• Tag Archives 1992

  • WWF WrestleMania Steel Cage Challenge (NES)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    WWF WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge (LJN, 1992)

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    WWF WrestleMania Steel Cage Challenge was released by Acclaim first for the NES in 1992 and later ported to the Sega Master System and Game Gear in 1993 with the SMS version being a Europe only release. The game features 10 wrestlers including, of course, Hulk Hogan. The SMS/Game Gear and NES versions feature slightly different sets of wrestlers to chose from. While WWF fans will certainly be interested, this is a pretty mediocre title and you should probably temper your expectations.

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    There are various modes of play to choose from including one-on-one, tag team and championship. With tag team you of course get to choose two out of the ten wrestlers instead of just one. There are a fairly wide variety of moves that you can execute including punches, kicks, body slams, throws, headbutts, clothesline, powerslam, stomp, elbow drop and others. So what’s the down side? The controls are pretty crappy and the movies are difficult making for an often frustrating play experience. However, multiplayer is the great equalizer and no doubt WWF/WWE fans can still have fun with this one.

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    There has been no re-release of this game nor is there likely to be one. You’ll have to track down an original version (the NES version preferably or perhaps the SMS version if you are in Europe) or try it out on an emulator. There are better fighting games out there, even on 8-bit though so I would say this one is only for the hardcore WWF fan.

    All screenshots above are from the NES version of the game.





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  • Bucky O’Hare (NES)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Bucky O’Hare – Konami, NES, 1992

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    Bucky O’Hare was a fairly late release by Konami on the NES, debuting in 1992. The game is based on a relatively obscure comic book of the same name. In this game you play the role of Bucky who must rescue several of his crew members on different planets. Each of these crew members have unique abilities and when you rescue one you then gain the ability to switch to using that crew member as needed.

    The game generally got positive reviews with the one common complaint being that it is a very difficult game. Odd since you would think this character would appeal to younger kids. Being such a late release, the graphics and sound are very good overall and the game plays very much like Mega Man. If you are looking for a challenging Mega Man type game then look no further.

     

    Unfortunately, there haven’t been any re-releases or sequels. If you do want to give this one a try then you will have to track down an original cartridge or fire up an emulator. If you won’t get too frustrated by the difficulty, it is a worthwhile addition to your collection though.





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  • Super Double Dragon (Super Nintendo, 1992)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Super Double Dragon (SNES, 1992)

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    While the first couple of Double Dragon games started life as arcade games, Super Double Dragon or Return of Double Dragon as it was known as in Japan, was developed exclusively for the Super Nintendo. Reviews for this game are truly wildly mixed. It was a fairly early release for the Super NES, with the Super Nintendo having only been released the year before. Graphically, it was a huge improvement over older games in the series but it still didn’t take full advantage of the Super NES. The biggest complaint is that the gameplay is very repetitive and gets boring quickly.

    Due to time constraints, Super Double Dragon didn’t have everything originally intended by the developer. There were supposed to have been cut scenes that would have added in-game plot, more traps and obstacles, and another boss among other things. This probably would have helped at least some with the perceived repetitive nature of the game.

    Game play is typical for a game in the side-scrolling beat-’em-up genre. You walk from one side of the screen towards the other while punching, kicking and otherwise beating the crap out of endless enemies. You have four basic moves: punch, kick, jump, and guard which was new for this game. There is also an arm grab move that works only on certain enemies as well as different special attacks that can be used depending on how full your “Dragon Power” gauge is. The game can be played by one or two players and there are two character choices (Billy and Jimmy) differentiated by slightly different moves.

    Oddly, the Japanese version, Return of Double Dragon, features a number of differences that make it worth trying even if you have played Super Double Dragon. There are some changes that not too significant like having a different title theme and a different order of background music. Other changes are more significant to the game play like being able to perform different actions (e.g. retrieving a boomerang after throwing it), different enemy placement, and weapons doing less damage. In addition, there are also two extra levels in the final mission. Both the Japanese version and the North American version were released at almost the same time so it isn’t clear to me why they bothered with the differences. Interestingly, an officially licensed version of Return of Double Dragon in cartridge form was released in the U.S. in 2018 via Retroism. Unfortunately, it only works with 3rd party Super NES compatible systems and not the original Super Nintendo.

    Super Double Dragon was the last Double Dragon game produced by the original team at Technos and while earlier games in the series have been remade or otherwise re-released for other systems, a Super Nintendo or emulation thereof remains the only way to play Super Double Dragon (though you can play Return of Double Dragon as mentioned above). If you are a fan of the original Double Dragon then it is at least worth checking out.




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