Sega Master System Reviews
Action Fighter Grade: D
It looks as generic as its name.
What do you get when you take Spy Hunter, cut out the awesome 007 weapons and Peter Gunn theme, then tack on the most generic name in video game history? Action Fighter!
Gameplay: Action Fighter puts you in the role of an international spy out to complete driving missions for no particular reason. You begin the game driving a motorcycle, but soon transform to a car, then a flying car. You ram and shoot enemy vehicles and dock with a tractor trailer, just as in Spy Hunter, but AF lacks the variety of weapons found in its inspiration. The back of the box claims your vehicle can transform into a "dozen deadly devices," but they must be counting the same two or three used in each of five missions.
Graphics: Everything looks like what it's supposed to look like; cars look like cars, and so on, but nothing stands out. The sections of road repeat all too often.
Sound: The high-pitched, fast-paced theme will have you reaching for the power button in minutes.
Overall: A rather difficult, no-frills Spy Hunter clone that won't hold your interest for very long.
Gameplay: Action Fighter puts you in the role of an international spy out to complete driving missions for no particular reason. You begin the game driving a motorcycle, but soon transform to a car, then a flying car. You ram and shoot enemy vehicles and dock with a tractor trailer, just as in Spy Hunter, but AF lacks the variety of weapons found in its inspiration. The back of the box claims your vehicle can transform into a "dozen deadly devices," but they must be counting the same two or three used in each of five missions.
Graphics: Everything looks like what it's supposed to look like; cars look like cars, and so on, but nothing stands out. The sections of road repeat all too often.
Sound: The high-pitched, fast-paced theme will have you reaching for the power button in minutes.
Overall: A rather difficult, no-frills Spy Hunter clone that won't hold your interest for very long.
After Burner Grade: C
Is this the 'Danger Zone'?
After Burner was a fantastic arcade shooter. You control an F-14 Thunder Cat (were they not allowed to say "Tomcat?") on a mission to save the world. While it couldn't hold a candle to the arcade version, After Burner for the SMS is not a bad conversion.
Gameplay: You fly your F-14 "on rails" over some varied terrain: ocean, plains, forest, day and night. Enemy fighters swarm you while you use your machine guns, heat-seeking missiles, and barrel rolls to defeat them. Stage bosses offer a more sustained fight every now and then.
Graphics: The backgrounds are very plain, but your fighter is large and detailed. Enemies flicker a bit and don't scale very smoothly, but that never detracted much from the game for me. Bosses are also large and detailed.
Sound: The opening scene features some great engine noises and digitized speech commanding you to "Get ready!" Unfortunately, that's the end of the cool engine noise and speech. The rest of the game sports a catchy theme that maintains an urgent feeling. The missiles and explosions also come with satisfying sounds.
Overall: Not a bad conversion of an arcade classic. Too bad a bug/glitch/programming error lets you hold up and left and almost finish the game without firing a shot! Of course, you don't have to exploit that...
Gameplay: You fly your F-14 "on rails" over some varied terrain: ocean, plains, forest, day and night. Enemy fighters swarm you while you use your machine guns, heat-seeking missiles, and barrel rolls to defeat them. Stage bosses offer a more sustained fight every now and then.
Graphics: The backgrounds are very plain, but your fighter is large and detailed. Enemies flicker a bit and don't scale very smoothly, but that never detracted much from the game for me. Bosses are also large and detailed.
Sound: The opening scene features some great engine noises and digitized speech commanding you to "Get ready!" Unfortunately, that's the end of the cool engine noise and speech. The rest of the game sports a catchy theme that maintains an urgent feeling. The missiles and explosions also come with satisfying sounds.
Overall: Not a bad conversion of an arcade classic. Too bad a bug/glitch/programming error lets you hold up and left and almost finish the game without firing a shot! Of course, you don't have to exploit that...
Alex Kidd: High-Tech World Grade: F
What kind of castle is this, anyway?
What happened? Alex Kidd in Miracle World was Sega's great answer to Super Mario Bros. Lost Stars was embarrassingly cute, but addictive. This is just sad.
Gameplay: High-Tech World is basically a glorified point-and-click adventure. You have a time limit to find 8 missing pieces to a map which points the way to a new arcade. To find the pieces, you must talk to people in your castle and around town. There's also a forest with animals and ninjas to avoid. Yep, that's right. Problem is, there's cheap deaths everywhere. Look in the wrong drawer? Dead. Walk down the wrong staircase? Dead. And death means restarting from the beginning.
Graphics: The graphics are nothing special. The same props are reused room after room. The characters are all unique and stylized in a way to be expected from the series.
Sound: Not much to talk about here. There's slightly grating background music and that's about it.
Overall: A poor entry in the Alex Kidd series. Avoid.
Gameplay: High-Tech World is basically a glorified point-and-click adventure. You have a time limit to find 8 missing pieces to a map which points the way to a new arcade. To find the pieces, you must talk to people in your castle and around town. There's also a forest with animals and ninjas to avoid. Yep, that's right. Problem is, there's cheap deaths everywhere. Look in the wrong drawer? Dead. Walk down the wrong staircase? Dead. And death means restarting from the beginning.
Graphics: The graphics are nothing special. The same props are reused room after room. The characters are all unique and stylized in a way to be expected from the series.
Sound: Not much to talk about here. There's slightly grating background music and that's about it.
