Newsgroups: rec.games.video
From: tmartin@dpw.com (Thomas Martin)
Subject: Genesis reviews
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 01:01:57 +0000

Big Tom's Genesis Game Ratings -

Tired of those lists that you have to search endlessly through.  Forget
them, here is a simple rating system to see how good a cartridge is.  If
you want to vote, see the paragraph at the end of this article.

    *      -  Dreck, yak, bleck, hack, gleck (Horrible beyond words).
    **     -  OK, playable, still dreck, although someone might like.
    ***    -  Decent game that will appeal to some (But not everyone).
    ****   -  Pretty good, a fun game that almost everyone will like.
    *****  -  Damn good, a real winner, every game should be this good.

Titles added since last post:

     Captain America a/t Avengers
     Star Control

============================================================================
			  # of  | Game   | Hours | # of |Votes|
Name of Game             Players| Rating |of Play|Voters|Tally| Description
============================================================================
Abram's Battle Tank          1    ***         40     2     6    Tank Sim
After Burner                 1    **                 1     2    Flight Sim
Air Diver                    1    ***                1     3    Flight Sim
Alien Storm                  2    **                 1     2    Fight & Jump
Alien 3                      1    ****        30     2     8    Platform
Altered Beast                1    * 2/5              3     5    Fight & Jump
Arcus Odyssey                1    ****         5     2     8    Platform
Batman                       1    **          10     3     6    Platform
Buster Douglas Boxing        2    *            #     2     2    Boxing
Bulls vs. Lakers             2    ****         #     1     4    Basketball
Captain America a/t Avengers 2    **          15     2     4    Fight & Jump
Columns                      1    ***          #     3     9    Strategy
Decap Attack                 1    ** 1/2             2     5    Platform
Desert Strike                1    **** 1/2    20     4    18    Helicopter
Devil's Crash [MD]           1    *****              1     5    Pinball
D & D War. o/t Eternal Sun   1    **          20     3     6    Role-play
Elemental Master [MD]        1    ****               1     4    Shooter
El Viento                    1    ***         10     2     6    Platform
Ernast Evans                 1    *                  2     2    Platform
Evander Holyfield Boxing     2    ****         #     1     4    Boxing
Fantasia                     1    ** 1/2      30     2     5    Platform
Fighting Masters             2    ***                1     3    Fighting
Forgotten Worlds             2    ***                2     6    Shooter
F-22 Interceptor             1    **                 1     2    Flight Sim
Gaiares                      1    ****               1     4    Shooter
Ghouls'N Ghosts              1    ***         40     3     9    Platform
Golden Axe                   1    *** 1/2            2     7    Fight & Jump
Golden Axe II                1    ***                2     6    Fight & Jump
Heavy Nova                   2    *            #     3     3    Fighting
Hellfire                     1    ***                1     3    Shooter
Herzog Zwei                  2    ****               2     8    Strategy
Immortal, The                1    ** 1/2      20     2     5    Adventure
Jewel Master                 1    **                 2     4    Platform
Joe Montana Football         2    ***          #     2     6    Football
Joe Montana Sportstalk       2    **           #     2     2    Football
Joe Montana Sportstalk '92   2    ** 1/3       #     3     7    Football
John Madden Football         2    ***          #     3     9    Football
John Madden II               2    ***          #     2     6    Football
John Madden '93              2    *****        #     2    10    Football
Kid Chameleon                1    *** 2/3            3    11    Platform
Krusty's Super Fun House     1    **                 2     4    Strategy
Lakers vs. Celtics           2    ****         #     1     4    Basketball
Last Battle                  1    * 1/2              2     3    Fight & Jump
Mario Lemeux Hockey          2    * 1/2        #     2     3    Hockey
Menacer 6-pack               1    ***         20     1     3    Shooters
Mickey's Castle of Illusion  1    ** 2/3             3     8    Platform
M.U.S.H.A.                   1    *****              1     5    Shooter
Mystic Defender              1    **                 3     6    Platform
NHL Hockey                   2    **** 1/2     #     4    18    Hockey
NHLPA Hockey '93             2    *****        #     5    25    Hockey
Outrun                       1    **                 1     2    Racing
Phelios                      1    ***                1     3    Shooter
Pit Fighter                  1    **                 1     2    Fighting
Quackshot                    1    *** 1/3     30     3    10    Platform
Phantasy Star II             1    *** 1/2            2     7    Role-Play
Rambo III                    1    ***         20     3     9    Shooter
Revenge of Shinobi           1    *** 2/3     40     3    11    Platform
Rolling Thunder 2            2    *** 1/2     40     4    14    Fight & Jump
Road Rash                    1    *****        #     4    20    Racing
Shadow Dancer (Shinobi II)   1    ***                2     6    Platform
Shining in the Darkness      1    ***                1     3    Role-Play
Side Pocket                  2    **          10     2     4    Billiards
Simpsons: Bart vs Space Mut. 1    **                 1     2    Platform
Sonic the Hedgehog           1    **** 1/2    20     6    27    Platform
Sonic 2                      2    ****        33     4    16    Platform
Space Harrier II             1    **                 1     2    Shooter
Spider-Man                   1    ****        20     2     8    Fight & Jump
Splatterhouse 2              1    ***         30     2     6    Fight & Jump
Star Control                 1    ****         #     1     4    Strategy
Steel Empire                 1    * 1/2        5     2     3    Shooter
Streets of Rage              2    *** 5/6     10     6    23    Fight & Jump
Strider                      1    ***                1     3    Fight & Jump
Super Hang-On                1    ** 2/3       #     3     8    Racing
Super Monaco G.P.            1    *** 1/2      #     2     7    Racing
Super Smash T.V.             2    ** 1/2             2     5    Shooter
Super Thunderblade           1    ***                2     6    Shooter
Super Hydlide                1    ***                1     3    Roll-Play
Sword of Vermillion          1    *** 2/3     30     3    11    Adventure
Tazmania                     1    ** 1/2      10     4    10    Platform
Terminator                   1    *            2     2     2    Platform
Terminator II: Arcade Game   2    **** 1/2    40     2     7    Shooter
Thunder Force II             1    ****               1     4    Shooter
Thunder Force III            1    ****               1     4    Shooter
ThunderFox                   1    **           5     2     4    Fight & Jump
Todd's Advent. Slime World   2    **                 2     4    Platform
Toe Jam & Earl               2    **** 1/4    20     4    17    Adventure
Tommy LaSorta Baseball       2    ***          #     1     3    Baseball
Truxton                      1    ***         15     2     6    Shooter
Warsong                      1    **          60     1     2    Strategy
Wings of Wor (Gynoug)        1    *** 1/2            2     7    Shooter
Wonder Boy in Monster World  1    **** 1/3    40     3    13    Platform
Zany Golf                    1    *                  1     1    Mini-golf
===========================================================================
110 games reviewed                      # Means can be played over and over

