2015/9/12: Genesis: California Games, Last Action Hero, Ecco Jr.

[VideoGameCritic]

Let's hear what you have to say about this new set of Genesis reviews.

[goldenband]

Can't argue with the Last Action Hero review per se, but it sounds like you didn't get past the first area. I was hoping you'd make it further into the game, as there's more to talk about: a dreadful side-scrolling driving level that's almost unplayable until you know a couple key tricks, an awful boss fight against a helicopter, etc. I was able to beat the whole game, but only after a lot of practice and some research using an emulator to try to make sense of the 2nd level and helicopter battle.

Did you read my tip about the crosshairs? It's a sniper that shoots at you, and then the bullets show up many seconds later. If you time it right, you can trick the sniper into shooting when you're very high in the air, so that when you get in a brawl on the next screen you won't be at risk from the bullets.

BTW if you think the Genesis version of Last Action Hero is bad, the SNES version is considerably worse. It was released in a half-finished state, and it shows.

I gave California Games a valiant effort a while back, but without a manual (I can't seem to find a scan anywhere online) it was tough to tell whether the problem was me or the game. I had the same issue with my hackeysack player gradually drifting off-screen.

[Rev]

Good set of reviews.. Too bad all the games were bad. I think Ecco Jr sounds like it could have been a fun game had Sega not dummed down the game play in the progress.... Speaking of Ecco... I see your two Sega Genesis Ecco games haven't been touched in 15 years! It might be time for some re-reviews.

[scotland]

Pretty rough on Ecco Jr. For youngsters, I rhink they could bump the grade up even further. Ecco Jr is the non violent game the system needed after (and before) the Lieberman Senate hearings on video game violence. Its a great introduction to 16 bit video games for kids, its fun for both genders, it can be cooperative, its easy, and its attractive and intuitive. I also don't remember swimming through annoying Luthor hoops, which should bump up the grade right there. I like Ecco Original, but the bizarre storyline, difficulty, and hoops make it clash with expectations in a "play as a friendly dolphin" game.Ecco Jr is a family entry level 1st party game the library benefits by.Maybe its not an adult game, or really meant to be played through, but it improves the library in general.

The three Ecco games are part of the 40 Sega games on the At Games Genesis "flashback" console, so like Sonic, Ecco has been chosen as one of the legacies of the entire Sega brand. I am surprised it has not come to mobile gaming yet.

[Rookie1]

Pretty rough on Ecco Jr. For youngsters, I rhink they could bump the grade up even further. Ecco Jr is the non violent game the system needed after (and before) the Lieberman Senate hearings on video game violence. Its a great introduction to 16 bit video games for kids, its fun for both genders, it can be cooperative, its easy, and its attractive and intuitive. I also don't remember swimming through annoying Luthor hoops, which should bump up the grade right there. I like Ecco Original, but the bizarre storyline, difficulty, and hoops make it clash with expectations in a "play as a friendly dolphin" game.Ecco Jr is a family entry level 1st party game the library benefits by.Maybe its not an adult game, or really meant to be played through, but it improves the library in general.

The three Ecco games are part of the 40 Sega games on the At Games Genesis "flashback" console, so like Sonic, Ecco has been chosen as one of the legacies of the entire Sega brand. I am surprised it has not come to mobile gaming yet.

I have to agree with you on Ecco Jr. It is definitely a kids game, and it fulfills that roll pretty well.

[Den]

Maybe everyone knows this, but Hackey Sack is a trademark. That's why it's called "foot bag" in California Games.

[D-Pad]

Fun fact: Ecco Jr. was actually created so that the daughter of Ecco's creator Ed Annunziata could play a game in the series without the high difficulty, and it's partially meant to be played along with a parent; there is a secret menu just for them with dolphin facts and level selection features among other things. There is an "exploration" mode without any objectives at all which I sometimes use for relaxation.

[BrandeX]

Review comment: "Wait - foot bag? You mean the event known as hacky sack to the rest of the world?"

The game is called "footbag".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footbag

"Hacky Sack" is a registered trademark of Wham-O Toys Inc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacky_Sack