The Video Game Critic's
Genesis Reviews A-B

Adventures of Batman and Robin boasts sharp graphics, tight control, and two-player simultaneous action. Too bad the repetitive gameplay has to ruin everything! In the first stage our heroes walk down a city street beating the crap out of goons that seem to come out of the woodwork. There are some cool moves and power-ups, but no matter how much damage you inflict, the bad guys just keep coming in droves. You have to beat up the same thugs over and over, and there must be thousands of them! You'd think that having a partner would help, but in the two-player mode the game just throws twice as many at you! Enough already! If Sega had cut the number of villains in half, this might have been reasonable. Adding insult to injury, the obligatory end-of-stage boss typically requires about 1,000 hits to destroy. If your thumb can withstand the workout, you'll face the Joker, Mad Hatter, Two-Face, and Mr. Freeze. The characters are small but well defined, and the scenery is attractive and varied. Clever little details include alleys cats jumping out of trashcans and crooks that get their hats knocked off. With the exception of the obligatory elevator stage (snore), most locations are very imaginative, particularly the Mad Hatter's Alice In Wonderland-inspired level. You can play as Batman or Robin (or both at once with two players), and your moves include close melee attacks, throwing weapons, jump-kicks, and hand-over-hand swinging. Actually, most of your attacks involve projectiles, making the game feel like a shooter at times. I really like finding those smart bombs that instantly destroys everything on the screen. The Batwing shooting stage provides a nice change of pace, but its lack of firepower is disappointing. Accompanying the action is an intense, pulsating musical score. Adventures of Batman and Robin offers no password options, just six continues. There's a lot to like, but this game should have been a whole lot better. My friend Eric and I used an invincibility cheat to get all the way through, and it was still a chore! © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

On the heels of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog success, many other game publishers were anxious to come up with a loveable mascot of their own. Aero the Acrobat was highly regarded in its time, but I'm not impressed. Aero is a red vampire bat that performs on the trapeze bars at a circus. His arsenal of moves includes hovering, executing in-air "dashes", and throwing stars. There are plenty of items for him to collect, but the manual does a poor job describing what the purpose of each is. The very first stage is a major turn-off. The circus theme and colorful backgrounds look okay, but that old-style "circus music" is absolutely dreadful. We're talking "hit the mute button" bad. I was hoping it would subside after the first stage, but in fact the music throughout the entire game sounds like it's been generated by an off-key accordion. Another major turn-off is the preponderance of clown enemies. Everyone knows that clowns are inherently creepy and evil, and the ones here are tiny and hideous. Not a fan of the circus, I was anxious to get through the first stage, so you can imagine how miffed I was to discover that each stage is actually five acts long. Uncle! The theme part in the second stage is a vast improvement, incorporating a lot of interesting "rides" like ferris wheels and roller coasters. The remaining two stages, set in a forest and a museum, come across as Sonic rip-offs. Aero's controls are erratic. Mid-air "dashes" allow you to defeat enemies much like Sonic's spin. However, while you can direct you in-air dashing diagonally up or down, Aero often heads in the wrong direction - and usually at the worst time! The stage designs are uneven as well, exemplified by a lot of "holes" in the walls you can only discover through trial and error. Cheap hits abound as some enemies appear from out of nowhere. Aero the Acrobat is extremely difficult, and there's no password feature. When you choose to continue, you have to return to Act 1, even if you've progressed several acts into a stage. It's not awful, but extended play with Aero the Acrobat helps you realize why you love Sonic so much. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

This air combat game is sure to turn your stomach, but not from the sensation of flight - from the horrible gameplay! You view the action from behind your plane, with enemies coming into range from over the horizon. The Genesis doesn't have any built-in scaling capabilities and it really shows in the choppy animation. The land below is flat and uninteresting - mostly a bunch of bushes. The planes don't look half bad, but the scaling is rough. A dot in your crosshairs can transform into a huge plane in split secord. But the graphics are actually good compared to the gameplay. Pressing up and down on the pad changes your altitude (fine), but pressing side-to-side moves your plane in a semi-circle shaped arc. This makes it really difficult to target anything. Your machine guns shoot automatically, so you just need to fire missiles whenever you hear "fire." As a result the gameplay simply requires moving around like crazy to avoid incoming fire and firing missiles on cue. Even if you have no clue as to what you're doing, you'll probably rack up 2 million points. This is a really bad game. Sega released a much better version later for the 32X, although that wasn't anything to write home about either. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

