Genesis Reviews N

Electronic Arts ruled the sports landscape in the early-to-mid 90's but Sega kept pumping out its own basketball titles for better or worse. NBA Action '94 is viewed from an isometric perspective. It seems pretty normal until the court shifts 45 degrees whenever the ball crosses half court. Whoa!

I guess the idea was to give each side a head-on look at the basket. Unfortunately the rotation effect is disconcerting at best and becomes nauseating over time. You can pretty much forget about converting any fast break opportunities. And the players are so tiny! You can't tell the bigs from the smalls because they're all small.

The ball-handler's name is displayed on the bottom and I was glad to see old favorites like Detlef Shrempf, Anfernee Hardaway, Chris Mullen, Kenny Smith, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Don't look for Michael Jordan as he was "retired" when this was made. The action on the court is precise but so stiff that running into a defender will stop you dead in your tracks. If you're not wide open your shot will miss badly or get rejected. On the other hand, when you do get the rare chance to slam the ball it's all the more satisfying.

I wish the team names were displayed on the scoreboard instead of just "home" and "visitor" because I always forget which one I am. In what can only be considered a hilarious glitch, the ball will randomly transform into a green apple. Even famed commentator Marv Albert comes off flat, delivering muffled lines like "hits the three!", "rejected!" and "what a play!" NBA Action '94 feels too clinical, lacking the energy and natural flow that makes the sport so much fun. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.

NBA Action '95 takes a totally different approach than its stiff, lifeless predecessor. Instead of an isometric view of the court you get a smoothly-scrolling vertical view with fast, fluid players. The rosters are packed with old greats like David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, Alonzo Mourning, Dan Majerle, Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues, and Reggie Miller. The fact that Dennis Rodman's hair is a different color each time you play is a testament to the game's realism. Don't look for Charles Barkley because he had his "own" game back then.

The menu music in this game has an infectious "rubber band funk" sound only the Genesis can pull off. The controls are easy to grasp, with A as speed burst, B to pass, and C to shoot. In contrast to the last game, NBA Action '95 is very offensive-minded. It seems like every possession has the potential to be a fast break. There's a lot of follow-on dunks which is very cool, but the overhead view tends to undermine the sense of elevation.

On defense it's a good idea to keep a player guarding the hoop or the CPU will drive to the basket every time. There's no three-second violations but you will see calls for over-the-back and traveling. It looks funny how between free throws the shooter has to retrieve his own ball. I love the fast pace but the animation quality around the hoop is so rough, it's not always clear that the ball passed through the net.

The crowd sounds more like dogs than people. They tend to be totally silent or in full bark mode. Marv Albert livens things up with energetic remarks like "Oh - he was mugged!", "Jams it home!", and "He served up a facial!" Although unbalanced and sloppy at times, NBA Action 95 gets by on the strength of its loose, up-and-down style. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.

This two-on-two arcade basketball game was originally released on the Super Nintendo, where it was a runaway hit. The Genesis can't quite reproduce the sharp graphics and clear voice samples of the SNES version, but it's close enough. I noticed it was easier to steal the ball in this version, which gives the defense a much-needed boost. The main problem I have with this game is the control. The Genesis controller just isn't designed for this type of game. Sure, you only need three buttons, but these need to be pressed in combination with each other. The SNES shoulder buttons were really the key. Anyway, if you can put up with the awkward control, this isn't a bad game. The action is fast and the dunks are ridiculously spectacular. But if you have an SNES, stick with that version. © Copyright 1999 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 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 Electronic Arts has been known to do on occasion, they've taken a perfectly good basketball game (NBA Live 95) and inadvertently made it worse. Yes, NBA Live 96 offers a few marginal improvements, but these are more than offset by its abrasive audio! The new "digitized" crowd noise that's so loaded with pops and static that it's practically unbearable! Even the soundtrack sounds coarse and unpleasant.

