• Tag Archives SNES

  • GamePro (May 1997)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: GamePro – May 1997

    GamePro wasn’t a magazine I read a lot but it was probably the next most popular gaming magazine behind Electronic Gaming Monthly, at least in the U.S. The May 1997 issue includes:

    Cover Feature

    • The Lost World: Jurassic Park – This was about the time the move The Lost World came out and here is a preview of the game that goes along with it for the PlayStation.

    Special Features

    • Final Fantasy VII – Final Fantasy VII was probably the most anticipated Final Fantasy game and the most popular. Here’s an early preview of its release in Japan.
    • GameWorks: Ready for Gameplay – GameWorks was a new mega arcade that was a joint venture between Sega, Universal and Dreamworks. The first opened up in Seattle, Washington in 1997 and there were plans for 100 of them by 2002. I don’t know if that expansion ever happened but as far as I can tell the Seattle GameWorks still exists and there are no others.
    • Mortal Kombat Annihilation! – The Mortal Kombat movie sequel.

    SWATPro Strategy Section

    • Doom 64 Nintendo 64 ProStrategy Guide – A detailed guide for Doom on the Nintendo 64, including maps, secret exits and more.
    • The Fighter’s Edge Soul Blade (Part 2) – Part 2 of a comprehensive guide to Soul Blade on the PlayStation.
    • SWATPro – Hints, tips, tricks and cheats for Andretti Racing (Saturn), WWF: In Your House (PlayStation), The Legend of Oasis (Saturn), Dark Forces (PlayStation), NFL GameDay ’97 (PlayStation), NHL Faceoff ’97 (PlayStation), SlamScape (PlayStation), Vectorman 2 (Genesis), Bubble Bobble (PlayStation), Command & Conquer (Saturn), Crusader: No Remorse (PlayStation), Ten Pin Alley (PlayStation), Impact Racing (PlayStation/Saturn), Pandemonium (PlayStation), and Madden ’97 (Genesis). There’s also a list of the top game rentals and Blockbuster. Top of the list for each platform were Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64), Need for Speed II (PlayStation), Tomb Raider (Saturn), NBA Live ’98 (Genesis), Donkey Kong Country 3 (Super NES).
    • Samurai Showdown IV: Amakusa’s Revenge (Neo Geo) – Special moves for all of the characters and more.
    • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – A survival guide that includes maps, lists of locations, and more.

    ProReviews

    • PC GamePro – Reviews of Ecstatica II and Star Command Revolution, plus previews of Hexen II, Meat Puppet, Redneck Rampage, Comanche 3, X-Com: Apocalypse, Quake Mission Pack #1: Scourge of Armagon, Riven, and Extreme Assault.
    • Nintendo 64 – Review of Blast Corps.
    • PlayStation – Reviews of MechWarrior 2, WCW vs. The World, BattleStations, K-1 The Arena Fighters, Wing Commander IV, Sentient, The Incredible Hulk, Virtual Pool, and League of Pain.
    • Saturn – Reviews of Herc’s Adventures, The Lost Vikings, Lunacy, Contra Legacy of War, Tunnel B1, Dragon Heart, Super Puzzle Fighter II, Hardcore 4×4, and Heir of Zendor.
    • Sports Pages – Reviews of NBA Shootout ’97 (PlayStation), NBA Live ’97 (Saturn), FIFA Soccer 64 (Nintendo 64), VR Baseball ’97 (PlayStation), Rally Cross (PlayStation), and Perfect Striker (Nintendo 64 Japan) plus previews of Triple Play ’98 (PlayStation), All-Star Baseball ’97 (Saturn, PlayStation), NHL Breakaway ’98 (PlayStation, Saturn), NFL Quarterback Club ’98 (PlayStation, Saturn, DOS), HardBall 6 (PlayStation, Win95), and NBA Jam ’98 (Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Win95).
    • Role-Player’s Realm – A review of Vandal Hearts for the PlayStation.

    Departments

    • Head-2-Head: Letter from the GamePros – The evolution of the gaming industry.
    • The Mail – Readers write in about the CD-i, Resident Evil, Twisted Metal 2, and Final Fantasy VII.
    • Art Attack – Envelope art and other reader submitted gaming art.
    • Buyers Beware – Customer complaints about a free XBand modem offer, Tomb Raider ads, fighting in NHL ’97, and more.
    • ProNews – PlayStation price drops to $149, Sega plans merge with Bandai, upcoming games, Final Fantasy VII release plans, and more.
    • NetPro – Internet search tips, using various earch engines (Google didn’t exist yet), using Usenet, and more.
    • Overseas Prospects – A look at recent and upcoming overseas releases including Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation) and Gambare Goemon 5 (Nintendo 64).
    • Sneak Previews – An early look at The Lost World (PlayStation), Duke Nukem 3D (Saturn), Castlevania X (PlayStation), Star Fox 64 (Nintendo 64), Yoshi’s Island 64 (Nintendo 64), Hexen (Nintendo 64), Clayfighter 63 1/3 (Nintendo 64), MDK (PlayStation), Battle Arena Toshinden (PlayStation), Darklight Conflict (PlayStation, Saturn, DOS, Win 95), VMX Racing (PlayStation, Saturn, Win 95), and Motor Mash (PlayStation).
    • Hot at the Arcades – A review of Tekken 3 plus previews of Darkstalkers: Jedah’s Damnation, Sega Super GT, and Rampage World Tour.

