Although its crisp visuals and clear music easily surpass those of Genesis Madden 93, this SNES edition lacks that all-important "fun factor". I remember my friend Eric buying this game back in the day and bragging about how great it looked. After playing my Genesis version however, he returned his copy. In retrospect however, Madden 93 isn't so bad. Yes, the animation is still pretty choppy compared to the Genesis game, but it's a hell of a lot better than the first SNES John Madden Football (EA, 1991). Before each game you're presented with a nice wide shot of the stadium. As with so many Maddens, there's much ado about the coin toss, including a special animation and a digitized image of the coin. Madden 93's user interface has been cleaned up considerably. The play selection menu looks very sharp, and there's an audible beep when you choose a play. The action on the field is fairly easy to follow, but despite what the box contends, the animation is pretty slow. That's probably a necessary trade-off for the improved frame-rate. I find it amusing how receivers catch passes in this game with their backs to the ball. When someone makes an interception, the screen gets blurry like it's a dream sequence or something. After a big play, a digitized group of fans is displayed. These guys are unintentionally hilarious, particularly the dude is the lower left in his O.P. shorts (Tom Selleck would be proud). Also amusing is the referee calls a field goal "good" well before it actually passes through the uprights! An instant replay option is available via the select button. Incorporating smoother gameplay with plenty of bells and whistles, Madden 93 represents a major step forward for the series. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

The first thing I noticed about Madden 95 was its Fox NFL theme music. I love that song - it reminds me of Thanksgiving! Otherwise Madden 95 is somewhat disappointing. The intro screen shows what looks like a cardboard cut-out of Madden at a desk, wearing the most hideous tie ever. On the field, the players have been redrawn with skinny bodies and fat heads. It looks like a pee-wee league! The players are poorly defined and tend to blend into each other. Worse yet, when they run sideways they kick up their heels like they're in a frickin' chorus line for Pete's sake! In one end-zone celebration, the player prances around like Michigan J. Frog from that old Warner Bros. cartoon ("hello my baby - hello my honey - hello my ragtime gaaal..."). And what the heck are those brown things all over the field? Where's the half-time show? There's a lot wrong with Madden 95, but EA did do one thing right, and that's dropping the passing windows. That's right, you can now survey the open field, making the passing a lot easier and much more satisfying. Unfortunately, whether your receiver actually catches the ball or not seems to have more to do with chance than skill. The running game is tougher than last year, but in general Madden 95 is more offensive-oriented. In one dramatic play, my friend Eric scooped up a pass he had deflected over a defender's head, and proceeded to run it in for a touchdown. The fans in the stands look terrific, but what kind of idiot would display a banner that simply says "GO"? Two-point conversions are a new option, adding a nice bit of strategy. One huge flaw is how the game clock is not displayed on the screen during the snap - only the play clock is. This idiotic oversight makes proper clock management all but impossible. Madden 95 is a wildly uneven football experience. EA giveth and EA taketh away. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

As soon as I started playing Magic Sword, I thought, "Wow, this is my kind of game!" It's a colorful, action-packed side-scroller with all the D&D trappings. You control a supremely buff warrior armed with a shield and sword. The controls are crisp and responsive as you hack your way through trolls, skeletons, mummies, demons, bears, jellyfish, and pretty much everything else you can think of. You'll venture over the countryside, through caves, volcanoes, castles, and ultimately up a 50-floor tower. Some stages feature ornate architecture and beautiful stained glass windows. There are a lot of doors, and unlocking one usually reveals an ally who will fight by your side and substantially augment your attack power. The first time I played Magic Sword I tried to attack that guy, and I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't die! Allies come in many varieties including a knife-tossing thief, a spell-casting magic user, a big Viking dude, and even a sweet ninja. Magic Sword has all the necessary ingredients, but its whole is less than the sum of its parts. Enemies attack in predictable patterns and can always be dispatched by mashing the attack button. Treasure chests, doors, and keys are so ubiquitous it's actually annoying! You can't walk ten feet without tripping over a [expletive] chest, and it becomes a chore to hack them all open! It's a shame because many contain special items that tend to get lost in the shuffle. Another problem is the frequent slow-down. I try not to complain about slow-down in SNES games, but it's so pronounced that it severely compromises the quality of the game. When low on health, an irritating alarm blares non-stop. The level select feature is nice, but the difficulty is so low you'll need to play on "hard" just to keep your game at a reasonable length. Magic Sword had a good premise, but rampant design flaws and technical issues keep the excitement to a minimum. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

