This week’s issue of EGM, #64 for November of 1994, is a doozy – 398 pages (including the cover), just short of 400 pages. We’ve also got one heck of a cover story, the 32X version of Doom. Now, due to the length of this issue, I may end up skipping a few games if they’re games that just don’t interest me. In particular, I’m going to skip the sports section entirely, and for the system specific coverage I’m going to skip games that were reviewed earlier in the issue (and possibly games that don’t interest me).

Editorial: Since this is, basically, the second-to-last issue of 1994, it’s time once again to speculate at where the video game industry is going, particularly considering that the game industry going to enter the 32 bit era soon.

Letters: We get a letter asking if we’ll get the Street Fighter II anime (yes, we will, thanks to Manga Video – which is still fortunately in business, though I don’t know if they have the rights). We also get a call to start a letter writing campaign to get Bandai to bring some of the DBZ games to the United states (particularly since DBZ is gaining popularity in the US now). We also have complaints about the “64-bit” era bringing the 16-bit era to an end too soon. We also get a giant letter applauding the Crew for speaking the truth about the (thus far) eternal string of SF2 games and telling Capcom to, in the writer’s words, “eat excrement and expire.” We also a letter bemoaning the lack of support for the Atari Jaguar.

Review Crew: The crew still is Ed Semrad, Danyon Carpenter, Al Manual, and Sushi-X.

• Donkey Kong Country (Nintendo, SNES): This game impresses the hell out of Ed, who gives the game a 10. The rest of the crew gives the game 9s, and they find it spectacular, due to both excellent graphics and (in their opinion) control. Overall: The game gets 37/40 recieves the Editor’s Choice Platinum award and is Game of the Month.
• The Lion King (Virgin, SNES): Ed, Danyon, and Sushi give the game 8s, and Al gives it a 7, finding that the game ties in well with the plot of the movie, along with looking good and controlling well. However, Ed and Al had complaints about cheap hits in the game (with Ed specifically mentioning that some areas of the game require you to get hit to progress). Overall: 31/40.
• Shaq-Fu (EA, SNES): This is a fighting game/brawler featuring a certain successful basketball player. In general, the scores are middle of the road, with Ed giving the game a 6, Danyon and Al giving the game 5s, and Sushi giving the game a 4. However, the actual opinions on the game are a little more mixed. Ed, Al, and Sushi are wondering why this was made as a fighting game in the first place, while Danyon is a little more forgiving of the bizarre premise, though he still finds it very mediochre. Overall: 20/40.
• Pac-Man (Namco, SNES): It’s an adventure game featuring Pac-Man, instead of another maze game. That said, the crew finds it a solid transition, though some of the members of the crew feel it may be difficult for people to adjust to the new setup. Ed gives it an 8, Al, Sushi, and Danyon give the game 7s. Overall: 29/40.
• Boogerman (Interplay, Genesis): A gross-out platformer attempting to capitalize on the success of Earthworm Jim. The game gets 8s from Ed and Danyon as they find it a good solid platformer. Al and Sushi on the other hand gave the game 5s, finding it generic with the sole exception of the gross-out humor, which they weren’t too fond of. Overall: 26/40.
• Virtual Bart (Acclaim, Genesis): Another year, another Simpsons licenced game, and while Ed likes it and gives the game an 8, everyone else finds it very generic and mediochre (and with bad control), with Danyon giving it a 5, and Al and Sushi giving the game 4s. Overall: 21/40.
• Animaniacs (Konami, Genesis): An action/puzzle/platformer featuring the Warner Brothers and the Warner Sister. Danyon gives the game an 8 and the rest of the crew gives it 7s, finding it a solid licenced puzzle-action-platformer, much like Rabbit Rampage. Overall: 29/40.
• Mickey Mania (Sony Imagesoft, Sega CD): An new Mickey Mouse Action Platformer. The crew is very impressed with this one, with Ed giving it an 9 and Danyon and Sushi giving it 8s, as they find it superior to the cartridge version, and finding it an excellent reflection of the history of Mickey Mouse. Al gives it a 7, finding it only superior to the cartridge version only in terms of sound. Overall: 32/40, and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• King of Fighters ‘94 (SNK, Neo-Geo): Ed and Danyon give the game 9s, and Al and Sushi give the game 8s, with the main complaints being that you can’t fight outside of team mode, and some of the teams are unbalanced (I agree – though Team USA is considerably more unbalanced than the Ikari Warriors Team). Overall: 34/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Burning Soldier (Panesonic, 3DO): Another FMV Action game, which kind of gets a mixed reaction. Ed isn’t too fond of FMV action games, but he likes this one enough to give it a 7 and to reccomend it as a “buy”. Al also gives it a 7. Danyon and Al give it 6s, finding it not too intense, but still fun. Overall: 26/40.
• Alien Vs. Predator (Atari, Jaguar): The Jaguar gets the first Alien Vs. Predator licenced shooter. Unfortunately the only member of the crew who likes it is Danyon, who gives it a 7. The rest of the crew gives it mediochre scores, due to cheap hits, a lack of a jump button, and rather odd complaints like the Alien leaving bodies lying around. Ed gives it a 6, and Al and Sushi give the game 5s. Overall: 23/40.
• Burn Cycle (Phillips, CD-I): A cyberpunk RPG. Ed and Danyon love it and give it 9s, with Danyon considering it a system-seller. Sushi gives it an 8, lauding the game’s story. Al isn’t so impressed, giving it a 6, finding the pacing too slow. Overall: 33/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Sonic Triple Trouble (Sega, Game Gear): A collection of (sort of), the highlights of the Sonic series. Ed, Danyon, and Sushi give the game 7s, and Al gives it a 6, with the only complaints being that the game is essentially same-old-same-old. Overall: 27/40.

Gaming Gossip: Among the Q-Mann’s rumors this issue are a possible release for Mortal Kombat III for the Playstation when it comes out. There are rumors that Dracula X will come out for the Playstation, 32X, and SNES (not so much – though the Playstation does get Castlevania: Symphony of the Night). Oh, and Nintendo has bought Hasbro’s VR tech and is planning on using it as a new console this upcoming year. I presume that this will become the Virtual Boy, and will be the failure that destroys the once-prosperous career of Gunpei Yokoi.

Press Start: We’re starting off with a look at the Sonic & Knuckles add-on cart. EA also has a bat peripheral for home console systems, and apparently the saga of Data East vs. Capcom isn’t quite over yet. Capcom’s also working on an a Mega Man animated series which I watched as a kid and loved. I really should give it another watch to see how it holds up in hind-sight.

Arcade Action: Banpresto has a new Gundam fighting game with Gundam EX Revue. Sega has the tank simulator Desert Tank. Capcom has Super Saturday Night Slam Masters which is more of a traditional fighting game (unfortunately). Virtua Fighter 2 is also appearing in arcades.

International Outlook: Bandai has a G Gundam fighting game (no surprise). There’s also a Mobile Suit Gundam puzzle action game. Enix has Dragon Quest VI, which is finally due to get a US release for the Nintendo DS. Technos has a pair of fighting games set to come out for the Neo-Geo, one adapated from the Double Dragon series, and one off a new IP titled Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer. Banpresto has the mega-crossover shump The Great Battle IV. Myst is set to make its console debut on the Sega Saturn. There’s a Lupin III puzzle action game for the SNES, as well as a 3rd version of Super Tetris. We also get our first look at Ridge Racer and Battle Arena Toshinden.

One of the first US ads for "Snatcher"

We also get a little ad for the US release for Snatcher for the Sega CD. I’m still hoping that we’ll get a much belated release of Policenauts, and maybe even a re-release of Snatcher for those who don’t currently have a Sega CD.

Next Wave: We get a look at the Sega CD version of Samurai Shodown, and Rayman for the Jaguar.

Features: First up is a look at some of the new levels we’ll get in Sonic & Knuckles, as well as a look at Knuckles in Sonic 2 with the add on module. There’s also a preview of the anthropormorphic fighting game Brutal for the Genesis, Sega CD, and SNES. We also get part 2 of their multi-part feature they started in EGM^2 about the making of Mickey Mania. We also get looks at some of the titles from The European Consumer Technology Show, JAMMA (Japanese Amusement Machinery Manufacturers Association) and AMOA (Arcade Machine Operators of America) shows. We also get a big look at the 32X, including our look at the 32X version of Doom, along with Star Wars Arcade (which most of the readers of this know by a later version – Star Wars Trilogy Arcade). There’s also Virtua Racing, Cosmic Carnage, and the mecha action game Metalhead.

SNES Coverage: The first of the new titles we get a good look at this issue is Clayfighter 2: Judgement Clay. That title is groanworthy enough that I’d pass on the game even before seeing review scores. Anyway, there’s a Yogi Bear licenced platformer, which doesn’t have any continues or passwords (ugh), and a Looney Toons themed Mario-Paint style software package. There’s also the SNES version of Interplay’s Starfleet Academy, which also includes missions that weren’t in the PC version, such as missions based on various Star Trek films (like Star Trek II) and episodes (like Balance of Terror). Ocean has an Addams Family Values RPG, which gives me unpleasent reminders of Fester’s Quest. US Gold has an Incredible Hulk brawler that doesn’t look so hot. Viacom’s also got an Nick Guts licenced game, which looks interesting, particularly considering that I loved that show when I was a kid too. We also get a look at Clay Fighter Tournament Edition and Final Fight Guy which are remakes of their particular games which recieve rental only releases, with the former getting a tournament mode and the latter having Cody removed and replaced with Guy.

Genesis/Sega CD Coverage: We get more of a look at Ecco The Dolphin: The Tides of Time. There’s also Zero the Kamakaze Squirrel which looks rather bad. Fox Interactive has a game base of its Pagemaster animated movie. Time Warner has an very interesting Sci-Fi platformer in Generations Lost. Sega also has the FMV action game Masked Rider, which features a certain Tokusatsu hero (hint, “Kamen” is Japanese for mask… figured it out yet – fine, it’s Kamen Rider). Sega also has the shump Android Assault. There’s also a look at Lethal Enforcers II, and an in-depth preview of Stalker. There’s also a preview of the Sega CD version of Starblade by Namco.

Neo-Geo Coverage: Nothing here outside of stuff covered in the reviews.

3DO Coverage: We get a preview of Mad Dog McCree II. Other than that, not much of note.

CD-I Coverage: Nothing of note for the CD-I.

Game Boy Coverage: We get a look at the portable version of Contra: The Alien Wars.

Game Gear Coverage: We get a look at the portable port (ahem) of The Lion King, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Lifestyles: We have a series of artbooks for the Star Wars trilogy, including some of Ralph McQuarrie’s concept art. Unfortnately, these artbooks are out of print. We also have rumors of an second Jurassic Park movie coming out, as well as the impending start of the Age of Apocalypse Arc, which I remember reading some of when I was a kid, but I didn’t read all of the series. Meanwhile, in the DC Universe, Knightsfall and Knightsquest have come to an end, and Knightsend is starting, with Bruce Wayne finally returning as the Bat – where he’d stay (with a small hiatus) until Final Crisis. Also, Disney is starting off their darkest animated series, Gargoyles – which was one of their best animated series until they brought it to an end.

That wraps my EGM Recap. Tommorow I’ll continue my Nintendo Power Recaps. However, I’m stopping my GamePro Recaps as I’m starting a new job.

This week we continue with our EGM recaps with issue 63 for October of 1994. Our cover story for this issue is Donkey Kong Country for the SNES, one of Rare’s latest games.

Editorial: Well, last issue, Steve Harris teased an announcement this issue about Capcom’s responce to their lower review for Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Well, this issue we learn Capcom’s response – they blacklisted (at least where Advertisements are concerned) EGM to “make a statement” in the words of Capcom’s director of marketing. Steve Harris says that the only statment coming from Capcom here is that they don’t have faith in their products, and I can’t help but agree. Further, I’d expand on that by saying that any game publisher or developer who engages in the journalistic equivalent of the Tarkin Doctrine only succeeds in making them look like the bad guy to the gaming press. If they blacklist a blogger or web site, then they’re picking on the little guy. If they’re blacklisting an established bastion of games journalism, then they’re making a Nixon-esque enemies list. Further, this is only aggrivated when they’re doing the blacklisting for a review that isn’t particularly bad. The Street Fighter II series had been pushing perfect scores in EGM for most of its run. This is the first game that didn’t, and thus they get upset over it.

Letters: We get letters about how game developers choose what new concepts to turn into games, about the fate of the 32X once the Saturn comes out, and about old Tengen games for the NES with the Seal of Approval. That last one I don’t need to explain, if you’ve been following the EGM recaps, and have learned the sad tale of the Tengen/Nintendo feud. Also, EGM now has an E-Mail address, through Compuserve. Obviously, this E-mail address is now out of date, so I’m not going to share it here.

Review Crew: Once again, as a reminder, our crew is Ed Semrad, Danyon Carpenter, Al Manual, and Sushi-X.

1. Final Fantasy III (Square, SNES): Final Fantasy III/VI has gotten released – and I really need to get around to beating that game. The game gets 9s across the board, with the crew having nothing bad to say about the game. Overall: 36/40 and the game is Game Of The Month and recieves the Editor’s Choice Platinum Award.
2. Mortal Kombat II (Acclaim, SNES): This version of the latest installment in the MK series gets a 9 from Ed and 8s from everyone else. The consensus from everyone is that it’s an arcade perfect port, though the controls are looser than the arcade version. The main disagreement is, I suppose, between Ed and everyone else over how much of a problem this is. Overall: 33/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
3. Demon’s Crest (Capcom, SNES):. This is a semi-port/sequel of Gargoyle’s Quest (the spinoff of Ghouls & Ghosts). Al gives it a 9, everyone else gives it 8s. The consensus is that this game is fantastic – and they’re surprised Capcom isn’t promoting it. Now, I don’t know how much of this is, Capcom isn’t sending them promotional materials, or that Capcom isn’t advertising it at all. Overall: 33/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
4. Mortal Kombat II (Acclaim, Genesis): The Genesis version of MKII doesn’t do as well – the game gets an 8 from Ed, and 7s from the rest of the crew. They find it similar to the arcade version, but inferior to the SNES in most respects. Overall: 29/40.
5. Contra Hard Corps (Konami, Genesis): It’s the Genesis turn to get a Contra game. Ed gives the game a 8 and the rest of the crew gives it 7s. The main complaints are that the game is a run-and-gun bullet hell shooter, which means there are a lot of cheap deaths. Overall: 29/40.
6. Earthworm Jim (Playmates, Genesis): It seems appropriate that I’m recapping this issue after seeing video games live, which feature Tommy Tallarico, the composer of the music for this game. The game gets an 8 from Sushi and 9s from everyone else, with no complaints leveled against the game at all. Overall: 35/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
7. Switch (Data East, Sega CD): The odd Japanese puzzle game has gotten a US release. Ed gives the game a 7, finding it very funny and enjoying the variety of jokes in the game. Danyon found the game to be not so much of a game, though they did find it rather amusing and gave it an 6. Al and Sushi give the game 5s, found that the game got pretty boring after playing it for a while. Overall: 23/40.
8. Agressors of Dark Kombat (ADK, Neo-Geo): When I first looked at the title, the first thing that kame in my head is Mortal Kombat ripoff. The game gets 7s across the board, due to the game’s sense of humor and devestating combo moves. Overall: 28/40.
9. Star Control 2 (Crystal Dynamics, 3DO): The PC strategy game gets a port to home consoles. Ed and Danyon give the game 9s, finding it a solid strategy game and superior to the PC version, as does Sushi, who gives it an 8. Al isn’t much of a strategy game fan, but he still found it enjoyable enough to give it a 7. Overall: 33/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
10. Wolfenstein 3D (Atari, Jaguar): The first FPS is on the Jaguar, with blood, attack dogs, and Nazis intact. Sushi gives it an 8, and everyone else gives it 7s, with the main complaitns being about the scrolling being a little too fast. Overall: 29/40.
11. Little Devil (Phillips, CD-I): Ed gives the game an 8, and everyone else gives the game 6s. While the animation is good, there are soem significant complaints about the control. Overall: 24/40.
12. Mortal Kombat II (Acclaim, Game Boy): Ed finds that this port plays better than the port of Mortal Kombat I, and gives the game an 8. Everyone else isn’t so impressed, and they still think that the game doesn’t work well on a 2-button controller, with Danyon giving the game a 6, and Al & Sushi giving the game 5s. Overall: 24/40.
13. Bubble Bobble (Taito, Game Gear): Bub and Bob are back! Al gives the game a 7 and everyone else gives it 8s. The consensus is that the game is still solid even on a system like the Genesis. Overall: 31/40.

