PyroPlayers Magazine - PPM Reviews

SEGA CD

Batman & Robin

Sega ClockworkTortoise

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

Some time ago, Malibu Interactive retooled Batman Returns, a subpar Genesis beat-em-up, into a rather exceptional Sega CD game. It is sad to see the same team failed to replicate this magic with Batman & Robin. Instead of improving on the Genesis iteration while adding new elements (We daresay an underrated sort of CD game! -Jet), this version eliminates all brawler segments and instead focuses all gameplay on chase sequences with the Batmobile. The whole dodge-and-shoot mechanic is fine at first, but that's the entire game, here. Gameplay is divided between FMV clips of the eponymous animated series, but after that sequence, it's back to the Batmobile! C'mon, let us control the Caped Crusader!

SEGA CD

Demolition Man

Acclaim Alexandria

Act-Platformer Release: September 1995
Age Rating: Teen Challenge: Intermediate

The year is 2099, and after being cryogenically frozen for a century, the world's most unforgiving, certified "bad dude" cop is back on duty. Named for a rather spectacular Stallone action flick, Demolition Man on Sega CD is action-platforming done right. This disc features side-scrolling and top-down stages, both resoundingly fast-paced and chock full of total violent fun. Shoot down droves of enemies, blasting with reckless abandon all while grabbing power-ups to sweeten the pot. Zip lining bits, in which you must defend from foes on all angles, is Contra-esque chaos. Each stage brilliantly emulates the look and feel of the film, and the Stallone-ish main character sprite is animated fluidly with detail.

SEGA CD

Lunar: Eternal Blue

Working Designs Game Arts

Role-Playing Release: September 1995
Age Rating: Teen Challenge: Hard

Working Designs once more is playing its part in keeping the Sega-CD alive. With almost two years having passed since the release of Lunar, Game Arts completed its work developing Lunar: Eternal Blue and, with WD offering its trademarked brilliant translation, this one is available in the U.S. Eternal Blue is an excellent follow-up, boasting four times as much animation, a far-larger world to explore, and over 90 minutes of spoken dialogue. Although it uses the same combat formula as before with little flair added, spells are more graphically intense, and an increased number of frames improves the fluidity of fight scenes. The story is captivating, and the characters are fun, too.

SEGA CD

Eternal Champions

Sega Sega IDD

Fighter Release: June 1995
Age Rating: Mature Challenge: Hard

Released for the Genesis at the height of SF2-mania in '93, Eternal Champions was Sega's foray into the fighting game genre. With this upgrade exclusively for Sega-CD, Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side presents a massive improvement. It takes advantage of extra storage space to present a dozen new characters, animated introductions, and scores of bloody and gruesome finishing moves. Best of all, the fighting system has received a quality makeover. Combos are a snap to pull-off thanks to the smooth motion of CD tech, far better than the slow pace of the original. Its soundtrack is energizing and danceable, too, helping to immerse players in the action.

SEGA CD

Dungeon Explorer

Sega Hudson Soft Westone

Action-RPG Release: April 1995
Age Rating: All Challenge: Easy

Dungeon Explorer is an action game with a drop of fantasy splashed in. Despite its unassuming and non-descript title, DE is an overhead-view action-RPG with hack-and-slash elements. For veterans of the gaming scene, this will remind you of the arcade classic Gauntlet. Choose a character class among elves, beasts and monks, and traverse Darkling Tower on the hunt for treasure, spells, and other items. Gaining experience is a cinch, and you can use accumulated cash to upgrade your armor and weapons. Move and shoot in eight directions, taking out all species of miscreants in your path. The graphical style is serviceable, as is the CD soundtrack. The real fun is with multi-player mode.

SEGA - For SEGA-CD

Shining Force CD

Role-Playing | CD

Release: March 1995

Sega's pinnacle strategy series makes its official CD debut with the appropriately titled Shining Force CD. As the Prince of Cypress, it is your duty to defend the land from an invading army. Four full chapters are available to play through, with the initial two stories adapted from the Game Gear SF titles. Each level utilizes the same sort of mechanics familiar to fans of tactical RPGs: Control a small party of characters from a top-down perspective and use military tactics to turn the odds in your favor. The battles are exhilarating and thoughtfully designed, more animations are present than ever before, and CD-quality audio is the icing on the cake. This one is totally epic.