I thought for sure that Alien 3 would be just like the SNES version, which had superb graphics but lackluster gameplay. Fortunately, the Genesis version is everything the SNES game should have been. There's no complicated maps or tedious missions here, just explosive arcade action! The graphics and sound don't measure up to the SNES version, with cartoonish characters and the music that's more upbeat than ominous. But in terms of pure gameplay this is far superior. Each stage is a maze of rooms connected by tubes and ladders. Your job is to rescue all the prisoners and exit before time runs out. You can switch between several weapons including a machine gun, flamethrower, grenade launcher and hand grenades. Each weapon is effective in certain situations, and the action is fast and exciting. The aliens look terrific, and I love how they scream and splatter when shot. I do have a few complaints however. First, it's never clear where the so-called "exit" is located, which can be frustrating. Next, there are times when the aliens seem impossible to avoid, so you'll take some mandatory hits. While the controls are decent overall, squatting down to fire low can be problematic. But these are minor issues. All in all, the fast pace and arcade style of Alien 3 makes the game hard to put down. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

Alien Storm is a weak side-scrolling fighter. One or two players can choose between a man, woman, or robot fighter. The robot looks a little like Ultraman. You battle all sorts of weird alien creatures that have invaded Earth. Unfortunately, your weapons are all short range (besides the "special" attack, which clears the screen). There are some running and jumping moves, but these are purely evasive. Frying aliens gets old in a hurry. The only saving grace is the occasional bonus stages where you shoot aliens crawling around a convenience store. This stage gives you an excuse to blow up every item on every shelf. Alien Storm's graphics are nothing special and the sound is lousy. With its repetitive, mind-numbing action, this game can't be recommended. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

Altered Beast is a bizarre side-scroller where you battle legions of monsters and with the help of power-ups, can transform into a monster yourself. It's hard to believe this was the first Genesis pack-in game, considering how dark and violent it is. There's a great deal of blood and flying limbs. Powering up as quickly as possible is the key to winning. A transformation screen shows your character turning into a powerful monster such as a werewolf, dragon, or bear. They didn't have morphing technology in 1988, but it still looks cool. Levels range from a cool graveyard to some boring caverns (yawn). The bosses take forever to beat. The digitized voices sound terribly muffled and the collision detection is questionable at times. Two players can fight simultaneously, but the screen tends to get crowded because the characters are large. One particularly bizarre aspect is the charging pigs, many of which contain power-ups. Okay, they're supposed to be two-headed wolves, but they sure look like pigs to me. I like Altered Beast, but it's hardly a game that will appeal to the masses. Hint: Hold down A when pressing Start to resume play at the last level you were on. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

What a dog this is! I didn't think EA was capable of making anything this bad, but now I'm a believer! Aquatic Games is meant to be a light-heartened Olympics-style game. Among the aquatic creatures that participate is EA's not-so-popular fish character James Pond. I've always been a big fan of Track and Field style games, so I had some hope for this. Unfortunately, my hope evaporated once I tried a few of the "events", which have all the entertainment value of being kicked in the crotch over and over again. The first alarm went off when I realized that despite the fact that this is a four-player game, there is NO simultaneous play! Four players just take turns watching each other play, which is completely unacceptable considering EA created that nifty four-player adapter for the Genesis. And the events are just AWFUL! There are a few button-tapping running games, but the single CPU-controlled opponent is rarely on the screen. At least these are mercifully short. Other events go on and on long after you've lost interest. In one particular event you have to deflect beach balls away from some sleeping seals, and if the repetitive action wasn't bad enough, the event goes on for THREE minutes. Without a doubt these were the three longest minutes of my entire life. In another "event" you bounce up and down on sponges for three minutes while performing simple flips. In this one, I kept killing myself hoping it would end the event early, but to no avail. You'd think that of the eight events, I would at least have found one to be somewhat enjoyable. But no - I absolutely HATED every last one of them! Aquatic Games is an exercise in misery - easily one of the worst games I've ever played on my Genesis. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

