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About halfway through the first stage however, the game starts gaining traction. The ocean begins to creep in from the left side of the screen and you can view island scenery in the distance! The controls are highly forgiving and the oncoming jeeps look impressively detailed. And when the harmonized chorus kicks in, it sounds terrific.
I like how you don't have to change gears; they shift automatically. That's nice because in other versions of OutRun it's very easy to slip up and shift gears accidentally. I love the stages in this game, which look remarkably vibrant and cheery. The city night stage is most notable, featuring well-lit skyscrapers that loom the height of the screen. Chris referred to this stage as "Gotham City".
One flaw with this particular version of OutRun is that it leaves very little room for error. The stages are extra long, so even with a near-perfect run you'll be lucky to clear the checkpoint with five seconds to spare! If you suffer a major wipe out, car tumbling end over end, you're pretty much out of the running. That said, the game's forgiving collision detection and responsive steering help to compensate for the tight time limit.
OutRun for the Game Gear even has an extra mode for racing against a friend or the CPU, with no other competitors. If you consider yourself a true OutRun fanatic you owe it to yourself to experience this scaled-down edition. It's a shame it was never released in the states because this version stands apart from the others. © Copyright 2023 The Video Game Critic.
You begin on a motorcycle, and while the scenery is bold and colorful, it's also pretty choppy. Cars scale in quickly but collisions just slow you down. You can't smash into anything on the side of the road so you tend to just slide from side to side. Police cars frequently try to run you off the road but most of the time you can shake them. During my first few plays I was wondering why my motorcycle kept stopping. It turns out you need to continuously push up to accelerate, which is hard on your thumb. You have a limited number of turbos but they don't seem to provide much boost. I couldn't even tell when they were being used!
Rival bikers can be punched, causing them to instantly explode. The jet ski stages are a miserable experience. When you're not being fired upon by a helicopter you're running into orange barrels you can't see coming. The first car stage is set at night and it's kind of a nightmare. You don't have room to maneuver and the screen is very dark. On the bright side the game offers ever-changing scenery including a lighted Eiffel Tower. Too bad the gameplay sucks so hard. OutRun Europa is a marginal Road Rash knock-off that will make you want to play a real OutRun game. © Copyright 2019 The Video Game Critic.
You're constantly hitting the Start button to pass through all the aggravating set-up screens, and once you finally get an opportunity to swing, you can't even tell where you're aiming. The sparse scenery doesn't help much, and neither does the useless overhead map. One thing the game does do right is employ a standard, 3-button-press swing meter that's easy to use.
Unfortunately, once the ball is hit, you have to wait several seconds for the new spot and surrounding scenery to be rendered slowly on the screen. This game will test the patience of most gamers. A few seconds here and there really add up over eighteen holes. PGA Tour Golf is a pretty weak golf game that you won't want to play unless you have a lot of time on your hands. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.
The swing meter is a pleasure to use, and you can adjust your draw or fade before the shot. You can't add topspin or backspin, but you can select "punch" or "chip" shots. When on the green, a detailed "grid" appears to help you line up the shot. There are six courses to choose from, and a generous options menu lets you fully tailor the presentation of the game. There's even a password save feature. PGA Tour Golf II is a terrific golf game, and if not for the pauses in the action, it would be 'A' material. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.
The graphics exude an arcade vibe with the colorful houses lining the streets and random chaos occurring on their front lawns. As you ride your rickety bike up both sides of the street you toss newspapers into mailboxes. It requires good timing as you need to lead your throws. The two buttons allow you to throw in either direction. Tapping up or down allows you to speed up or slow down.
There are plenty of additional targets you can hit for bonus points, and it's great fun to smack live targets like a fat lady or a guy trying to paint. The scoring is a bit unintuitive however. I score points for breaking windows but not knocking over trash cans?
The manner in which the road alternates from left to right which is fine, but the overhead sections in-between are confusing. The view is confusing, often putting you on course to crash into a curb unless you make a long, slow turn.
I like the mischievous music and the Halloween references. The graveyard actually has its own mailbox! I guess the dead letters need to go somewhere. Keep an eye out for scarecrows that suddenly come to life. Don't you hate it when that happens?
There are three levels of play but there's not quite as much variety as I had hoped. It turns out that the advanced stages are really just extended versions of the same courses. It may lack depth, but for simple pick-up-and-play fun, Paperboy II delivers. © Copyright 2024 The Video Game Critic.
The satisfaction you get from crushing a blob is comparable to dropping rocks on pookas in Dig Dug (Atari 5200, 1983). Feels so good! You need to act fast to hit an enemy crossing your path, but the controls don't do you any favors. They feel so... slippery. Okay, I know - it's an ice game - but work with me here.
Half the time instead of pushing a block you accidentally slide around it instead, placing yourself in harm's way. Still, Pengo's pure simplicity makes the game addictive. The harmonized music is catchy and the dancing penguin intermissions are funny. I don't normally do the "import thing" with my Game Gear, but titles like this are worth it. Note: Game Gear cartridges are region-free. © Copyright 2016 The Video Game Critic.
