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
Released in 1987, Great Golf was the only golf title released on the Master System here in the United States. While the game is far from terrible, it does little to live up to its name. It supports match and stroke play and allows up to four players, which is generous compared to most NES … Read more
How close can you come to copying Street Fighter II without getting sued? Back in 1993 Konami seemed curious to find out. Tournament Fighters is a 2D fighting game based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles license. It includes 10 playable fighters plus 2 bosses; the Turtles themselves, Shredder, and 7 characters I’ve never heard … Read more
Being a huge fan of the Genesis version of PGA Tour Golf, I had been keeping an eye out for the SNES version. It was my hope that the Super Nintendo’s superior color palette would give this game a bit of an edge in the graphics department while keeping the high quality gameplay intact. Unfortunately … Read more
I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that PGA Tour Golf has a depth that rivals even today’s modern golf games. It was not only the first real golf sim on the Genesis, but the first in a long line of PGA titles from EA Sports. The game features 4 courses; TPC at … Read more
Released 6 years after its predecessor, the simply-titled “Golf”, NES Open Tournament Golf was the second golf game released by Nintendo for the NES. The game features three courses; US, Japan, and the UK, and has three game modes; stroke play, match play, and a tournament mode. You can also practice single holes to tighten … Read more
During the NES era, two game companies released Ms. Pac-Man cartridges. The game was available from Tengen as one of their easily recognizable black unlicensed carts, while Namco released this licensed version. While the Tengen version included some upgrades in the form of extra mazes and new gameplay options, this release is a straight port … Read more
Vegas Dream is a casino-style gambling game featuring 4 games; blackjack, roulette, keno, and a slot machine. You start off the game with $700, but various events in the game aside from the outcome of gambling itself have an effect on your cash flow. Every so often during the game, you are interrupted by someone … Read more
Released about 6 months after the launch of the Game Boy, this was the first golf game to appear on the system. As is to be expected, you play as Mario and have two course options; USA and Japan. The course design, while not particularly realistic, keeps the game interesting by offering up various challenges … Read more
California Games was not only a launch title, but was the original Lynx pack-in game. Developed by Epyx, a company known primarily for its compilation sports titles, California Games will feel instantly familiar to those who have played any of their previous releases. The game features 4 sports; BMX biking, surfing, half pipe skateboarding, and … Read more
World Grand Prix is a first-party Sega title specifically developed for the Master System, and was part of the console’s North American launch lineup. Although not an official sequel, it is effectively a follow-up to Sega’s 1985 SG-1000 game “GP World”. At first, World Grand Prix seems like nothing more than a Pole Position clone, … Read more
Choplifter is a game that should be familiar to anyone who was playing video games in the 80’s. Originally released on the Apple II in 1982, the game later appeared on almost every gaming platform of the era, including the Atari 5200 and Colecovision, as well as home computers including the Atari 8-bit line and … Read more