T2: The Arcade Game
Grade: D+
Publisher: Acclaim (1992)
Reviewed: 2012/10/20
Our high score: 1,714,000
1 or 2 players
TNN Outdoors Bass Tournament '96
Grade: F
Publisher: ASC (1996)
Reviewed: 2005/11/4

Would you like to know the difference between this game and a mosquito? At some point, a mosquito will
stop sucking! This game
never will!! Playing TNN Outdoors Bass Tournament is especially painful once you've been spoiled by modern, arcade-style fishing titles like Sega Bass Fishing (Dreamcast). In those games, the fish are practically jumping
into the boat, but they'll be none of that here. No, TNN captures the excitement of
actual fishing - which is to say, there is none. The menu interface and controls are well organized, but there's little action and minimal payoff. Locating a fish isn't too tough thanks to your handy fish-finder, but getting its attention is another story. Until you find the perfect combination of line, rod, and lure, that fish won't give you the time of day. And is it just me or do these fish look more like roaches? The underwater scenery consists of fake-looking logs and rocks that resemble human brains. I've only seen one fish actually caught in this game - my friend Scott caught a "crappie" - which seems oddly appropriate. The game includes a timer on the bottom of the screen to keep track of how much of your life you've
wasted. The background music has a country twang I didn't find appealing - I'm still holding out for a good rap-themed fishing game. TNN Outdoors Bass Tournament is seriously lame. Was it even necessary to mention "Outdoors" in the title? Is there some bizarre
indoor bass fishing sport I'm not familiar with? Kick this one to the curb and stick with King Salmon. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.
Publisher: Sega (1992)
Reviewed: 2019/9/14
Our high score: 3800
1 or 2 players
Publisher: Dreamworks (1990)
Reviewed: 2006/9/17
Our high score: 48130
1 player
Task Force Harrier EX
Grade: B+
Publisher: Treco (1991)
Reviewed: 2011/9/24
Our high score: 538,300
1 player
Publisher: Sega (1992)
Reviewed: 2009/6/6
Taz in Escape From Mars
Grade: F
Publisher: Sega (1994)
Reviewed: 2009/6/6

This ill-advised sequel is just as bad as the first Taz-Mania game. This time Taz has been transported to Mars where he must contend with aliens, teleporters, and some of the most obnoxious, unimaginative stages ever devised.
Who knew that the planet of Mars was completely covered with
spikes? Taz can break through walls, burrow through dirt, and bounce up narrow openings, but rest assured there's always a set of deadly spikes waiting to bring the fun to an abrupt conclusion. You would have thought the designers would have learned something since the first game, but no, you're
still expected to leap off the screen into unseen areas (and hope for the best). And yes, the controls still suck. Sometimes you'll carefully hop onto a narrow platform only to be knocked into spikes by a small flying creature. Taz can use his spin attack on aliens, but they can absorb several hits, so Taz usually finds himself bouncing off of them -
and back into the spikes! You can pass through the floors of certain platforms, but it's never clear which ones are like that. Taz eats anything he touches, and bombs tend to be positioned in tight areas that make them hard to avoid. In addition to Mars, the diverse set of stages includes a haunted castle, Mexico, and a planet called "Mole World". Were these left over from the last game or something?? The backgrounds are flat, static, and forgettable. Whoever made this game was just going through the motions, and that's how
you'll feel when you play it! © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.
Tecmo Super Baseball
Grade: D
Publisher: Tecmo (1994)
Reviewed: 2004/6/18

This ambitious game is overflowing with features - too bad it failed to get the fundamentals right! Tecmo Super Baseball offers major league players and teams, player photos (albeit in grainy black and white), a slew of playing modes, and even the ability to
manage your team instead of controlling the players. The controls are more robust than most Genesis baseball games. You can check your swing, sustain injury, throw a pitch-out, slide headfirst, adjust your defense, and intentionally walk a batter. The pitcher/batter screen can be viewed from either behind the batter
or behind the pitcher, and both are equally playable. On top of it all, the game tracks both team and player statistics. Tecmo was trying to create the ultimate baseball game, but they messed up on some very basic things. The batting controls are unresponsive, forcing you to swing extremely early if you want a chance to make contact. The outfielders are selected for you automatically, but the CPU often chooses the wrong player. Sometimes there's a shallow pop-up over second base and the game selects the
center fielder, located far off the screen. The computer opponent is dumb, walking pitchers and trying to stretch every hit into a double. The players look realistic in general, but the pitcher looks too big on the mound. Finally, although the umpire's voice is clear enough, I've never heard an umpire yell "Strike three - you stink!" like he does in this game. Tecmo Super Baseball had potential, but it only amounts to a long foul ball. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
Tecmo Super Bowl
Grade: B+
Publisher: Tecmo (1993)
Reviewed: 2004/12/12