From the unimaginative backgrounds to the boring enemies, this side-scrolling space shooter is as generic as they come. In the first stage you fly above rows of clouds that look more like cardboard cutouts. Later in the same stage, a huge space ship crashes in the water below without even making a splash. The gameplay is run-of-the-mill. Collecting power-ups lets you accumulate some decent firepower, but I didn't appreciate having to tap the fire button continuously in order to shoot rapidly - this game is carpal-tunnel inducing! Of course, when you lose a ship you're back to the peashooter, which is pretty worthless against stronger enemies. Your saving grace is one special weapon that unleashes a powerful blast. The bosses aren't much to look at, and inexplicably the message "Out of Danger!" flashes shortly before you reach one. The single original element in Arrow Flash is the ability to switch your ship between a bigger, more powerful shape, and a leaner one. It adds a bit of strategy to an otherwise mind-numbing experience. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

Of all the attempts to rip-off Sonic the Hedgehog, Awesome Possum may be the most blatant offender. I can only imagine what those early design discussions at Tengen were like. "Hey, we need a new video game character! What marsupial hasn't been taken yet?" We just can't get enough of those small, furry mammals can we? Apparently we can, because Awesome Possum's unlikability quotient is off the charts! This scrawny little rodent is one seriously ugly bastard, and his grainy, high-pitched voice spews alls sort of idiotic nonsense including "I'm awesome!", "I'm so cool!", and "Don't pollute!" Just hearing that last line makes me want to run out and pour oil into the nearest stream! And whenever you hear his maniacal laugh, all you'll want to do is reach into the TV and beat the living [expletive] out of that unappealing SOB. The game looks bad in general. Foreground objects are sloppy and grainy, and the background graphics look dark and muddy. The framerate is so choppy you'll want to divert your eyes, and the level design is infuriating. For example, in one stage you'll whiz through a series of tunnels only to be tossed into a set of elevated buzz saws! Your adversaries include chainsaw-toting gray robots which can be defeated by Awesome's patented spin attack. And when I say patented, I mean patented by Sonic of course. Awesome Possum is woefully unoriginal, which is also evident in the derivative rainforest, underwater, and ice stages. The background music is a few notches below Casio keyboard quality, and the muffled sound effects are grating. Between stages you're presented with trivia questions, but most make little or no sense. Awesome Possum is one platformer that should only be played out of morbid curiosity - don't expect to derive any degree of enjoyment. Heck, Awesome even makes that lame-ass Bubsy look cool by comparison! © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Creating a 3D fighter for the Sega Genesis is a tall order, but Accolade gets no credit for this mess. Ballz is one of those games that sucks on so many levels. While most 3D fighters use polygon graphics, the Genesis can't handle those very well, so Ballz renders its characters with scaling circles, shaded to look like spheres. The 3D effect isn't bad, as the characters fluidly execute their very imaginative set of moves. All eight fighters are uniquely wacky in appearance, ranging from gorilla-like Yoko to the feminine Divine. Defeated opponents fall apart, leaving balls bouncing all over the place. Once you get over the 3D effect however, you're left with a really shallow game. Fighting involves little if any technique, so contests quickly degenerate into button mashing affairs. I can't remember the last time I lost interest in a game so quickly. It doesn't help that Ballz conveys an irreverent attitude that borders on crude. The box even boasts about how you can fart on your opponents. Pretty classy, huh? The fighting "arena" is surrounded by television screens that flash idiotic wisecracks like "Ballzai!" and "Lick the mat chump!" The game's atrocious "music" (if you can call it that) is composed of a hodgepodge of grating digitized samples. Needless to say, it's so execrably bad that it alone could justify the F grade. Like so many other games that attempt to be edgy and funny, Ballz comes off as completely tasteless and obnoxious. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Shut Up and Jam tries to be a "street ball" version of NBA Jam, but it's a brick, thanks to its muddled graphics and sloppy physics. A two-on-two basketball game with no NBA license, you're limited to fictional players like Stonewall, D-Train, Sweet Pea, and Funky-D. The only "real" player is Charles Barkley himself. Shut Up and Jam's visuals feature large but indistinct players. They are smoothly animated, but the ball is not. In fact, it's not unusual to see "the rock" take a 90 degree turn in mid-air. It's also hard to tell when the ball passes through the hoop. The controls are similar to NBA Jam, with shoot, pass, steal, and block - but the turbo function is different. Pressing the turbo button gives you a few seconds of "power-up" time, but this is only indicated by a tiny circle on the top of the screen. You'd think the street-themed courts would be interesting, including locales like a ghetto, roof, beach, and junkyard, but you'd be wrong. The scenery is bland and totally static. Shut Up and Jam's mediocre graphics are matched by equally lousy audio. The repetitive "music" (actually just a bass-heavy beat) is unbearable after a few minutes, and the voice samples are indiscernible. I still have no idea what the game says as you turn it on. With so many good basketball games for the Genesis, Shut Up and Jam doesn't have much to offer, but Sir Charles does appreciate your money. