Ariel the Little Mermaid (Sega Master System review)

Developer: BlueSky Software, Disney Software
Publisher: Tec Toy
Released: 1996

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

+ 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.

Ariel the Little Mermaid (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

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

Ariel the Little Mermaid is an action title that was also released on the Sega Game Gear (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.

- Gameplay is mind-numbingly repetitive in its collect-a-thon nature, and Ariel frequently gets stuck on the scenery.

- Levels are poorly constructed with monotonous layouts, and there's barely any distinctive moments throughout.

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

- Frame-rate is dreadful and the game randomly speeds up and down, even when there's no enemy sprites in the vicinity.

- Checking the map to locate polyps is tedious and an on-screen radar would have stopped the constant interruptions.

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

Asterix and the Secret Mission (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Sega CS2
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1994

Asterix and the Secret Mission is an action-platformer that was first released on the Sega Master System in 1993.

+ Playing as Asterix or Obelix yields different layouts, and fans will enjoy seeing minor changes versus the SMS version.

+ Unique abilities of both characters give you distinct ways to tackle the stages, especially as Obelix can't double-jump.

+ Secret areas / hidden items are in abundance and it's fun exploring off the beaten path to see everything available.

+ Has a more comprehensive finale compared to the previous Asterix game (1991, SMS) and it packs a greater challenge.

- Even though slowdown isn't as egregious as the console version, it still exists and causes timing snags with platforming.

- Layouts are by-the-numbers and exhibit little of the clever stage design and playfulness found in the preceding game.

- Special weapons are no longer used in interesting ways to navigate the environment, and there's some collision issues.

Asterix and the Secret Mission (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega CS2
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1993

Asterix and the Secret Mission is an action-platformer that was also released on the Sega Game Gear (1994).

+ Playing as either Asterix or Obelix yields entirely different layouts, and even some of the shared puzzles are modified.

+ Unique abilities of both characters give you distinct ways to tackle the stages, especially as Obelix can't double-jump.

+ Secret areas / hidden items are in abundance and it's fun exploring off the beaten path to see everything available.

+ Has a more comprehensive finale compared to the previous Asterix game (1991, SMS) and it packs a greater challenge.

- Slowdown is rampant from the opening level and it causes platforming issues when the action keeps fluctuating in speed.

- Layouts are by-the-numbers and exhibit little of the clever stage design and playfulness found in the preceding game.

- Special weapons are no longer used in interesting ways to navigate the environment, and there's some collision issues.

Summer Games (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Zap Corporation
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Summer Games is a sports title that was released on numerous platforms including the Atari 7800 (1987).

+ Similar to Track and Field (1983, Arcade), each event includes a pre-set World Record to give you a benchmark.

+ Presentation is excellent with high-quality chip-tune versions of all eight national anthems and tons of catchy jingles.

- However, the game makes you listen to them on repeat and the tunes irritatingly hold up your attempts at each event.

- 100m Dash has little excitement, as the CPU pacer runs at a pathetically slow speed and you'll always be miles ahead.

- Platform Diving is choppier than the Atari 7800 version and Gymnastics has a crude way to consistently gain a top score.

- Pole Vault has finicky timing over 5.10 height, and 100m Freestyle favours button bashing over the 7800's stroke cadence.

- Only five events and the judges' scores can vary wildly, with the difference sometimes being a whole 2-3 points.

Surf Ninjas (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: NuFX
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1993

Surf Ninjas is an action title that's based on the 1993 movie of the same name.

+ Offers on-the-fly strategy, as you can press Pause at any time to exchange gold for special weapons and upgrades.

+ Stage 1's restaurant setting is a great opener, and locating the hidden cave to obtain the Kwantzu item is rewarding.

- However, the majority of the game's other stages are mundane with copy/paste layouts and bland scenic backdrops.

- Animation is jerky and button presses are frequently delayed or refuse to register entirely in the heat of battle.

- Double jump is unreliable, which leads to cheap deaths in later stages where precision platforming is expected.

- While checkpoints are fair, the game can spawn you in front of enemies who immediately deliver uncontested attacks.