This entertaining arcade-style football game was largely overshadowed by Madden, which dominated the Genesis year after year. Tecmo Super Bowl is faithful to the stellar NES version, almost to a fault. The graphics aren't much better, and the controls are exactly the same. Only two buttons are used on the controller, mirroring the NES control scheme. While some might consider this lack of innovation somewhat of a letdown, Super Bowl still delivers the same addictive Tecmo action that ruled the NES. The side view of the field gives you a good vantage point, except for receivers running off the screen when they going deep. The gameplay is easy to learn, and I love how tapping a button lets you to break tackles. Incomplete passes are always tipped into the air, but unfortunately you can't snag them. Exciting cut scenes accentuate diving catches, sacks, field goals, and celebrations. During field goals you get a terrific view of the ball passing through the uprights from a number of angles. In the proud tradition of the series, there's an entertaining halftime show with jumping cheerleaders and an air show. A battery backup saves your season mode and statistical data. If there's a flaw to be found with Tecmo Super Bowl, it lies in the audio. The obnoxious music is far less endearing than the quaint NES tunes, and the voice synthesis is awful. All in all, this is still the Tecmo Football you've always loved, although it's really no better than the old NES version. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition
Grade: C-
Publisher: Tecmo (1993)
Reviewed: 2004/12/12
Find Tecmo Super Bowl III Final Edition on
eBay,
YouTube1 or 2 players
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist
Grade: C
Publisher: Konami (1992)
Reviewed: 2005/9/20
Find Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Hyperstone Heist on
eBay,
YouTube1 or 2 players
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Grade: C+
Publisher: Acclaim (1993)
Reviewed: 2013/3/24
Publisher: Virgin (1992)
Reviewed: 2012/12/31
Recommended variation: easy
Our high score: EV 44000
1 player
Publisher: Fox Interactive (1994)
Reviewed: 2014/12/17
Recommended variation: continues
Our high score: 12490
1 player
Thunder Force II
Grade: C-
Publisher: Sega (1989)
Reviewed: 2001/8/30

This was the first game of the classic Thunder Force series of shooters to be released in the U.S. Thunder Force 2 alternates between overhead and side-view stages. The overhead stages aren't too hot. You can fly in four directions, but this freedom presents a problem: where are you supposed to go? You can blow up everything in sight and open gates to access new areas, but your final objective is never quite clear. Finally I figured out that you need to destroy all the enemy fortresses to advance to the next stage. When I finally reached level 2, the REAL fun began. There's some great side-scrolling shooting action here, with all kinds of cool weapons. You'll get six continues to make it through nine excessively hard levels. Thunder Force 2 isn't great, but it set the stage for superior Thunder Force 3. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.
Thunder Force III
Grade: A
Publisher: Sega (1990)
Reviewed: 2017/1/20
Our high score: 158,720
1 player
Publisher: Taito (1991)
Reviewed: 2015/9/30
Our high score: 65,400
1 player
Publisher: Sirata (1993)
Reviewed: 2010/1/21
Rating: Mature (blood and gore)
Our high score: 46468
1 or 2 players
Publisher: Spectrum Holobyte (1993)
Reviewed: 2017/10/4

