Genesis Reviews N-O

The NBA really was at its height in 1994, with huge stars like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwan, Scotty Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Shawn Kemp, Clyde Drexler, David Robinson, and the list goes on. At the time, NBA Action '94 was forced to take a backseat to the stellar NBA Live 95 (Electronic Arts), but in retrospect this game isn't bad at all. If nothing else, it keeps you honest by forcing you to play defense and take good shots. You can't drive the lane at will, and garbage shots are consistently blocked with authority (as Marv Albert would say). So when you do get the rare chance to slam the ball down, it's all the more satisfying. NBA Action's graphics are average at best. The court is displayed from an isometric viewpoint, and when you cross half court it rotates briefly in a somewhat disconcerting manner. The wooden floor doesn't look so hot, the crowd is static, and your six-foot bench looks hilarious with those five guys squeezed together on it. The players on the floor don't look very distinct, and they all appear to be the same size! They're nicely animated though, especially when performing lay-ups or emphatic slam-dunks. The ball movement is far less realistic, as it moves like a bullet and tends to get lost in the crowd. The controls are responsive but there's a learning curve if you're used to the EA games. This is definitely a defensive-minded game, and three-point shots are few and far between. When playing against the CPU, keep a player under the basket to prevent him from driving the lane. NBA Action '94 has its share of quirks, like when the ball transforms into a green apple for no discernable reason (what the?). Like other 16-bit basketball games, the CPU almost always hits from "downtown" during the final seconds of the period. Barkley and Jordan are missing due to some bizarre licensing issues, but I'm really shocked that David Robinson isn't included, considering he headlined Sega's David Robinson's Supreme Court in 1992. Marv Albert provides some excellent, albeit sparse commentary with familiar lines like "he picked his pocket" and "their shooting woes continue!" Unfortunately there's little pageantry, and the half time show only consists of stats and a shot chart. It lacks the fast pacing and fluid motion of NBA Live, but NBA Action is still worthwhile for basketball fans looking for a different brand of 16-bit basketball action. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Simply put, NBA Live 95 is one of the greatest sports titles of all time. After NBA Jam (Acclaim, 1993) raised the bar for sports games, EA wisely rebuilt their basketball engine from the ground up. The result is a quantum leap forward, with a better camera angle, lifelike graphics, frenetic gameplay, and a plethora of customization options. The new diagonal/30-degree perspective makes the court appear more expansive and alleviates the problem of players getting "bunched up". Live is not especially realistic, but it certainly is fun. Before each game, you're treated to a dramatic starting lineup introduction as digitized photos are displayed. The action is fast and fluid, with plenty of fast breaks, alley-oops, banks off the glass, razzle-dazzle slam-dunks, and spectacular missed dunks. The jump-pass is an awesome new move that lets you draw in the defense before finding an open man. On defense you can block shots and even crash the boards. Steals are meant to be performed automatically, but running into the ball carrier will usually knock the ball loose (turn down the fouls frequency first). Pushing opponents out of bounds is another cheap but effective strategy. There are some funny animations, like players shaking their head after being knocked to the floor, or pointing their fingers after a slam-dunk. Option menus let you customize every aspect of the game, and "sliders" let you fine-tune the frequency of offensive and defensive fouls. Four players can participate at once with the EA multi-tap, which is an absolute riot. NBA Live even tracks individual "user" statistics, allowing participants to compare performances after the game. NBA Live's music is memorable and funky, but the action on the court is relatively quiet. The game has are a few minor glitches like being called for a backcourt violation when a steal occurs at mid-court. Since the rebound button is also used to shoot, occasionally you'll toss the ball the length of the court after pulling down a board. But if you're looking for a five-on-five basketball game that's fast and fun, NBA Live 95 is the way to go. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

