Saturn Reviews T-Z

TNN Motorsports Hardcore 4x4 defies the categories of "bad" and "awful", instead landing squarely in the realm of "you have got to be [expletive] kidding me!" I tend to enjoy off-road racers like Rally Cross (Playstation, 1996) and Excite Truck (Wii, 2006), but this is unreal! I wasn't expecting much from the graphics, and nothing much is what I got. The pixelated trucks bounce around like toys on soupy, murky tracks with no discernable path. Atari 2600-caliber pixels of "dirt" get kicked up from the road and excessive fog obscures the road ahead. The audio is a cacophony of droning engines, whining guitars, and a pitiful announcer who chimes in once per lap with "Whoa, hardcore!" But it's the erratic frame-rate that makes the game impossible to stomach. When several trucks crowd the screen, the action turns into a herky-jerky mess and the controls go right out the window. A slight nudge suddenly becomes enough to turn your truck completely around! Imagine my disgust when I went from first to last in the final stretch, all due to these pathetic controls. Adding insult to injury, the game displays "You came last" (nice grammar) as the commentator calls you a "LOOO-SER!!". The lack of multiplayer is less disappointing once it sinks in that TNN Hardcore can't even properly support one player. I tried my steering wheel controller, but it was a futile gesture. The best thing I can say about TNN Hardcore is that the load screen looks good. After that, it's all downhill. © Copyright 2013 The Video Game Critic.

When I play an older fighter like Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (UMK3), it takes me back to a simpler time when characters only had a handful of moves. There's something to be said for that! Mortal Kombat 3 was considered a disappointment in its day, but there's still plenty to like about this Ultimate edition. Its 2D graphics look extremely sharp, and the controls are perfectly responsive. If you own a Saturn joystick, this game will make good use of it. UMK3 contains most of your favorite characters (including Scorpion), but that unmasked version of Sub-Zero was always a real turn-off. The two robots (Cyrax and Sector) splash black oil instead of blood, and some non-human characters (like Sheeva) spurt green blood. Before each contest a cool match-up screen is displayed, but it's almost immediately replaced by a boring "Now Loading" screen. What's up with that? Most of the stages are holdovers from MK3, including the subway and "Temple of Zuul" city skyline. It's not uncommon to punch your opponent through the ceiling and continue fighting on the level above. The water stage which looked so fake on the SNES looks a heck of a lot better here. Ultimate's new stages include a sand dune location and a hellish "columns of bones" area. The gameplay has been tweaked slightly, mostly to balance out the characters. I noticed that blocks are less effective and air-juggles are fairly common. Fatalities are accompanied by a stuttering load sequence that's unsightly and really tends to ruin the moment. New multi-player modes include an eight-player single-elimination tournament. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 isn't spectacular on the Saturn, but it's still one heck of a fighting game. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

It's hard to dislike a soccer game that kicks off with that catchy "Rock and Rock Part 2" theme song. But where's the "VR"? Actually, nobody really knew what "virtual reality" was in the mid-90's, but industry "experts" were 100% sure it was "the next big thing". Little did they know that ten years later we'd all be buying repackaged Atari 2600's instead! Anyway, VR Soccer's first-generation polygon graphics might make you cringe at first glace, but its gameplay is surprisingly fluid and generally fun. The control scheme is simple enough and the contests are of ideal length (read: short). The packaging makes a big deal out of the "3-D Virtual FieldVision" feature, which apparently refers to the fact that the camera tends to be in constant motion all over the field. Depending on the situation it will zoom in close, swing around, or pull back for a wide shot. Most of the time it provides a good viewing angle, and after a while you won't even notice it. This problem is, the camera positioning also affects the controls! If you're lining up for a shot and the camera suddenly swings around, you need to readjust your aim in a hurry. As a result, novice players will often find themselves passing and shooting the ball out of bounds. Unlike modern soccer titles, the "shoot" button doesn't automatically aim towards the goal, so it's hard to aim with precision. The goals are awfully small but manned by lazy-assed goalies that allow soft shots to float right over their heads. VR Soccer's play-by-play is professional but subdued. A rich option menu provides so many choices that it's almost ridiculous. When sports games become old, their whiz-bang features tend to fall to the side, and all that remains is their gameplay. Fortunately for VR Soccer, that's good enough. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Setting the standard for Saturn fighters, Virtua Fighter 2 delivers fluid fighting action that demands good technique. The character models have been enhanced dramatically since the first Virtua Fighter, as evidenced by the introduction, where each fighter transforms from their old look into the new. Virtua Fighter's graphics are good but not great, and pale in comparison to the flashy visuals of Tekken or Battle Arena Toshinden (Playstation). From the bearded old Shun, to the ninja Kage, to the Ryu look-alike Akira, these fighters look fairly realistic (no space aliens or monsters here). The graphics are clean and the animation is smooth, but the action is definitely on the slow side. The jumps are "floaty", as if the fights were taking place on the moon. Three buttons are used to block, punch, and kick. The manual lists of slew of moves for each character, but many are "leap" attacks requiring you to be a certain distance from your opponent. Virtua Fighter 2's measured style of play tends to make the matches more strategically oriented and less prone to button mashing. I also like how well executed attacks can take huge chunks out of the life meter. The background scenery features attractive but unspectacular ancient temples, and the voices are mostly Japanese, which is for the better. Adding replay value are extra modes like a "team battle" mode, a "ranking" mode that rates your performance, and an "expert" mode that supposedly records your techniques from previous fights and devises an appropriate strategy to counter them. I gave this expert mode a try, and sure enough, my opponent consistently blocked all of my favorite moves. It wasn't particularly fun, but it did force me to try some new tricks. Virtua Fighter 2 is a quality game, and it's evident that Sega was trying very hard to compete with the Playstation. The game's visuals might not blow you away, but the gameplay just might win you over. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

