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January 1996


PLAYSTATION
Rapid Reload
Sony CE   Media Vision
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Action-Shooter   Release: September 1995
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Intermediate

Fans of the Genesis action game Gunstar Heroes are in for a real treat. Rapid Reload, also known as Gunner's Heaven in Japan, is a marvelous 2-D shooter exclusive to the PlayStation. This disc manages to build on a winning 16-Bit formula with much-improved graphics and zippy gameplay. It pulls together tons of sprites all at once (No polygons!) and demands you smash the firing button as fast as possible. Blast apart anything and everything that moves to the point of utter exhaustion. It will only take a mere few hours for aficionados of this genre to complete all Rapid Reload has to offer, but this gunner provides quality in absolute spades. The music jams, as do the plethora of sound effects. Though it lacks the same sort of innovation PS-X owners have come to expect, it soundly accomplishes what it set out to do.

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PLAYSTATION
Defcon 5
Data East   Millennium
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3-D Shooter   Release: November 1995
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Hard

Showcasing a modified spin on the familiar Doom formula, Defcon 5, from the folks at Millennium, is a part-shooter, part action-strategy game set in an intriguing space setting. You, the player, are assigned the role of programmer sent by a vast enterprise to integrate security protocols onto various intergalactic systems. As the systems go online, however, you learn something has gone amiss! Build-up automated gun turrets and drones at specified locations, and work to warn off enemy ships as their waves of soldier infiltrate and destroy. This one is less fast-paced than standard 3-D shooters, and yet we feel the tactical element adds much more to this challenging disc. Special kudos go out to the team for great, atmospheric sound fx and fitting musical tunes. Those looking for a game with serious depth can find it here.

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PLAYSTATION
Discworld
Psygnosis   Teeny Weeny
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Adventure   Release: November 1995
Age Rating: Teen   Challenge: Intermediate

Based on the British novel of the same name, Terry Pratchett's PC hit Discwold is now available on PlayStation. This is an adventure title set in a wonderous fantasy world filled to the brim with sorcerers, dragons, and other such genre staples. As one may expect with this type of game, the player is quickly thrown into a tangled web of wacky scenarios and bizarre sequences. Discworld's gameplay is fairly straightforward: Talk to everyone you see to gain a better insight into the plot and world around you, collect useful items, and sort out an assortment of tricky puzzles to advance the story forward. Dialogue all throughout is fun and entertaining (Not quite LucasArts levels, though -Jet). Experienced actors Eric Idle and Jon Pertwee lend their talents to this one, as well. Alas, its fun humor aside, this remains a middling experience.

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SATURN
High Velocity
Atlus   Cave
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Racing   Release: November 1995
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Intermediate

High Velocity, an Atlas-published title for the Saturn, is a rather fun car racing simulator with several key elements which separate it from the pack. Dissimilar from the Dayonta USA styled circuit racer, HV promotes a competitive touring scene. Think steep, real steep. This disc features well-developed simultaneous racing in an extraordinary mountainous, alpine setting. Drive through picturesque landscapes with a powerful degree of verticality, winding roads, sudden tunnels, and much more. Our favorite bit here the dynamic split-screen - Screens will merge once players begin driving close to one another. To our dismay, the play control here just is not implemented all that well, which in a steering-sensitive genre may be a real deal-breaker. Decent graphics and the lack of redraw brings HV up a notch.

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SATURN
Sega Rally
Sega   Sega AM3
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Racing   Release: November 1995
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Intermediate

Replicating the splendid job Sega managed with their conversion of Virtual Fighter 2, AM3 skillfully ported the brilliant arcade racer Sega Rally to the Saturn. Sega Rally Championship sports gorgeous, arcade-like graphics, stunning and fast gameplay, and a hefty dose of challenge to keep any interested party occupied for hours (Which you may need, if you want to earnestly improve performance. -Jet). Race on the three tracks, Forest, Mountain, and Desert, either in a circuit format or individually. Play control is extremely close to the arcade iteration, minus the steering wheel accessory - unless you go out and purchase one separately. Tracks will save your best time and allow you to race against a semi-transparent version of yourself to practice as you play. Split-screen multi-player is available as well. Nice!

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SATURN
Thunderstrike 2
U.S. Gold   Core Design
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Flight Sim   Release: December 1995
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Easy

Core Design is a studio that has churned out a selection of high-quality hits on Genesis, Sega CD, and PC, consistently raising the bar in all of the genres it takes on. This entry on Saturn and Playstation, a true sequel to the original Thunderstrike, aka Thunderhawk, may underperform expectations a tad. This disc is a 3-D helicopter shooter with a dose of strategy mixed in. "Simulator" may be a bit too generous. Your vehicle carries its own health bar which will gradually decrease as you hit trees, enemy missiles, and when you accidentally crash - er, bounce - into the ground. Play control is not too shabby, thanks to Core allowing each toggle like weapon selection and camera rotation to have its own dedicated button. The biggest drawback here is too much redraw. Polygons will pop in endlessly.