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Of all the Genesis Batman games, the first one has held up best over the years. Relatively short in length and simple to play, Batman offers clean, crisp graphics, excellent control, and well-designed stages. Fans will appreciate how the storyline follows the movie from the factory, to the museum, to the final confrontation with the Joker in the tower. The cut-scenes, which fill in the storyline, are brief but fun to watch. Batman's graphics have an old-school charm. The small characters have black outlines, and the thugs all basically look (and dress) the same. It's amusing to watch the bad guys "evolve" as you progress through the stages. They're easy targets in the beginning, but eventually "learn" how to shoot, then to crouch, and eventually they're flipping all over the place. One of the bosses is named "Bob the Goon", which my buddy Eric and I always found to be pretty hilarious. Batman's tight controls allow you to punch, kick, toss Batarangs, and hoist yourself up to higher ledges using your grappling hook. You have a limited number of Batarangs, and if you can save them for the bosses, it'll make your life a lot easier. Batman's audio features a generic soundtrack, and the sound effects are minimal. You won't find many surprises in the platform action, but the driving and flying sequences are a real treat. Actually they play more like side-scrolling shooters. In the Batmobile, you mow down cars, vans, and tanks on the road, while the Batwing stage lets you shoot down helicopters and balloons. I especially love those heat-seeking missiles, which effectively slice through several vehicles at a time. Batman for the Genesis may not be a showcase title for the system, but in terms of pure fun, it's hard to beat. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Despite knowing full well the dreadful legacy of this infamous game, I tried to keep an objective mind when doing this re-review. After sitting through the game's annoying intro screens (DC, Acclaim, Warner Bros, Probe Entertainment, etc.), the game presented a "credits" segment which introduced the "actors". See, Batman Forever uses digitized actors (a la Mortal Kombat) instead of hand-drawn sprites, and I must say, they look pretty good. Unfortunately, the developers must have spent most of their time in the digitization process, because the rest of the game is absolute garbage. It feels like an awkward attempt to fuse platform action with a second-rate Mortal Kombat engine. Batman Forever is practically unplayable, largely due to its deplorable control scheme. Outside of simple jumps, blocks, and punches, executing any move requires a complicated series of button presses! Considering the game supports the six-button controller, this is unforgivable. Even simple moves like tossing a Batarang, performing a leg sweep, or falling into a hole are inordinately difficult! In the first stage, I had to pull myself through a hole in the ceiling, and it took me a good ten minutes to figure out how (and I'm still not sure how I did it). Later, I had to drop down through a hole in the floor - a no-brainer in most games. But incredibly, it took several minutes of button mashing to do it (the manual is worthless). The stage design is equally appalling, with doorways that magically become unblocked on one level after you defeat a group of thugs on another. In one instance, I walked behind a wall, and found myself staring at total blackness, unable to determine what was blocking my progress. Fighting each character is like a short game of Mortal Kombat, except without the fun. The bad guys sport un-intimidating names like "Mad Dan" and "Billy", and each has a long life meter. Batman Forever does give you the opportunity to play as Batman or Robin, but Robin looks like he's wearing a cheap costume. Two people can play at once, but it's too awkward due to the size of the characters and the fact that you can't walk past each other (somebody's always in the way). And while the characters look sharp and colorful, the rest of the presentation is lousy. The backgrounds look boring and hand-drawn. Couldn't they have digitized some sets from the film? The music is not good, and the voice synthesis is horrendous. After listening to a clip, it'll take you a good 10 seconds to figure out what the heck the static you just heard was trying to say. The game's box has the gall to claim the game has "over 80 stages" and "over 125 moves". Even if that dubious claim were true, I doubt any gamer would have the patience to see them all. Batman Forever was widely heralded as the "worst game of 1995" by magazines of the time. In my book, it's the worst Genesis title ever. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

