Sigma Star Saga - Game Boy Advance Review

This is a unique game.  It's a shoot 'em up, adventure, and RPG combined.  There is a story tied to the game that is actually pretty good.  When you are walking around exploring, you will get random battles where you go into shoot 'em up mode and have to eliminate a certain number of enemies to win the battle.  There are plenty of upgrades for weapons that you will find while adventuring.  Graphics are decent and on par with the GBA and sound is pretty good.  Some of the music gets repetitive after awhile.  The game play is pretty good, but you will find the game to play really slow at times.  Sometimes you have to play a level 5 or 6 times to learn it before you can beat it and move on to the next stage.  There are experience points in the game and you can level up to make your ship stronger and more powerful.  Overall, I give this game a 7 out of 10 stars.  I recommend that you pick it up and play it.  You can get a loose copy on ebay for about $10.

Vectorman - Sega Genesis Review

Platformer for the Genesis that is actually a decent one.  It is another you vs the world style game but that's ok. The animation and game play are very smooth and fluid which makes the game actually enjoyable to play.  Your character Vectorman can jump and shoot a particle beam weapon, very simple but functional.  You can also duck to avoid enemy shots.  The game is set up where once you get to the end of a stage, you fight a boss.  The difficulty is not too bad, I would say well balanced.  Music and sound are on par with the Genesis for its time.  This is not a game I would play all the time because I am not a huge platform genre fan but it is fun to play nonetheless.  Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.  Decent, solid Genesis game, especially if you dig this type of game.  

Outrun - PC Engine Review

Not too shabby of an arcade port for the PC Engine.  There are better versions for consoles but this one is solid.  If you have ever played the arcade game, the purpose is to go from check point to check point within the allotted time.  There are five possible outcomes with five different endings.  Game controls are simply gas, brake, and high / low for shifting, and of course left and right.  This version plays and looks very similar to the arcade.  Sound is on par for the PC Engine and graphics are good as well.  The only complaint I have is that it seems the graphics are a little too bright.  Overall, it gets a 7 out of 10.  Solid arcade port.

Quake - Nintendo 64 Review

This game is almost identical to Doom.  It is from the same company that makes Doom, ID Software.  This game came out on the PC originally and I remember playing it then.  The game on the N64 is not too bad.  Graphics and sound are what they should be for the game.  The game runs pretty fast and smooth with no issues.  I didn't play the game for too long maybe about 10 minutes, but it played well.  I am not really a big fan of these types of games but it does what it advertises.  Overall, I give the game 7 out of 10 stars.  A solid PC port that is something you should definitely play if you are into this genre. 

Vapor Trail - Sega Genesis Review

A pretty solid shooter for the Genesis. Moderate difficulty even on the easy setting.  You can choose from 3 different planes that have different speeds and shots.  Its fun to play with all 3 and master them.  I like the idea of the score and info on the side so you can see the whole screen without distractions.  I have noticed this feature in a lot of Genesis shoot 'em up  games.  The only complaint I really have about the game, is that the power ups are few and far between.  It seems like it takes at least half of one stage to get a shot power up.  Then when you get the power up, it doesn't seem like it is much more powerful.  You have to grind for sure to power your ship up.  The music in this game is some of the best I have heard on the Genesis but it does get repetitive very quick.  Game play is fun and keeps you interested so you want to keep playing.  Not the best shooter on the system but solid for sure.  Overall, I give it a 7 out of 10 stars, pretty good, but there is room for improvement.  I recommend that you try it out.

X-Blades - PS3 Review

This is a hack n slash / melee game for the PS3.  You basically run around on each level killing various monsters and collecting artifacts.  There are bosses to fight every 2 levels or so.  The levels are not very large and are pretty easy to figure out. There are lots of power ups to discover and the interesting thing about the game is that the main character carries gun blades so you can also shoot at enemies.  The graphics are pretty decent for a 2009 release game.  The game play is also surprisingly good for this type of game.  Overall, I give the game a 7 out of 10 stars.  Nothing epic going on with it, but not a terrible game by any means.  Give it a try, you will be surprised.  

Aero Fighters - SNES Review

Pretty solid shooter for the SNES.  This was an arcade game and plays just like the arcade version.  Typical you versus the entire world type shoot em up.  In true SNES fashion, there is an options screen where you can select difficulty and lives etc.  I found it to be pretty challenging on normal mode and I made it to the 6th stage using 3 continues.  The power ups are straightforward with 5 levels of power that upgrade your shot.  You do however lose a level based on time it you don't keep collecting power ups.  You also have 3 bombs that you start with.  There are giant bosses at the end of each stage that are challenging and I believe I saw a few mini bosses on the first couple stages.  There is a little bit of slow down / lag when there is a lot of sprites on the screen at once.  I experienced the slow down about 3 or 4 times.  Overall I give this one a 7 out of 10 stars.  Graphics and sound are SNES awesome and the game play is great.

