Game Gear Reviews S-Z

Is it just me, or was the loveable hedgehog neutered for this scaled-down edition of the Genesis mega-hit? Sonic really lacks his trademark speed on the Game Gear, and these unforgiving environments really limit his ability to run wild. And where are those crazy loops we all love so much? You won't find them here. Still, there's plenty of ring-collecting and enemy-pouncing fun to be had, and the upbeat music and sound effects are surprisingly faithful to the original game. The graphics are bright and cheery, with large enemies that are easy to make out. Some of the six zones are inspired by the Genesis game, but they tend to be very linear. The Green Hill zone looks great with its palm trees and dancing flowers, but the "Bridge zone" is a total bust. Devoid of any creativity or aesthetic value, it amounts to one endless bridge littered with fatal gaps. Adding insult to injury, in one section the screen automatically scrolls slowly to the right, making an already mundane stage just plain irritating. Things improve with the lush Jungle zone, but even that has far too many bottomless pits. I don't like how Sonic on the Game Gear forces you to proceed at a very slow, deliberate pace. The bonus stages let you bounce on trampolines and bumpers to grab rings, but they aren't very thrilling. Slow-down often rears its ugly head, especially after you grab a power-up. Taking a hit only causes one ring to fly loose, but your total is reduced to zero anyway. No score is displayed when the game ends, and that's too bad. This portable Sonic is respectable, but if you've already experienced the stellar Genesis version, this will seem awfully tame. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

After giving lukewarm reviews to the first two Sonic games for the Game Gear, I started wondering if the system's hardware could handle a legitimate Sonic title. After playing Sonic Triple Trouble, I realize the answer is yes. Not only does this game deliver graphics and gameplay comparable to the Genesis Sonics, but it's one of the best Sonic games I've played period! Genesis owners might as well refer to this as Sonic 4 - it's that good! Sega not only redesigned the game's engine and graphics from the ground up, but addressed the annoyances that plagued the previous Game Gear Sonics. Gone are the blind leaps, fatal falls, awkward controls, and unreasonable difficulty. The spin-dash move is in full effect, and it really comes in handy! The character sprites are large and bold, and the layered scenery is very easy on the eyes. As with any Sonic title worth its weight, there are plenty of inviting tropical stages with multiple routes and hidden secrets. Adding a little variety are original stages like Sunset Park with its gorgeous orange sky and Robotnik Winter with its snow and ice. And get this - Sonic can even snowboard! You can play through the game as Sonic or Tails, and Knuckles appears as a villain. So what's the catch? Well, the game does suffer from its share of slowdown, but it doesn't adversely affect the gameplay. The difficulty is much lower than previous Sonics for the Game Gear, to the point where it's sometimes hard to lose a life! That's okay, because this game is a joy to play, delivering the fast action Sonic fans crave with minimal frustration. It's a shame Triple Trouble was released so late in the system's life cycle, because this game is the real deal. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

The cartridge label says Spider-Man and the title screen reads Spider-Man Vs. The Kingpin, so which is it? The graphics are very nice. There are some handsome building skylines, and even the sewers look good! The animation could use some work however. Spider-Man struts like a bodybuilder, and when he beats up thugs they bounce off the screen like basketballs! What the hell? The first stage is set in front of the Daily Planet building with police shooting at you from the sidewalk and people punching you from the windows. Apparently you've been framed by the Kingpin so everybody thinks you're bad. Swinging around on a pixelated web strand reminded me of Spider-Man (Atari 2600, 1983) but the swinging controls are worse. To complete the first stage you just need to climb into an open window - easier said than done! Most stages are just open areas with random enemies you beat up until the boss appears. Spider-Man can bind enemies with his web before moving in for a flurry of kicks and punches. The second stage takes place in a spacious warehouse where you kick pigs (?) and punch henchmen wearing motorcycle helmets. Defeating Doctor Octopus isn't hard thanks to your rapid-fire low kick. One innovative feature is the ability to take snapshots which earn you money later in the game. Between stages you have the option of resting in your apartment to replenish your health, and why wouldn't you? Because there's a ticking time bomb - that's why! Doctor Strange makes a cameo in the game, giving you a rainbow-colored medallion. I didn't have the heart to tell him it clashed with my outfit. It did comes in handy however when I fell into a spiked-lined sewer pit and it allowed me to magically escape. There are some cool features in the game, but so-so controls and poor stage design prove Spider-Man's downfall. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.

Based on the title alone, Sports Trivia sounds like a worthless piece of [expletive]. It screams of bargain-bin material, but sports fans who take a chance on this are in for a pleasant surprise. Sports Trivia is actually two games in one, with one being a football simulation. The main screen depicts a miniature gridiron indicating the position of the ball, and the idea is to gain yardage by answering random sports trivia questions. On defense you'll answer questions to slow the CPU's drive, but even when you get an answer right you may give up a few yards. Small animation windows complement the action by depicting players fighting for yardage or catching passes. Sports Trivia's game-within-a-game design demands strategy in addition to sports knowledge. The play selection screen offers several options so you can play it safe or go for big yardage. Each question is slowly displayed on the screen, followed by four answers. Considering time is a factor (fast answers net more yards), I wish they would simply flash the damn thing up there. You'll be tempted to hit a button to expedite the process, but that's the worst thing you can possibly do, because the text will just stop and you'll be forced to answer blindly. The emphasis of the questions is clearly on football, baseball, and basketball. Many of them are very enlightening such as "How many players were selected before Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft?" (two), and "What man played in the most World Series games?" (Yogi Berra). As a sports fan, I really had a blast trying to answer these. Occasionally you'll get a question about hockey, golf, or auto racing. I found those questions to be a good time to use an "audible", which basically lets you skip the question. The main problem with Sports Trivia is that not enough yards are awarded, and as a result you get a lot of back-and-forth stalemates. It seems like whenever the CPU gets any kind of momentum he'll cough up the ball before he can score. It's not unusual to go to overtime with a 0-0 tie! And what's up with that Kung Fu background music? Sports Trivia could have used a lot more offense, but its multi-dimensional gameplay will captivate sports fans nonetheless. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

