This old Genesis shooter is a "holy grail" of sorts, having achieved near legendary status while being extremely hard to locate. It took me forever to finally find a decent copy on Ebay for a reasonable price, but now that I've played it, I can see what all the fuss is about. M.U.S.H.A. (Metallic Uniframe Super Hybrid Armor) is certainly one of the best shooters you can get for the Genesis, and easily the best of the vertical variety. What's so special about it? Well, the controls are surprisingly complex, the graphics are terrific, and you can amass some serious firepower. You control a giant flying mech, and your main weapon is rapid-fire shots that can be powered up to the width of your ship. Collecting icons will augment your firepower with special weapons, which include lasers, missiles, and rotating spheres. Touching an icon that matches your current special weapon will augment its power up to four levels. On top of that, you can earn "options" by catching power cells that fall from certain targets. These "options" take the form of small pods that fly alongside your ship and provide extra firepower. But wait - there's more! By using the A button, you can position these options in six different formations, including forward, 3-way, back, reverse, roll, and "free", which puts them into a "search and destroy" mode. You can fire everything at once by simply holding B and C, and can even adjust your speed via the pause menu. The graphics are terrific, with large, detailed enemies and no slow-down even when things get crazy. Unlike other shooters where you see the same enemies over and over again, MUSHA seems to have an inexhaustible supply of new targets. Many of the bosses are huge faces grafted into high-tech machinery, and they look wild. The scenery is also commendable. The first stage has traditional Japanese temples moving on a network of rails over the ocean below - very original. Another stage features a floor that drops out, revealing a gaping chasm below. Scaling is used to good effect in several parts of the game - very impressive for 1990. The music is highly regarded by some, but I thought it was about average. Overall, if you're a serious shooter fan, you owe it to yourself to track down a copy of this engrossing game. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

This well-constructed platformer stars Ronald McDonald the clown of fast food fame. The unexpected high level of quality is explained by the fact it was developed by legendary developer Treasure. The game boasts dazzling graphics, outstanding controls, and a catchy soundtrack. In fact, the music in stage one sounds like something straight out of a Sonic game. The stages are bursting with eye candy and the scene with a starry night sky looks amazing. Some of the more trippy stages (like the pirate ship) call to mind Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Sega, 1990). Crisp controls let Ronald jump, fire magic stars, and use a scarf to pull himself up to higher ledges. You'll fight clowns, cuddly dragons, and what appears to be Dopey of the Seven Dwarves. The stages are short and no two are alike. One minute you're navigating waterfalls and the next you're leaping across a train loaded with circus animals. Collecting gems and flowers replenishes your life, and gold can be used to buy health and continues. The gameplay really doesn't falter until the final stage which plays like a poor man's Earthworm Jim (Genesis, 1994). The boss encounters are odd because they require you to sustain some damage just to make the boss vulnerable. My friends thought that was pretty dumb. What puts Treasure Land over the top is its surreal visuals which straddle the line between Willy Wonka and Alice in Wonderland. You never know what bizarre predicaments you'll find yourself in, like hopping between twirling ballerinas in a train tunnel for example. It's a short game and you can probably conquer its four stages in a single sitting. If you want more of a challenge, try the normal difficulty and use your gold as score (don't spend it). I'm surprised there aren't more McDonald's references besides the golden arches and cameo appearances by Hamburglar and that lazy ass Grimace. Short, sweet, and wonderfully weird, McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure is better than you would expect. © Copyright 2016 The Video Game Critic.

Just like Snickers satisfies hunger, Mega Turrican satisfies your urge to blow things up. In this side-scrolling shooter you forge through a robot-fortified bio-mech laboratory, post-apocalyptic landscapes, and slimy alien lairs. The completely unnecessary back-story tells the tale of an ancient evil that's returned after eons of peace. And get this - YOU are the only one who can save the universe from it! What are the odds of that? I was never keen on the original Turrican (Genesis, 1991) but Mega Turrican offers a sweet combination of platform jumping and rapid-fire shooting. All of the weapons kick ass. The "laser" unloads huge green balls of energy, "multiple" unleashes a barrage of missiles, and "rebound" ricochets projectiles around enclosed areas. Tack on some homing missiles and a supply of smart bombs, and you'll make that ancient evil wish that he had stayed his ass home! You can only fire sideways, but that's partially offset by the fact that you can pounce on weaker enemies. Crisp controls make it easy to jump between ledges, but in some cases it's necessary to use your "plasma rope" to pull yourself up to higher ground (like Bionic Commando). This rope is a pain in the ass because you need to stand still to use it and it's tedious to adjust. It kills the momentum of the game, which is otherwise an action-packed blast-a-thon. You have the ability to roll up into a ball (ala Metroid), but whenever I tried it I usually rolled right off the screen and died. I enjoyed collecting diamonds for bonus points, but I hate how touching falling water is fatal. Heck, even bubbles do substantial damage. It's not perfect, but when Mega Turrican hits its stride, the carnage is a joy to behold with minimal slow-down. The stages, while fun to play, are not aesthetically pleasing. The designers were intent on incorporating as much detail and color as they could into the scenery, and some of the results will turn your stomach. That alien lair is a complete rip-off of the Alien movie franchise. The audio is appealing with its edgy, futuristic sound intermingled with an ominous piano loop. Mega Turrican isn't a standout title but its simple brand of rapid-fire shooting has an infectious quality that kept me coming back. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