Much like Poker, Blackjack is an expertly-crafted title that's a breeze to play. The presentation is superb, with an animated dealer at the top of the screen. You can select between a guy dealer or an attractive woman (no contest). The screen scrolls down as the big, well-defined cards are dealt.
The game moves along at a brisk pace as you place bets and call for cards one by one. You're trying to reach 21 without going over (bust). Things get interesting when you attempt more advanced techniques like splitting cards or doubling down. Since you're not playing with real money, feel free to experiment.
Would I change anything about this game? Well I tend to bet the same each time so it would be nice if the game remembered my previous bet. Otherwise Paul's Blackjack is a lot of fun. It's also a fine way to get in some practice before trying your hand at a real casino. © Copyright 2024 The Video Game Critic.
There are two variations to select from: Video Poker and Five Card Stud. A well-designed user interface lets you effortlessly navigate options, playing hand after hand with the greatest of ease. The saloon-style music got on my nerves after a while, but you can shut it off.
Video Poker is pretty simple. After placing your bet you're dealt five cards. You can then swap out as many as you want. You're not competing against anybody else, but instead trying to put together a hand high enough to earn a payout. In this case the lowest "good" hand is a pair of jacks, which pays "even". Depending on how much you wager, big hands like a full house or straight flush can net huge payouts.
Five Card Stud pits you against three CPU competitors. You can see their faces and view all of their cards except for one. Between deals you can call, fold, and raise. There's quite a bit of strategy involved, as you can read their faces and even try to bluff them.
In both games your goal was to amass as much cash as possible. It's fun to get on a hot streak, but like any respectable gambler, my luck would inevitably run out. At that point I'd just go "all-in", because why not? I'm just glad it's not real money!
There's a reason why video poker games have proliferated across actual casinos. They are addictive! If you're traveling and need a quick fix, this cartridge will keep you company. I'd also recommend pairing this with a stiff drink, because sometimes one vice isn't enough. © Copyright 2024 The Video Game Critic.
The backgrounds are a little sparse, but the creatures look impressive as hell! Not only do they sport that distinctive "claymation" appearance, but they are freakin' huge in proportion to the screen size. The animation drops a few frames here and there, but the game is certainly playable. The controls are severely limited by the two-button configuration (the arcade used four), but it's still possible to pull off special moves (like spewing vomit) by hitting both buttons at once.
There are no human spectators, but that's no big loss. The sound effects are sparse aside from the relentless jungle beats. One issue is how your score isn't displayed on the screen - or even between rounds. In fact, you'll never even see a score unless you break into the top three. This portable translation of Primal Rage is nice on a technical level but don't expect much in the way of replay value. © Copyright 2014 The Video Game Critic.
The stage designs are predictable as you forge through places like the "Blacker-than-Black Forest" and the "Stinking Hot Desert". You move slowly but can jump high. You'll toss toothbrushes and hairballs to turn away skunks, lizards, woodpeckers, and vultures that drop white poop. Certain enemies are seriously annoying, like those quill-shooting porcupines. As for special abilities, Ren has a super jump and Stimpy has a ground pound which can break small branches. Weapons and power-ups come in the form of toast, soap, shaving scum, and a remote control.
In advanced stages you'll contend with a few cheap hits like roving storm clouds and creatures obscured by rocks. Still, you can detect and avoid most hazards (like falling stalactites) by moving cautiously. It helps that you get a lot of lives. Ren and Stimpy have three each, and you can switch characters between stages. I like how your score is tallied after each stage, and the game has a slick password feature. Quest for the Shaven Yak doesn't try too hard but much like the cartoon, it has a quirky, easy-going style that proves endearing. © Copyright 2017 The Video Game Critic.
The players are exceptionally large for a portable game, although their animation looks somewhat robotic. I do hate how fielders always catch the ball while reaching straight up and standing on their toes! It looks idiotic; especially when a throw comes in low. I suspect this may be a bug in the code.
RBI features its trademark instant replay feature and a pleasant melody plays throughout the game (no, you can't turn it off). The game moves along at a steady clip, but like the Genesis version, an excessive number of foul balls tend to slow down the action. Otherwise, RBI Baseball 94 delivers an addictive, arcade-style flavor of the national pastime. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.
You'll have to explore the worst neighborhood in town if the broken windows, eviction notices, and hideous color combinations are any indication. The sparse music has a Mortal Kombat vibe. Thugs in jeans and wife-beater t-shirts fire at you from windows and from behind crates. Since they fire continuously, you're pretty much forced to walk into their line of fire in order to get them into your line of fire. It's a war of attrition.
As you methodically forge ahead you may notice you are taking extra unseen hits. It's possible there's a thug shooting at you behind, completely off-screen! You have to periodically turn around to kill this pest, and sometimes he's not even there!! It's almost as cheap as the "bomb dispenser" devices that continuously toss grenades your way.
Your three-way shot is great, but how do you select it? Well, you press down and the jump button at the same time. It's just common sense! There's not much to like in Robocop 3. Even the skyline looks bad. The lone highlight of the game is the continue screen, which presents a digitized ED-209 giving you "10 seconds to comply". Now that's the kind of violence I can get behind! © Copyright 2024 The Video Game Critic.
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Screen shots courtesy of Video Game Museum