The Video Game Critic's
Turbografx-16 Reviews E-L

I've never been a huge fan of Fantasy Zone, but this version is the best I've seen. This is not your typical shooter. The stages are awash with pastel colors, looking like something from a fairy tale or a really bad acid trip. You control a small pod-shaped ship as the screen scrolls slowly to the left or right. You can pick up the pace by pressing against the sides of the screen, but that's risky, so it's best to sit back and proceed at a more leisurely pace. Fantasy Zone is ideal for young kids, with its cute enemies and unhurried gameplay. Your goal is to clear out all of the large, stationary enemies in each stage, whose locations are indicated on a scanner at the bottom of the screen. Smaller creatures approach in waves, but your rapid-fire shooting can handle them with no problem. Some creatures drop coins, and you can periodically shop for weapons, bombs, and other goodies. Be sure to purchase the 7-way shot - the best weapon in the game by far. Not only does it spray half the screen with projectiles, but it single-handedly bumped up this game's grade by a letter. The bombs don't tend to be especially useful, except for the "smart" bombs, which obliterate everything on the screen. Each time you purchase a weapon its price goes up, which encourages you to try others. Every stage ends with a boss encounter, but these bosses are not particularly interesting or hard to defeat. I do like how they break apart when destroyed, and be sure to scarf up all the coins they leave behind - that's where you earn the big bucks! Fantasy Zone's graphics are whimsical and fun, but you'll hardly even notice them once the action heats up. The music and sound effects are thoroughly forgettable, but overall I found Fantasy Zone to be a pleasant change of pace. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Believe it or not, this game is actually Street Fighter One. Yes, this is a genuine artifact of video game history. Its sequel, the phenomenal Street Fighter II (SF2), completely revolutionized fighting video games. While Fighting Street is much less impressive, you can still see the writing on the wall in terms of gameplay potential. Capcom originally released this one-on-one fighter in 1987, and considering the time period, the graphics aren't too shabby. The characters are smaller and more pixelated than those in SF2, but still relatively large compared to other fighting games of the time. Only Ken and Ryu are selectable, and they look similar to their later incarnations, except Ryu has red hair and ugly red shoes. In the one-player mode, you face off against ten other combatants. Of these, only Sagat made it to SF2, although the black dude named Mike looks a lot like Balrog. A blue ninja named Geki looks like Sub-Zero with Vega's iron claw. Three of the other characters (Gen, Birdie, and Adon) resurfaced later in some of the many SF2 sequels. The background graphics are dull and static, and the muffled voice samples are hard to stomach. When the losing fighter collapses to the ground in defeat it sounds like someone dumping Jello into a bowl! The gameplay itself is similar to the Street Fighter 2, but much slower and less refined. Two buttons are used for kick and punch, and jumping and blocking (both high and low) are executed using the directional pad. The three special moves include the fireball, dragon punch, and a turn kick. Other similarities to SF2 include the look of the title screen and the world map screen with the tiny airplane. Fighting Street isn't very good, but it laid the groundwork for better things to come. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

Wow - could NEC come up with a more awkward-sounding title?? This racer is basically Pole Position on a split-screen. I thought that sounded like a good idea, but after playing Final Lap Twin, I'm not so sure. The graphics are exactly like Pole Position, but the gameplay is far more forgiving. Instead of crashing into other cars, you just bump against them. The only thing you need to really worry about is hitting signs on the side of the road. While certainly easy to play, Final Lap Twin lacks tension and drama, especially when it comes to "threading the needle" between cars. Racing against a friend is mildly amusing, but playing solo isn't much fun at all. The AI absolutely stinks, with your opponent constantly hounding you no matter how well you race. I wouldn't normally hold graphics against a game of this nature, but I couldn't help but notice how dull and unimaginative the backgrounds look. Even the original Pole Position had better scenery! The one highlight of the game is its RPG-style "quest mode", where you gradually earn money to upgrade your car while racing challengers in various towns. Although kind of bizarre, I found it somewhat addictive. Final Lap Twin is not a total loss, but it's still weak by racing standards. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

