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November/December 1993


Square - For SNES
Secret of Mana
Game Type | Game Size | Release
RPG | 16 MB | Oct 1993
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The hard-hitting, RPG-maker Square Soft once more emerges from its laboratories with an exquisite role-player on SNES with Secret of Mana. This 16-meg cart presents a Final Fantasy-like exterior, with action gameplay not unlike that seen on Zelda III. The story revolves around the restoration of a mysterious energy powersource called "mana," although the showstopper in this RPG is more on the gameplay front. Smart AI, real-time combat, extensive weapon variety, and an optional cooperative, two-player mode may make Mana more palatable to American audiences than the traditional, turn-based affair. Or at least Square thinks so.

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VisConcepts - For SNES
ClayFighter
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Fighting | 16 MB | Nov 1993
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Tired of the realistic blood and gore of fighting games nowadays? If so, you may be inclined to pick up the unique brawler ClayFighter, a monster smash at Chicago CES this year. VisualConcepts and Interplay have put together a humorous spin on the fighting genre, pitting angry snowmen and grumpy, green blobs against one another in what sometimes feels like a parody of Mortal Kombat. You still have your usual combo attacks and health bars, but now with impressive, claymation-like graphics and lovably silly sound fx. Under the surface, the core gameplay is rather simplistic without much replay value.

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SoftCreations - For SNES
Plok
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Platformer | 8 MB | Sept 1993
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Plok, a character described in the game manual as the manifestation of "pure energy," is an, erm, unique protagonist in one of the most brightly lit and psychedelic platformers to date. In this hair-raising adventure through jigsaw puzzles and lush meadows, the player will guide Plok as he collects shells, bashes baddies, and rescues his coveted flags. Software Creations did very well with this title, programming quality play control as well as catchy-as-heck music. No passwords, saves, or easy continues, so keep your limbs close (even as Plok tosses them around!) and remember to look before you leap!

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Capcom - For GENESIS
SFII: SCE
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Fighting | 24 MB | Sept 1993
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If you've read through our Nintendo vs. Sega article from September, you'd know exactly how we feel about Street Fighter II: Special Championship Edition and how it compares to Turbo on SNES. Frankly, we love it! First, get yourself a six-button controller before even thinking about buying this cart. With that taken care of, you'll have a blast. The whole package is a faithful carry-over from the arcades, complete with a lightning-fast speed mode and killer graphics. Our biggest gripe is in the sound department, but we'll gladly take it over Turbo's slowdown problem.

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Treasure - For GENESIS
Gunstar Heroes
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Action-Shooter | 16 MB | Sept 1993
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This caught us by surprise! Now available for your Sega Genesis is Gunstar Heroes a fun and chaotic action game developed by Treasure. This cart is the first ever title published by this studio, and boy-oh-boy does this set the bar high. Gunstar is a kick-butt scrolling shooter game with non-stop action and intensity to keep you occupied. Think Contra paired with the speedy nature of Sonic. Excellent chip music, a diverse cast if baddies to fight, tough as nails combat, and beautiful stage design makes this a game worth your time and spare cash. Not to mention a sick 2-player mode!

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Virgin - For GENESIS
Aladdin
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Platformer | 16 MB | Oct 1993
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Riff raff. Street rat. We don't buy that! Disney's Aladdin on Genesis is the latest translation of an animated film to gaming consoles, and do not be deceived by the kid-friendly branding of this platformer, we had a heck of a time with this cart. As we mentioned in last issue's preview, Virgin Games brought aboard Disney animators to assist with this project, and their work shines in the fantastic sprite work and character movements. The addictive gameplay is above average and level variety hits the spot: from the streets of Agrabah to the halls of Jafar's Palace. Movie-quality magic!