I recently picked up Tinhead at a used game store. I had never heard of the game before but was impressed that its cardboard box was so pristine. Tinhead is a whimsical futuristic platformer starring "a robot who guards the edge of the galaxy". The
Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega, 1991) influence is readily apparent, with stages composed of 3D shapes and floating platforms covered with grass. You'll slide down slopes, jump over beds of spikes, and find yourself whisked around in vacuum tubes. What sets Tinhead apart is the ability to fire bullets from his head. You can toggle your aim in three directions - diagonal up, sideways, and diagonal down. Down allows you to "roll" your shots like grenades - very handy for killing ground-hugging creeps. Tinhead offers fine control, crisp collision detection, and catchy music. The thing is, he jumps in a triangular "arc", which really bothers me. Considering how well the game is programmed in general, I'm shocked they got lazy with the physics. Still, it's a lot of fun to leap through bunches of icons and watch you score rack up. Reaching the end of each stage requires you to grab a star and enter an "out" portal which could be anywhere. The first "world" drags on for so long you'll wonder if you'll ever see any new scenery. Stages two and three sport futuristic space themes, and stage four changes things up with a jungle setting. Tinhead is composed of a lot of recycle ideas. Fortunately most of them were pretty good. © Copyright 2017 The Video Game Critic.
Our high score: 104,765
Save mechanism: password
1 player
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
Grade: C+
Publisher: Konami (1993)
Reviewed: 2019/8/28
Find Tiny Toon Adventures Buster's Hidden Treasure on
eBay,
YouTubeOur high score: 89,700
Save mechanism: password
1 player
Publisher: Sega (1991)
Reviewed: 2008/4/7
Toejam and Earl Panic on Funkotron
Grade: A-
Publisher: Sega (1993)
Reviewed: 2001/8/25

In this episode our funky alien friends have accidentally unleashed those disgusting humans from Earth on their home planet of Funkotron. Your job is to capture all of these obnoxious creatures and send them back. The look and gameplay are completely different from the first game - Panic is more of a traditional side-scroller. In addition to collecting items, you capture the humans by throwing magical jars at them. The visuals are fantastic, with cartoon-quality animation. Each level has a completely different look, and there are even some hidden mini-games. My favorite is the one that allows you to "jam" with funky friends by copying beat sequences they play. This is not only great fun, but it was also the precursor to later music games like Parappa the Rapper (Playstation) and Space Channel 5 (Dreamcast). The high-quality music is similar to the first game, but the sound effects are much improved. The two-player mode has been retained, although it's not as good since you must remain on the same screen as your partner. A password feature allows you to save your spot. Don't miss out on this underrated game. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.
Find Toejam and Earl Panic on Funkotron on
eBay,
YouTube1 or 2 players
Toki Going Ape Spit
Grade: C+
Publisher: Sega (1991)
Reviewed: 2011/7/7
Our high score: 57,460
1 player
Tommy Lasorda Baseball
Grade: C+
Publisher: Sega (1989)
Reviewed: 2004/6/18

For being the first Genesis baseball game, this isn't nearly as bad as I expected. Tommy Lasorda has a fast-paced, arcade quality that I like. The behind-the-batter viewpoint features large, well-animated players, and the transparent catcher looks particularly good. Once the ball is hit, the game switches to a rather cheesy overhead perspective. This doesn't exactly show off the Genesis' graphics prowess - in fact, the players look like blobs. The fielding is easy enough, but you can't jump or dive, and it's frustrating when a ground ball rolls
just out of your reach. Intuitive controls let you lead off, steal, slide, tag up, position fielders, commit errors, pinch-hit, or bring in a relief pitcher. The pitchers seem to have a big advantage over the hitters - it's hard to hit the ball! Little details mean a lot in a baseball game, and I love how you can see cars in the parking lot beyond the bleachers. Once I saw them, I was obsessed with smacking a homer in the parking lot - must be a guy thing. After hitting a homer, the umpire calls you "safe" at home plate (?) and your teammates line up to give you high-fives. Mediocre background music plays throughout the game, but thankfully you can shut this off via the options menu. You can play a season, but you'll have to jot down some long passwords. The players, teams, and stadiums are all fake, but if you like fast, arcade-style baseball, this isn't a bad choice. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
Tony LaRussa Baseball
Grade: F
Publisher: Electronic Arts (1993)
Reviewed: 2004/6/18