I have many fond memories of playing this game, but I must admit I overrated it in my initial review. Batman Returns expands upon the gameplay of the first Genesis Batman game, with larger characters, more types of enemies, additional gadgets, and a wealth of stages. There are stylish cut-scenes, secret areas, and even an elaborate ending sequence. Unfortunately, other elements of the game are less impressive, namely the general visual quality and overall fun factor. To be frank, the graphics looks ugly, with grainy backgrounds and hard-to-discern enemies. When you defeat a thug, he disappears in a puff of smoke (along with an annoying sound effect), which looks cheesy. Batman himself looks good; he's much larger than he was in the first game, and he struts around with some serious attitude. With more items at his disposal, he can toss bombs, throw heat-seeking Batarangs, unleash a swarm of bats, and swing from his grappling hook (a la Spiderman). There's actually a utility belt of items you can select from on the pause screen. The film provides the game with plenty of good material including circus goons, snow-covered scenery, and memorable villains like Catwoman and the Penguin. There's a wide variety of unique circus thugs to battle, and the tall, lanky clowns look especially freaky. Batman Returns is long and unrelenting, and casual gamers may be discouraged by the difficulty. The first Batman was a cakewalk compared to this. Not only do the cheap hits come early and often, but you'll also have to deal with holes and traps that are often obstructed from view. The eerie background music matches the spirit of the film, but the fuzzy sound effects are downright irritating. Arcade-minded gamers will probably prefer the eye candy and simpler gameplay of the SNES version, but if you're up for the challenge, Batman Return is a satisfying romp. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

I was never a huge Beavis and Butt-head fan, but I did find them mildly amusing when they first appeared on MTV in the early 90's. Ah, those were the days! This game actually does a fine job of recreating their juvenile, tasteless antics. The large, well-animated characters mimic their mannerisms exceptionally well. Although you only control one character at a time, they move in unison (unless you play with two players). The confusing user interface lets you switch between characters and manipulate items. The game itself provides a virtual world loaded with sights and gags from the television episodes. The locations are fun to explore, and include a school, mall, hospital, drive-in, Burger World, and a concert. I was pleased to hear some of their witty one-liners ("fart knocker!") thanks to some respectable voice synthesis. Even the music reminds me of the TV show. Unfortunately, the gameplay falls flat. The object is to collect objects that help Beavis and Butt-head locate their lost Gwar concert tickets, but everywhere they go they are constantly bombarded with cheap hits. There are also a number of instant deaths that bring the game to an abrupt conclusion. Although our heroes are "armed" with fart and burp attacks, the collision detection is atrocious. It's like the game won't let you enjoy it. That's a shame, because otherwise it does an uncanny job of capturing the spirit of the show. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

Playing this game may give you deja-vu, because it's basically Madden '94 with college teams and a new playbook. Since Madden '94 isn't so bad, Bill Walsh isn't bad either, but it doesn't really offer anything new like the Sega College Football games did. You can play as one of 48 teams, including 24 from 1992 and the top 24 since 1978. The problem is you'll want to play as your hometown team, but chances are it isn't included! See the Madden '94 review for more details on gameplay. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

