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August 1994


Hudson - For SNES
Fievel Goes West
Action-Platformer | 8 MB
Release: August 1994
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Find your way to the Western Frontier in this follow-up to An American Tail, brought to you by Hudson Soft. Help Fievel save his family from Cat R. Waul's no-good plot to lure unsuspecting mice to their doom! Fievel Goes West takes the shape of a standard platforming game, with a healthy variety of detailed levels spanning from sewers to saloons, but it all ends up shallow and unappealing. Play control was our prime issue thanks to exceptionally poor hit detection and near-impossible jumps. Exploring the five main areas and gathering up neat power-ups was otherwise tainted by a less-than-solid gameplay experience. Not the greatest cartoon conversion.

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Square - For SNES
Breath of Fire
Role-Playing | 12 MB
Release: August 1994
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Breath of Fire is a refreshing change from the glut of sub-standard 16-bit RPGs. Square, the creators of Final Fantasy, did us Americans a huge favor by localizing this Capcom gem. Even tepid fans of the genre will be pulled in. Showcasing memorable music and a brilliant storyline, BOF is a sure bet. Join together a diverse party of heroes to take down an evil goddess named Tyr, building up levels and improving stats along the way. We were especially overjoyed by the abundance of fully animated attack moves during battle scenes. Non-battle graphics are a touch forgettable, in the vein of a Lufia. Our team considers this an excellent title overall.

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TradeWest - For SNES
Double Dragon V
Fighter | 24 MB
Release: August 1994
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Since recovering from its crossover with the Battletoads series, Double Dragon renewed its look with a so-so cartoon show. DDV grabbed inspiration from the TV toon and, to a sea of shrugging games players, remodeled itself into a tournament fighting game. Yes, a fighter, not a side-scroller. The one-vs.-one matchups in DDV teeter on SF copycat territory, but a greater emphasis on specialty weaponry over martial arts is noteworthy. Moves are tough to master, and combos nigh impossible. Also, these stubby characters all seem to have been squashed by a piano for some reason. Poor graphics and animation too. DD deserved better. We say skip this chore.

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US GOLD - For GENESIS
The Incredible Hulk
Action-Platformer | 16 MB
Release: July 1994
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In iconic comic book form, the Hulk smashes square onto your Sega Genesis courtesy of US Gold. This exciting action title puts you in the role of Bruce Banner as you traverse five large levels to take down Leader and his hoard of mutant minions. Rhino and Abomination will need to be taken care of. Smash your way through with an assortment of moves, from a powerful headbutt to a nasty death squeeze. Discovering alternate routes is a grand time as well. Hulk demonstrates a crisp and colorful graphical style on top of decent sprite animation and level design. We found this a solid platformer overall, and miles above similar comic-based offerings in the past.

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TechM - For GENESIS
Sylvester
Puzzle-Platformer | 16 MB
Release: June 1994
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Back at his old tricks again, Sylvester is more eager than ever to finally chomp down on his nemesis: Tweety. In Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers from TecMagik, players will control the titular cat in a range of zany puzzles and toon environments. Character animations are done rather splendidly, as if ripped straight from the WB studio, but boy are these backgrounds ugly. Jumping from platform to platform (ie, a platformer -Jet) is no easy task and will leave some players reaching for the plug. We appreciate the use of ACME products to ward off predators, and the stacking mechanic was fine enough. Still, at best this cart is a decent weekend rental.

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GameTek - For GENESIS
Zool
Action-Platformer | 8 MB
Release: Feb 1994
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A tiny gremlin named Zool: The Nina of the Nth Dimension is wreaking havoc on both Super NES and Genesis. This quick ninja may not have become Amiga's star mascot to rival the likes of Super Mario and Sonic, but this speed demon has finally burst onto the console scene. Zool's rainbow-colored journey across 28 levels is a bit of a mixed bag, chiefly due to its slippery-as-ice play control and lousy level layouts. Zipping around these stages is rough with this many tiny baddies to ruin the fun. The graphical style screams '92 Amiga, garish colors well in-tow. The years have not been kind. Well, except for Zool's downright awesome techno jams.