Loaded with innovative elements, this side-scrolling shooter is a heck of a lot of fun. You control a muscleman in a jet pack, flying over city ruins while blasting flying lizardmen and alien spacecraft. The control scheme in Forgotten Worlds is particularly unique. Two buttons used to rotate him left and right, providing a 360-degree shooting range. Although this rotation is somewhat slow, it gives you the ability to "spray" your shots as well as concentrate on enemies below or behind. The problem is, the Turbo Duo controller only has two "normal" buttons, so you'll need to use the "Run" button to rotate counter clockwise, which is very awkward. There's a handy auto-fire feature on the options menu, but no way to reconfigure the buttons, which is a shame. Once you get a handle on the control scheme however, the game is a blast. Your weapons are quite powerful, and the action can get pretty crazy. The first boss looks like a giant anus, but the rest of them look awesome, including a golden dragon and a war god that's several screens in height. Defeated enemies leave blue "money" discs for you to snatch up, and at the beginning of each stage you can buy new weapons, health, and other helpful items. Although the high-octane music is generally good, the "shop" screen has a really weird, almost childish tune. At first I couldn't stand it, but then it started to grow on me, and now I kind of like it. Forgotten Worlds is fun, but there are a few issues. When you guy dies, he falls flat on thin air, which looks bad and seems like a programming oversight. Slow-down can get pretty rampant during certain stages. Finally, much of the dialogue will leave you scratching your head, like "You cannot stop me with paramecium alone!" Huh? Aren't paramecium microscopic organisms? Despite its rough edges however, Forgotten Worlds is still an engaging shooter you'll find yourself playing over and over again. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

An A+?! Has the Video Game Critic finally lost his mind?? No, Galaga '90 is so extraordinary that it pretty much justifies buying a whole Turbografx 16 system. I'm a huge Galaga fan (who isn't?), but I didn't think any sequel could match the brilliant gameplay of the original. But not only does Galaga '90 push the series to new heights, it does so while preserving the classic look, sound, and control that made the original such a winner. Like the old Galaga, levels consist of space bugs flying around in patterns before settling into formation. There are a wide variety of enemies here, including some fat turtle-looking things that burst into nice explosions. Some enemies drop exploding bombs, and others merge to form larger foes. In a nod to its predecessor, you can double your firepower by "sacrificing" a ship and later rescuing it. Been there done that, right? Well, what would you say about tripling your firepower?! Yes, this game is out of control. In addition to the normal and "challenge" stages, there are even a few "boss" stages that add some extra spice. The background music mimics the style of the original game, but expands upon it. Galaga 90's graphics are smooth, colorful, and vibrant. There are even some non-intrusive, nicely-drawn background graphics. And don't be afraid to use the turbo feature on your controller; this game was tailor-made for that thing. Galaga '90 is a top-notch shooter, and an absolute must-have for every Turbografx owner. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

After playing a mediocre shooter like Psychosis, I need to kick back with Gate of Thunder to remind myself what a great shooter is really like. Play this game for five minutes and you'll understand why shooter fans flock to the Turbografx and Turbo Duo. Gate of Thunder is fantastic - a prime example of everything a shooter should be. At first glance it may look like a standard side-scroller, but few other shooters are even in the same ballpark as this. Stage locations like space stations, asteroid belts, and mine tunnels may sound boring and typical, but Gate of Thunder's fantastic, dynamic environments make each feel like an intense thrill ride. Some even boast 3D effects that affect the field of play. Perhaps most appealing aspect of the game is its awesome weapon system. Unlike most shooters, good power-ups are supplied early and often. Once you equip the side cannons, "chasers" (homing missiles), and a shield, you're ready to wreak tremendous havoc. Acquiring a new weapon doesn't replace your old one - it's just another addition to your arsenal, and you can switch between weapons at any time. To deal with enemies sneaking up from behind, simply double-tap the fire button to aim backwards. And when you weapons reach maximum power, it's possible to unleash a screen-wiping "energy blast". You'll face an army of interesting metallic beasts, many of which sport moving limbs. Gate of Thunder's explosion effects are satisfying, and the game never displays any hint of slowdown. In terms of audio, Gate of Thunder features clear voice synthesis and a driving guitar soundtrack. While the music may not be particularly catchy or memorable, it certainly manages to get the adrenaline pumping. If that wasn't enough, the game features several levels of difficulty (including "devil"), and a high score that's displayed at the top of the screen at all times. Gate of Thunder is instantly engrossing and insanely fun. All shooters should be this good. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

