logo


review header logo

April 1995


Konami - For SNES
Metal Warriors
Action-Shooter | 16 MEG
Release: April 1995
testimage

Remember Cybernator? While not an outright sequel, Metal Warriors is likewise a side-scrolling, futuristic action game. Players control mega battle mechs and fly through futuristic venues shooting enemies. There is not much new here, but the execution from LucasArts and Konami cannot be brushed off. Using high-powered weaponry to engage in pure destructive fun is a joy, but the cut-scenes get a bit dull and the sound fx sometime falls flat. The levels get excruciatingly tough too, so newcomers be warned. The inclusion of a two-player Battle Mode is a welcome treat, allowing friends to go head-to-head in armored battle. The lack of variety and innovation does lead us to recommend this as a rental.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        

Taito - For SNES
Bust-A-Move
Puzzle | 4 MEG
Release: March 1995
testimage

The adorable-looking dinosaurs from Bubble Bobble have returned in a new type of puzzle game. Here is the lowdown: Rows of brightly colored bubbles appear at the top of the screen. Your objective is to clear the screen by operating a mechanism which shoots bubbles of a randomized color upward. If the colors match, the bubbles phase-out Tetris-style, and you win some points. Misalign your shots or wait too long, and you'll quickly face a game over. This puzzler from Taito geniuses is the pinnacle of addictive gameplay. Carefully aiming your shot is key in handily conquering this one. It's all in the reflexes! It graphics are well-done, the core gameplay is endlessly replayable. Just one more level, Mom!

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        

McO'River - For SNES
Aero Fighters
Shooter | 12 MEG
Release: November 1994
testimage

Based on one of our team's favorite arcade Tecmo shooters in recent years, Aero Fighters is an action-packed, vertically-scrolling blastfest. Choose one of four pilots based on four different nations, and four altering storylines, and cruise on through this coin-op convert. Utilize an array of weapons including bombs, lasers, and missiles to blow apart enemy tanks, jets, and even buildings. It may not be much evolved from the arcade cab on the graphical end, but it plays nearly perfect with an occasional bit of SNES slowdown. Aero controls like a dream, too. What more could a shooter fan ask for? Oh, and speaking of which, experienced players should swap right over to Hard Mode for a genuine challenge.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        

U.S. Gold - For GENESIS
Izzy's Quest
Action-Platformer | 16 MEG
Release: April 1995
testimage

Those Summer 1996 Olympic Games may seem a ways off, but for Izzy, the urgency is here and now! Izzy is the mascot set up to help market the upcoming Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, and in this licensed cart from U.S. Gold, the little creature must search the vast Torch World to collect the five Olympic Rings before he runs out of time. This sub-standard action-platformer is what most players may expect from the genre. It features a handful of multicolored stages, a few power-ups and collectable items, and a cuddly main character. Judging by its simplistic difficulty level and silly soundtrack, our take is that this title is aimed squarely at youngsters. This is no DKC. But it is wholesome.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                

SEGA - For GENESIS
X-Men 2
Action-Brawler | 16 MEG
Release: February 1995
testimage

Comic book fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief: It's a solid game, this time! X-Men 2: Clone Wars from Headgames and Sega is a brawler-type side-scroller that utterly and completely blows its predecessor away. Play as one of six X-Men, from Wolverine to Gambit, and use their mutant powers to annihilate all that stands in their path. It showcases tasty graphics with fine detail, expressive sound effects, great character animations, and an enjoyable sort of action. Controls are easy to pick up, too. No need to learn wacky, Street Fighter-like combos to pull off moves like in the recent SNES iteration. We consider this the best comic book adaptation in a long time. Sunsoft should take notes.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin

EA - For GENESIS
Road Rash 3
Racing | 16 MEG
Release: February 1995
testimage

EA's Road Rash is a staple in the racing genre of games. Unlike your more traditional racers like Super Monaco GP, RR proudly declares itself immune to standardized rules. Road Rash 3 is a marked step-up from the prior two entries on Genesis. It sports realistic background settings, five brand-new types of weapons, seven novel tracks, and enough bloody violence to satisfy even the most angsty teenager. Oh, did we neglect to mention that? Players can physically thrash competitors and inflict bodily damage with no penalties. Now, if you have yet to be spoiled by the excellence of the 3DO version of RR, this will dazzle you. Otherwise, it may seem a touch stale and out-of-date.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        

Interplay - For SEGA-CD
Earthworm Jim SE
Action-Platformer | CD
Release: April 1995
testimage

