Sega 32X Reviews M-O

Some games do not age well. Yes, the 32X was powerful enough to have its own 3D polygon "mech" game, but just barely! Metalhead is divided into missions, and most involve running around a city destroying every robot and vehicle you find. There are also a few indoor levels that involve running around a maze of rooms. The best thing I can say about this game is that it is playable.

The buildings look okay, but the draw-in is a bit excessive - you can only see about a block away. The framerate is smooth, unless you use the "dash" button, which I pretty much held down the whole time (in order to speed up the action). There's also a strafe button, but the configuration of the six-button controller makes it awkward to use. A radar screen makes it easy to locate your enemies, but it usually breaks down about half way through your mission. Then you have to wander aimlessly until you snuff out the last few stragglers.

The game sometimes puts up a "picture-in-picture" screen, which looks cool, but the only purpose it seems to serve is to block part of your view. And who in the world did this God-awful voice acting? The programmers? It's downright embarrassing! The metallic background music sounds pretty good however. Metalhead was a good demonstration of the 32X abilities in 1994, but this game doesn't have much to offer today. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Mortal Kombat didn't just introduce graphic violence to video games; it celebrated it with gratuitous blood and brutal finishing moves. This 32X edition of Mortal Kombat II represents an incremental improvement over the Genesis game, with slightly refined graphics and clearer audio. Upon selecting a character the narrator pronounces his name, so that's something right there.

Before playing you should head on down to the options menu, dial down the difficulty and change the control scheme to "6-button controller". You'll need a six-button controller to play this properly. Perhaps as a consequence of its three-button backward compatibility, there's no pause function which I find mildly annoying.

The graphics are sharper than the Genesis with more vivid colors and better-defined characters. I noticed dragons flying in the distance in the red sky stage, which I think is new. In general however it would be hard to tell the two versions apart if they weren't side by side. There are more audio effects in this one, but some of the new shrieks and yelps sound a little goofy.

One cool addition are the "character bio" screens displayed between games. I like those a lot. When playing versus mode, match-up screens are displayed before the fight. Stuff like this might be lost on the casual player but they make this version feel closer to the arcade.

Shang Tsung is a fighter that can transform into other characters through button combinations, but some of the moves listed in the manual are wrong. For example it says to press up-up to become Scorpion, but you actually have to hold block while doing this. The Genesis manual had the same oversight and no one bothered to correct it. Acclaim is so lazy!

Mortal Kombat II for the 32X version is very good but still amounts to a modest touch-up of the Genesis game. I couldn't discern any differences at all with the controls or gameplay, and there are no additional menu options. It plays really nice though, and considering the choppy Saturn edition of Mortal Kombat II, this one is looking better all the time. © Copyright 2022 The Video Game Critic.

As sloppy as it is unplayable, Motocross Championship could be the poster child for 32X futility. I've seen it, played it, and wept openly. How in God's name does this motorcycle racer even qualify as 32 bit?! And no, the fact that my cyclist is made of 32 pixels does not count! You get hilly tracks and the ability to attack opponents, but comparisons to Road Rash are way out of line. You're up against 11 colorful bikers who are also pixelated beyond recognition.

The first few moments of each race are a complete fiasco as bikers knock into each while attempting to gain position, causing a muddled mess. Even touching another biker brings you both to a grinding halt! So instead of a smooth, exhilarating racing experience, you get this irritating stop-and-go bull-[expletive]. There are opportunities for big air, but no stunts to perform. The frame-rate is remarkably choppy, especially around turns. The bland backgrounds feature pixelated stadiums and dull mountains. If you catch enough air, you can even see where the sky ends - always a treat!