I thought I was in for a real treat with this one, but Ghost Manor utlimately let me down. The fine graphics, responsive controls, and eerie soundtrack got me pretty worked up initially. The ghouls and ghosts aren't particularly scary, but they are very well rendered. You control a kid with a huge melon head, and he just might be the scariest thing in the entire game. The action is mainly platform jumping, but you can also swim and shoot things. Unfortunately, most of these platforms also contain slides, giving the game a "Chutes and Ladders" feel. It's no fun when you painstakingly jump up a series of platforms only to accidentally slide all the way back down! It's also hard to make precision jumps when you're constantly being swarmed by bats. Finally, you'll find yourself constantly running out of ammo, making you fair game for all the floating spooks. On a positive note, Ghost Manor's exceptional music reminded me of Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES). Still, the frustrating gameplay of Ghost Maner really overshadows some fine graphics and sound. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

I've always been a big Godzilla fan, and as a kid I even had that 2-foot tall Godzilla Shogun Warrior. Up until the release of Godzilla Destroy All Monsters (GameCube 2002), this Turbo Duo CD was probably the premiere Godzilla game. It's a one-on-one, Street Fighter 2-style brawler starring all of your favorite creatures from the old Japanese monster flicks. The 16-beast line-up includes Rodan, Gigan, Ghidorah, Megalon, Hedorah the smog monster, and Mecha-Godzilla. The gameplay borrows heavily from Street Fighter 2, but the action is much slower and more deliberate. That makes sense when you consider we're dealing with lumbering beasts towering over 60 meters high. Some of the more powerful attacks are tricky to execute (up, left, right, button?) but most of the basic moves are no problem. I especially enjoyed unleashing Godzilla's fire breath, which you can direct at several angles. You'll witness a lot of unusual attacks, like Gigan's "chainsaw stomach", or Rodan's ability to generate tornados (I think I actually saw that in a movie once). The only creature I found to be particularly "cheap" was the "Biollante" water monster, whose tentacles seem impossible to defend against. Incidentally, he's not available in two-player versus mode. Health meters tend to deplete slowly, but since there's only one round, the matches are ideal in length. The creatures look respectable enough, although I do wish they were larger. The stages are surprisingly sparse, and the one with the frozen ocean waves looks especially bad. There are a few surprises however, like when a building collapses under your weight, or seeing two other monsters fighting in the distance in the Megalon stage (just like the movie). The audio is strong, with unique digitized sound effects for each creature. Hearing Godzilla's distinctive roar is always a treat, and the game's sweeping musical score also adds to the overall experience. Godzilla's gameplay may be too slow for most casual gamers, but fans of the big green lizard will relish every bit of this rare title. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

In the early 90's, some misguided game publishers believed that if you took a small, furry creature and stuck him in a platform game, you'd have the makings of a hit. I've seen reviews in old magazines describe Impossamole as an average platformer, but they give it too much credit. The game stars a mole in a cheesy Superman outfit, and he's neither cute nor cool nor likeable. He battles some really bizarre creations including cameras with legs, guys who hop around in diapers, and evil storm clouds that release deadly raindrops. Impossamole's gameplay is flawed on a fundamental level. Your kick attack is effective, but too often you'll find yourself overlapping with enemies, subjecting yourself to a string of cheap hits in the process. Kicked enemies turn into boxes you can toss, but the high trajectory of your throws makes it nearly impossible to actually hit anything. Weapons you find include a shotgun, but it's not terribly effective since enemies can withstand multiple shots. One weapon shoots bubbles at enemies and sends them floating to the top of the screen - very unsatisfying! Most underground areas have low clearance, and you're constantly pelted with falling rocks that can't be avoided. Many enemies are invincible and need to be avoided altogether. The scenery in the first stage is boring as hell (forest, house, cave), but later stages are more interesting. The Amazon stage features a thunderstorm at night and Ice Land has a beautiful holiday theme. The Bermuda Triangle offers a rich blend of tropical scenery and aliens from space. But the most appealing aspect of the game is the music. Its shrill, bouncy style is weird but very distinctive, and it's got "16-bit" written all over it. Despite a few highlights, Impossamole is a sub-par platformer. It's playable if you can compensate for its flaws, but as a gamer you shouldn't have to do that. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

