like strategy
|
|
games.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Last Alert (CD-ROM)
|
|
----------
|
|
This is how Bloody Wolf was supposed to look, sound, and play.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Fast, flicker-free animation... nice, full screen "still"
|
|
screens)
|
|
SOUND : A (Voices and cinematic effects are crisp)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Very, very good soundtrack)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (This one definitely requires a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (Frustrating, but fun... easy when you know what weapon to
|
|
use against which bosses)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Decrease CD lag time when loading scenes.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.78
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Legendary Axe (Hu-Card)
|
|
-------------
|
|
You are a Barbarian on a quest ala Castlevania-style.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+ (Good use of the available colors)
|
|
SOUND : A (Cool sound effects)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Catchy them tune)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (Turbopad adequate, but a joystick would help)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (There's enough to do in this game to keep you coming
|
|
back for more... but starting back at the beginning of
|
|
the game can be a drag!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Add a continue feature. There is a secret continue feature,
|
|
however.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.43
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Legendary Axe II (Hu-Card)
|
|
----------------
|
|
Again, you are a Barbarian on a quest ala Castlevania-style.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Much improved graphics over its predecessor!)
|
|
SOUND : A (Cool sound effects)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Cool music)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (Like its predecessor, this game would be more playable with
|
|
a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+ (Because the game is more visually appealing, I would play
|
|
it over its predecessor)
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.65
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Loom (SCD-ROM)
|
|
----
|
|
As one of the magical "weavers" (akin to a musical magician), you embark
|
|
on a quest to rescue the other weavers. There are no hack and slash
|
|
elements in this game. Most of it is explore and cast magic. It's a
|
|
complete story on a disc and very close to the 256-color CD version of
|
|
the IBM game of the same name.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (everything is very cinematic in nature and you get to skip
|
|
some of the more annoying animations if you wish)
|
|
SOUND : A (many of the sounds are played off the CD)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (top notch)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (moving the cursor takes a little getting used to... you
|
|
must aim the cursor at a location and press a button to
|
|
allow your weaver to move toward it)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (guaranteed to last a long time... it's a long adventure
|
|
and you could play it again and again to learn different
|
|
spells)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.93
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : I felt some of the scenes were too limited in color. I counted
|
|
no more than 8 colors in those scenes and felt the technology
|
|
could handle much more.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Lords of the Rising Sun (CD-ROM) Review by Brad Hamlett.
|
|
-----------------------
|
|
Lords of the Rising Sun is the long awaited strategy game based in feudal
|
|
Japan. This title appeared on both the Amiga and the IBM. Little has
|
|
changed. You assume the role of one of three Japanese warlords. Your
|
|
objective is to secure and consolidate your power as a Samurai. The game
|
|
difficulty and objectives vary depending on which of the warlords you choose
|
|
to play.
|
|
|
|
You and each warlord you command is rated on archery, siege, and swordsmanship.
|
|
Archery determines how well you can protect a fortification. Siege is how
|
|
well you can attack a fortification. Swordsmanship is how well you command an
|
|
army in the field.
|
|
|
|
Each warlord commands a number of troops from 0-100. The longer a warlord
|
|
remains in a city, the more troops will join. In cities, warlords replenish
|
|
men and rest. In villages, warlords can only rest. Marching drains stamina
|
|
from your troops and affects their combat abilities.
|
|
|
|
Each type of combat is represented by a action or strategy sequence. When
|
|
defending a fort, you must shoot enemy soldiers that are scaling the walls.
|
|
In a siege, you must kill enemy soldiers standing in your way while navigating
|
|
a maze of buildings trying to find the main temple. Only the field battles
|
|
require no arcade skills. You set troop orders and then watch them fight it
|
|
out. You can sound retreat or change orders during the fight. If you are
|
|
victorious, the scene changes and you try to chase down the enemy warlord on
|
|
horseback. If you fail, the leader gets away. Succeed and there's one less
|
|
enemy commander to deal with.
|
|
|
|
Other options include sending ninja assassins to kill enemy warlords and
|
|
bribing other leaders to join your cause. The game ends when you meet your
|
|
victory conditions.
|
|
|
|
I'm not going to lie to you... this game sucks. The action sequences are out
|
|
of place and the "chase down the enemy warlord on horseback" sequence is just
|
|
too damn hard. The actions sequences are fun a time or two, but the 100th
|
|
time you siege a city, you don't want to have to run around finding the main
|
|
temple again. The voice actors make me cringe... no emotion and some
|
|
blatantly fake Japanese accents (makes me cringe about as much as when
|
|
Hollywood portrays Southerners).
|
|
|
|
The music and background effects are nicely done, but don't make up for a truly
|
|
bad game. Avoid this one... MAYBE rent it.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : C+
|
|
SOUND : A-
|
|
MUSIC : A-
|
|
GAMEPLAY : F
|
|
LONGEVITY: C+
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.38
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Macross 2036 (CD-ROM or SCD-ROM)
|
|
------------
|
|
High-speed, side-scrolling shooter based on the popular Japanese Macross
|
|
(Robotech) series. Unique method of fighting against bosses. Lots of hidden
|
|
surprises. When playing on a standard CD, CD access time is more frequent.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A+ (You won't believe your eyes! The animation is so smooth and
|
|
fast and some enemies and bosses are HUGE. The opening anime
|
|
scenes are INCREDIBLE. When fighting bosses, you aim your
|
|
robot by ROTATING it! WOW!!!)
|
|
SOUND : A++ (Even though the speech is in Japanese, I still got into
|
|
it. Superb voice-acting)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (These designers did an excellent job on music. I'm sure
|
|
if I were a fan of the TV series, I would probably give
|
|
the music more praise. It's very catchy)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (This is one of those games where the actual side-scrolling
|
|
sequences would fair better with a joystick, but the
|
|
Turbopad would be better during the boss-fight)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (There are a large number of power-up items to use. I
|
|
finished the game the night I got it, but I'm still very
|
|
curious to discover the effectiveness of other power-up
|
|
items. You would probably want to play it again just for
|
|
that. The continue feature really helped me get through
|
|
all the levels. Otherwise, it's just too easy!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: More power-up items? There's already about 16 of them in
|
|
the power-up items shop and many hidden power-ups during
|
|
the game. Add more levels!!!
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.87
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : My only gripe is that it was too easy. I'm not THAT good at
|
|
videogames and I beat it in one night!
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Military Madness (Hu-Card)
|
|
----------------
|
|
Maneuver your forces over land and sea in this hex-grid strategy game which
|
|
has been consistently voted one of the best games on the TG-16 and on ANY
|
|
home system!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Finely-detailed graphic pieces and gameboard)
|
|
SOUND : B+ (Only cheap booms and bleeps)
|
|
MUSIC : A- (Theme tune gets annoying after awhile!)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (Turbopad is more than adequate)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: More realistic sound effects (explosions).
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.83
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : I must admit, I was no fan of hex-grid games until I played this
|
|
game! There are enough arcade-like elements to keep fast action
|
|
gamers happy and enough strategy elements to keep the rest of you
|
|
happy. This is a top-notch TG-16 title!
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# New Adventure Island (Hu-Card)
|
|
--------------------
|
|
You are on a remote island and an evil being has kidnapped your loved ones.
|
|
You must rescue each of them.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A+ (very colorful and detailed graphics... just take a look at
|
|
the many expressions on your character's face!)
|
|
SOUND : B+ (the sound and music are a little tinny... there is an annoying
|
|
ringing sound through several parts of the music, although the
|
|
panning effect in the beginning is pretty cool)
|
|
MUSIC : B+
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (good control with or without a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (a lot of challenge here... the seven levels will take quite a
|
|
while to master)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.67
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : While I was playing this game, I came to the realization of
|
|
how much better the graphics in this game are versus Super
|
|
Adventure Island and Super Mario World on the SNES. The colors
|
|
are brighter. The play is a little more peppy. I actually
|
|
liked using the TurboPad with this game.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Ninja Spirit (Hu-Card)
|
|
------------
|
|
Side-scrolling slash/chop/hack game in the spirit of Shinobi.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (One of the best in this area)
|
|
SOUND : A (Everything is RIGHT here, too)
|
|
MUSIC : A (A funky Japanese tune is carried out in each level)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (A joystick would improve gameplay considerably)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (You will want to play again and again)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: The wolf howling sound in the intro was not too realistic.
|
|
2-player option would be nice.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.78
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : One of the best 4-MEG Hu-Cards!!!
