PyroPlayers Magazine - PPM Reviews

32X

Web of Fire

Sega BlueSky Soft

Act-Platformer Release: March 1996
Age Rating: All Challenge: Easy

Everyone's favorite web-slinger returns for another round with Spider-Man: Web Of Fire on 32X. To our sincerest disappointment, despite the ramped-up muscle of the Sega add-on console and the fantastic adventure a hero like Spider-Man deserves, Web of Fire just plain sucks. Spidey can bash enemies with repeated pressing of the main attack button, climb vertically up buildings, and swing from web shots (Left and right on a 2-D plane -Jet). His only interesting move is the special attack: Calling upon Daredevil to wipe out every enemy on the screen. Elsewise, Spider-Man's relentless pursuit of the nefarious Hydra and its dastardly enforcers is a total slog. Simplistic gameplay, cookie-cutter sound effects, and dull graphics have us wondering why this was reserved for 32X. Our spider sense tells us to avoid this lackluster title at all costs.

32X

Pitfall

Activision Freestyle

Act-Platformer Release: October 1995
Age Rating: Teen Challenge: Hard

Work to traverse hectic jungles and frightening ruins in Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure on 32X. This follow-up to the elder entry on Atari 2600 was also made available on the base Genesis and SNES, and, we hate to say, may indeed be superior on those consoles. A more vibrant color pallet is the only true improvement evident in this "32-Bit" upgrade. To its credit, this does allow for swell environmental effects like shimmering waterfall animations, but two factors make it a no-go. Pitfall suffers from a tremendous amount of screen stuttering and is awarded an additional demerit for sloppy as heck play control - both repugnant traits for any platformer. Even if this title is loaded with hidden treats to excavate, between Harry Jr. imprecise sliding and the jerkiness of the screen, it results in an unpleasant time. Try the SNES version, instead.

32X

Virtua Fighter

Sega Sega

Fighter Release: October 1995
Age Rating: Teen Challenge: Easy

To start, it is one huge surprise that this was released considering recent drought on 32X. It's an even bigger shock to see how well-made this portover of Virtua Fighter plays on the Genesis attachment, almost giving credence to the idea of 32X as a 32-Bit machine. This version of the arcade fighter demonstrates the same type of realistic fighting action and debilitating intensity as ever. All fighters are at your disposal and fighting pleasure, from Lau to Pai, and a handful of additions add a splash of variety. A new, Special Competition Mode is selectable from the menu, as are color palette swaps. You can also now change the camera perspective (Yay? -Jet). Though obviously nowhere close to Saturn's ability, it's impressive to see VF be granted its deserved great graphics and play control on this struggling venue.

32X

Kolibri

Sega Novotrade

Shooter Release: October 1995
Age Rating: All Challenge: Easy

The war is on! Wasps versus Hummingbirds for supremacy in the fight for pollen! From the game makers behind the Ecco the Dolphin series is the 32X-exclusive Kolibri. Not too far a step from Ecco, this title is a gorgeous-looking, atmospheric adventure based all around the animal kingdom. You play as a hummingbird armed with an array of attack types from fireballs to heat-seeking lasers! The shooting action is a bit so-so, but the impressive visuals, fluid animations, and new-age soundtrack push Kolibri up the charts. Check out environments from flowery fields to shaded savannahs with your color-shifting bird hero. The biggest negative with this release is its super short playtime.

32X

Shadow Squadron

Sega Sega TI

3-D Shooter Release: June 1995
Age Rating: All Challenge: Easy

Shadow Squadron from Sega TI is a combat simulator available only on 32X. Exhibiting flat-shaded, polygonal graphics on a starfield backdrop, SS will undeniably be compared to Star Wars Arcade and the pile of other such titles out there. Indeed, it does feel like an off shoot. The bright spot here is with the free roaming gameplay style. Your ship has total freedom of movement and can be directed to attack enemies in any order desired. The off-the-track gameplay, a feature we hope to see in the upcoming Star Fox 2, is only brought down by repetitious environments and enemies as well as poor sound. Playing cooperatively with two players (One gunner, one pilot!) is a joy, nonetheless.

32X

Supreme Warrior

Digital Pictures

FMV Fighter Release: November 1994
Age Rating: Mature Challenge: Easy

From Digital Pictures comes Supreme Warrior for 32X. It seems Sega cannot escape the never-ceasing tide of FMV games on their consoles. Taking place in ancient China, SW presents an expansive story rife with dramatics and sorcery. Your objective is to fight off baddies to protect a sacred treasure, within the context of full-motion video gameplay, of course. Strike according to button prompts that appear on the screen. A series of well-timed attacks will unlock special moves to quickly take out the trash. Tackling this game will take no time at all once players memorize the prompts. Adding in difficulty level options is swell, but this is merely another FMV game barely worth renting for an hour.

32X

Tempo

Sega Red Company

Action-Platformer Release: May 1995
Age Rating: All Challenge: Easy

Featuring a self-proclaimed hip hop, groovin' grasshopper, Tempo is a spectacular, upbeat action-adventure game exclusive to the 32X. Your mission as this groovy bug dude is to save the land of Rythmia from nefarious space octopus and his insect army! Brave a collection of vast side-scrolling stages, all showcasing rich, discotheque backgrounds, unique-looking villains, and hyperactive color galore. Tempo himself is animated beautifully with silky smooth rotation and an array of expressions. We've never seen sprite artwork like this! Polygon, who? Tempo, as the name implies, is music-themed, however the so-so music may be a weak point. Otherwise, we thoroughly enjoyed this cart and encourage 32X owners to try it out.