Gaming Gossip: According to Q-Mann, several publishers are working on a 6-button controller for the 3DO so wew can get some fighting game ports for that system, which would be pretty impressive. Acclaim’s working on a Batman Forever licenced game, and Sega’s working on a Congo licenced game – both of which turn out to be rubbish.

Press Start: Aura Systems is working on a vest for use in virtual reality games, called the Interactor. We also get previews of other upcoming controllers.

Arcade Action: Kaneko has The Great 1,000 Mile Rally, which looks iffy to me, mainly because of the camera angle. Taito has the fighting game Global Champion, SNK has Samurai Shodown II, which I haven’t played, but I’ve been meaning to play – once I get Samurai Shodown Anthology or something. Operation Wolf is getting a 3rd installment, and an arcade version of Mad Dog McCree II is on it’s way out.

International Outlook: Of note this issue is Goemon 3 for the SNES, a Sailor Moon S fighting game, Battle Robot Legend from Banpresto for the SNES, which sounds like a Super Robot Wars game to me. We also get a feature preview of Shining Force CD which unfortunately didnt’ get a US release, and as yet CD games haven’t shown up on the Virtual Console, whether they were released in the US or not.

Next Wave: Of note for the upcoming titles the US is getting are 3DO ports of Samurai Shodown and Super Street Fighter II Turbo.

Special Features: We have a behind the scenes look of the 3DO FMV game Corpse Killer. We also get a look at Donkey Kong Country particularly screen shots of several levels and the game’s power ups. There’s also a look at some of the upcoming titles for the Jaguar, including Rayman and Wolfensten 3D.

Team EGM: To be honest, sports games haven’t aged very well, so I’m going to scale back my recaps of this section to games that interest me. This means that annual sports franchises won’t be getting listed. The 3DO is getting a port of Road Rash and Need for Speed (and it doesn’t look half bad).

SNES Coverage: We have more screen shots of Demon’s Crest, along with Final Fantasy III (with particular focus on the new Active Time Battle or ATB system). We also get an interview with Square’s then publicity director, Yusuke Hirata, and a few screen shots of Chrono Trigger. There’s also a preview of Virtual Bart, Animaniacs from Konami, Indiana Jones Greatest Adventures JVC which has some problems with cheap hits. Activision has the platformer Radical Rex, and Capcom has a Bonkers licenced platformer. There’s also a preview of Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure. EA also has the semi-fighting game Shaq Fu (ugh). FCI has a the combination action-platformer/shooter Metal Morph, and a port of Ultima: The Black Gate. Spectrum Holobyte has the puzzle game Wildsnake, and JVC has a sequel to Zombies Ate My Neighbors titled Ghoul Patrol.

Genesis & Sega CD Coverage: We have a look at Lethal Enforcers II, which takes the series to the old west. The Genesis is also getting another first person shooter in Battle Frenzy – the FPS boom is on. We also have a look at the isometric shump Viewpoint, Accolade has the fighting game Ballz which is a fighting game with characters made out of a collection of Balls (and which I suspect lead to Vectorman). The Sega CD also has Star Wars Chess.

Neo-Geo Coverage: We have our first look at King Of Fighters ‘94, with profiles of all the teams. Though, unfortunately, at this time the game has some slowdown problems. It’s also really hard. We also get screen shots of Agressors of Dark Kombat.

3DO Coverage: We get a look at the semi-RPG Guardian War, and the D&D licenced game Slayer, and the space sim, Burning Soldier.

CD-I Coverage: We get a look at the cyberpunk game Burn Cycle, and the fighting game Mutant Rage Body Slam.

Game Boy Coverage: We get a look at the Game Boy version of Samurai Shodown, which compensates for the system’s graphical limitations with Super Deformed characters.

Game Gear Coverage: We get some more screen shots of Bubble Bobble, and a Star Trek: The Next Generation simulator game.

Lifestyles: We’re getting a bunch of new audio books on the US market – or rather, audio dramatizations of novels and comics. Of particular note is the BBC’s adapatation of Knightfall. I hadn’t heard about the Dark Empire and Neuromancer ones though. We also get a look at new (and now defunct) comic publisher Tekno-Comics, and at the upcoming (and horrible) live-action Street Fighter movie. (By the way, it’s a crime that the live action Street Fighter movie got a Blu-Ray release, and not any of the anime films).

The EGM recaps continue with issue #62, for September of 1994. Our cover story is, of all things, Primal Rage. I mean the game looked good, but it wasn’t that good.

Editorial: The internet… it’s spreading. Okay, that isn’t specifically the topic of the column this issue, which is from Steve Harris, returning to the editorial pages one more time. The topic this time is the response on internet message boards to the the editorial column from last issue, about the constant reiterations to Street Fighter being too excessive. To be specific, the internet fans defended Super Street Fighter II Turbo, and felt that the Game Boy game that recieved honors as the Game Of The Month last issue was unworthy. It goes to show that you can’t please everyone on the internet. That said, we don’t have the specific content of the posts, and since this is 1994, when internet use wasn’t as wide spread (and generally required dial-up), it’s likely that the posters used proper grammar, and didn’t resort to some of the more childish comments that you see on the internet these days (in part because you wouldn’t have had as many immature kids online in the US). Oh, and apparently Capcom did something in response to the reviews as well, which they’ll get into next month. Capcom USA didn’t blacklist them for failing to be appropriately deferential at the altar of Street Fighter, did they?

Letters: Our Letter Of The Months asks if Nintendo’s running out of creativity with their accessories, as opposed to the stuff Sega’s breaking out. It’s not that they’re running out of creativity, it’s that Nintendo’s playing more conservatively with the expensive accessories that they’re putting out for the system. They no longer can enforce the same draconian rules over what can come out for their system that they could in the 8-bit era. This is, in part, because they got sued over it, because the rules were monopolistic. They meant the Seal of Quality meant something, but the cost of that was, all things considered, too high. Anyway, because of those rules they imposed on publishers, particularly related to licencing and publishing fees, Nintendo could afford to take risks in peripherals. This is why we got ROB, and why we got the Zapper. The Zapper succeeded, and why the only thing that stemmed the tide of light gun games in the US, until the Wii came out, was Columbine and other tragic school shootings. That said, ROB and the Power Pad failed. Both couldn’t get the degree of 3rd party support needed for success. Ultimately, with the exception of the Zapper, most of the peripherals that succeeded were put out by 3rd parties. So, Nintendo let the 3rd parties do the peripheral innovation here – though ultimately this lead to a series of 3rd party variations on the standard NES controller. Sega, on the other hand, has put out multiple first party accessories, like the Activator. While the Activator, like the Power Glove, can in theory work with any game. Like the Power Glove it’s also very expensive, and like the Power Glove it doesn’t work very well. To take an aside, whatever Microsoft does with Natal, it needs to work better than the Activator.

Moving on to the other letters, we have a call for more RPGs for the Genesis, and thanks to the demise of the Turbo Duo (and TTI in general), Working Designs has moved from porting JRPGs for that system to the Genesis and Sega CD. That said, Nintendo’s still got the lead. However, this will be the last console generation where it will maintain that lead. There are also complaints about various console ports. We also get questions about the specificatiosn for other video game systems. There’s also a letter expressing disappointment about the lack of good ending in video games – with EGM editorial suggesting that maybe the era of the ending is coming to an end. This ultimately isn’t the case, it’s just a situation that some genres lead to better endings than others. We also get questions about when we’ll get the Saturn, and if we’ll still have 32X support when the Saturn comes out.

Review Crew: Once again, our crew is Ed Semrad, Danyon Carpenter, Al Manual, and Sushi-X.

• Blackthorne (Interplay, SNES): This is Blizzard’s action platformer. The game gets 8s across the board, with particular praise given to the puzzle gameplay and being able to blow away prisoners after they give you information. Ohhhkay. Overall: 32/40 and the game receives the Editor’s Choice Gold Award and Game Of The Month.
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Bandai, SNES): This is a semi-brawler based on the show. You have beat-em up stages where you play as the rangers, and then the boss fights against bad guys in Kaiju form in the Megazord are in a more Street Fighter style perspective. The Crew isn’t too impressed, with Ed and Sushi giving the game 7s, with Ed finding it too easy and feeling rushed. Danyon and Al give the game 6s, with Al in particular lamenting the lack of multi-player (which I find surprising as well – the Rangers fight as a team after all). Overall: 26/40.
• Death & Return of Superman (Sunsoft, SNES): The Death & Return of Superman arc from DC is over, and has been that way for a bit. Well, Sunsoft has their cash in game, in the form of a generic brawler. Ed gives it a 6 and everyone else gives it 5s, finding it again – ultimately generic (and, having played it, I also found it rather hard too). Overall: 21/40.
• Zero Tolerance (Accolade, Genesis): The genre they use to describe this is an RPG, but it looks like a First Person Shooter, and they compare it to Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. So, I checked Wikipedia, and indeed it is a FPS – one which allows you to link two Genesis units together for multi-player, which the Console ports of Doom couldn’t do. Take that! Anyway, Ed and Sushi love it, with Ed giving it a 9, and Sushi giving it an 8 for it’s appropriately bloody gameplay (in the traditions of Doom and Wolfenstein), along with the weapon selection. Danyon and Al give the game a 7 and 6 (respectively) for similar reasons, though Al doesn’t like the multi-player as much. Overall: 30/40.
• Super Street Fighter II (Capcom, Genesis): Well, the major releases are starting to get multi-platform now, and will probably stay that way for quite some time to come. Sushi gives it an 8, considering it a good Street Fighter game, though recommending waiting a bit until Turbo comes out. Al gives it a 7, finding still good, with the exception of the sound quality. Ed and Danyon give it 6s, due to Street Fighter burnout. Overall: 27/40.
• Taz in Escape from Mars (Sega, Genesis): Another Warner Brothers game. Sushi gives the game an 8 because the game captures the character of Taz and the other Looney Toons which appear. Danyon and Ed also like it and give it 7s, though they’re not too fond of the game’s audio. Al gives it an 6 though, finding it a generic platfomer. Overall: 28/40.
• Battlecorps (Core, Sega CD): Minor misprint here, as they list this game as being for the 3DO except for the Sega CD. Fortunately, they mention the system it was released for in the notes, so it’s not as big a deal. Anyway, this is a first-person mech action game. Ed loves the game and gives it an 8 for good (though pixelated) graphics, and audio. Everyone else isn’t as fond, and disagree with just about every point Ed said about the game – except the pixelated graphics, with Danyon and Sushi giving the game 6s, and Al giving the game a 5. Overall: 25/40.
• Way of the Warrior (Universal Interactive, 3DO): This fighting game is universally panned for horrible, crippling controls – though it looks good. The game gets a 5 from Ed, 3s from Al and Sushi, and a 4 from Danyon. Overall: 15/40.
• Dynamite Heady (Sega, Game Gear): Treasure’s platformer gets ported to handhelds, and depending on which member of the crew you ask, it’s a good port. Ed and Sushi give the game a 9 and an 8, respectively. Danyon gives it a 7, as while it looks and plays great, the Game Gear isn’t known for its sound quality. Al gives it a 6, feeling that the game lost a lot in the translation. Overall: 30/40.
• Yogi Bear (Gametek, Game Boy): I guess it’s reasonable to expect Hanna Barbera to try to cash in on the success Warner Bros. has done with the games licensed off of their animated characters. That said, this game doesn’t do as well – unless you ask Ed. He gives it an 8 and he loves it. As with Battlecorps, the rest of the crew is left wondering what game Ed was playing, with Al giving the game a 3, Danyon giving it a 5, for monotonous gameplay and a lack of originality, and Sushi giving the game a 6, for having flair, but not good gameplay. Overall: 22/40.

Gaming Gossip: I’m going to somewhat skip the list format this week. Sega’s doing really well in the Japanese arcades, particularly with Daytona USA, Virtua Cop, and Virtua Fighter. I’m a little surprised about Daytona USA myself, because I wouldn’t think NASCAR games of any stripe would do well outside the US. Speaking of Sega, while the 32X and the Saturn both have Hitachi chips, the differences in the hardware are enough that the 32X carts won’t work on the Saturn. Now, Sega’s promised that they would be cross compatible, so Q-Mann speculates that Sega’s going to either have to push back the Saturn to figure out a solution, or put out another add-on module for the Saturn. Ultimately, they do neither and just kick the 32X to the curb.

Press Start: 3DO is getting a 64-bit version. Also, SNK is working on a Neo-Geo CD unit, and 3DO is getting a version of Star Control with polygonal graphics (this actually never comes out).

The world's first look at the King of Fighters series.

Arcade Action: We have a look at Sega’s arcade flight sim, Wing War. We also get an ad for King of Fighters ‘94. Oh, and Capcom has Darkstalkers, and SNK as the shump Aero Fighters.

International Outlook: Of note this issue is Breath of Fire 2 from Capcom. Nihon Falcom has a new Dragon Slayer game, There’s also the fire-fighting Ikari Warriors style shump The Firemen. There’s also Osu! Karate Club, based on a Shonen Jump manga which wasn’t brought to the US.

Next Wave: Hudson has a new ninja action game in Hagane. Ocean has Jurassic Park II, which pre-dates The Lost World novel and film – but the plot of the game is similar to that of the second movie. I’m not going to claim that Crichton borrowed from the game, particularly since there isn’t anyway for me to ask him now that he’s dead. Tengen finally has a game for the SNES in Super RBI Baseball. Contra: The Alien Wars is coming out for the Game Boy as well. There are also Game Gear and Game Boy Power Ranger games. We’ve also got a new X-Men game for the Game Gear with The Gamemaster’s Legacy, based on the Legacy Virus arc. Colossus is not appearing in the game, so I don’t know if he’ll still get killed off. Anyway, Saturday Night Slam Masters is getting a Genesis port.

Feature Preview – Super Return of the Jedi: We get notes on several of the games levels, including the levels on the Death Star 2.