It Came From The Desert pays homage to the low-budget monster films of the 1950s, and in that respect it hits the nail right on the head. Based on a true story, a small desert town has been invaded by giant mind-controlling ants, which are turning its residents into bloodthirsty "ant zombies". You play the hero trying to stop the chaos, but of course nobody wants to believe your story until it's too late. The game is mainly a series of full motion video clips containing some rather decent tongue-in-cheek acting. The video is grainy but entertaining enough to draw you into the storyline. It Came From the Desert has a style of its own, making good use of dramatic music and sound effects. Occasionally you're challenged to mini arcade-style games in the form of side scrolling, overhead, or target shooting stages. These are generally fun, especially the gory stages that require you to save people being eaten alive by ants! The controls in the side-scrolling levels are pretty lousy, but even when the ants prevail, you never actually "die" - you just find yourself back where you started. You can save your game at any time, but after a while the action gets tiresome. Most people probably won't make it to the end, but fans of old monster movies will appreciate the work that went into this unique title. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

In the 90's my friends and I would get together to go see Jackie Chan movies like "Rumble in the Bronx" and "First Strike". Not only did the films always contain two or three amazing fight scenes, but Jackie always maintained a very whimsical, self-deprecating tone. I'm finally getting a chance to play Jackie's video game, and I'm really impressed! This has got to be one of the most engaging platform titles I've played on any system! Granted, the gameplay is pretty typical as you jump between moving platforms, beat up martial arts goons, and gather power-ups by punching innocent animals (take that frog!). But Action Kung Fu is more forgiving than most games, and its controls are outstanding. I can't recall the last time I was able to hop between perilous, collapsing ledges with such ease. Heck, you can even fall into the water without suffering instant death! The crisp visuals feature large characters with oversized heads, but the main hero is a dead ringer for Jackie Chan! The backgrounds are colorful but somewhat sparse and could really use a little animation. Your attacks include punches, jump-kicks and fireballs, but icons will bestow you with one additional special move. There are some amazing bosses and several enjoyable Street Fighter 2-style bonus stages as well. Even the audio is exceptional. Jackie's attacks are punctuated with digitized yells, and the rhymic, high-energy music reminded me of something out of a Sonic game. Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu is a lengthy journey but there's no password, just several continues. Fortunately, the game's so much fun that you probably won't mind restarting it from the beginning. There's no official score, but the number of "orbs" you collect kind of serves than function. Although somewhat rare, this is one quality title I would not hesitate to recommend. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

Considering how bad this is, I'm shocked that NEC made Keith Courage the "pack-in" game for the Turbografx-16 system. What a lousy first impression! Keith Courage in Alpha Zones wallows in platform game cliches and poor design. Lacking its own identity, it feels like a bastard child of every mediocre platformer I've ever played. Our hero Keith, who resembles a little kid, begins each stage in the "overworld", a non-threatening area with tiny enemies, easy-to-perform jumps, and God-awful music. The overworld's main purpose is to let you purchase weapons, restore health, or pruchase advice. Once you're ready, a rainbow teleports you to the "underworld", where the real action takes place. In this cavernous alternate universe, Keith dons his powerful "Nova suit". The Underworld is loaded with monotonous platforms and a mish-mash of creatures like spiders, skulls, bouncing faces, and pistol-shaped freaks. Since enemies regenerate constantly, you're better off just avoiding them when you can. Many materialize out of nowhere, making the simplest platform jumps an exercise in frustration. Beds of red spikes line the caverns, and touching them brings your game to an abrupt conclusion. The collision detection isn't so hot, but this often works to you advantage as you can sometimes whack things with your sword that should be out of reach. The underground areas are so repetitive that I thought I was going in circles when I really wasn't. Keith Courage is awfully generic and seriously lacking in the fun department. The designers tried to piece together a lot of disjoint ideas, resulting in an awkward mess. You get unlimited continues, but it's unlikely you'll want to use them. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