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SEGA - For SEGA-CD
Sonic CD
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Platformer | CD | Nov 1993
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The Hedgehog finally makes it out on CD! Our spunky, spiny mascot for all things Sega makes his CD debut with Sonic CD due out just before Thanksgiving here in the USA. Everything you love from this hero's first two outings are here in spades: Ring-collecting in a varied assortment of stages (70+!) complete with springs, loop-de-loops, and corkscrews aplenty. The CD audio tracks are fantastic and a huge step-up from the chip music on the carts, though some critics doubt whether the jump to Sega-CD has introduced much else new to the series. Regardless, a stellar game if you've enjoyed Sonic 2 or any similar, prickly offerings.

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GmeArts - For SEGA-CD
Silpheed
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Shooter | CD | Nov 1993
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It's a long time comin', but Sega's long-awaited answer to the spaceflight shooting featured in Star Fox has made it to store shelves. Far off in the 31st Century, the Galaxy Union and the Colony Fleet come under surprise attack by space-dwelling terrorists. Only the Silpheed squad can take them on. If nothing else, Silpheed is a technical wonder, using advanced 3-D polygonal graphics to imitate realistic sci-fi. Digitized voices and cutscenes make the journey feel evermore lifelike, with a hint of Star Wars for good measure, but the core gameplay revives more memories of Galaxian than anything resembling Star Fox.

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Sony - For SEGA-CD
Dracula
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Action | CD | Nov 1993
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A mysterious, caped creature has risen from the dark depths to wreak havoc on your Sega-CD! Is it Batman? No, it's Count Dracula straight from the 1992 mega-hit film. Despite having been hyped up for about a year on some other mags, Bram Stoker's film-to-game does not blow us away by any measure. On aesthetics alone, sure. The pseudo 3-D rendered backgrounds, full-motion video cutscenes, and digitized character models are a pleasant sight. Yet the essence of the gameplay is merely a supped-up (and slowed down) conversion of Kung Fu, an NES game from nearly a decade ago. We'd say pass.

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CryDyn - For 3DO
Crash 'N' Burn
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Racing | CD | Oct 1993
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Buckle-in and prepare to zoom down the track in this premier title available to the 3DO REAL Multiplayer at launch. Crystal Dynamics' high-speed racing game has some spectacular graphics in tow, including realistic 3-D horizons with long-range viewing distance that puts Super Off Road to shame. Each race is exhilarating and a touch dangerous, and afterward the player can purchase new gear and weaponry. We especially enjoyed the Hellfire Rotogun! Game controls are not as tight as we hoped and unlike F-Zero there's no chance of drifting off-road. The music also kind of stinks. Looking forward to an improved (theoretical) Crash 2!

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FTL - For TG-16 CD
Theron's Quest
Game Type | Game Size | Release
RPG | CD | Sept 1993
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A rarer sight to see than Turbo fans would prefer, Dungeon Master: Theron's Quest is a localization of a Japan-only CD game (Seriously, the Japanese Turbo library is HUGE!). Originally released in autumn of '92, this dungeon crawler and puzzle explorer opens with a pretty, anime-style animated sequence which details the somewhat cookie-cutter plot: Find stolen treasures, redemption, etc. Thanks to an easy to use, icon-based interface, it's a breeze to control your party and swap out weapons and items. Theron's complex dungeons does not do much in the way of innovation, and this aged title is unlikely to persuade players to pick up a Duo.

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Capcom - For NES
Mega Man 6
Game Type | Game Size | Release
Platformer | 4 MB | Dec 1993
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Mega Man has returned to mop the floor with the deranged Dr. Wily for the umpteenth time in the all-new 6th iteration on the NES. You'd think by now they'd have dumped this loony doc on Riker's. We tease, we tease. Standard fare it may be, Mega Man 6 is as fun as ever. It's hard to grow tired of vanquishing evil robots and absorbing their superpowers for future use. Mega even has a jetpack this time to rapidly cruise through the skies! Capcom does well across-the-board, but in the end 8-bits is 8-bits. Do enjoy it for what it is if you've managed to hold on to your NES, but in the meantime we'll be eagerly awaiting X on SNES when that cart makes landfall next year.

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