***************************************************************************

Here are the games with a 3 star rating or more:
===========================================================================
     Game                                     # of     Votes      Game
    Rating        Name of Game               Voters    Tally     Rating
===========================================================================
     *****          NHLPA Hockey '93            5        25        5
     *****          Road Rash                   4        20        5
     *****          John Madden '93             2        10        5
     *****          Devil's Crash [MD]          1         5        5
     *****          M.U.S.H.A.                  1         5        4.5
     **** 1/2       Sonic the Hedgehog          6        27        4.5
     **** 1/2       Desert Strike               4        18        4.5
     **** 1/2       NHL Hockey                  4        18        4.5
     **** 1/2       T2: The Arcade Game         2         7        4.5
     **** 1/3       Wonder Boy / Monster World  3        13        4.33
     **** 1/4       Toe Jam & Earl              4        17        4.25
     ****           Sonic 2                     4        16        4
     ****           Alien 3                     2         8        4
     ****           Arcus Odyssey               2         8        4
     ****           Herzog Zwei                 2         8        4
     ****           Spider-Man                  2         8        4
     ****           Bulls vs. Lakers            1         4        4
     ****           Elemental Master [MD]       1         4        4
     ****           Evander Holyfield Boxing    1         4        4
     ****           Gaiares                     1         4        4
     ****           Lakers vs. Celtics          1         4        4
     ****           Star Control                1         4        4
     ****           Thunder Force II            1         4        4
     ****           Thunder Force III           1         4        4
     *** 5/6        Streets of Rage             6        23        3.83
     *** 2/3        Kid Chameleon               3        11        3.66
     *** 2/3        Revenge of Shinobi          3        11        3.66
     *** 2/3        Sword of Vermillion         3        11        3.66
     *** 1/2        Rolling Thunder 2           4        14        3.5
     *** 1/2        Golden Axe                  2         7        3.5
     *** 1/2        Phantasy Star II            2         7        3.5
     *** 1/2        Super Monaco G.P.           2         7        3.5
     *** 1/2        Wings of Wor (Gynoug)       2         7        3.5
     *** 1/3        Quackshot                   3        10        3.33
     ***            Columns                     3         9        3
     ***            Ghoul's 'N Ghosts           3         9        3
     ***            John Madden Football        3         9        3
     ***            Rambo III                   3         9        3
     ***            Abram's Battle Tank         2         6        3
     ***            El Viento                   2         6        3
     ***            Forgotten Worlds            2         6        3
     ***            Golden Axe II               2         6        3
     ***            Joe Montana Football        2         6        3
     ***            John Madden II              2         6        3
     ***            Shadow Dancer (Shinobi II)  2         6        3
     ***            Splatterhouse 2             2         6        3
     ***            Super Thunderblade          2         6        3
     ***            Truxton                     2         6        3
     ***            Air Diver                   1         3        3
     ***            Fighting Masters            1         3        3
     ***            Hellfire                    1         3        3
     ***            Menacer 6-pack              1         3        3
     ***            Phelios                     1         3        3
     ***            Shining in the Darkness     1         3        3
     ***            Strider                     1         3        3
     ***            Super Hydlide               1         3        3
     ***            Tommy LaSorta Baseball      1         3        3
============================================================================
57 games with 3 stars or better.        (51.8% of all reviewed games)

****************************************************************************

Here's how to vote:

     Simply E-mail me (tmartin@dpw.com) with your votes.  You certainly can
vote for games that are not on this meager list and they will be added.
Please make your vote an even number of stars (1-5) or we will not include
it in our list.  Also, the number of players (available on the screen at
once) should be included, as well as as short description similar to those
listed above, and if you can, how many hours of play you think the average
game player can reasonably expect to beat or play out the game.

     Thanks for participating.

===========================================================================
  KIRK - Khan you bloodsucker...
  KHAN - Kirk, you're still alive my old friend.
  KIRK - Still! Old! Friend!  You've managed to kill just about everyone
	  else, but like a poor marksman you keep missing the target!

  Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan                   Big Tom Martin
===========================================================================