Earthworm Jim was already a hot cartridge to begin with. With the move to Sega CD, Jim only improves upon its excellence with some welcome enhancements. Developer Shiny Entertainment reheated its pinnacle platformer with extra levels, CD-quality sound from Tommy Tallarico, and ever-so-slightly smoother animation. The addition of a pencil-drawn opening cartoon is a nice touch as well. All that players love about EJ is here, from the well-balanced platforming action to the fluid graphical aesthetic. The only downside to speak of is the added disc load time, but it is thankfully minimized to a few seconds between levels. No random load screens during the actual gameplay.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin

Hudson - For SEGA-CD
Lords of Thunder
Shooter | CD
Release: March 1995
testimage

Long-time readers of PyroPlayers Mag may recall Lords of Thunder topping our Top 10: Scrolling Shooters list in May '93. We picked it due to the stellar gameplay, variety of upgrades in-between stages, and, above all else, the brilliant soundtrack. With the Turbo dead and buried, can Sega's portover truly make Lords rise from its grave? Well, if you are a fan of these chaotic shooter titles, you will undoubtedly fall in love. The heavy rock guitars blaze just as hard as ever, leaving your ears ringing and your heart pounding. The speedy action of the Duo is here as well, although the difficulty level has been dumbed-down a peg. Its graphics are unchanged from '93, however, so it be underwhelming to some.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        

SEGA - For 32X
After Burner
Shooter | 24 MEG
Release: April 1995
testimage

Blaze at insanely fast speeds through the air in After Burner, Sega's latest production for the 32X add-on. Brilliantly translated from the '87 arcade shooter, the 32X version is a near-perfect recreation. Screaming through the skies at warp speed never looked so good. Players pilot the super-quick SSF-14 fighter jet and blast apart enemy planes and helicopters to smithereens. No flicker. No slowdown. Screen-filling explosions. After Burner's color palette and animation speeds are far beyond the paltry Genesis port, which does serve to prove the increased power of the 32X as compared with the base system. The rockin' musical score and sound effects are also quite good. Owners of the add-on should sign up.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        

Prolific - For 3DO
Return Fire
Action-Strategy | CD
Release: March 1995
testimage

Return Fire is an action-strategy title developed by Silent Software for the 3DO. Without delving into the non-existent story elements of this one, this disc can be summed up with one word: "Destroy!" From a 3-D angled, overhead view, players will control various vehicles in a battlefield-like setting and have the enjoyable opportunity to zip around and blow things up. Drive or fly around the map and blast away, then capture the enemy's flag and return it to your base. Operational controls may take a bit to learn for inexperienced players. Trying out two-player mode is a riot, too. As is the case with other experimental 32-Bit games like The Horde, the innovation of RF is wonderful to see.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        

Atari - For JAGUAR
Bubsy
Action-Platformer | 32 MEG
Release: December 1994
testimage

To the supreme misfortune of games players everywhere, Bubsy the Bobcat returns in an all-new Jaguar title named Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales. For a console that claims to be 64-Bit and be capable of advanced, 3-D graphics, it is an embarrassment for the Jag to have this in its library. Bubsy hardly looks much different from its Super NES and Genesis outings, again taking the form of a traditional platformer with mediocre level design, sluggish controls, and frustrating gameplay. On the upside, we will admit the colors do pop, the gliding ability is implemented well, and the sounds are fine. Yet, otherwise, this is devoid of originality. Please let this Sonic wannabe die, already, Accolade.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspin                        
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                
soundplanetspinplanetspin                        
overallplanetspinplanetspin                        

Atari - For JAGUAR
Zool 2
Action-Platformer | 32 MEG
Release: December 1994
testimage

Zool 2 is your usual side-scrolling action game with a couple of notable flourishes. This franchise is a major hit in the U.K. due to its prominent appearance on Amiga systems, but to us in the States, this alien-looking ninja is a largely unknown entity. Let's just say, if cutesy, colorful platformers are your jive, Zool 2 will appeal to you. Brightly lit, candy-coated stages adorn the scene as players run and spin through them at ninja-quick speed to find the exit. The overall design is more intricate and woven-together than other titles in the genre, but there is not much special that truly separates Zool from the pack. If you own a Jag and are looking for a decent action cart, pick this over Bubsy.

gameplayplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                
graphicsplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
soundplanetspinplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin        
overallplanetspinplanetspinplanetspin                



welcome