As the first order of business with NBA Live 97, EA thankfully cleaned up the cringe-worthy audio that plagued NBA Live 96. In this edition, the crowd is much easier on the ears, and the music in improved as well. The action on the court has been modified in a number of ways, but not always for the better. Selected players are now highlighted by stars or circles (not just stars), which makes it easier to differentiate the teams. Player animations are slightly more exaggerated, but their feet look too big when they're running the floor. The action seems a bit faster, but not necessarily smoother. The box claims there are new moves like behind-the-back passes, cross-over dribbles, and reverse lay-ups, but you'll rarely notice these. One significant new feature is the "manual stealing", which let's you press the A button to initiate a steal. Although it's much-needed, the execution is seriously lacking. EA should have incorporated a slider for steal frequency, because you can pretty much steal at will. Another new feature is the ability to "lock" a player so you can retain control of him for the duration of the game. NBA Live 97's graphics are noticeably more vibrant and colorful than previous editions, and I like how the score is permanently displayed in the lower corner of the screen. Informative text is sometimes displayed across the bottom like "Bulls are on a 6-0 run". But what happened to the benches on the sidelines? They're gone! Especially in sports games, details like that really do matter. NBA Live 97 is a solid entry in the Live series, but not necessarily the best. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

EA's second Hockey game for the Genesis ups the ante with real NHL players, signature moves, new goalie animations, and a battery backed-up season mode. Some players (like Al MacInnis) can even shatter the glass! During intermissions you not only view scores from other games, but watch highlights as well! But by far the most entertaining aspect of NHL 93 is the inclusion of blood. That's right - after taking a vicious hit a player will sometimes wallow on his back as blood spills out of his head. This unintentionally hilarious feature is chronicled perfectly in the classic guy movie "Swingers" starring Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. NHLPA 93 was also the last NHL game to contain fighting for a number of years. In Swingers one of the guys explains that fighting was removed because "kids were hitting each other". NHLPA 93 is a fun, fast-paced game, but it has its share of quirks. In addition to the cheap wrap-around-goal (Tuan's "world famous"), you can often score by firing the puck straight through the goalie's legs. My friend Eric has perfected this bit of chicanery, much to my consternation. Another effective tactic is to collide with the goalie, which moves him out of the crease, opening up a second-chance opportunity. Unfortunately, the gameplay is hampered by the lack of a "one-timer" move, which wasn't introduced until NHL 94. As the title would indicate, this edition was the first licensed by the National Hockey League Player's Association, but the acronym was proved too unwieldy and was dropped from subsequent EA hockey games. NHLPA 93 isn't the best in the series, but it's worth playing if only to see a guy's head bleed. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

I've played my share of Olympic games and this one really nails the formula. Similar games tend to be bogged down by over-complicated controls that make it hard to qualify, or events that drag on forever, causing players to lose interest. The name Olympic Summer Games is generic but the people who programmed this knew what they were doing. The game is based on the 1996 Games in Atlanta. The opening ceremonies aren't anything to write home about but I like the streamlined interface, fast pacing, and common-sense controls. Up to four players can enter their names and select a country. The events are mainly track-and-field, and they are presented in a rapid-fire manner. The lanky athletes are sharply rendered and move quickly. The 100M dash is simple as can be as you tap buttons to run and lean into the finish line. I was disappointed I couldn't go head-to-head with a friend, but at least we didn't have to share a single controller. Likewise the long jump, high jump, and javelin events are a lot of fun. I love watching the high jump guy warm up - it looks like he's doing a new kind of dance! And is it just me, or is that Asian chick in the black skirt holding the clipboard seriously hot? Archery is pretty cool and skeet shooting is a crowd-pleaser thanks to its forgiving (too forgiving?) collision detection. Between events the winning times and current standings are displayed. I was pretty stoked about this game but leave it to my so-called friends to knock it down a few notches. Scott called into question the game's precision when he scored the exact same distance on all three of his long jumps. Chris complained about the repetitive music. We all struggled with the timing for the pole vault, triple jump, and discus events. The medal ceremonies can be tedious to sit through - especially when six CPU players tied for the bronze medal! The tournament comes end with the Atlanta logo rendered over a stadium with a "laser" as the credits roll. Olympic Summer Games may lack pomp and circumstance but its brisk pacing and playability place it well ahead of most competitors. © Copyright 2016 The Video Game Critic.