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# The Ninja Warriors (Hu-Card) Review by Laly Thao.
|
|
------------------
|
|
This is a port of the arcade game with the same name. Personally, one of my
|
|
favorite arcade games, so I was google eyes over it, but very disappointed.
|
|
The graphics and sound are not up to par with the Hu-Cards nowadays, but I
|
|
attribute that to the lack of knowledge then. I think this card was released
|
|
in either '88 or '89.
|
|
|
|
As far as the story is concerned, you are a robotic ninja sent on a mission
|
|
to regain the government from a dictator. Walk and jump while slashing
|
|
away at soldiers, dogs, cyborgs and other robotic ninjas.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B- (The streaks of blood are there :-))
|
|
SOUND : B- (The "swish" that occurs when you press the button to slash
|
|
with your knife is present. There are a lot of other nifty
|
|
sounds missing though.)
|
|
MUSIC : B- (Not as great as the arcade. I think it's only two or
|
|
three voices which is constantly interrupted by the
|
|
sound effects...or what little sound there is.)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (Joystick would prevent thumb sore after prolonged playing.)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (It's nice to turn it on and rampage for a couple of minutes.
|
|
There are limited continues, so it gets frustrating if you
|
|
get far and then lose all of your continues...ack.
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: This game could use some sound as well as hyped up graphics.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.85
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : I wouldn't buy this game new, but probably would pick it up used
|
|
if the price was right simply because it's the next best thing to
|
|
the arcade. This would be a good CD game because the original
|
|
arcade music could be used, and as I stated, if the graphics were
|
|
improved a bit more, this would be a great port of the arcade.
|
|
|
|
And, speaking of CD games, I think I saw this title as a CD
|
|
release for the Mega Drive CD system. It's worth checking
|
|
out when it's released (if you liked the arcade game as much
|
|
as I did).
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Order of the Griffon (Hu-Card)
|
|
--------------------
|
|
A full-length feature-packed "official" D&D adventure on a Hu-Card!
|
|
Order of the Griffon places your party of 4 (out of a possible 21 characters)
|
|
in a land-roving, dungeon/cave-spelunking setting. The graphics are
|
|
exceptional. The land is strewn with detail and the little characters have
|
|
easily distinguishable features, a little more comical than the popular
|
|
Dungeon Explorer. The background music is bar none. My only gripe here is
|
|
that the music gets annoying after awhile, especially during battle sequences.
|
|
|
|
Griffon is less action-packed than Dungeon Explorer, but there are definitely
|
|
a greater variety of objects to use and player statistics play a large role
|
|
in party development. There is a save game/password feature (your choice) to
|
|
keep you continuing your adventure for days. The game is fairly difficult at
|
|
first mainly because you have to get over the controls, but once you know them
|
|
well, gameplay is rather intuitive (watch out for hitting the RUN key too many
|
|
times!). Be sure you choose a well-rounded party before you begin the game!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (very nice detail here and there... some full-screen displays
|
|
would've done the trick... this game should've been a CD-ROM
|
|
title!)
|
|
SOUND : B+ (sound effects aren't very complex, but do the job when used)
|
|
MUSIC : A- (a little annoying after awhile, but very high quality)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (takes a little getting used to at first, but works out quite
|
|
nicely afterwards... since there aren't any fast action arcade-
|
|
like sequences, the Turbopad works just fine)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (you're gonna' like this one!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Speed up the game a bit. See comment below.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.73
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : In the battle sequences, you must first "search" for the
|
|
enemy before setting up your characters for battle sequence.
|
|
Since the battlefield can be fairly large, moving the slow
|
|
cursor around can be awkward and annoying.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Ordyne (Hu-Card)
|
|
------
|
|
Side-scrolling shooter with cute graphics. Not as cute as Fantasy Zone,
|
|
but has faster and better gameplay.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+ (cute graphics... very, very little flicker)
|
|
SOUND : B+ (better sounds than Fantasy Zone, not as good as R-Type)
|
|
MUSIC : B (opening credit screen is silent)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (definitely needs a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+ (a fun side-scrolling game... but lacks a certain something...
|
|
allows for two-player play, which is definitely a plus)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.25
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Parodius (Hu-Card) Review by Teh Kao Yang.
|
|
--------
|
|
8-meg Hu-Card of the very original and funny shooter from Konami.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Graphics almost rival that of the SNES version)
|
|
SOUND : A-
|
|
MUSIC : A-
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (Missing 2 levels from the SNES version)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A-
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Why are the two levels missing?
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.75
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : SNES fans should be familiar with this wacky shooter from Konami.
|
|
It plays similar to the Gradius series but that's where all similarity ends.
|
|
It is identical to the SNES version in almost all respects except for the
|
|
sound and two missing levels. The intro is better and longer than that in
|
|
the SNES version. Some stages actually look better IMHO than the SNES.
|
|
For example, in one of my favorite stages, the attack of the 500-foot dancing
|
|
girl, the girl shakes her hips while in the SNES version she doesn't.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Pomping World (CD-ROM)
|
|
-------------
|
|
Pomping World is Buster Bros for the TG-16!!! The background graphics and
|
|
music are sensational. The programmers did one excellent job in the
|
|
translation process. But enough of the superlatives, the game's about this
|
|
little guy on a mission to pop these large alien bubbles which bounce
|
|
all over the place. His main weapon is a gun which shoots out a strange
|
|
sort of ray which splits the bubbles into halves. The larger bubbles must
|
|
be split a few times to get smaller bubbles. Only the smallest bubbles
|
|
can actually be destroyed. If it sounds like a stupid concept, it is, but
|
|
wait until you play it. You'll be hooked!!! Other useful weapons are a
|
|
rapid-fire gun (you gotta love Turbofire), a gun which leaves a solid thin
|
|
"wall," a time stop, and an invincibility shield. There are also birds
|
|
and other nasties to do you in. On higher levels, you get to climb
|
|
ladders and use the terrain (solid and vaporizable blocks) to your
|
|
advantage (or disadvantage). With two players, the fun is doubled!!!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A+ (Cute and very much like the arcade game... you will not
|
|
believe the detail here... Genesis owners won't believe
|
|
the detail here!)
|
|
SOUND : A (Same here)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (This CD technology is great!)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (Turbostick helpful but not necessary)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (You will be hooked... believe me!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2 (Yes, folks... TWO people can play at once!!!)
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: The shooting sound your initial weapon makes sounds a
|
|
little different from the arcade, but I'm being VERY
|
|
nitpicky here.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.05
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Definitely a must-have. This, my friends, is a much better
|
|
translation of Buster Bros than Super Buster Bros on the
|
|
SNES (which is only a one-player game!).
