From: v089l3s3@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (JER HORWITZ)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
Subject: FAQ: SNES All Games [Horwitz] 3/3
Date: 3 Jan 93 20:13:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

This table shows some of the names you might be looking for in the
list; either alternative names from the Japanese versions of the
games or subtitles for some US releases.

Can't Find A Name?

*ANYTHING*                      See Name Plus Super
Ashite no Joe                   See Joe of Tomorrow
Assault Suits Valken            See Cybernator
Area 88                         See U.N. Squadron
Cameltry                        See On the Ball
Card Master                     See Arcana
Castle of Dracula               See Castlevania IV
Charge Goemon                   See Legend of the Mystical Ninja
Chodakaimura                    See Super Ghouls'n Ghosts
Contra Spirits                  See Contra III: The Alien Wars
Cyber Formula GPX               See Cyber Spin
Deadly Moves                    See Power Athlete
Dino Wars                       See Dino City
F-1 Exhaust Heat                See F-1 Race of Champions
Final Fantasy IV: Easy Type     See Final Fantasy II
Football Fury                   See Ultimate Football
Ganba Pro League '91            See Extra Innings
Garou Densetsu                  See Fatal Fury
Hiryunoken S: Golden Fighter    See Ultimate Fighter
Jerry Boy                       See Smart Ball
Jumbo Ozaki Hole-in-One Golf    See Hole-in-One Golf
Krusty World                    See Krusty's Funhouse
Legend of Zelda: Link to Past   See Zelda III
Major Title                     See Irem Skins Game
Outer World                     See Out of this World
Power Moves                     See Power Athlete
Pro Football                    See John Madden Football
Pro Hockey                      See NHLPA Hockey '93
Raiden Densetsu                 See Raiden Trad
Revolt of the Westicans         See Skuljagger
Road Runner v. Wily Coyote      See Death Valley Rally
Rushing Beat                    See Rival Turf
Rushing Beat Run                See Rival Turf II
Soul Blader                     See Soul Blazer
Super *ANYTHING*                See Name Minus "Super"
Super Aleste                    See Space Megaforce
Return of Double Dragon         See Super Double Dragon
Super Dunk Shot                 See NCAA Basketball
Super Pang                      See Super Buster Brothers
Super Professional Baseball     See Super Bases Loaded
Super Linear Ball               See Space Football
Super SWIV                      See Firepower 2000
Super Ultra Baseball            See Super Baseball Simulator 1.000
Syonen Ashibe Gomachan No
Yuuenchi...                     See Ashibe's Amusement Park Adventure
TMNT: Turtles in Time           See TMNT IV (4)
Tomorrow's Joe                  See Joe of Tomorrow
Top Racer                       See Top Gear
Wanderers from Y's              See Y's 3

---

Grading Summary for the All-Games List:

Rating Scale: 0-3.5: Must be bad enough that I likely wouldn't have bothered
                     to try the game. If it appears on this list and it's got
                     a number in this range, feel free to openly joke about
                     it no matter how dumb your friends are.
              4-4.5: This type of game teeters on the edge of being completely
                     horrible. At least it has gameplay, but likely suffers
                     in either scrolling of graphics, play mechanics, control,
                     repetitiveness or fluidity of animation. Most 4-type
                     games have one or more of these traits. If it gets a 4,
                     the "Nintendo Seal of Approval" doesn't belong on it.
              5-5.5: Below average. Likely uses ideas from older games and
                     fails to improve on them, also likely has bad graphics
                     and perhaps sounds.
              6-6.5: 6.5 is about average. Games here are graphically okay
                     but are generally boring or repetitive. Good music can't
                     help (sorry, Hudson) and powerups are likely drab. Not
                     enough variation from the norm. Control could hurt.
              7-7.5: If one player, these games will at least be turned on
                     more than once. They likely have sufficient graphics
                     and good gameplay, with good or better music and sounds,
                     but fail to charm me with their features and lack
                     thereof. If two player simultaneous, they'll see some
                     action but won't be favorites. A rental for some,
                     a buy for devotees.
              8:     Good enough to get play and get me excited about its
                     existence. Games of this quality usually come from the
                     same companies. These are purchaseable for various
                     reasons - as showcases for the system's abilities,
                     most often. They're not great enough to keep forever since
                     you'll burn out the fun after some time, but they're
                     worth renting for a few days or buying to keep for
                     a while.
              8.5:   I'd be excited enough to call these 9's when I first
                     get them but wind up finding that they're not that
                     perfect. These must have a special sense of quality
                     that you just feel -- this number seems like a minimum
                     for Nintendo's releases, generally. These games are
                     generally ranked as they are because of high-quality 2
                     player simultaneous modes. If not, they have solid
                     gameplay and *I* [buyer of VERY few games] would
                     consider keeping this game if given it as a gift.
                     Rent it to see if you like it enough to buy.
              9:     Upper echelon games, no doubt. These games are surely
                     good enough to buy based on some special factors
                     like personal satisfaction and graphic appeal.
                     For me, if it's a sports title and it's here, it
                     transcends the sport's quality and is fun regardless
                     of the sport. If it's 2 players and here, it's a
                     great 2-player game.
              9.5:   Very few games make it here for a few reasons. The
                     first qualification for the near-perfect score is
                     that the game must have extended-term playability;
                     You shouldn't want to put it down for a while
                     after buying it. It also must have good options
                     to the point at which choosing one of them
                     dramatically effects the game. It should also have
                     good control, graphics, sounds and play mechanics,
                     and require skill. It should have multiple endings, too.
              10:    Totally rare. Only one game I have ever played meets
                     this score. The game must require a hell of a lot of
                     skill, and should have multiple endings for better
                     players to achieve. Options are vital. If the game       
                     shows the best ending on easy level, forget it. The
                     play must be refined to an edge at which people want
                     to get good. It must have great graphics and sounds,
                     but the play must be the shining point. It should
                     also have a competitive two-player feature. I can
                     envision a driving or flying game eventually meeting
                     the score, and any game with 3-D, but not an action
                     game of present day variety.

Quick Advice: My scoring, of course, will deviate some from your opinions. I
              like action games, especially one-on-one fighting games, puzzle
              games like Tetris, side-scrolling shooters and 3-D driving and
              flying games (including those with shooter overtones). 
              To adjust my scoring for your preferences, add one point to
              any game in a genre which you like and I don't. Deduct one or
              one and a half points from any game in a genre I like and you
              don't.

-----

Company Scoring:


        The following list is intended to help you guess the quality of
future releases by any given company which has released two or more
games I've seen. Listed is the company's name, number of games I've reviewed
by them, highest and lowest scores, and average score. 
        You can estimate scores of new releases by looking at the company's
past highs, lows, and averages.

Company Name:           Games:          High:           Low:            Avg:

Acclaim                 8               9               5.5             7.31
American Sammy          2               8               6.5             7.25
Atlus                   2               4               4               4
Bandai/Banpresto        4               7.5             5               6
Bullet Proof Software   2               9.5             7               8.25
Capcom                  7               10              7               8.29
Culture Brain           3               7               5.5             6.5
Data East               2               8               6               7
Electro Brain           2               7.5             3               5.25
Electronic Arts         8               8.5             4               7.19
Enix                    2               9               7.5             8.25
HAL America             3               6.5             4.5             5.67
Hudson Soft             3               8               3               5.83
Interplay               2               9               7               8
Irem                    4               8.5             5.5             7.25
Jaleco                  5               7.5             6.5             7.1
JVC                     2               9               8.5             8.75
Kaneco                  2               8.5             7               7.75
Kemco                   4               8               6               6.87
Konami                  10              9 (+)           7.5             8.35
Mindscape               3               8.5             5               7.17
Namco                   2               8               8               8
NTVIC                   2               8               5.5             6.75
Nihon Bussan (Japan)    2               7.5             7.5             7.5
Nintendo                10              9.5             7.5             8.4
Ocean                   3               8               7.5             7.67
Sofel                   2               7.5             6               6.75
Sony Imagesoft          4               7.5             6               6.88
Square Soft             2               8               5.5             6.75
Sunsoft                 4               8.5             6               7.75
Taito                   2               8.5             8               8.25
Takara                  4               8.5             4.5             6.75
Tecmo                   2               7               6               6.5
Toshiba EMI             2               7.5             5               6.25
T*HQ (Toy Headquarters) 3               6.5             5               5.83
Tradewest               6               8.5             6               7.58

If the average score is over eight, you can generally count on being satisfied
by anything you buy from the company. Below that, rent the game first. 

[ -> Jer Horwitz ] [INTERnet Game Consultant]