I absolutely love the real Winter Olympic games, so I was totally psyched up to play this cartridge. I was expecting something like the old Winter Games (Atari 7800, 1987) with a 16-bit makeover, but Lillehammer failed to live up to my expectations. Although it gets the job done in terms of audio and visual, the controls are completely counter-intuitive and the difficulty is excessive. This should have been a great game to stick in and play against a few friends, but it's practically unplayable. The skiing events boast scenic evergreens and large skiers, but you can't see enough of the course ahead! It's too easy to miss a gate, and once you do, you're instantly disqualified. Adding insult to injury, the path of the ski trail is not well defined, so you'll often find yourself turning right into a bank of trees! And why in God's name is it so hard to steer?! Despite offering three selectable control schemes, guiding your skier takes a lot of practice. The bobsled and luge events aren't as bad, but it's still entirely too easy to flip over as you creep up the banked turns. The ski jump, moguls, biathlon, and speed skating all look impressive, but you'll need to study the manual and practice like hell to be anywhere near proficient in them. That's the main problem with this game - it's too complicated. On a positive note, Lillehammer features some excellent vintage 16-bit music, a nice opening ceremony, and a much-needed practice mode. U.S. Gold did us a favor by keeping the voice synthesis to a minimum, because the digitized sample at the beginning of the mogul event sounds like a rooster! All in all, Winter Olympic Games isn't a good "pick-up-and-play" title, but if you stick with it long enough, you may find something to like. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Most Genesis games conform to the same hackneyed formulas, so you have to give Sega credit for trying to do something different with The Ooze. The game is original, with innovative graphic effects and some pretty advanced audio. Its twisted premise involves a lab scientist that stumbles upon his company's dark secrets, only to be caught and forced into being the subject of their "green slime" experiments. Subsequently he's transformed into a meandering blob with a bump of a head sticking out of its center. To exact his revenge, you must navigate the ooze back to the lab by first beating enemies into submission and then "absorbing" them to become a larger mass. You can tell the developers were proud of their cool "liquid" effects, because they're used everywhere - including the title screen and chapter intros. The action is viewed from overhead, and your ooze automatically cascades around obstacles in its path and slithers through small openings. It's fun for a while, but there too many unseen hazards like flames that shoot up through cracks in the ground. Too often you take damage without knowing why. The stages also tend to be very maze-like and unimaginative, with generic switches used to open new areas. The first stage is a toxic dump that's crawling with snail-like creatures, burrowing claws, and scientists armed with flamethrowers. Pressing the A button initiates a punch, but it's hard to control, especially when your ooze becomes large. Pressing B lets you "spit" a distance, but that causes you to lose mass. The ooze effects are nice, but it gets tiresome to sit through time-consuming screens which slowly form the words "1 life left". A quirky soundtrack plays throughout the game, and nice audio effects clearly convey splattering fluids and bloodcurdling screams. There's no password feature, so you'll always need to restart from the beginning. There are some good ideas here, but the Ooze never quite gels into a fun game. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

In a feeble attempt to match Super Nintendo's Mario Kart (SNES 1992), Sega released this wretched split-screen-only version of their popular convertible racer, Outrun. This project was ill conceived from the start. The main attraction of the original game was its diverse background scenery, with each leg of the race featuring a new exotic locale. Unfortunately, by definition split-screen modes severely limit the level of detail and eye candy. As a result, Outrunners' stages not only lack aesthetic value, but some look downright ugly. The illustrated backdrops look okay, depicting distant scenery that never gets any closer, including city skylines, waterfalls, mountains, and majestic castles. But the scaling objects on the side of the road look pitiful. Except for the palm trees and 14-foot tall buildings, I couldn't even discern what most of these pixilated shapes were supposed to be! On the bright side, I do like how the hair of the two passengers blows in the wind. And during a wreck, although both are thrown into the air as the car tumbles, they always land back in their seats - a nifty visual effect. Outrunner's music is decent, with its laid-back, relaxing tunes. The sound effects however, are reprehensible. Not only are they badly muffled and distorted beyond belief, but the announcer has worst case of emphysema ever. Outrunner's gameplay also leaves much to be desired. The one-player mode is excessively hard, and the two-player contests don't feel competitive because the game keeps the races artificially close (by giving the trailing player a speed boost). Plus, you can't even see the other guy until he's on top of you (literally!) The manual transmission is not really an option, because the gear indicator is small and hard to see on the screen. I enjoy most split-screen racers, but Outrunners should be avoided. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.