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Ranma 1/2: Defeat of the Undiscriminate Fighting Style (SCD-ROM)
|
|
------------------------------------------------------
|
|
Review by Sergey Shimkevich.
|
|
One-on-one fighting game based on the popular manga/anime title. You are cast
|
|
in the role of Ranma, a boy who is cursed and, as a result, changes into a
|
|
girl when splashed with cold water. All of the major characters appear in the
|
|
game, either in the fighting mode or during the intermissions.
|
|
|
|
The game starts with Ranma and Happosai in a public bath. Happosai hears the
|
|
girls' voices and starts climbing the wall. Enraged Ranma throws a barrel at
|
|
Happosai and knocks him down. Happosai splashes Ranma with cold water and the
|
|
first round begins!
|
|
|
|
You can play in the story or the nettoh mode. In the second mode, two players
|
|
can fight it out, Street Fighter-style. There are eight characters to choose
|
|
from - two Ranmas, Ukyou, Moose, Konchoh, Kunou, Ryouga and Kodachi. There
|
|
also is a special game where you play a game of cards with the Gambling King.
|
|
|
|
The actual game graphics are unremarkable at best - some of the characters
|
|
look bad and animate choppily and there is a lot of flicker. The
|
|
intermissions, especially the "eyecatch" segments, sounds, and music are great.
|
|
|
|
The gameplay is quite good, even with the average-looking graphics. Overall,
|
|
the game is a lot of fun and offers many surprises. Recommended.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B
|
|
SOUND : A
|
|
MUSIC : A
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+
|
|
LONGEVITY: B
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.38
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : If you are a fan of the series, you'll enjoy this game. If,
|
|
however, you are looking for something with Street Fighter 2 playability
|
|
and graphics, I suggest that you proceed with caution.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# RayXamber II (CD-ROM) Review by Brad Hamlett.
|
|
------------
|
|
RayXamber II is another side-scrolling shooter. I haven't played this one
|
|
much yet, so I haven't gotten very far. This is one tough mother of a
|
|
game... you thought AeroBlasters was hard!
|
|
|
|
RayXamber lacks all of the fancy voices and intermissions of Spriggan, but
|
|
it's still a good shooter. Weapon choices are fewer, but "customizable."
|
|
When you pick up a weapon, you can choose whether it shoots to the front,
|
|
rear, top, or bottom. In addition to your regular firepower, you can hold
|
|
the fire button down (ala R-Type) to power up your weapon type. If you
|
|
release the fire button, a burst-effect like weapon is released. If you
|
|
press the other button, however, your ship gains a significant burst of
|
|
speed (useful in getting out of situations that you can't fight your way
|
|
out of).
|
|
|
|
The graphics and music are nice. The weapons don't really offer too much
|
|
firepower, so you are forced to rely on a little strategy (not necessarily
|
|
a bad thing). A good shooter, but not great. Six-stages long, but hard.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+
|
|
SOUND : B
|
|
MUSIC : B
|
|
GAMEPLAY : C
|
|
LONGEVITY: A++
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.41
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Road Spirits (CD-ROM)
|
|
------------
|
|
TG-16 gamers, this is NOT Outrun!!! I don't know why some past reviewers
|
|
thought so, but this game is actually based on an arcade game made by the
|
|
same company that brought you Chase HQ; I don't quite remember the name,
|
|
but I do remember the steering wheel being of the "looser" variety.
|
|
Anyone recognizing the speedometer graph in the upper right-hand corner of
|
|
the screen will understand what I'm blabbing about. The graphics are not
|
|
great and I wasn't even sure it was worth my $40 used price (it's an
|
|
import game), but playing it more and more and getting into it, I found
|
|
it was quite entertaining (and relatively easy, which I like). The roads
|
|
don't quite turn in a hairpin manner as in most racing games, so there is
|
|
no absolute need to use a Turbostick for quick moves. Anyway, the
|
|
instructions were in Japanese, so, naturally, I said "Huh?" when I tried
|
|
reading them. It was all pretty easy to figure out, though. When I got
|
|
bored after the fifth or sixth race, I reset the game and started over
|
|
with "Continue." I was then allowed to change cars and steering. Instead
|
|
of driving a Ferrari as I did in the initial games, I was allowed to drive
|
|
an automatic-transmission Lamborghini (I think that's what it was). I'm
|
|
still looking forward to driving the Porsche, though. Anyway again,
|
|
there's lots of skidding in the game, maybe too much for it to be realistic.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (Not great at first, but it gets better in later stages,
|
|
specifically backgrounds)
|
|
SOUND : A (It's CD sound... what do you expect?)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Lots of variety here... you can change the soundtrack before
|
|
you begin a stage)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (Simple, easy to learn controls... no Japanese required!)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B- (It's monotonous... one of those games you'll play for a
|
|
while... put away for a few weeks... play again...)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Enemy car graphics are not as good as they could be. If the
|
|
movements of these cars can be improved, the game would look
|
|
great!
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.35
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Rom Rom Stadium (CD-ROM) Review by Jeffrey Naiman.
|
|
---------------
|
|
GRAPHICS : B-
|
|
SOUND : B-
|
|
MUSIC : B-
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B-
|
|
LONGEVITY: B-
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.70
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# R-Type (Hu-Card)
|
|
------
|
|
The classic side-scrolling shooter that is all the rage.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+ (Take away the flicker and slowdown and this would be a clear A)
|
|
SOUND : A (Some of the best sound effects on the TG-16... the sound
|
|
effects were duplicated EXACTLY)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Same for music)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (Definitely needs a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (The TG-16 is THE machine to play this game, folks!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Improve the stereo. Get rid of the graphics problems.
|
|
Have a 2-player option.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.67
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Saint Dragon (Hu-Card) Review by Teh Kao Yang.
|
|
------------
|
|
Side-scrolling shooter. Conversion of an old Jaleco arcade shooter.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : C+ (A lot of flicker)
|
|
SOUND : D+
|
|
MUSIC : D (Horrible annoying music)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : D-
|
|
LONGEVITY: F (I didn't even bother trying to finish it)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Too many to mention
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 0.88
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This is by far the worst TG-16 game I have ever seen. Everything
|
|
about this game sucks. Too bad since the arcade game was a real classic and
|
|
this is the only known port of it.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Shadow of the Beast (SCD-ROM)
|
|
-------------------
|
|
You are one of the Devil's minions and your goal is to restore yourself
|
|
to human form again. This is the SCD version of the Amiga and Genesis
|
|
hit!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A++ (Very, very nice parallax scrolling... tons of colors...
|
|
the animation sequences have a digitized feel to them)
|
|
SOUND : A++ (most pulled off of the CD... breathing sounds are incredible)
|
|
MUSIC : A++ (excellent background music)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (a game which would play better with a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+ (it's a tough quest and VERY frustrating at times... you'll
|
|
have fun, I promise!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.95
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Many Amiga and Genesis gamers dislike this game because it's
|
|
too difficult! I think they toned down the game a bit for
|
|
the SCD, so it's now a bit more playable. Also, the intermission
|
|
animation sequences are expertly done!
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Shapeshifter (SCD-ROM)
|
|
------------
|
|
You are a barbarian-like figure who has the ability to metamorph into a
|
|
variety of creatures with different abilities. One of the best CD titles
|
|
I have seen yet!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A++ (some of the pictures have a pastel-like quality about them...
|
|
the bosses are huge... and the animation is fast and
|
|
flicker-free)
|
|
SOUND : A++ (character dialogs are loaded off the CD and very well-done!)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (cool background music)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (one of those games which would benefit greatly with a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A+ (you will hack and slash, talk to people, and just be simply
|
|
amazed by what can be done with CD technology... a thumbs up!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.23
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Sherlock Holmes (CD-ROM) Review by Bryan Duvan.
|
|
---------------
|
|
You're Sherlock Holmes with your trusted pal Watson trying to solve
|
|
three separate cases.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A+ (Excellent... great digitized pics)
|
|
SOUND : A (All the sounds are here)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (Nicely composed...)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (Very simple to use... Turbopad is sufficient)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (It will take you a while to solve all three cases, but once
|
|
they are solved, you're done with the game)
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Too much lag time due to CD access.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.10
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : I truly like this game and highly recommend it.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Shubibinman 2 (Hu-Card) Review by Laly Thao.
|
|
-------------
|
|
Not sure exactly what the storyline is, but this game offers variety which
|
|
is a plus for me (i.e. In stage one, you play the character and run, jump,
|
|
and shoot while. In stage two, you're piloting a submarine, and in stage
|
|
three, you're piloting a plane. In each stage, the visual gameplay changes).
|
|
Additionally, there is an intermission in between stages. I can't read
|
|
Japanese, so I couldn't tell what was going on, but the action is hot and
|
|
heavy.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Impressive for a card. Explosions in the latter stage when
|
|
piloting the plane are very good.)
|
|
SOUND : A- (It really uses the sound chip well.)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Again good use of the sound chip.)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+ (Good for a few romps, but once you're done, it's basically
|
|
over unless you like the game enough to play it again.)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 or 2
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: A password save or some sort of stage select would be nice.
|
|
After slaving for hours to get to a stage then turning it
|
|
off because you have to do something gets nervy after a while.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.72
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : I purchased a TurboTap and another controller in anticipation
|
|
of buying this game later on. One player was fun. Can't wait
|
|
to have two of us blowing away the hovering mechs and sewer
|
|
monsters.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Sidearms (Hu-Card)
|
|
--------
|
|
Side-scrolling shooter with nice graphics and lots of power-ups.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (Nice visuals)
|
|
SOUND : A (R-Type-quality sound effects)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Catchy theme song)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (Turbopad play suffers; a joystick is needed)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (With a joystick, this game would be an A- here)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: I'm ready for Sidearms Special!