Tony LaRussa Baseball was an abomination in 1993, and it still is today. Sure the menus have options and stats out the whazoo, but the gameplay is hideously slow and unbelievably choppy! I remember buying this at the local mall when it first came out and being giddy with excitement. The game comes in a heavy, thick box, and I thought for sure this would unseat Sportstalk Baseball as the best Genesis baseball game ever. But upon playing my first game, my enthusiasm soon turned to disgust! I recoiled in horror at the sight of the
very first pitch. The pitcher's windup looks okay, but the ball "blinks" about four times on the way to the catcher. At that point, only one thing was going through my mind: get back to the mall immediately and get your [expletive] money back! The fielding and running are inexcusably choppy, and during many plays it's hard to tell what the heck's going on. Tony LaRussa Baseball is a comedy of errors. The control is poor, the announcer sounds like he's choking on a hot dog, and the crowd seems oblivious to what's going on. There are numerous annoying pauses that occur for no reason in particular and slow the action to a crawl. Runners don't automatically run on base hits, and outfielders routinely throw out runners going to first base. The fields look good, but the stadiums all look the same. This is the only game I've ever seen where the pitcher spits on the mound, and it looks positively disgusting. EA had made some great football, basketball and hockey games in the early 90's. What happened with baseball? © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
Toughman Contest
Grade: C+
Publisher: Electronic Arts (1995)
Reviewed: 2000/7/6

This is one of the better boxing games for the Genesis. It's like a semi-realistic version of Nintendo's Punch-Out, and it has a great sense of humor. Your boxer is a green outline in front of your opponent, letting you get a good view of the action. A well-designed control scheme makes it easy to throw a wide variety of punches and even special moves like a "Popeye punch" or head-butt. Unfortunately, as in many boxing games, the boxers can never punch as fast as you press the buttons, and the lag makes the control feel unresponsive. The boxers are well drawn and look only slightly cartoonish. The backgrounds, taken from different parts of the world (like the Coliseum in Rome) are extremely amusing. Not only do funny things happen in the background during the fights (like a bungee jumper on the Coliseum wall), but sometimes incidents occur after the fight (in Rome, lions attack the loser). A nice-looking babe introduces each new round. Toughman may be more fun to watch than to play. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.
Publisher: Disney (1995)
Reviewed: 2016/2/27
Our high score: 98
1 player
Publisher: Vic Tokai (1991)
Reviewed: 2012/3/14

What could be better than a scantily-clad chick blasting robots? How about
two hotties blasting mechanized beasts? What if they were flying around in
jetpacks? "Shut. Up. You had me at scantily clad." Madison is the blonde who always faces forward, and Crystal is the brunette who always has her back. Pressing C lets you toggle Crystal's direction, so you can blast enemies sneaking up from behind or focus all your firepower ahead. It's a unique system that's surprisingly effective. You also have a special weapon (read: smart bomb), and I like how it recharges over time. The first stage takes place in a bright city, and the layered scenery looks terrific. It's cool how you can see glimpses of the skyline behind the highway overpass. The later stages are less appealing however, and some are downright claustrophobic. Trouble Shooter is tough because a pair of chicks make for a large target. You'll go up against whimsical enemies like terminator fish, penguins with propellers, and Megaman-style robots. This game would seem ideal for two-player action, but it's one-player only. The background story is ridiculous and the music is wacky, but Trouble Shooter has personality and its tongue-in-cheek style is just plain fun. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.
Our high score: 179,120
1 player
Troy Aikman Football
Grade: F
Publisher: Tradewest (1993)
Reviewed: 2002/3/10

Did Tradewest really think THIS could compete with Madden? Troy Aikman Football tries to emulate the winning Madden formula, but falls flat in almost every regard. The players look somewhat realistic, but their movements are so choppy that it's hard to tell what the heck is going on! In addition to the poor frame rate, there's quite a bit of breakup in the graphics. It's not unusual to see a player running around with no legs! You don't have much control over pass receptions, and there are an inordinate number of tipped passes. If you need a few extra yards, your best bet is to dive - these guys can leap 10-15 yards!! All the NFL teams are included, but only one actual player (guess who?). The audio is particularly dreadful. The crowd sounds like a weak faucet, and the unenthusiastic commentator sounds like he'd rather be somewhere else (like a Madden game maybe?). With so many other good football games for the Genesis, this really can't compete. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.
Publisher: Sega (1989)
Reviewed: 2010/6/2
Our high score: 168,320
1 or 2 players
Publisher: Accolade (1991)
Reviewed: 2008/4/27
Our high score: 31450
1 player
Publisher: Treco (1991)
Reviewed: 2017/3/10
Recommended variation: easy
Our high score: 193,320
1 player
Twinkle Tale (Japan)
Grade: B+
Publisher: Toyo (1992)
Reviewed: 2016/8/28
Recommended variation: continues
Our high score: 158330
1 player
Publisher: Data East (1992)
Reviewed: 2003/3/23
Our high score: 49500
1 or 2 players