Steve (4)
Ed (5)
Martin (4)
Sushi-X (5)

Shadow Dancer (Sega Genesis) By Sega

Steve (8)
Ed (8)
Martin (8)
Sushi-X (8)

Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis) by Sega

Steve (9)
Ed (9)
Martin (9)
Sushi-X (9)

Powerball (Sega Genesis) by Namco

Steve (7)
Powerball is one of those addicting title that doesn’t quite seem like much when you first plug it in, but the more you play and learn the techniques, the more involving the cart becomes. Powerball is a very different video sport that combines high action and pseduo-football rules.

Ed (7)
This game moves fast, looks good and represents one of the first times that a game company has developed a new “sport”. The action is fast, lightning fast in some instances, wiht decent graphics and sound. A different change of pace that should appeal most to sports fans.

Martin (7)
Powerball is just the right kind of game for people who have wanted to merge football videos with action titles. The premise behind the “sport” is easy to pick up, and the action comes off well. Not exactly my cup of tea, but nevertheless a very playable game.

Sushi-X (6)
I’ve seen this idea many times in the past, but there’s still something in this game that grabbed my attention. As with most games of this type, the two player option is what really shines. The computer opponent is way too hard, and this frustrates the single player gamer far too quickly.

NHL Hockey (Sega Genesis) by Electronic Arts

Steve (8)
EA strikes again with another intense sports game that not only captures the essence of the sport it’s recreating, but also throws in many video game elements to really make the game explode! Awesome graphics and incredible play combine to make another great EA sports game.

Ed (9)
EA strikes again! It is beginning to look like sports games are their specialty. This IS hockey! Better than anything on any system and even the computers. EA won the Madden vs. Montana football battle and from what I saw, Sega shouldn’t even try their hockey. This one can’t be beat.

Martin (8)
Now this is the kind of sports game I would expect to see on the Genesis. This game is awesome. The graphics are great and the game play gives you the effect of actually skating on ice. They even added a cool instant replay mode that is cool. I like the rewind mode.

Sushi-X (8)
NHL Hockey is awesome! The instant replay is the best feature to be placed in a sports game ever! I hope EA decides to place it in all of their upcoming titles. Anyway, it’s a near perfect blend of graphics and sports action. The only compliant is the slightly difficult play control.

Phantasy Star 3 (Sega Genesis) by Sega

Steve (7)
Phantasy Star 3 is different from the first two quests in many ways, but the basic play hasn’t changed much. You wander about, fighting different enemies, creating stronger characters as you collect peopel and solve mysteries. A better-than-average RPG with nice graphics.

Ed (9)
A definite winner! This amazing follow-up takes the proven Phantasy STar theme and expands it over the ages to include a changing storyline that twists and turns depending on the marriages that take place. Guide your characters to each of the different endings! Amazing!

Martin (8)
One of the best RPG’s ever! Phantasy Star 3 blows away the previous games, although ti isn’t necessarily more challenging overall. The game throws in a lot of new features like different generations who each will encounter their own quests to overcome. Awesome RPG!

Sushi-X (8)
Phantasy Star 3 is a good adventure game, especially if you were a fan of the first two. Colorful graphics, good sound, involving story and the size of teh game were all pluses. However, I still enjoyed Ys Book 1 & 2 better than this game. STill, if you’re a Genesis adventurer, Phantasy Star 3 will do.

Gaiares (Sega Genesis) by Renovation

Steve (8)
With 8-Meg memory, Gaiares could be guilty of overkill, and with the exception of enemy agents you’re deployed to destroy, the game is surprisingly well-balanced. Gaiares is one of these few titles that puts a new face on an old genre, but succeeds in the process!

Ed (9)
Games just don’t get any better than this. The graphics, game play, challenge level, sound… everything is about the best ever in a Genesis cart. The bosses have to be seen to be believed. If you can get to them! Not easy but not frustrating. Spectacular!

Martin (9)
Gaiares is Phenomenal! 8 meg of incredible graphics put it in a league all its own. If you thought the lava in Thunder Force 3 was intense, wait till you see the hyperspace scene! 15 awesome power-ups and humongous end bosses that really mean business! Good music, but not as good as Thunder Force 3.

Sushi-X (9)
Thunder Force 3 move over!! Once I started playing this game, I couldn’t put it down! Few words can describe this shooter. Innovative power-ups. Rockin’ tunes. Crisp graphics. The best end bosses ever!! If there ever was a game to follow, and nearly surpass, Thunder Force 3, this is it!