The Menacer is an oversized, futuristic light gun released to compete with Nintendo's Super Scope. Sega's model is far more versatile and practical. Its scope and stabilizer are detachable, allowing it to be held like a regular handgun. The accuracy is decent if you sit about six feet away from the screen and increase the brightness of your television. Using the scope provides for more accurate aim, but it's more comfortable to drag a jittery crosshair around the screen. The Menacer is packaged with a cartridge containing six mini-games. In Pest Control the object is to guard a small pizza being overrun by roaches. You only view a small section of the screen at a time, but hitting a special button will expose the whole screen momentarily. As if the premise wasn't disgusting enough, the sight of pizza-engorged insects will turn your stomach. It's an unpleasant game, and if I never play it again, I'm okay with that. Space Station Defender depicts a planet surface with alien pods that materialize at random. You shoot the aliens that appear, occasionally recharging by pointing at the lower part of the screen. It's far too easy and repetitive. The third game is called Ready, Aim, Tomatoes, and it's the best of the bunch. As a spin-off of Toejam and Earl (Genesis, 1991) you aim at wacky targets like cupids, militant ducks, and frolicking businessmen. The catchy music and quirky animations are entertaining. The controls are forgiving, and power-ups like rapid-fire and time slow-down add to the fun. The two alternating stages (green meadow and beach) look great, but there should have been more. Whack Ball is the most original entry. Instead of shooting, you guide a circle around the screen, knocking a small ball against bricks along the edges. The idea is to change the color of the entire perimeter without letting the ball escape through an opening. It's a neat concept and a nice change of pace. Front Line is an uninspired military shooter with tanks, planes, and helicopters that move slowly across the screen. Turn your machine guns on close enemies and save your missiles for distant targets. Rockman's Zone is the worst game, featuring a camera that slowly pans a set of buildings as cardboard cutouts appear in the windows. An audible "shoot!" alerts you to thugs, making it easy to avoid civilians. Pointless and uneventful, there are long stretches where nothing happens at all. This Menacer cartridge isn't too exciting. It seems designed with the goal of having gamers say, "hey, this gun really works!" Note: The Menacer does not work on HDTVs. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

Michael Jackson may have been a weird dude, but you can't question his talent. The guy wrote a slew of catchy songs and performed them with his own distinctive style. Moonwalker was released as Michael's reputation was shifting from "strange" towards "bizarre", which probably limited the game's sales. Even so, this is a well-crafted platformer that's fun to play. The game involves Michael saving kids while subduing thugs in bars, streets, garages, and graveyards. He doesn't actually fight anyone, but instead blows them off the screen by throwing pixie dust (no joke). When your "star magic" meter is full, you can toss your hat at enemies, causing them to explode on contact. When your star power is at maximum, you can force all the bad guys on the screen to participate in an elaborate dance number - a fate worse than death! Completing a stage requires locating a certain number of kids hidden behind various doors and windows, and scouring each area can feel very tedious. Saved kids fly off the screen on a little rocket, which looks pretty bizarre. After all are saved, Bubbles the Chimp hops on your shoulders and guides you to a boss encounter, which is really just a parade of generic bad guys. Moonwalker is remarkable in a number of ways. Michael moves with fluid grace and a large number of his signature moves are on full display. It's fun to watch him gallivant around a bar while performing various spins and poses. In addition to thugs, Michael sometimes has to deal with attack dogs, and it's really a trip when you make the dogs dance! One the later stages is a graveyard crawling with zombies, and those guys look genuinely creepy. Moonwalker's music is sensational. I cranked up the volume while playing this game through my stereo, and my friends were amazed by the strong bass and overall quality. Each stage offers a fine rendition of a classic track, including Smooth Criminal, Beat It, and Billy Jean. Moonwalker is a treat for gamers and its sheer novelty makes it a fine addition to any Genesis collection. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

