• Tag Archives Super NES

  • Advanced Computer Entertainment (January 1992)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) – Issue Number 52 – January 1992

    ACE, which stands for Advanced Computer Entertainment was a gaming magazine published in the U.K. in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It covered both computers and consoles. Computer coverage in 1992 included the Amiga, Atari ST, and PC. The January 1992 issue includes:

    Columns

    • Games News – Spiderman’s 30th anniversary celebrated with a new arcade game and an upcoming movie from Sony’s Columbia Pictures; B17 Flying Fortress from Microprose coming soon; Gremlin producing sequel to Utopia; Sega starts bundling Sonic with the Megadrive; Japanese gamers camp out for Zelda III; expansion for Wing Commander II coming from Origin; Electronic Arts to release editor for Populous; Namco introduces Starblade to arcades; Bart Simpson, Terminator 2 and WWF Superstars coming to the Game Boy; and more.
    • Tech News – Spectrum Holobyte and W Industries (makers of the Virtuality arcade system) join forces to develop virtual reality games.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about the short length of some games, recent changes in ACE, the CDTV, rising software prices, big game boxes with little in them, and more.
    • In the Works – Previews of games that are in progress including Cyber Fight from Electronic Arts, ATAC from Microprose, and Apocalypse from Mirrorsoft (sort of an updated Choplifter).
    • Previews – Previews of soon to be released games including Bodycount from Strangeways, KGB from Virgin Games, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis from Lucasfilm, Populous from Bullfrog, John Madden’s Football (the first!) from Electronic Arts, Fire and Ice from Image Works, and Special Forces from Microprose.
    • Console Section – Reviews of Super E.D.F for the Super Famicom, Mega Man for the Game Boy, Super R.C. Pro-Am for the Game Boy (one of my favorite racing games though not necessarily the Game Boy version), Pac-Mania for the Megadrive, QuackShot for the Megadrive, Factory Panic for the Game Gear, and Woody Pop for the Game Gear.
    • Next Month – Coming in the next issue: the ACE Awards (plus the usual reviews, previews and more).
    • Reviews Directory – 30 pages of brief reviews for tons of games.

    Reviews

    • Another World – An arcade adventure game for the Amiga (version being reviewed), Atari ST and PC (DOS) that is reminiscent of Prince of Persia.
    • Epic – A 3D space shooter for the Atari ST, Amiga, and PC (DOS). Compared here to Wing Commander.
    • Populous II – Sequel to the classic Electronic Arts real-time strategy game for the Amiga, Atari ST, and PC (DOS).
    • Wolfchild – An arcade side-scrolling run and gun type game with a sci-fi theme for the Amiga and Atari ST.
    • Eye of the Beholder 2 – Sequel to the classic D&D RPG from SSI for the PC (reviewed here) and Amiga.
    • The First Samurai – An arcade martial arts themed adventure game for the Amiga (reviewed here), Atari ST, and PC (DOS).

    …and more!


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  • Chrono Trigger (Super Nintendo, 1995)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/705462466395635712/caterpie-chrono-trigger-1995

    Chrono Trigger, developed by Square and released for the Super Nintendo 1995, is widely regarded as one of the best role-playing games for that system or any other. I always preferred more “traditional” computer role-playing games like the AD&D gold box series, Ultima, etc. or the later Baldur’s Gate and similar games to the Japanese style RPGs but nevertheless, Chrono Trigger is excellent.

    Chrono Trigger is set in a world where time travel is possible. The story involves the journey of Chrono and his companions as they endeavor to prevent a catastrophic from destroying the world (isn’t that always the goal?). One of the unique things about this game are the complex moral decisions you have to make, including those involving the consequences of time travel.

    Chrono Trigger also has a unique battle system which is sort of a hybrid turn-based system. You can execute combo attacks by timing your moves and coordinating actions between other members of your party. There are also “techs” (special abilities) that characters can learn.

    This game did not slack on the visual or audio components either. It takes full advantage of the Super Nintendo’s 16-bit graphics and sound capabilities making for a visually beautiful game. The soundtrack is also excellent and anyone who has spent extensive time playing this game can recognize music from this game instantly.

    Also, somewhat unique for games of this style, Chrono Trigger has quite a bit of replay value. There are various choices to be made throughout the game that lead down different paths and to different endings. There are also tons of hidden secrets and characters to interact with along the way.

    There have been a number of spin-offs and sequels. The main games are Chrono Trigger and its sequel, Chrono Cross which was released on the PlayStation in 1999. As far as Chrono Trigger goes, it was ported to the Nintendo DS, PlayStation, Android and PC (available via Steam). As far as the best version, it somewhat depends on personal preference. You can’t go wrong with the Super NES original (if you can afford it). The PlayStation port if a faithful translation but suffers from long load times. The Android version suffers from a touch screen interface which is less than ideal (though I guess otherwise it is fine). The Windows version had issues in earlier releases but the latest iteration is excellent. The DS version is sometimes considered the best as it is a faithful translation of the original with minor improvements and additional content. I guess the downside is that you are stuck on a small screen.

    If you are a fan of RPGs in any way, then you should definitely try this in one form or another. The Windows version is probably the most accessible these days and it is an excellent version. But if you are a fan of the SNES or DS then those versions are great too, you’ll just have to do a little more work to track them down and they will cost you more. Unless you are a fan of long load times or touch screen interfaces for classic games then I would skip the PlayStation and Android versions but the games themselves are really just as good. And of course you can always go the emulation route. Whichever version you chose, you’ll have a blast with this one.

