From: davem@uvmark.uucp (Dave Meeks)
Subject: Holiday Reviews of SNES/Genesis Carts...
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 92 00:52:49 GMT
Organization: VMark Software, Inc.

Well, Christmas and the holidays are upon us...  And, for the holidays, I
got the greatest gift anyone could ask for, a brand new baby girl...

But, as no one will really care about that, I have also bought and or played
a great number of new carts for both systems and thought I would give my 
general opinions...

Games reviewed (so you don't have to read just to find out)
Genesis:
Mickey and Donald, World of Illusion
Ariel, The Little Mermaid
Ecco the Dolphin,
Talespin
Streets of Rage II
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Lightning Force (Thunder Force IV)

SNES:
Chester Cheetah
Super Star Wars
Mickey's Magical Quest


Genesis

World Of Illusion - Well, the newest of the Genesis Disney carts is here, and
it is 2 player.  Play as either Donald or Mickey, or both.  In general, the
game play is excellent, control is excellent, graphics are awesome, sounds are
excellent, and the humor/additions are great.  The cast of characters is very
nice, as they use a great variety of past Disney villians.  It is nice in that
the game is slightly different depending on which of the two characters you
use, and if you play in 2 player mode, you actually have to work together to
make it through, by helping each other get to places and such.  Sounds like 
an incredible game, right... Well, wait...  My only complaint is that this game
is simply too easy.  The bosses look good but are a joke.  Only the last two
provide any challenge at all, and that is pretty minimal.  Would I recommend
this game??? Yes, it is a great game to play and looks/sounds/plays great.
But, unless you just like to collect games, I can't see this game getting
much use.  After you beat it with Mickey, then with Donald, then with both,
it doesn't offer much.  I find myself going back to Castle of Illusion and 
replaying it, but can't see that happening with this cart...  Just doesn't
have the replay value (too straight forward).

Ariel, The Little Mermaid - Another Disney cart.  This one was a bargain at 
only $39.99.  The graphics are really good in this, especially the backgrounds.
You can play as either Ariel or King Triton.  It is a seek/find game in the 
vein of Alien 3 or others, where your goal is to find all the merpeople that
have been transformed by Ursula.  It is a very short cart, only about 4
or 5 levels, but is fun too play.  I played it on easy and was able to finish
it, but will try it at the harder levels next.  The game play is not perfect,
but isn't bad.  The sounds are nice, with music from the movie in the game.
Most of the characters from the movie are there (except the Prince Eric:-().
I picked the game up for a little one, but is fun to play.  Definetely 
recommended ,especially at the price, but many may want to just rent it
instead...

Ecco The Dolphin - Wow, oooohhh, amazing... This is my pick hit of the year.
Numero Uno, top dog, etc...  This game is an amazing graphical, control, and
sound experience wrapped around an interesting puzzle/adventure game with a
lot of environmental messages in it.  It centers around Ecco, the Dolphin
who loses all of his family and friends.  You job is to get them back 
(basically), and must search the world over to do so.  The graphics and sound
are amongst the best I have ever seen.  But, the thing that makes it even more
incredible is the control. A friend of mine put it best when he said that he
spent hours just swimming around it was so much fun.  This is not an easy game
either, as it takes a lot of thought combined with a lot of patience and 
control.  It isn't your hack/slash action game, but their is some fighting.
It is also a very long game.  I have still not gotten through that much of
this game, but am looking forward to even more.  A friend of mine who has gone
through the first couple of worlds is equally amazed and has described to me
the next worlds which are even more incredible than the ones in which I have
seen.  Again, wow...  If you get any game this year, this is it...

Talespin - Yep, Disney has been busy.  This game is set to the Talespin cartoon
where you can control either Baloo or Kip, or both.  You job is to collect 
cargo crates in a variety of locations, return them to the collection area
(where you defeat the bosses), and go on.  But, you must do it faster than 
7 days, or you fail.  This game has a much nicer difficulty level than the
other two Disney games just released, and is made better by it.  The control,
though good, takes some getting used to in some aspects.  I highly recommend
this one..