While not in the same league as Virtua Tennis (Dreamcast), Acclaim's Virtual Open is certainly respectable. You select from ten fictional players, each with their own unique attributes. The court is viewed vertically, providing a good view for the player on the nearside, but a lousy view for the poor chump on the far end. The players look slightly pixilated but are nicely animated. If you want to see something hilarious, try walking side to side before serving the ball - these guys look like they're walking with their shoes tied together! Control is fair, but could be more responsive. The players tend to move erratically, especially when you use the turbo button. They automatically dive for tough shots, and occasionally make some spectacular plays. The big yellow ball is easy to follow, and a red mark appears where it lands, making it easy to determine if a shot was in or out. Virtual Open's fun factor is only about average, and there are too many pauses in the action. For some reason, you have to page through the game and set scores before EVERY serve. And by all means, be sure to turn those instant replays off, or they will drive you absolutely crazy! The tennis courts aren't very interesting, with the exception of the looming Earth on the horizon. Huh? Are we playing on the moon?? The game's musical soundtrack includes some ear-splitting rock but also some relaxing jazz tunes. Virtual Open Tennis has great multiplayer support. You and a friend can team up in a doubles game versus the computer, and you can hook up a multi-tap for some four-player fun. Virtual Open Tennis is not a standout title, but it gets the job done.
Rating: Kids to Adults © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

When I pulled this game off my shelf recently, I could have sworn that I'd reviewed it before. Sure enough, upon loading it up and viewing the rankings, I saw high scores achieved by me and my friend Steve dated last February! That's right - not only does Winter Heat save the initials of the high score/world record holders, but records the dates as well! That's awesome. Despite its age, Winter Heat stacks up to be the most enjoyable winter Olympics game ever made. There are eleven events, and only two buttons (speed and action) are required to play. The A and C buttons are both assigned to "speed", so you can tap them in tandem. Each event is preceded by some brief instructions, and the loading times are minimal. The events are so short, so it doesn't take long to play the entire circuit. Not only can you compete against up to six friends (via the multi-tap), but you can also play the game for high score. The graphics are colorful and bright, and exude a polished arcade look. The athletes include some huge Scandinavian dudes, but also some cute snow bunnies. The snow-covered trees and pixelated spectators look chunky, but the distant mountains look beautiful, and the look and feel of a frosty environment comes across well. Although the digital controls are somewhere harsh for events that require finesse, they are certainly responsive. Events like the downhill and bobsled convey an exciting breakneck sense of speed. Several events allow two players to race at the same time, including speed skating, cross-country, and slalom. After the winner takes the podium, you're treated to highlights of his performance as the credits roll. High scores are saved automatically. Winter Heat is an outstanding Saturn title, and I really can't recommend this game enough to fans of winter sports. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

Children of the Atom is regarded by many as "the one that started it all." This arcade extravaganza would usher in a new breed of game that applied the Street Fighter formula to superheroes. You might be tempted to write off X-Men: Children of the Atom as old and outdated, but don't be so hasty! Its cast of characters includes five X-Men (Wolverine, Psylocke, Cyclops, Storm, Iceman, Colossus) and six villains (Spiral, Silver Samurai, Omega Red, Sentinel, Juggernaut, Magneto). Two of the villains (Juggernaut and Magneto) cannot be selected by the player. All of the characters are bright and colorful, and a few of the villains are positively huge! The control scheme incorporates three punches, three kicks, a run button, and a super jump. Most special moves are simple quarter-roll movements, and when your X-Power meter fills up you can unleash hell. The super jump is kind of a big deal because the action often moves far above the ground, and certain characters even have the ability to hover or fly. This dynamic makes it important to know which attacks aim downward and upward. The battles are action-packed but occasionally the animation is hard to follow and the collision detection can be a little off. The stages feature gorgeous venues like a sunny beach, an undersea headquarters, and the deck of an aircraft carrier. The scope of this game is limited but that works in its favor. The character selection doesn't feel overwhelming and it's fun to compete for score in the arcade mode. The slower pace encourages more strategy and less button pounding. Children of the Atom may be old, but it's spry. © Copyright 2013 The Video Game Critic.