Unlike the SNES version of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (SNES, 1994) which featured side-scrolling stages, the Genesis got a no-frills, one-on-one fighter. The title screen includes the Power Rangers theme song, but when the vocals kick in it sounds like the singers have laryngitis. The cut-scenes depict the evil Rita Repulsa who summons one villain after another. Before each battle you select one of five power rangers of various colors, each of which wields a special attack like a sword or flaming arrow. Special moves are executed using Street Fighter II-style movements (quarters rolls, charge). I find it amusing that the black Power Ranger actually is a black guy. He's my favorite because of his spinning attack that's pretty much unstoppable. The first round pits you against a monster called Minotaur, and after you beat him he transforms into a giant. Your Power Ranger then calls in some huge mech to handle this beast. The game alternates between small-scale and large-scale combat, but the characters are really the same size on the screen - it's the scenery that makes them look big. In addition they move slower, which gives the illusion of mass. The backdrops depict buildings and waterfalls, but they are static and lacking in detail. The fighting action is mediocre. The controls are okay, but the collision detection is suspect and there seem to be missing sound effects. The cut-scenes feature digitized scenes from the show, but the voice samples are incomprehensible. Late in the game a playable character called Dragonzord is introduced who looks like a Mecha-Godzilla clone. I finished the story mode in under 45 minutes and for the rest of the day I couldn't stop singing that "Go Go Power Rangers" theme song. I might have cut this game some slack if it had a score or password, but there's nothing but unlimited continues. After you beat it, all that's left is a versus mode that lets you play a friend as a monster or Ranger. Fans of the show might want to give Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers a shot, but there's only about an hours' worth of entertainment here - tops. © Copyright 2014 The Video Game Critic.

Arguably the most controversial video game in history, Mortal Kombat offered one-on-one fighting with digitized characters and over-the-top violence that's anything but realistic. Spurting blood is the order of the day, and battles culminate with gory finishing moves. Gamers thrived on the carnage, but the outcry from parents was enough to have Congress hold hearings on video game violence. These would eventually prompt the gaming industry to establish the ratings system we have today. While comparisons to Street Fighter 2 are unavoidable, Mortal Kombat has a distinctive look and feel of its own - with style to burn! Home versions were released simultaneously for both the Genesis and SNES, but only the Genesis version retained the gore of the arcade game. Guess which sold the most copies? Actually, the gore is disabled by default, but entering the button sequence ABACABB during the intro lets you play the game how it was meant to be played. Can gratuitous blood and outrageous violence really enhance the gameplay? Hell yeah! Landing a barrage of punches is all the more satisfying when blood flies, and what better way to celebrate a victory than to rip out your opponent's spine? It's a great feeling! Mortal Kombat's basic controls consist of two punches, two kicks, and a block button. Be sure to use a six-button controller, or else you'll be forced to hit Start to block (ugh!). The game's memorable cast includes thunder god Rayden, special ops chick Sonya, masked criminal Kano, martial artist Liu Kang, Hollywood action hero Johnny Cage, and a mysterious pair of ninjas named Scorpion and Sub Zero. Goro is a hulking, four-armed boss who is just as intimidating as he sounds. Mortal Kombat's controls are stiff compared to Street Fighter 2, but its gameplay is fun in its own way. Some of the special moves are pretty entertaining, like Sub-Zero's freeze ray, Sonya's leg throw, and Johnny Cage's groin punch. Matches tend to be short and sweet, and the fatalities really aren't that hard to execute. The manual doesn't list the special moves or fatalities, but hey - that's what they invented the Internet for, right? And who can forget those awesome "test your might" bonus stages that let you karate-chop stacks of wood. The rough voice synthesis is inferior to the SNES version, but the music is outstanding. Mortal Kombat has evolved over the years, but this original still holds a lot of charm. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

I remember picking this up on sale at Toys R Us in the early 90's, thinking it was going to be a big hit at my house (especially with a girlfriend and little sister around). But nobody ever played it much. Ms. Pac-Man is an early example of a publisher releasing a classic game on a far more advanced platform, yet still managing to botch it up. How many times have we seen that before? From the look of the options menu, this should have been the ultimate Ms. Pac-Man game. You get two-player simultaneous modes, four skill levels (including "crazy"), and you can enable the Pac-Man "booster", allowing you to zip around the mazes at twice the speed! There are four sets of mazes (36 total) including arcade, alternate, extra large, and mini. You can even select your starting stage! The graphics are slightly more detailed than the arcade version, and the sound effects, music, and intermissions are faithful to the original coin-op. So what's the problem? It's the control, man - the control!! Ms. Pac-Man's directional movements are extremely touchy and unforgiving to say the least. Almost every time you die, it's because the defective controls sent you off in the wrong direction. The Genesis controller is definitely no substitute for a good joystick. There's another issue regarding the two-player simultaneous play. Since all the mazes (except mini) scroll up and down, when the players spread out, one tends to scroll off and is forced to play "blind". Despite its flaws, there are some terrific variations in this cartridge that you won't find elsewhere. The new mazes are well designed, and the boost option allows you to be super aggressive and clear out each maze in a hurry. But if you ever wondered why this cartridge never made much of a splash, now you know. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.