Overall: A poor entry in the Alex Kidd series. Avoid.
Alien Syndrome Grade: C+
A battalion was captured, but you can do it!
You are a lone soldier who must rescue hostages from alien-infested ships. This is a fun, if flawed, conversion of an arcade classic.
Gameplay: Levels take place inside hijacked starships. You must navigate the maze-like corridors to find all of the hostages, then make your way to the exit to face a boss - all before a time bomb blows up! You have a machine gun with a very short range to dispatch the aliens. Luckily, you can find flamethrowers, lasers, and other weapons to give you a better chance. Unlike the arcade, the screens are static and scroll Legend of Zelda-style. As a result, enemies randomly appear in the screen, sometimes right on top of you! The levels are fun and challenging and the boss fights can be frantic.
Graphics: Everything is pretty basic here. Sprites are bland and your soldier looks kind of squished. The lone exceptions are the bosses, which are large, colorful, and varied.
Sound: A minimalistic theme sets an ominous tone. The music picks up the pace to let you know when you have found the last hostage and need to make your way to the exit. Weapon fire sounds forceful.
Overall: Not perfect, but a fun, challenging game that will have you cursing cheap deaths and cheering defeated bosses. Note that Alien Syndrome will only work with an original SMS controller. It will not work properly on a Power Base Converter with a Genesis pad. You need the SMS pad or stick.
Gameplay: Levels take place inside hijacked starships. You must navigate the maze-like corridors to find all of the hostages, then make your way to the exit to face a boss - all before a time bomb blows up! You have a machine gun with a very short range to dispatch the aliens. Luckily, you can find flamethrowers, lasers, and other weapons to give you a better chance. Unlike the arcade, the screens are static and scroll Legend of Zelda-style. As a result, enemies randomly appear in the screen, sometimes right on top of you! The levels are fun and challenging and the boss fights can be frantic.
Graphics: Everything is pretty basic here. Sprites are bland and your soldier looks kind of squished. The lone exceptions are the bosses, which are large, colorful, and varied.
Sound: A minimalistic theme sets an ominous tone. The music picks up the pace to let you know when you have found the last hostage and need to make your way to the exit. Weapon fire sounds forceful.
Overall: Not perfect, but a fun, challenging game that will have you cursing cheap deaths and cheering defeated bosses. Note that Alien Syndrome will only work with an original SMS controller. It will not work properly on a Power Base Converter with a Genesis pad. You need the SMS pad or stick.
Astro Warrior Grade: D
These guys follow you until you blast them.
Can you defend the universe from the Devil Star Imperial Forces?
Gameplay: This is about as bare-bones as a vertical shooter can get. It's so basic, in fact, that the manual doesn't even bother to include the standard controller layout! (Hint: the D-pad moves your ship and either button fires.) You are the lone ship that must cut through waves of attackers to reach the boss at the end of each of Astro Warrior's three levels. What the manual also doesn't tell you is that you can upgrade your single-shot cannon to double and triple cannons, as well as laser beams, by collecting power-ups that fall from the top of the screen. The power-ups look like enemy ships, so if you shoot it and your shots go right through, go ahead and collect it. You also can collect two extra invincible guns that trail your ship and add firepower.
Graphics and Sound: Each of the three levels looks basically the same, a scrolling starfield behind a metallic-industrial landscape. It reminds me of the first level of Blazing Lazers for the TG-16. As for the sound, Astro Warrior sports a SMS-common, too peppy, too high-pitched soundtrack.
Overall: Can't complain as this game was packed-in with many early Master Systems. There's not much here, but it's fun for a short while.
Gameplay: This is about as bare-bones as a vertical shooter can get. It's so basic, in fact, that the manual doesn't even bother to include the standard controller layout! (Hint: the D-pad moves your ship and either button fires.) You are the lone ship that must cut through waves of attackers to reach the boss at the end of each of Astro Warrior's three levels. What the manual also doesn't tell you is that you can upgrade your single-shot cannon to double and triple cannons, as well as laser beams, by collecting power-ups that fall from the top of the screen. The power-ups look like enemy ships, so if you shoot it and your shots go right through, go ahead and collect it. You also can collect two extra invincible guns that trail your ship and add firepower.
Graphics and Sound: Each of the three levels looks basically the same, a scrolling starfield behind a metallic-industrial landscape. It reminds me of the first level of Blazing Lazers for the TG-16. As for the sound, Astro Warrior sports a SMS-common, too peppy, too high-pitched soundtrack.
Overall: Can't complain as this game was packed-in with many early Master Systems. There's not much here, but it's fun for a short while.
Black Belt Grade: C
Die, Fat man!
Famous for it's hideous box art of a disembodied foot, Black Belt actually isn't a horrible game.
Gameplay: Black Belt starts out as a side-scrolling beat-'em-up. You are a ninja walking right while punching and kicking thugs who attack from the front and rear. Often, mid-bosses appear for a duel. At the end of every stage, you square off against another master in a Street Fighter-esque showdown. This is where the game breaks down. The hit detection is horrible. Your kicks and punches sail right through your opponent about 90% of the time. And when you do hit, you take the tiniest sliver of health. Your opponent, sucks a quarter of your health by glaring at you.
Graphics: Not bad at all. The sprites are clean and the boss fights are crisp. Backgrounds are easy on the eye as well.
