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December 1994


JVC - For SNES
Ghoul Patrol
Action-Shooter | 8 MEG
Release: November 1994
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Having discovered a mysterious book in a glowing chest, paranormal fans Zeke and Julie incidentally summoned demons of the past. Save the demon's victims before it is too late! Ghoul Patrol is an overhead action-shooter title inspired by the ghosts of cinema past. Players will fight throughout five multistage levels of boggling terror in this spooky game, rescuing helpless fools and tearin' up monsters. This is a hushed sequel to last year's Konami classic Zombies Ate My Neighbors, made clear by the similar gameplay stylings and protagonist designs. Although a few handy tricks have been added to the mix, like sliding under obstacles, Zombies remains the superior cart. Loads of ghoulish fun anyway!

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Konami - For SNES
Sparkster
Action-Platformer | 8 MEG
Release: October 1994
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Returning for a second run is Sparkster, the jetpack-clad possum from the spectacular platformer Rocket Knight Adventures. This time our marsupial friend has landed on SNES! Featuring Konami's gold-ranked graphical touches and superb play control, this high-flying lad looks and plays great on Nintendo. Sparkster exhibits constant, heart-thumping action from start to finish, meaning players must be wary of enemies poised to strike at all angles. Rocket toward 'em or perform a whack-attack while hanging upside-down. There is a heck ton of enemy repetition, however, and we found the Genesis edition of Sparkster stronger in the playability department. These levels are too dang short as well!

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Nintendo - For SNES
Super Punch-Out!!
Boxing | 16 MEG
Release: October 1994
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Ding ding ding! A beloved boxing simulator from the NES days makes a triumphant return with Super Punch-Out!!, an additional piece to Nintendo's holiday game-fest. Duke it out with a crew of wacky and weird foes in full-size sprites, from old-time favorites like Bald Bull to Jamaican powerhouse Bob Charlie. Work your way up the ladder to fight the greatest boxers of all-time (Though we are sadly missing Mike Tyson from the picture. -Jet). As with the original cart, the Super edition ensures that controls are as accurate as can be. That means once Mr. Bruiser whoops you for the hundredth time, you cannot go blaming the controller! We were glad to see a battery backup, too, for when it's time to retire.

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Capcom - For SNES
Great Circus Mystery
Action-Platformer | 12 MEG
Release: October 1994
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In this sequel to last year's Magical Quest, Mickey and Minnie Mouse must take to the center ring and discover what has gone amiss at the circus. Explore six levels in all, collecting various costumes to gain special abilities. The Great Circus Mystery displays emotive sprites and an array of colors much in-line with Capcom's prior Disney platformers, but on the gameplay front, our team found this one far easier than any Mickey Mouse game in recent memory. Younger players or those new to the world of video games will find this number enchanting, yet those of us with a gaming pedigree are advised to steer clear. Of the two mouse titles out this holiday, PPM picks Mickey Mania.

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ElectroBrain - For SNES
Vortex
3-D Shooter | 4 MEG+SFX
Release: September 1994
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Now making its third appearance since back-to-back successes in Star Fox and Stunt Race FX, the Super-FX chip serves as the core membrane for ElectroBrain and Argonaut Software's Vortex, an ambitious 3-D shooter. Within the scope of an open polygonal world, this unique title puts players inside of a giant robotic vehicle capable of morphing into new modes to fit their needs (I'm getting Cybermorph flashbacks! -Jet). Your vehicle may be rather impressively detailed, however enemies will mainly appear as undefinable shapes as they did in Star Fox. We admire the attempt at greatness and give kudos to the graphics team, but complicated controls weigh this sucker down a peg or two.

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Bandai - For SNES
Power Rangers
Brawler | 16 MEG
Release: September 1994
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You've seen the TV show, bought the action figures, and worn the underwear. Time for the Sentai heroes to bring their fighting action to the gaming scene. Bandai's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers for SNES, a separate entity from the same-named Genesis title, is a comic action title with brawler elements. Pick any one of the five rangers and work to thwart the plans of the evil Rita Repulsa. The folks over at Bandai developed this game with a younger audience in mind, so the controls are a cinch, and the overall difficulty is on the milder side. MMPR's graphical presentation is average, as is the sound design. Bashing foes with the ranger suit is lots of fun, we will admit. Shame this is one-player only.