Otherwise NBA Live 96 offers the same fast, frenetic action as its predecessor, although the frame rate seems a bit less smooth. The players look slightly more refined, and new moves include a spin move for more agile players. Other minor additions include more play strategies, trivia questions between periods, and the ability to create your own player.

One reader informed me that the create-a-player feature has an "easter egg" of sorts. Should you try to create an unlicensed player like Jordan or Barkley, their statistics will "magically" appear. Other than that there are the usual quirks, like the CPU's uncanny ability to toss up full-court three-pointers as the clock winds down. NBA Live 96 provides the same up-tempo style of basketball fun the series is known for, but I prefer the 95 version. © 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 is 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, crossover 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.

With the advent of NBA Jam and arcade-style sports games, EA was forced to finally upgrade their basketball engine which they had been recycling for years. The result -- NBA Showdown, a game that resembles its predecessors but boasts faster, more fluid gameplay. The list of new features is significant. There's a terrific new "behind-the-player" foul shot perspective, a battery backup, season modes, support for a four-player adapter, and even the ability to call plays on the fly.

The TV-style presentation has returned, with a single anchor behind a desk providing analysis before the game and also at halftime. The court includes an elaborate scoreboard where the scorer's table should be, flashing animations during the game. Michael Jordan is nowhere to be found, and the black referee from the first three games has been replaced with a white one.

The previous two EA basketball games were offensive-minded, but Showdown takes the opposite approach, tightening the defense to the extreme. Every game is a "block party" - any shot attempted with a man in your face will be rejected. The end result is less razzle-dazzle and more emphasis on strategy. Like past games, NBA Showdown is weak in terms of audio. Besides the bounce of the ball, the only sound you hear is "put it up!" as the clock ticks down. All in all, NBA Showdown was a positive step for the series, but it wasn't quite up to snuff -- yet. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

NCAA Final Four Basketball was hard to stomach on the SNES but on the Genesis it's practically unplayable. When I first fired up the cart I was alarmed by the static coming out of my TV. Is my system broken? Do I have a bad connection? Apparently that's supposed to be crowd noise. The players look tiny on the court, making me feel like I'm playing an NES title.

I will admit however that the animation is so silky smooth. You'd think the wide spacing of players would make passing easier, but the controls suck. You would not believe how complicated the control scheme is. In the instruction manual an entire long paragraph is dedicated to throwing an overhead pass... in seven easy steps! Needless to say, my first and only attempt resulted in a 10 second violation.

And the controls are so delayed! Even when you hit the turbo button it takes your player a full second or two to respond. Simply making a shot at point blank range feels like a colossal achievement. That's a shame because it looks cool when the CPU dunks! Man, I wish I could do that.

Then there are the glitches. After one opening tip-off the CPU player was blocked from crossing half-court... by the referee! The lone highlight of NCAA Final Four is its excellent 3D-style free-throw shooting screen, which is sadly wasted. Smooth but slow and unresponsive, this game couldn't even make the NIT much less the Final Four. © Copyright 2019 The Video Game Critic.

NFL '95 looks more like Madden than any of Sega's previous football efforts. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. The action is viewed from a downfield perspective, but the field slightly "tilts" in passing mode to give you a better angle. The players are much larger and beefier than before.

The SportsTalk guy has been unceremoniously axed in favor of a PA announcer who doesn't say much besides "first down!" and "touchdown!" Basically anything that ends with the word down. The new kicker meter looks funny. It's a diagram of the kicker's leg swinging on his body like a freaking pendulum. That brings back memories of Electric Football!

Without a commentator the game is forced to flash text recaps like "55 yard kickoff returned by blah blah blah..." These tend to linger on the screen for too long, and when you hit start to expedite the process it just takes you to the pause screen. Ugh.

You now hike and pass with C, changing receivers with A. Why pick two buttons that are so far apart? That said, the passing game is more forgiving this year. If your receiver is only covered by a single defender there's a good chance he'll pull down the pass. Zipping the ball by holding in the button will also improve your accuracy.