Sound: I'll never understand why melee fighting generates explosive sound effects. Other that that, The soundtrack isn't one of the Master System's best, but it's not as painful as others on the system.
Overall: Black Belt is a fun little romp. If you like kicking thugs in the face and really hard Street Fighter battles, check it out.
Gameplay: Black Belt starts out as a side-scrolling beat-'em-up. You are a ninja walking right while punching and kicking thugs who attack from the front and rear. Often, mid-bosses appear for a duel. At the end of every stage, you square off against another master in a Street Fighter-esque showdown. This is where the game breaks down. The hit detection is horrible. Your kicks and punches sail right through your opponent about 90% of the time. And when you do hit, you take the tiniest sliver of health. Your opponent, sucks a quarter of your health by glaring at you.
Graphics: Not bad at all. The sprites are clean and the boss fights are crisp. Backgrounds are easy on the eye as well.
Sound: I'll never understand why melee fighting generates explosive sound effects. Other that that, The soundtrack isn't one of the Master System's best, but it's not as painful as others on the system.
Overall: Black Belt is a fun little romp. If you like kicking thugs in the face and really hard Street Fighter battles, check it out.
Bomber Raid Grade: A
Half of the first-level boss
Wow, leave it to Activision to show what the Sega Master System could do. Bomber Raid is a frantic vertically-scrolling shooter where you pilot a plane through five missions of action.
Gameplay: You control a WWII-style prop plane flying over varied terrain and oceans. You start with a standard machine gun which can be upgraded by collecting power pods from targets which zip across the screen. You also get three cluster bombs, which devastate anything you drop them on. What makes Bomber Raid unique, however, is that you can also collect up to two extra fighters to flank you and add extra firepower. These wingmen can be arranged in four different positions. Occasionally throughout a level, the screen stops scrolling. This is to let you know you need to destroy a midboss or extra large squadron of attackers. At the end of each level, you must destroy a large boss. The battleship boss from just the first level takes up two full screens! The only downside is - as with many shooters - that if you die in a later stage, you revert to your powered-down fighter and will have a tough time battling back.
Graphics: This is just stunning for the SMS. The backgrounds are varied, beautiful, and detailed. Your fighter and enemy vehicles are crisp.
Sound: The theme is pleasant, if awkwardly mellow compared to the action. Gunfire is exciting and explosions are satisfying.
Overall: I'm not sure why this is called "Bomber Raid" since you don't seem to do much bombing, but regardless, this is one of the best Sega Master System titles available. Finally, note that this game requires a SMS controller for play. A Genesis pad will not work.
Gameplay: You control a WWII-style prop plane flying over varied terrain and oceans. You start with a standard machine gun which can be upgraded by collecting power pods from targets which zip across the screen. You also get three cluster bombs, which devastate anything you drop them on. What makes Bomber Raid unique, however, is that you can also collect up to two extra fighters to flank you and add extra firepower. These wingmen can be arranged in four different positions. Occasionally throughout a level, the screen stops scrolling. This is to let you know you need to destroy a midboss or extra large squadron of attackers. At the end of each level, you must destroy a large boss. The battleship boss from just the first level takes up two full screens! The only downside is - as with many shooters - that if you die in a later stage, you revert to your powered-down fighter and will have a tough time battling back.
Graphics: This is just stunning for the SMS. The backgrounds are varied, beautiful, and detailed. Your fighter and enemy vehicles are crisp.
Sound: The theme is pleasant, if awkwardly mellow compared to the action. Gunfire is exciting and explosions are satisfying.
Overall: I'm not sure why this is called "Bomber Raid" since you don't seem to do much bombing, but regardless, this is one of the best Sega Master System titles available. Finally, note that this game requires a SMS controller for play. A Genesis pad will not work.
California Games Grade: B+
Real men play foot bag.
California Games is one of the earliest "extreme sports" games I can remember. Even now, more than 20 years later, it holds up very well.
Gameplay: Players select from an assortment of mid-80's corporate sponsors and participate in six events: halfpipe skateboarding, BMX, roller skating, foot bag (Hackey Sack), flying disc (Frisbee), and surfing. Right off the bat, the controls are a bit confusing and the timing required to pull off even simple moves is strict. You won't pick this up and instantly succeed, but once you practice a bit (a practice mode is included), there is a good deal of satisfaction in beating your best score. Even better, however, is schooling some friends in foot bag. California Games is a fantastic multiplayer game, supporting up to eight players.
Graphics: Graphics are adequate. Sprites are large, but often comically pixelated (foot bag) or muddy (halfpipe).
Sound: Nothing special to see here. A monotone version of "Louie Louie" accompanies the title screen while the rest of the game contains only basic sound effects.
Overall: A very ambitious game for the SMS that scores in the addictive and competitive categories. Well worth checking out.
Gameplay: Players select from an assortment of mid-80's corporate sponsors and participate in six events: halfpipe skateboarding, BMX, roller skating, foot bag (Hackey Sack), flying disc (Frisbee), and surfing. Right off the bat, the controls are a bit confusing and the timing required to pull off even simple moves is strict. You won't pick this up and instantly succeed, but once you practice a bit (a practice mode is included), there is a good deal of satisfaction in beating your best score. Even better, however, is schooling some friends in foot bag. California Games is a fantastic multiplayer game, supporting up to eight players.
Graphics: Graphics are adequate. Sprites are large, but often comically pixelated (foot bag) or muddy (halfpipe).