Batman (Sega Genesis) by Sunsoft

Steve (8)
The ultimate side-scrolling action game for the Genesis is finally available! Batman features the hero in a variety of scenes straight out of the movie. Great action, Batmobile and Batwing shooter sequences are all combined to make a superb game that’s just a little too short.

Ed (8)
Easily one of the best playing Genesis titles ever made. Good solid game play backed by excellent 16 bit graphics, sound effects and animated intermissions. True to the movie plot but it could have been a bit longer. Long in coming, but it’s worth the wait!

Martin (8)
A great title that almost never made it to the Genesis legitimately. Great graphics and incredible music make this one of the best action carts available. Perfectly follows the movie’s story and even has the Batmobile and Batwing scenes as well as cinema displays. A bit too easy though.

Sushi-X (8)
What can I say? It’s great, but not the best. Once again, another simple game for the Genesis. The game play is true to the movie plot and scenery, but the bosses are too easy and don’t last very long. Anyway, Batman is a lot of fun and full of huge levels to keep you busy. Solid.

For your classic gaming enjoyment, here is a video of my 13th birthday on December 6, 1989. It was one of the best birthdays ever if you’re into gaming. I was a hugely into the Commodore Amiga and Sega Genesis systems. For this birthday, I got a ton of great games. For Amiga — 4th and Inches, Rambo III, Outrun. For Genesis — Forgotten Worlds, on the very day it was released!

(never mind my screaming niece)

Star Wars (NES) by LucasArts

Steve (7)
Star Wars is a pretty cool adaptation of the movie on which it’s based. It combines basic RPG elements with a number of different play themes and static intermissions to move the story along. The setup is painfully tedious at times when you have to repeat areas, but all-in-all it’s a good effort.

Ed (4)
The movie set standards the industry is still trying to equal; the company can perform magic; the game unfortunately does neither and is very flat and ordinary. Not enough variety, the action never gets intense, and it just doesn’t have the Star Wars excitement. A big disappointment.

Martin (6)
Sorry to say that this game isn’t as great as the movie it is based on. The graphics are detailed and the space scenes are awesome, but action scenes could have been spiced up with lightsaber battles. It is a good cart but lacks elements that would make it a great cart.

Sushi-X (5)
All right! As the number one fan of the Lucasfilm movies series, I’ve been waiting (rather impatiently) for this game! Let me tell you, it’s hot! This line of Lucasfilm titles (Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as sequels) are sure to be loaded with intensity and challenge!

To defeat Ivan Drago in the game Rocky for the Sega Master System, you must over qualify during the three training sessions before each match.

1. Punching Bag Training: Score at least 85 (maximum punching power)

2. Speed Bag Training: Achieve 7 hits per second (maximum punching speed)

3. Boxing Mits Training: Score 85 hits (maximum punching accuracy)

If you can over qualify in each training session, Rocky will greatly overpower Drago and beating him will be easy. Don’t shy away from Drago. Instead, be aggressive and knock him out!

Here’s a blast from the past. It’s the ending to the Sega Genesis game Phantasy Star II. I’m sure you’ve seen the ending by now… either because you beat the game yourself, or saw the ending somewhere on Youtube. But this video is a bit different. It was recorded back in 1990, a few weeks after the game was released. Therefore, at the time my brother and I completed Phantasy Star II, it was still essentially a new game! Listen to my brother proclaim “there’s going to be a THIRD one, watch!” I believe we recorded this so we could send it to a game magazine as proof we completed it.

Star Tropics (NES) by Nintendo

Steve (4)
Somehow, Nintendo managed to create an adventure game out of a boring plot. Star Tropics is nothing more than an amalgam of other quest games! It, as any serious quest gamer has, you have played Ultima or Dragon Warrior, you will quickly become bored with this cart.

Ed (6)
It’s hard to find a good quest game for the Nintendo, it is easy enough for players fo all abilities and the adventure is long and challenging. Somewhat reminiscent of Zelda but better. Adequate graphics and action but not exceptional. Still, it is worth buying just for the long quest.

Martin (5)
If you’ve played Zelda then imagine Link with a yo yo and you basically have Star Tropics. While the quest is a bit challenging the game suffers from the lack of originality and quickly becomes tiring. OK if you’re into quest games and have nothing else to play.

Sushi-X (4)
At first, I thought I was playing Zelda, then Dragon Warrior, then Crystalis, then Ultima Avatar… What amazes me most about Star Tropics is the lack of any originality whatsoever. This cart has qualities from each of the previously mentioned carts but didn’t retain any of the positive traits.

