Space Impact Evolution X (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Kuju Entertainment
Publisher: Nokia
Released: 2003

Space Impact Evolution X is a vertically-scrolling shooter that was available as a console pack-in on the included CD-ROM.

+ Action is perfectly suited to the handheld's portrait screen, and the game has a good range of locales and multiple continues on offer.

+ Features detailed sprite work (particularly on the bosses and orb enemies), and some areas have awesome background layering.

- Takes a long time for the action to heat up due to predictable enemy patterns and your ability to safely blast their own shots.

- Difficulty options are entirely absent, so unless you want to try and beat your high score there's little reason for repeated play.

- Manages to suck the fun out of powering-up, as collected items are only available to use for a few precious seconds.

- Collision detection is awfully sketchy and you'll likely lose many lives despite clearly being a few pixels away from a projectile.

- Seriously lacking in atmosphere, as the gameplay doesn't include a note of music and the SFX often randomly stop playing.

Sesame Street: Countdown (NES review)

Developer: Riedel Software Productions
Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions
Released: 1992

Sesame Street: Countdown is an educational game that's exclusive to Nintendo's 8-bit home console.

+ Good variety in the level backdrops, with standouts being the dinosaur stage and the Moon setting that alters gravity.

+ Bonus Rounds are a neat concept for learning basic mathematics, especially the visual guides in the Barrel & Jar game.

+ Audio clips are incredible in their clarity, as well as the personality they inject into the gameplay and presentation.

- Stage design plays it safe with cyclic layouts and little that will excite, captivate or surprise gamers as they progress.

- Not as many audio guides as Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide & Speak (1990, NES) to help players learn the mechanics.

- User interface could have been clearer, as using bat icons for mistakes and lightning bolts for passes isn't intuitive.

- Despite the game being predominantly aimed at young children the manual is overly wordy and confusingly repetitive!

Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide & Speak (NES review)

Developer: Riedel Software Productions
Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions
Released: 1990

Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide & Speak is an educational game that's exclusive to Nintendo's 8-bit home console.

+ Graphics are terrific with many beloved characters well represented, and there's a nice rendition of the series' theme tune.

+ Has a substantial amount of voice clips with astonishing quality that could easily rival samples on 16-bit machines.

+ Includes some entertaining (and often humorous) animations that act as rewards for successfully beating a mini-game.

- Gameplay is painfully shallow with repetitive mini-games that wear out their welcome after one or two attempts.

- Using letters to make as many words as possible before sunset is great, but the game keeps interrupting to narrate!

- Forces you to control a plodding bird instead of a cursor to select items, and it can only move in one direction.

- Could have used more locales to add scenic variety, as everything takes place on the same confined street set.

Winter Games (NES review)

Developer: Atelier Double
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Released: 1987

Winter Games is a sports title that was released on numerous other systems including the Atari 7800 (1987).

+ Allows two-players to compete for the gold medal, and you can practice any event to improve your technique.

+ Bobsled has a good sense of speed and it's fun trying to shave off milliseconds by taking corners at the perfect angle.

- Figure Skating is a mess with its needlessly complex controls that aren't properly explained in the manual.

- Hot Dog Aerials pails in comparison to Atari 7800's Ski Jump, as it strips away the complexity and skill of landing.

- A few more events would have increased the game's longevity, as the four events won't hold your attention for long.

- CPU contestants don't join you in the single player leaderboard, and continuously winning gold feels rather soulless.

- Presentation is super basic, with the dull Speed Skating event looking (and sounding) like an Atari 2600 game.

Rayman 3 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: 2003

Rayman 3 is a platformer that was also released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003.

+ Exploring each level to obtain all the lums and caged creatures is extremely addictive thanks to well-designed stage layouts. 

+ Mixes in various challenge types to spice things up, such as vertical platforming and hitting switches to unlock gates.

+ Slowly introduces new power-ups to aid progression, and does an admirable job of explaining the fundamentals in-game.

+ Often has a rhythmic, parkour style quality, such as in Boulder Brink where fast reactions are required to avoid crumbling platforms.

- Despite the levels needing precision, the game engine frequently has a stuttering issue that results in button presses being ignored.

- Dreadful checkpoint spacing and stingy life counters make for rage-inducing platforming that relies on trial-and-error.

- Minimal horizontal vision does hurt the gameplay, as you can't always see hard-to-reach platforms or enemy projectiles.

NBA Jam (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Iguana Entertainment
Publisher: Arena Entertainment
Released: 1994

NBA Jam is a sports game that was first released in the Arcade in 1993.

+ Scaled-down port is remarkable, and the extravagant gameplay is addictive due to its fast-paced approach.

+ Includes an enormous range of official NBA players and their avatars are beautifully crafted for impressive likenesses.

+ Absence of fouls makes for some fun combat, and the half-time stats detail lots of information about each player.