RocketSci - For SEGA-CD

Loadstar

FMV-Shooter | CD

Release: November 1994

Loadstar is a curious sort of game. In essence, players control a futuristic, runaway freighter. It is a must to avoid tricky obstacles, shoot down pesky droids, and switch tracks at the right time. Loadstar uses frequent FMV footage much like Shock Wave or Tomcat Alley, but we did not find it too distracting beyond the drawn-out opening sequence. On the plus side, the on-screen renders are realistic enough and the sound design is very well done. Listen to those voice cues! However, the trademark Sega-CD graininess does muddle the picture somewhat, and it can be arduous to track your tiny yellow cursor. That said, it's a step-up from prior FMV titles and can make for an enjoyable evening rental.

Interplay - For SEGA-CD

Earthworm Jim SE

Action-Platformer | CD

Release: April 1995

Earthworm Jim was already a hot cartridge to begin with. With the move to Sega CD, Jim only improves upon its excellence with some welcome enhancements. Developer Shiny Entertainment reheated its pinnacle platformer with extra levels, CD-quality sound from Tommy Tallarico, and ever-so-slightly smoother animation. The addition of a pencil-drawn opening cartoon is a nice touch as well. All that players love about EJ is here, from the well-balanced platforming action to the fluid graphical aesthetic. The only downside to speak of is the added disc load time, but it is thankfully minimized to a few seconds between levels. No random load screens during the actual gameplay.

Hudson - For SEGA-CD

Lords of Thunder

Shooter | CD

Release: March 1995

Long-time readers of PyroPlayers Mag may recall Lords of Thunder topping our Top 10: Scrolling Shooters list in May '93. We picked it due to the stellar gameplay, variety of upgrades in-between stages, and, above all else, the brilliant soundtrack. With the Duo dead and buried, can Sega's portover truly make Lords rise from its grave? Well, if you are a fan of these chaotic shooter titles, you will undoubtedly fall in love. The heavy rock guitars blaze just as hard as ever, leaving your ears ringing and your heart pounding. The speedy action of the Duo is here as well, although the difficulty level has been dumbed-down a peg. Its graphics are unchanged, however, so it be underwhelming to some.

Vic Tokai - For SEGA-CD

Flink

Action-Platformer | CD

Release: February 1995

The rise of fighters in recent years may have overshadowed the once-omnipresent genre of traditional platformers, but the Misadventures of Flink is not a title any gamer should pass up. This disc features a simply staggering degree of color, sprite-based artwork that will make your eyes pop out, and some incredible environmental detail. Flink is a wizard's apprentice searching for spell ingredients to whip up some magic. Help him out by cracking open treasure chests and disbanding tribes of foes in an array of neat-o levels from castle grounds to far-our sky palaces. Prepare for a helping of some CD-quality tunes to accompany your adventure, as well. This lengthy journey is well worth a full purchase for Sega-CD owners.

Psygnosis - For SEGA-CD

Shadow Beast II

Action-Platformer | CD

Release: December 1994

You've gone through all the trouble of defeating the Beast Lord's minions and confronting the contemptuous monarch himself, but now Aarbron is forced to reckon with the kidnapping of his kid sister! Despite this cart showing up on the Sega-CD as opposed to the base Genesis, there is not a ton to make it worth your while. The opening sequence is pretty cool, but the graphical style is your standard sprite scene. The CD voices are nice to hear, at least. As for the core gameplay, it may not leave you totally spellbound, but it's solid and challenging platforming action. Thrashing giant monsters is a hefty chore. In fact, it may leave you cursing at the tv set! Take a break by conversing with a guard, even if they're not so nice.

JVC - For SEGA-CD

Keio Squadron

Shooter | CD

Release: January 1995

Looking for an oddball anime with a strange story involving alternate history, pet dragons gone AWOL, and angry grandmas? With Keio Flying Squadron, you will find all of that and more wrapped up in a supremely awesome shooter package. Acquire loads of power-ups, take on demonic raccoons and evil sumo wrestlers, and prepare for eight frenzied levels of pure shoot-em-up fun. Keio exemplifies the best of the Sega-CD: Cinemas that add to the story without taking over the whole game, a CD-quality soundtrack with a mix of modern and classical tunes, and brilliant graphics unattainable on standard 16-Bit. Strolling through the skies on a pet dragon in a bunny costume never seemed so cool!

SEGA - For SEGA-CD

Power Rangers

FMV-Action | CD

Release: November 1994

From Fox Kids straight onto your SEGA CD, this edition of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a lot like living in the ranger world. Using on-screen footage from nine episodes of the television series, players will interact with the action to ensure they can stop Rita Repulsa from her dirty ol' tricks. Tap a series of button combos, shown as quick commands within the game, to kick and punch along with the Power Rangers. This is full-screen FMV done right, even if the gameplay leaves a bit to be desired. For fans of the show, defeating the nasty Goldar and sparring with the brainwashed Green Ranger is a total blast. The difficulty is suitable for younger players.