For a game that came out so early in the Genesis' life cycle, Bimini Run is very impressive on a technical level. In this mission-based shooter, you control a red speedboat on the open seas. Viewing the action from just behind your boat, the scenery scales by smoothly and convincingly. You'll weave around friendly sailboats, sink black speedboats, shoot down helicopters, and blast towers on islands. Advanced stages even introduce sea monsters and great white sharks. Bimini Run looks great. The water effects are not bad at all as you bounce over the waves, the rapid-fire shooting is intense, and the explosions are sweet. It's especially satisfying to send a helicopter into a tailspin. Another pleasant surprise is the audio, featuring an adrenaline-pumping soundtrack and surprisingly clear voice synthesis. But as impressed as I was with Bimini Run, in terms of fun it's only average at best. It's hard to see enemy missiles approaching, and it's awfully easy to run aground on the islands (much to my consternation). While the missions attempt to inject some variety, it all boils down to shooting the same things over and over, and gets monotonous. Nevertheless, Bimini Run is completely different from anything else I've played on the Genesis, so collectors will want to take notice. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Biohazard Battle is an underrated shooter with some of the freakiest, slimiest creatures you've ever seen in a video game. Slick animation gives the illusion of slithering, moist, living organisms. Some of these things look like giant sperm, and there are plenty of twisting, contorting centipede-type creatures. The ominous, weird music is effective; it sounds like a cheap sci-fi flick and still resonates in my head. Each of the four ships has unique weapons and a "power star" that serves as a shield. Each weapon has three levels of intensity. Part of the strategy is not only picking up the weapons you want, but avoiding the ones you don't! You can charge any weapon for a few seconds to release a major blast. If Biohazard Battle has a fault, it's that your ship and its power star take up too much real estate, making it difficult to maneuver and aim at the same time. But this is still a quality title, and one of the few Genesis shooters to support two-player simultaneous action. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

Boogerman is actually a respectable platform action game, but let's face it -- with a name like Boogerman, who's going to take it seriously? Controls include a jump button, a mucus button, and a gas button. I think you can see where this is going. The whole gimmick behind Boogerman is the ability to make the goofy-looking hero burp, fart, flick boogers, and hock loogies. You can even fly using your ass as a jetpack! Please kids, don't try this at home! I have to admit Boogerman is very well animated and his moves will crack you up. The game itself is your standard platform action fare, with enemies and backgrounds that are much less interesting than the main character. This game has some novelty value, but not a whole lot more. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

I loved the movie, but this game doesn't do the film justice - it feels like a third-rate Castlevania. The storyline hardly resembles the movie at all. You control the character played by Keanu Reeves through a series of castle, forest, and graveyard stages. With his preppy clothes and relaxed body posture, he looks like he should be loafing around the mall instead of battling the living dead. He can jump, slash, and shoot (if he finds a weapon). The scenery is not particularly creepy and the music is way too upbeat. Although there are some cool enemies like skeletons, zombies, and werewolves, you are more likely to be taken down by all those annoying tiny rats that scurry around each level. And there are cheap hits galore! Spears shoot out above or below you, giving you no warning or time to react. Heck, even when you know they're coming they're impossible to avoid. All-in-all, Dracula is very mediocre. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

In 1991, a spunky little hedgehog named Sonic won over the gaming masses with his dizzying speed and loveable personality. But in 1993, a goofy cat with a scratchy voice burst onto the scene. Now who would be the most beloved video game character? Oh yeah - still Sonic. If anything, Bubsy was more of an embarrassment than anything else. The game's large characters and mountainous backgrounds tried to mimic the Sonic formula, but the results were pretty pathetic. How can waterfalls pour off of the tops of trees?! Unlike the popular hedgehog, Bubsy is a complete loser, and his antics are more irritating than amusing. Bubsy's adversaries are equally unlikable, and some are actually creepy in appearance. The audio is borderline offensive, with hokey music and rough voice samples that are guaranteed to make you cringe (that cat must be a chain smoker). Oh, and wait, it gets worse. Fans of Sonic's hyper style of play will roll their eyes in disgust when they realize Bubsy is so fragile that he can't even withstand falls. Hell, he can't even roll down a hill without dying! And with so many inconspicuous objects being deadly to the touch (including water), you'll keel over time and time again for no apparent reason. The inexact controls and poorly designed stages won't do you any favors either. It's hard to tell where you can or can't jump, and the game expects you to make a too many "leaps of faith". Bubsy does have the ability to glide through the air, although that makes little sense considering he's a cat for Pete's sake! He also rides down "water flumes", but in general the gameplay is slow and tedious. I'm still trying to determine how Bubsy managed to grace the cover of Electronics Gaming Monthly in February 1993, or spawn a few sequels. If you're tired of fun games with imaginative graphics and catchy music, give Bubsy a try. He's the anti-Sonic! © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