Feature Preview – Primal Rage: We have a preview of this pretty lame (in my opinion) fighting game, featuring stop-motion characters. We get descriptions of most of the characters and their fighting styles.

Team EGM: More coverage of sports games, but not much stands out. The stuff that caught my attention was ESPN Sunday Night NFL and ESPN National Hockey Night from Sony Imagesoft, and the bike racing game Cannondale Cup from ASC. Atlus also has GP-1RS, a motorcycle racing game. All of those are for the Super NES.

SNES Coverage: Capcom has another Disney platformer in The Great Circus Mystery, featuring Mickey & Minnie. There’s also a Beavis & Butthead game. There’s also Pac-Man 2, which misses the point about what makes Pac-Man good. Accolade has also put out Bubsy II (rather quickly in my opinion). Jaleco is putting out R-Type III and Electrobrain has a shooter that uses the Super FX chip in Vortex. Accolade has the platformer Fire Team Rogue, and Kemco has the brawler Stone Protectors, based on an animated series I’d never heard of. More importantly, Civilization is getting ported to the SNES as well. Taito has the first person action game Operation Thunderbolt.

Genesis Coverage: We have a preview of the Sonic & Knuckles add-on cartridge. There’s also Sparkster, the sequel to Rocket Knight. We’ve also got Earthworm Jim from Shiny. Sony’s got a licensed Disney game of their own with Mickey Mania, which bases itself on several old Mickey Mouse cartoons, including Steamboat Willy. Time Warner has a combination helicopter shump and Ikari Warriors style top-down shump with Red Zone. Atlus has home port of the arcade fighting game Power Instinct. American Sammy is also (finally) porting their isometric shump Viewpoint as well (it had previously been released for the Neo-Geo).

Sega CD Coverage: SSI’s first person AD&D RPG, Eye of the Beholder, has been ported to home systems. I have to admit that I never really was able to get past level 3 of the dungeon, because I couldn’t find the exit down. It sounds like the game also supports a mouse, though I don’t have any recollection of a mouse peripheral being brought out for the Genesis. The SNES, yes, but not the Genesis.

3DO Coverage: Star Control II has also gotten a port to the 3DO – though I wonder how well it will control with a D-Pad instead of a mouse and keyboard (or just a keyboard). Even more significantly, the first survival horror game, Alone in the Dark has come to the consoles for the first time. Good Old Games should totally get this, and if they did, I’d totally try to beat it by next Halloween so I could have a review ready. Anyway, the EGM staff isn’t too impressed with the lag in the controls during combat in the game. There are also screen shots of Gex and the Demolition Man licenced game (which is a on-rails shooter, but without light-gun or mouse support.

CD-I Coverage: We get a look at the puzzle game Dimo’s Quest, and a Jeopardy game, with actual video footage of Alec Trebeck.

GameBoy Coverage: We’ve got another Hanna Barbera licensed game in Yogi Bear’s Gold Rush. There’s also Blues Brothers Jukebox Adventures which has precisely nothing to do with the movie aside from the two main characters.

Game Gear Coverage: We have a look at Sonic The Hedgehog: Triple Trouble, which features not only Sonic and Tails but also Knuckles (hense the “Triple Trouble” subtitle). Oh, and there’s also a Beavis & Butthead game. It’s also got a flight sim in F-15 Strike Eagle II.

Lifestyles: Spectrum Holobyte is working on a new Star Trek: The Next Generation game, the Phone Card has been introduced. We also get a last minute update code with the instructions to play as Akuma in Super Street Fighter II Turbo.

That wraps up this issue of EGM. Tomorrow I’ll have an issue of Nintendo Power. Before this raps up, I’ve got just one more thing for you. At present, I’m unemployed. I’ve been collecting unemployment while looking for work and working on this blog (and hoping I get sales from Amazon.com referrals). That said, if I do get a full time job, I won’t have time to continue working on this at the same rate I have before. That said I will keep blogging, but the pace will not be the same. However, I will try to continue my movie reviews, my EGM recaps, my Nintendo Power recaps, and (hopefully), my Quality Control columns. GamePro may be kicked to the curb, but to be honest, I wasn’t too fond of the GamePro recaps anyway.

Okay, our EGM recaps continue with issue number 61 for August of 1994. Our cover story is Super Return of the Jedi, and this issue weighs in at 181 pages in length. Well, then, let’s get started.

Editorial: Our Editorial this issue is from Ed Semrad, and covers the latest incarnation of Street Fighter II. The general consensus is that in the EGM offices the thrill is gone out of the relationship with Street Fighter II. Nobody’s playing it in the EGM offices anymore. To be fair, there aren’t particularly any new characters in the game, the stages are pretty much the same, and the moves are pretty much the same. All in all, they don’t think it’s worth the $70-80 it would cost (in 1994 dollars) to get this game new, and for future reviews, they will be taking into account re-releases of the same content with a fresh coat of paint – like with the Street Fighter II re-releases.

Letters: Once again, in the letters column, we have the question being asked that is on the hearts and minds of gamers across the country – “Which console is better?” Of course, if they give a straight answer to that question, they’ll then get the response of “You’re biased towards that console!” so they don’t give a straight answer. We also get questions about promoting your Fanzine (contact other Fanzines or use their Fanzine central column in EGM^2). Speaking of which – we then get complaints about their review scores. We also get questions about the blood in Mortal Kombat II for the SNES (yes, there will be blood – because Sega’s rating system has won, and Nintendo is going along with it for fear of government intervention). We also get complaints about Nintendo censoring their games, and some jingoistic “Made in the USA” crap about Jaguar games.

Review Crew: Ed, Danyon, Al, and Sushi are still on the crew. Mike Wiegand is still doing sidebar reviews but I’m not getting into those because we don’t have the same amount of information behind the reviews.

• Donkey Kong (Nintendo, Game Boy): This is just a port of the original Donkey Kong arcade game. Ed gives it a 9, finding it a solid port, though it really shines on the Super Game Boy, and the rest of the crew gives it 8s for similar reasons. Overall: 33/40 and it gets the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Super Street Fighter II (Capcom, SNES): Sushi gives the game an 8, finding it the best fighting game out to date, but he’s really looking for something new. Danyon and Al give the game 7s, also finding it fun, but really wanting a more significant change – you know, like Street Fighter III. Ed’s Street Fightered-out (as you saw from the editorial) and gives it a 6. Overall: 28/40.
• Super Godzilla (Toho, SNES): Ed and Sushi give this game 7s, as they’re fans of the movies, though they find the games slow and lumbering (like certain rubber monsters). Danyon and Al give the game 5s for its pacing (but, from the sounds of things they’re not fans of the movies either). Overall: 24/40.
• Battletech (Extreme, Genesis): Rather than taking a 1st-person action take like with the Mechwarrior games, this one has more of a 3rd-person action take like the Desert/Jungle/Urban Strike games. Ed gives the game a 9, finding it a good adaptation of the miniatures game to consoles (though he doesn’t like that you don’t get to choose your Mech), while Danyon and Sushi give it 7s, and find it fun (though not for everyone). Al, on the other hand, gave it a 6, finding it dull, boring, and tedious. Overall: 29/40.
• Brutal (GameTek, Sega CD): Ed gives this furry fighting game an 8, as he enjoyed the game’s story and graphics, but not so much the gameplay. Danyon, Al, and Sushi aren’t as forgiving, with Danyon and Sushi giving it 6s, and Al gives it a 5, as they don’t find that the story carries the game that well. Overall: 25/40.
• Top Hunter (SNK, Neo-Geo): This game, from the one one screen shot, looks a lot like Metal Slug to me. Ed and Sushi give the game 8s, as they really like the graphics, sound and control in the game. Al and Danyon give it 6s though, as they don’t feel that the amount of time and skill it takes to beat the game makes it worth a purchase. Overall: 28/40.
• Shock Wave (Electronic Arts, 3DO): This is a sci-fi shooter. Ed and Danyon give it an 9 and 8, resepectively, finding it a solid shooter, while Al and Sushi give it 7s due to the very sensative controls. Overall: 31/40.
• Microcosm (Psygnosis, 3DO): This game gets panned heavily, getting 4s across the board for a boring plot and boring graphics. Overall: 16/40.
• Dragon’s Lair (Phillips, CD-I): The general consensus that this is the best prot of Dragon’s Lair on the market at this time. The game gets 8s from Ed and Danyon, and 7s from Al & Sushi. Overall: 30/40.
• Sonic Spinball (Sega, Game Gear): The crew does not find this to be a good port in the slightest. Danyon gives it a 5, everyone else gives it 4s. Overall: 17/40.

Gaming Gossip:

1. CES is transitioning to a more big-content focused setup. Hit! Sort of. Anymore, the game coverage at CES is minimal, having been supplanted by E3, with more gadgets taking over.
2. StarFox 2 is coming out next year! Miss No, it doesn’t. The game is canceled in favor of Starfox 64.

The verdict – Not a lot of rumors this time, with instead a lot more announcement parroting, or observations (such as Atari’s game demos being very, very buggy) – 1 out of 2.

Press Start: We have more info on the Sega Saturn, including it’s upcoming games, and a 6-button arcade stick for the system, and games based on the anime series Blue Seed and Magic Knight Rayearth. We also get more tech demos of the Playstation, and some of the upcoming games for the Sega 32X, including Star Wars Arcade. We also have a look at the Neo-Geo CD-Rom unit.

Arcade Action Atari’s got Primal Rage, Sega’s Virtua Cop, and Data East has Joe & Mac Returns.

International Outlook: Of note this issue is Spacenauts (which is later re-titled Policenauts), which is Hideo Kojima’s latest game – which unfortunately doesn’t get a US release. There’s also Ristar (which does), Super Parodious, The Firemen (which does to The Towering Inferno what SOS did for The Posideon Adventure). There’s also a Yu Yu Hakusho fighting game. There’s also an in-depth preview of Feda: The Emblem of Justice, which I believe is a Fire Emblem game. Unfortunately, the preview is missing a chunk because the other side of the page had a mailer for something, which a previous owner of this magazine cut out. Bugger.

Feature – Super Return of the Jedi: We get screen shots of many of the stages in the game.

Feature – Donkey Kong Country: We also get some screen shots of Rare’s first game to be published by Nintendo, instead of Tradewest.

Team EGM: Apparently this is a sports game focused insert – and apparently there was one last issue but I didn’t have it in my copy. We get discussion of various upcoming games, but nothing more in-depth than a paragraph about most of them. We do get some more in-depth stuff on Stunt Race FX from Nintendo, Tecmo Super Baseball, Troy Aikman Football from Williams for the SNES, as well as a port of Rock & Roll Racing for the Genesis. Sega has the collegate spinoff of Joe Montana Football titled College Sports National Championship (I take it they couldn’t get the rights to use the BCS trademark). The Jaguar also has Redline Racing and Brutal Sports Football. The Game Gear has World Series Baseball.

SNES Coverage: Moving away from the sports games, we have a preview of Blizzard’s new action game Blackthorne, a Sci-Fi fantasy game with a very 90s badass hero, which they found easy to get lost in. There’s also another Ren & Stimpy Show game which is apparently new enough that they didn’t want to pass judgement. We also have the first version of Starfleet Academy for consoles – and while they liked being able to command a starship, the game’s got a way to go – when you’re controlling Romulan and Klingon ships, you can’t cloak – and the AI needs work. We’ve also got more screen shots of Super Godzilla. We have a look at Enix’s new RPG Brain Lord.

Genesis Coverage: We have a look at Dynamite Heady from Treasure, which they like. There’s Escape from Mars, featuring the Tazmanian Devil, which apparently has some difficulty problems with the level 2 boss. There’s also Boogerman from Interplay, taking it’s influence from the mid-90s gross-out cartoon characters, instead of the edgy mascot video game characters like Sonic.

Sega CD Coverage: We now have an behind-the-back shump in Soul Star from Core Design.

Neo-Geo Coverage: We have more screen shots of Top Hunter – and it definitely looks like a precursor of Metal Slug but without the military theme, and with more attack variety, and less gore.

3DO Coverage: We have a preview of Microcosm from Psygnosis, which is basically a shooter based on Innerspace.

CD-I Coverage: The CD-I is finally getting a port of Dragon’s Lair.

Game Boy Coverage: We have a preview of Mega Man V, which they react to favorably.

Game Gear Coverage: Dynamite Heady is also getting a Game Gear version, and we’re getting a Shining Force gaiden game as well, titled Shining Force 2: The Sword of Haija (though the person writing the preview isn’t too fond of the game’s Super Deformed character designs).

Fall 1994 Preview + CES Coverage: We get a list of 100 titles that are set to come out in Fall of 1994. I’m not going to give the whole list, as we’ll get to them in time. We do, though, get our first look at Rare’s fighting game Killer Instinct, and Cruisin’ USA for the Project Reality/N64.

Lifestyles: The Toranto Raptors have a dinosaur for their logo! Apparently that’s a big deal in 1994. Simon & Schuster Interactive has the interactive CD-ROM Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual – I own the first edition of the print version, which is very well worn, as I read the crap out of it and Mr. Scott’s Guide to the Enterprise when I was a kid. We get a discussion about the lack of recent comic movies (wait until the 21st century – it’s worth it), as well as a look at Ahnuld’s (then) upcoming action film “True Lies”.

Alright, tomorrow I’ll have another Nintendo Power issue – the first issue of NP without Howard Phillips. How will the magazine fare without him? Will Nester be able to cope on his own. Find out tomorrow!

We’re now at EGM #60 for July of 1994, with our cover story being more stuff on Mortal Kombat II. I have to say that the art isn’t fantastic. It’s great – but not fantastic. The issue weighs in at 194 pages.

Editorial: This issue’s editorial is from Danyon Carpenter, eulogizing over the death of the last 8-bit console system, the NES, as well as contemplating the glut of systems on the market.

Letters: Speaking of gluts, we have a letter about the growing glut of bad games on the market as we come to the end of the 16-bit generation, and the dawn of the 32-bit generation. Though, as a general rule of thumb, while we get some good games in the transitional period on occasion, a lot of times major developers have their best teams working on the launch titles for the new upcoming hardware, so they can try and get something good out of the new system. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the developers and teams who aren’t putting out launch titles (and thus don’t have dev kits for the new systems) can’t be necessarily quite as ambitious, as whatever they put out won’t necessarily do as well on the market once the next gen starts building up steam. Oh, and then there are companies like LJN which put out shovelware on a regular basis anyway.

We also get a letter complaining about all the coverage of fighting games, and from the tone of the letter (the writer says that if they don’t publish it that they’re “the biggest bunch of wussies on the planet”) the writer probably is in middle school. Also, it’s reasonable to say that the writer is pretty lucky that this letter didn’t come around during the end of EGM’s first run, they didn’t pull any punches then. Anyway, we also get questions about PC ports of console games (reasonable, since they’re currently going the other way), and about the JVC X’Eye (aka the Wondermega). We also got a letter about revival of classic games for newer systems (like Tempest 2000 for the Jaguar). There’s also a letter about the pricing for cartridges, and how they can range from $60 to $80 for cartridges (because cartridges have funky micro-chips in them that can cause variations in the cost depending on the chips needed for certain titles).