32X

Zaxxon Motherbase

Sega CRI

Space Shooter Release: June 1995
Age Rating: All Challenge: Intermediate

Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 has emerged on the Sega 32X with a (doomed) hope to renew interest in the long-forgotten arcade classic. Fly your ship through a series of isometric areas rife with obstacles and enemy ships. CRI and Sega opted against including the altitude-shifting ability of the original, instead granting players the ability to jump and dodge over incoming shots. Its best feature, by far, is the "hacking" technique that allows temporary Kirby-esque control over an enemy's power. Still, Zaxxon 2000 is, in essence, a sequel inspired fairly blatantly on SNK's Viewpoint. The flat shaded polygons and odd-shaped ships make the comparison inevitable. Controls are somewhat sluggish too. Good effort, though.

32X

Mortal Kombat II

Acclaim

Fighter Release: March 1995
Age Rating: N/A Challenge: Intermediate

Nothing can really hope to match the excellence of Mortal Kombat II in the arcade. But, if you're sick of losing quarters and getting your butt kicked in public, this 32X version is the next best thing. Indeed, we say this portover is the closest you can get to the coin-op. All of the missing features of the Genesis version have suddenly reappeared: Sound samples, the array of combos, and even the arcade intro scenes. The voices are admittedly still a bit muffled, and a couple of animations are MIA, but fighter fans and arcade perfectionists will be pleased to see this one. If you own a 32X and miss the chance to pick up this stellar iteration of MK2, you can't honestly call yourself a Mortal Maniac.

SEGA - For 32X

After Burner

Shooter | 24 MEG

Release: April 1995

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.

SEGA - For 32X

Space Harrier

Shooter | 24 MEG

Release: January 1995

A classic Sega arcade title returns to the scene with Space Harrier. The fun and addictive gameplay of the original cab is here in all of its glory, minus the hydraulic seat. This cart may be a bit divisive for the younger crew out there. Our team has fond memories of guiding this chap named Harri across the screen, blasting your top-grade bazooka and basking in the killer hardware-scaled environments. Feel free to fly up in the air as well but look out for obstacles! One hit and goodbye! Same goes for those pesky trees. Unlike the old Space Harrier II from the early Genesis years, this cart is an exact replica of the original. If you're looking for a nostalgia trip, give it a try. But look elsewhere for the next big thing.

SEGA - For 32X

Metal Head

3-D Action | 24 MEG

Release: February 1995

Metal Head is a robotic, two-legged tank built to maintain peace and public order (Hey, who wants to watch Robocop? -Jet). Upon popping in this cart, players will control a mechanized monstrosity simply bristling with weapons of all sorts. This is a 3-D textured cyborg slaughter fest with decent-looking polygonal graphics. The player-controlled Metal Head can roam this environment and obliterate a barrage of enemy tanks. Adding in the ability to choose any of four viewpoints was a nice touch by the Sega team. Digitized voice narration provides guidance along each mission - yes! It's good old-fashioned cheese. Do not go in expecting ultra-smooth scrolling like Doom on PC, though.

SEGA - For 32X

Doom

3-D Shooter | 24 MEG

Release: November 1994

Doom on 32X. Need we say more? If you have yet to play Doom, get up from beneath that rock and try this sucker out! This entertaining 3-D slaughter fest features a combat marine working to fight his way outta hell, blasting gruesome monsters and demons that stand in his way. To be clear, this is an inferior iteration as compared with the PC original. The soundtrack was soundly butchered, not all levels are packed-in, and the game featured a giant, distracting border around the screen. Still, the graphics are detailed as ever, and the action is no less smooth than on PC. Though likely rushed to meet the launch deadline set by Sega (And a step-down from the Jaguar port. -Jet), you could do a heck of a lot worse.

SEGA - For 32X

Motocross Champ

Racing | 24 MEG

Release: January 1995

Zoom down the track in a motorcycle contest for the ages in Motocross Championship, an all-new 32X cart exclusive to the system. Sporting exciting racetracks and realistic environments, Motocross attempts to recreate a true-to-life dirt biking competition. It is unfortunate, then, that this cart just plain stinks. The 3-D effect falls flat due to shallow draw distance, meaning it's tough to see the road ahead! The main circuits include 20 competitors who promptly crash into one another at the start of each race. The shoehorned combat element, an aspect totally ripped off from EA's far superior Road Rash from '91, does little to liven things up. Just skip this cart (And think about skipping the 32X, too! -Jet).

SEGA - For 32X

Cosmic Carnage

Fighter | 24 MEG

Release: December 1994

The fourth title available for the 32X, and the first fighting game unveiled thus far, is Cosmic Carnage. This cart showcases a curious mishmash of gameplay elements from Mortal Kombat to Art of Fighting, adding up to a rather unintuitive experience. The roster features a renegade crew of snakes, dinosaurs, and other oddities all fighting to escape a doomed spacecraft. On the graphical front, Cosmic's animation and character design may be commendable, but a horrendous, non-stop zoom effect distracts tremendously from the action taking place. If not for the scaling sideshow, this 32X fighter may have been a fun treat. As is, we say bypass this one and pick up MK2 for Genesis instead.

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