Frankenstein's monster was one seriously miserable bastard, and thanks to this game, you can be one too! Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is one of the most deplorable platformers I've had to endure. The first stage is set in a village during a rainstorm, which seems like a reasonable place for the monster to be on the prowl. The problem is, the manner in which he limps around in that cloak makes him look like an old woman trying to catch a bus for crying out loud! And when he stoops down to smack kids in the ankles with his cane, it just looks pathetic. Considering his haggard walk, it's quite a revelation when he leaps about ten feet into the air! He's the Air Jordan of monsters! Getting through the first level requires a degree of perseverance unknown to man. You'll aimlessly hop around window ledges, ride moving platforms, walk through empty hallways, and pull random switches. Due to poor jumping controls you tend to either over-jump or hit your head on something and fall short. And there is no rhyme or reason to these switches. Pulling one might trigger something in a different part of the stage, but who the [expletive] knows?! The effects seem to be on some kind of time delay so there's never any positive reinforcement. I truly hate how defeated enemies disappear in a little puff of smoke - that looks so cheesy. The second level is set in a catacomb where you stumble around in near total darkness. This time you slide around blocks that cause ledges to randomly appear and disappear (*barf*). In the third stage you're running around the great outdoors experiencing the joy of getting caught in bear traps while being pummeled by birds. The music is pretty good, but not in a scary way, and that's a problem! I noticed there were no FAQs available for the game, which doesn't surprise me. No human could withstand the pain of seeing this one through to the bitter end. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein may be God's cruelest mistake. © Copyright 2014 The Video Game Critic.

After a string of hits on the NES, Mega Man landed on the SNES to mixed reviews. At first glance Mega Man 7 is exactly what you would expect. It retains the classic style of platform-shooting while leveraging the SNES capabilities for bigger characters, better animation, and more elaborate stages. The colorful scenery presents some sweet eye candy like dinosaur bones encased in glaciers, a gorgeous moonlit sky, and a "robot museum" that pays homage to Mega Man villains of the past. You'll face a lot of familiar enemies like those little "helmet" guys and the freaky things that walk end over end. New foes include scurrying roaches (that will make your skin crawl) and "snakes" in a trash compactor reminiscent of Star Wars. Larger enemies include polar bears that bat ice crystals toward you and stegosaurus that hurl their bone plates. One consequence of larger sprites is that you have a less room to navigate, and there are times when it seems like some hits are just mandatory. This makes landing on spikes (always fatal) all the more agonizing. Is it just me, or is this game hard as balls?! The special weapons vary in effectiveness, but I absolutely love the "shield" of spinning junk. It's nice how you can toggle weapons using the shoulder buttons instead of going to a separate screen. There are eight stages, but you'll need to complete the first four to unlock the second set. I love some of the themes like Halloween and Jurassic Park, but some stages are less fun than they could be. Some of the jumps in the Spring Man stage are ridiculous, and fighting the bulldozer in Turbo Man's stage is tiresome. The game's happy-go-lucky tunes are far less appealing than the catchy 8-bit tunes of old. The stereo effects are effective, but the explosions are super lame - both visually and audio-wise. That password feature is pretty slick however. Mega Man 7 is probably more difficult than it should be, but I like how it brings the series into the 16-bit world while staying true to its roots. Just be aware that this cartridge might cost you a serious chunk of change. © Copyright 2013 The Video Game Critic.