Review Crew

• World Heroes 2 Jet (SNK/Alpha, Neo-Geo): Danyon gives the game a 9, and Ed, Al, and Sushi give it 8s, with the general consensus being that it’s the best World Heroes game yet. Frankly, I never really was able to get into the World Heroes series as much as I was able to get into Tekken or King of Fighters (or, to a certain degree, Street Fighter). It think it’s because, for a large part, most of my Fighting game playing is done single player, as I’ve never really had anyone around me who was into fighting games (except for at my last job where we had an X-Box in the break room). Overall: 33/40 and it gets the Editor’s Choice Gold Award. On a side note we get a 2-page ad for Breath of Fire done in the western comic style, and apparently the game got ported by Squaresoft though it was originally developed by Capcom. Interesting.
• Pocky & Rocky 2 (Natsume, SNES): 8s across the board for the return of our favorite Miko & Tanooki, plus a few other characters as well. Overall: 32/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Double Dragon V (Williams, SNES): A fighting game, based on the TV show, based on the series of brawlers. The game is considered across the board as being very generic (and they’re not too impressed with the TV show either). The game gets a 6 from Ed and 5s from Danyon, Al, and Sushi. Overall: 21/40.
• Fievel Goes West (Hudson Soft, SNES): Action platformer based on the Don Bluth animated movie. Ed and Danyon give it 7s, finding it a good and challenging platformer, one that is perfect for veterans… who won’t buy the game because it’s got the licence for a kiddy movie. The kids, on the other hand, will get turned off by the game’s difficulty. Al and Sushi aren’t as impressed, and are outright disappointed because of problems with the gameplay and awkward control, and they give the game 5s. Overall:22/40.
• King of the Monsters 2 (Takara, SNES): Port of the Neo-Geo kaiju fighting game. The game gets decent ratings, an 8 from Ed, and 7s from Danyon, Al, and Sushi, though they mention that the game is pretty button-mash heavy.
• The Jungle Book (Virgin, Genesis): Platformer based on the several year old Disney movie. Danyon gives the game an 8, considering it a good solid platformer much like Cool Spot. Ed and Sushi give the game 7s, particularly due to cheap hits, and levels that were easy to get lost in. Al generally likes it but only gives it a 6. Overall: 28/40.
• Streets of Rage 3 (Sega, Genesis): The 3rd (and final) installment of Sega’s hit brawler series). Ed gives it an 8, and Danyon, Al, and Sushi give the game 7s, as while they like the modified controls for a 6-button controller, as well as enhanced graphics, but they’re not so fond of the decreased sound quality, particularly for the music. Overall: 29/40.
• Micky’s Challenge (High Tech Exp., Genesis): Another Disney licenced game, and surprisingly not one from Virgin or Capcom. That said, this one is a puzzle game instead of an action game or a platformer. Danyon & Ed give it 7s, finding that the game plays well, even if the music and sound isn’t fantastic. Sushi gives the game a 6 and Al gives it a 5, finding the game enjoyable, though very easy and very short. They’re also not too fond of the music. Overall: 25/40.
• Rebel Assault (JVC, Sega CD): A port of the FMV-heavy Star Wars rail shooter. Ed gives the game a 7, as while the graphics aren’t quite as good as the PC version, while he does like the musical score. Danyon, Al, and Sushi have similar responses and give it a 6 and 5s, respectively. Overall: 23/40.
• Jurassic Park (Universal Interactive, 3DO): Adventure game based on the movie. Ed, Danyon and Sushi give the game 8s, and Al gives it a 7, all for the same reasons – good gameplay, good graphics, and good music. Overall: 31/40.
• Jungle Book (Virgin, NES): Okay, maybe the rumor’s of the NES’s demise are slightly exaggerated. Ed, Danyon, and Sushi are very impressed with the graphical quality of the game, especially considering that this game is on the NES, as well as the sound quality. The game gets a 8 from Ed, and 7s from Danyon and Sushi. Al gives the game a 5, thought he generally finds it a good NES game. Overall: 27/40.
• Micky’s Challenge (High Teck Exp., Game Boy): Port of the Genesis game, and I see they’re using the Super Game Boy to take their screen shots now. The game was given a 8 from from Ed, and 7s Danyon and Sushi, considering it a good portable puzzle game for a younger audience, with Sushi finding the game challenging on hard. Al, on the other hand, found the game too easy and gave it a 5. Overall: 27/40.
• Asterix The Gaul (Sega, Game Gear): Action platformer featuring the French comic character. Ed isn’t a fan of the comic, but he enjoyed the game enough to give it a 6, though the game has some control problems. The rest of the Crew isn’t as impressed, with the poor controls being complimented by the poor sound and generic gameplay to provide poor scores. Danyon and Sushi gives the game 5s, and Al gives the game a 4. Overall: 20/40.

Gaming Gossip:

1. Sega & MGM/UA are working togeather for future games based on their films. Technically, this gets Sega the Bond licence, however, Rare is the one who puts out Goldeneye (the film coming out in 1995), and for the Nintendo 64, not the Dreamcast, so I’m going to call Miss! for now, though some other games could come out in the interveining period.
2. Crystal Dynamics is trying to get the rights to Samurai Showdown. Considering that’s like EA trying to get the rights to Street Fighter from Capcom, I’m going to call Miss! here as well. Crystal Dynamics may want the rights, but as Shane “ManGod” Bettenhausen says it’s nice to want things.
3. Bandai’s dumped their portable SNES system for a portable CD gaming system… which never comes out. Miss!

So, 3 swings, and 3 misses. That’s a strike out.

The PS1's Japanese Launch Lineup (as of this issue)

Press Start: We have a look at the “final” design of the PS1 (in that it’s the version that comes out at launch). We also have the list of Japanese launch titles (not yet complete), including Castle of Cagilostro based on the Lupin III movie and Princess Maker III from Gainax, neither of which get a US release, and since the system is Region Locked, you’ll either have to mod the system or use some other method to play it. Unfortunately, currently modding your system is forbidden by the DMCA and you can go to prison for 12 years if you do that (because the ESA says modding your console helps terrorists), so good luck getting modchips so you can play your legally imported copy – which means buying either an import PS1, PS2, or PS3 with Backwards compatability. No, I’m not bitter at all. I am, however, a member of the ECA (Entertainment Consumers Association), which supports legalizing console modding (you bought the bloody thing after all) for purposes of playing legally purchased import games. We also have more information on the Super Game Boy.

Arcade Action: SNK has Super Sidekicks 2, Taito has the light gun game Under Fire (which reminds me a lot of Lethal Enforcers).

International Outlook: First up is the SNES version of Samurai Shodown. There’s also the FMV action game Kamen Rider ZO. Gunstar Heroes is getting a Game Gear port. Bandai’s got a Sailor Moon brawler for the Genesis (though, funny, I don’t remember the Sailor Scouts ever throwing anything close to a punch. There’s also Live A Live from Square, which can best be described as viscious, evil, and nasty. There’s also an in-depth look at Wild Guns from Natsume.

Next Wave: We have Clay Fighter Tournament Edition (apparently it did well enough to get a tournament edition). Konami’s got Contra: Hard Corps, as well as Sparkster for the SNES and Biker Mice of Mars. Rocket Science Games has Loadstar and Cadillacs & Dinosaurs. The Genesis is getting Urban Strike, and Shining Force 2. Interplay also has Starfleet Acadamy for the SNES.

Feature – Mortal Kombat II: We get a look at the past versions of Mortal Kombat 1, as well as the prior arcade versions of MK2, what’s in the current arcade version, and what to expect in the SNES and Genesis versions to come.

Feature – Sega Saturn: We get a look at the Sega Saturn and some of its upcoming titles, particularly Virtua Fighter.

Feature – Contra: Hard Corps: We get an in-depth preview of Contra: Hard Corps – the series debut on the Genesis. We now have 4 playable Contra Warriors, each with their own special weapon.

Feature – Super Street Fighter II: We get a preview of the changes made for the SNES version of Street Fighter II’s latest revision, including Tournament Mode & Survival & Time Trial.

Feature – Behind The Scenes At Nintendo: Ed got a tour of Nintendo of America’s offices. We start off of a tour of the Game Counselor’s section – over the several years that have gone on since Nintendo started the tip line, they have a not unsubstansial knowledge base.

Feature – Koei’s Upcoming Titles: We have a look at Koei’s RPG set in the golden age of piracy, Uncharted Waters: New Horizons. There’s also Nobunaga’s Ambition: Lords of Darkness

SNES Coverage: We have more screen shots of Pocky & Rocky 2, Fievel Goes West, and King of the Monsters 2. We also get a look at the isometric flight sim Air Strike Patrol, which has some problems with the enemies having the player much overmatched. We also have a look at the shump Aero Fighters from MC O’River (a developer I’ve never heard of before) which is apparently pretty easy, and apparently has some really stupid smack talk.

Genesis Coverage: We have a peak at the action platformer Tinhead, which has some problems with trial & error gameplay. We also get a look at the Genesis version of King of the Monsters 2, which has some problems with game balance in single player (with the computer operating under different rules from the player).

Sega CD Coverage: We have more screen shots of Rebel Assault, along with the action RPG Revengers of Vengence, which doesn’t have great action control. Domark has Flying Nightmares, which they haven’t played enough yet to say much on (since it isn’t particularly finished yet).

Neo-Geo Coverage: We get to see more of World Heroes 2 Jet.

3DO Coverage: We get a preview of Shockwave, a sci-fi flight sim, which apparently has some problems with pacing in the missions. There’s also Megarace which is decent, though the announcer character is annoying. It’s also got the awful looking fighting game Way of the Warrior.

The first piece of Game Development software I've seen advertized in a gaming magazine.

CD-I Coverage: We have a look at the very gritty action game Burn Cycle, which is very much incomplete. Surprisingly, we also get an ad for game development software. There’s also the puzzle game Mega Maze.

Game Boy Coverage: We have screen-shots of Micky’s Ultimate Challenge.

Game Gear Coverage: We have a look at the portable version of Sonic Spinball.

Lifestyles: Kevin J. Anderson (ugh) continues the Jedi Acadamy Trilogy. Also, the live action Street Fighter movie is coming out (double ugh). Meanwhile, in comics, DC is having it’s second mega-event, timeline changing crossover Zero Hour. Oh, and we’re getting a live-action Flinstones movie (triple ugh) starring John Goodman as Fred Flinstone.

That wraps up this issue of EGM. Tommorow I’ve got another issue of Nintendo Power for you.

Our EGM recaps continue this week with a recap of issue #59, for June of 1994. Our cover story is what will become the first 3D Fighting game, Virtua Fighter – currently in arcades, and later for the Saturn. This issue is clocking in a 229 pages.

Editorial: The European Computer Trade Show has come and gone, and EGM has left with the award for best US game magazine, a reward that is well deserved in my opinion. Of the game magazines I’ve recapped thus far, EGM has been the better of the three. Now, once I finish EGM, GamePro, or Nintendo Power, I’ll have to move on to something else, and that could change things up some, but anyway, let’s move on.

Letters: We get a letter asking about the US release of Final Fantasy V, and apparently, according to their sources in Square, it will be getting a release outside of the Final Fantasy name, with Final Fantasy VI getting the US release as Final Fantasy III. Though, ultimately, Final Fantasy V doesn’t get released in the US as anything other than Final Fantasy V, and gets its first legitimate release as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology for the Playstation. Also, unfortunately the Duo is basically now dead. They’re not selling new systems anymore, and only selling new games in mail-order. If you can’t increase your install base, you’ve stagnated your market share. You’re dead, Jim. We have requests for more RPGs for the Neo-Geo and more RAM for the Genesis (to which I say, to quote Shane Bettenhausen, “It’s nice to want things.”)

Review Crew: Once again, our crew is Ed Semrad, Danyon Carpenter, Al Manual, and Sushi-X.

• Super Metroid (Nintendo, SNES): Samus Aran is back, and she’s got a larger world to explore, plus we’ve got an auto-map. Score! The game gets 9s across the board, though oddly the only complaints are that the auto-map makes the game too easy, and the world is apparently smaller (when it definitely is not, though there is less back-tracking). Overall: 36/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Platinum Award.
• Saturday Night Slam Masters (Capcom, SNES): Capcom’s wrestling game. Ed gives the game an 8, saying he liked the game, though some of the moves are hard to pull off mid-match (for the record, I still have problems pulling off a Dragon Punch. Everyone else gives the game 7s, finding it a good arcade port, and a good multi-player game, but not a great sit-down-and-play single player game. Overall: 29/40.
• Fighter’s History (Data East, SNES): The fighting game that Capcom wanted to stop from coming out has been released. Ed gives it an 8, saying it plays well, through there are some problems with the backgrounds not quite feeling right with the characters. Danyon gives it a 7, and Al and Sushi give it 6s, but they all like the game and don’t particularly have anything negative to say about it. Overall: 27/40.
• Virtua Racing (Sega, Genesis): This isn’t the first polygonal racer to get a home release, but this is probably one of the most significant relases ever since Atari’s attempt at a similar racer back in the days of EGM #1 (particularly this has more tracks than Atari’s game, which had 2). They like the game, with Ed, Danyon, and Al giving the game 8s, and Sushi giving it a 7 as they all find it technically sound but not a perfect arcade port, though Ed didn’t enjoy it as much as the arcade version. Overall: 31/40.
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (Sega, Genesis): General adventure game. Ed and Danyon give the game 7s as they’re fans of this genre, and fans of the show. Al’s a fan of the show but not this genre and gives it a 5. Sushi gives it a 6, finding it fun on the away team sections, but finding combat in general a bit too difficult for his taste. Overall: 25/40.
• Bubba N’ Stix (Core Design, Genesis): This is a puzzle platformer. The game gets 7s from Ed, Danyon, and Sushi, and Al gives it a 6, for about the same reaons – they find it a solid puzzle platforming game, though Al found the controls a little weak at first. Overall: 27/40.
• Mortal Kombat (Arena, Sega CD): Ed and Al give the game 7s, with them not finding the game much better than the cartridge versions of the game, except for better music quality, and with the game playing slightly faster than the cartridge versions. Danyon and Sushi aren’t as impressed, with Sushi giving the game a 5 and Danyon giving the game a 6 – finding that the game hasn’t necessarily aged very well. Overall: 25/40.
• Incredible Machine (Dynamix, 3DO): The PC physics-based puzzle game has gotten a console release. Danyon, Al, and Sushi give the game 7s, and Ed gives it an 8, with the main complaints being that the controller moves the curser too slowly, with a mouse generally being the preferred method of controlling the game. Overall: 29/40.
• The 7th Guest (Phillips, CD-I): The FMV-laden adventure game has gotten a console release. Ed gives it a 9, saying outright that this is the best version of The 7th Guest for any system. Danyon and Sushi give it 8s and Al gives it a 7, though they all basically agree with Ed on this one. Overall: 32/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Godzilla (TTI, Duo): Kaiju fighting game. Ed’s a big Godzilla fan and had fun playing this, and gives it an 8. Al kind of liked it, but felt that the system’s controller (a 2-button controller) put far too many limitations on gameplay, and gave it a 6. Danyon and Sushi gave the game 5s, with Sushi being a fan of the franchise but still not liking the feel of the game, and with Danyon not being a Godzilla fan. Overall: 24/40.
• Mega Man VI (Capcom, NES): Ed, Al, and Sushi give the game 7s, but they’re really quite done with 8-bit Mega Man games, particularly since Mega Man X is coming out, and they really feel that the series should either move to 16-bit, or let the Mega Man X series carry the torch from now on (which ultimately is what happens). Danyon, on the other hand, gives it a 6 and says that the series should just be put out of its misery now. I wonder what he thinks of Mega Man IX? Overall: 27/40.
• Lamborghini Challenge (Titus, Game Boy): Racing game. Danyon and Sushi give it 7s, and it sounds like Sushi has started to like the Game Boy. Whodathunkit? Ed and Al give it 6s, with Ed finding the blurring particularly bad. Overall: 26/40.
• Side Pocket (Data East, Game Gear): Pool game. Ed and Danyon give the game 7s, with Ed finding it brings the right something different to the Game Gear’s software library, though Danyon finds the sound repetative. While I haven’t been in a pool hall, I have been in a place with multiple pool tables going at once, and repetative sound is par for the course. Al observes that the friction for the pool table is too low and gives it a 6 (that’s a significant problem for a pool game – particularly if it has puzzles). Sushi finds it a good game for pool fanatics and gives it a 5. Overall:, 25/40.

