Cool Spot (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Virgin Interactive Entertainment
Publisher: Virgin Interactive Entertainment
Released: 1993

Cool Spot is an action-platformer that was also released on the Sega Game Gear and Sega Genesis in 1993.

+ Plays remarkably well for a scaled down port, and manages to capture the look, feel and personality of the original.

+ Level design is exceptional with many unconventional themes / layouts, and the sprite animation is first-rate.

+ Plenty of lengthy stages available, and trying to collect all 100 Cool Points against the clock is endlessly compelling.

+ Being able to shoot through walls is hugely beneficial, and defeated foes don't respawn after you lose a life.

- Time limits can be harsh, and some of the more memorable levels (e.g. Loco Motive) have unfortunately been cut.

- Wading Around relies on leaps of faith due to confusing background layering and your inability to see upcoming platforms.

- There's no boss battles whatsoever, and the final three stages are disappointing rehashes of previous themes.

Cool Spot (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Virgin Games
Publisher: Virgin Games
Released: 1993

Cool Spot is an action-platformer that was also released on the Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System in 1993.

+ Level design is exceptional with many unconventional themes / layouts, and the sprite animation is first-rate.

+ Plenty of lengthy stages available, and trying to collect all 100 Cool Points against the clock is endlessly compelling.

+ Precise 8-way firing plays like Vectorman (1995, Sega Genesis), and being able to shoot through walls is hugely beneficial.

+ Unlike the SNES port (1993), defeated foes don't respawn after you die, leaving a clear path in previously contained areas.

- Some levels rely on leaps of faith due to confusing background layering and your inability to see upcoming platforms.

- Time limits can be harsh, and Spot's sluggish initial speed doesn't help when you're trying to rush to the end cage.

- There's no boss battles whatsoever, and the final three stages are disappointing rehashes of previous themes.

Baku Baku Animal (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Minato Giken
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1996

Baku Baku Animal is a falling block puzzle game that was released on numerous systems including the Sega Master System (1998).

+ Simple, addictive gameplay that refreshes the falling block genre by requiring multitasking to feed animals the correct food.

+ Excellent controls, and the cut-scenes showcase each character's personality while steadily advancing the narrative.

+ Includes a handy password feature after each round to allow you to continue progress at a later date.

- CPU opponent frequently receives perfect drops when close to defeat, which does cheapen your skilled groundwork.

- Has substantial spikes in difficulty that can be jarring, especially when they're followed by an easy 60 second win.

- In later rounds, item drops aren't always fair and you can receive an exhaustive barrage of either animal or food tiles.

- With only 19 rounds, single player is rather light on content and would have benefited from an Endless mode.

Baku Baku Animal (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Minato Giken
Publisher: Tec Toy
Released: 1998

Baku Baku Animal is a falling block puzzle game that was released on numerous systems including the Sega Game Gear (1996).

+ Simple, addictive gameplay that refreshes the falling block genre by requiring multitasking to feed animals the correct food.

+ Excellent controls, and the cut-scenes showcase each character's personality while steadily advancing the narrative.

+ Includes a handy password feature after each round to allow you to continue progress at a later date.

- CPU opponent frequently receives perfect drops when close to defeat, which does cheapen your skilled groundwork.

- Has substantial spikes in difficulty that can be jarring, especially when they're followed by an easy 60 second win.

- With only 19 rounds, single player is rather light on content and would have benefited from an Endless mode.

- Lazily, the action runs in the Game Gear's smaller 160x144 resolution, so there's not much room to manoeuvre.

Bonkers Wax Up! (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Al Baker & Associates
Publisher: Sega of America
Released: 1994

Bonkers Wax Up! is an action game that was ported to the Sega Master System in 1995.

+ Non-linear stage design is respectable, and the radar is super helpful for pointing you towards the next collectable pickle.

+ Has a more consistent frame-rate than the Sega Master System version, and there's a good variety of enemy types.

+ Slide attack is handy if you suddenly encounter a foe, and the game affords you multiple hits to aid progression.

- Action is mind-numbingly repetitive with only a short mine-cart section for variety, and the bosses are unimaginative.

- Enemies can suddenly respawn just out of view, leaving you wide open to damage when the camera starts to move.

- Controls are dreadful and cheap hits are abundant due to your inability to adjust in mid-air when stomping.

- Collision detection is equally as frustrating and you'll often find yourself jumping straight through items with no response.