I'll never forget how disappointed I was when I bought this game. My friend Eric was with me when I traded in my old Bulls vs. Lakers game (at the local trade-in store) and proceeded to buy Bulls vs. Blazers at Toys 'R Us for some exorbitant amount ($70 if I recall). When we got back to my house and fired it up, we were mortified to discover that it was practically identical to Bulls vs. Lakers! Heck, even the intro music is the same! The back of the box should have tipped me off. Instead of listing "new features", it lists "key" features, most of which are included in the previous edition. The few new features are negligible. Basically, you can adjust your "press" and "steal aggressiveness", and create custom all-star teams. Big deal. Actually I do remember Eric and I using this "create team" feature. He created a five-man team of short Mark Prices, and I stocked mine with a bunch of tall Patrick Ewing clones. His little white guys were running circles around my lumbering giants, and I took quite a beating. At its core, Bulls Vs. Blazers uses the same lethargic engine as its predecessors, and the best players are unstoppable once they find their "spot" on the floor. Charles Barkley's signature slam is performed at the foul line with no running start, and it's not unusual for him to pass through several defenders on the way up. EA was clearly content to pump out rehashes in the early 90's (imagine that). I eventually sold Bulls vs. Blazers to my friend Tuan for $17 (after getting NBA Jam), and I still remember him calling me up and complaining about how incredibly slow it was. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

The second iteration of EA's basketball franchise has a slew of new features, including alley-oops, team logos on home courts, instant replays, and an innovative "T-meter" for foul shots (still used in modern b-ball games). An easy-to-see star appears beneath your selected player, and the number of teams has been increased from 10 to 16. The ball can now roll around the rim, although the physics isn't the least bit convincing. If there's one aspect of Bulls Vs. Lakers that kicks ass, it's the intro music. Otherwise the game is strangely quiet, save for a few sparse voice samples ("three!"). Despite the new bells and whistles, the core engine is the same as Lakers Vs. Celtics, so you can expect the action to be slow and choppy. It is easier to score and steal however, which increases the excitement and overall tempo of the game. But it may be too easy to score. Your marquee player can practically score at will when he reaches the top of the key, penetrating several defenders in the process. I also don't like how certain player abilities belie those of real life (John Stockton slamming, for example). Finally, the TV-style presentation has been dropped for reasons unknown. All in all, Bulls Vs. Lakers is a step forward in the evolution of the series, but not a huge step. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

When James "Buster" Douglas defeated Mike Tyson on Feb 11, 1990, it was one of the biggest moments in boxing history. It must have been, because Buster got his very own Sega Genesis game out of the deal! This one is a truly real button masher - the video game equivalent of Rock-em Sock-em Robots. The graphics are pretty sweet though, with super-detailed fighters that consume a large portion of the screen. Check out those gleaming, rippling muscles! You get a side-view of the action, and in the background an overweight referee and static crowd can be seen. For some reason the crowd doesn't scroll as you move across the ring, making it look like the ropes are moving instead of the fighters! You can either play against a friend or ascend the ranks against the computer. In addition to Buster Douglas, the game offers fictional fighters including Dynamite Joe, Kim Nang, Fernando Gomez, and King Jason. The gameplay is fast but shallow. A and B throw fast punches, and C is used to block. Pressing A and B together let you throw "slow" punches, but I really don't see the point. In my experience you'll just trade punches at arms' length until one guy hits the deck. Buster Douglas Knockout Boxing is fun for a quick bout every now and then, but it's too shallow to hold your attention for long. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.