I wasn't expecting much from this miniature version of Super Star Wars (SNES, 1992) but I was impressed by the title screen which resembles the original movie poster. And when I saw the ominous Star Destroyer fly into view in the opening cut-scene, I realized this was a quality title. In the first stage you play as Princess Leia running around on her ship, and it's nice to see her as a playable character for a change (armed with a blaster no less). It's easy to move between floors thanks to ubiquitous air vents that suck you right up, and they makes Leia look hilarious as she flails her arms and legs. The shoot button doubles as run when you hold it in, enabling death-defying leaps. As you progress you'll also be able to play as Luke and Han Solo, although the graphic style makes them all look like little kids scampering around. It's fun to blast jawas, stormtroopers, and sand people, and it's easier if you start shooting before they even enter the screen. Some of the scenery looks nearly digitized including the desert sands of Tatooine and the hangar bay of Mos Eisley. The cantina and Millennium Falcon look amazing. The music from the film sounds fine, but some of the other tunes sound really odd. Star Wars is remarkably playable and most of the stages are a lot of fun. The sandcrawler however is a real torture chamber, and I'm not even talking about the rapid conveyer belts, spikes, and crushing machines. I'm talking about circular paths that drop you back at the beginning after a missed jump. I'm talking about Jawas that drop right in front of you and require five shots to kill. And I find the concept of running up walls both silly and unnecessary. The Death Star stage is another prime offender, combing confusing elevator mayhem with blind leaps of faith. You get eight continues but there's no score or password. Did LucasArts expect people to complete this in one sitting? Exciting but inconsistent, Star Wars is still an enticing intergalactic adventure. © Copyright 2015 The Video Game Critic.

Surf Ninjas has more depth than your standard side-scrolling slugfest. You play a "mellow surfer dude" who just so happens to be the last heir to a 4000-year-old throne. A half-robot villain has dispatched ninjas all over the world to kill you. As the title would suggest, Surf Ninjas offers a few sunny outdoor locations like a tropical island and the docks of Venice. There are also some elaborate indoor stages like a fancy palace restaurant. With two buttons you can perform all sorts of nifty moves including roll, high kick, low kick, jumping high kick, body throw, and a supremely effective jumping power-punch. Some items let you unleash fireballs. And when you need a boost, you can use your "zatch" to transform into a powerful warrior for a short time. The pause screen displays your vital statistics and provides access to hints, a shop, and a treasure screen. Using a hint triggers a brief animation of a little kid in heinous pink shorts focusing in on his own Game Gear screen! Button pounding is not enough to beat Surf Ninjas. You'll need to collect items and use them strategically to prevail. The bright graphics are complemented by upbeat music, but the controls prove problematic. You walk very slowly and can't run. Jumping moves you along quicker, but that can result in leaping into unseen danger. Vaulting onto high ledges is confusing, and I often accidentally rolled while trying to perform a leg sweep. The controls lag too, making it hard to target swift creatures like swooping hawks. It's a little on the sluggish side, but there's much more Surf Ninjas than meets the eye. © Copyright 2015 The Video Game Critic.

The Genesis edition of Lillehammer '94 had its share of issues, and this portable version isn't much easier to swallow. I like Lillehammer's brisk pacing and snowy winter scenery, but the events are a constant struggle. The games begin with a brief opening ceremony. It's modest, but still more than I've seen from most modern Olympic titles. I'm kind of surprised that the USA isn't represented in this game. Lillehammer contains four skiing events which are entirely too difficult. Faint blue lines in the snow indicate the proper direction, but it's really, really hard to stay within the gates. The steering controls are coarse and the gates are spaced too far apart (often outside your field of view). When turning, your skier flinches in a very disorienting manner. It's easy to run into a tree, or worse yet, come to a complete stop in the middle of the course! Hell, simply qualifying in a single ski event is a monumental achievement! The bobsled and luge events offer impressive behind-the-sled views as you careen down the half-pipe, but your control is limited to making slight adjustments. Speed skating is one of the more exciting events as you tap buttons and jockey for position against three CPU-controlled skaters. The ski jump event is another highlight, combining simple controls and plenty of eye candy. The biathlon isn't inherently bad, but it wears out its welcome due to its length. The mogul skiing lets you perform stunts, but its overly-complex controls confounded me. Not every event is a winner, but there's enough variety and the CPU is no pushover. Instead of competing in all ten events, you have the option of selecting the specific ones you'd like to play, and that's a nice option for a portable title. Lillehammer '94 is too difficult for its own good, but being able to play an entire winter Olympics in under 20 minutes keeps the frustration factor to a minimum. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.