The running game is easier because your players can execute speed bursts to give them room. I also noticed it's easy to "pick up blockers" on offense, mainly because players tend to stick to each other. This can work against you, especially when you're "hung up" at the line, running in place but not quite tackled.

Visual glitches including "dead spots" along the sidelines where players become invisible. The fact that there's nothing behind the goal posts as far as the eye can see looks awful. The player animation is choppy at times.

One fun new feature is your ability to "talk trash" during and after certain plays. I think it only works with the six-button controller, but it's fun to shout "where you goin'?", "see ya!", and "I'm gone!" repeatedly. NFL '95 has its moments, and the fact that it's so offensive-minded helps smooth over its flaws. © Copyright 2022 The Video Game Critic.

The fact that Sega was still cranking out football games for the Genesis in 1997 speaks to the popularity and longevity of the system. NFL 98 arrived after Sega's previous entry, Prime Time NFL starring Deion Sanders (Sega, 1995). The back of the box fails to excite, highlighting new rosters, updated statistics, and more customization options.

You view the field from a vertical viewpoint, and the camera angle tips depending on if it's a pass or run play. Why is the area behind the goalposts solid green instead of a crowd? Is this Field of Dreams?

Prior to each game you're presented with sliders for each team, letting you adjust all aspects of the game from player speed to blocking to pass accuracy. Regardless of what you do with the sliders, the action on the field is wild.

Early Sega football games were defensive-minded but this is just the opposite. Plays unfold at a dizzying pace. Upon catching a ball, receivers take off like a bat out of hell. I think they increased the speed of certain players by dropping frames of animation. Running backs bounce off defenders and keep going. There are deflections all over the place and sometimes you don't even know who has the ball. Players shout vaguely-inappropriate lines like "I know you don't want this!"

Selecting your plays is quick and painless, but the quarterback controls are awkward. You select a receiver with A and throw with C? It's probably all in my head, but those two buttons seem so far away from each other! Editor's Note: They are literally less than one inch apart.

As if this game isn't hyper enough, the football itself is incapable of sitting still! It bounces around on the field like a Mexican jumping bean after each play. During kickoffs the ball is literally pulsating on the tee!! On a related note, a fart-like air horn goes off at random throughout the game.

All things considered, you can't really blame Sega for trying to squeeze a few extra bucks out of their long-running football franchise. Its non-stop action will leave you breathless. NFL 98 holds the distinction of being the fastest, most unhinged 16-bit football game I've ever played. © Copyright 2023 The Video Game Critic.

Sega's next NFL entry closely resembles Sega's College Football National Championship (Sega, 1994). The game assumes a vertical perspective, allowing you to see a good distance down the field. Players are realistically-proportioned but kind of tiny! NFL '94 reprises the "zoom" feature of Joe Montana II, and players look impressively real up close.

The SportsTalk commentator has always been a great feature, and this year he'll exclaim "oh my!" after a big hit and refer to a losing team as getting "embarrassed". Still, it annoys me when he says "zip" instead of "zero" when updating the score.

The new play-calling screen sure is complicated. I still struggle to wrap my brain around it. Once again there's no audio cue when you select a play. The passing game suffers from floaty passes, resulting in jump-balls if you don't hit your receiver in stride. Interceptions occur early and often. Why can't I complete a pass?! The kick meter is a mystery as well.

The game has a tendency to be unintentionally funny. Once I intercepted a pass in the end zone, but as soon as I was tackled the play was ruled a safety! Another time I missed a field goal, and while selecting my next play the commentator belatedly chimed in "the kick is on its way!" There's a periodic quick air horn that sounds like a fart. You never know when you're going to hear it, but it cracks me up every time.

Bells and whistles include chain gangs stepping out on the field to measure for first downs. It's a shame the halftime show is a simple stats screen. NFL '94 is a good-looking title but the quality of its gameplay is too inconsistent. © Copyright 2022 The Video Game Critic.