Sound: Nothing special to see here. A monotone version of "Louie Louie" accompanies the title screen while the rest of the game contains only basic sound effects.
Overall: A very ambitious game for the SMS that scores in the addictive and competitive categories. Well worth checking out.
Castle of Illusion Grade: B
Gah, I hate juggling clowns!
Get ready to help Mickey Mouse rescue Minnie from Witch Mizrabel in this fun, difficult, platforming gem.
Gameplay: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is a frustratingly difficult platforming game for the Sega Master System. After a short intro sequence, you take Mickey Mouse to one of three worlds to start. The first choice is a wooded and underground area. Second is a toy-themed maze and last is a constantly-scrolling cloud and candy-filled area. As Mickey, you jump over enemies or attack them by picking up and hurling objects found in the area. It gets frustrating when your imprecise jumps send you down a bottomless pit or into the path of an enemy.
Graphics: While not as detailed as its Genesis counterpart, Castle of Illusion is one of the best looking games on the SMS. Backgrounds are a bit sparse, but the sprites are beautiful and animate smoothly.
Sound: The level themes have a fun, parade-like feel to them. Enemies are defeated with a sort of popping sound, even when bashed with rocks.
Overall: Castle of Illusion is both fun and frustrating, an odd mix for a Mickey Mouse game. But, if you're a platforming pro, it's a definite must-have.
Gameplay: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is a frustratingly difficult platforming game for the Sega Master System. After a short intro sequence, you take Mickey Mouse to one of three worlds to start. The first choice is a wooded and underground area. Second is a toy-themed maze and last is a constantly-scrolling cloud and candy-filled area. As Mickey, you jump over enemies or attack them by picking up and hurling objects found in the area. It gets frustrating when your imprecise jumps send you down a bottomless pit or into the path of an enemy.
Graphics: While not as detailed as its Genesis counterpart, Castle of Illusion is one of the best looking games on the SMS. Backgrounds are a bit sparse, but the sprites are beautiful and animate smoothly.
Sound: The level themes have a fun, parade-like feel to them. Enemies are defeated with a sort of popping sound, even when bashed with rocks.
Overall: Castle of Illusion is both fun and frustrating, an odd mix for a Mickey Mouse game. But, if you're a platforming pro, it's a definite must-have.
Choplifter Grade: C+
Don't be distracted by the pretty landscape.
Now for something completely different.
I've always thought of Choplifter as the spiritual successor to games like Defender and Chopper Command. You pilot a rescue helicopter in enemy territory, but instead of taking out the enemy, your primary mission is to rescue hostages from POW camps and return them home safely.
Gameplay: You start out at the edge of a horizontally scrolling field. You have to venture out and blow the doors off one of four buildings holding 16 POWs each, then land. There are some tense moments while the freed captives board your chopper as tanks close in. Finally, you must return them to the starting location before returning for more prisoners. Flying feels a bit odd. If you fly slowly, the nose of your chopper scrapes the far edge of the scrolling playfield. Only by flying faster does your ship move back far enough to see approaching enemies before they launch a missile into your cockpit!
Graphics: Everything is smoothly animated, but there's no doubt this is a port of an older Apple computer game. I never played the original, but it doesn't seem that the sounds were upgraded much at all.
Overall: I understand why this game is held in such high regards, but it really just never did much for me. It's complex and original, but I never found it that enjoyable.
I've always thought of Choplifter as the spiritual successor to games like Defender and Chopper Command. You pilot a rescue helicopter in enemy territory, but instead of taking out the enemy, your primary mission is to rescue hostages from POW camps and return them home safely.
Gameplay: You start out at the edge of a horizontally scrolling field. You have to venture out and blow the doors off one of four buildings holding 16 POWs each, then land. There are some tense moments while the freed captives board your chopper as tanks close in. Finally, you must return them to the starting location before returning for more prisoners. Flying feels a bit odd. If you fly slowly, the nose of your chopper scrapes the far edge of the scrolling playfield. Only by flying faster does your ship move back far enough to see approaching enemies before they launch a missile into your cockpit!
Graphics: Everything is smoothly animated, but there's no doubt this is a port of an older Apple computer game. I never played the original, but it doesn't seem that the sounds were upgraded much at all.
Overall: I understand why this game is held in such high regards, but it really just never did much for me. It's complex and original, but I never found it that enjoyable.
Double Dragon Grade: B
Would YOU steal his girlfriend?
Double Dragon is a fun, but flawed port of an arcade classic.
Gameplay: You control either Bill or Jimmy on a mission to save your girlfriend. You have an arsenal of punches and kicks, along with whips, bats, and dynamite, with which to defeat waves of enemies. The jump kick is by far your best weapon throughout the game, but you'll need to mix in a second attack (such as the head butt) later in the game when enemies get tougher. The dominance of the jump kick makes gameplay feel a bit stale after a while. Oddly enough, you have unlimited continues during every round except the last, where you get none. This leads to a strange ritual of sacrificing all your lives during the second-to-last boss fight so you can start the final round with a fresh slate of lives.
Graphics: For the most part, the graphics are very well done. Your characters and enemies are all well drawn and detailed. Backgrounds are also well drawn and colorful. The only issue pops up when more than three sprites are standing in the same horizontal plane, as massive flicker takes over. Not a deal-breaker, but it's there.
