Sega 32X Reviews M-Z

As sloppy as it is unplayable, Motorcross 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 Motorcross 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.

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 large 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.

As a child I always had a fascination with dinosaurs, and that was rekindled by Jurassic Park in 1993. Then I could barely contain myself when I discovered a one-on-one arcade fighter with dinosaurs (and apes) rendered with stop-motion animation. Primal Rage is a special effects extravaganza, but its formulaic gameplay fails to live up to its glorious visuals. This 32X version is a modest improvement over its Genesis cousin, but you really need to place both side-by-side to notice the difference. The option menus are identical and the instruction booklet is practically word-for-word the same. The expanded color palette of the 32X does produce more detailed and lifelike creatures. Their skin and fur has that nice sheen you like to see on a healthy monster. The scenery is slightly enhanced, so in the glacier stage I could clearly see Blizzard the ape's face etched into the side of the mountain. The continue screen features a digitized girl begging you to continue, just like the arcade. The sound effects are clearer than the Genesis, but also louder and occasionally grating. Still, I love those understated "cricket chirps" that play as the last few seconds count down. The battles are fast and furious, and the button mashing springs into high gear as the action becomes more frantic. For best results, use a six-button controller. As if the moves needed some spicing up, the apes can unleash flatulence and vomit attacks. Not to mention the highly controversial "golden shower" fatality. Stay classy, Primal Rage! So, is this 32X edition worth the upgrade? Only if you're a hardcore Primal Rage fan who wants to experience the game in all of its forms. © Copyright 2013 The Video Game Critic.

It's easy to get the impression RBI Baseball '95 is undercooked when the title screen can only muster enough voice synthesis to utter "RBI". It may be raw, but RBI Baseball is extremely playable, adopting some the best features from other 16-bit era baseball titles. You get large, digitized batters like World Series Baseball 95 (Genesis, 1995) along the robotic Larry King commentator voice of SportsTalk Baseball (Genesis, 1992). The pacing is brisk, with controls so intuitive you won't even need to consult the manual. The default auto-fielding gives you a head-start on fly balls, but you can turn it off if you prefer more offense. The pitching gives you total control of the ball in flight, and as a batter you can check your swing. The players look fairly realistic in the field despite some jittery animation. Pleasant, understated music plays throughout the action - a relic of a bygone era. The main problem with RBI 95 are the little glitches and oversights, some of which border on comical. The commentator will exclaim "down the left field line!" as the ball bounces off the right field dugout. The faceless pitches appear to have sacks over their heads, and some have the complexion of pea soup! Pressing upward during a pitch makes the ball take off like a rocket! The picture-in-picture cut-scenes look bizarre, with actors apparently filmed against a black screen. The AI is erratic, with routine ground balls turning into infield singles when CPU fielders fail to charge the ball. The games end abruptly without even showing a box score. The graphics are realistic but the colors are oversaturated. There's a slew of modes to choose from including a full season mode, home run derby, gamebreaker challenges, and even a "stadium tour". Perusing the various ballparks sounds like fun until you discover just how blocky and inaccurate they are. RBI Baseball '95 has that rushed, let's-get-this-out-before-the-32X-flops vibe, but if you're looking for some lightweight baseball fun this is surprisingly enjoyable. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.

Here's one of the few 32X titles that truly showcases the 3D-rendering capabilities of the system. An impressive first-person space shooter, Shadow Squadron lets you freely maneuver your ship around large areas in space while single-handedly taking out invading armadas. When I first purchased this game in 1994, it was absolutely amazing. Just being able to buzz around massive vessels was a treat, and some are so immense that you can even fly around inside of them! Your firepower is so potent that a single hit will cause fighter ships to veer off and explode. The larger ships must be destroyed polygon-by-polygon, although it's possible to launch a well-placed "ultra shot" to set off a chain reaction. The satisfying explosions are punctuated with flames and thunderous explosions. You can control one of two ships, and each has its own unique, vertigo-inducing launch sequence. The second ship (Feather 2) offers an "auto-pilot" option which provides an entirely different style of gameplay, as you simply aim crosshairs and shoot while your ship moves in a pre-determined path. It's a bit shallow but has a nice arcade flavor. Shadow Squadron's controls are smooth and responsive, and red indicators make it easy to locate targets in the distance. Unfortunately, the control scheme is not clearly explained in the manual, and the heads-up displays (unique to each ship) are equally confusing. The battles are a bit slow and not particularly intense, but they're still enjoyable and satisfying to win. An instant replay mode allows you to view a completed mission from various angles. Considering its solid gameplay and cutting-edge graphics, it's surprising that Shadow Squadron always managed to remain under the radar of most gamers. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

