PyroPlayers Magazine - PPM Reviews

SATURN

Black Fire

Sega NovaLogic

Flight Sim Release: October 1995
Age Rating: All Challenge: Hard

Helicopter enthusiasts on the hunt for a worthwhile Saturn release to invest in may have found their salvation in Black Fire. That is, if they can excuse some serious flaws. Your chopper and the texture-mapped worlds are occasionally pretty, as are the opening and interim cinemas. Fighting through an assortment of missions in this simulator will be enjoyable for a select cadre of players. Learning the controls and prompts can be a real challenge, and needless to say it's no fun until this factor is mastered. Lacking in Black Fire is realistic heli-mobility. The copter cannot gain altitude nor have its nose tipped up or down. No alternate camera angles have been provided, either. Nova developed a solid game engine, but this title sorely misses the mark. Skip unless you're a desperate sod.

SATURN

OWI Extreme

Crystal Dynamics

Racing Release: October 1995
Age Rating: Mature Challenge: Hard

Off-World Interceptor, originally released by Crystal Dynamics for 3DO, is now available for both Saturn and PlayStation. Per the devs, this title was reworked to take advantage of the heightened power of the super consoles. There is truth in this assertion, although perhaps not as much as we would have liked. OFW is a far prettier sight than the premier iteration, and the game speed feels faster, too. Dart across giant, turbulent tracks in your ATV, snatching up power-ups and cash whilst taking out unyielding swarms of enemies. Multiple play modes are available, including a story mode, arcade mode, and mostly fun competitive multi-player. The Mystery Science Theater 3000-esque cinemas are a hilarious addition as well. Certain weekend fun to be had.

SATURN

Cyber Speedway

Sega NexTech

Racing Release: September 1995
Age Rating: Teen Challenge: Intermediate

For a racing thrill that is certain to make your stomach turn (On Saturn, this time! -Jet), try out Cyber Speedway from NexTech. Not unlike Wipeout, Speedway encompasses exhilarating anti-gravity races with a selection of crafts and racetracks to take part in. Albeit imaginative and fresh for a 3-D racer, this release sadly pales in comparison to the aforementioned PlayStation entry. Beyond subpar graphics and mediocre sound effects, the play control in Speedyway suffers from poor handling. All vehicles feel the same: Floaty, traction-less, and unpredictable. For racing games like this one, an unimpressive control scheme is a death sentence. On the upside, contests against the computer-controlled competitors prove a fierce challenge. Hardly worth a rental.

SATURN

Virtual Hydlide

Sega T&E Soft

Action-RPG Release: September 1995
Age Rating: All Challenge: Intermediate

Our hero must save the kingdom of an evil spirit. Generic, we know. Virtual Hydlide is a bottom-up recreation of the original 1984 Sega release. This one is a brave attempt to re-invent role-playing games for the 32-Bit generation as well as make up for a serious lack of RPGs on Saturn. Players control a character in a 360-degree environment, and fight monsters in real-time. Block enemy strikes with your shield, and utilize two sword attacks to get damage in. The player will discover various gear and magical items to help gain some power. There is no experience meter that boosts your abilities after killing baddies, but rather general stat increases when you complete tasks. Albeit visually fair to look at, the gameplay is awkward, tedious, and slow as molasses. This simple world is an empty snoozefest as well.

SATURN

Virtua Fighter RX

Sega Sega AM1

Fighter Release: September 1995
Age Rating: Teen Challenge: Intermediate

Sega, have you been holding out on us? Virtua Fighter Remix is a graphically enhanced version of the original VF with some rockin' textures that almost feel like VF2 in the arcade! It plainly smokes the pack-in with quality texture mapping that adds some personality to the blocky fighters. It reduces any painful flickering, too. The gameplay is otherwise completely unchanged, so players hoping for a total overhaul will need to stay patient. Sega reports that anyone who purchased the Saturn prior to Sept. 30 will receive a free copy of this disc, so be sure to jump on that if you can. Our crew presented our review of VR back in July (seen here), and our take on the game is generally the same despite the graphical evolution. Definitely recommended to fans of polygonal fighters.

SATURN

Robotica

Acclaim Micronet

3-D Shooter Release: August 1995
Age Rating: Teen Challenge: Intermediate

Otherwise known as The Daedalus Encounter, Robotica is a first-person action game exclusive to the Sega Saturn. Upon turning this disc on, players will notice the excellent cinemas that immediately draw one into the story. The core gameplay of Robotica is along the lines of Doom, that is, a corridor-based shooter. However, the scrolling is wonderfully smooth, and the 3-D graphics showcased here are very nice. Players can discover an array of secret passages and traps, as well as usable objects littered throughout the Aliens-esque space station, intermingled with pre-rendered FMV footage to enhance the blaring action. Keep an eye on your radar and search out those keys as fast as you can! Each stage objective is the same, which can certainly get monotonous after a while.

