Newsgroups: rec.games.video
From: tmartin@dpw.com (Thomas Martin)
Subject: Genesis reviews
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 21:25:17 +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:

     Ecco the Dolphin
     Hard Drivin'
     Quad Challenge
     Streets of Rage II
     Super Monaco GP-2

============================================================================
			  # 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    **                 2     4    Shooter
Air Diver                    1    ***                2     6    Flight Sim
Alien Storm                  2    **                 2     4    Fight & Jump
Alien 3                      1    *** 1/3     30     3    10    Platform
Altered Beast                1    * 1/2              4     6    Fight & Jump
Arcus Odyssey                1    ****         5     2     8    Platform
Batman                       1    **          10     4     8    Platform
Buster Douglas Boxing        2    *            #     2     2    Boxing
Bulls vs. Lakers             2    ****         #     1     4    Basketball
Captain America a/t Avengers 2    ** 1/3      15     3     7    Fight & Jump
Columns                      1    ***          #     3     9    Strategy
Decap Attack                 1    ** 1/3             3     7    Platform
Desert Strike                1    **** 1/2    25     6    27    Helicopter
Devil's Crash [MD]           1    *****              2    10    Pinball
D & D War. o/t Eternal Sun   1    **          20     4     8    Role-play
Ecco the Dolphin             1    ****               1     4    ?
Elemental Master [MD]        1    **** 1/2           2     9    Shooter
El Viento                    1    ** 2/3      10     3     8    Platform
Ernast Evans                 1    *                  3     3    Platform
Evander Holyfield Boxing     2    *** 1/2      #     2     7    Boxing
Fantasia                     1    ** 1/2      30     4    10    Platform
Fighting Masters             2    ***                2     6    Fighting
Forgotten Worlds             2    ** 2/3             3     8    Shooter
F-22 Interceptor             1    **                 1     2    Flight Sim
Gaiares                      1    ****               2     8    Shooter
Ghouls'N Ghosts              1    ***         40     4    12    Platform
Golden Axe                   1    *** 1/3            3    10    Fight & Jump
Golden Axe II                1    ***                2     6    Fight & Jump
Hard Drivin'                 1    *            #     1     1    Racing
Heavy Nova                   2    * 1/5        #     4     5    Fighting
Hellfire                     1    ** 1/2             2     5    Shooter
Herzog Zwei                  2    **** 1/3           3    13    Strategy
Immortal, The                1    **          20     3     6    Adventure
Jewel Master                 1    * 2/5              3     5    Platform
Joe Montana Football         2    ** 2/3       #     3     8    Football
Joe Montana Sportstalk       2    ** 2/3       #     3     8    Football
Joe Montana Sportstalk '92   2    ** 1/2       #     4    10    Football
John Madden Football         2    ** 3/4       #     4    11    Football
John Madden II               2    ***          #     3     9    Football
John Madden '93              2    **** 4/5     #     5    24    Football
Kid Chameleon                1    *** 3/4            4    15    Platform
Krusty's Super Fun House     1    **                 3     6    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
Master of Monsters           1    ***                1     3    Strategy
Menacer 6-pack               1    ***         20     1     3    Shooters
Mickey's Castle of Illusion  1    ** 3/4             4    11    Platform
M.U.S.H.A.                   1    *****              2    10    Shooter
Mystic Defender              1    **                 4     8    Platform
NHL Hockey                   2    **** 2/5     #     5    22    Hockey
NHLPA Hockey '93             2    **** 5/6     #     6    29    Hockey
Outrun                       1    **                 1     2    Racing
Phelios                      1    ***                2     6    Shooter
Pit Fighter                  1    **                 2     4    Fighting
Quackshot                    1    *** 1/4     30     4    13    Platform
Quad Challenge               2    ***          #     1     3    Racing
Phantasy Star II             1    *** 2/3            3    11    Role-Play
Rambo III                    1    ** 1/2      20     4    10    Shooter
Revenge of Shinobi           1    *** 2/3     40     3    11    Platform
Rolling Thunder 2            2    *** 2/5     40     5    17    Fight & Jump
Road Rash                    1    *****        #     6    30    Racing
Shadow Dancer (Shinobi II)   1    ***                2     6    Platform
Shining in the Darkness      1    ** 1/2             2     5    Role-Play
Side Pocket                  2    **          10     2     4    Billiards
Simpsons: Bart vs Space Mut. 1    **                 1     2    Platform
Sonic the Hedgehog           1    **** 5/8    20     8    37    Platform
Sonic 2                      2    **** 1/6    33     6    25    Platform
Space Harrier II             1    **                 2     4    Shooter
Spider-Man                   1    *** 2/3     20     3    11    Fight & Jump
Splatterhouse 2              1    ***         30     2     6    Fight & Jump
Star Control                 1    ****         #     1     4    Strategy
Steel Empire                 1    **           5     3     6    Shooter
Streets of Rage              2    *** 6/7     10     7    27    Fight & Jump