- Suffers from a low frame-rate, and Johnny's pedestrian walking speed forces you to constantly jump to move quicker.

Scratch Golf (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Eleca, SIMS
Publisher: VIC Tokai
Released: 1994

Scratch Golf is a sports title that's exclusive to the Sega Game Gear.

+ Well designed holes (some with 600+ yard pins) and there's even advanced options including club sets and driver material.

+ Unlike similar titles such as Mean 18 Ultimate Golf (1989, Atari 7800), this one displays the club max distance in-game.

+ Presentation is excellent, with many catchy jingles that strike a sombre note for bogies and giddy tunes for birdies.

- Overhead view creates a myriad of problems and doesn't provide a decent angle of where your intended shot will travel.

- Putting is super confusing and unintuitive at first, as the display consists of multiple lines moving in different directions.

- Doesn't let you use a putter on the fringe, and even when you're on the green shots lip out with alarming frequency.

- Graphics are unimpressive for a 1994 release with little scenic detail, and there's no crowd SFX throughout.

Great Golf (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Whiteboard
Publisher: Sega of America
Released: 1987

Great Golf is a sports game that's known as Masters Golf in Japan.

+ Supports 1-4 players and the course design has some challenging layouts, particularly the devious split-island hole.

+ Unique features include throwing grass to gauge wind, and ground level angles showing the slope of the putting green.

+ Voice clips for a successful green shot are neat motivators and resemble those found in Neo Turf Masters (1996, Neo Geo).

- Only displays club distance on initial selection, so you'll constantly have to consult the manual or memorise them.

- It's potluck trying to determine where shots will land, as the overhead map doesn't include a path indicator for the ball.

- Putting is seriously flawed as the distance to the cup isn't shown, leaving you to guess how much power to use.

- Inability to add topspin or backspin makes it tough to shoot under par, and the lack of crowd SFX hurt the atmosphere.

Asterix (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega CS2
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Asterix is an action-platformer that's exclusive to Sega's 8-bit console.

+ Stages are beautifully crafted with bite-sized challenges and many secret areas to locate if you're willing to explore.

+ Replayability is huge, as most stages allow you to play as either Asterix or Obelix with your choice affecting the layout.

+ Has a nice mixture of basic puzzles, along with auto-scrolling sections and areas where you can travel above / below ground.

+ Stage 4-2 is a highlight, as a hidden key can only be found by throwing an explosive into a cannon to blast yourself upwards.

+ Controls are rock solid with the perfect amount of jump momentum and mid-air finesse, making every death your own fault.

- Noticeable lulls in boss fights due to them being front-loaded, and jumping out of water involves too much button bashing.

- Some later levels rely heavily on monotonous block breaking, and Stage 8's finale is a real let-down in its limited scope.

Back to the Future Part III (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Probe Software, Krisalis Software
Publisher: Image Works
Released: 1992

Back to the Future Part III is an action title that's based on the 1990 movie of the same name.

+ Music is one of the redeeming features, and once you've beaten a stage you can continue from that point indefinitely.

+ As the game only launched in PAL territories, the reduced 50Hz speed gives you more time to react in the horse riding level.

- However, it's still punishing due to logs that are dropped without warning, and heavy memorisation is required to succeed.

- Missing the Shooting Gallery from the Sega Genesis version (1991) and with only three stages the game's content is thin.

- Pie Throwing level is a shambles due to unintuitive controls and the isometric viewpoint affects launch angle calculations.

- The final Train level is hindered by oppressive checkpoints and the game often refuses to throw a dish towards enemies.

- Even if you do suffer through all three stages it's not worth the grind, as the ending sequence is lacklustre.

Back to the Future Part III (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Probe Software
Publisher: Arena Entertainment
Released: 1991

Back to the Future Part III is an action title that's based on the 1990 movie of the same name.

+ Music is one of the game's redeeming features, and once you've beaten a stage you can continue from that point indefinitely.

- Punishing horse riding level relies on memorisation due to a lack of horizontal space and hazards that zoom towards you.

- Shooting Gallery doesn't display the score criteria and uses a three-position vertical input instead of a free-moving crosshair.

