• Tag Archives Sega Genesis

  • Sonic Spinball (Sega Genesis, 1993)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/701929232243294208/duwango-sonic-spinball

    Soinc Spinball was a spin-off (no pun intended?) of the regular Sonic series on the Genesis. It was released late in 1993 between Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 and featured Sonic as the ball in a pinball themed game. This game was mainly developed as a stop gap to have a Sonic game available for the holidays since Sonic 3 was not going to be completed in time.

    The control scheme is somewhat unique in that in addition to more conventional pinball physics, you can also control Sonic’s direction while in motion. Due to the speed and limited visibility, this could be difficult. However, considering the game only had a two-month development cycle it was pretty impressive and a decent game overall. Graphics, sound and music were all pretty much up to the standard of other Sonic games and while the control scheme wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t terrible either. There are four different levels which you can more or less think of as four different pinball tables, in addition to bonus levels and mini games.

    The goal of Sonic Spinball is pretty much the same as any Sonic game in that you have to defeat Doctor Robotnik and his minions. One interesting item is that this game is the only one set in the Sonic animated universe, not that that really impacts the game much other than the story continuity is a little different. You must collect all of the Chaos Emeralds scattered throughout the various levels and defeat the four bosses to win the game.

    Despite a few problems, the game got mixed but mostly positive reviews. If you like Sonic and you like pinball then it is definitely a game to try. However, the control scheme can definitely put pinball purists off and if you are just a fan of the Sonic platform games and not of pinball then there isn’t much to like here, despite the Sonic theme. In any case I think it is worth trying.

    If you do want to give it a try then there are a variety of ways to play it. In addition to the Genesis release, there was also a Game Gear and Sega Master System release the following year. In addition, the Genesis version was released as part of the Sonic Mega Collection on the GameCube, PS2, Xbox and PC, as part of Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360 and PS3, on Wii’s Virtual Console, and via Steam and Nintendo Switch Online. The Game Gear version was an unlockable game in Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut for the GameCube and PC and was released as part of the Sonic Gems Collection for the GameCube and PS2. In addition to the original on the Genesis, any of the re-release versions are fine but the Genesis based ones will be better than ones based on the Game Gear version.


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  • Electronic Games (September 1993)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Electronic Games – September 1993

    Electronic Games was the first major North American gaming magazine. It lasted only a few years before succumbing to the effects of the video game crash. However, it had a rebirth in the early 1990s. The September 1993 issue includes:

    Departments

    • Power On! – A rant against the perception that games (electronic games in particular) are just for kids.
    • Feedback – Letters from readers with topics such as a video game rating system, Camerica’s bankruptcy, CD based games, and more.
    • Hotline – The news this month includes: Bubsy starring in his own cartoon; Charles Barkley signed by Accolade for basketball games; Sega announces future plans for the Sega CD; a full motion video upgrade for the CD-i; Tandy sells computer manufacturing division to AST Research Inc.; Spectrum HoloByte and MicroProse merge; MPEG 1 becomes a standard; Acclaim signs deal for games based on James Cameron movies…first up is True Lies; new Disney and roller coaster screen savers for DOS; and more. Top games this month include StarFox (SuperNES), X-Men (Genesis), Super Mario Land 2 (Game Boy), Kirby’s Adventure (NES); Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Game Gear), and Batman Returns (Sega CD).
    • Insert Coin Here – New and upcoming arcade games include Jurassic Park Pinball from Data East, Tee’d Off from Premier Technology, Title Fight from Sega, The Punisher from Capcom, Saturday Night Slam Masters from Capcom, Daioh from American Sammy, and more.
    • Game Doctor – Questions answered about Street Fighter II, video quality on CD games such as It Came from the Desert and 7th Guest, Out of this World on the SNES, Sega’s Virtual VR, Q Sound, updated Activision games, and more.
    • Fandom Central – A look at the latest fanzines, including The Atari Zone Vol.5 #3, Fantazine #2, The Gaming Edge #1, Game Force #2, High Density #1, and Video Game Review #5.
    • Video Game Gallery – Video game reviews this month include Mortal Combat for both the Super NES and Genesis, Vegas Stakes (Super NES), T2: Judgement Day (Super NES), Jurassic Park (Genesis), Rocket Knight Adventures (Genesis), Street Fighter II Turbo (Super NES), Magical Chase (TurboGrafx-16), Super Bomberman (Super NES), Bill Walsh College Football (Genesis), and Wing Commander: The Secret Missions (Super NES).
    • Software Gallery – Computer game reviews this month include Prince of Persia 2 (DOS), Rags to Riches (DOS), Blue Force (DOS), Might & Magic: Dark Side of Xeen (DOS), Aces Over Europe (DOS), Eternam (DOS), and Lunar Command (DOS).
    • CD Gallery – CD-based game review this month include Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (DOS) and Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective III (DOS, Mac).
    • Portable Playtime – There’s only one Mobile game review this month and that’s King of the Ring for the Game Boy.
    • The Kunkel Report – A look at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Attendance was lower than usual and except for the electronic entertainment side of things there wasn’t much that was very interesting. The big news was that Sega’s display and popularity were much more impressive than Nintendo’s. Some games highlighted included Aladdin for the Genesis, Jurassic Park for the NES, Super NES and Genesis, White Men Can’t Jump, and Demolition Man among others.
    • The Jury – Reader reviews for Star Fox for the Super NES.
    • Lore – Reviews of gaming books including “Compute’s Conquering Zelda Adventures, 2nd Ed.” and “The Complete Wargames Handbook: How to Play, Design & Find Them.
    • Test Lab – A hands on look at some accessories for the Game Boy, including the Game Light Plus from Nuby, the Bright Beam from Naki, The Handy Boy from STD, the Action Pack battery from Naki, the Snap ‘N’ Power from Nuby, the Naki Solar Pack, and much more.
    • Playing it Smart – An overview of some educational games, including Cuckoo Zoo (DOS, Macintosh), Reader Rabbit 2 (DOS, Macintosh), and Pepper’s Adventure in Time (DOS).
    • Gaming On-Line – Sierra releases standalone version of their online game The Shadow of Yserbius; TSN subscribers can play NTN users (typically from hotels, bars and restaurants) in various games; MPG net schedules a series of Empire Builder tournaments with modems as prizes; MPG developing 2300 A.D. gaming environment; Prodigy eliminates extra surcharge for 9600 baud modem users; and more.
    • Coming Soon – The Players’ Guide to Science Fiction, The Eye of the Jaguar, Down Mean Streets with Darryl Gates, Re-fight World War II, and more.