+ Majestic jams look spectacular and there's a breathtaking amount of dunk animations to amplify the excitement.

- Combining Turbo with the face buttons for super moves is awkward due to the split placement of the Start button.

- Doesn't have a true Season or Playoff mode, and there's no Gear-to-Gear Cable support for 2P multiplayer.

- While understandable, the lack of Tim Kitzrow's voice clips hurt the presentation and text-only lines might have helped.

NBA Jam (Mega CD / Sega CD review)

Developer: Iguana Entertainment
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Released: 1994

NBA Jam is a sports game that was first released in the Arcade in 1993.

+ Extravagant gameplay is highly addictive due to its fast-paced approach and control scheme that's easy to master.

+ Outlandish dunks provide showstopping moments, and the lack of fouls makes for some hysterical multiplayer combat.

+ Includes an enormous range of official NBA players and their sprites are beautifully crafted for impressive likenesses.

+ Turbo function is versatile for both offense and defense, and the metre always refills quickly to keep the action tense.

+ Iconic voice samples from Tim Kitzrow add excitement and the clips are higher quality than on the Sega Genesis (1994).

- No substantial improvements over Sega's cartridge version, and for some reason the load times are unbearably long.

- No true Season or Playoff mode means there's no real consequence to losing apart from your overall win-loss record.

NBA Jam (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Iguana Entertainment
Publisher: Arena Entertainment
Released: 1994

NBA Jam is a sports game that was first released in the Arcade in 1993.

+ Extravagant gameplay is highly addictive due to its fast-paced approach and control scheme that's easy to master.

+ Outlandish dunks provide showstopping moments, and the lack of fouls makes for some hysterical multiplayer combat.

+ Includes an enormous range of official NBA players and their sprites are beautifully crafted for impressive likenesses.

+ Turbo function is versatile for both offense and defense, and the metre always refills quickly to keep the action tense.

+ Iconic voice samples from Tim Kitzrow take the game's personality to the next level and interject pure excitement.

+ Half-time stats detail lots of information about each player, which can be useful for making second half adjustments.

- No true Season or Playoff mode means there's no real consequence to losing apart from your overall win-loss record.

Asphalt: Urban GT 2 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: 2005

Asphalt: Urban GT 2 is a racing game and the follow-up to the 2004 Nokia N-Gage original.

+ Gigantic range of races and vehicle upgrades, and the Championships mix in different challenge types to test your driving skills.

+ Winning races and driving recklessly results in dopamine-style rewards that hook you into the game's awesome progression system.

+ Breathtaking speed and the addition of nitrous top-ups on the road means you'll need to take some gambles to stay ahead.

+ Inclusion of police chases gives the action an exhilarating edge that's reminiscent of Road Rash (1991, Sega Genesis).

+ Amazing course design and the graphics are a real showpiece with an enormous amount of detail and scenic variety.

- Can be tough to spot upcoming turns due to the game's low resolution, and the frame-rate tanks in higher speed classes.

- Swooping camera when riding a bike can be disorientating, and the random screens featuring The Pussycat Dolls feel tacked-on.

Barakel: The Fallen Angel (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: StormBASIC Games
Publisher: Nokia, Technobubble Entertainment
Released: 2004

Barakel: The Fallen Angel is a hack and slash game that was only released in Portugal and Spain.

+ Supports local multiplayer and a nice feature is how friends can share objects, gold and potions to keep inventories stocked.

+ Does a very good job of signposting you to your next objective, both with in-game arrows and via menu reminders.

- Has severe glitches, including a consistent game-breaking crash shortly after the third boss due to a memory overflow issue.

- Saving your game costs too much currency and the risk of losing tons of progress makes farming a boringly stressful necessity.

- Despite enemies typically swarming in groups, your attacks can only hit one at a time, leaving the other foe to freely drain your life bar.

- Limited field-of-view can make it hard to see the exact location of NPCs, as well as the placement of switches in dungeon areas.

- Features an egregious amount of typos from the outset, which does ruin the immersion and gives the game an unpolished feel.

SSX Out of Bounds (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Exient Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: 2005

SSX Out of Bounds is a snowboarding game that was also released on the Gizmondo in 2005.

+ Courses encourage you to explore, as there's a ton of different routes to the finish line that will take you off the beaten path.

+ Catching big air and successfully executing huge trick combos is intoxicating, particularly when linked with rail grinds.

+ Plenty of modes to sink your teeth into and the different event types force you to adapt to new ways of playing in order to advance.

- Rough frame-rate, making it hard to see upcoming turns and resulting in a lack of precision when attempting to navigate.

- Contains numerous bugs and clipping issues, which either cause you to inexplicably bail or push you into an out-of-bounds area.

- Controls are very unpredictable and there's many times where your button presses are randomly ignored by your character.