Sound: There's a fun theme playing throughout each level, which changes to a low-pitched, urgent melody during end-boss fights. Punches and kicks have the usual "thud" effect, but enemies are defeated with an odd little tune.
Overall: A fun offering for the SMS that truly shines when playing cooperatively with a friend.
Gameplay: You control either Bill or Jimmy on a mission to save your girlfriend. You have an arsenal of punches and kicks, along with whips, bats, and dynamite, with which to defeat waves of enemies. The jump kick is by far your best weapon throughout the game, but you'll need to mix in a second attack (such as the head butt) later in the game when enemies get tougher. The dominance of the jump kick makes gameplay feel a bit stale after a while. Oddly enough, you have unlimited continues during every round except the last, where you get none. This leads to a strange ritual of sacrificing all your lives during the second-to-last boss fight so you can start the final round with a fresh slate of lives.
Graphics: For the most part, the graphics are very well done. Your characters and enemies are all well drawn and detailed. Backgrounds are also well drawn and colorful. The only issue pops up when more than three sprites are standing in the same horizontal plane, as massive flicker takes over. Not a deal-breaker, but it's there.
Sound: There's a fun theme playing throughout each level, which changes to a low-pitched, urgent melody during end-boss fights. Punches and kicks have the usual "thud" effect, but enemies are defeated with an odd little tune.
Overall: A fun offering for the SMS that truly shines when playing cooperatively with a friend.
Fantasy Zone II Grade: A
Photo courtesy AMP
Fantasy Zone pretty much invented the "cute 'em up" subclass of shooters. Now, the living spaceship, Opa-Opa, is back for another round of colorful worlds and fun-filled blasting.
Gameplay: You guide Opa-Opa, a sentient spaceship with legs, through horizontally scrolling levels in the tradition of Defender. You must destroy several monster bases on each level. Destroyed bases reveal cash, which can be used to purchase upgrades in shops, or warps. These warps take you to other separate areas of the level. The first level starts out with three distinct areas, but later levels have five. It can sometimes be difficult to find missing sections. You also are constantly pursued by waves of colorful but deadly enemies including snowmen and human hands. Opa-Opa starts with a forward-firing twin cannon and bombs which drop straight down as in the classic Scramble. Both weapons (and your engine) can be upgraded. There are also health upgrades that allow you to survive hits.
Graphics and Sound: These are some of the best visuals available on the Master System. Each area of every zone has its own distinct, vibrant background (except for boss areas, which have plain backgrounds). Bosses are huge, often filling a major portion of the screen. You'll only notice slowdown and flicker after defeating bosses, which explode into a shower of cash. The soundtrack is appropriately whimsical and memorable.
Overall: The only downside to Fantasy Zone 2 is the carpal tunnel syndrome you'll develop from tapping both buttons for hours on end, but the pain will only remind you of the good times. A must play.
Gameplay: You guide Opa-Opa, a sentient spaceship with legs, through horizontally scrolling levels in the tradition of Defender. You must destroy several monster bases on each level. Destroyed bases reveal cash, which can be used to purchase upgrades in shops, or warps. These warps take you to other separate areas of the level. The first level starts out with three distinct areas, but later levels have five. It can sometimes be difficult to find missing sections. You also are constantly pursued by waves of colorful but deadly enemies including snowmen and human hands. Opa-Opa starts with a forward-firing twin cannon and bombs which drop straight down as in the classic Scramble. Both weapons (and your engine) can be upgraded. There are also health upgrades that allow you to survive hits.
Graphics and Sound: These are some of the best visuals available on the Master System. Each area of every zone has its own distinct, vibrant background (except for boss areas, which have plain backgrounds). Bosses are huge, often filling a major portion of the screen. You'll only notice slowdown and flicker after defeating bosses, which explode into a shower of cash. The soundtrack is appropriately whimsical and memorable.
Overall: The only downside to Fantasy Zone 2 is the carpal tunnel syndrome you'll develop from tapping both buttons for hours on end, but the pain will only remind you of the good times. A must play.
Gangster Town Grade: A
Remember to watch the ceiling too.
Nostalgia Review!
Unfortunately, I don't have a Light Phaser to get a fresh take on Gangster Town for the Sega Master System, so this review is based on fond memories of 2-player shooting fun.
Gameplay: You are an FBI agent tasked with chasing down the leader of an organized crime family. Your hunt will take you from thrilling car chases (blow off a wheel for fun quick-kills) to seedy bars (can you break all the bottles?) and finally, the dockyard. There are also bonus stages where you take aim on paper targets or even try to blow through a brick wall! This game is tough, even when sitting six inches from the screen - as everyone does. But, it's fair. There are no impossible situations or cheap deaths.
Graphics: The graphics are very clean and detailed in Gangster Town. It's always easy to tell what you should be shooting at and there is little distraction. Adding to the fun is that every killed gangster turns into a gangster angel, which can also be shot! Most background items can be shot for fun, bonus points, or both.
Overall: If you have a light gun, then this is probably the best thing you could do with it. Of course, there is a one-player option, but this is another game that shines when playing cooperatively.
Unfortunately, I don't have a Light Phaser to get a fresh take on Gangster Town for the Sega Master System, so this review is based on fond memories of 2-player shooting fun.