Like most full motion video (FMV) games, Slam City looks terrific but plays poorly. You play Ace, a Woody Harrelson look-alike playing one-on-one against five "street" players, and if you're worthy, you'll face Scott Pippen himself. Viewing the action from just behind your man, you really feel like you're "in the game". When you start moving around, you feel like you're in control, but you're really not, and that's the first thing you'll need to learn in order to beat the game. Although you can move side-to-side, your only opportunities to score happen when you opponent lunges a certain way. React properly and a video kicks in of you taking the ball hard to the hoop. If you don't see an opening, you'll want to settle for a jump shot before the 10 second clock runs out. Playing defense is tougher, because steal opportunities are few and far between. The first player to score seven points wins, and you score one point per basket. The CPU is tough and exceedingly cheap. There's plenty of trash talking throughout the game, but most of it is really dumb. The graphics are terrific, with good definition and no lag time. Watching the same video clips over and over does wear thin after a while though, and although you're supposed to playing on a city basketball court, it's clearly just an indoor sound stage. Likewise the "streetwise" players look more like a bunch of perpetrators, and the white actors look terribly out of place. I have to admit that the shorthaired blonde with the tight white dress is incredibly hot though. The action is spread over four CDs, which seems like a good thing at first, but changing disks is a real pain in the ass. I will admit that Slam City did keep me occupied for a little while, but the game should probably be called Scotty Pippen's Airball. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

This 3D polygon fighter is so technically impressive that it even compares favorably to some of the early Sega Saturn fighters. Had Virtua Fighter been released a year earlier, it may have saved the 32X from its untimely death. Unfortunately it wasn't released until the system had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. Anyway, you might expect this venerable 3D fighter to be pretty shallow and boring, but in fact it's very exciting and much deeper than you might expect. In addition to multiple punch and kick attacks, you can guard, dash, throw, stomp, and execute a bevy of special moves. I really appreciate how well-executed attacks do significant damage and keep the matches short. All the moves are listed in the manual, and there are over 25 for each of the eight fighters. I must admit that some gamers might not appreciate the "floaty" physics and the emphasis on jump attacks. The fighters look blocky but the animation is remarkably fluid, making the game more playable than some of the more advanced 3D brawlers. They even change facial expressions! Matches take place on raised platforms, and ring-outs are possible. The generic background scenery (desert, mountains, water) is pretty sparse, and the city night stage just looks like a bunch of yellow dots littering the screen. If you want to experiment with the camera angle, you can adjust it while the match is paused. The music is okay and the voice samples are quite clear. Play modes include the standard arcade, versus, and tournament, but what I enjoyed most is the one-player "Ranking Mode", which pits you against a series of cpu competitors and displays an analysis of your performance afterwards. Virtua Fighter is a fine example of what the 32X is capable of. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Virtua Racing Deluxe was one of the 32X's impressive flagship titles, along with Star Wars Arcade and Doom. Its graphics were cutting edge in 1995, with three-dimensional polygons and multiple camera angles you can change on the fly. Although the boxy-looking cars and triangle trees look archaic now, VR is still thrilling to play thanks to its smooth frame-rate and simple controls. Each race begins by showing a pit crew preparing your car, but these guys are so blocky that they look more like robots. Once the race is underway, you can switch between several views ranging from the unplayable "driver's seat" angle, to the vertigo-inducing birds eye view. You'll want to select one of the in-between views for best results. You can compete against a friend in split-screen mode or go against a field of 15 (!) cpu-controlled cars in the single-player mode. The scenery isn't spectacular, but there are plenty of banked turns, bridges, tunnels, overpasses, and alternate routes to keep things interesting. Flat backgrounds depicting mountains and rolling hills blend in nicely with the foreground. The trademark carnival rides are present, but they look a little flat. And I can't forget to mention the completely pointless pitstop area which I've never had to use in my life. The steering is responsive, but spinouts will occur if you take a turn too fast (Hint: let off of the accelerator). The whining engine sounds more like a swarm of angry bees, and why does my car keep backfiring? The appealing Sonic-like background music is sparse but sounds great when it kicks in. All lap times are displayed on the screen, but despite some nice record keeping, these are erased when the game is turned off (rats!). After each race, you have the option of watching a multi-angle replay of your race, which is often quite interesting. There are five tracks and three types of cars to choose between, including formula, stock, and prototype. Virtua Racing Deluxe runs better and offers more options than the $100 Genesis version released in 1994. You're simply not going to find a better game for the 32X. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Of the two wrestling titles Acclaim released for the 32X (the other being WWF Wrestlemania), Raw is clearly more ambitious yet falls short in terms of actual gameplay. It features 12 actual WWF wrestlers, depicted in large colorful photos on the menu screens. The actual game characters are fairly small however and less impressive than those in Wrestlemania. Raw's gameplay is undeniably deep. Like most wrestling games, the action gets repetitive, but you have to give Acclaim credit for incorporating an astonishing number of moves. You can throw your opponent from the ring, jump from the turnbuckle, perform knee/elbow drops when your opponent is down, and even execute signature moves. One aspect that really sucks however is the "tie-up" system. When two fighters lock arms, a meter appears and the player who taps buttons fastest wins. Not only is this physically tiresome, but more often than not it ends in a draw. The combination of lengthy matches and constant button tapping will take its toll on your hands. This game's title is apropos, as the visuals look unpolished, with animation that's hard to make out at times. WWF Raw offers seven playing modes including tag team and the Royal Rumble, which features six wrestlers in the ring at once! Yes, it's a big, confusing mess. Just like real wrestling, you can do some crazy things like punch the referee or fight outside of the ring. And while you're out there, don't forget to smack your opponent with that folding chair that always just happens to be sitting around for no good reason. WWF Raw is not a game I can play for an extended period of time. Then again, I'm not a wrestling fan. If you are an avid fan, you can probably bump up the grade by one letter. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.