The steering controls are fair, but you tend to be at the mercy of other racers who constantly bump into you. The punch and kick controls lag so far behind that they're practically useless. Since misery loves company, a split-screen mode lets two players languish on two tiny screens. I'm quite sure Motocross Championship would have been technically feasible on the Genesis, where it could have offended an even wider audience. I can't say I'm amazed that someone at Sega had the audacity to give this the green light, but I have no idea how he managed to keep a straight face. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

To be honest, I wasn't too enthused about reviewing this game. I've played so many versions of NBA Jam, and they've all been pretty much the same. But this 32X version really stands out, despite the fact that control is awkward using the Genesis control pad. For the benefit of those who haven't played it, NBA Jam is basically a two-on-two slam-fest. The offense completely dominates. Although it's possible to steal the ball and block shots, almost every shot goes through the hoop.

Flashy graphics, fast action, and spectacular gravity-defying slams are the signature of this game. With over 120 NBA players, you can even substitute players between quarters. This is great arcade action for one to four players. The 32X version features larger, more detailed players than previous versions. You can almost make out their faces, thanks to their overly large heads. In the background, there are cheerleaders, a scorer's table, and a well-animated crowd. The nets look great when the ball passes through.

The gameplay has been drastically improved by the fact that your turbo energy drains faster, so you'll need to conserve it. The sound is a huge improvement over the Genesis version, but not quite as crystal clear as the SNES. There's some new background music during the game, but it's pretty lame. The cartridge automatically saves user stats and records - how about that?

Two nice option menus let you adjust the gameplay and access some wild modes. My only complaint is with the Genesis controller. The B button is your turbo button, which you'll often need to hold down while pressing the A or C buttons. It's awkward, and it will take a while to get used to. Otherwise, this is the ultimate NBA Jam. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

This game isn't as bad as I expected. It may not have Madden-quality gameplay, but at least it's a nice-looking, polished football game. The graphics are not a huge step up from the Genesis, but the difference shows. The players are realistic-looking and smoothly animated. The field looks great and features a colorful crowd. Even the play-calling screen is attractive. The crowd noise and sound effects are good, and the referee clearly announces all first downs and penalties.

Quarterback Club has plenty of advanced features including smooth instant replays, first-down measurements, tipped balls, blocked passes, no-huddle offenses, and MANY celebration dances. In addition to the standard exhibition and season modes, there's a simulation mode that puts you in crucial points in dramatic NFL games of the past. There are a few problems. The computer AI is lousy. You'll want to play a real person if you want any kind of challenge.

The game is too offense-oriented - it's too easy to score. The spin and speed-burst running controls are just too effective. On the play-calling screen, you can't tell which plays are running and which are passing. Still, I like this game because of the nice graphics, variety of options, and fast gameplay. And don't forget to stick around after the end of the game to see the winning team dance in the middle of the field - it's hilarious! © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

It's been derided by many critics, but Night Trap holds a significant place in video game history. In 1993 this game along with Mortal Kombat caused enough of a stir to merit a congressional hearing on video game violence. That eventually resulted in the industry instituting its own rating system. As one of the first "interactive movie" titles, Night Trap starred Dana Plato of Diff'rent Strokes sitcom fame - the first well-known actor to appear in a video game.

I like Night Trap on the Sega CD, but it's clearly a better fit for the 32X. The 32X has a much larger color palette, lending itself to higher quality video that looks warmer and more inviting. The video area now takes up most of the screen. It's still a little grainy, but you'll notice details you wouldn't see on the Sega CD. The rest of the screen has more detail as well - a far cry from the sparse Sega CD version.

Your goal is capture intruders infiltrating a house full of scantily clad teenage girls. Cameras are installed in eight rooms, and you can switch between them like a security guard. When you notice hunched "augers" dressed in black, you can dispose of them by springing a trap at the right moment. You also need to occasionally change the trap color code, which is revealed in the dialog at specific times (5:37 in entry, 8:50 in living room, etc). It's an unnecessary element they should have left out.

Flipping through the different cameras is interesting, particularly since things are happening in more than one room at a time. It's an ingenious concept and the campy acting just adds to the fun. Few games make good use of full-motion video technology, but I think Night Trap does it right. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.