Snow Brothers (NES) by Capcom

Steve (6)
Snow Brothers reminds me a lot of similar maze action games like Bubble Bobble that take a simple theme and elevate it with a seemingly endless variety of scoring and point incentives. The game still suffers from a fair level of repetition, but it is a good diversion for awhile.

Ed (7)
The arcade game was a blast. Once in a while I like no brainer games and this one which I can sit down and play through dozens of levels just to relax. Not a lot of concentration needed. The execution of the game is very good and it is a blast to play. Great bosses!

Martin (6)
This game is a bit like Bubble Bobble and Parasol Stars. The graphics are cute and the game plays very well. The graphics and sound are not spectacular, but the game play is solid and easy to get into. The addition of bosses to this type of game is a definite plus.

Sushi-X (7)
Snow Brothers isn’t a bad game for the money. Even though the overall idea isn’t top notch, the execution is coordinated extremely well. The graphics are reminiscent of a rehashed Mega Man title. You’ll enjoy the cheerful sound track even despite the 8-bit sound limits.

Laser Invasion (NES) by Konami

Steve (4)
This game comes off as a gimmick for the Konami head controller, and with that device it’s sure to have more of an effect than it did playing it with the regular pad. The game has few high points, with your typically poor Nintendo first person graphics. Nice but not much innovation.

Ed (6)
While this game was obviously designed to take advantage and sport the features of Konami’s Lazer Scope peripheral, it does have some merits of its own. The action is steady, lots of enemies attacking at all times. A decent game whether you have the Scope or not.

Martin (3)
There just really isn’t that much of a game in Laser Invasion unless you’re sporting the funky scope headband. Anyway, the game that is here features plenty of flying targets who move about and occasionally fire back. The movement is jerky and the graphics in most areas - poor.

Sushi-X (3)
Well there seems to be enough gaming variety for the buck in Laser Invasion, but it just didn’t capture my attention. The in flight graphics were choppy and I got killed too easily. The other sections of the game also weren’t what I thought they could have been. Boring.

Klash Ball (NES) by Sofel

Steve (5)
To tell the truth, this cart is an excellent effort to bring to the NES a game that would be more at home in a 16-bit system. The game concept is good, and a 16-bit version can’t be far behind. Still, it lacks the control and visual stimulation necessary to become a power cart.

Ed (6)
It’s not football, hockey, or rugby or soccer but it is new and interesting as it seems to be a combination of all of them. Somewhat difficult to keep track of what is going on at times but this is more due to the NES than the game. Not bad as I was getting tired of all the ‘normal’ sports.

Martin (3)
This game wants to be Cyberball but it doesn’t come off that way. It tries so hard to come off as a futuristic sporting event, but it seems to be lacking in new features. As it is, the game is just air hockey with robots. The fast action helps it along and keeps you moving but it needs more.

Sushi-X (5)
Klash Ball is an exciting, fast-moving game that can sometimes be extremely difficult to control. It can be hard to tell where the ball is headed, and the computer is very proficient at blowing up your players and scoring. Still, it’s a challenge to true sports fans everywhere.

Isolated Warrior (NES) by NTVIC

Steve (7)
Isolated Warrior takes some pretty standard stuff and does manage to make a game out of it. In the role of the title character, the dangers the Warrior encounters are straightforward, but the execution and depiction of the game play is what really elevates the game.

Ed (7)
There are some good concepts in this game. I like the diagonal paths and some of the rippling motions that occur in the later rounds are decent. It plays well and it’s pretty easy to keep powered up. There’s a good variety of action but the flicker does hamper the game play.

Martin (6)
Isolated Warrior has a few original concepts. Good graphics and a variety of power-ups keep the game interesting. If you keep your weapons at full power the game is easily finished. Cool bosses and background effects! Too much slow down and flicker in intense areas!

Sushi-X (6)
Not bad, but not too original either. The only different idea in Isolated Warrior is the 3-D scrolling rather than the horizontal or vertical scrolling. The music is good, and the graphics aren’t too shabby (until many enemies enter the screen-FLICKER!). Just another shooter.

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Ikari Warriors 3 (NES) by SNK

Steve (4)
The qualities I had come to love in the previous titles in the Ikari series were missing in Ikari 3! The overhead fighting scenes are ridiculous compared to other emerging titles. The play mechanics in Ikari 2 were much better than this, so I guess I expected a little more.