Gameplay: You are an FBI agent tasked with chasing down the leader of an organized crime family. Your hunt will take you from thrilling car chases (blow off a wheel for fun quick-kills) to seedy bars (can you break all the bottles?) and finally, the dockyard. There are also bonus stages where you take aim on paper targets or even try to blow through a brick wall! This game is tough, even when sitting six inches from the screen - as everyone does. But, it's fair. There are no impossible situations or cheap deaths.
Graphics: The graphics are very clean and detailed in Gangster Town. It's always easy to tell what you should be shooting at and there is little distraction. Adding to the fun is that every killed gangster turns into a gangster angel, which can also be shot! Most background items can be shot for fun, bonus points, or both.
Overall: If you have a light gun, then this is probably the best thing you could do with it. Of course, there is a one-player option, but this is another game that shines when playing cooperatively.
Ghost House Grade: D+
A house is not a home without a flame pit.
Are you man/elf enough to steal Dracula's treasure? Well, are you?
Gameplay: Ghost House takes place in and around Dracula's castle. His palace is full hazards. There are lots of bats out to chip away at your life bar. Other monsters include ghosts, orange flame spitters and mummies. There are also arrow traps, trap floors and fire pits to contend with. Each castle contains five Draculas which must be defeated for you to continue to the next stage. Against this, you are armed with only your fists and any knives you can catch flying at your head.
Graphics: The visuals really aren't bad for a Sega Card game. There's not much variety, but what is there is spooky in a somewhat "cutesy" way.
Sound: The theme is decent enough, but your pointy eared character's walking sound is one of the worst I've heard. Imagine shuffle stepping in squeaky sneakers.
Overall: Not a bad game, but the lack of variety and annoying audio limits the fun.
Gameplay: Ghost House takes place in and around Dracula's castle. His palace is full hazards. There are lots of bats out to chip away at your life bar. Other monsters include ghosts, orange flame spitters and mummies. There are also arrow traps, trap floors and fire pits to contend with. Each castle contains five Draculas which must be defeated for you to continue to the next stage. Against this, you are armed with only your fists and any knives you can catch flying at your head.
Graphics: The visuals really aren't bad for a Sega Card game. There's not much variety, but what is there is spooky in a somewhat "cutesy" way.
Sound: The theme is decent enough, but your pointy eared character's walking sound is one of the worst I've heard. Imagine shuffle stepping in squeaky sneakers.
Overall: Not a bad game, but the lack of variety and annoying audio limits the fun.
Great Baseball Grade: D
Watch that baby... Outta here!
It's time for some hardball action on your Sega Master System!
Gameplay: Choose a team from real (1987) major league cities, pick your pitcher and his specialty pitch, and hit the diamond for some classic baseball action. There are three basic screens during play. The pitching/batting screen is quite nice with large player sprites and an up-close view of the action. Once the ball is hit, gameplay switches to a full-field view. Fielding anything in the outfield is tough because the ball moves very quickly and your outfielders seem to have their shoelaces tied together. Once the fielder gets the ball back in, the view switches to an infield camera, which is laughable in its plainness. Pitchers fatigue and have a choice of three pitches. Most of the faults are forgivable in multiplayer, but the single-player game takes a hit. The computer opponent has no idea how to run the bases. Every time a computer batter pops up, you can count on doubling or tripling up all the base runners as well. I once saw a runner reach home from second only to watch my catcher catch the ball behind the plate.
Graphics: The batting screen is beautiful and detailed. The rest of the game: not so much.
Sound: The crowd noise sounds like engine effects. There is a digitized umpire calling balls and strikes which is understandable enough.
Overall: Great Baseball is a decent enough 2-player experience if you can't find anything else, but a waste of time solo. It's worth a playthrough, though, for the between-innings animations.
Gameplay: Choose a team from real (1987) major league cities, pick your pitcher and his specialty pitch, and hit the diamond for some classic baseball action. There are three basic screens during play. The pitching/batting screen is quite nice with large player sprites and an up-close view of the action. Once the ball is hit, gameplay switches to a full-field view. Fielding anything in the outfield is tough because the ball moves very quickly and your outfielders seem to have their shoelaces tied together. Once the fielder gets the ball back in, the view switches to an infield camera, which is laughable in its plainness. Pitchers fatigue and have a choice of three pitches. Most of the faults are forgivable in multiplayer, but the single-player game takes a hit. The computer opponent has no idea how to run the bases. Every time a computer batter pops up, you can count on doubling or tripling up all the base runners as well. I once saw a runner reach home from second only to watch my catcher catch the ball behind the plate.
Graphics: The batting screen is beautiful and detailed. The rest of the game: not so much.
Sound: The crowd noise sounds like engine effects. There is a digitized umpire calling balls and strikes which is understandable enough.
Overall: Great Baseball is a decent enough 2-player experience if you can't find anything else, but a waste of time solo. It's worth a playthrough, though, for the between-innings animations.
Great Basketball Grade: F
Outside shots are tough.
Take it to the hole on your Sega Master System. Great Basketball misses the mark in just about every possible way. You take control of one of eight international teams and set out on a goal to defeat the other seven teams consecutively. Lose one, and start the count all over again. No tournament, no silver medal, just beat all seven in a row.