- Lengthy load times and elongated courses don't really lend themselves to the handheld's pick-up-and-play nature.

32 in 1 (Atari 2600 / Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Atari Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

32 in 1 is a compilation of Atari 2600 games that was only released in PAL territories.

+ Ensures there's something for everyone by including titles in multiple genres, such as action, puzzle and board games. 

+ Robust sports list available, including Skiing which is a real highlight with its multiple layouts and ultra-precise controls.

+ Fun multiplayer action, with games such as Air Sea Battle and Freeway Chicken offering engaging high score battles.

- Having to power cycle the console to load the next game is cumbersome, especially when you want the last title in the list!

- Popular Atari games such as Asteroids and Centipede are absent, making this a muted showcase of the 2600 library.

- Blackjack is a peculiar inclusion given its Paddle Controller requirement, and NFL Football has a ton of flicker.

- Has duplicate titles with weird graphical hacks, and Fishing even introduces collision detection issues with your line.

Midnight Mutants (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Radioactive Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Midnight Mutants is an action-adventure game that's exclusive to the Atari 7800.

+ Does a respectable job of guiding you via the comprehensive manual and in-game hints you receive from Grampa.

+ Game's scope is impressive with plenty of interesting areas to explore and an array of upgradeable items to hunt down.

+ Great dichotomy of initially leaving you defenceless before allowing you to power-up to battle remarkably large bosses.

+ From the opening cinematic, the presentation is top-notch and the atmosphere brilliantly evokes a campy horror vibe.

- Has a seriously irritating habit of placing you on top of an enemy when entering a new area, resulting in unfair damage.

- Respawning bats are annoying and some foes can withstand a barrage of hits, even when you have the Mega Blaster.

- Isometric viewpoint conflicts with the standard four-way controls, leading to inaccuracy when judging spatial distance.

Ms. Pac-Man (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco
Released: 1995

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

+ Has a few exclusive mazes from Level 9, and the difficulty curve is more gradual than the Atari Lynx port (1990).

+ Unlike the Atari Lynx version, this one includes a zoomed-in camera option in addition to the full maze view.

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

+ Bonus fruits bounce around the screen to raise suspense, and the extra tunnels give you more ways to escape enemies.

- Bare-bones port compared to the Sega Master System version (1991), as it's missing a large amount of mazes and modes.

- Gameplay speed is quite pedestrian throughout, and there's no option to skip the between-stage cut-scenes.

- While Pac-Man (1991, Sega Game Gear) offered competitive and turn-based multiplayer, this game only has the latter.

Ms. Pac-Man (NES review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco Hometek
Released: 1993

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

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

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

+ Extra tunnels have been introduced to the mazes, which is a brilliant idea that gives you multiple ways to escape foes.

- Curious port that only has a small selection of mazes and none of the additions seen on the Sega Master System (1991).

- Likewise, while Sega's 8-bit port offered co-op and competitive multiplayer, this one is turn-based only.

- Controls are often infuriatingly sticky on maze corners and the game doesn't always respond to your d-pad presses.

- Difficulty is more akin to the Atari 5200 version (1983) and the immediate challenge might deter some players.

Ms. Pac-Man (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Tengen
Publisher: Tengen
Released: 1991

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Developer: Innerprise Software
Publisher: Tengen
Released: 1991

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ms. Pac-Man (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: General Computer Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

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

+ Eight difficulty settings are available to cater to your skill level and the cute cut-scenes provide an adorable back story.

+ While the original game only had one maze, this sequel has four well-designed layouts to keep you invested longer term.

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

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

+ Extra tunnels have been introduced to the mazes, which is a brilliant idea that gives you multiple ways to escape foes.

+ While the Atari 5200 version (1983) only gave you three lives, this port affords you five to extend play sessions.

- Controls can get stuck on maze corners, and there's little reason to upgrade from the four-year-old Atari 5200 game.

Ms. Pac-Man (Atari 5200 review)

Developer: GCC
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Released: 1983

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

+ Eight difficulty settings are available to cater to your skill level and the cute cut-scenes provide an adorable back story.

+ While the original game only had one maze, this sequel has four well-designed layouts to keep you invested longer term.

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

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

+ Extra tunnels have been introduced to the mazes, which is a brilliant idea that gives you multiple ways to escape foes.

- 5200 analog stick has issues when trying to navigate more complex mazes, as it doesn't always register perfectly.

- Difficulty increases too quickly and novice players might get deflated when the speed surges after a couple of mazes.

Pac-Man (Atari 2600 review)

Developer: Atari, Inc.
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Released: 1982

Pac-Man is a maze game that was first released in the Arcade in 1980.

+ Features eight different game variations that allow you to customise the moving speed for both the ghosts and Pac-Man.

+ As long as you expect a very rough approximation of the original, there is some fun to be had with the altered maze layout.