Bonkers Wax Up! (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Al Baker & Associates
Publisher: Tec Toy
Released: 1995

Bonkers Wax Up! is an action game that was first released on the Sega Game Gear in 1994.

+ Non-linear stage design is respectable, and the radar is super helpful for pointing you towards the next collectable pickle.

+ Slide attack is handy if you suddenly encounter an enemy, and the game affords you multiple hits to aid progression.

- Action is mind-numbingly repetitive with only a short mine-cart section for variety, and the bosses are unimaginative.

- Game engine feels like it's always struggling to keep up, with constant sound, sprite and HUD glitches.

- Frame-rate is wildly inconsistent, and the abrupt speed changes are a nightmare when attempting precision platforming.

- Controls are dreadful and cheap hits are abundant due to your inability to adjust in mid-air when stomping.

- Collision detection is equally as frustrating and you'll often find yourself jumping straight through items with no response.

Dynamite Dux (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Whiteboard
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1990

Dynamite Dux is a beat-em-up that was originally released in the Arcade in 1988.

+ Has a nice range of weapons that are slowly introduced to keep things interesting as you advance through the levels.

+ Super Punch is a gratifying way to defeat multiple enemies and mastering it is essential for beating the tough bosses.

+ Diagonal scrolling areas help to add variety, and there's plenty of opportunities to top up your health metre.

- Despite varying scenic backdrops, the five stages feel very similar and there's no memorable moments throughout.

- Collision detection is entirely broken, with the Super Punch having the ability to hit enemies from several feet away!

- Jump kick attack is completely pointless, as you always seem to take damage whenever you attempt to use it.

- Omits characters and stages found in the Arcade original, and the two-player co-op mode is also absent.

Basketball Nightmare (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1989

Basketball Nightmare is a sports game that's exclusive to the Sega Master System.

+ Timing-based shot mechanic rewards skill, and impressively there's six different court locations available.

+ Close-up dunk animations look amazing and have much more fluidity than seen in Double Dribble (1987, NES).

- The game's main attraction is its ghoulish teams, yet in multiplayer you can only select normal human players.

- Sprite flicker and minuscule ball size make it astonishingly difficult to see who has possession during gameplay.

- A.I. is dumb, as teammates avoid defense and opponents defer wide open dunks in favour of random backcourt passes.

- CPU follows pre-set lanes, and cheap wins can be gained by blocking their path until they hand over the ball!

- B-movie music during gameplay does fit, but the short track loops endlessly and there's no option to mute it.

Bomber Raid (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sanritsu
Publisher: Activision
Released: 1989

Bomber Raid is a vertically-scrolling shooter and the last Sega Master System game released in Japan.

+ Ample power-up opportunities, and like TwinBee (1985, Arcade) you can continually blast icons to cycle through upgrades.

+ Makes you feel like a destruction machine when fully powered-up, and it's satisfying mowing down foes with ease.

+ Excellent range of enemy types with unique patterns, and there's only minimal slowdown despite tons of on-screen sprites.

+ Has a manageable level of difficulty and even shoot-em-up novices have a good chance of progressing deep into the game.

- Levels are drawn-out and the stage design doesn't create enough memorable moments to keep your interest peaked.

- Holding a button down to rapid fire is pointless due to its pathetic shooting rate, meaning constant tapping is required.

- When upgraded to full speed, your ship moves too fast and trying to make precise movements is a nerve-racking task.

Bank Panic (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega R&D 2
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1987

Bank Panic is a shooting game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1984.

+ Expands on the lighthearted action found in Wild Gunman (1985, NES), but with new wrinkles to heighten the tension.

+ Frantic gameplay has a fun multitasking element, and the difficulty curve is ideal for easing in newcomers.

+ Waiting for bad guys to draw their weapons before you shoot is nerve-wracking, but the extra points are a worthy reward.

+ Has a deceptively deep scoring system, with certain conditions enabling you to net huge special bonuses.

+ Includes detailed, chunky sprites, and the catchy jingle has both an upbeat and sombre version depending on your play.

- Would have been amazing if the game supported the Light Phaser alongside the controller for increased immersion.

- Takes a while to restart after a failed attempt, and the game can become repetitive due to the lack of additional scenery.

Dick Tracy (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega Technical Institute
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Dick Tracy is an action game that was also released on the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis in 1991.