Gaming Gossip: Alright, let’s see what Q-Mann’s got for us this issue.

1. Nintendo has plans in the works for a VR system for under 200. Hit! However, this system is the Virtual Boy, so it’s not like it’s going to be ultra successful, unfortunately. And, ultimately, it will spell the end of Gunpei Yokoi’s time at Nintendo.
2. NEC’s Tetsuo system is still in the works, and is not actually dead yet. Hit! It does indeed get a release as the PC-FX… and doesn’t survive very long.
3. Acclaim is planning to buy out Valiant Comics. Hit! With this buy-out, they’ll get the rights to, among other characters, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter.
4. Apparently 3rd parties haven’t gotten 32X Dev kits yet. Miss! Well, sort of. Id and Digital Pictures have gotten Dev Kits, and Id was working on the 32X port of Doom.
5. Time Warner has bought out Atari (and thus Tengen). Hit!
6. Speaking of Tengen – Tengen & Nintendo have settled their differences! Miss! The Tengen brand is going away, and is being replaced with the Time Warner Interactive

So, we have 4 hits out of 6 at-bats. Not bad. Not great, but not horrible either.

Press Start: We get another look at the Sega Saturn, and we’ve now got some information on the 3rd party developers for the system, including Game Arts, Koei, Sunsoft, Treasure, and Data East. We also get some information on Nintendo’s VR system, which is apparently doen to counter 3DO’s REAL system. We also get some images from the Sony Playstation Tech Demo, including glimpses of something that looks like Wipeout, as well as some notes on their 3rd party developers, including EA (which means they get Madden), Ocean, Namco, Konami, Capcom, and Acclaim. Square is still up in the air though, as is Enix. While EA’s loyalty ultimately decides who wins this generation in the US, in Japan it’s Dragon Quest Uber Alles, so whoever gets Dragon Quest wins this console generation. Apparently there’s also a Sonic 4 in the works as well, though this may refer to Sonic & Kunckles. We also have screen shots for the SNES version Super Street Fighter II. We also get a look at a few new controllers.

Arcade Action: Sega’s got another racing game in Daytona USA, SNK has the side-scrolling action game Top Hunter, Midway has the light gun game Revolution X, and Namco has Nebulasray a lightgun game. Alright, now we’re getting into the games which were coming out when I was growing up… but I didn’t get to play because I didn’t own a PS1, or a Saturn, or a N64.

International Outlook: We have Shinging Force CD, which is an extremely up-rezed version of the Shining Force Gaiden games… which didn’t come out in the US then, and still hasn’t come out in any form now. C’mon Sega, get off your behinds! We also have Karate Club from Electro Brain. There’s also Mother 2, the only game in the series to get a US release as Earthbound. Sunsoft has Ninja Boy Sasuke. We have another notable title getting mention here as well – Tactics Ogre, from Quest (not to be confused with Ogre Battle). Konami UK is working on Sparkster for the SNES, featuring the protagonist of Rocket Knight Adventures. We also get a feature preview of Final Fantasy VI (which I really need to beat).

Next Wave: We have the US release of Hideo Kojima’s latest game, Snatcher (unfortunately we don’t get Policenauts, a port of Flashback for the Jaguar.

Feature – Virtua Fighter Preview: We’re getting out first 3D fighting game. We get a glimpse of Dural, who could probably make Rugal Bernstein cry like a little girl, as well as profiles of all the characters and their signature moves.

SNES Coverage: We get a preview of Stunt Race FX, a polygonal racing game which uses the Super FX chip, but apparently has some speed issues (which is significant in a racing game). There’s also the fighting game Double Dragon V, and the far superior fighting game Fatal Fury Special. There’s also Super Bomberman 2, the port of World Heroes 2. We have a preview of Illusion of Gaia from Enix, which looks promicing, and Shien’s Revenge for the SNES, which looks very interesting (but, then again, I’m a sucker for ninja games and anime). There’s also Spike McFang which… I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be. A kiddy action game featuring a vampire? I dunno. There’s also the golf game Kirby’s Tee Shot, which uses some polygonal graphics for the courses. There’s also a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers brawler. Yep, it’s the ’90s.

Not a bad Godzilla panting, if I don't say so myself.

Anyway, we also have the Mecha Action game Generation 2 from Kemco, and a port of Eye of the Beholder by Capcom. Interplay has a Lord of the Rings RPG based on Fellowship of the Ring and which (I’ve played this one) has some problems with pixel-bitching. There’s also a Beauty and the Beast game, and an Eek the Cat game, both of which sound very forgettible. Capcom has Soccer Shootout, a soccer game with mini-games for various drills. We also get a really nice ad for Super Godzilla, featuring a nice painting of Godzilla fighting Ghidorah. Were it not for all the ad copy in the picture, I wouldn’t mind hanging it on my wall. US Gold has World Cup ‘94

Genesis Coverage: We have more coverage of Virtua Racing, as well as the Demolition Man action game from Virgin. Apparently the game splits up the action scenes between side-scrolling and top down sequences. There’s also Outrunners, which I played the arcade version of at a local pizza parlor, and enjoyed, though the AI’s pretty weak. The Genesis is also getting a port of World Heroes which is pretty close to the arcade version. We also get some more coverage of Star Trek: The Next Generation. There’s also a preview of Shadowrun for the Genesis, which goes a bit more in depth on the decking system (which is the way you want to go if you really want to make money in game). There’s also the semi-action RPG Star Quest from Namco. There’s Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers from Tekmagic, who is a new developer for the licence, and is doing a game where you’re playing as Sylvester, which is… different. Normally in these type of games you play as the hunted character, be it Jerry, or the Road Runner, or Bugs Bunny. There’s also Mario Andretti Racing from EA. Dynamix has the action-adventure game Rise of the Dragon.

3DO Coverage: We have a review for the Jurassic Park rail shooter.

CDI Coverage: This system is getting an animated adventure game called Litil Divil. I can’t find anything about the plot.

NES Coverage: We have a preview of StarTropics 2, which adds time-travel to the mix.

Game Gear Coverage: We have a preview in Spider-Man & X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge.

Lifestyles: ACME Skateboards (their real name) is featuring skateboards with the licences for, say, Rob Liefield’s Youngblood. DC has also been licencing out their characters for ties. Blockbuster Video is starting a World Video Game Championship, ASG is also working on a sort of juke-box multi-cartridge unit for your video gaming. Unfortunately it doesn’t work very well. Meanwhile, the collector’s market bubble is starting to burst, due to all the excesses of holographic covers, and variant covers, and this, that, and the other thing. The speculators, who didn’t give a damn about comics anyway – who were just out to make a buck, have left the market, leaving retailers with loads of comics they can’t move. Ironically, it was the speculators, who pumped up 3rd party publishers like Valiant, Malibu, Mirage, and others, that started this glut in the first place. So, this lead to companies like Valiant going under. Unfortunately, from the sounds of things, the Ultraverse, which I’d previously derided, was actually pretty decent, and the bubble bursting basically scuttled that. Image survived because they branched out, and they still had some good stuff… and they had Rob Liefeld. Mirage survived because they had the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which basically was a licence to print money. Anyway, we also get a preview of Disney’s new upcoming film, The Lion King, and some coverage of Tiger Electronics’ LCD games.

That wraps up this issue of EGM. Tomorrow we’ll have another review of an issue of Nintendo Power.

We move on to issue 58 of EGM, for March of 1994. Our cover story is Super Street Fighter II Turbo. The cover art is great, except for the face, which doesn’t quite work based on the perspective. The issue clocks in at 232 pages.

Editorial: This month’s editorial by Ed Semrad is around, basically, the growing pains over the upcoming rating system for video games, with Sega and Nintendo fighting over whose system they would use. Sega’s is modeled after the ESRB’s ratings and would have both system’s games come out evenly. Nintendo’s appears to be designed in a more convoluted fashion, and would make just about every single game on the Genesis look awful. Ed describes this as being over “the most trivial of things” which, due to 20/20 hindsight, and California’s law over the rating system going to the Supreme Court, and Left 4 Dead 2 being banned in Australia, I’m having a bit of a chuckle at that phrase. To be fair though, Ed probbly couldn’t see this coming. Though, considering the outrage over Night Trap and Mortal Kombat, he probably should have seen this coming. We all should have seen this coming.

The box art for Shadowrun on the Genesis - featuring the 2nd Edition Corebook cover art!

Oh, and we’ve now got our first ad for the Shadowrun game for the Genesis, which probably had gameplay and mechanics a little closer to the paper and pencil game, though the ending of the game isn’t as good. We also get an ad for the album Video Games Greatest Hits by Tommy Tallarico, who would later bring us Video Games Live. The ripped up grunge jeans and the letterman’s jacket are clashing horribly… and if Tommy wanted this picture to disappear out of the public eye, I probably wouldn’t blame him.

Letterman's Jacket and ripped-up grunge jeans. I think I just got whiplash.

Letters: Our letter of the month this month… actually is a pair of newspaper articles over the Capcom v. Data East lawsuit over Fighter’s History 2. In short, Capcom’s lawsuit has been thrown out, so now everyone who is currently making fighting games can do so. They can even use similar controller motions (QCB; Down, Forward, Down-Forward, etc.). Anyway, we also get questions about whether Mortal Kombat for the Sega CD is still coming out (yes, it is), and if there are arcade machines that are handicapped accessible (there aren’t when this issue was published, and I still can’t find one that will work for people in wheelchairs, and considering the cost of building an arcade cabinet, I can’t see the companies that put out arcade games making ones. That said, I could see a handicapped compatible home cabinet for a dedicated Mame computer. However, nobody’s designed one yet. Maybe I should do that.

Review Crew: Now that we’re getting back to the “new” issues of EGM, a quick reminder of The Crew – Ed Semrad, Danyon Carpenter, Al Manuel, and Sushi-X.

• Fatal Fury 2 (Takara, SNES): Ed is impressed. Not only does he consider the port to be on par with the Neo-Geo version, but he also likes that you can play as the bosses (albeit with a code), and he gives it a 9. Danyon, Al and Sushi give the game 8s, with their only complaint (specifically referring to Danyon and Al) is with the music being not as good on the SNES. Overall: 33/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• The Flintsones (Taito, SNES): Flintstones, it’s the Flintstones. They’re the 70s stone-age family. Now on your SNES, they’re bringing the mediochrity. Okay, maybe not. Ed gives the game an 8, due to some significant lag problems. Everyone else gives it 7s, also because of the lag. Overall: 29/40.
• Rocko’s Modern Life (Viacom, SNES): Another gross-out Nicktoon is getting a game. Ed gives it a 9, finding it very challenging and finding the control frustrating, though it looks gorgeous. Danyon gives it an 8 as he found the later levels to be frustrating and obnoxious. Al and Sushi give the game 5s, with Al finding the game tedious, and Sushi finding the puzzles frustrating because of the poor controls. Overall: 26/40.
• Liberty or Death (Koei, Genesis): I think this is Koei’s first strategy game for the Genesis. Ultimately, this is the kind of game that you either like, or you hate, at least if you’re a video game critic. Ed and Danyon like it and give it 7s (though Ed feels that it doesn’t give him the same feeling of control that Nobunaga’s Ambition or Romance of the Three Kingdoms give him). Sushi and Al don’t like the genre and give it 4s. Overall: 22/40.
• Grind Stormer (Tengen, Genesis): Shump. Ed gives it an 8, commenting that it’s as good as some of the games from the “golden age” of Shumps for the Genesis. Sushi gives it a 7, finding it a good game, despite the fact that the power-ups and enemies are pretty much by the numbers. Danyon and Al give the game 6s as the sound effects and music get old fast, plus there are also some screen flicker problems. Overall: 27/40.
• The Incredible Hulk (US Gold, Genesis): Ed gives the game a 7, commenting that he likes the sound and graphics, but picking up items can be unnecessarily difficult, among other control problems. Danyon, Al, and Sushi are less forgiving, giving the game 5s for unnecessary difficulty, and poor control. Overall: 22/40.
• Tomcat Alley (Sega, Sega CD): Rail shooter with the trappings of a flight sim. Ed gives it a 7, as he likes the graphics, and particularly likes that the FMV takes up the whole screen instead of a small portion of it. Danyon gives it a 6, since he’s not enthused with the Sega CD getting Yet Another FMV Game, he still enjoys playing it, and he is pleased to see a lack of footage re-use. Al and Sushi, though, give it 5s, finding it generally not their style, though they liked the video (and the lack of loading screens). Overall: 23/40.
• Super Wing Commander (Origin, 3DO): Ed, Danyon and Sushi give this 8s, finding this to be an excellent improvement on the PC Shooter (not just a good port, but an improvement on it), and Al gives it a 7 for basically the same reason, though he had some difficulty keeping himself orientated. Overall: 31/40.
• Might & Magic III (TTI, Duo): Sushi gives this a 5 and everyone else gives this 4s, basically because the enemy pacing is too poor, and they’re just not to fond of First Person RPGs. Overall: 17/40.
• Black Bass: Lure Fishing (Hot-B, Game Boy): Sushi doesn’t like the Game Boy much, and doesn’t like Fishing Games either, and neither does Al (at least the Game Boy anyway), so they give it 4s. Danyon feels that the franchise is showing its age big time, and it isn’t handling the years very well and gives it a 5. Ed, on the other hand, loves it and gives it a 7. Overall: 21/40.
• Aladdin (Sega, Game Gear): Ed gives it a 9, finding the control a little rough, but otherwise having fun playing the game, and everyone else gives it 7s for the same reason. Overall: 30/40.
• Poker Face Paul: Blackjack (Sega, Game Gear): The general consensus is that this is a decent Blackjack game, but being that all it is is blackjack, it’s not worth it considering the number of casino games for various hand-helds with a wider variety. The only disagreement is in the scores – Danyon gives it a 6, everyone else gives it 5s. Overall: 21/40.
• Ninja Gaiden III (Atari, Lynx): Again, the text of the reviews generally agrees – including the complaints, with the scores being different – it’s a solid, quality port of Ninja Gaiden III, but because of the size of the screen and the blurring problems, it can make it difficult to see what’s going on. Ed gives it an 8, everyone else gives it 6s. Overall: 26/40.