NFL Sports Talk Football '93 Starring Joe Montana was the first of the series to sport an NFL license, but you probably won't notice. The commentator may now refer to a team as the "Detroit Lions" instead of just "Detroit". Big deal; it's not like he's mentioning players by name. Now that would have been awesome.

The opening screen exudes weak street cred with its electronic beat interspersed with random "yo" samples. On the field the game looks a lot like Joe Montana II SportsTalk Football (Sega, 1991), reprising its side angle view. If you pause however, you'll notice the option to toggle between horizontal, vertical, and even blimp views! The blimp view renders the players as tiny squares. It's like playing football on the Fairchild Channel F!

I wish Sega had focused a little more on the offense. You don't get any push with your running attack, and once you make contact with a defender it's like hitting a brick wall. Likewise receivers have one hell of a time getting open. Passes tend to float if you hold in the button which is the opposite of what I expected.

When kicking a field goal the game switches to the vertical view to help you "line up" your kick. Problem is, due to the high angle, the goal posts are often nowhere in sight. You might not see the uprights until the ball is just about to pass through them.

After certain plays, new "jumbotron" scenes show images of fans, coaches, and referees. These would have looked great had they been animated. The charmingly-disjointed SportsTalk commentator does a good job of filling dead air, and that's good because it takes the players a while to line up. Sadly the half-time show has been reduced to a stats screen.

SportsTalk Football '93 feels like a franchise still trying to find its way. It looks and sounds better than it plays, and the games take forever. The alternate views are interesting, but football fans may find themselves looking for an alternate game. © Copyright 2023 The Video Game Critic.

In my humble opinion, NHL '94 was the absolute pinnacle of hockey video games. This edition introduced a number of new features including penalty shots, four-player support, and reverse-angle instant replays. But NHL 94's best addition is its "one-timer" shots (aka "quick-stick"), allowing a player to quickly redirect the puck into the net after receiving a pass. It really adds a whole new dimension to the offense.

Other bells and whistles include a season mode, statistic tracking, and player cards. The game is fully customizable, and I'd advise you to turn those penalties off! NHL 94 doesn't have any fighting or blood, but that's okay, because they would only interrupt the flow of the action.

Interesting animations include a little boy in the front row of the crowd who occasionally walks up to the glass. When a player turns a hat trick, yellow hats are thrown onto the ice, although this looks so sloppy that I initially thought it was a glitch in the game! NHL '94 has held up well over the years, and I'd take the Pepsi Challenge between this and a modern hockey game any day of the week. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

What the heck happened here? Apparently EA tried to speed up the action in their prized hockey franchise, but they managed to break a few other things in the process! For one thing, the passing is awful, and the puck never goes where you intend. That stinks, because precision passing is one of the hallmarks of the series, and without good passing, it's way too hard to execute one-timers. Yes, the gameplay is faster, but much less fun. Another problem has to do with the new digitized sound effects. The players sound like they all have laryngitis, and it's really hard on the ears. The theme music sucks royally, and the crowd noise is practically non-existent! And take a good look at the crowd - every single person looks like Thelma from Scooby Doo, and that's never a good sign. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

After an off year, EA's famous hockey franchise made a comeback of sorts in 1996. Once again, NHL's engine has been completely overhauled, and the gameplay is faster, smoother, and more realistic than ever. The player graphics are better detailed, and improved physics makes for more realistic puck bounces. The rink is a deeper shade of blue, and the crowd looks better, but for some reason the referee looks like a midget in tights (not that there's anything wrong with that). One aspect where NHL '96 falters is the sound department. EA tried to incorporate new digitized crowd noise, but it's full of static and just sounds awful. There aren't many new features except for the new "elaborate on-ice Stanley Cup ceremony", which people who play through a whole season should appreciate. Overall, NHL '96 represents a return to form for the franchise. This is one slick hockey game. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