+ Does an admirable job of mirroring the 16-bit version and crams in many of the levels, bosses and story cut-scenes.

+ Clever attack implementation due to pressure sensitive inputs that dictate foreground or background shooting.

+ SMS exclusive special move evens things by wiping out all foes on-screen, similar to Streets of Rage (1991, Sega Genesis).

- Controls are terribly stiff and there's noticeable animation lag when trying to attack that affects the flow of the gameplay.

- Lots of reused locations, and like Karate Kid (1987, NES) you can abuse the sprite limit and trail enemies to the exit.

- Car stages omit the distance metre, and the dumbed down bosses can be beaten by rapid firing while remaining static.

- Bonus Stage only includes two of the three targets, yet the lack of face buttons could have been aided by the d-pad.

Dick Tracy (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Sega Technical Institute
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Dick Tracy is an action game that was also released on the Sega Master System in 1991.

+ Expands on the duck and cover gameplay seen in Rolling Thunder (1986, Arcade) by allowing you to shoot while jumping.

+ Switching attacks against foreground and background enemies is awesome, and Stage 5 brilliantly flips things 180°.

+ Cool scoring mechanic that rewards skilled play, as you gain bonus points by punching foes and avoiding scenic damage.

+ Car chase scenes are a fun diversion, and the between-stage cartoon strips look excellent and keep the story progressing.

- Punch-only stages can be brutal, especially as the hit detection goes to pieces when trying to attack annoying knife foes.

- Controls can feel quite stiff when you're surrounded by multiple enemies, and the boss battles are rather repetitive.

- Reuses stage backgrounds later in the game and the reflexes needed for the Bonus Rounds becomes comically tough. 

Black Belt (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega R&D 2
Publisher: Sega of America
Released: 1986

Black Belt is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that's exclusive to the Sega Master System.

+ Gameplay can be enjoyable in short bursts due to its rhythmic flow and endless waves of incoming enemies.

+ Encourages full use of your attack arsenal, as each boss has a weak point that must be identified for maximum damage.

- However, the action suffers from extreme repetition and is too derivative of Kung-Fu Master (1984, Arcade).

- Damage is unavoidable when enemy sprites overlap, as you can only hit one bad guy at a time, leaving you vulnerable.

- Poor collision detection (especially during boss fights) and your attacks can have no effect despite making clear contact.

- Would have benefited from a smoother difficulty curve, as even the first boss is hard as nails and there's no continues.

- Using the d-pad to jump leads to many accidental leaps, and having to press Down then Up for a high jump is cumbersome.

Great Golf (1986) (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega R&D 2
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1986

Great Golf is a sports game that was only released in Asia and is unrelated to the similarly titled Great Golf (1987, Sega Master System).

+ Tournament mode can be played by up to four players (sharing two controllers) for couch-based competition.

+ Courses are meticulously crafted, with slivered fairways and staggered islands that test your ball striking accuracy.

+ Has an intuitive four-step process before each swing, and the mechanics on the putting green are uncomplicated.

- On-screen HUD doesn't tell you how far away the ball is from the cup, leading to awkward calculations and guesswork.

- Doesn't allow you to scroll the camera to peek ahead, and there's no clear indication of where the ball will travel.

- Could have used more wide open fairways during the first few holes to ease players in and help them learn the basics.

- Lack of crowd SFX make for a muted round of golf, and the isometric viewpoint isn't ideal when trying to avoid hazards.

Great Soccer (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega R&D 2
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1986

Great Soccer is a sports title that was only released in Europe and Japan.

+ Does a respectable job of auto-selecting the nearest teammate, and the difficulty options are well balanced.

+ Curling shots is a joy and is reminiscent of the crazy amounts of spin you can add in the Sensible Soccer games.

- Replayability is low, as the game contains only two teams with no discernible difference apart from their jersey colour.

- Extremely light on content, as single matches are your sole option and you can't customise the length of each half.

- Players have exactly the same statistics regardless of their position, making every match a repetitive experience.

- There's a noticeable delay when attempting to execute passes, and the game frequently ignores your button inputs.

- Controlling a defender and goalkeeper at the same time can be problematic and leave the net wide open when marking.

Great Volleyball (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sanritsu
Publisher: Sega of America
Released: 1987

Great Volleyball is a sports game that's exclusive to the Sega Master System.

+ Practice mode is a great way to develop your serving / spiking skills, and the eight national anthems are a neat touch.