Ed (5)
The first two games of this series were good games for their time and I had high hopes that the third would be even better. Unfortunately it is only about as good as the previous games and it just isn’t enough considering how far games have come in just a year. Only average.

Martin (4)
Ikari 3 is not what it should be. I was really looking forward to an intense overhead commando shooter but it just didn’t live up to my expectations. I liked the previous games but the play mechanics in this version weren’t as well defined and this kept me from really getting into the action.

Sushi-X 5
Ikari 3 was a slight disappointment from the onset. Compared to the previous excellent sequel, this cart seems lazy and misguided. The graphics are a little too choppy to catch my eye, and game play is just as shaky. Not bad, but not spectacular, either.

High Speed (NES) by Tradewest

Steve (6)
If you already have Pinbot, then you’ll know exactly what to expect from High Speed. The set-up is the same, only with a new playfield and the inclusion of some new bonus rounds. The game looks good but the play is a little frustrating when the game quits becoming a pinball title.

Ed (7)
I like pinball games and this one is a good representation of the classic. There are a lot of good features not found on the other flippers, and I especially liked the bonus levels. There is always something to shoot for and the enemies are a nice touch to make it play harder.

Martin (5)
Based on the pinball of the same name. High Speed is a pretty cool game. While it seems like a Pinbot clone there are new features and some pretty cool graphics. The music isn’t nearly as good as the coin-op. Not too bad, but not spectacular.

Sushi-X (5)
Hot on the trail of cool, clean, pinball fun? If so, here’s another addition to Nintendo’s lineup of pinball conversion. It might have been almost innovative if it wasn’t a translation of and old pinball machine. The music is bad, but the game play is sharp. Nothing special here.

Frankenstein (NES) by Bandai

Steve (6)
Frankenstein is one of those games that is just almost there. I like some of the basic set-ups that the game delivers, it just comes off as being a little too rough around the edges. Real diversity in game play is what hampers Frank the most.

Ed (6)
Frankenstein is a game that is good on last year’s standards. With a little more attention to details and some final tweaking, it could have been a hit. As it is, it’s only a bit better than average and just doesn’t stand apart from the rest of the average games out there.

Martin (5)
This cart is not a bad action game, nor is it a great game either. The main character is limited to a few moves and picking up weapons. The graphics are OK, it looks like you’re beating the monsters with a chicken leg though. Just another average action cart for the NES.

Sushi-X (6)
I’m sorry, but I’m not all too excited about this game. Frankenstein is a great idea, but the control isn’t precise enough to make the game any fun. I’ll attribute this problem to the 8-bit barrier once more. Otherwise, it is cool, with a few minor quirks to overlook.

Dragon’s Lair (NES) by Sony Imagesoft

Steve (4)
This Dragon’s Lair takes the concept from the laser-disc game and mixes in some highly detailed graphics. The results don’t have the impact on the NES, and the game really breaks down to little more than a memorization of the patterns and learning which buttons to press.

Ed (5)
There are two types of hard games. Those that are challenging and those that are so difficult to make them frustrating. This one is a good example of the frustrating type! Every move has to be timed and executed perfectly. And that’s a near impossibility.

Martin (3)
This is an insult to one of the most spectacular laser disc games ever. Granted the game has nice graphics and sound, but there is absolutely no game play to it. Dirk is animated well, but is so slow that you don’t have a chance in certain parts. Very frustrating and not fun at all.

Sushi-X (3)
YEECH!!! The only thing saving Dragon’s Lair from “3-dom” is the decent graphics. Sporting absolutely no player control, challenge, or outright interest, Dragon’s Lair should be avoided unless you like games based on graphics alone. In that respect, it’s a six and a half.

Double Dragon 3 (NES) by Acclaim

Steve (8)
Ever since Double Dragon surfaced in the arcades years ago, no fighting game has come close other than the incredible sequels. This sequel is no exception, sporting new radical moves, boggling techniques, powerful bosses, and two player simultaneous play. A winner!

Ed (8)
A truly exceptional game. One would think that the programmers would run out of new moves and techniques by now, but each game just keeps on getting better than the previous version. Being able to play as different people is a great idea and adds variety.

Martin (7)
Dragon 3 is another good fighting game that resembles part 2 in most aspects. Lots of technique to master before you’ll beat this one. I like the other characters that you change into. Cool graphics and awesome moves kept my interest.

Sushi-X (9)
As a true fan of the Double Dragon series, I was blown away by this excellent sequel of sequels. The new moves, cast, and storyline add a whole new dimension to intense fighting action. The graphics, music, and play mechanics are very good. I’m waiting for Double Dragon 4!!!!