Gameplay: Each of the 8 available teams start with a different set of stat points (found in the manual). Games are played in two 3-minute halves. Unfortunately, the problems are evident right after tip-off. First, you have no control over who you pass to. While you have the ball, one of your teammates may have an arrow over his head. This is the player who is "open." You can't pass to anyone else. Try to pass when no one has the arrow and you'll just kinda throw the ball in the direction you are standing. Once the other team scores, you'll inbound the ball. Problem is, everyone runs to the far court and you have no way of knowing who - or if - anyone is open. But don't worry, if no one's open, there's a good chance you'll be able to run down and catch your own inbound pass. Yes, it's legal. Defense consists of staying near the man with the ball and hoping you steal it; there's no button command for this. it just happens. Once you win, your team gets to shoot five 3-pointers for bonus points, which get converted to "vitality points" to improve your team for the next match. There is, of course, a 2-player mode, but you have so little control over your team, it doesn't help matters much.
Graphics: All of the players look identical. When shooting, the ball seems to travel in a straight line, then turn 90 degrees into the basket. There is no arc at all. When shooting from the bottom of the screen, the ball seems to go through the rim.
Overall: Do yourself a favor and play some other basketball game.
Gameplay: Each of the 8 available teams start with a different set of stat points (found in the manual). Games are played in two 3-minute halves. Unfortunately, the problems are evident right after tip-off. First, you have no control over who you pass to. While you have the ball, one of your teammates may have an arrow over his head. This is the player who is "open." You can't pass to anyone else. Try to pass when no one has the arrow and you'll just kinda throw the ball in the direction you are standing. Once the other team scores, you'll inbound the ball. Problem is, everyone runs to the far court and you have no way of knowing who - or if - anyone is open. But don't worry, if no one's open, there's a good chance you'll be able to run down and catch your own inbound pass. Yes, it's legal. Defense consists of staying near the man with the ball and hoping you steal it; there's no button command for this. it just happens. Once you win, your team gets to shoot five 3-pointers for bonus points, which get converted to "vitality points" to improve your team for the next match. There is, of course, a 2-player mode, but you have so little control over your team, it doesn't help matters much.
Graphics: All of the players look identical. When shooting, the ball seems to travel in a straight line, then turn 90 degrees into the basket. There is no arc at all. When shooting from the bottom of the screen, the ball seems to go through the rim.
Overall: Do yourself a favor and play some other basketball game.
Great Football Grade: F
Get used to looking at this.
Grab your gear and get ready for gridiron greatness. Great Football technically is a decent entry as far as early football games go, but one poor design decision sucks all the fun out of it.
Gameplay: Great Football has no NFL or player licenses, so you select from 12 fictional teams with nameless players. Oddly, these teams are divided in to AFC and NFC divisions, each with a shield that closely resembled its NFL counterpart. The design flaw I mentioned earlier comes right after the opening kickoff, the play select screen. Each player sees the eight available plays. The player on offense picks his play while the player on defense picks the play he thinks his opponent will choose. If the defense chooses correctly, his team will blitz and likely stop the offense for a loss of yards. The problem is, a cursor briefly highlights each play. Players must make their selection while the desired play is highlighted. The whole process takes 10-12 seconds, but watching the flashing cursor gets old quick, as does trying to fake out the defensive player so he can't hear you click your play. The Master System has an 8-direction controller. Great Football offers 8 different plays. Why couldn't you just hold a direction and click a button?
Special Mention: Give Sega credit for a few things. Great Football was one of the first games to have 11 players on each team. The choice of eight plays doubled Tecmo Bowl, which came out two years later (4 plays and 9-on-9 football).
Overall: Great Football was a step in the right direction for video football, but go play Madden.
Gameplay: Great Football has no NFL or player licenses, so you select from 12 fictional teams with nameless players. Oddly, these teams are divided in to AFC and NFC divisions, each with a shield that closely resembled its NFL counterpart. The design flaw I mentioned earlier comes right after the opening kickoff, the play select screen. Each player sees the eight available plays. The player on offense picks his play while the player on defense picks the play he thinks his opponent will choose. If the defense chooses correctly, his team will blitz and likely stop the offense for a loss of yards. The problem is, a cursor briefly highlights each play. Players must make their selection while the desired play is highlighted. The whole process takes 10-12 seconds, but watching the flashing cursor gets old quick, as does trying to fake out the defensive player so he can't hear you click your play. The Master System has an 8-direction controller. Great Football offers 8 different plays. Why couldn't you just hold a direction and click a button?
Special Mention: Give Sega credit for a few things. Great Football was one of the first games to have 11 players on each team. The choice of eight plays doubled Tecmo Bowl, which came out two years later (4 plays and 9-on-9 football).
Overall: Great Football was a step in the right direction for video football, but go play Madden.
Great Golf Grade: B
A former greenskeeper...
Grab your bag and get ready for a fun, challenging round of 18 on your Sega Master System
Gameplay: Great Golf is a very challenging golf game that is only held back by a few limitations. First, there is only one course, but it contains any type of hole you could want. Up to four can play for lowest score or two people can go head-to-head in match play. You begin by choosing your 14 clubs from a selection of woods, irons, wedges, and putter. This is an interesting feature, but you only have to leave three clubs at home. I wish you could select the club limit to make things more challenging. (I always leave 4w, 5w, and 1iron.) Each club has an average flight distance which is not accessible once the game starts, so you'll either need a copy of the manual or to jot down the club stats before beginning. The game is played in split-screen with the left side reserved for a map of the current hole. Once you select your club, you set the position of your feet for hook or slice, aim your shot, then set power by stopping a moving vertical gauge. It's a simple mechanic that makes it easy for beginners, but offers enough customization to keep you challenged for a long time. You are given the distance to the pin for all shots, but this feature is mysteriously removed once you're on the green, so you'll need to practice to get a feel for how much juice to put on your putts.