Konami - For SEGA-CD

Snatcher

Adventure | CD

Release: December 1994

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 it, buy this now!

Namco - For SEGA-CD

StarBlade

3-D Shooter | CD

Release: October 1994

Technosoft and Namco's StarBlade is now available for the Sega-CD. This title is an excellent port of the titular arcade cab from '91, complete with eye-popping polygonal graphics and a first-person cockpit perspective. The story here is of no importance, simply look out for deadly foes and fire at them before they blast you! No need to worry about steering your ship. Your job is to man the blaster cannons. Aim with the directional buttons and fire, fire, fire! Choice sounds on this disc: CD-quality explosions, radio chatter, etc. StarBlade is a ton of fun for an afternoon, but there is little depth to merit a purchase instead of a rental. Impressive, for '91 anyway.

GameTek - For SEGA-CD

Brutal: Paws

Fighter | CD

Release: September 1994

Bruce Lee is crossed with the Looney Tunes in GameTek's Brutal: Paws of Fury. Now, this is another fighting game (Wait, hold the groans!), but with several variations to spice things up. From Prince Leon, a royal Kenyan lion, to Foxy Roxy, a vixen with an attitude, the fighters featured in Brutal are all carton animals! Don't let that fact alone rustle your fur, each martial artist brings his or her own storyline and unique animated cutscenes to the forefront. The added fun of learning special moves as you play through the tournament is a swell piece of originality, too. That said, our team found disappointingly poor play control all around.

EA - For SEGA-CD

Power Monger

Strategy | CD

Release: March 1994

Prepare to embark on a mission for global conquest! Like its predecessors on Genesis and PC, the new iteration of Power Monger grants the player with god-like power to leave an imprint on the Medieval world. This disc is a point-and-click with a collection of commands and choices. Trade goods, meet with the locals, and either befriend or enrage villagers. PM exhibits a poor graphical interface with miniscule, fuzzy sprite rendering, as well as no true intro video to welcome newcomers. Experienced strategy simulation fanatics will find joy in PM's complex world-building, but newbies should look elsewhere.

WD - For SEGA-CD

Vay

Role-Playing | CD

Release: July 1994

Vay deserves a place in the homes of all SEGA-CD owners for one major reason. Its battle system? Not quite. In fact, the fighting is a bit dull and dated - almost 8-Bit. Enemy encounters occur far too frequently, and the text-based inventory interface is a chore. The visuals are fair, but nothing special. What does make Vay worth your time is its spectacular translation by Working Designs, who rewrote this story from the ground-up. The humorous script is rife with satiric pop-culture references, and the voice acted plot bits are engaging as heck. Not Lunar levels whatsoever, but this role-player is a grand time.

Absolute- For SEGA-CD

Revengers

Fighter-RPG | CD

Release: July 1994

Aside from its hilarious name, Revengers of Vengeance deserves some notoriety. Fighting game plotlines are too often relegated to the background or forgotten entirely. These devs believed in experimenting with this concept, opting to pack a fighter into an RPG-like narrative. Players will choose one of ten characters in the "Quest to Defeat Venom," then after viewing a customized animated sequence for your hero, you will quest for EXP and Gold to raise your stats. Too bad the core fighting scenes are clumsy and slow as molasses. A marvelous and innovative idea, but not the greatest execution.

Arena - For SEGA-CD

Mortal Kombat

Fighter | CD

Release: April 1994

That's right! Mortal Kombat has officially been released on SEGA-CD consoles. When starting this disc up, players will be greeted by a jaw-dropping two-minute trailer set to the addicting as heck techno theme song. Alright! Jump right on in and... uh oh. A loading screen. MK CD-edition, despite its inclusion of blood from the get-go and slight visual improvements, is not quite the leap forward we at PPM hoped for. It boasts of digitized sound yet retains the chunky cart music. Hearing "Flawless Victory!" is quite good, but not when sitting through lengthy load time for each fight. Pass.

Core - For SEGA-CD

Soul Star

3-D Shooter | CD

Release: May 1994

Soul Star is pure awesome. As the game's narrator explains in the neat opening cutscene, "Face your most ancient enemy in the battle for the soul of a star." Woah. Sounds intense! Next thing you know, you're in the driver's seat of a futuristic spacecraft blasting apart baddies in the depths of space. Soul Star is a 3-D scrolling shooter in the vein of Star Fox minus the polygons (I'll take detailed sprites over bland polygons any day. -Jet). Kudos to the sound design team as well for adding an excellent soundtrack to the mix. Mediocre play control is the only downside, here, in an otherwise fantastic game.