+ Strategy is afforded in the way of points that can be used to upgrade your team's service, spike or receiving abilities.

- Ball frequently exits camera view after a push shot, and it's difficult to perfectly time a spike when it's on the way down.

- Physics are floaty and unpredictable, and it's genuinely unnerving trying to line up a player to receive an incoming serve.

- Doesn't always select the nearest player, resulting in lost points as your team casually watch the ball hit the floor.

- No difficulty options, and despite the simple premise the gameplay is tough with the CPU showing no mercy.

- Tournament only consists of three matches (with no gauntlet mode), and the cup outcome isn't shown if you exit early.

Teddy Boy (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1986

Teddy Boy is an action-platformer that was first released in the Arcade in 1985.

+ Figuring out the best position to safely attack each level is enjoyable, and the intelligent enemy A.I. is tough to outwit.

+ Shrewdly adds extra intensity by collapsing your current platform if you haven't moved within a set amount of time.

+ After losing a life, the game doesn't reset the stage and instead remembers how many foes you have left to destroy.

- Mid-air adjustments are overly sensitive on the horizontal axis and it's unbearably easy to miss your intended target.

- Early difficulty spike is enormous and there's nothing that prepares you for the speed and aggressiveness of enemies.

- Buttons are reversed which can cause issues in the heat of battle, and the repetitive music grates the more you play.

- After a handful of rounds, you've seen everything the game has to offer and it doesn't improve on its initial core ideas.

Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: G Artist
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: 2004

Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer is a sports game that was also released on the Sony PlayStation (2002) and Sony PlayStation 2 (2002).

+ Good range of modes on offer, along with lots of tactical formations and a decent selection of club / international teams.

+ Coaching aspect of managing team fitness levels during matches is fun, and your progress is saved in cups and leagues.

+ SFX do an excellent job of creating a raucous atmosphere, and there's some humorous animations when you score a goal.

- Sprites are incredibly tiny and the minuscule map of your teammates is all but useless for locating their whereabouts on the pitch.

- Suffers from the occasional animation delay whereby button inputs will eventually register a few seconds after being pressed.

- A.I. is dumb, as your teammates rarely put in the effort to tackle and opponents sometimes dribble the ball out of bounds.

- Presentation lacks flair and excitement, and the game doesn't even have the decency to show you replays of your goals.

Operation Shadow (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Torus Games
Publisher: Nokia
Released: 2004

Operation Shadow is a third-person action game that's exclusive to the Nokia N-Gage.

+ Objectives are varied and there's a nice range of vehicles (including helicopters and jeeps) to compliment the on-foot action.

+ First two missions are enjoyable, especially for fans of the Contra series, and the game saves your high score after each one.

- However, the difficulty then skyrockets to an absurd degree with swarms of tanks that can instantly kill you from off-screen.

- Vehicles are severely under-powered and ammo is too scarce to make them a valuable tool in your combat arsenal.

- It's impossible to get close enough to most targets without first taking damage, meaning skill-based play is thwarted.

- Mission objectives sound simple, but they typically have a confusing nuance that's only decipherable through trial-and-error.

- Narrow draw distance, low polygon count and extreme pop-in magnify the game's woefully unpolished feel.

Colin McRae Rally 2005 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Ideaworks3D
Publisher: Codemasters
Released: 2004

Colin McRae Rally 2005 is a racing game that was released on numerous systems including the Sony PlayStation Portable (2005).

+ Lots to keep you occupied in solo and multiplayer modes, with a whopping 64 courses split across eight different countries.

+ Difficulty caters well to both newcomers and experts, and the amazing course design mixes in wide turns with narrow, twisting roads.

+ Optionally, those who enjoy customising their car will find plenty of options to tinker based on factors such as weather / road surface.

+ Limited repair times at midway intervals force you to strategise on the most important adjustments for the second leg of the race.

+ Detailed graphics, excellent draw distance, and your co-driver gives you ample notice to prepare for upcoming turns.

+ Smooth performance and the seriously impressive frame-rate wipes the floor with Sega Rally Championship (2004, Nokia N-Gage).

- Controls can be tricky to become accustomed to, and for a while it can feel like you're trying to wrestle the car into staying on track.

Aztec Adventure: The Golden Road to Paradise (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega R&D 2
Publisher: Sega of America
Released: 1988

Aztec Adventure: The Golden Road to Paradise is an action game that was released in Japan as Nazca '88.