Graphics and Sound: The course takes a couple seconds to load after each shot, but gives a nice representation of your current position. There are a few digitized speech effects for when you hit a nice shot or reach the green.
Overall: Great Golf is a simple but addictive golf sim. It's pretty slow paced, but then again, so is real golf!
Gameplay: Great Golf is a very challenging golf game that is only held back by a few limitations. First, there is only one course, but it contains any type of hole you could want. Up to four can play for lowest score or two people can go head-to-head in match play. You begin by choosing your 14 clubs from a selection of woods, irons, wedges, and putter. This is an interesting feature, but you only have to leave three clubs at home. I wish you could select the club limit to make things more challenging. (I always leave 4w, 5w, and 1iron.) Each club has an average flight distance which is not accessible once the game starts, so you'll either need a copy of the manual or to jot down the club stats before beginning. The game is played in split-screen with the left side reserved for a map of the current hole. Once you select your club, you set the position of your feet for hook or slice, aim your shot, then set power by stopping a moving vertical gauge. It's a simple mechanic that makes it easy for beginners, but offers enough customization to keep you challenged for a long time. You are given the distance to the pin for all shots, but this feature is mysteriously removed once you're on the green, so you'll need to practice to get a feel for how much juice to put on your putts.
Graphics and Sound: The course takes a couple seconds to load after each shot, but gives a nice representation of your current position. There are a few digitized speech effects for when you hit a nice shot or reach the green.
Overall: Great Golf is a simple but addictive golf sim. It's pretty slow paced, but then again, so is real golf!
Great Volleyball Grade: B
Bump, Set, Spike!
Volleyball is an under-represented sport in video games. And most of what is out there focuses on the 2-on-2 beach variety. Great Volleyball is one of the few to give you control of a full team in the gym. So take it indoors on your Sega Master System.
Gameplay: Great Volleyball puts you in control of a 6-man international team participating in a full tournament or a single "Goodwill Game." Tactics focus on the standard bump-set-spike, but you also can dink the ball over the net and set up fake spikes to fool your opponent. Like many old-school sports games, you control several players at once. In this case, either the 3 men in the frontcourt or backcourt. This can be troublesome at times during that split-second when you're not sure which trio you are supposed to control. Control is smooth, but the ball often flies up out of the screen during play, so you'll need to make use of the much-appreciated practice mode to time your spike jumps, as you'll need to jump before you can actually see the ball.
Graphics: There's only one court and all the players look the same. Blah, blah, blah. The graphics are exactly what you'd expect from a Great Sports title. The thing is, this one is actually fun to play!
Overall: Simple to learn, difficult to master. Great Volleyball offers hours of challenge solo or with a friend.
Gameplay: Great Volleyball puts you in control of a 6-man international team participating in a full tournament or a single "Goodwill Game." Tactics focus on the standard bump-set-spike, but you also can dink the ball over the net and set up fake spikes to fool your opponent. Like many old-school sports games, you control several players at once. In this case, either the 3 men in the frontcourt or backcourt. This can be troublesome at times during that split-second when you're not sure which trio you are supposed to control. Control is smooth, but the ball often flies up out of the screen during play, so you'll need to make use of the much-appreciated practice mode to time your spike jumps, as you'll need to jump before you can actually see the ball.
Graphics: There's only one court and all the players look the same. Blah, blah, blah. The graphics are exactly what you'd expect from a Great Sports title. The thing is, this one is actually fun to play!
Overall: Simple to learn, difficult to master. Great Volleyball offers hours of challenge solo or with a friend.
Hang-On Grade: C+
See you at the finish line!
Take to the road in this Sega Master System version of an arcade classic.
Gameplay: Race your "Fearless 4" motorcycle against the clock to reach the next checkpoint. Hang-On offers three skill levels consisting of eight courses each. Each course has five sections. But, there's not much variety. Use the d-pad to shift among low, medium, and high hears and try not to hit anything. Of course, it's not easy and finishing a race does feel good. What's best, however, is how your bike rolls to a stop when the timer hits "zero" instead of giving you the instant game over. There are very few feelings in all of video game-dom that compares to rolling across a checkpoint "on fumes!"
Graphics and Sound: Your bike is well detailed, but there's not much else to look at. The engine sounds are satisfying and varied enough so you can tell when you accidentally switch from high gear to medium - as you will.
Overall: A fun, challenging racer. Wish there could have been a 2-player mode.
Gameplay: Race your "Fearless 4" motorcycle against the clock to reach the next checkpoint. Hang-On offers three skill levels consisting of eight courses each. Each course has five sections. But, there's not much variety. Use the d-pad to shift among low, medium, and high hears and try not to hit anything. Of course, it's not easy and finishing a race does feel good. What's best, however, is how your bike rolls to a stop when the timer hits "zero" instead of giving you the instant game over. There are very few feelings in all of video game-dom that compares to rolling across a checkpoint "on fumes!"
Graphics and Sound: Your bike is well detailed, but there's not much else to look at. The engine sounds are satisfying and varied enough so you can tell when you accidentally switch from high gear to medium - as you will.
Overall: A fun, challenging racer. Wish there could have been a 2-player mode.