Core - For SEGA-CD

Battlecorps

Action-Simulation | CD

Release: May 1994

Core Design has graced our SEGA CDs with not one, but two killer titles! Battlecorps is a first-person mech simulator, and like Soul Star uses sprite scaling instead of polygonal graphics. The basic premise behind Battlecorps is very Terminator-like: Fight off an uncontrollable robotic security system and save the world. BAM, the Bipedal Attack Machine, can roam around the planetary surface as it pleases, shooting at anything and everything in its path. Once more, the sound engineers deserve praise for adding great blast effects and background sounds. Thumbs-up.

GameArts - For SEGA-CD

Rise of the Dragon

Interactive | CD

Release: March 1994

You've heard of interactive movies on the SEGA CD. How about an interactive comic book? Rise of the Dragon from GameArts is exactly that. Private Eye Blade Hunter must work to his wit's end to track down the expel a legendary dragon from the city of Los Angeles, circa 2053. This point-and-click adventure game is an action-filled detective, and one filled to the brim with mature themes and violent overtones. For college-aged players and above, Rise may be right up your alley, especially due to the wonderful CD-quality score. We must ask where that SEGA mouse is, already! A major oversight.

JVC - For SEGA-CD

Rebel Assault

FMV-Action | CD

Release: March 1994

Rebel Assault is a Star Wars story developed by JVC and LucasArts for release on SEGA CD. This disc comes straight from the same-named PC title, though it was not immune to a plethora of downgrades. Regardless of our appreciation for Star Wars, the fact of the matter is this disc is impossible to play through. The graphics in Rebel Assault are nearly unrecognizable to the titular film, and the controls made us hurl! It's not easy to enjoy a preliminary run through Tatooine gunning down drones when it's crash, after crash, after crash. Skip it and play some Super Star Wars instead!

SEGA - For SEGA-CD

Tomcat Alley

FMV-Shooter | CD

Release: March 1994

The fate of the world is in your hands! You have been chosen by the US Air Force to pilot an F14-Tomcat on a secret mission to stop a shipment of dangerous chemicals. Tomcat Alley puts you in the cockpit and, for all intents and purposes, in Maverick's shoes on 1986's Top Gun. Aim the cursor and pinpoint foes to blast them out of the sky: An accomplishment accompanied with some seriously cool cinematics. We can appreciate Tomcat's ambitiousness, but like all FMV-styled games you either love it or you don't. For those of you who fancy movie-like games, this SEGA-CD title is sure to get your adrenaline pumping!

Dynamix - For SEGA-CD

Stellar-Fire

Action-Shooter | CD

Release: December 1993

Stellar-Fire is a first-person shooter brought to you by Dynamix. If you've played an ariel combat simulator, or any game remotely like 1980's BattleZone, you will understand the gist. Dynamix developed this as a futuristic spaceship-like shooter with some basic use of polygonal graphics for the sparse enemies. Two big plusses are the catchy soundtrack played via CD-quality sound and the sense of speed achieved in the player vehicle. Other than that, Stellar-Fire can feel awful repetitive. Static, lifeless backgrounds and a severely limited weapon cache remind you Sega-CD just isn't 32-Bit.

Konami - For SEGA-CD

Lethal Enforcers

Light Gun | CD

Release: November 1993

See life through the eyes of an officer in the Chicago P.D. as a major crime group seeks to take power in the city in this faithful recreation of the arcade shooter. Lethal Enforcer from Konami pulls the graphics and gameplay right from the arcade cabinet, and thanks to the included "Konami Justifier" light gun, this version will surely save you tons of quarters. Shoot your way through the criminal gangsters with a variety of handguns and automatic weaponry, making sure to avoid striking down the innocents! If gallery-style shooting is up your alley, you'll have an absolute blast.

WD - For SEGA-CD

Lunar

Role-Playing | CD

Release: January 1994

The RPG masterminds over at Working Designs have released an all-new adventure on the Sega CD entitled Lunar: The Silver Star. This is WD's very first Sega CD title after years of developing exclusively for Turbo. Lunar is a massive game, spanning entire continents and beyond in a journey to become a Dragonmaster. With over 4MB of text alone (superbly translated for English-speaking players), animations, digitized voices, and a fleshed-out soundtrack, this one is a surefire gem. Think Final Fantasy II levels of hot, but turned up to 11 thanks to the power of CD.