Castelian (NES) by Triffix

Steve (5)
Castelian sports an excellent graphic effect with a rotating column of bricks. But after you’ve played the game for awhile, the effect wears off and the game play isn’t that spectacular. It is innovative, and as an action/puzzler, it offers more than the rest. Originality is its saving grace.

Ed (4)
There isn’t a lot of game in Castelian. It starts out as a different type of action game, but quickly becomes repetitive. The difference between each tower that you climb is negligible, and since there is plenty of challenge, you end up doing the same level over and over. Boring.

Martin (4)
There’s not much that you can really say is very good about Castelian, except the turning, scrolling tower effect. Other than that, there isn’t enough of a thread demanding play techniques to overcome the challenges. Make it to the top and another tower awaits. Big deal.

Sushi-X (6)
This game was O.K., I really like the way the towers rotated when you enter them and the creatures moved without stagger. Sound was about what you would expect from the NES. It was a little disorienting at first, but once I got the hang of it, I enjoyed the game.

Bo Jackson Baseball (NES) by Data East

Steve (4)
This game just doesn’t have the heart and soul necessary to stand apart from the many other similar titles now available. On its own, Bo knows how to dish up average graphics and limited game play. Instead of taking us in new directions, you get the same old rehash.

Ed (5)
It is getting harder and harder to make significant improvements to the existing baseball games. While Japan has to have new games every year, the U.S. is different. This is a good game in it’s own right but virtually every player already has a baseball game in their library.

Martin (4)
Yet another baseball cart that falls short in terms of game play. The graphics are good but the pitching and the batting are awkward and become frustrating. There are a couple of original features like instant replay but not enough to save this cart from the me-too blues.

Sushi-X (5)
Nope! Bo don’t know video games! If he did, B.J. Baseball would have been smoother, cleaner, and have more options than it does. The music isn’t horrid, but it needs a little work. The graphics are better than an Atari 2600, but the bucks stops here.

Bill Elliot’s Nascar Challenge (NES) by Konami

Steve (4)
Bill Elliot is delivered in a NASCAR racing game that has a few good effecs but never manages to wrap them together with good technique. The car racing action never really gets up to speed, and whenever things start to heat up something seems to make the action stall.

Ed (8)
BENC is a spectacular stock car racing game. It is much more involved than the typical Grand Prix type racing game and therefore isn’t for everyone. But if you have the patience to tinker with the small changes to the car set-up to squeeze the most performance possible then go for it!

Martin (4)
BENC is a sorry excuse for a driving game. While it may be endorsed by a big name racer, the game lacks any good features that would make it a hit. The graphics are extremely cheesy, and it controls very poorly. Not what I would expect from the guys at Konami.

Sushi-X (4)
Come on, what is this, a reversion to Atari 2600 programming? The pit stop scenes are fun to watch and the animation and graphics here are sharp, crisp, and clean… But here only!! Once you begin to drive, you begin to feel as though you are playing Pole Position for the 2600. NO!!!

Battletoads (NES) by Tradewest

Steve (9)
This is without a doubt one of the best video games I’ve played on any system in recent memory! Battletoads combines a great story line with superb graphics, adequate sound and smashing game play! It’s sort of an extended Double Dragon with personality! A winner all the way!

Ed (9)
Unbelievable! Toads has my vote for the best Nintendo game so far this year! Everything is done perfectly - it is long, challenging and most importantly - fun. As a two player game, it is hilarious! The animations and sound effects are also well done. Better than a 9 but not quite a 10.

Martin (9)
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Amazing graphics and animation will blow you away! Best of all the game is extremely fun to play, a quality that’s hard to find on any system. With new concepts and techniques on each level, the Toads almost got a 10.

Sushi-X (9)
Excellent! Radical! Most Triumphant!! If Battletoads doesn’t make you laugh at the hysterical animations, or try your brain cells with utter amazement, you are reading the wrong mag! The amount of work that went into this game is phenomenal! This will make up for Double Dragon.

Bases Loaded 3 (NES) by Jaleco

Steve (4)
While I’m a big fan of baseball games, this update to the original Bases Loaded seems slightly unnecessary to me. The game progression is not that pronounced and the graphics, set-up and execution each require a longer-than average curve to learn. I pass.

Ed (5)
I like baseball games and they have improved dramatically over the last year. But the only reason to bring out a new version is if there are MAJOR improvements. The game is slightly better than BL2 but this version is hard to get used to. It’s not a bad game, but not revolutionary.