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SEGA - For GENESIS
Ecco: Tides of Time
Action-Platformer | 16 MEG
Release: November 1994
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Sega and Novotrade's high-flying dolphin buddy swims back to our hearts in Ecco 2: The Tides of Time. Journeying below the water's surface never looked so beautiful as in this cart. Gorgeous colors grace your TV screen, practically leaping from the set as easy as this dolphin jumps from the sea. The gameplay is fun and varied. You'll go from traversing transparent tubes on one screen to jumping through rings in 3-D environments. Ecco can also transform into various creatures like a seagull to avoid detection - a handy trick! Some players may dislike the harder quests in Ecco 2, which are pretty much given without guidance or direction. If the original caught your (fish)eye, this is a no-brainer!

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Konami - For GENESIS
Sparkster
Action-Platformer | 16 MEG
Release: October 1994
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Returning for a second run is Sparkster, the jetpack-clad possum from the spectacular plat- oh wait we said that already. Yes, Rocket Knight 2 comes to Genesis as well, and to our surprise, the Sega version is easily the better choice. Join the valiant marsupial Sparkster as he embarks on a journey to save his home world of Eginasem from evil forces. Konami delivered to Genesis players pinpoint-accurate play control, awesome special effects, super cool bosses, and an overall absolutely intense experience. Platform games are nothing new to games players nowadays, but the clever programmers behind Sparkster have just about perfected the formula. Treasure ought to look out!

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Sunsoft - For GENESIS
Zero Squirrel
Action-Platformer | 16 MEG
Release: November 1994
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Zero: The Kamikaze Squirrel is your standard 16-Bit action-platformer with an acorn's worth of uniqueness thrown in. Zero is Aero the Acrobat's nemesis. Just like Wario before him, this bad dude is starring in his very own game. While we critiqued Aero upon release for doldrum gameplay and slippery play control, Zero has thankfully remedied some of these issues. Use martial arts techniques to overcome the baddies, whipping butt with throwing stars and a neat-o nunchaku. Iguana Entertainment has included a bunch of fun bonus levels, too! The only downsides here lie with some tricky platforming and a subpar heavy metal-ish soundtrack. We say rent this one first and decide for yourself.

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Viacom - For GENESIS
Beavis and Butthead
Puzzle-Platformer | 16 MEG
Release: October 1994
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Quit it, Fartknocker! Beavis and Butthead may not be the finest example of quality entertainment, but the two MTV stars have nonetheless shown up to cause some havoc on the Genesis. Your mission: Make it to the GWAR concert on time. To accomplish this, players must solve a jumble of puzzles, collect ticket pieces, and use your nasty offensive tactics to clear the way when necessary. This cart's graphical style is straight from the television show - warts and all. The gameplay is so-so, nothing revolutionary, but this one ain't no walk in the park. Some of the puzzle-solving elements can be a head-scratcher, so figuring them out may lead for long play sessions. Not for younger players.

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Interplay - For GENESIS
Boogerman
Action-Platformer | 16 MEG
Release: November 1994
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Prepare to be plucked! Fans of the gross-out genre will have a hoot and holler with Interplay's ultra-nasty Boogerman, a title exclusive to the Genesis. This noxious superhero attacks enemies with a barrage of nauseating attacks, from booger-flicking to atomic burps. So-called "butt blasts" were added to this array as well. Gather up capes for energy and milk for spit power-ups as you help guide Boogerman down five massive worlds. Now, we can tell these programmers put their heart and soul in this one. The presentation is a parallel dimension's Aladdin. The graphics convey the nastiness intended, the sound effects are disgusting, and the game plays just fine. No need to hold your nose!

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Accolade - For GENESIS
Bubsy 2
Action-Platformer | 16 MEG
Release: October 1994
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Oh, hairballs! Bubsy is back and, erm, not precisely better than ever. Bubsy the Bobcat, the King of Mediocrity, stumbles back onto Genesis and SNES courtesy of Accolade. This cat has scored a new position leading tour groups around a far-out museum called the Amazatorium. Bubsy 2 will have players exploring the wings of this facility in search of the big bad guy, Oinker P. Hamm. Indeed, the story is quite dull, as is the full game. Out of the many platformers available today, most of which with superior graphics and engaging gameplay, there is no need to consider picking this up. Be sure to check out the latest Slime of the Season to see a bit more of our thoughts on this hairbrained sequel.