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.45
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Sidearms Special (CD-ROM) Review by Jeffrey Naiman.
|
|
----------------
|
|
GRAPHICS : A
|
|
SOUND : A++
|
|
MUSIC : A++
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B-
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.58
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Silent Debuggers (Hu-Card) Review by Jeffrey Naiman and TurboKid.
|
|
----------------
|
|
Chase and destroy monsters in a 3-D maze.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (Blocky motion, aliens don't look good)
|
|
SOUND : B+ (The game's proximity sensor gets faster and louder when
|
|
aliens approach, and the effect is really good)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (You really get into this! It's like Aliens!)
|
|
MUSIC : B- (There is only music during the intermissions, a decision I
|
|
think works well, but you can't skip the intermissions.
|
|
Annoying!)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B- (The first few games are fun, but it loses its novelty)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.01
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : The game is very different from most videogames because of the
|
|
pseudo-3D effect. Chasing monsters through the maze and having monsters
|
|
stalk you really makes your heart pound, but it wears off. This is a good
|
|
game to get used or on sale.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Sinistron (Hu-Card)
|
|
---------
|
|
Side-scrolling shooter with nice graphics.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (Folks, this game has parallax scrolling, which Genesis
|
|
owners have been bragging about for the longest time...
|
|
check out the scenes which look like clones of T-Force III
|
|
for the Genesis!)
|
|
SOUND : A- (Nice explosions, missile firing)
|
|
MUSIC : B+ (Music starts annoying you after awhile)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (This game needs a joystick for top scores)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+ (It's addicting, but also frustrating... luckily, the game
|
|
allows you to continue at either the beginning of a stage
|
|
or a special checkpoint... if you've reached it)
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Some of the backgrounds (especially in the first stage)
|
|
are a little simplistic. Improving these backgrounds
|
|
would improve the overall "look" of the game tremendously.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.43
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Soldier Blade (Hu-Card) Review by Teh Kao Yang.
|
|
-------------
|
|
Latest entry in the Star Soldier series. Vertical scrolling shooter with 7
|
|
levels.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Great backgrounds, has a special graphics mode)
|
|
SOUND : A (Has some digitized voices, great sounding explosions)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Great adrenalin-pumping tunes)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (Very intense and interesting levels)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (Hard to finish on normal setting; impossible(?) on hard)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Add more different weapons, improve the colors.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.90
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Soldier Blade is a vertical shooter, similar to Super Star Soldier.
|
|
It's just as intense and fun as Super Star Soldier, with a few improvements.
|
|
There are a lot of special background effects in this game that I thought
|
|
couldn't be done on the TG-16. A lot of parallax scrolling and line scrolling
|
|
(probably simulated though) are used in the backgrounds. But the most awesome
|
|
thing is that you can play the game in a different graphics mode! If you pick
|
|
the "arcade" mode the screen is converted to a narrower size similar to those
|
|
used by vertical shooters in the arcades. The resolution is increased and the
|
|
colors and graphic details stay the same. It looks really fantastic. This is
|
|
the first TG-16 game I've seen that uses this higher resolution in the actual
|
|
gameplay.
|
|
|
|
The bosses and enemies are some of the most spectacular ever seen in a shooter.
|
|
A lot of the bosses have very original weapons and nasty surprises in store.
|
|
The bosses are very hard to kill, since they keep changing forms and attack
|
|
patterns as you damage them. Most of the enemies are also HUGE compared to
|
|
those found in other TG-16 shooters. The overall impression you get when you
|
|
play this game is that you feel like you are playing a real arcade shooter, not
|
|
a TG-16 game.
|
|
|
|
My complaints are that you only have 3 different weapons to choose from, and
|
|
the weapons don't look as good as they did in Super Star Soldier. Also the
|
|
game doesn't seem to use that many colors, thus it doesn't look as bright
|
|
or colorful as some other games. You also only have 2 different speed
|
|
settings, fast and slow. I wish there was a medium setting for easier control.
|
|
|
|
It would be hard for me to compare Soldier Blade to Super Star Soldier, one
|
|
of my favorite TG-16 shooters. They're both great games in their own respects.
|
|
Super Star Soldier has brighter colors and more interesting weapons, but
|
|
Soldier Blade is more graphically impressive.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Space Harrier (Hu-Card) Review by Chris Fleming.
|
|
-------------
|
|
Space Harrier is, well, uh, Space Harrier from the arcades, of course. You
|
|
are a hero type person with a jet pack and a laser blasting anything that
|
|
moves (or doesn't move) in various 3D landscapes, with a behind-the-first-
|
|
person view. There are 16 levels, plus 2 bonus rounds to gain mucho extra
|
|
points. As far as I can tell, the levels are identical to the arcade
|
|
version. Each level features a variety of nasties and plant life to blow
|
|
apart, and on most levels, there are obstacles which cannot be destroyed.
|
|
There is a boss to destroy at the end of each level. There isn't much else
|
|
to the gameplay - no powerups or special weapons - just keep that thumb on
|
|
the fire button and blast away.
|
|
|
|
Space Harrier is one of my all-time favorite arcade games next to OutRun,
|
|
so this part of the review is probably rather biased (apologies). The
|
|
fascination I've always found with Space Harrier in the arcades, was not
|
|
with the gameplay, but the move and shoot aspect. The true joy of this game
|
|
is in the 3D graphics. The feeling of real motion over and through the land
|
|
features adds a huge amount to its excitement. The TG-16 game is very true
|
|
to the original arcade game, and none of this excitement is lost. The
|
|
graphics are quite well done. The land rolls by very quickly and the 3D
|
|
effect with bitmap scaling is extremely convincing. This is a far better
|
|
game than the so-called Space Harrier II for the Genesis (which seems rather
|
|
strange to me since both games were created by Sega!). There is some minor
|
|
flickering with some of the larger boss critters, but in no way does it
|
|
interfere with the game. Each level is relatively short, which makes
|
|
repeated play not as tedious as other shooters I've played. Some nice
|
|
features are, (very) rapid fire (saves wear and tear on the thumb), a
|
|
continue mode, and the ability to change the effect of the up and down
|
|
directions on the Turbopad. The sound, however, is marginal. The music and
|
|
voices ("Get ready!", "You're doing great!") are very fuzzy, and the voices,
|
|
in particular, are hard to make out. The game is pretty damn difficult
|
|
(although the boss critters are pretty easy if you can get to them), and I've
|
|
yet to pass level 11. All in all, this was worth every penny of the $20 I
|
|
spent on it.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B
|
|
SOUND : B
|
|
MUSIC : B
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A
|
|
LONGEVITY: A
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.50
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Splatterhouse (Hu-Card)
|
|
-------------
|
|
You are a man inflicted with an evil curse which has left you with a
|
|
hockey mask stuck on your face. Your only hope is to find your girlfriend
|
|
who can remove the mask from your face. If this description sounds stupid,
|
|
it is! The game is great, though.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Nice cartoon-like graphics... some gross things included)
|
|
SOUND : A (Nice job on sound effects and monster wails)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Nice theme tunes)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (Needs a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+ (I find myself playing for short spurts at a time)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.65
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# SportsTalk Hockey (Hu-Card) Review by James Stepanek.