I actually picked this game up about ten years ago not realizing it was designed for use with the Super Scope. Having just recently acquired Nintendo's rocket-launcher-shaped light gun, I finally got to see what this was all about. Metal Combat is a series of one-on-one battles against heavily armored robots from a first-person perspective. Each opponent has distinctive movements, attacks, and obligatory weak spots. One looks like a bird, another resembles a mechanical monkey, and another looks like a humanoid with a shield. You'll first battle in locations around the globe and then on other planets. Some locations are pleasing to the eye (like the space station) but the stages have little bearing on the gameplay. Metal Combat begins with an extended tutorial that's too long for its own good. Likewise before each stage you'll sit through a highly unnecessary dialogue exchange. For a light gun shooter, you have quite a few options. Your normal rapid-fire shots are cool but mainly useful for shooting down incoming projectiles. To inflict serious damage you can charge your shot up to three levels. Special items include bombs and shields, but some of these can drain your health, so use them sparingly. Timing is critical in this game. Some robots fly around and will only remain still for a second. Others will only reveal their weak spot momentarily, so you'll need to be ready for it. The accuracy of the gun is excellent, and that's good because Metal Combat is hard as balls. Each enemy is like a puzzle, making them satisfying to defeat. Records are recorded via battery back-up, and mine still works! Metal Combat isn't particularly memorable but it makes good use of that Super Scope controller that's been sitting in your attic for the last twenty years. Note: The Super Scope only operates on old-style TVs. © Copyright 2013 The Video Game Critic.

Like most sports fans of the 90's, I was caught up in Michael Jordan Mania as he led the Chicago Bulls to six championships in eight years. In those days the Bulls were on TV every night and everyone wanted to be like Mike, but who was giving him such shoddy video game advice? Due to licensing issues, MJ didn't appear in any of the popular basketball games of the time - including EA's own NBA Live series! What was he holding out for? Please don't tell me it was Chaos In the Windy City! Say it ain't so Mike!! This platformer is not only hopelessly generic, but it incorporates all of your not-so-favorite cliches like spikes, trampolines, locked doors, zip-lines, invincibility power-ups, and bottomless pits. Michael's out to rescue his kidnapped teammates, and his journey begins in an old, abandoned building. The game strikes a Halloween vibe with its dilapidated scenery, swarming bats, giant spiders, and ominous soundtrack. Certain foes appear to have pumpkins for heads, but fear not - those are only basketballs! The excruciatingly long first stage quickly wears out his welcome, and then you explore equally uninspired locations like a factory and laboratory. Michael has the ability to toss basketballs at enemies in a rapid-fire manner, and I like that. In what seems like a bit of an inside joke, there's also a baseball power-up. You can slam-dunk on hoops inexplicably nailed to every other wall, and that's moderately fun. Michael lends his deep voice to a few samples, tossing out one-liners like "it's showtime", "time out", and "sweet!" What ultimately kills Windy City is its irritating stage designs, most of which are very mazelike and offer no sense of direction. It's easy enough to dispose of full-sized foes, but small pests like bats and spiders relentlessly chip away at your health. Finally, who in the hell thought those tilting platforms were a good idea? You slide off one if you're not perfectly centered! They might just be the single most irritating thing ever incorporated into a video game. I'd like to give my man Mike the benefit of the doubt, but I'd only be kidding myself if I claimed Chaos in Windy City was any good. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