    Features

    • Jaguar Roars to Life – A look at the hardware and first software for the Atari Jaguar to be released in the Fall. Initial games include Cybermorph, Aliens vs. Predator, Jaguar Formula One Racing, Battlezone 2000 and Tempest 2000. About 50,000 units are expected to be available initially at $200.
    • Players’ Guide to Fall and Winter Games – Previews of games due out in the near future, including The Adventures or Rocky & Bullwinkle (Genesis), Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage (SNES), Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck (Genesis, Sega CD), Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions (SNES), Dashin’ Desperadoes (Genesis), Goofy (Genesis), James Pond III: Operation Starfish (Genesis), Kaboom: The Mad Doctor’s Revenge (SNES), Mr. Nutz (SNES), Mario & Wario (SNES), Pink Goes to Hollywood (Genesis), Pitfall Harry: The Mayan Adventure (SNES), Puggsy (Genesis), Sylvester & Tweety: Cagey Capers (Genesis), Wizzy ‘n’ Lizzy (Genesis), Blades of Vengeance (Genesis), Captain America and the Avengers (SNES), Clayfighter (SNES), Eternal Champions (Genesis), Lethal Enforcer (Genesis), Turtles Tournament Fighters (Genesis), World Heroes (SNES), Alien vs. Predator (SNES), BattleClash II (SNES), BioMetal (SNES), Robocop vs. The Terminator (SNES, Genesis), River Raid: The Mission of No Return (SNES), Soldiers of Fortune (SNES, Genesis), Super Empire Strikes Back (SNES), Turn and Burn: No Fly Zone (SNES), Rolling Thunder 3 (Genesis), ABC’s Monday Night Football (SNES), John Madden Football ’94 (SNES, Genesis), Dan Marino’s Touchdown Football (Genesis), Quarterback Club (Genesis), Beastball (Genesis, SNES), World Series Baseball (Genesis), 2020 Super Baseball (Genesis), NBA Jam (SNES, Genesis), Brett Hull Hockey (SNES, Genesis), NHL Hockey (SNES), International Soccer (Genesis), Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing (NES, SNES, Genesis), Pele Soccer (Genesis, SNES), Pro Moves Soccer (Genesis), Formula 1 World Cup (Genesis), FX Trax (SNES), Speed Racer (Genesis, SNES), Riddick Bowe Boxing (SNES), WCW: Main Event Wrestling (Genesis, SNES), Andre Agassi Tennis (SNES), Beauty and the Beast (Genesis), Castlvania: Bloodlines (Genesis), Eye of the Beholder (SNES), The Journey Home: Quest for the Throne (SNES), Might & Magic III (SNES, Genesis), Star Trek; The Next Generation (SNES), Runes of Virtue (SNES), Ultima: The False Prophet (SNES), Dennis the Menace (SNES, NES), Goof Troop (SNES), Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES), Ghengis Khan III: Clan of the Gray Wolf (SNES, Genesis), Metal Marines (SNES), Super Battleship (SNES), Super Battletank 2 (SNES), Walker (Genesis, SNES), SimAnt (SNES), Caesar’s Palace (SNES, Genesis), Championship Pool (SNES), and Side Pocket (SNES).Then there are the computer games: Dracula Unleashed (DOS), Bloodnet (DOS), Bloodstone (DOS), Quest for glory 4: Shadows of Darkness (DOS), Gabriel Knight (DOS), Jagged Alliance (DOS), Shadow Caster (DOS), Fantasy Empire (DOS), Forgotten Castle: The Awakening (DOS), The Elder Scrolls Chapter 1: The Arena (DOS), Dungeon Hack (DOS), Inca 2 (DOS), Arborea (DOS), Simon the Sorcerer (DOS, Amiga), The Dig (DOS), Star Trek: Judgement Rights (DOS), Gateway II: Homeworld (DOS), Kronolog: The Nazi Paradox( DOS), Innocent Until Caught (DOS), Police Quest 4: Open Season (DOS), Shadow of the Comet (DOS), Leisure Suit Larry 6 (DOS), Sam and Max Hit the Road (DOS), Tom Landry Strategy Football (DOS, Amiga), Front Page Sports Football Pro (DOS), Joe Montana NFL Football (DOS), MPS Football (DOS), NCAA Basketball: Road to the Final Four 2 (DOS), David Robinson NBA Action (DOS), Brett Hull Hockey (DOS), Aliens vs. Predator (DOS), Alone in the Dark II (DOS), Homey D. Clown (DOS), Imperial Pursuit (DOS), Walker (Amiga), Goblins 3 (DOS), The Terminator 2029: Rampage (DOS), Doom (DOS), Secret of the Seventh Labyrinth (DOS), Seal Team (DOS), Wing Commander Academy (DOS), Sub Wars (DOS), and MechWarriors II: The Clans (DOS).

      Then of course there are the mobile games: Aliens vs. Predator (Game Boy), Batman: The Animated Series (Game Boy), Desert Strike (Game Gear), Mortal Kombat (Game Boy, Game Gear), Robocop vs. The Terminator, Speedy Gonzales (Game Boy), Tiny Toons: Montana’s Movie Madness (Game Boy), WarioLand (Game Boy), Formula 1 World Cup (Game Gear), Nigen Mansell’s World Championship Racing (Game Boy), WCW: Main Event Wrestling (Game Boy), Turtles: Radical Rescue (Game Boy), and Ultima: Runes of Virtue II (Game Boy).

      That’s a lot of games.

    • Dungeons and Dragons – A look at the history of Dungeons and Dragons, its future on computers and what’s next for SSI. Some upcoming D&D games include Dark Sun: Shattered Lands, Stronghold, Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor, Fantasy Empires, Dungeon Hack, Isle of the Mad Genie, and Ravenloft.
    • Multimedia Explosion – While technically just about any computer or video game would be considered “multimedia”, the term was largely aimed at CD based software and games. There was even a short-lived terms for PCs with CD-ROM drives (MPC). Upcoming multimedia games expected to lead to the multimedia revolution include Americans in Space (DOS, MPC, Macintosh), Eagle Eye Mystery in London (DOS, MPC, Macintosh, Mac-CD), Peter Pan (DOS, MPC, Mac, Mac-CD, 3DO), Hell Cab (MPC, Mac-CD), Kings Quest VI (MPC), Aegis: Guardian of the Fleet (MPC), Dragon’s Lair (MPC, 3DO), Mad Dog II (MPC, Sega CD), Rebel Assault (MPC, Sega CD, CDi) – I had this one!, Global Golf: The Earth Invitational (MPC, Mac CD), MegaRace (MPC, 3DO), Betrayal at Krondor (Sega CD, 3DO), and lots more.Also included is a comparison of multimedia systems including the Sega CD, Turbo Duo, CD-i, and computers with CD-ROM drives.
    • EG Interview – Paul Samulski – Paul Samulski was a producer at Acclaim and the man most responsible for acquiring the home game rights for Mortal Kombat for Acclaim.