|
|
-----------------
|
|
One of the original games out for the TG-16, this is still quite a
|
|
reasonable fascimilie of hockey for the machine. It has a good sense of
|
|
humor, relatively simple controlls and reasonable graphics. It has a
|
|
pretty good amount of options in the way of team variety, and different
|
|
lines. The writers did not go to the trouble of buying proffessional
|
|
rights or anything, so they just banked on good old nationalism to stir
|
|
up rivalries. There are about ten teams each with three lines which you
|
|
can switch between during a game. The lines are composed of homogeneous
|
|
players with identical stats in a line. Granted, this shows something of
|
|
a lack of sophistication, but when you switch between controll of
|
|
different players in a line it is comforting. The game allows options of
|
|
a tournament or individual games, given that the games last as long as a
|
|
real hockey game (three 20 minute periods) I doubt anyone will play many
|
|
tournaments. Up to 5 players can play, on separate sides or on the same
|
|
side. This is one feature that I have found to be quite entertaining,
|
|
since it can be more fun (and less aggravating) to cooperate with a
|
|
friend than compete. This also allows a group of friends to staff a full
|
|
line, which I have yet to try due to a lack of controllers. The other
|
|
big plus to the game is the way in which it simulates fighting and
|
|
penalties. If you check someone real hard, you go to a fight screen in
|
|
which the two players slug it out, and whoever gets decked gets the
|
|
penalty. Also the probability of fights breaking out is determined by
|
|
which set of rules is chosen. All in all it is a pretty good hockey
|
|
game, not stellar, but a worthwhile purchase for $25 or under.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B+ (smooth animation, decent color, but nothing really exciting)
|
|
SOUND : B (pretty good... grunts when you check people, noise from
|
|
skates, etc)
|
|
MUSIC : C+ (occasional bursts of charge music, but no national
|
|
anthems or such)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (controlls are good enough, except for the problem of
|
|
controlling the goalie at the wrong time by accident)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (this is an arbitrary ruling because if you play it by
|
|
yourself it is B or B-, but with the variety of
|
|
multi-player options it is an A. Also, I really don't play
|
|
sports games by myself much so this is subjective)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1 to 5
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: The game could probably use better sound. The graphics are
|
|
adequate. Add an option so that when you change control from one player
|
|
to another on defense, you don't have the option of becomming the goalie
|
|
(I've lost many games that way).
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.22
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : A good hockey game to have if you just like the game and
|
|
don't need to go ga ga over NHL stats. Especially good if you have
|
|
buddies to play it with.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Spriggan (CD-ROM) Review by Brad Hamlett.
|
|
--------
|
|
Spriggan (aka Magic Soldier) is a shooter, much like Super Star Soldier or
|
|
MUSHA. In fact, I think it's a sequel to MUSHA. There are plenty of
|
|
different weapon types in Spriggan. As you destroy certain objects,
|
|
various colored capsules are released. You may carry up to three of these
|
|
capsules. Your weapon type depends on the number and color combination of
|
|
the capsules. There are four different colors yielding 13 different weapons.
|
|
|
|
In addition to you main guns, you may also drop bombs that will clear the
|
|
screen of lesser enemies and do significant damage to larger ones. The only
|
|
drawback to the bombs is that each time you drop a bomb, the leftmost capsule
|
|
is removed from your supply, effectively reducing your weapon strength.
|
|
|
|
The sound effects are some of the best I've ever heard coming from a shooter
|
|
and the background music is stuff you can wake the neighbors with :).
|
|
Definitely CD quality. The game has long intermissions with plenty of nice
|
|
pictures. The voices are in Japanese of course. If you let the game sit
|
|
in "Demo mode" long enough, the game will demo itself, run through the
|
|
storyline and then display each of the weapon combination.
|
|
|
|
The only drawback to the game was that I found it to be too short (only 6-1/2
|
|
stages). The game is moderately difficult on "normal," but the options
|
|
screen lets you set the difficulty level higher.
|
|
|
|
Spriggan also has the same features of Super Star Soldier... it allows you
|
|
to play "beat the clock" and "beat the score" versions of the game which are
|
|
very fun (especially after you've won the regular game). A very fun game
|
|
overall.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A+
|
|
SOUND : A++
|
|
MUSIC : A++
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A
|
|
LONGEVITY: B
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.91
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Spriggan Mark 2: Re-Terraform Project (SCD-ROM) Review by Sergey Shimkevich.
|
|
-------------------------------------
|
|
Side-scrolling shooter, somewhat similar to the Genesis title, Target Earth,
|
|
but much better. The storyline is straight out of the Gundam series. After
|
|
establishing colonies in outer space and on the Moon, mankind has turned to
|
|
its preferred pasttime (war, that is). You are Greg, a young "Mobile Suit"
|
|
pilot. On your first sortie, three of your teammates defect to the enemy,
|
|
nearly bumping you off in the process! Very long and well-drawn
|
|
intermissions, lots of voice/dialogue during the action scenes. There is
|
|
an option that allows you to set the dialogue during the action scenes to
|
|
voice and text, text only, or nothing (this last option turns off the
|
|
intermissions as well).
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A++ (many, many layers of parrallax scrolling)
|
|
SOUND : A- (nothing too exceptional here)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (nice names for themes played throughout the game, like
|
|
"Battleholic")
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (quite a large number of weapons to choose from)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (well, it's not that hard on "normal," but there are always
|
|
"hard" and "super hard" settings)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.05
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : One of the best shooters to come around in a long time. In
|
|
addition to exceptional graphics, music and gameplay, it also has a
|
|
storyline of epic proportions (although defininely influenced by the Mobile
|
|
Suit Gundam series). Some parts of the game are truly incredible, both
|
|
story and graphics-wise. For example, in Level 3, Greg's mobile suit gets
|
|
hit and he has to change suits in flight. In Level 5, the battle is in the
|
|
skies above a city on Earth which is being hit by immense laser blasts from
|
|
space that are eliminating your allies and enemies alike. In other levels,
|
|
there are giant rocket engines installed in the Moon by the bad guys (can
|
|
you say Char's Counterattack?). If you have a Super System Card, this is a
|
|
definite must-have. Much better than Macross 2036, IMHO.
|
|
|
|
To set one thing straight: this is NOT a sequel to Spirit Fighter Spriggan.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Super Darius (CD-ROM) Review by Brad Hamlett and TurboKid.
|
|
------------
|
|
Super Darius is based on (and is almost an exact copy of) the arcade game,
|
|
Darius, by Taito. In fact, the only difference in the PC-Engine version is
|
|
the different end bosses for each zone.
|
|
|
|
For those who've never seen the arcade game, Super Darius is a side-scrolling
|
|
shooter in the same vein as R-type. The Silver Hawk fighter is armed with
|
|
a forward-firing weapon, bombs, and shields. There are six colored gels
|
|
that power up the ship. Red = guns, Green = bombs, blue = shields, grey =
|
|
points, yellow = destroys all enemies on screen, and clear = extra ship. As
|
|
you gather weapon and shield gels, the strength of the weapon or shield
|
|
increases slightly. When you gather the 8th gel of a particular color, the
|
|
weapon or shield-type changes... bullets become lasers, bombs drop up as well
|
|
as down, etc. When you grab the 16th gel of a particular color, the weapon
|
|
changes again... lasers become waves, etc.
|
|
|
|
At the end of each stage, you have the option of choosing one of two paths.
|
|
There are 28 different stages or zones to the game, but you will only fly
|
|
through 7 in any given game. Each zone has different enemies and a different
|
|
number of each power gels. This gives the game a high replayability factor.
|
|
Also, there are five different ending sequences.