Gaming Gossip: Mmm… yummy rumors! Serve me another helping, Q-Mann!

1. So, Nintendo’s working on an add-on for the SNES that will let you play Game Boy games on your TV screen. Hit! This will be the Super Game Boy.
2. THQ dropped the Ultraverse Licence, but Sony picked it up. I can’t find anything to confirm this… and I can’t find any Ultraverse games coming out from Sony… but that doesn’t mean that Sony dropped those projects and the licence later… Hit!. You’re lucky I’m so generous, Q-Mann.
3. Midway is looking to pull their exclusive license with Acclaim. Hit! they do pull the licence, start developing for themselves, and do decently until they died earlier this year.

Short list this week, and Q-Mann did good on what he served up, getting one for 1.

Press Start: Speaking of the Super Game Boy, we get our first look at it, as well as some notes on the 32X, and the possiblity that the Saturn might be backwards compatible with it.

Arcade Action: Sega’s got a Jurassic Park light gun game, Namco has Suzuka 8 Hours (a motorcycle racing game). In Japan, Konami has a new Parodious game.

International Outlook: Of note this issue is the platformer Spark, the Visual Novel The Blue Crystal Rod, a sequel/spinoff of the Tower of Druaga series, Laserdisk game Triad Stone, Adventure Island 4, Estopolis 2, the prequel to Lufia, and Samurai Spirits for the Game Boy. We also get an in-depth preview of Ranma 1/2: Super Battle, which adds Tag Team fighting to the game (a first for fighting games).

Next Wave: Of note this issue is Double Dragon V, a fighting game based on the animated series, The Final Option starring Steven “I Won’t Job For God” Segal (both for the SNES by the way), Godzilla for the Duo. Koei has Uncharted Waters: New Horizons for the SNES, Sega has the strategy RPG Dark Wizard for the Sega CD.

Special Feature – ACME ‘94: ACME, by the way, stands for Arcade Coin Machine Exposition. Super Street Fighter II Turbo preview. We get some character notes again, including notes on the new hidden boss, Goukui/Akuma, and on the new super-moves. We also have notes on World Heroes 2 Jet, Mortal Kombat II, and Virtua Fighter, the first fighting game to feature 3d movement and polygonal graphics. We also get a preview of Fighter’s History 2.

Special Feature – Sunsoft’s Upcoming Lineup: Sunsoft is putting out a Justice League fighting game, with 8 playable heroes, and 4 playable villains. We also have a brawler based on the recently concluded Death & Return of Superman arc. There’s also a Scooby Doo adventure game, and the christmas themed platformer Daze Before Christmas.

Special Feature – Core Design’s Upcoming Lineup: Core Design (which developed a lot of games for Virgin, Sony Imagesoft, and others), has got some new stuff coming out, including the mecha simulator Battle Corps, and the behind the back shooter Soul Star for the Sega CD, as well as the cart racer Chuck Rally.

Special Feature – Ultraverse Licenced Games: Now we get to the category of “games which definitely will be vaporware”. We have a brawler based on the Prime comic book, a platforming shooter based on the originally titled Firearm (apparently the character’s catchphrase is “Shake, Rat & Roll” – I know this is the ’90s but this is rediculous). I’m tempted to hunt down some of these comics just to see if they’re really as bad as they look, but I don’t know if it’s worth the SAN loss. Anyway, there’s also a game with the licence for The Strangers, which is a promicing concept for a comic (random strangers get superpowers), but has already been redeemed by Heroes and The 4400.

SNES Coverage: We now get into the standard game previews with a semi in-depth look at Super Metroid – covering such features as the auto-map (which now comes standard standard with every MetroidVania game that has come out since), as well as being able to combine the effects of your weapons. They controls for the super burst aren’t quite right yet, but the game isn’t quite done yet (it’s only 95% complete, apparently), and that may be an easy thing to fix. Kraid is huge! Anyway, Virgin’s got a Jungle Book game, which should look good – most Disney licenced games during this period animated incredibly well. We get some more looks at the Flintstones game from Taito – which gives us a peek at some of the more Japanese touches, like a Pachinko mini-game. Capcom also has their own fantasy brawler in Knights of the Round.

There’s Spectre, a tank game that’s kind of similar to Battlezone, but with really cheap AI. Namco is also putting out a home version of Suzuka 8 Hours, which is, apparently finished and is just waiting for release – though it’s apparently got some sound and control problems. Imaginee has the puzzle game Super Loops 2, which tasks you with forming, basically, closed shapes on screen with various pieces. Koei’s got a new installment of their business simulator Aerobiz: Supersonic. Natsume has a new wrestling game in Natsume Championship Wrestling. They like that the game is more timing based instead of mash based (similar to the Fire Pro games), though they’re not too fond of the control taking a while to learn and the graphics needing some polish. We also get another preview of SOS, and they’re not too enthused about passiveness of the backgrounds, and (to a certain degree), the overall time limit.

Genesis Coverage: We have a preview of Streets of Rage 3. Apparently the music isn’t as good in the first two, and I must admit when I played the first two I had the sound down. I should probably play them again with the sound up. Anyway, they also suggest that the mid-boss for level 1 maybe should be removed. We also get a look at the isometric Battletech game. It kind of looks like Desert Strike but with a giant robot. Oh, and apparently for the ice level they have spiked walls. Why is beyond me. Konami’s got a new Double Dribble game, which currently has some control problems and there’s Jeopardy Sports Edition.

Sega CD Coverage: We get a preview of Mortal Kombat CD (I can’t believe I nearly spelled “Kombat” with a C). We get all the moves, plus the fatalities. They really like it, even at 60% complete. There’s also a preview of the sequel to Out of this World – Heart of the Alien – it’s only 60% complete, but they like it thus far. There’s also the Viking-themed RPG/Adventure game Heimdall, which apparently has some access time problems. There’s also a preview of the oddball Japanese game Switch, which is getting a US release, and which I wouldn’t mind playing.

Neo-Geo Coverage: We have the action platormer Spinmaster, where you defeat your enemies with a Yo-Yo, and the odd Frisbee game Windjammers.

3DO Coverage: We have the shooter Patank, which apparently has some control problems, and enough caroming off the enviroment problems to inspire the staff member playing the game to pop in Tommy while playing.

NES Coverage: Jungle Book is getting a NES version as well, which has some frustration problems.

Game Boy Coverage: We have a preview of Chase HQ II, which is alright with the exception of some problems with small icons and cheap bosses. There’s also a Sports Illustrated For Kids game, which has some control problems.

Game Gear Coverage: We have a Sonic The Hedgehog Kart racing game, in Sonic Drift. The shark, it has been jumped. There’s also Choplifter III, which has some issues with sluggish control. There’s also a Pac-Man puzzle game in Pac Attack.

Lynx Coverage: We have more screen shots of Ninja Gaiden III.

Lifestyles: Toyfair has come and gone, and we’re getting Street Fighter Action Figures which are, basically, G.I. Joes with a Street Fighter theme. Also, Todd McFarlane will be starting his Image Toys line, featuring Spawn Action figures, as well as later Anime action figures. (They had the Kaneda figure and the motorcycle at Kumoricon, but I didn’t have the cash to get them). Anyway, we’re also getting Stargate action figures.

Well, that wraps up this issue of EGM. I’ll be having another Nintendo Power issue tommorrow, so watch this feed, dear readers!

Another week, another hole I’ve discovered I can fill in my EGM Archive. In this case, it’s issue #52 for November of 1993. This issue is quite epic in its length – 324 pages long, and our cover story is Sonic CD. Oh, and there’s a Super Street Fighter II Strategy Guide that will probably pad this issue out a little.

Editorial: Christmas 1993 is coming up. So, there are so many consoles out, how do you decide? Basically they do a run-down of all the consoles on the market, and pick them all apart except for the SNES and Genesis. Not much else other than this.

Letters: Well, we get people not happy with Major Mike being off to the side for his reviews. We also get more letters about Project Reality (which the EGM staff dismisses as vaporware), Nintendo has a new top-loading version of the NES, which they also poo-poo. Personally, I like the Top Loading chassis, as that way I don’t have to worry about the pins getting bent as much. We also get a letter from a producer at Sunsoft covering issues with the World Heroes games, with the original letter being 3 pages long, and they had to shorten. I wonder what happened to the original letter. If Ed Semrad or Steve Harris reads this (as he was still the EGM publisher at the time), and they know what happened to the original letter, and want to do a full rebuttal to all the points in the letter that aren’t in their response here, please let me know. In the course of their response, they do take a moment to slip a shot in at GamePro and their frequency of Perfect Scores (across the board 5s), which I can’t argue with in the slightest (nor the lack of criticism in their critical reviews). As far as their criticism that the scores were two low, they refer them to Famicom Tsushin’s score, which is an overall 24 (7, 5, 6, 6), which is lower then their score.

I’m just going to take a moment to say that in the present day, nobody in the game journalism industry would respond so publically to gripes about review scores, by putting the responses in the letters column, up front. I’m not certain if this is a good thing, or a bad thing. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sunsoft blacklisted them after this. Anyway, the popularity of the Neo-Geo is increasing, and so we’re getting more letters about that system. Additionally, we get letters about TTI’s decision not to release the Duo port of Street Fighter II in the US. Now, EGM says that TTI couldn’t get the rights, but what I’ve heard as an expansion of that, is that TTI could get the rights, but that they were more expensive than what the Home Office back in Japan though they were worth. Now, what we don’t know is whether or not Capcom expressed a willingness to develop the game themself for the Duo (because lord knows, the Duo could have use 3rd party publishers). Nonetheless, this is a nail in the coffin of the Duo. We also get mixed thoughts about the various versions of Mortal Kombat, with particular complaints voiced about the sound quality in the Genesis version (fear not, the Sega CD is getting a port as well). We also get a request for more elaborate game endings. Just wait for Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger. They’ll ending your ass off! We also get complaints about Europe and Japan getting nudity and risque content in their video game advertisments, and we don’t. You pervert! Video Games are for Kids (or thus speaks Congress).

Review Crew: We’re after the format change, so once again our crew is Ed Semrad, Danyon Carpenter, Martin Alessi, and Sushi-X.

• Gunstar Heroes (Sega, Genesis): Treasure’s crazy run-and-gun shooter has come stateside. Everyone gives it 9s, for being great in every respect – Graphics, Gameplay, Character designs, music, all of it. Overall: 36/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Platinum Award
• Clay Fighter (Interplay, SNES): Interplay has a 2D fighting game of their own with digitized characters, only clay-mation characters. Ed and Martin give the game 8s, becuse of the good control and timing, though Ed finds the jokes get old quickly. Danyon and Sushi give the game 7s, because of the limited number of characters, and a general lack of replay value. Overall: 30/40.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Konami, SNES): The game gets 9s from Ed, Danyon and Sushi, and an 8 from Martin, wti the the general consensus that this is a very, very solid fighting game in every single respect – and possibly comprable to Street Fighter II (my words as someone whose played the game, not theirs) Overall: 35/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Mario’s Time Machine (Mindscape, SNES): It’s another edutainment game! Ed, Danyon, and Sushi give the game 7s, finding it an enjoyable edutainment game, as does Martin, who gives it a 6 for similar reasons, adding that this game is more likely to get someone to learn something than Mario Is Missing. Overall: 27/40.
• Actraiser 2 (Enix, SNES): Ed, Martin and Sushi give the game 9s, finding it a worthy successor to Actraiser, though they found the lack of overhead sequences disappointing. They like it, despite some cheap deaths in the game. Danyon gives it a 8 as he has some problems with the control in the flying sequences and the absence of the overhead sequences hurts it. Overall: 34/40 and it gets the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Aladdin (Sega, Genesis): Ed and Martin give the game 9s, applauding the solid control and the excellent graphics, particularly mentioning the game’s animation preserving the film’s sense of humor. Danyon and Sushi give the game 8s, as they like the game, but Danyon has some problems with the game’s scrolling, and Sushi’s having some problems with the game’s control. Overall: 34/40 and it gets the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Pink Goes To Hollywood (TecMagick, Genesis): The Pink Panther has gotten a platformer! The game gets 7s across the board. In particular, Sushi comments that the Genesis version controls better than the SNES version of the game, and the game’s graphics (particularly the game’s animations). Overall: 28/40.
• Street Fighter II Champion Edition (Capcom, Genesis): Well, it’s a port of Street Fighter 2: Champion Edition for the Genesis. Martin gives the game a 9, and everyone else gives it 8s, for generally similar reasons – the graphics are good, the music is good (though the voices aren’t so hot), and the game controls great with the new Genesis 6-button controller for the Genesis, though if you’re using the old 3-button controller than you’re in trouble. Overall: 33/40 and gets the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Gauntlet IV (Tengen, Genesis): The Genesis has a game with multi-tap support! The game gets 8s across the board, with the main complaints being about the difficulty of the game, with it otherwise being applauded as a faithful port of the arcade game (and, really, if it’s a port of an arcade game and it’s faithful – it’s probably going to be really hard. They want your quarters to get in it’s belly! Overall: 32/40.
• Formula 1 Grand Prix (Domark, Genesis): Racing game. There are some complaints about “do we need more racing games” (which I find kind of silly), but the game gets 8s from Ed, Danyon, and Martin, who find it plays pretty well, though they have some problems with choppyness. Sushi gives it a 7, also finding the control good, and finding the controls better than other reacing games, but he still finds it “so-so”. Overall: 31/40.
• FIFA Soccer (EA, Genesis): We have our first licenced soccer game! Danyon and Martin give the game 9s, with Martin saying outright that this game is to soccer (OtherPlacian Football) which Madden is to (US) Football. I can’t argue with that. Sushi gives it a 7, though he thinks it’s good (he’s just not a soccer game guy). Ed gives the game an 8 for similar reasons (he thinks it’s good, he just doesn’t like soccer). Overall: 33/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Sonic CD (Sega, Sega CD): Ed and Danyon give the game 9s, as the control is good, the glitchyness is gone, and the control is awesome, with Danyon considering it a game of the year canidate. I’m surprised this been included in any previous Sonic video game collection. Martin and Sushi give the game 8s, with Martin finding as good as Sonic 2, but yeah barely, with particular complaints about the graphics in the bonus stages. Sushi also found that bonus stage to be a problem, but otherwise he loved the game. Overall: 34/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award
• WWF King of the Ring (LJN, NES): Ed gives the game an 8 and Sushi gives it a 7, with the graphical limitations of the NES causing some problems, though they still enjoys it. Danyon and Martin give the game 6s though, as there’s not a lot of sound, and there are some significant flicker problems. Overall: 30/40.
• Quarterback Club (LJN, Game Boy): It’s a collection of football mini-games with licenced quarterbacks. Ed and Sushi give the game 7s, saying that they really liked it. Danyon gives it a 6, and Martin gives it a 5, as while they like the concept, they feel it doesn’t work on the Game Boy. Overall: 25/40.
• Star Wars (US Gold, Game Gear): The 8-bit Star Wars game has been ported to the Game Gear. Ed, Danyon, and Martin give the game 8s, considering the game on par with not only the home 8-bit games, but with the 16-bit games as well. Sushi gives it a 7 for the same reasons. Overall: 31/40.
• Bart vs. The World (Flying Edge, Game Gear): Bartamania is still running wild, and now it’s trying to save The World! Ed, Martin, and Sushi give the game 7s, as they think the graphic and control are good, and finding it a general improvement of the Game Gear version of Bart vs. The Space Mutants. Danyon gives it a 6, as while he thinks the graphics are good, he’s not fond of the control in the slightest. Overall: 27/40.