SATURN

Astal

Sega Sega CS2

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

Astal, simply stated, is the most gorgeous-looking game yet seen on 32-Bit. The art direction behind this side-scroller deserves an Academy Award for presenting a visual treat that puts most TV cartoons nowadays to shame. Joyfully warm and Disney-like spritework accompanies the player character and each type of foe, thus giving our eyes a break from the abundance of jagged computer animation on the scene. Vibrant backgrounds are integrated perfectly with each stage, and a plethora of neat-o zooming effects keep the action interesting. The core gameplay in Astal is familiar to any games player: Run-and-jump platforming. It is also far too short. Some may beat this one in under an hour. Still, the artistry is worth the admission price.

SATURN

Bug!

Sega Realtime Assoc.

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

Bug is trying to make it big as a Hollywood actor in an unforgiving world. Having finally signed a lead role in an action film, the titular character (Yes, his name is actually "Bug") must navigate a plethora of platforming scenes to rescue his fictional family from the evil Queen Cadavra. Now, here we have a game with a splash of innovation. Bug can travel side-to-side like a traditional platformer, but also vertically and upside-down in stunning 3-D geometrical fashion. Once you've conquered some risky leaps, taken out enemy insects, and completed each level, a nice-looking rendered cutscene will tell the next story bit. These high-tech graphics show off what is capable on Saturn. Nitpick: Bug's Gex-like one-liners suck.

SATURN

Myst

Acclaim Interprog

Adventure Release: August 1995
Age Rating: All Challenge: Intermediate

Look out for the Myst! The critically acclaimed Macintosh adventure game from Cyan has been repackaged by Sunsoft for a summertime release on Saturn. Be transported to a wonderous and weird plane rife with oddities and mystery. You, the first-person traveler, must rely on your wits to solve an assortment of puzzles to learn more of the world and how to escape it. Keep close attention to every clue, you'll need it! Myst on Saturn, like on home computer, is a point-and-click game with a sequence of rendered pictures to move through. Each environmental shot is graphically rendered with tip-top realism in mind. Saturn owners should try this out, if anything to catch a glimpse at one of the prettiest adventure games made yet.

SATURN

Clockwork Knight

Sega Team Aquila

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

Clockwork Knight is the premier platforming game for the Sega Saturn. By taking the stage as the first true, 32-Bit Sega platformer, CK may raise some expectations. Best lower those, now. On the positive end, this title certainly has loads of heart. Its main character, a love-crazed mechanical toy named Pepperouchau, is in search of an abducted princess. Guiding him through a plethora of stages with impressive scaling effects, 3-D visuals, and realistic background objects is indeed a joy. But we must say this one plays it too straight. Aside from the glorious eye candy, the core of CK has been done before. In essence, this is a Mario-like coated in false depth and shallow gameplay. Enjoyable, but best as a rental only.

SATURN

Daytona USA

Sega Sega AM2

Racing Release: May 1995
Age Rating: All Challenge: Intermediate

Racing in from the arcade scene is Daytona USA, a spectacular and realistic experience for the Saturn. If not for the shining beacon that is Ridge Racer, we at PPM could easily dub Daytona the king next-gen racers. Now, although the graphical presentation may lose a bit of resolution and color array compared to the arcade, there is no doubt this disc will blow gamers away. Its gameplay is spectacular, retaining nearly all features that made the original such a success. Collisions are here, as are swerving competitors, powerslides, and an easy-to-learn control scheme which will prove rewarding with practice. Not to mention, the famous and uber catchy tunes also grace this iteration.

SATURN

Virtua Fighter

Sega Sega AM2

Fighter Release: May 1995
Age Rating: Teen Challenge: Intermediate

Sega's groundbreaking 3-D game, Virtua Fighter, is now available for home console play courtesy of the supercharged Sega Saturn. The developers behind this portover sought out to generate the most faithful adaptation possible to broadcast the prowess of Saturn, and, to their credit, the final product is pretty good. All of the fighters made the transition intact, as did all moves and combos. Button entry for combo attacks are (mostly) faithfully translated, meaning arcade die-hards will have no issues. The music is phenomenal as well. Otherwise, the graphics are a clear step-down from the cab and movement fluidity is sorely lacking. You can tell some earnest effort was put in, though.

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