|
|
|
|
The graphics in this game are impressive. The programmers did a wonderful
|
|
job of porting this game from the arcade version (and considering the
|
|
original game was a three-monitor game, this is all the more impressive).
|
|
Also, the sound is top-notch. The BGM for the game is some of the best that
|
|
I've ever heard and it's even encoded in Dolby Surround Sound. In short,
|
|
this is my favorite PC Engine game to date. No Japanese is required to play
|
|
the game, unless you HAVE to read the manual. If anyone from Turbo
|
|
Technologies is listening, take heed... bring this game out in the US! The
|
|
only downside to the game is that there is no two player version. I can
|
|
only wait to get my hands on the SCD version Super Darius 2!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A+ (This is an example of a coin-op conversion done right...
|
|
the bosses are SO HUGE and the animation is SO SMOOTH, you'll
|
|
be wondering if you're playing the original arcade coin-op)
|
|
SOUND : A++ (Sound is phenomenal! The sound cracks a bit after destroying
|
|
a boss, but that's forgivable)
|
|
MUSIC : A++ (Ditto to the music)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (You definitely need a joystick to get out of tight areas)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A+ (Fun! Fun!! Fun!!! Don't leave home without it. After
|
|
playing this a few times, you won't want to leave home!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Make it a two-player game. Add a continue feature.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.23
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : "The Surround Sound is a very welcome touch to gaming. This game
|
|
is a winner in every respect. End bosses are MUCH larger than
|
|
Genesis Sagaia. The music is quite close to the arcade. The
|
|
sound effects are a little spotty, but I'm getting picky again.
|
|
Nice job!" - Ed.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Super Star Soldier (Hu-Card)
|
|
------------------
|
|
Vertical shooter that is a sequel to Blazing Lazers.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (A little less detailed than Blazing Lazers in some areas,
|
|
for example, the ring weapon... a little more detailed in
|
|
other areas, such as enemy motherships)
|
|
SOUND : B+ (The sound effects are of similar quality to Blazing Lazers,
|
|
except there's no voice!)
|
|
MUSIC : B+ (A good effort here)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (As in most TG-16 games, a joystick would definitely help)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (A very fun game... much more intense than Blazing Lazers...
|
|
frustrating at times, esp when you're near the end of a
|
|
stage and you must start over again when you die)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Hello, Computer Voice... Where are you? You were in
|
|
Blazing Lazers, but now you're gone...
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.55
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Not as good as Blazing Lazers, but definitely more intense.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Talespin (Hu-Card) Review by Bryan Duvan.
|
|
--------
|
|
Same as the television show, Talespin.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (I love the artwork on the plane scene)
|
|
SOUND : B (Could be better)
|
|
MUSIC : A- (Theme tune included)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B (Joystick is recommend)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B (Keeps you busy on a rainy day)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Could make the game a little harder.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.28
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : Recommended for kids, but not for adults.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Time Cruise (Hu-Card) Review by Kevin Kramer.
|
|
------------
|
|
Video Pinball just keeps getting better! Time Cruise is the latest (and I
|
|
think greatest) video pinball game for the TG-16. It is very reminiscent of
|
|
Devil's Crush, but it is definitely not a sequel to it. Time Cruise has
|
|
expanded the main playing field to seven screens. Scrolling both vertically
|
|
and horizontally. There are also six bonus stages that are reached by
|
|
entering time warps (hence the games name). The bonus stages consist of
|
|
both pinball action and puzzle action. For instance, you can warp back
|
|
millions of years and try to kill amoeba-like creatures in standard pinball
|
|
fashion, or you can be warped to the future and try to manipulate the ball
|
|
through a puzzle by tilting the board (like the ball in the maze game that
|
|
has the knobs on the sides that tilt the playing field). All in all, a very
|
|
fine game.
|
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B (Adequate, but nothing spectacular)
|
|
SOUND : C+ (Nice and subdued; nothing overwhelming)
|
|
MUSIC : C+ (Good music but, as always, gets repetitious)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (FUN!!)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (I can see playing this off and on for years)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: The pinball physics are a little "funny" sometimes.
|
|
Maybe some sort of two-player cooperative game, one person
|
|
ends up sitting and watching for quite a while (just like
|
|
in Devil's Crush)
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.27
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : It is nice that TTI is putting out some different games for
|
|
the system. Time Cruise is a great change of pace from the
|
|
kill-or-be-killed games.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Turrican (Hu-Card)
|
|
--------
|
|
You are the Turrican cyborg on a mission to destroy all bad guys!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (Nice job on graphics... excellent opening screen)
|
|
SOUND : A- (Very good sound)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Nice theme tunes)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (Needs a joystick)
|
|
LONGEVITY: B+ (Frustrating at times... need long rest periods between games)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Get rid of color interleaving. It's not necessary!
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.55
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Wonder Momo (Hu-Card) Review by Teh Kao Yang.
|
|
-----------
|
|
Cute Anime girl beats up bad guys game.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B- (Some nice Anime-style cinema displays)
|
|
SOUND : B-
|
|
MUSIC : B-
|
|
GAMEPLAY : C
|
|
LONGEVITY: B-
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.58
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This old and rather obscure 2-meg Hu-Card by Namco features Momo,
|
|
a girl who can transform into a superhero. She beats up assorted bad
|
|
guys in an unknown number of progressively difficult stages. The game has
|
|
lame graphics and awful gameplay. You have very few moves and very little
|
|
space to move around. However, I decided to check out this game because of
|
|
seeing the cute Anime girl on the cover art.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Valis: The Legend of a Fantasm Soldier (SCD-ROM) Review by Brad Hamlett.
|
|
--------------------------------------
|
|
I assume most people know the story behind the Valis series, but, just in
|
|
case, I'll go over it once again, since this particular Valis game is
|
|
worthless without the accompanying storyline. Yuko Ahso is a Japanese high
|
|
school student who also happens to be the owner of a legendary sword called
|
|
Valis (Varis). As such, she often has to battle evil forces in alternate
|
|
dimensions. This game is the story of her first adventure. Basically, one
|
|
of her classmates, Reiko, gets bored with the everyday high school life and
|
|
runs away to the alternate dimension. After she disappears, the high school
|
|
and the immediate neighborhood are invaded by monsters. Just as Yuko is
|
|
about to be eaten, a voice calls her name and a shining sword appears in her
|
|
hand.
|
|
|
|
The game itself is of a standard side-scrolling run, jump, slash, and shoot
|
|
type with animated intermissions (the only nice part about this particular
|
|
game, BTW). Unfortunately, this is definitely not one of the better ones.
|
|
For one thing, the game is too short. There are only seven levels and they
|
|
are really short (even shorter than in the Genesis version!). No save
|
|
feature as well, which is surprising in a CD game, but since this is a very
|
|
short game, it is not much of a problem.
|
|
|
|
The graphics are colorful, but there is no parallax scrolling whatsoever.
|
|
We've seen multi-layered backgrounds in Valis 4, and that was a regular CD
|
|
game. What did they waste the 2 megabits of the Super System card on? The
|
|
background graphics aren't any better than the ones in Valis 3 (a 1990 game),
|
|
in fact some of the backgrounds are even worse. True, there are some
|
|
nice-looking backgrounds; one segment in level 6 looks EXACTLY like the
|
|
background in the Shadow of the Beast, but they don't break any new ground
|
|
for the TG-16. The only indication that this game is a Super CD is the
|
|
absence of interruptions during the intermissions. That's nice, but how
|
|
about improving the gameplay? The main character is sluggish and takes
|
|
quite some time to get used to. It takes about two seconds to recover from
|
|
a jump or a slide. It is especially hard to turn around after landing or
|
|
when crouching. On top of that, Yuko looks like a severe case of anorexia
|
|
(peer pressure in high school?). The music is nice, but nothing special.
|
|
I liked the voice actors, though.
