Tetris Plus was the only Tetris game released for the Sega Saturn in the United States, and is a port of the 1990 Japanese-only arcade game of the same name. Along with the requisite “Classic” and “Vs.” modes, Tetris Plus features a “puzzle” mode (isn’t the whole game a puzzle?) that is really the meat … Read more
I grew up playing Tetris. I got a Game Boy the Christmas after it was launched and played Tetris more than any other game on that system. The Tengen version of Tetris is one of my favorite NES games, and it is a crime against humanity that Nintendo forced it off of the market. Because … Read more
Sega Ages is an arcade compilation disc from Sega featuring 3 classic arcade titles; OutRun, Afterburner II, and Space Harrier. All three games are arcade-perfect translations and include options menus which allow you to alter the control scheme, adjust the difficulty level, and listen to music and sound effects, plus a few options specific to … Read more
The first time I played it, I really hated this game. It reminded me of one of those old-timey pinball machines that didn’t have flippers. You would put in a coin, it would dispense the ball, and your only interaction with the machine would be to pull the plunger. After that, gravity would take over. … Read more
This game makes the earlier Video Pinball for the VCS look downright awful. Midnight Magic’s colorful, high-resolution graphics and realistic ball physics make its predecessor look like something from the previous generation. The game features a single table with more plausible dimensions (long and narrow) and more realistic-looking round bumpers. The play field is still … Read more
Sometimes I don’t understand where designers came up with their game ideas back in the classic era. In Spider Fighter you are charged with protecting your fruit orchard from legions of spiders who steal your fruit, which you do by shooting at them with a “bug blaster”. The bugs attack in waves. Each wave begins … Read more
Similar in principle to slalom skiing, in Sky Jinks you race through a pylon course in a stunt plane, weaving left and right around pylons while avoiding trees and hot air balloons. The object of the game is to complete the course as quickly as possible. A stopwatch starts as soon as you take off, … Read more
The mother of all vertically-scrolling shoot-em-ups! In River Raid, you control a fighter jet flying at low altitude over a river, shooting tanker ships, helicopters, and other planes while keeping a close eye on your fuel level. Not only can your plane move from side to side, but you can also speed up and slow … Read more
In general, bowling is not a game that translates well into the world of video games. I would guess that most gamers could count the number of entertaining bowling games across all platforms on one hand. It is therefore surprising, especially considering the fact that most sports games on the Atari VCS are horrible, that … Read more
Activision is famous for the quality of their VCS titles, but this game is just awful. Oink! has been described as “breakout in reverse” because instead of removing blocks, you are replacing them. You play as each one of the Three Little Pigs, protecting your house against the invading wolf. The wolf blows your house … Read more
I would never suggest that it would be easy to create a golf game on the Atari 2600, but the system is definitely capable of a better offering than this. Golf isn’t a horrible game, but it could have been a lot better. The developer did an admirable job of trying to re-create the feeling … Read more
When Sonic The Hedgehog was released in 1991, it almost immediately replaced Altered Beast as the pack-in game for the Genesis. The game was developed to take the Super Mario Bros. series head-on and shares a number of similarities with that franchise. Both are platform games that involve the player collecting items, receiving power-ups, and … Read more
I’m a video pinball junkie so whenever I see a pinball game that I haven’t played before, I have to grab it. I don’t expect much out of a 16-bit pinball game, but this one isn’t half bad. The presentation and menu system are terrible, but once you get into the game itself, it provides … Read more
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe was the historic game’s first appearance on a hand held console (the game would later be ported to the Game Boy Advance as part of the “NES Classics” series.) The game features a pixel-perfect translation of the original NES title, but due to the lower resolution of the GBC’s screen the … Read more
Duck Hunt was not only a launch title, but was a pack-in game if you purchased the “NES Action Set”, where the game was bundled on a single cartridge with Super Mario Bros. Although less common, the game was also released as a stand-alone retail cartridge. Duck Hunt has 3 game modes, each requiring the … Read more
Polygames and EA stepped it up even further for the next release of PGA Tour Golf on the Genesis. The graphics have been further refined, and the player animations are now digitized video of the players’ actual golf swings! This gives the game a new look that really sets it apart from the previous titles. … Read more
This game starts off well enough, by which I mean that it has a nice looking menu system, but once you get past that and into the game itself, PGA Tour 96 falls apart fast. The developer was obviously a bit overzealous in trying to push the PGA Tour series into the future. The environments … Read more
Anyone who has played the original PGA Tour Golf on the Genesis will instantly feel at home with the sequel. This game still uses the same drop-down menu system and the exact same gameplay interface, and all of the options and game modes available in the original release have carried over. The graphics however have … Read more
This game could have been called “PGA Tour Golf II: European Edition.” Created using the PGA Tour Golf II engine, PGA European Tour is not so much a sequel but rather a modification of the previous installment. The interface and control are indistinguishable from PGA II; it’s only the content that differs. Instead of PGA … Read more