    …and more!


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  • Ardy Lightfoot (Super NES, 1994)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/702714361793429504/superfamiblog-ardy-lightfoot-1994-ascii

    Ardy Lightfoot is a side-scrolling platform game that was released by Titus in the U.S. on the Super Nintendo in 1994. In many respects, it is like any other platform game of the time though it is a solid one. It received mostly positive reviews and graphics and sound were top notch.

    In Ardy Lightfoot you control a fox (named Ardy Lightfoot obviously). He also has a companion called Pec. I’m not really sure what kind of creature Pec is supposed to be…he’s just sort of a blue blob. However, Pec can transform into various helpful things and can also be used as a weapon. If Ardy is hit by an enemy then Pec will disappear and must be retrieved by finding a chest.

    The story line involves a “sacred rainbow” that has been shattered into seven crystal pieces. You, as Ardy, must retrieve them all. Whoever gets all seven receives a wish and there is an evil King that has already found one of them. You will have to fight off his followers in order to retrieve the others and ultimately face King Visconti for the last piece. You’ll have help along the way from other characters.

    There were some changes made between the Japanese release and the North American release. A bunch of sprites and animations were removed (I am assuming to reduce the memory footprint of the cartridge and therefore lower costs) and it was censored to some degree (a gruesome acid death was removed). However, these changes don’t significantly impact the game.

    If you are a fan of platform games, then this is one you probably want to try. There is a caveat though. Despite the cartoony graphics, this really isn’t a game designed for kids, even ignoring the gruesome death scene that was removed for the U.S. release. This is mainly because of the difficulty. There are seven huge levels and they aren’t easy. This game is only for patient players that are up for a challenge. Younger kids, in most cases, would probably only be frustrated.

    If you do want to give it a try, you’ll have to track down an original cartridge or make do with emulation. To the best of my knowledge, this game has never been re-released in any other form.


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  • Super Play (June 1996)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – Super Play – Issue Number 44 – June 1996

    Super Play is a magazine dedicated to the Super Nintendo that was published in the U.K. There weren’t really many particularly successful single system magazine in the U.S. at that time and the ones that came around (usually living brief lives) tended to have 50 pages or less. Super Play on the other hand lasted several years and the June 1996 issue has close to 100 pages. The contents include:

    Regulars

    • Super Express – The latest news includes info on the upcoming Nintendo 64, including looks at some of the first games including Turok, Shadows of the Empire, Super Mario 64, War Gods, and more. Plus a look at upcoming Super NES releases including Olympic Summer Games, Pinnochio, Killer Instinct 2, Dragon Ball Z Hyper Dimension, Lufia 2, Starfox 2, Mohawk and Headphone Jack, and more.
    • Fantasy Quest – A detailed look at Tales of Phantasia from Namco.
    • Charts – The top 10 games fro the SNES. Topping the list this month is Diddy’s Kong Quest.
    • Game Freak – Questions answered about a portable SNES, Earthbound, Resident Evil, a new Golgo 13 game, the PlayStation, Square and Enix, Ace Driver, and more.
    • Mode 7 – Cheats, codes and strategies for Mortal Kombat 3, Breath of Fire II, Ogre Battle, Mega Man X3, Super Bomberman 3, and much more.
    • What Cart? – A guide to all of the games reviewed by Super Play, a brief description and their score along with what issue the review appeared in.
    • Final Fantasy Forum – A guide and map to Evermore’s Nobilia market including a map of vendors and what they have available among other tips.
    • Playback – Letters from readers about the future of Super Play, Nintendo 64 delays, plus envelope art and more.
    • Irresponsible Pictures – Reviews of the latest anime on VHS, including Urusei Yatsura TV Episodes Vol. 8, Ghost in the Shell, Gunsmith Cats, Dragon Half, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and more. This was the golden age of anime if you ask me.
    • Next Month – Coming next month, coverage of Bomberman 4, War Gods, Donkey Kong Country 2, and more.

    Features

    • Game of Life – A tongue-in-cheek study on using video games to learn real-life skills. How well to games help you to learn how to summon a fireball, drive a car, cook, and more?
    • Super Players Guide: Diddy’s Kong Quest – Part one of a strategy guide for Diddy’s Kong Quest, the sequel to Donky Kong Country.

    Reviews

    • Star Kirby Super Deluxe – Kirby stars in his first Super NES game.
    • Super Mario RPG – Not really my preferred genre of RPG but it was still a good one.
    • College Slam – Like NBA Jam only with college teams.
    • Pacific Theatre of Operations 2 – A.K.A. P.T.O. II, brought to you buy KOEI, really the only company to make strategy war games for the Super NES.
    • Secret of the Stars – A fantasy RPG by Tecmo, a company that wasn’t really known for them. And it kind of shows.

    …and more!


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