Final Fantasy VIII PS1 Review

Released in 1998 on the PlayStation.  A lot of people dislike this second installment on the PS1.  I don't dislike the game, but it is not one of my favorites either.  The story line in this game is pretty good and the CG animations are awesome for the time.  The characters are alright, nothing special.  Game play is pretty decent, and the battle mode is turn based like all the Final Fantasy games up to this point.  The game is kind of weird though because you mainly use physical attacks in the random battles but rely heavily on Guardian Forces for boss battles.  Boss battles are really easy because of this.  Guardian Forces are summoned and come out and do heavy damage to enemies.  Another strange thing about this game is that you have to use a draw command to draw magic out of enemies, stocking it, and junctioning it to your character.  A lot of elements of this game turn people off due to the tediousness of playing.  That is the beauty of Final Fantasy games though right?  Every game has something different and new to do.  The music and CG animation in this game is extraordinary and the game play is good.  As you get towards the end of the game on the 4th disc, it just seems to wear at you and never end.  Overall, I give the game 7 out of 10 stars.  If you are a RPG gamer, you definitely have to play through it at least once.   

Cosmic Commuter Atari 2600 Review

Released in 1984 by Activision. This game is not really well known.  The goal of the game is to land and then detach from your lander into a speedy craft.  Next, you fly through a series of obstacles that you can shoot with lasers that kind of steer as you move up and down while firing.  The object is to pick up the commuters at the bottom of the screen all while avoiding the objects which move at a different speed than the ground.  You also have to be mindful of your fuel gauge as it runs down quite quick.  After you pick up all the commuters on the stage, you fly back to your landing point and dock with the lander.  Next you take off while avoiding the obstacles again.  You start a new stage, the obstacles change, and you do it all over again.   The game play is fun and fast paced as most Activision games are.  The sound and graphics are pretty good for the Atari VCS.  A fun and challenging game.  Overall, it gets a 7 out of 10 rating.  Not one of my favorite games but fun to play nonetheless.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest SNES Review

This game came out between the US releases of Final Fantasy 2 and 3 on the Super Nintendo.  It was designed and marketed as an entry level RPG for younger inexperienced players.  Its not a bad game overall.  The game play is very linear and there is not much exploring to do.  You always have a NPC that joins you and help you through each level.  The weapons throughout the game have different uses and help you get past certain parts of the levels.  You do get experience points and you level up and get gold.  The way you fight is that you have to run into visible enemies that are in fixed locations in the levels.  There are also monster tiles that you can clear by fighting 10 battles.  Your reward for clearing these monster tiles is something like gold or a cure item.  The game is not real long and not too in depth.  I enjoy playing through it every now and then because it is a pretty mindless RPG that you can just veg out and play.  Music is pretty decent but the graphics are a little under par for the SNES.  Overall I give this game a 7 out of 10.

Bravoman TurboGrafx 16 Review

 

Simple platformer for the TurboGrafx 16.  Graphics are superb as most Turbografx games are.  Sound and music are on par with the system.  Game play is pretty good also.  You basically work your way through every stage and fight a boos at the end.  Your only weapons are your fist, legs, and head.  If you press attack while standing, your elongated arm shoots out.  If you crouch down and attack, your elongated head shoots out to attack.  If you press up and attack, you get an elongated kick.  Only thing kind of annoying is that every time you attack, it says "Bravo" which is a cool thing to have speech in a game for its time but it can get old pretty quick.  Overall, I give the game a 7 out of 10 stars.  A simple game that is both original and fun.

Double Dragon NES Review

This is a port of an arcade game of the same name.  They did a pretty good job translating this game to the NES.  There is a different kind of element to this version where you get experience points in addition to your score.  Each time you reach a certain point level, you get a heart and level up.  Leveling up gives you a new special move with every heart.  You can get a headbutt, a jump kick, and the ability to knee you opponent in the head and throw them to name a few.  There are two difficulty modes that make the game challenging and boss fights at the end of each level.  There is also a mode that allows you to fight against a second player like a fighting game such as Street Fighter 2.  Overall, the game play is fun and the graphics are great for the NES.  The music in this game is also pretty cool.  It has a funky kind of vibe to it.  I give the game a 7 out of 10 overall.  It would have gotten a higher rating but the amount of glitches in the game bring the rating down for me.