    …and more!


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  • Mega Play (November/December 1991)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Mega Play – Issue Number 7 – November/December 1991

    Mega Play was a Sega specific magazine covering mostly the Sega Genesis, Game Gear and related accessories. It was published by the same publishers as EGM so for a while they were publishing EGM, EGM2, Mega Play, and Super Play (a Super Nintendo magazine). The first issue of Mega Play was included as a freebie with EGM. The November/December 1991 issue includes:

    • Editorial – Things look rosy for Sega as Genesis hardware and software sales exceed expectations with the Mega CD/Sega CD coming soon.
    • Mega Mail – Letters from readers about RGB mode on the Genesis, a new Genesis design, playing Master System games on the Game Gear, and back issues.
    • Hi-Tech Sega – A look at a handy new third-party accessory called the ‘Master Gear Converter’ that will allow you to play Sega Master System games on the Game Gear.
    • Mega Tricks – Tips, tricks and cheat codes for Turrican (Genesis), Road Rash (Genesis), Spiderman (Genesis), Marvel Land (Genesis), Decapattack (Genesis), Saint Sword (Genesis), and Streets of Rage (Genesis).
    • Coming Attractions – Previews of upcoming games in the U.S. and Japan, including Golden Axe II (Genesis), Exile (Mega Drive), Super Fantasy Zone (Mega Drive), Corporation (Genesis), Devil Crash (Mega Drive), Isle Road (Mega Drive), Alien Syndrome (Game Gear), The Chessmaster (Game Gear), Galaga ’91 (Game Gear), Kabuki (Mega Drive), Alisia Dragoon (Mega Drive), Warsong (Genesis), Rings of Power (Genesis), and Game Gear Boxing (Game Gear).

    • Genesis Does… – A more detailed look at some games coming out for the holiday season. Games spotlighted include Growl (Genesis), a violent fighting game from Taito; The Terminator (Genesis), based on the movie of the same name; Trouble Shooter (Genesis), a shooter somewhat similar to Forgotten Worlds; James Pond 2: Robocod (Genesis), a platform game featuring a fish; Shadow of the Beast (Genesis), a fantasy based side-scrolling beat-em-up; Cal. 50 (Genesis), a top down action game in which you must rescue the prisoners; F-22 Interceptor (Genesis), a combat flight sim; Toki (Genesis), a translation of the arcade game; Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear), now on Sega’s portable platform; Halley Wars (Game Gear), a sci-fi themed shooter; and Bio-Ship Paladin (Mega Drive), a shooter with a unique twist.
    • Review Crew
      • Y’s 3 – Sadly, not as good as the Y’s games on the TurboGrafx-16.
      • The Terminator (Genesis) – Take the role of John Conner in this action game based on the movie. Better than most licensed games.
      • Robocod (Genesis) – Better than the original James Pond.
      • Trouble Shooter (Genesis) – Play Madison and Crystal as they fly around blasting everything in their quest to find the king’s son.
      • John Madden ’92 (Genesis) – Back when the Madden games were really good.
      • Mario Lemieux Hockey (Genesis) – An average hockey game.
      • Cal. 50 (Genesis) – A translation of the arcade game. Reminds me of games like P.O.W. and Ikari Warriors.
      • RBI 3 (Genesis) – Not really an improvement over the NES original.
      • Dark Castle (Genesis) – A pretty terrible adventure game from these reviews…
      • Buck Rogers (Genesis) – The computer version was excellent, apparently the Genesis version was not.
      • Art Alive (Genesis) – A painting and drawing program…but you can’t save your work.
      • Game Over – A look at the ending of Batman…the game based on the 1989 movie.

      …and more!


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