With NHL '97, you can see that EA was content to milk its cash cow, putting out basically the same game as the year before. Minor enhancements include a "skills challenge" mode, national teams, and four simultaneous seasons. Nobody asked for these, so they hardly justify an upgrade. But it does deliver the same exciting action you've come to expect from the series, so you can't complain too much. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Man, EA must have had a lot of balls to put out the same frickin' game three years in a row. Enough already! This final game in the Genesis Hockey series offers only a few miniscule enhancements. The game can be played at three different speeds, and players can have hot and cold streaks. On the box, EA tries to claim that everything is enhanced, from computer AI to crowd reactions, but to be honest, I really couldn't tell. It may be a terrific game, but it's still a rehash. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

This was the one that started it all. Being from Baltimore, my friends and I didn't know the first thing about hockey. We didn't know the teams. We didn't understand icing and offsides. We thought a zamboni was a big sandwich. But NHL Hockey completely won us over. As the first in a long series that would continue to this day, NHL Hockey is remarkably addictive, with clean graphics, easy control, and a large, easy to follow puck.

The simple three-button control scheme fits the Genesis controller perfectly. The passing is dead-on, and you can inflict some hard-hitting checks on your opponent. There are no "one-timer" plays (they wouldn't appear until NHL '94), so you need to rely heavily on second-chance opportunities (i.e., the puck bounces off the goalie in front of the net). There's fighting, but once the novelty wears off it becomes a bit annoying. I always preferred to turn off all the penalties in order to ensure non-stop mayhem.

This version didn't have all the bells and whistles of its sequels (you can't play a whole season), but it does have instant replay and that cool zamboni. In terms of sound, the exaggerated grunts are classic, but that grinding "Road Rash" theme song just doesn't fit. Overall NHL Hockey is still more fun to play than most new hockey games. © Copyright 2003 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.

Who in the heck came up with this title, a committee of 20 people? I can't even read the spine of the box because the font is so small. Newman Haas IndyCar featuring Nigel Mansell (*gasp*) plays a lot like Super Monaco GP (Genesis, 1993) with its low, behind-the-wheel vantage point. Graphically the game is more ambitious than competitors like Mario Andretti Racing (Genesis, 1994). Modest polygon graphics give the sceney depth, although those perfectly square "buildings" look a little silly.

There's a wide selection of tracks but they're mainly differentiated by uninteresting backgrounds. To its credit, the game delivers a breakneck sense of speed and I love the whizzing noise as you drive beneath an overpass. Newman Haas would be a lot of fun if I could play the damn thing! The low angle makes it difficult to gauge upcoming turns, and even when you know they're coming you often can't slow down in time.

This game has rubber band physics of the worst kind. You'll painstakingly weave through a crowd of cars only to screw up and watch every single one pass you by - never to be seen again! It's so hard to maintain your position! Locating the pitstop is another issue. A handy map is displayed the lower part of the screen but a rear view mirror would have been nice. Newman Haas IndyCar featuring Nigel Mansell is not a bad-looking game but its steep difficulty and long name will scare off all but the most ardent racing fans. © Copyright 2016 The Video Game Critic.

This platform game is okay, but I liked it better the first time I played it, when it was called Chuck Rock. Normy has the same wacky, cartoonish look, but instead of being stuck in the prehistoric era, you find yourself in old England, a jungle, a futuristic planet, and eight levels of "Heck".

The hero is a middle-aged beach bum, out to save a bunch of babes that have been kidnapped. Despite the wacky title, the gameplay is surprisingly bland and unimaginative. You attack monsters with goofy weapons (like rubber chickens) and collect beach balls for points as you progress through each level.

The single innovative concept is the "dash" move, which makes you briefly invincible and able to leap long distances. The rest of the game is pure textbook. Normy didn't keep my interest for long, and the repetitive music didn't help. Maybe I'm jaded, but I didn't find any of the zany animations particularly amusing either. NOTE: To access the level select option, hold down A+B+C on the right controller when turning on the game. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.