- Pie Throwing level is an utter shambles, as the controls are unintuitive and it's far too easy to apply unwanted spin.

- The final Train level is hindered by unresponsive controls, enemies that fire from off-screen and oppressive checkpoints.

- There's only four stages in the entire game and it's not worth grinding through to see the lacklustre ending.

- Weirdly, the game is overly dark stemming from a programming oversight rather than a defect with the selected TV!

Back to the Future Part II (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Images
Publisher: Image Works
Released: 1991

Back to the Future Part II is an action-puzzle game that's based on the 1989 movie of the same name.

+ Brave attempt at housing multiple gameplay types and the shifting camera scrolling in the first level is a cool concept.

- Hoverboard stages are far too long with spaced-out checkpoints, relentless enemies and bad collision detection.

- Controls are infuriatingly stiff and your inputs never feel like they're being accurately represented by Marty.

- While you can attack using your punch, it's utterly pointless due to its short range that seldom makes contact with foes.

- Level 2's door puzzle brings the action to a crawl, while Level 4's sliding puzzle is a laborious snoozefest.

- Beat-em-up level is pathetic as you can hit enemies from yards away and destroy incoming bikes by simply kicking them!

- Has unfortunate game-breaking bugs, including one that traps you in the corner until your lives are depleted.

The Addams Family (Sega Game Gear review)

Developer: Arc Developments
Publisher: Flying Edge
Released: 1993

The Addams Family is an adventure title that's loosely based on the 1991 film of the same name.

+ Mansion is an absolute joy to navigate due to its themed rooms, and the fun platform challenges add to the game's variety.

+ Does a brilliant job of guiding players to their next objective and there's plenty of secret rooms to find hidden cash.

+ Unlike many games in the genre, the puzzles aren't obtuse and the solutions can be figured out by using logical methods.

+ Graphics are a nice step up from the NES version (1992) with more detailed sprites and amazing character portraits.

- Hit detection can often be wonky, causing you to fall through platforms or take damage despite landing on an enemy.

- A few of the Mansion's rooms contain instant hazards upon entering, which is a rather cheap way of draining your life bar.

- Adventure is a very brief affair and the zoomed-in screen results in having little time to react to incoming enemies.

The Addams Family (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Arc Developments
Publisher: Flying Edge
Released: 1993

The Addams Family is an adventure title that's loosely based on the 1991 film of the same name.

+ Mansion is an absolute joy to navigate due to its themed rooms, and the fun platform challenges add to the game's variety.

+ Does a brilliant job of guiding players to their next objective and there's plenty of secret rooms to find hidden cash.

+ Unlike many games in the genre, the puzzles aren't obtuse and the solutions can be figured out by using logical methods.

+ Graphics are a nice step up from the NES version (1992) with more detailed sprites and amazing character portraits.

- Hit detection can often be wonky, causing you to fall through platforms or take damage despite landing on an enemy.

- A few of the Mansion's rooms contain instant hazards upon entering, which is a rather cheap way of draining your life bar.

- Doesn't take long for the credits to roll and one wonders if content was cut due to some padlocked doors never opening.

After Burner (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Publisher: Tonka
Released: 1988

After Burner is a rail shooter that was first released in the Arcade in 1987.

+ Has 18 stages of chaotic action and using a barrel roll to deftly avoid an inbound missile is a thrill that never gets old.

+ Day-night cycles are fantastic, and the changing scenery after beating each stage keeps you wanting to progress.

+ Great vehicle sprite work, and the take-off sequences look awesome while including the iconic "Get Ready!" speech.

- Frame-rate is low and the lack of proper scaling makes it difficult to judge the path of incoming enemy projectiles.

- Gameplay is punishingly tough and with no continues you'll need to repeatedly grind through the opening stages.

- Your jet is incapable of smooth circular motions, meaning skillful dodging of aircraft / missiles is problematic.

- Boss-style battles against Flying Fortress enemies slows the action to a crawl and negates any attempt at precision.

Alf (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Nexa
Publisher: Sega of America
Released: 1989

Alf is an action-adventure title that's based on the hit TV sitcom of the same name.