+ Has an excellent mixture of enemy types and hazards that are gradually introduced to give players new challenges.

+ Concept-wise, recruiting an enemy to fight alongside you by exchanging money is a great idea to open up the gameplay.

- However, in practice they're completely useless, as they rarely attack foes and prefer to wander around aimlessly.

- Difficulty is brutal due to twitchy enemies / bullet swarms, and cycling through items in the heat of battle is cumbersome.

- Enemies are often found lurking near entrances, and as soon as you enter the screen you'll take unforeseen cheap damage.

- Your sword has a very short range and the questionable hit detection leads to uncertainty over whether your attacks will land.

- Demon targets take an age to defeat and the majority of your special weapons lack impact, making you feel under-powered.

Andre Agassi Tennis (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: TecMagik
Publisher: TecMagik
Released: 1993

Andre Agassi Tennis is a sports title that was also released on the Sega Genesis (1992) and Sega Master System (1993).

+ It's slightly easier to return the ball compared to the 16-bit original, and there's some cool crowd sprites in the background.

- Still requires exact positioning to hit the ball, but the jittery animation makes it hard to line up with a cross court shot.

- Action is too zoomed-in and you can't even see your player on the near baseline when the CPU is about to serve.

- Annoyingly, there's a noticeable delay for each animation sequence to activate in relation to your button presses.

- Opponent A.I. is seemingly unfinished, as they can look like a world beater before forgetting to swing their racket.

- Crowd is eerily silent throughout each match and there's no difficulty options to tailor the game to your liking.

- Skins Tournament mode is absent from this 8-bit port, which was the only redeeming feature of the Sega Genesis version.

Andre Agassi Tennis (Sega Master System review)

Developer: TecMagik

Publisher: TecMagik
Released: 1993

Andre Agassi Tennis is a sports title that was also released on the Sega Genesis (1992) and Sega Game Gear (1993).

+ It's slightly easier to return the ball compared to the 16-bit original, and there's some cool crowd sprites in the background.

- Still requires exact positioning to hit the ball, but the jittery animation makes it hard to line up with a cross court shot.

- Annoyingly, there's a noticeable delay for each animation sequence to activate in relation to your button presses.

- Players often dive for the ball in the wrong direction and there's a strange bug where a sprite will jump to another location.

- Opponent A.I. is seemingly unfinished, as they can look like a world beater before forgetting to swing their racket.

- Crowd is eerily silent throughout each match and there's no difficulty options to tailor the game to your liking.

- Skins Tournament mode is absent from this 8-bit port, which was the only redeeming feature of the Sega Genesis version.

Andre Agassi Tennis (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Epyx, Halestorm
Publisher: TecMagik
Released: 1992

Andre Agassi Tennis is a sports title that was ported to the Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System in 1993.

+ Skins Tournament mode has real promise, as instead of a fixed match prize it offers a variable purse for each shot.

- Requires exact positioning to hit the ball, but the players move so slowly that it's hard to line up with a cross court shot.

- Animation is light on frames and there's a noticeable delay for each sequence to activate in relation to your button presses.

- It's weirdly challenging to judge spatial distance between your player and an incoming ball, making every return a nightmare.

- Opponent A.I. is seemingly unfinished, as they can look like a world beater before forgetting to swing their racket.

- Crowd is eerily silent throughout each match and there's no difficulty options to tailor the game to your liking.

- Prior to each CPU serve the game randomly forces you to press the Start button, which is an unnecessary step!

Ariel the Little Mermaid (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: BlueSky Software, Disney Software
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992

Ariel the Little Mermaid is an action title that was previously released on the Sega Genesis (1992) and Sega Master System (1996).

+ Ability to call upon your fish friends is a charming mechanic that can net you treasure and open new pathways.

- However, using button combinations to summon them is clunky and they sometimes wander off-screen without helping!

- Frame-rate is dreadful, the game randomly speeds up and down, and the scrolling is so jerky it'll hurt your eyeballs.

- Controls are wildly unreliable and you're never quite sure if a light d-pad tap will make Ariel inch forward or zoom ahead.

- Checking the map to locate polyps is tedious and it also takes a painful amount of time for the graphic to draw-in.

- Ariel frequently gets stuck on the scenery, and the adventure is all too brief as there's only four short levels.

- Bosses are extremely disappointing, as you can stand in one spot and blast away at the static foe in front of you.