Intended as a celebration of Disney's famous mouse, Mickey Mania features stages inspired by his classic animated short films. Stage one is modeled after the very first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willy, presented in its original black and white glory. It actually looks pretty amazing, with the colorful Mickey clashing with the gray scenery to good effect. From there you'll relive more colorful classics like "The Mad Doctor", "The Lonesome Ghosts", "The Moose Hunter", and "Mickey and the Beanstalk". Mania's graphics look crisp and attractive, but the scenery isn't nearly as detailed as I expected. The game does make good use of the system's rotation effects, and incorporates a nifty 3D stage with Mickey running from a stampede. Surprisingly, the music is mediocre, falling short of the standards set by classic Disney titles like Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Genesis, 1990) and Aladdin (SNES, 1993). Certain stages are quite imaginative, challenging you to interact with the environment in unusual ways. For example, in the first stage your path is blocked by a stack of boxes, and only by defeating the nearby cat and using his belly as a trampoline can you progress. Unfortunately, other stages are not as well crafted, and a few are downright infuriating. In the Mad Doctor level, you'll need to deal with skeletons whose bones spray all over the place as they "explode", resulting in many cheap hits. Later in the same stage you'll need to leap between rolling tables, and missing a table will cost you a life even if you land on solid ground! I should also mention the "loading" times. Yes, you read it right, this cartridge forces you to wait about ten seconds between stage segments. I can only assume they compressed the data in order to save memory and minimize manufacturing costs. The lack of a password feature is equally unforgivable, considering this is a 1994 game. Mickey Mania introduces a few bright ideas, but I expect my Disney games to be more polished than this. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

This is a side-scrolling adaptation of the TV series kids went crazy for in the mid-90's. The title screen features the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme song - with vocals no less. I have to admit that catchy "go go Power Rangers" refrain gets me pretty pumped. The object of the game is to beat up colorful ninjas as you wander through unimaginative stages you can practically guess (city street, factory, sewer, cave, construction site). The character selection screen lets you choose between five gyrating teenagers. Each sports a slightly different attack, not unlike the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The game is one-player only, which is disappointing. The action takes place on a single plane, much like Ninja Warriors (Taito, 1994). In the opening stage you continuously jump-kick ninja clones on a non-descript street, and it gets so repetitive that you welcome the opportunity to jump between factory platforms. Halfway through each stage you transform into a Power Ranger, equipped with a weapon, bombs, and the ability to vault from walls. This spices things up but there's little technique aside from detonating a bomb at the opportune moment. The sewer stage incorporates rising and falling water, and the lovely skyline in the rooftop stage is the game's visual highlight. Most stages are remarkably plain, and level five features the most fake-looking cave I've seen in a video game (or elsewhere for that matter). Environmental hazards like falling girders and spiders seem less annoying when you realize they harm your enemies as well! Some of the bosses are pretty cool, like the skeletal figure who gradually loses his limbs (and body). There's no score, but a pass-code is provided between levels. This code is critical because you won't feel a burning desire to replay old stages. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is strictly a by-the-numbers affair only die-hard fans will find worthwhile. © Copyright 2014 The Video Game Critic.

In the arcades, Mortal Kombat offered one-on-one fighting with digitized characters, mystical backdrops, and an unprecedented amount of violence. Due to Nintendo's family-friendly policies however, the blood and gore was stripped out of this SNES version. That's a problem, because playing Mortal Kombat without blood is like watching a slasher flick edited for television - sanitized and unsatisfying. It's like eating a Big Mac without the special sauce for Pete's sake!! Gamers gravitated toward the bloody Genesis edition in droves, but a few (like my friend Steve) did take a chance on this SNES version. I remember "back in the day" when a bunch of friends converged at my house to compare the two games. While the Genesis was generally more fun, the SNES version definitely looked better. Its clean, well-defined graphics added detail to the digitized fighters - like the reflection of Kano's mask for example. The illustrated backdrops featured more animations as well. The SNES had better audio quality, but most prefer the music of the Genesis edition. Presentation aside, the SNES Mortal Kombat suffers from stiff controls and questionable collision detection. I've seen sweep kicks trip a guy from across the room, and projectiles that should have sailed past a fighter magically connect. Executing special moves like Sub Zero's freeze ray is pretty difficult. Last but not least, the lack of blood really hurts. Punches to the face are punctuated by flying brown stuff that's supposed to be sweat but looks more like sand! The game reaches comical proportions when a character falls into a spiked pit, yet somehow misses all of the spikes! The fact that full blood was included in Mortal Kombat 2 for the SNES was basically an acknowledgement by Nintendo that they totally missed the boat with this one. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.