|
|
|
|
The game is somewhat harder than the Genesis version, but gets very easy
|
|
after you learn the patterns. The last boss (Rogles/Rogres) is very hard,
|
|
though. To defeat him, your timing has to be perfect (somewhat difficult
|
|
with the sloppy controls), plus you have to pound him for a very long time.
|
|
The lifebar is much shorter than in the Genesis version, plus the hearts that
|
|
partially restore your strength are few and far between. The same can be
|
|
said about the stars that replenish your MP - you cannot afford to miss a
|
|
single one. The whole business of trying to get enough MP and HP for the
|
|
battle with the boss makes the gameplay extremely rigid.
|
|
|
|
Character moves:
|
|
|
|
Attack: Button 2
|
|
Jump : Button 1
|
|
Magic : Up + 2
|
|
Slide : Down + 1
|
|
|
|
The sliding is somewhat tricky. You can destroy some enemies while sliding
|
|
into them, but you'll get hit when trying to slide into others. Also, you
|
|
are still vulnerable to enemy attacks when beginning the slide.
|
|
|
|
There are different kinds of magic (you get a new magic after defeating a
|
|
boss character); you can choose the type of magic you want to use with the
|
|
Select button. So far the only magic that I found useful is a force field,
|
|
which protects you against several enemy hits (no time limit, though).
|
|
Your basic attack is a sword slash (like Strider). You can pick up different
|
|
weapons along the way - the usual assortment with an energy wave, homing
|
|
fireballs, etc.
|
|
|
|
There are several nice things about this game. The magic spells and weapons
|
|
look good, the enemy characters are large and well-animated, especially the
|
|
boss enemies (the two-headed dragon in level 5 looks great). The
|
|
intermissions are well-drawn and there are plenty of them (I loved the intro
|
|
with Yuko rushing off to school. I was also surprised as to how graphic the
|
|
death of Izar was, with blood gushing out of his mouth). But no matter how
|
|
I like anime intermissions, they do not make the game. If I wanted to watch
|
|
anime, I would have called AnimEigo and ordered a tape of BubbleGum Crisis
|
|
or Vampire Princess Miyi (would have been cheaper, too). As it stands now,
|
|
Valis is a very average game which does not even compare to the previous
|
|
entry in the Valis series (Valis 4).
|
|
|
|
Now my theory. I might be wrong, but I got the distinct impression that this
|
|
game was programmed by different people, since the the first screen to come
|
|
up says "Riot" instead of the usual "CD Laser Soft." That would explain the
|
|
differences in control and character appearance. Also, this game is very
|
|
different from the Genesis version ("nothing in common" would be a better
|
|
description). My guess is that the Genesis version was programmed by Telenet
|
|
and the PC Engine version by somebody else.
|
|
|
|
P.S. A nice touch: if you try playing the game with a standard system card,
|
|
you get a picture of Yuko holding a Super System Card saying something like:
|
|
"You need 2 megs of RAM to play this game!". Kind of cute.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : B
|
|
SOUND : A
|
|
MUSIC : A
|
|
GAMEPLAY : C
|
|
LONGEVITY: B
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.17
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Valis II (CD-ROM)
|
|
--------
|
|
You are Yuko and you must fight your way through many levels to defend
|
|
your honor.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A- (On upper levels, some of the backgrounds look a little
|
|
cheesy... the sunset in Act 4, for example)
|
|
SOUND : A (Nice sound effects)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Nice soundtrack)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B+ (Yuko just doesn't have as much mobility as in Valis III)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (A fun game! A little frustrating on the torchmen and
|
|
green jelly stage (Act 4), though)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: What can I say. I'm a fan of the slide technique in Valis
|
|
III. If it were included here, it would make the game a
|
|
bit better.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.83
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : A great game, but not as great as Valis III. The voice actress
|
|
for Yuko happens to be Shimazu Saeko (Yuri from Dirty Pair anime). This
|
|
tidbit was brought to you from Sergey Shimkevich!
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Valis III (CD-ROM)
|
|
---------
|
|
You are Yuko again and you are on another quest.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (This is top-notch stuff, flicker-free, and detailed...
|
|
I hate color interleaving and they've pretty much
|
|
avoided it here)
|
|
SOUND : A+ (This is CD audio and, as is expected, first-rate)
|
|
MUSIC : A (Theme song is cool... slightly annoying after awhile)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (Normally, I'd recommend a joystick for action games,
|
|
but this game plays almost as well without one)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (This game will make you want to play it again and again...
|
|
if you have a CD ROM, you OWE it to yourself to get this
|
|
game)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: The CD-ROM is slow in loading scenes. Maybe the new
|
|
Super System Card 3.0 will improve the performance, but I
|
|
doubt it.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.00
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : A solid top-grade for a top-notch game.
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Valis IV (CD-ROM) Review by Sergey Shimkevich.
|
|
--------
|
|
The last time we've left the Valis series, Ramses (or Glames) has been
|
|
defeated and Yuko was carried to Heaven with a mysterious tractor beam
|
|
together with the Valis sword. Those whose "great" idea it was clearly
|
|
exhibited the failure to plain ahead, since villains abound in the videogame
|
|
dimension.
|
|
|
|
It turns out that a long time ago a king named Asfal gave his son, Garugia,
|
|
a "beast ring" which gave the wearer extraordinary powers. Garigua, being an
|
|
irresponsible kind of person was quickly corrupted by the ring and set out to
|
|
achieve absolute power. The gods decided that it would be best to lock
|
|
Garugia and his followers in a crystal and place the crystal on the bottom of
|
|
the ocean. So far, so good.
|
|
|
|
Ten or fifteen years after the events of Valis 3 (and several thousand years
|
|
from the day Garugia was overpowered by the gods), the crystal rises from the
|
|
bottom of the ocean, swallowing a ship in the process (nice intro!). Garugia
|
|
and his followers escape and proceed to conquer the Human World and the Dream
|
|
World. Queen Valna is captured.
|
|
|
|
A small band of warriors led by Cham escape from the Magenshu (Garugia's
|
|
troops) and take shelter in an abandoned house for the night. One of the
|
|
members of the group, a young girl named Rena (Lena) decides to go back and
|
|
rescue Valna on her own, but Cham notices her and is about to deliver a stern
|
|
lecture when a strangely familliar voice calls on Cham to let Rena follow her
|
|
destiny. Rena and her twin sister Amu set out on their long quest.
|
|
|
|
After completing the first level, they arrive at the palace where Garugia has
|
|
tied Valna to a cross and is about to kill her. Rena and Amu attack Garugia,
|
|
but he easily overpowers them. Just as he is raising his axe to deliver a
|
|
killing blow to both Rena and Amu, a strange light envelops their bodies and
|
|
they disappear before Garugia's eyes.
|
|
|
|
Rena and Amu find themselves in an unfamiliar place and facing a strange
|
|
person not unlike Garugia in appearance. He introduces himself as Asfal,
|
|
Garugua's father. It was he, who has teleported them away. He says that
|
|
only the sword of Valis can overcome the power of Garugia's "beast ring".
|
|
The three start their journey to Heaven to get the sword of Valis.
|
|
|
|
Like the other Valis games, part four is a side-scrolling action title with
|
|
animated intermissions. There are nine levels in the game with a boss
|
|
character at the end of each level.
|
|
|
|
You get three characters to use in this game (Rena, Amu and Asfal), although
|
|
in some places you will only be able to use one or two characters. Each has
|
|
its own strengths and weaknesses.
|
|
|
|
Rena is equipped with a sword that shoots out a power wave. She can fire it
|
|
rapidly, but it has a limited range. When powered up, the range and width of
|
|
the wave increases. She is also able to slide past obstacles
|
|
(like all characters in Valis 3). She is invincible when sliding, but,
|
|
unlike Valis 3, she cannot attack enemies by sliding.
|
|
|
|
Amu's weapon is a boomerang (of a kind). It has good range, but you cannot
|
|
fire it rapidly. When powered up, the range of the weapon increases. Her
|
|
special ablility is a double flip jump (as in Revenge of Shinobi or Super
|
|
Ghouls and Ghosts). Thus, her jumps are longer and higher than Rena's or
|
|
Asfal's.