+ Turn-based multiplayer mode is a great inclusion that enables two friends to battle for high score bragging rights.

- Rampant sprite flicker, making the last few moments of an energy pill nervy as it's tricky to tell when foes return to normal.

- Ghosts no longer have unique behaviours, which is a blow to strategic play for those who enjoy learning enemy patterns.

- Additionally, ghosts sometimes rush towards you instead of playing defensively when you have an energy pill.

- Has many graphical deviations from the Arcade, and all the charm and personality has been lost in translation.

Pac-Man (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco Hometek
Released: 1991

Pac-Man is a maze game that was first released in the Arcade in 1980.

+ Supports the Gear-to-Gear Cable and has the ingenious mechanic of sending chomped ghosts to your friend's screen!

+ Different coloured ghosts have unique behaviours, which is great for learning patterns and outsmarting them.

+ Tunnels are an inspired feature for a quick escape and the limited energy pills turn the tide for a riveting ghost chase.

+ Collectable fruit adds an enticing risk-reward element, as the huge point bonuses mean venturing into perilous territory.

- While the decision to crop the screen does make sense, it doesn't always scroll far enough ahead to spot incoming ghosts.

- Alternatively, you can choose to display the entire maze, but it has the downside of unresponsive d-pad movements.

- No difficulty customisation options, and despite the maze being intricately designed it's the only one available.

Pac-Man (NES review)

Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco Hometek
Released: 1993

Pac-Man is a maze game that was first released in the Arcade in 1980.

+ Good representation of the Arcade original, and the turn-based multiplayer offers bragging rights for high scores.

+ Different coloured ghosts have unique behaviours, which is great for learning patterns and outsmarting them.

+ Tunnels are an inspired feature for a quick escape and the limited energy pills turn the tide for a riveting ghost chase.

+ Collectable fruit adds an enticing risk-reward element, as the huge point bonuses mean venturing into perilous territory.

- Despite the maze being intricately designed it's the only one available, leaving you wishing for a bit more variety.

- Difficulty curve is amiss, as the speed starts off rather pedestrian before suddenly nitro charging in the fourth maze.

- Unlike the Atari 5200 port (1983) which had eight difficulty settings, this version has no skill customisation options.

Pac-Man (Atari 5200 review)

Developer: Atari, Inc.
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Released: 1983

Pac-Man is a maze game that was first released in the Arcade in 1980.

+ Gigantic leap in quality from the Atari 2600 port (1982) and closely mimics the Arcade in gameplay, graphics and sound.

+ Allows you to choose your difficulty from eight different levels, and the cut-scenes convey an abundance of personality.

+ Different coloured ghosts have unique behaviours, which is great for learning patterns and outsmarting them.

+ Tunnels are an inspired feature for a quick escape and the limited energy pills turn the tide for a riveting ghost chase.

+ Collectable fruit adds an enticing risk-reward element, as the huge point bonuses mean venturing into perilous territory.

- Even the lowest difficulty is blazingly fast with aggressive enemies that will result in sudden game overs for novices.

- Despite the maze being intricately designed it's the only one available, leaving you wishing for a bit more variety.

Tomcat: The F-14 Fighter Simulator (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Absolute Entertainment
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1989

Tomcat: The F-14 Fighter Simulator is an aerial combat game that was also released on the Atari 2600 (1989).

+ Good graphics with cool flight deck details, and the secondary landing / incoming missile displays add to the immersion.

+ Take-off is uncomplicated, and the animation of the deck officer waving you along is a nice presentational touch.

- Cumbersome controls aren't suited to a home console, as the game forces you to use the hardware's buttons / switches.

- Action is mind-numbingly boring and there's plenty of time to have a snooze while waiting for a bogey to appear.

- Dogfighting is the weakest part of the game, as skittish enemies can magically warp a few pixels ahead to avoid you.

- Missile lock-on should be a fun, effective part of the action, but the tracking time is very short and often unreliable.

- Landing is painfully difficult, mainly due to the minuscule 10° altitude safety range that you need to stay within.

Fatal Run (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Sculptured Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Fatal Run is a vehicular combat game that was also released on the Atari 2600 (1990).

+ Combat is reminiscent of RoadBlasters (1987, Arcade) but with added rear weapons, and the password option is terrific.

+ Shops offer a robust selection of upgrades, repairs and weapons that provide a multitude of ways to tackle each stage.

+ Between stage cut-scenes have neat parallax scrolling, and keeping civilians alive to earn currency is an addicting hook.

- Gameplay is repetitive and the driving is mundane, as there's long stretches where you're waiting for foes to appear.

- If the HUD didn't display your speed, you'd likely have no idea if you're currently running a Basic or Turbo engine.

- Slippery physics make careful manoeuvring between lanes an unnatural task, almost like you're skating on ice.

- Roadside scenery is barren and there's some weird scaling issues where cars and hazards float above the track!