+ There's some humorous quips from Alf if he's left idle, and the music (while admittedly repetitive) is very catchy.

- Gets off to a brutal start in the tough cave section and it's potluck whether you successfully hit the respawning bats.

- Collision detection is terrible and the game often thinks you've made contact with street bikers despite clear distance.

- Light on content / locations, and if the Book item is purchased the game cheaply sends you back to the title screen!

- In-game hints have an irritating tendency to quickly disappear if you're holding a button or d-pad direction at the same time.

- Game engine feels like it's always on the verge of breaking down, with frequent stutters and slowdown throughout.

- Animation is poor (especially when using the staircase), and Alf's sprite briefly disappears when turning.

Toki: Going Ape Spit (Sega Mega Drive / Genesis review)

Developer: Santos
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992

Toki: Going Ape Spit is an action-platformer and an enhanced version of the 1989 Arcade original.

+ Great level design with a nice assortment of enemies, environmental hazards and stage verticality to mix things up.

+ Fans of the Arcade original will find plenty to enjoy here thanks to the expanded levels that now span three areas each.

+ Solid controls and your ability to fire diagonally opens up your attack arsenal and protects you from airborne enemies.

+ Offers lots of customisation options in terms of lives, difficulty, points needed for extended play, and continues.

- Relies heavily on trial-and-error due to blind leaps of faith and enemies lurking just outside of your peripheral vision.

- Toki's movements are painfully slow, and the maze-like underwater level and Stage 7's sludge don't help matters.

- Graphics are dark and desaturated, and Toki is lacking in personality and charm compared to Bonk (Turbografx-16).

Toki (Atari Lynx review)

Developer: Atari Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1992

Toki is an action-platformer that was first released in the Arcade in 1989.

+ Great level design with a nice assortment of enemies, environmental hazards and stage verticality to mix things up.

+ Provides ample opportunities to gain power-ups, with some only obtainable by skillfully jumping off foes' heads.

+ Solid controls and your ability to fire diagonally opens up your attack arsenal and protects you from airborne enemies.

+ Has multiple continues, the graphics make good use of the handheld's colour palette, and the fun bosses have giant sprites.

- Projectiles blend into the backgrounds, and there's one-hit kills instead of the life bar found in the NES port (1991).

- As a lead character, Toki is lacking in personality and charm, especially when compared to Bonk (Turbografx-16).

Toki (NES review)

Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Released: 1991

Toki is an action-platformer that was first released in the Arcade in 1989.

+ Great level design with a nice assortment of enemies, environmental hazards and stage verticality to mix things up.

+ Ample chances to power-up and while the 1992 Atari Lynx / Sega Genesis ports had one-hit kills this game adds a health bar.

+ Solid controls and your ability to fire diagonally opens up your attack arsenal and protects you from airborne enemies.

+ Cool stage intros resemble Ghosts 'n Goblins (1986, NES) and the gigantic bosses are enjoyable to fight.

- As a lead character, Toki is lacking in personality and charm, especially when compared to Bonk (Turbografx-16).

- Often has severe sprite flicker that distracts, and although there's a wide range of enemies they're rather unimaginative.

- Minecart section in the finale is laden with funky jumping physics and the collision detection takes a nosedive.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: 2005

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a stealth game that was also released on the Nintendo DS in 2005.

+ Contains ten sizeable missions with intricate layouts, and the gameplay has a great mix of pure stealth and weapons-based scenarios.

+ Scouring the environments for paths to avoid detection is captivating and there's typically multiple ways to tackle situations.

+ Each area feels like a mini-puzzle and there's many awesome gadgets to assist, such as the Optic Cable that lets you peak under doors.

+ Dramatic music evokes a tense atmosphere, and your need to remain in the shadows makes light an unrelenting source of fear.

+ Load times are super impressive and the game has many checkpoints to alleviate any frustration from failed mission attempts.

- Frame-rate isn't the best, which creates the knock-on effect of a jittery reticle when trying to precisely line up a shot.

- Complex controls take a while to adjust to, and the dreadful microphone hunt in the Hokkaido mission is busywork at its worst.

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.