Streets of Rage II           2    *****       10     1     1    Fight & Jump
Strider                      1    ***                2     6    Fight & Jump
Super Hang-On                1    ** 2/3       #     3     8    Racing
Super Monaco G.P.            1    *** 1/3      #     3    10    Racing
Super Monaco G.P.- 2         1    ****         #     1     4    Racing
Super Smash T.V.             2    ** 1/3             3     7    Shooter
Super Thunderblade           1    ***                2     6    Shooter
Super Hydlide                1    ***                2     6    Roll-Play
Sword of Vermillion          1    *** 1/2     30     4    14    Adventure
Tazmania                     1    ** 5/6      10     6    17    Platform
Terminator                   1    *            2     2     2    Platform
Terminator II: Arcade Game   2    **** 2/3    40     3    14    Shooter
Thunder Force II             1    ****               2     8    Shooter
Thunder Force III            1    ****               2     8    Shooter
ThunderFox                   1    **           5     2     4    Fight & Jump
Todd's Advent. Slime World   2    **                 2     4    Platform
Toe Jam & Earl               2    **** 2/5    20     5    22    Adventure
Tommy LaSorta Baseball       2    ***          #     1     3    Baseball
Truxton                      1    ***         15     2     6    Shooter
Warsong                      1    ***         60     2     6    Strategy
Wings of Wor (Gynoug)        1    *** 1/3            3    10    Shooter
Wonder Boy in Monster World  1    ****        40     4    16    Platform
Zany Golf                    1    *                  2     2    Mini-golf
===========================================================================
98 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   Company
===========================================================================
*****       Road Rash                    6     30     5      Electronic Arts
*****       Devil's Crash [MD]           2     10     5
*****       M.U.S.H.A.                   2     10     5
*****       Streets of Rage II           1      5     5
**** 5/6    NHLPA Hockey '93             6     29     4.83   Electronic Arts
**** 4/5    John Madden '93              5     24     4.8
**** 2/3    T2: The Arcade Game          3     14     4.66
**** 5/8    Sonic the Hedgehog           8     37     4.63   Sega
**** 1/2    Desert Strike                6     27     4.5    Electronic Arts
**** 1/2    Elemental Master [MD]        2      9     4.5
**** 2/5    NHL Hockey                   5     22     4.4
**** 2/5    Toe Jam & Earl               5     22     4.4    Sega
**** 1/3    Herzog Zwei                  3     13     4.33
**** 1/6    Sonic 2                      6     25     4.17
****        Wonder Boy / Monster World   4     16     4
****        Arcus Odyssey                2      8     4
****        Gaiares                      2      8     4
****        Thunder Force II             2      8     4
****        Thunder Force III            2      8     4
****        Bulls vs. Lakers             1      4     4
****        Ecco the Dolphin             1      4     4
****        Elemental Master [MD]        1      4     4
****        Lakers vs. Celtics           1      4     4
****        Star Control                 1      4     4
****        Super Monaco G.P.- 2         1      4     4
*** 6/7     Streets of Rage              7     27     3.86
*** 3/4     Kid Chameleon                4     15     3.75
*** 2/3     Phantasy Star II             3     11     3.66
*** 2/3     Revenge of Shinobi           3     11     3.66
*** 2/3     Spider-Man                   3     11     3.66
*** 1/2     Evander Holyfield Boxing     2      7     3.5
*** 1/2     Sword of Vermillion          4     14     3.5
*** 2/5     Rolling Thunder 2            4     14     3.4
*** 1/3     Alien III                    3     10     3.33
*** 1/3     Golden Axe                   3     10     3.33
*** 1/3     Super Monaco GP              3     10     3.33
*** 1/3     Wings of Wor (Gynoug)        3     10     3.33
*** 1/4     Quackshot                    4     13     3.25
***         Ghoul's 'N' Ghosts           4     12     3
***         Columns                      3      9     3
***         John Madden II               3      9     3
***         Abram's Battle Tank          2      6     3
***         Air Diver                    2      6     3
***         Fighting Masters             2      6     3
***         Golden Axe II                2      6     3
***         Phelios                      2      6     3
***         Shadow Dancer (Shinobi II)   2      6     3
***         Splatterhouse 2              2      6     3
***         Super Hydlide                2      6     3
***         Super Thunderblade           2      6     3
***         Strider                      2      6     3
***         Truxton                      2      6     3
***         Warsong                      2      6     3
***         Master of Monsters           1      3     3
***         Menacer 6-pack               1      3     3
***         Quad Challenge               1      3     3
***         Tommy LaSorta Baseball       1      3     3
============================================================================
57 games out of 98 with 3 stars or better.    (58.2% 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, how many hours of play you think the average game player can
reasonably expect to beat or play out the game, and for new games or games
that don't list it, the company name.

     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
===========================================================================