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EA - For SEGA-CD
Power Monger
Strategy | CD
Release: March 1994
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Prepare to embark on a mission for global conquest! Like its predecessors on Genesis and PC, the new iteration of Power Monger grants the player with god-like power to leave an imprint on the Medieval world. This disc is a point-and-click with a collection of commands and choices. Trade goods, meet with the locals, and either befriend or enrage villagers. PM exhibits a poor graphical interface with miniscule, fuzzy sprite rendering, as well as no true intro video to welcome newcomers. Experienced strategy simulation fanatics will find joy in PM's complex world-building, but newbies turned off by loading screens and a lack of action should seek an outlet for greater power elsewhere.

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EA - For 3DO
Road Rash
Racing | CD
Release: July 1994
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Ah, racing as it was always meant to be. Road Rash was one of our most hyped 3DO games, and for good reason. The glorious combo of driving down a California highway while kicking competitors into the dust is fun as it ever was. On this refreshed disc of RR, EA has evolved its graphical engine to show off stunningly realistic visuals, far above even fellow 3-D marvels on 3DO. It feels like a true-to-life arcade game with a high framerate and tons of fast action. Screaming down the asphalt going 100 MPH, bashing skulls, and jamming out to Soundgarden and Paw never brings a dull moment. RR is a must-buy for system owners searching for what the next-gen will feel like. This is a taste.

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Atari - For JAGUAR
Wolfenstein 3D
3-D Shooter | 16 MB
Release: June 1994
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Wolfenstein 3D on the Jaguar crunches down on the lackluster Super NES edition in spectacular fashion, proving that Atari's tech isn't all tricky marketing. Utilizing impressive scaling effects and an ultra-high frame rate, this Jag version of ol' Wolfy may be a bit better than the PC original! Playing as BJ Blazkowicz in a secret infiltration of Castle Wolfenstein, players will blast apart Nazis and navigate six turbulent levels, all whilst tense music builds background drama. Its only hurdles are the infernal Jaguar control pad, which never seems to fit comfortably in your hand when playing, and the innately high difficulty of W3D. Embrace the carnage! For mature players only, folks!

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Virgin - For Game Boy
Cool Spot
Action-Platformer | 1 MB
Release: August 1994
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Virgin Games' Cool Spot is taking a vacation from 16-Bit and sailed right onto the Game Boy for a new-ish adventure! You see, this cart is inches away from a Super NES port, borrowing a ton of elements from the console version including models and stages. Luckily, it borrowed the fun gameplay too! Rescue a jumble of stolen spots, collect secret discs and the oh-so-smooth 7-Up health items (Never too subtle, are they? -Jet). CS' graphics are not too shabby, and the visuals are given a spot (get it?) of color when played on Super Game Boy. Once more a well-done cart despite the agonizing product placement, and worth a try for all gamers, young and old, striped, or spotted (enough!).

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Bandai - For Game Boy
Power Rangers
Brawler | 2 MB
Release: July 1994
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If you thought the Power Rangers craze was over, well, we have some awful bad news for you. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is here for Game Boy, and if the toy line is any indication, this cart is sure to sell out fast. Choose one of five rangers and tackle a never-ending barrage of baddies and obstacles in your path. MMPR is a bare-bones brawler in essence. Jump, kick, then jump and kick some more! This title's animation and graphical fidelity are more than a little hideous, and the gameplay itself is easy as pie - we beat it within hours. Younger players, notably Power Rangers fans eager to scoop this tripe up, will get their fill. Alright, we admit, the Megazord fights are pretty cool.

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Virgin - For NES
The Jungle Book
Action-Adventure | 4 MB
Release: July 1994
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Disney's The Jungle Book has landed on the NES in the form of a miniaturized version of its more advanced console sibling. Courtesy of Virgin, Nintendo owners will soon be swinging through trees and throwing bananas at snakes in this retelling of Mowgli's story. Strikingly similar to the Genesis and Super NES creation, Jungle Book on NES enjoys decent visuals and well-defined backgrounds, and likewise suffers from horrid, repeating sounds and music. One major gameplay difference is the lack of ample vines to grab onto, but in the Summer of '94, NES owners ought to be happy to get any attention. Recommended for the tots as well as NES hold-out owners.

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