Gyruss NES Review

This is a port of an arcade title by the same name.  Almost every NES arcade port is solid and so is this one.  This is a really fun arcade shoot em up that is the raster version of the vector classic Tempest.  You are basically trying to make your way towards Earth and start off at Neptune.  Every 3 screens or so you get a challenging stage and then a boss to fight.  The enemies come from the sides of the screen and then they go into the middle.  Your ship rotates around the middle and shoots inward towards the enemies just like tempest.  You get a double shot power up and eventually start collecting bombs that you can launch.  The game itself is fun and gets harder as you go on.  The music is pretty decent and the graphics are not bad for the NES.  Game play ranks pretty high up on the scale with this one.  Re playability is good as I find myself wanting to play the game every so often.  If you like shoot em ups, check this one out for something a little different and fun.  Overall, I give it a 7 out of 10.   

Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge

There are a multitude of racing games on the NES and most of them are pure crap.  This one is not too bad.  Number one, the music is awesome in this game, some of the best on the NES.  The game plays pretty well.  It is not overly hard or easy, very good balance.  I can't stand other racing games where you are in like 3rd place and you crash and are all of a sudden in like 26th place.  You have a variety of different tracks to race with each having its own challenges.  There are oil slicks on the track and a pit stop feature that is pretty cool.  The graphics are pretty decent for the NES and the music is great.  If I had to choose between a lot of the other racing games on the NES and this one, I would pop this one in if I had a racing hankering.  The only thing that bothers me is that it seems like the computer cars that you race against never have to use the pit stop.  Overall, I give this game a 7 out of 10 stars. 

Centipede Atari 7800 Review

Good ole Centipede.  This is one of the many arcade ports of this game for home consoles.  This one is pretty good.  Graphically it is a little weird and the screen is shrunk down.  It does however contain all of the elements of the arcade version.  It seems a tad bit slower to me though.  A nice feature of this one is that it has 3 selectable difficulty levels.  Novice, Standard, and Expert.  The game is pretty challenging on the novice setting.  I am not going to go through and tell you how the game is played because everyone should be familiar with Centipede.  Overall, I give this one a 7 out of 10 stars.  Solid arcade port on the 7800.

Yars' Revenge Atari 2600 Review

This is a basic, simple game for the Atari 2600.  Atari 2600 games don't really get too involved.  Usually what you see is what you get.  This game is basically this screen and when you clear it, it goes to the next.  There is a screen with fixed blocks and a screen with moving blocks.  The point of the game is to fly your alien bug around and shoot holes in the wall to expose the "enemy".  If you touch the floating minus sign, you die.  It tracks you everywhere you go.  The colorful region in the middle is a safe zone which the minus sign cannot hurt you.  Every so often the "enemy" behind the wall will start spinning and shoot out after you.  You can scroll from the bottom to the top and vice versa.  The only way to clear the screen and move onto the next is to shoot a missile at the "enemy" and kill him.  The way to do this is to either peck at the wall or touch the enemy.  A missile will appear at the left of the screen and you can then shoot it at the "enemy".  The only catch is that the screen is moving up and down so you have to time it just right.  You can also kill yourself by being hit by the missile.  I am not sure if there is a way to finish the game or not.  I usually only make it to about the 5th screen before my game is over.  It does get harder and faster with every new screen.  Overall, I give this game a 7 out of 10.  Pretty decent for a 2600 game.  The sound is awesome!

Twin Cobra Sega Genesis Review

This game does not use any "blast processing".  It is a slow shoot 'em up.  Not too bad of a game in my opinion.  It reminds me of Raiden a lot, almost a sister game to Raiden.  I am not 100 percent sure but I think this is an arcade port.  There are not too many good shoot 'em ups on the Genesis but this one is pretty good.  It is your standard "you vs everyone else" style game.  Power ups are shot upgrades, bombs, and switchers that switch between bullets, lasers, and some weird blue plasma type weapon.  There is a configure option menu on the title screen that lets you switch difficulty, how many lives you start with, what scores give you a free life, and background music.  The music and sound effects in this game are pretty decent for the Genesis and the graphics are about what you would expect from an arcade port shoot 'em up.  This is not a game I would play all the time but is fun from time to time to throw in and play for about 30 min to an hour or so.  Overall, I give this one a 7 out of 10.  Check it out for sure if you love shoot 'em ups like I do, but don't get your hopes up too much because I wouldn't even put this one in the top 20 of shoot 'em ups.  

Putter Golf Playstation Review

This is a putt putt golf game for the Playstation.  The game is actually pretty fun.  You can select from several different modes when you start.  There is regular mode which is just a basic course setup and there is trick mode with ramps and tunnels, and there is a mixed mode with both.  There is also a practice mode.  You can play against the computer or against a human player.  The graphics not great but OK for a PS1 title.  The game play is pretty good though and it doesn't get really frustrating like some golf games.  They kept the interface simple which works great for the game.  The music is pretty decent as with most PS1 titles.  The game also has pretty good re playability and great fun factor.  Overall I give the game 7 out of 10 stars.  Check it out, it is a fun game.