Gaming Gossip: Another week, another set of rumors to check.

• Sega apparently approached the MPAA to use their rating system for games, but the MPAA turned it down. Hit! You know, if the MPAA had said yes, there’d be much less bitching about the exisiting rating system being “uncomprehensible” despite the fact of it being the MPAA’s rating system with the serial numbers filed off – as people know what an R means, a PG-13 means, a PG means, a G means and (on the high end) what NC-17 means.

.

• Data East is getting sued by Capcom because Fighter’s History is too close to Street Fighter II – Hit!. They also lose too, which allows for many other Street Fighter clones to come.
• Midway is going to make their own home video games. Hit! And they keep making their own home video games until they died this year.
• Ermac = ERror MAChine. Judges? Hit! You’re half right. It’s actually short for “Error Macro” but that’s close enough for government work.

Batting Average: 5 for 5. Excellent!

Press Start: Codemasters has a new Game Genie in the works, but one that you don’t have to enter codes for it – it’s able to find the codes on it’s own. Though, apparently some manufacturers are opposed to the Game Genie because it hurts sales? How does that work, unless what it does is it negates the false difficulty settings of some of the games, allowing people to actually beat them (or at least would allow them to beat the game early)? While people were selling back their games around this time, we don’t have a situation where we have Gamestop or Babbage’s selling boatloads of used games, and, in the eyes of game publishers and developers “KILL1NG TEH 1NDOSTRY!!!!!!!!!!1111!!11!!!1!1″

Sega’s 32-bit game system has been officially titled the Saturn. We also have a couple new arcade sticks coming out. Pioneer’s got a new game system in the LaserActive, which features games that cost over $120. Yeah, that system doesn’t last long, and they smack it down because of the price point. Commodore’s working on a 32-bit gaming system as well… shame that Commodore is on, basically, it’s last legs, and I believe the system is vaporware.

Arcade Action: Konami has a new brawler in Metamorphic Force, which is insanely over the top, Data East has the Metal Slug style action game (but before Metal Slug) Miracle Adventure from Data East. Data East also has the ninja themed brawler Night Slashers.

International Outlook: We’ve gotten our first look at the N64, through some demo footage (no gameplay yet, since we haven’t seen the controller yet). There’s also another music program for the SNES called Sound Factory, and Banpresto is doing Super Puyo Puyo, which is the same game as Dr. Robotniks’ Mean Bean Machine. Nintendo is also putting out Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo which has the first Fire Emblem, plus a second adventure of about the same length. Enix has Gaia Fantasy which will eventually be released as Illusion of Gaia. Oh, and the SNES has Goemon II coming out as well, as well as cutesy shump Twinbee Adventures.

Next Wave: The upcoming titles for a US release include a port of Out of this World for the 3DO (which should look and sound awesome). Electrobrain has Asterix The Gaul for the SNES (for the record, if they had an energy drink themed off the magic potion from Asterix’s village – or if Jones Soda Company did an Asterix themed soda set, I’d totally get that). Anyway, THQ has Lawnmower Man for the SNES. The Lost Vikings and Star Trek: The Next Generation are getting ported to the Genesis. Bullet-Proof Software has the RPG Orbitus. The 3DO is also getting a new Battlechess game.

Feature – Sonic Games: We’re starting off with Sonic CD and we get images of some of the stages and the animated cut-scenes, which all generally look cool. We also get a preview of Sonic Spinball for the Genesis, Sonic Chaos for the Game Gear.

Feature – Elite Games: Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with the space sim. Instead it’s referring to the developer in England who designed the Super FX chip.

Feature – Virgin Interactive: We get a look at the upcoming Jungle Book game, the RTS Dune II, adventure game Dune CD, Robocop vs. Terminator, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.

Codemasters' Offices (circa 1993)

Feature – Codemasters: EGM goes to Codemasters offices in Britain (with pictures of the building), and we get a look at some of their upcoming titles such as Dizzy for the SNES, as well as the Game Gear 2.

Feature – Super Street Fighter II Strategy Guide: We get everybody’s new and altered moves.

SNES Coverage: We get more screen shots of Clay Fighter, and a move list, as well as coverage of the SNES version of Aladdin, which they find not as good, graphically, as the Genesis version – though they still think it reflects the movie well. We also get a look at the SNES version of Sunset Riders – which they like with multiple players, but they’re not a fan of the one-hit-wonder deaths. We also have a look at Tecmo Super Bowl, which has more plays and teams then the original Tecmo Bowl, but the players are still pretty small. We also have look at the SNES version of Wolfenstein 3D, which got censored all to hell by Nintendo of America (though, to be honest, they should have seen this coming as soon as the thought of a SNES version came into their heads). We also get a good look at Secret of Mana.

THQ has Sports Illustrated Football/Baseball, the first sports game with the Sports Illustrated licence, the first sports game to have Football and Baseball on the same cart, and… I think it’s the last to have both. I wonder if it says something about the game. We get a look the port of Art of Fighting, ported by Takara, which they like, but they feel needs some polish. Chase HQ has been ported as Super Chase H.Q., which they like, though they think there are some really cheap bosses in the game. THQ also has a Ren & Stimpy licenced game, which has some control problems. We get a look at Jim Power: The Lost Dimention in 3-D, which gets reviewed later and they aren’t too hot on. There’s also Lufia & The Fortress of Doom, which is a good RPG (they say), though there are some problems with the combat (it doesn’t auto-target if you waste a guy).

Early Mega Man X Design

Enix has another RPG in Paladin’s Quest, JVC has a RPG in Magic Boy, Kemco has the racing game Top Gear II, Renovation has the action RPG Arcus Odyssey (which yes, was developed by WolfTeam). We’ve also got Championship Pool from Mindscape (ahh, the halcyon days where, when you wanted to show off how awesome you could do physics, you did a pool game)), though they’re not too fond about how menu-heavy it is. We also have screen shots of Mario’s Time Machine, action platformer Time Slip. Oooh! We get our first look at Mega Man X. Take a look at this early version of the new Mega Man design. We also get screen shots of Pink Goes to Hollywood.

Genesis Coverage: We get screen shots of Gunstar Heroes, more shots of Eternal Champions, a look at Castlevania: Bloodlines, and a look at Zombies Ate My Neighbors. There’s also a different Ren & Stimpy game for the Genesis from the one coming out for the SNES. McDonalds has another advergame in TreasureLand Adventure. Sega’s got a Home & Alone 2 licenced game. We’ve also got a really bloody 2D fighting game from THQ called Time Killers. EA’s got the fantasy actiong game Blades of Vengance, which apparently has some problems with boss re-use (as minions). There’s also Virtual Pinball, which is a port of Bill Budge’s Pinball Construction Set, which considering Sony’s push towards user-generated content we saw at E3 (The Play, Create, Share, Initiative) I’m surprised hasn’t been re-made for Sony consoles. Being that I like pinball, I’d totally get it (Mr. Budge, if you’re reading this, that wasn’t a joke). We also get a look at Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine. Psygnosis has a mascot platformer called Puggy (note – if you’ve got Roger Dean on staff doing art for you, cute isn’t necessarily your thing). Oh, and we get a new ad for Shadowrun for the SNES that looks pretty good.

New Shadowrun ad

Sega CD Coverage: Dynamix has the starfox style shump Stellar Fire, Joe Montana’s NFL Football. We also have a look at the Sega CD version of Lethal Enforcers. JVC’s also got AH-3 Thunderstrike.

Duo Coverage: We’ve got Beyond Shadowgate coming out. It looks… slightly less cheap than the NES game – not in terms as cost, but in terms of cheap deaths.

Neo-Geo Coverage: We’ve got Fatal Fury Special, the first SNK Dream Match game, based in the Fatal Fury Franchise, as it’s the one that has done the best so far (until it’s metamorphosized into the King of Fighters series).

3DO Coverage: We get a review of the driving/racing game Crash ‘N Burn from Crystal Dynamics.

NES Coverage: The NES is scraping by with a hockey game, Jaleco’s Pro Sport Hockey, which has some really cheap AI problems (you score 1 goal, the AI scores 2 goals effortlessly). The NES is also getting a version of TMNT: Tournament Fighters.

Game Boy Coverage: The Game Boy is getting another Mega Man game, titled (wait for it) Mega Man IV, along with a Addams Family game.

Game Gear Coverage: We more images of the Star Wars game for the Game Gear, as well as Desert Speed Trap featuring the Road Runner, a port of Ecco the Dolphin, Fantastic Dizzy from Codemasters (which they’re looking to port to the SNES).

Lifestyles: We’re getting a bunch of Street Fighter themed merch, video games are on the cover of Time Magazine. Hero Magazine is getting it’s own TV show, titled Hero TV. I can’t find any word on the show, so I don’t know if the pilot wasn’t picked up or what? We also get a article on Demolition Man, and an article hyping the EGM/Hero Tour.

Well, that wraps up this issue of EGM. I’ll have another recap of Nintendo Power tommorow, and unless another gap gets filled in my EGM archive, I’ll be progressing ever-foreward next week.

For this week’s EGM Recap we’re going to take a step back to fill another gap in the archive (hopefully I’ll be able to alternate these until all the gaps are filled). This issue I’m going back to April 1993 for issue #45 of Electronic Gaming Monthly. This issue’s of average size, about 183 pages, and our cover story is the game adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppela. Of all the Coppela films to get a video game adaptation, this is the one that needed it the least.

Editorial: Ed Semrad gives his thoughts on Winter CES, and he’s going to be a little outspoken here – you see, his game of the show isn’t Starfox, which was a cover story the previous issue, it’s Slipheed for the Sega CD.

Phil Muschnik's Column in the New York Post

Letters: We have letters urging people to contect Renovation and have them licence Time Gal for a US. Ask, and you shall recieve. Also, finally, in their Psycho Letter of the Month feature (which I normally don’t cover), we’ve got Phil Muschnik’s letter, which is, more accurately, his column from the New York Post about violence in video games, printed verbatim. The column is mainly focused on the Madden games, and the ad copy on the back of the games advertising and promoting the ability for players to get injured in the game, as well as clothesline tackles and other things which are technically against NFL rules, though Muschnik doesn’t spare the NFL itself from his ire – criticising NFL Films “NFL Rocks” video tape, which features (he says) illegal hits set to rock music. It’s a semi-valid concern. The promotion of the hard hits in football has lead to young football players doing harder hits earlier, leading to an early prevalence of Multiple Concussion Syndrome among football players in High School and College. That said, Muschnik goes a little far by saying Nintendo and Sega can, quote, “go to hell” end quote for allowing such things to be depicted. If the blame is going to be laid anywhere, it’s at the NFL. They started glamorizing sick tackles and hard hits, and everyone else followed their lead. The Madden series has always aimed to be a football simulation, more than anything else – a reflection of the game as it’s played, and as we – the fans see it on our TV screens every Sunday or Monday night. Anyway, after that intellectual discussion, we have people complaining about Bubsy’s lack of pants. *sigh*.

The Review Crew: Since we’re going back to before the format change, our Crew is Steve Harris, Ed Semrad, Martin Alessi, and Sushi-X.

• Bomberman ‘93 (TTI, Duo): Bomberman got a sequel! Ed gives it a 9, finding the game addictive with a lot of strategy to it. Steve, Martin, and Sushi give the game 8s, saying it’s like the last bomberman game, with some tweaks and improvements. Overall: 33/40 and it it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Shadowrun (Data East, SNES): It’s a RPG based on the awesome FASA RPG. Ed and Sushi give the game 7s, saying that they enjoyed the quest gameplay, though they thinks it could have used more action and been paced faster. Steve and Martin give the game 6s, as they think the graphics are average and the sound is poor. Overall: 26/40.
• Family Dog (THQ, SNES): It’s an adventure platformer based on the cartoon show. Ed gives the game a 7, commenting it took him a bit to get the hang of the controls, but once he got used to it he thought it was fun. Sushi gives the game a 5 and Steve & Martin give it 4s, finding the control to be poor, and once you’ve mastered the controls the game becomes incredibly easy (without actual difficulty in the levels). Overall: 20/40.
• B.O.B (EA, SNES): Action shooter. Ed and Martin give the game 7s, saying that the character has some appeal to it and while the action is slow, the weapon variety is good too, and Martin in particular finds it to be satisfactorily challenging. Steve and Sushi give the game 5s, as Steve likes the game mechanics and found it addictive, though they didn’t find it very enjoyable. That said – Sushi comments that the only thing you can do in the game is jump and shoot – as a negative. You could say the same thing about Contra. Overall: 24/40.
• Super Turrican (Seika, SNES): Action game. Ed give the game a 9, applauding the soundtrack and the hidden powerups. Martin and Sushi give the game 8s, with Martin applauding the sound while finding the game itself repetitive, while Sushi really likes the game due to its smooth control, even though it doesn’t have the “flair” of other, similar games. Steve gives it an 7, saying lots of really postive things about it, and nothing negative (or even backhanded). Overall: 32/40 and it recieves the Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
• Outrun 2019 (Sega, Genesis): Ed thinks it’s a good racing game, though he feels that their is better, though this is probably the best they can get until we start getting Sega CD racing games. Sushi gives the game a 6, finding a good idea, but the game isn’t challenging enough. Steve and Martin give the game 5s as they’re not impressed with the graphics or the sound. Overall: 23/40.
• Battletoads (Tradewest, Genesis): Ed and Martin give the game 8s, finding it a faithful port, with all the controller smashing, coronary inducing gameplay that it entails. Sushiand Steve give it 7s, as they’re not impressed with the graphics (and Sushi saying outright thathee thinks the graphics look 8-bit. Overall: 30/40.
• Fatal Fury (Takara, Genesis): This port just doesn’t do very well at all, with the consensus being good graphics but poor control. The only disagreement is in the scores – Ed gives it a 5, Steve and Martin give it 4s and Sushi gives it a 3. Overall: 16/40.
• Time Gal (Renovation, Sega CD): Dragon’s Lair style action game. Steve, Ed and Sushi give the game 8s, as they like the animation, they like the sound quality, and they like how the time you have to react speeds up. Martin doesn’t like it as much though, and gives it a 6. Overall: 30/40.
• Sim Earth (T.T.I., Duo): Ed and Sushi give the game 6s, saying that it’s good for SimCity fans but not for other gamers. Steve and Martin, on the other hand, just hate it and give it 4s, finding it dull and boring. Boo. Hiss. Overall: 20/40.
• Fatal Fury 2 (SNK, Neo-Geo): Ed, Martin, and Sushi give the game 8s, finding even better than the first Fatal Fury game. Steve gives it a 7, for (basically) the same reason. Overall: 31/40.
• Tiny Toon Adventures 2 (Konami, NES): The game gets 7s from Ed, Martin, and Sushi, and a 6 from Steve, as they find it’s a good game for the beginning gamer, who doesn’t necessarily have enough experience for more advanced platformers. Overall: 27/40.
• Fire & Ice (Tecmo, NES): Puzzle-platformer. Ed gives it a 8, finding the progession of difficulty really good, and Martin gives it a 7 for the same reason. Steve gives it a 7 as well, but he finds it much more repetative Ed and Martin did, and Ed gives it a 6, finding it much too simple. Overall: 28/40.
• Kid Dracula (Konami, Game Boy): It’s a cutsy platformer featuring a vampire – I see the beginnings of the backslide that leads us to Twilight. Ed and Martin give the game 7s, finding it well designed for the GB, and appropriately paced to avoid blurring. Steve gives it a 6, finding it not revolutionary but still fun. Sushi gives it a 5 as… well, it’s a Game Boy game and he finds it kind of easy. Overall: 25/40.
• Milon’s Secret Castle (Hudson, Game Boy): It’s a port of the NES game. Ed gives it a 7 as he likes puzzle maze games. Steve and Martin give the game 6s as they find it a good and faithful port. Sushi finds it pretty boring and gives it a 5. Overall: 24/40.
• Spider-Man (Flying Edge, Game Gear): Ed and Sushi give the game 7s, as Ed likes the game’s graphics and control and Sushi finds it generally solid. Steve and Martin give the game 6s, as they find it above average and fun. Overall: 26/40.