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Konami - For SEGA-CD
Snatcher
Adventure | CD
Release: December 1994
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Players searching for a dark adventure title should look no further than the fantastic Snatcher on Sega-CD. Gillian Seed, a gloomy detective-type, is on the hunt to root out murderous droids. Stroll the streets of Neo-Kobe and get down with some real investigation. This dramatic, cyberpunk tale was an ultra-hit in Japan. Now US players can get a feel for this film-like experience. Full voicework from talented actors accompany the involving story, as does a flawless musical score and all-too realistic sprite graphics. Quick load times, too! Clue-finding will lead to some ungodly carnage and mature themes, meaning no kids allowed. If you can handle the mayhem and own a Sega-CD, buy this now!

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Atari - For JAGUAR
Alien vs Predator
3-D Shooter | 16 MEG
Release: October 1994
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At long last, Jaguar's Doom-like 3-D shooter has hit store shelves everywhere. After far-reaching hype stretching from conferences to magazine spreads, is Alien vs Predator the next big leap in gaming? Well, on the upside, the graphics presented in AVP are hyper-realistic and fans of the Alien and Predator movies will find loads of familiarity here. With the option to control either the two eponymous beasts or the Marine, there is a sense of built-in replayability. However, the controller scheme is totally wackadoo and the choppy scrolling makes for a rough time. Not to mention a nigh-impossible difficulty. Just try surviving on these maps! That glorious Doom hook is MIA.

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Atari - For JAGUAR
Kasumi Ninja
Fighter | 32 MEG
Release: December 1994
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So far in the Jag's lifespan, players have not been able to catch onto a true-to-form fighting game. That is no longer the case thanks to Kasumi Ninja. This Atari-published title, developed by Hand Made Software, is an ultra-violent fighter in the mold of Mortal Kombat. Like MK, Kasumi features giant, fully digitized graphics and bloody spurts aplenty. The similarities are a bit too uncanny, to tell the truth, except the sloppy play control reduces this one far below its supposed inspiration. While impressive on a technical level, Kasumi suffers from poor gameplay, unoriginal ideas, and one horrific kilt-lifting move (pictured). How about an actual MK 2 port instead, Atari? Put those 64-Bits to good use!

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Taito - For Game Boy
Space Invaders
Shooter | 4 MEG
Release: November 1994
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The legendary arcade game from the 1970s returns! Space Invaders by Taito is a recreation of the original with several new gameplay elements and options. Shoot down alien spacecraft as a lowly tank, using floating shields to your advantage to block their blasts. Let's not fool ourselves here, this is as basic a shooter as you can conceivably get. Although, when you pop this cart into the Super Game Boy, you will be greeted with a special, full-color display reminiscent of the classic arcade cabinet. In addition, the SGB unlocks a couple fun menus to further customize the screen. This flashy surprise aside, Space Invaders is a relic of times long gone by, and probably should remain buried.

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SEGA - For Game Gear
The Lion King
Action-Platformer | 4 MEG
Release:November 1994
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The Lion King roars onto the portable scene with this latest iteration for the Sega Game Gear. This cart follows the story of the critically acclaimed Disney film, putting the player in the role of Simba the Lion. Showcasing much of the same building blocks of the 16-Bit title, TLK on Game Gear is an excellent conversion. Bright colors adorn each humungous stage and Simba is animated quite well. The level designs are a touch different, and the reworked and downgraded audio is not too great, but our team felt this cart captured the same feeling as on the SNES and Genesis. This adventure is a certain buy for owners of Sega's micro console, and with its instant appeal to kids, we bet it'll sell like hotcakes.

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Nintendo - For NES
Wario's Woods
Puzzle | 4 MEG
Release: December 1994
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What's this, then? An all-new NES game developed by Nintendo? The old Nintendo lives on! Wario's Woods is a fun little puzzler starring Mario's evil counterpart from the Game Boy Land series. Combining equal parts Tetris, Yoshi, and Dr. Mario, this brain-bending title is great way to spend an afternoon. Reduce the pile of bombs by matching three or more of the same color - that's it! Seems simple enough, until the action kicks up to ludicrous speeds! Fight against the computer player in regular rounds or a timed race or choose to square-up with friends in two-player battle mode. Woods is out for NES as well as SNES, but for $10 less, we say you ought to pick up this 8-Bit cart. Keep that old box alive!

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