So who was the marketing wizard who came up with the dumb name for this one? Legend of Hero Tonmo offers some fast-paced, side-scrolling action that combines rapid-fire shooting with Mario-style jumping. As you explore ruins, forests, and caves, regenerating monsters badger you constantly as you shoot and jump frantically. The graphics sparkle, and the renaissance-style background music compliments the visuals quite nicely. There's mad potential here, but Tonma has issues too serious to ignore. First off, the main character looks like a little kid in a Superman outfit - not cool at all. Next, the controls let me down more than a few times. Finally, the bosses are entirely too hard to defeat. You have to hit them dozens of times, and it takes forever to bring one down. Adding insult to injury, dying at the hands of a boss takes you all the way back to the middle of the stage! C'mon! There are a generous number of power-ups, but not enough to overcome the high difficulty and frustrating gameplay. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

A Turbografx-16 classic, Legendary Axe delivers its own unique brand of hardcore hack-n-slash action. The gameplay itself is close to what I expected, but some of the level designs leave much to be desired. My friend Scott went so far as to rename this "Legendary Disappointment", but it's really not that bad. Your character, an axe-slinging caveman, hacks monsters, swings on vines, leaps over lava pits, and collects power-ups. The graphics are superb, with large characters and detailed environments. You encounter dozens of interesting creatures, each with their own distinct style of attack. The controls are responsive enough, but the gameplay is marred by petty annoyances. For one thing, little creatures like bats never seem to leave you alone, and they serve no useful purpose at all. The cave stages have multi-layered scenery that can obstruct your view at the worst times. Most creatures require plenty of hacks to kill, leaving you exposed to a lot of cheap hits. Finally, power-ups are practically required if you want to have a chance against any of the bosses. The background music is absolutely outstanding however, and you get three continues to keep your quest going. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Legendary Axe II is more than just a fine sequel - it's one of the best hack-n-slash adventures I've ever played. Like the first edition, you control an axe-wielding barbarian, leaping from platforms and whacking monsters like there's no tomorrow. What's not to like? Well, our hero's outfit, for one thing. He appears to be decked out in a pair of tiny Speedos! Will somebody please slap some pants on this guy!? Otherwise this game is a real treat. The creatures you encounter are amazing, including masked acrobatic freaks, giant skeleton warriors, and relentless green zombies that keep coming even after you slice them in half! The new "sickle and chain" weapon has excellent range and is extremely satisfying when it comes to knocking down those flying freaks. There's also a supply of bombs at your disposal via the Run button. Not just a side-scrolling affair, the game's seven stages twist and turn in every direction. Some of the end-of-stage bosses are so over-the-top that they're borderline comical. My favorite is the little hunchback swinging around that huge ball and chain. The stages take you through underground temples, crypts, and watery caverns. There are plenty of surprises, like skeletal arms that burst through cave walls. There's a certain amount of platform jumping involved, but the controls are crisp and the difficulty is fair. Ominous orchestrated background music adds to the overall experience. Without a doubt, Legendary Axe II is one of the best titles for the Turbografx-16. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

This sophisticated shooter is amazing in so many ways. Like Thunder Force 3 (Genesis, 1991), you can select the order in which you play eight distinct stages. Next, you choose from one of four sets of "armor", each providing different weapon combinations. Finally, before each stage you can purchase items from a store, including extra life, power-ups, bombs, and even continues. The shooting action is seriously intense. Despite a remarkable number of objects moving on the screen at any given time (including huge transport ships), there's no slowdown to contend with. Unlike Gate of Thunder, you control a mech robot instead of a ship, so when you touch down on a planet surface, you'll run along it instead of blowing up. One button is used to engage rapid-fire, and the other deploys devastating "bombs", which often assume the form of summoned magical creatures. When in close proximity to an enemy, you'll automatically deal a powerful blow with your sword. Destroyed enemies produce gems that boost your vitality and provide currency for use at the shop. Gathering up gems is fun, but you'll often place yourself in peril trying to collect these rewards. The stages contain all the obligatory locations (ice planet, volcanic planet, water planet, etc), but the backgrounds are gorgeous, with shifting environments that keep you on your toes. Your enemies are quite memorable as well, including foot soldiers that arrive in Viking ships or on massive flying turtles. Unlike other shooters where you blast the same things over and over, Lords of Thunder is constantly tossing new adversaries your way. The difficulty is severe, and only by using continues and stocking up on items was I able to make much progress. If there's one aspect I dislike about the game, it has to be the grinding guitar soundtrack. Imagine one long, headache-inducing guitar solo and you'll understand why I was tempted to turn down the volume. Other than that, Lords of Thunder is a superb game that will challenge even the most skilled gamers. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.