Streets of Rage II - Again, WOW!!!  Intense game.  I really liked the first 
SOR, and this game makes me wonder just why...  This game is leaps and bounds
better.  The gameplay, graphics, special moves, characters, and everything else
is great.  You can choose from 4 characters, and can play 1 or 2 players.
You can also go into "Duel Mode", which you go into character vs. character
mode, ala Street Fighter II.  While not quite up to SFII level in this mode,
it is a very good 1-on-1 fighting game.  And this is just a submode of the 
real game.  The sounds are very well done, thought I get annoyed with some of
them after awhile, and the music is great...

TMNT The Hyperstone Heist - Well, I already had the SNES version, so wondered
why I should get this one.  Well, the reason is clear... Because it is every
bit as good as the SNES version. The games suffer in their similarity, but
have enough differences to be good.  Both suffer from being way to easy,
but are long enough to make up for it.  I found the overall gameplay,graphics,
etc... to be better in this one, but really miss the ability to throw opponents
at the screen :-)  Great game, recommended highly...

Lightning Force -  Well, I guess personal tastes play a big part, but I think
that this game is THE shooter out there right now.  I picked up and played
Space Megaforce (as well as Axelay, and dogs such as Firepower 2000, Phalynx,
Imperium, and others) and thought it was very good.  I found this game to be
even better.  The graphics, sound, and gameplay were excellent, and it was 
simply fun to play.  I am not a huge shooter fan, but I found this one to be
the cream of the crop...

SNES:

Chester Cheetah -  Well, I eagerly anticipated this game, waited for it too 
come out, cringed at the almost $70 price tag and rented it and I am glad I 
did... Why??  Because I would NEVER buy it.  The graphics were crisp and 
clean, but no caffeine.  No spice, no oomph..  Their were very basic and 
very plain.  Some of the bad guys were original, but still kinda boring.  The
game does attempt to put some humor in the game, and I enjoyed some of it.
THe yiyiyiyiyiyiyi thing he does when he gets hit is hilarious, but the guitar
is just plain annoying.  I just didn't find anything in this game to make it
as enjoyable as I had hoped.  It is certainly a decent game, the graphics are
good (though kinda boring), the sounds were very good, the control was good,
and the game was easy, but not terribly so.  However, I just didn't find myself
with any desire to finish it or play it again.  At $40 bucks I would say yes,
at $50, maybe, but at $70.. no way!!!!  This Cheetah is just too Cheezy...


Super Star Wars - Well, another superhyped game bits the dust.  Oh, don't get
me wrong, this is a very good game.  I enjoyed the graphics and sounds, and
it is a difficult and long game, which is good.  I found the control to be
ok, but nothing special (occasionally annoying).  But, the biggest problem
is that I found the game to be somewhat boring.  It is one of those games, to
me at least, that didn't have the desire in it that keeps me playing.  I 
found myself putting it down for other games too easily. The game does try to
make itself interesting with a variety of views and perspectives in the levels,
and fairly distinct levels.  It seems to play fairly faithful to the movie as
well, with some pumping  up.  I think it is a good game that many people will
like, but many others will not.  I thought it lacked the life a Sonic or 
Mario has, or the desire of a Super Smash TV...

Mickey's Magical Quest - In the first SNES Disney game, we have a total success
in their first effort.  THis game is every bit as good as the World of Illusion
game just released.  It is an incredible graphical tour-de-force. The game play
is excellent, as are the sounds.  This game's only draw back is that, again,
it is just too easy.  The bosses require some patience and skill, but otherwise
it is an easy game to finish, and doesn't provide the variety or length to
make it replayable. But, definitely a great game...  Highly recommended...

Oh well, that's it for now...  I may do some more here soon, as with the 
arrival of my little girl, I should be home for a couple of weeks.  Let me
know if there are any games in particular you want to hear about, and I may
try them... 


Happy Holidays,
Dave...

-- 
David T. Meeks            || "New shadows tugging at the corner of his eye
VMark Software, Inc.      ||  Jostling for attention as the sunlight flares
uvmark!davem@merk.com     ||  Through a curtains tear, shuffling its beams
davem%uvmark@merk.com     ||  As if in nervous anticipation of another day"
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