CoreDes - For SEGA-CD

ThunderStrike

Helicopter Sim | CD

Release: November 1993

For those who found themselves feeling left out in the cold by other Genesis helicopter simulation games like Jungle Strike and desire something a bit more realistic, AH-3 ThunderStrike may be the game you've been searching for. The player takes direct control of a heli pilot tasked with blowing up as many bad guys as you can (the game explains why, but who cares?). Choose from ten scenarios and fire at will! CoreDesign's heavy metal soundtrack and voice work is exhilarating due to the CD quality audio, so much so that you'd swear you were watching an episode of Airwolf.

SEGA - For SEGA-CD

Sonic CD

Action-Platformer | CD

Release: November 1993

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.

GmeArts - For SEGA-CD

Silpheed

Shooter | CD

Release: November 1993

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.

Sony - For SEGA-CD

Dracula

Action-Platformer | CD

Release: November 1993

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.

Tengen - For SEGA-CD

Robo Aleste

Shooter | CD

Release: August 1993

From the developers of MUSHA on the Genesis comes Robo Aleste, a gorgeous vertical shooter that feels straight out of the arcade. Backgrounds scroll lightning fast from the very start, giving the player a solid idea of how this game will play. You control a mechanized, steam-powered robot in feudal Japan and your mission is to enact revenge on the notorious Kurogane for destroying your home village. Story aside, the gameplay is challenging as all heck, but easily the most fun we've had yet on the Sega CD. Sporting a rockin' soundtrack and voice acted cutscenes, Robo Aleste gets our highest marks.

Virgin - For SEGA-CD

The Terminator

Action-Platformer | CD

Release: June 1993

"I'll Be Back." No kidding! Terminator by Virgin is a side-scrolling, platforming adventure game set in the apocalyptic world of 1984. You take on the role of Kyle Reese, the ever-determined father of John Connor, on the road to defeating the dreaded Infiltrator-model Terminator. This one's a toughie: Just one life, no extra chances and no continues. Fortunately, Kyle is equipped with suitable weaponry and abilities to take down every threat which comes your way. The heavy-metal music fits the theming perfectly and gosh are we thrilled to enjoy it on a disc instead of a wimpy cartridge. Digitized cut scenes aplenty too!

Capcom - For SEGA-CD

Final Fight CD

Brawler | CD

Release: May 1993

Final Fight CD for Sega's CD add-on console is, and without exaggeration, the best version of the acclaimed fighter you can buy and take home. Play as all three heroes in 2-player action in a title that excellently ports the arcade smash hit. This is a simply a no-brainer purchase if you have a Sega CD. Devs, please keep converting those arcade games to CD - It's what put the Genesis on the map! Keep this up and it'll blow away the SNES-CD even before that gets released.

JVC - For Sega CD

Wolfchild

Action-Platformer | CD

Release: March 1993

Wolfchild was a heck of a great time when it first released on the Sega Genesis last year. Thanks to the additional power of the Sega CD, the wolfman returns with CD-quality sound and cutscenes. Use your Altered Beast-like powers and smash through Dr. Morrow's minions. This one is certainly a buy in our book, we say JVC hit a home run.

Sony - For SEGA-CD

Make My Video

Interactive | CD

Release: October 1992

Ever watch MTV and think to yourself, "Hey! I could direct a music video!" ? Sony brings to the Sega CD three titles that allow you to do just that. Coming in INXS, Kriss Kross, and Marky Mark flavors, this software offers hundreds of video clips for you to arrange and distort as you please. Mixing gives us 'Good Vibrations!'

Sony - For SEGA-CD

Sewer Shark

FMV-Shooter | CD

Release: December 1992

In the not-so-distant future, the Earth has fallen to a tumultuous condition and its sewers have become home to all sorts of dastardly critters. In Sewer Shark, you are introduced to the story with a full-action prologue, and shortly after placed in the cockpit of a shooting machine! The controls are tricky, but the roller-coaster ride is fun!

SEGA - For SEGA-CD

Sherlock Holmes

Puzzle-Adventure | CD

Release: December 1992

If you pick up a SEGA CD, you'll be greeted with a pre-packaged disc containing this delightful title from SEGA. Play as Sherlock Holmes as you meticulously track down some clues and solve curious mysteries before you wind up a victim yourself! Full-motion animation graces this neat title, so it feels like a movie! Lookout for the sequel!

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