Martin (4)
Bases Loaded 3 looks just like Super Bases Loaded for the SNES. However, the graphics and game play aren’t as good as BL2. The reverse perspective doesn’t work when you are hitting and fielding the ball. The idea was good to revamp BL2 but it just didn’t work.

Sushi-X (4)
Bases Loaded 3 is an example of a game that seems to have been rushed through production. The game play is not spectacular and not as good as BL2. The graphics are better and approach that of their SNES version. The other improvements are minor and not spectacular.

First of all, I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. In the spirit of the season, I’d like to share with you a video from our Christmas back in 1989. In this clip, I’m playing TV Sports Football (Cinemaware) for the Commodore Amiga 500 while my brother waits his turn. As usual, I lost… 27-7. I could never get the hang of passing the ball in that game! Long live the Amiga 500, TV Sports Football, and great Christmas memories.

Game Collecting: Neo-Geo CD Top Loader Unboxing

As I wrote previously, a few months ago I went a little crazy with my game collecting hobby. Sit back and watch Kate open a ton of packages from Ebay… classic games and game magazines!

One of my favorite game systems of all time is the Neo-Geo. Foolishly, I sold my original Neo-Geo system and games back in the early 90’s to help me pay for a new system that promised to be the future of gaming. The 3DO system. Say what? Watch Kate unbox a Neo-Geo and right the wrong committed 15 years ago.

A few months ago I got back into the hobby of game collecting. Anyone who knows me knows the simple fact that I am all about the past, waxing nostalgia on the 80’s and early 90’s any chance I get. This includes viewing old TV shows, commercials, playing old games, and basically just remembering better times.

Over the span of a few months, I searched Ebay for all of my favorite old systems and games. My game collection grew to rival my own from years ago. For fun, I would have my girlfriend (she’s also a gamer) open all the packages from Ebay while I recorded and offered lame commentary. I’ll share all of those videos with you, starting with this one from September 5, 2008. In this clip I receive and unbox a bunch of Sega Genesis games!

Front:

Neutopia II (TurboGrafx-16) by Hudson

Sound/Music (7)
Graphics (5)
Playability (8)
Overall (7)

“I enjoyed Neutopia II, despite the cookie-cutter graphics and its overall similarity to the first game. It’s a long game, which makes it a value, yet it moves along quickly. I’d welcome more originality and a bit more graphic sophistication in the next Neutopia.” -Josh Mandel

Lords of the Rising Sun (TurboGrafx CD)

Sound/Music (9)
Graphics (7)
Playability (8)
Overall (8)

“If you’re looking for a colorful, light-hearted TurboPad exercise, save your money for future TurboGrafx-16 releases like Splash Lake or Buster Brothers. Lords of the Rising Sun is cut form an entirely different cloth - but those who are willing to invest a little time are going to find a lot to like here.” - Chris Bieniek

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis)

Sound/Music (8)
Graphics (9)
Playability (10)
Overall (9)

“Sega has high hopes for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Not only is it counting on this title to mop up the competition in America during the holiday season, but the game is also expected to revive the sagging sales of the Mega Drive, the Genesis’ Japanese counterpart. I won’t be surprised if it exceeds all expectation in both countries. Behind all of the hype, hoopla and holograms, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is still a stunning game - quite possibly the finest Genesis cartridge ever released.” -Chris Bieniek

Exile (TurboGrafx CD) by Working Designs

Sound/Music (7)
Graphics (6)
Playability (6)
Overall (6)

“Still, Exile looks to be as good an adventure as most of the current RPGs for the TG-16, which competent graphics and music. In addition, its simple puzzles make it a good introduction to the RPG genre, not forcing novice players to spend hours trying to find elusive clues or hidden items, as well as giving them simple action scenes to break up the exploring. Of course, if you’re an experienced RPG player, you’ll probably breeze right through this one.” -Clayton Walnum

Art of Fighting (Neo-Geo) by SNK

Sound/Music (8)
Graphics (9)
Playability (8)
Overall (8)

“It’s hard to knock a game like Art of Fighting for its lack of originality - hey, even Street Fighter and its unstoppable sequel were not much more than high-octane interpretations of the original  head-to-head fighting game, Karate Champ. I’d advise SNK to jump off of the Street Fighter bandwagon soon, though, and start working on original titles that can plug the gaps in its conspicuously single-minded software library.” - Chris Bieniek