|
|
|
|
Asfal's weapon is a staff that shoots out energy balls (in the form of wolf
|
|
heads) that skim the ground. When powered up, the range increases. His
|
|
armor allows him to walk on spikes and through energy barriers. He also does
|
|
not slide on slippery surfaces. His large size, however, makes it difficult
|
|
to duck under the enemy shots.
|
|
|
|
Each character possesses her/his own magic. You start with level 1 magic and
|
|
increase the magic gauge by picking up blue spheres on the way. After you
|
|
use the magic, the gauge will slowly recharge by itself, although when you
|
|
use a level 3 magic, the gauge will go down to level 2 and will be recharged
|
|
only back to level 2, thus you'll have to pick up another blue sphere to
|
|
bring it back to level 3. Also, if you are hit by an enemy or change your
|
|
character, the MP gauge will also go back to zero and you'll have to recharge
|
|
it all over again.
|
|
|
|
Characters' magic:
|
|
|
|
Rena:
|
|
Level 1 - A ball of lightning flies in a stright line
|
|
Level 2 - A ball of lightning circles overhead. Very useful for defending
|
|
from attacks from above
|
|
Level 3 - Lightning rains from the sky and destroys all enemies on the screen
|
|
|
|
Amu:
|
|
Level 1 - Two fireballs fly across the screen
|
|
Level 2 - Three fireballs bounce across the screen for some time, damaging
|
|
the enemy
|
|
Level 3 - Four fireballs circle the screen, destroying all enemies
|
|
|
|
Asfal:
|
|
Level 1 - Fires a spread of three "wolf heads" forward
|
|
Level 2 - Fires a spinning "wolf head" forward
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|
Level 3 - Two flame walls go across the screen, destroying all enemies
|
|
|
|
The life bar is much shorter than in the previous Valis games. You start
|
|
with meager six HP (believe me, it is so easy to use them all up in no time).
|
|
When you pick up brown spheres, your weapon powers up and your life bar
|
|
increases. You can fill it in by picking up small and large herbs. The life
|
|
and magic bars are the same for all three characters. If you die, the life
|
|
bar goes back to level 1 (the magic bar stays the same).
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Parallax scrolling in the first 4 levels)
|
|
Lena in the cinema displays looks hot)
|
|
SOUND : A
|
|
MUSIC : A- (No Grammys, but some tunes are really nice)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (One of the best run/jump/slash games I've played)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A- (Nine very long levels)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: Definitely the best Valis game there is. More well-rounded
|
|
than part 3 and much better than parts 2 and 1.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 3.85
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : All in all, if you have a TG-16 CD-ROM and haven't got this game
|
|
yet, I strongly recommend it. One of the few games that I haven't regretted
|
|
spending my money on and one of the even fewer that I actully kept.
|
|
Personally, I would rate the Valis games in the following order:
|
|
4 -> 3 -> 1 -> 2
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Victory Run (Hu-Card) Review by Chris Fleming.
|
|
-----------
|
|
In Victory Run, you are the driver of a rally car, trying to complete the
|
|
Paris to Dakar road rally. There are eight stages each of which you must
|
|
complete within the allotted time, or you're out of the race. In addition,
|
|
you must dodge the traffic, avoid slick road patches, and handle various
|
|
road conditions. A 4-gear manual shift transmission is your only choice,
|
|
but that little roadster can really haul (230 km/h-140 mi/h). And if this
|
|
weren't enough, you also have to deal with failing car parts; after all,
|
|
8000 miles on crummy roads is a long ways.
|
|
|
|
While I normally love driving games, this one left me a bit dissappointed.
|
|
First, the good things. The controls in the game work well, with button I
|
|
as the accelerator, button II the brake, up and down operate the gear shift,
|
|
and left and right move the car left and right. I was a little worried that
|
|
with the gear shift on the thumb pad, I might accidentally shift when I
|
|
didn't want to, but this doesn't seem to be the case, and works quite well
|
|
(unlike the default control setting in Sega's Monaco GP!).
|
|
|
|
The music is pleasant and sounds like good driving music. That is, it
|
|
won't put you to sleep, nor does it detract from the task at hand. Each
|
|
level has a different soundtrack (actually, I think there are only 4 BGMs in
|
|
the 8 stages), but the music sounds very similar for each stage, so that you
|
|
know it's different, but it's hard to tell what is different about it.
|
|
That's a nice design effort, I think! The sound effects are ordinary car
|
|
sounds, with tires skidding, and engine noise, but really track well with
|
|
engine RPM and road conditions. Another good thing is the level variation
|
|
in the road. Bumps are really bumps, and can send you airborne.
|
|
|
|
Now for some of the more unfortunate game features. While the game controls
|
|
work well, the car you're driving steers like a tank. Going around sharper
|
|
corners is tough, and the graphics make it look like you're always facing
|
|
forwards. Weird sensation. And speaking of graphics, they are not that
|
|
well done. The scaling of on-comming objects is very jerky, and the road
|
|
direction signs are so small as to be unnoticeable. There isn't really
|
|
anything above average in the backgrounds or landscape. I think what I find
|
|
most attractive about driving games (and driving in real life) is the
|
|
sensation you feel for going very fast over land on windy roads in a low to
|
|
the ground, sports car (although racing around traffic is attractive in games,
|
|
it's not what I do in real life!). Because of this, I think that driving
|
|
games really require good graphics to be successful games. And in this
|
|
case, Victory Run's average graphics don't excite me enough to come back
|
|
for more.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : C
|
|
SOUND : B
|
|
MUSIC : B+
|
|
GAMEPLAY : B
|
|
LONGEVITY: C
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 2.55
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Y's Book I & II (CD-ROM) Review by Bryan Duvan and TurboKid.
|
|
---------------
|
|
You are Adol going on a dangerous quest. This is a serious RPG game!
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A+ (Love the beginning sequence)
|
|
SOUND : A+ (Great thunder and lightning sounds... eerie)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (AWESOME!!! "Many !'s had to be deleted for reasons of
|
|
space" - your friendly-neighborhood editor)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A (A little difficult when fighting bosses)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A+ (This is not one game, but two games on one disk... WOW!!!
|
|
The save feature really helps in this game)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.25
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : This is one intense game and the reason why I bought the CD-ROM
|
|
player. Get this game if you can! "Definitely better than its
|
|
successor, Y's III, and one of the best games for the TG-16" - Ed.
|
|
Be sure to check out the ending game screens when you win. They
|
|
are extremely well done!!!
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
# Y's III: Wanderers From Y's (CD-ROM)
|
|
---------------------------
|
|
You are Adol on a quest to fight and kill the evil Demanicus. Much more
|
|
arcade-like than its predecessor, which suits my tastes better.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS : A (Wow Wow Wow!!! This RPG's got it all... multiplane
|
|
scrolling, detailed characters and monsters, complexity,
|
|
etc. Fans of anime should check out the scenes upon
|
|
beating the game. Wow Wow Wow!!!)
|
|
SOUND : A+ (Excellent sound effects and cute story)
|
|
MUSIC : A+ (This is another top-notch effort in videogame music)
|
|
GAMEPLAY : A- (You could boost your score significantly with a joystick,
|
|
but the Turbopad is adequate)
|
|
LONGEVITY: A (This one grew on me after awhile... I'm usually not into
|
|
RPG's, but there are many, many action elements in this
|
|
game... there are ways to cheat and build up your
|
|
character as well... I'm all for that! The save feature
|
|
is an excellent idea!)
|
|
|
|
PLAYERS : 1
|
|
IMPROVEMENTS: My only gripe is how jerky the scrolling is... sometimes.
|
|
|
|
OVERALL : 4.05
|
|
|
|
COMMENTS : It doesn't get much better than this, folks... this is
|
|
top-quality gaming... at $40 at Babbages, it's a steal!
|
|
|
|
-END-
|