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SNES
Mega Man X3
Capcom
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Act-Platformer   Release: January 1996
Age Rating: All     Challenge: Hard

Capcom continues its long running Mega Man platformer series with an all-new iteration, (expectantly) named Mega Man X3. Once more, you gain control over the cybernetic hero and fight it out with an array of evil robot masters, gaining possession of their abilities as they are defeated. X3 introduces the option to customized Mega Man with your own balance of power-ups to conquer certain areas easier. A specialized power-up slot may also be used to boost any ability tenfold. Navigating levels and solving tricky subsections can be accomplished either with X or Zero, the latter capable of utilizing his massive strength and high durability to turn any enemy into total rubble. The formula is an enjoyable one, we admit, although we would have preferred more than a retread. Capcom's trademarked challenge is present, nevertheless.

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SNES
Prehistorik Man
Kemco   Titus FR
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Act-Platformer   Release: January 1996
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Intermediate

Kemco brought forth for SNES owners a platforming game straight out of the Stone Age (In a good way! -Jet). Exhibiting just how well certain developers have familiarized themselves with the Super Nintendo by its sixth year on the market, Prehistorik Man is one of the more superb third-party titles to emerge in quite a while. It is visually impressive, bright and vivid from all angles. It shows off 6-layer parallax scrolling effects, double transparencies, and huge numbers of sprites on-screen at once. Answering the only real criticism we had of games like Astal and other 32-Bit platformers, PM is a long adventure with more than 20 levels to conquer! PM's protagonist, a caveman, is delightfully animated and amusing to boot. His ability to use an assortment of tools from pogo sticks to hang gliders keep this a fun journey.

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SNES
Big Sky Trooper
JVC   LucasArts
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Act-Platformer   Release: October 1995
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Intermediate

This is a strange and interesting title programmed by the LucasArts team mostly known for innovative and imaginative adventure games. The idea here is a conglomerate of space slugs are wreaking havoc across the galaxy, and it is your duty to eliminate them and stop the dreaded Sultan of Slime. Aboard an advanced spaceship, your character will equip a mech suit and, upon your request, beam down to an alien planet to begin the seek and destroy mission. The heart of Big Sky Trooper is a top-down action-shooter. It heavily borrows from another LucasArts game, Zombies Ate My Neighbors: Killing repetitious enemies, finding upgrades strewn about the levels, and rescuing distressed civilians. Shoot down slugs as fast as you can, otherwise they will join into groups and be much tougher to take down. It's worth a rental to check it out.

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GENESIS
Gargoyles
Buena Vista   Disney Interactive
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Act-Platformer   Release: November 1995
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Intermediate

Disney Interactive's Gargoyles is a surprise winner on Genesis! Not to get too ahead of ourselves, Gargoyles, for those not in-the-know, is a Disney Afternoon cartoon about a team of nocturnal crime-fighters that turn to stone in the daytime. The DI team successfully captured the spirit and atmosphere of the television show, delivering first and foremost brilliant art and animation. The titular heroes, straight from the toon, impressively attack their foes and use all modes of abilities, from wall-scaling to double-jumping. The dim locales are a treat to explore. Busting through glass as a stone creature never looked so cool! On the downside, Gargoyles sadly allows mandatory damage in many spots weighing it down, especially during boss fights. Play control can be somewhat spotty, too. Worth a certain try.

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3DO
Lost Eden
Virgin Interactive   Cryo
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Adventure   Release: November 1995
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Intermediate

Combining stellar animated segments with a collection of fantastic puzzles to work out, Lost Eden is a noteworthy port for 3DO. If you cannot run this on your PC, this version is certainly the way to go. Cryo imagined a totally unique setting for this adventure game, a fantasy world where humans live alongside intelligent dinosaurs. Your mission is to stop an evil, conquering Tyrannosaurus from enslaving the world, doing so step-by-step over the course of several smaller sequences. The computer-generated world is fantastic, complete with brilliant, pre-rendered scenery, rich backgrounds, and a plethora of well-done FMV cinemas. We thoroughly commend the ethereal musical score as well. Lost Eden's interface, a rotating pointer cube, is pleasant enough to use as a mouse-substitute.

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GAME GEAR
Tails' Adventure
Sega   Aspect
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Act-Platformer   Release: November 1995
Age Rating: All   Challenge: Easy

It's about time Tails got his own game! The two-tailed fox from the Sonic series makes his debut as a solo act with Tails' Adventure. Tails takes on an abundance of mostly traditional platform stages, collecting rings to build-up health to safely make your way to the goal. This fox can make use of special inventory items to assist on the way, like timed bombs and remote-controlled craft. You cannot merely jump on a baddie to kill it - You must make use of these items. Tails thankfully retains his trademarked flight ability, allowing him to hover over any dangerous obstacles along the way. This Game Gear cart makes excellent use of the hardware, delivering nicely colored, crisp graphics and finely tuned play control. Lots of secrets throughout each stage will keep even experienced players busy.

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