    Screen shots above are from the original Super NES version of the game.


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  • Electronic Gaming Monthly (May 1992)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly – Issue Number 34 – May 1992

    I still have this particular issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly which I bought off the shelf back in the day. Consolidation has its advantages but I miss the variety of systems that used to be around. At this time, EGM was covering the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo, and a variety of portable systems including the Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, and Atari Lynx. The May 1992 issue includes:

    Departments

    • Insert Coin – An editorial on the inevitable wave of CD-ROM based games and whether or not the gaming industry is really ready for it.
    • Letters to the Editor – Letters from readers about the Super NES version of Street Fighter II, The Super NES CD-ROM, Genesis coverage, the Magicom and Super Magicom, Mega CD coverage, the Consumer Electronics Show, and more.
    • Review Crew – Four reviewers give their score for a variety of games including Super Scope 6 (SNES), The Rocketeer (SNES), Spanky’s Quest (SNES), Might & Magic (NES), Blues Brothers (NES), Lemmings (Genesis), Earnest Evans (Genesis), D&D: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (Genesis), Jordan vs. Bird (Genesis), Star Saver (Game Boy), Top Gun (Game Boy), Batman: Return of the Joker (Game Boy), Outrun Europa (Game Gear), and Hydra (Lynx).
    • Software Calendar – A list of planned releases for May 1993. There are a total of 38 games listed including Batman: Return of the Joker (Game Boy), George Foreman KO Boxing (Game Gear), Last Resort (Neo Geo), Steel Empire (Genesis), Rampart (Lynx), Ballistix (TurboGrafx-16), The Empire Strikes Back (NES), Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Super NES), and others.
    • Gaming Gossip – News and rumors regarding the new Street Fighter 2 Competition Joystick from Capcom, a new “Quad” development system for the Super NES, Camerica’s Aladdin project, Super high Impact from Acclaim for the Super NES, Cool World for the Mega CD, Dolphin for the Genesis, and much more.
    • International Outlook – A look at new and upcoming games being released internationally (mostly Japan). Games covered this month include Axelay (Super Famicom), Adventure Island 3 (Famicom), Parodius (Super Famicom), Gargoyle’s Quest (Famicom), Astral Bout (Super Famicom), Macross (PC-Engine Super CD-ROM), Spindizzy Worlds (Super Famicom), Thunder Force IV (Mega Drive), Loom (TurboGrafx Super CD-ROM), After Burner III (Mega CD-ROM and cart), Blazeon (Super Famicom), Cameltry (Super Famicom), Ultimate Football (Super Famicom), Battleblaze (Super Famicom), Dinosaurs (Super Famicom), and Twinkle Tale (Mega Drive).
    • Tricks of the Trade – Tips, tricks, codes and strategies for Super Smash T.V. (Super NES), The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Super NES), Joe & Mac (Super NES), Snow Bros. Jr. (Game Boy), Sim City (Super NES), Hole In One Golf (Super NES), Rolling Thunder 2 (Genesis), Batman: Return of the Joker (NES), Snow Brothers (NES), Captain Planet and the Planeteers (NES), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 (NES), Faceball 2000 (Game Boy), and Parasol Stars (TurboGrafx-16).
    • Next Wave – Previews of upcoming games including Return of Double Dragon (Super NES), American Gladiators (Super NES), Super Soccer Champ (Super NES), Wordtris (Super NES), World Trophy Soccer (Genesis), Muhammed Ali Knockout Boxing (Genesis), Dragon Strike (NES), Barcelona ’92 (Game Gear), Double Dragon (Game Gear), and Spanky’s Quest (Game Boy).
    • Super NES Times – A quick look at a variety of recent and upcoming Super NES games including Rival Turf, Super Battletank, Jack Nicklaus Golf, Pebble Beach Golf Links, and Might and Magic II.
    • Nintendo Player – A quick look at a variety of recent and upcoming NES games including Stanley in the Search for Dr. Livingston, Baseball Stars II, and Fire Hawk.
    • Outpost: Sega – A quick look at a variety of recent and upcoming Sega Genesis games including Splatterhouse 2, Bulls vs. Lakers, Cyber-Cop, and Cadash.
    • Turbo Champ – A quick look at Bonk III and Parodius for the TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine.
    • GameBoy Fan – A quick look at a variety of recent and upcoming Game Boy games including Nail ‘n Scale, NBA All Star Challenge 2, and Yoshi.
    • Atari Lynx – A quick look at Basketbrawl and Rampart for the Atari Lynx.

    Features

    • Behind the Screens – A look at the making of the Wondermega. This was the all-in-one Sega Genesis/CD unit created by JVC.
    • Leading Edge – A look at some of the latest and upcoming arcade games, including Blazeon from Atlus, Seibu Cup Soccer from Seibu Kaihatsu, and Undercover Cops from Irem.
    • Super Play – A strategy guide for Contra III: The Alien Wars on the Super Nintendo.
    • Game Over – A look at the last stage and end of Super Castlevania IV for the Super Nintendo.
    • Double Dragon 4 – The first info along with some screen shots of what would become Super Double Dragon for the Super Nintendo.
    • Fact Files – In addition to those games already mentioned above, there are also additional quick looks of Mutation Nation for the Neo Geo and George Forman KO Boxing for the Sega Game Gear.

    …and much more!


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