Gaming Gossip: Another issue, another batch of rumors.

1. The Sega CD is going to get a price cut. I can’t find anything to confirm or deny it, so Hit! (tenatively).
2. People are working for modems for home consoles so you can play fighing games online! Hit! It doesn’t work well. To be honest, we’ve only really nailed down a way to play fighting games online just now!
3. Mortal Kombat will get a home release in August. Miss! Sorry, it instead comes out on September 13th, 1993 – “Mortal Monday”.
4. Sonic The Hedgehog is getting not 1, but 2 cartoon shows! Hit

So, we’re 3/4 this time, which is a nice improvement (though part of this is because of the addional volume to it.)

EGM Express: The Turbo Duo is getting a new SKU – the Duo-R. Basically, they’re dropping the price, and to do this they’re dropping the headphone jack and volume control, as well as changing the color and getting rid of the cover lock. Other than that it’s pretty much the same. Speaking of the Duo, Fighting Street 2 is going to be both a disk and card game, in that you’ll need both to play the game. We also have the specifications of the Super FX chip. This segues into the war between Sega and Nintendo over Polygonal games as demonstrated by Sylpheed from Sega and Starfox from Nintendo. Oh, and Konix is putting out the Multi-System. No, really, it’s back, and it’s a CD-ROM system. I’m kind of shocked, but not too much. The Phantom Game Console made it 4 years before finally dying as vaporware (Announced in 2002, dying in 2006). It’s been 3 and 3/4ths years thus far since it made it’s first appearance in EGM #1, so if it makes it for another year or two it will out-last the Phantom before finally withering on the vine.

Leading Edge: We have the soccer game Super Side Kicks, the light gun game Dragongun where you shoot dragons… with a gun. Atlus also has the shooter Wing Force. I wonder when we hit the point where Atlus, creator of platformers and Shumps becomes Atlus, porter of JRPGs.

The Game Doctor: We have questions about Japanese names for various consoles, the PAL and NTSC video differences, and how the SNES determines how fast it will run.

International Outlook: Of not this issue is Breath of Fire from Capcom (their first RPG), Culture Brain has SD Art of Fighting which Chibi Art of Fighting characters. Attention SNK: I want a Super Deformed King of Fighters game! Anyway, Mastiya has a Ranma 1/2 CD game and that pretty much covers it.

Next Wave: EA’s got Jungle Strike, the sequel to Desert Strike. Square’s got Final Fantasy Adventure 2 for the SNES (which gets re-titled as Secret of Mana, Art of Fighting for the SNES. The Duo is getting Gradius II.

Feature – Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Okay, so apparently Coppela was heavily involved in this game. I almost wonder if this game soured Coppola on the game industry as much as this film, Frankenstein, and Godfather III soured Coppola on film, as I get the impression that Coppola hates the film industry now, and from what I heard about what he was saying about the first Godfather game before it’s release I think Coppola doesn’t like video games either. The captions for the pictures are a little off. To be specific, they mistake Elisabeta for Mina in one picture, and have Chesare, Hopkins character in the past wanting to help Dracula (which, if you’ve seen the movie, you know things turn out differently. We also get some screen shots of the Sega CD, SNES, and Genesis versions of the game.

SNES Coverage: We get some screen shots of Batman Returns, Super Turrican, Run Saber, the puzzle game Troddlers, platformer Rocky Rodent, shump Syvalion Attack Fighter, Toys.

Genesis Coverage: We have a new X-Men action game, a sequel to Blaster Master. We also get a preview of Cool Spot, Shining Force, and the arcade-y flight sim G-Loc Battle. Renovation has the fantasy shump Element Master. There’s also screen shots of Tony LaRussa Baseball and Splatterhouse 3. On the CD-Rom front, we have After Burner III.

Duo Coverage: We get screen shots of Sim Earth and comedy shumps Cotton, and Magical Chase.

Neo-Geo Coverage: We have screen shots of Fatal Fury 2.

NES Coverage: We get some screen shots of Fire & Ice, Crash ‘n the Boys Ice Challenge (a spin-off of River City Ransom) and Duck Tales 2.

Game Boy Coverage: We’ve got the racing game Race Drivin’ and the Humans (a Lemmings clone).

Game Gear Coverage: McDonald’s has advergame in Mick & Mack: The Global Gladiators, where Mick & Mack try to save the earth (nevermind all the polystyrine trash generated by McDonalds, and that there aren’t any recycling bins for any of the plastic products used by McDonalds – and some of them are recyclable).

Special Street Fighter II Comic – Part 1: It’s not canon and the art is ugly. For the record, the writing is by Len Strazewski and the art is by Don Hillsman (who has gone on to inking work for some major DC and Marvel books). Frankly, he should stick with the Inking, because his pencils are pretty bad. Our writing is from the creator of Prime and, well, I’ve read last issue and it’s iffy. We’ve got a romanace going between Ryu and Chun-Li, I’m guessing because Ryu is the main character and Chun-Li is (at this point) the only woman in the series. This issue’s a little better, with Sagat and Balrog fighting amongst themselves, with Balrog taunting Sagat for being defeated by Ryu, and Sagat having none of this. However, M. Bison chews them out. Rather weak.

EGM Lifestyles: Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny did a Nike Commercial togeather, one that would lead to the movie Space Jam (which I liked). Issue #100 of Spider-Man is coming out, and it’s got a holographic cover. Remember the way things were before the comic bubble burst! We’re also getting a 3rd Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie (and it’s not as good as the second – which wasn’t very good either.)

Game Over: We get the ending cutscene of Chakan: The Forever Man. In short, to give an opening for a sequel, Death screws Chakan again, by making him eliminate all the evil in the Universe. That’s a dick move.

Once again the EGM Recaps are going forward once more. The issue we’re covering today is issue #57, for April of 1994. Our cover story is (*ugh*), Beavis and Butthead. I grew up when that show was on the air, and I never found it funny. Anyway, it’s getting video games based on it, and if the history of comedy TV show to video game adaptations is any sign of the future, this is going to suck too. Anyway, this issue’s kind of long, at 212 pages, so we might as well get this over with.

Editorial: The price point of the N64 (still known as Project Reality) has been announced, and it’s going to cost $240. This leads to Ed’s editorial about how, basically, video game systems are expensive toys, and at this point in it’s history, I wouldn’t dispute that. I’d say the point where video game systems started to jump the gap from a “toy” to as much of a part of your home theater system as your stereo was, possibly, with the PS2, and it’s ability to play DVDs. Considering at the time the DVD format was pretty new, this helped get a lot of DVD players in people’s homes, in the same sort of way the PS3 helped get people Blu-Ray players.

Letters: First up is a complaint about the cost of games. Because of the new chips in, for example, the SNES’s Super FX carts, those carts tend to run in the $100+ range, which even now is considered to be a steep price to pay, unless you’re getting the kind of extras that you’d get in the Collector’s Edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum (steel baterang and all). Ultimately, the cost is due to the chips in the carts that allow for the enhanced graphical capabilities. Sega’s trying to avoid this with their 32X unit, but ultimatly it hastens the doom of the Genesis, by splitting the install base. As far as home consoles go, basically the release of the Playstation and other later disk systems, kind of puts an end to these sort of price spikes. On the one hand, while you can’t add new chips to CD-ROMs allowing for mid-lifespan graphical upgrades for your system, like the SNES did, the cost of manufacturing CD-ROM (and later, DVD-ROM) games will either, at worst stay the same, or at best will go down as a media format catches on and the cost of the actual media itself becomes less expensive. Thus, in the later portions of a console’s life, new games can cost a little less than they were when they were new. Now, does this mean that end of lifespan titles will look identical to launch titles? No. There will be graphical improvements, but they’ll be software related. Engine related, coming about as developers get more accustomed to the system. Just look at the graphics in Prince of Persia: Sands of Time for the PS2 (a mid-to-late release title) and for Gungrave (a launch title) – they’re radically different, with Gungrave having horrific pop-up issues.

Anyway, moving on to the other letters (wow, I spent a whole paragraph discussing one letter), the 3DO is getting a price drop, Mortal Kombat is getting a soundtrack CD, and that little jack on the bottom of your Justifier is for connecting a second gun for when you play Lethal Enforcers two-player. We also get a letter complaining about developers who are porting their games for other systems not adding features. Bwhuh? Entitled much. No, seriously – when a developer is porting a game for another system, ultimately, they’re stuck with some of the tools that the console manufacturer left them with. I’ll explain with my limited knowledge of programming (though it is there).

There are 2 levels you can, basically code for, the assembler level, and the operating system level. Technically, there’s a 3rd level, the “virtual machine” level, which is platform independant, but that’s not applicable for this discussion. Oh, and by the way, I’m basically making up some terms to make this discussion more accessible for those who aren’t familiar with computer science. If you refer to these as “levels” to someone who knows what he’s talking about in computer science, you just might get a funny look. Anyway, no matter what level you’re working on, when you’re moving from one platform to another, say, from two different chipsets (Apple’s old Motorola chipset to the IBM Compatible x86 chipset) or operating systems (Windows to Linux), you’re going to need to do some work to port the project over. Now, depending on the platform, sometimes the port is easier than others, like if you’re porting a project in C++ from Linux to MacOS. If you’ve got a C++ Compiler and all the appropriate packages and modules, you’re basically set to translate your program the OS can have it talking to the system’s hardware. You’ll still need to optimize it and do bug testing to make sure anything obnoxious hasn’t come up in the port, but otherwise that’s not a problem. Now, from the OS based console standpoint, if one console is harder to write for than another (like Sony’s consoles), there may be a little more work involved, but the general principal is the same. I’m heavily over-simplying this, but the point still stands. You don’t need to re-write your entire engine from scratch when you’re going from the PS3 to the X-Box 360, though you’ll need to make some modifications and re-compile it using the compiler that was provided for you by Sony when you got the Dev Kit.

However, there’s also the assembler level of programming. Basically, this is the level you’re working on when you’re working with a system that doesn’t have an operating system, like we’re used to. Instead, the system uses what’s called the BIOS, or Basic Input/Output System to make sure the system powers up everything properly and gets itself ready for a program, which, in this case, would be a game. So, how do you know if your console has an OS? Power it up without a disk in it. If you get something like the X-Box 360 Dashboard, or the PS3 Cross media bar, or even the game save management screens for the PS2, X-Box, or PS1, then you’ve got an OS. Basically, every disk based console from the PS1 on has an OS. It’s in firmware (unless the system has an hard drive) but it’s there. So, if the system doesn’t have an OS, you have to write more or less, directly for the processor. Often, this means you’ll have to write your own compiler to translate the game code you wrote into assembler language that the processor will understand, program the audio software to that the music will speak to the sound chip in the way it will understand, and so on. Now, again, if the manufacturer is nice, they’ll give you/loan you a compiler, but you still have a lot more work on your end to get everything translated over. Consequently, it’s more difficult to, say, add a feature in the process of porting the game over from one system to another. Again, there’s more to it ahan this, but I’ve spent more on this letter than in the first letter of the issue, so I’m going to move on. If you want to know more, I’d reccomend picking up some books on computer science and programming from your local bookstore, and maybe taking some computer science classes at a local community college.

Anyway, we get questions about some upcoming wrestling games, particularly FCI’s upcoming WCW game, which uses a similar camera perspective to Fire Pro Wrestling (instead of the WWF Royal Rumble/Saturday Night Slam Masters perspective).

Review Crew: About time. I think I’ve spent 2 pages on the letters column, which is more than I’ve spent on any previous letters column in this magazine. Anyway, as last week we were was filling a hole in the archive, a quick reminder on the review crew – EIC Ed Semrad, Senior Editor Danyon Carpenter, Editor Al Manual, and Mysterious Ninja Editor Of Mystery Sushi-X.

• Tempest 2000 (Atari, Jaguar): I think this is our first review for the Jaguar. This is basically an up-rezed version of Tempest with better graphics. However, Tempest is a good game, as Ed attests by giving it an 10. Danyon gives it a 9 as well, as he misses the “roller controller” that the Tempest arcade machines had. This is otherwise known as a “paddle” controller, and was knob you twisted to control the character on screen. It was called a paddle controller because it was first used for Pong, for controlling (wait for it) the location of your paddle. Sushi gave it an 8, also faulting the lack of a paddle controller. Al gives it an 7, as he liks the game, but he has a problem with some of the camera perspectives making control difficult. Overall: 34/40.
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (Spectrum Holobyte, SNES): Adventure Simulation game with the Enterprise-D crew (not an action game). Ed gives it a 9, finding it an excellent adaptation of Star Trek to home consoles. Sushi thinks it’s great for trekkers, with detailed missions and great sound and graphics, and gives it an 8. Danyon thinks the general gameplay is okay, but doesn’t like the away team portion of the game and gives it a 7. Al gives it a 6, as he found the away team missions slow and the controls slower. Overall: 30/40.
• King of Dragons (Capcom, SNES): Fantasy beat-em-up. Ed and Sushi give the game 8s, drawing some favorable comparisons with Dungeons & Dragons, with Sushi also applauding the multiplayer (though he’s disappointed by the lack of multi-tap support). Danyon and Al give it 7s, with Danyon finding it a cool game, but one that can get repetative easily, and is a little easy, while Al’s main complaint is the lack of multi-tap support. Overall: 30/40.
• Sub-Terrania (Sega, Genesis): Yeah, there are only 2 SNES games this month – but we’re getting into the summer of ‘94, and with it the summer slump. This is a shooter that requires the player to compensate for gravity’s effects. Danyon gives it an 8, finding the gravity aspects of the game being annoying at first until he got used to it, but he otherwise likes the weapons, graphics, and sound, and he found the game sufficiently challenging. Al and Sushi give the game 7s both liking it, and not finding anything necessarily wrong with it, though Sushi thinks some people will have problems with the game’s deliberate pace. Ed gives it an 6, not finding anything wrong with it, but he mentions the difficulty a lot, so I’m going to suspect that is the primary factor on his score. Overall: 28/40.
• Pebble Beach Golf Links (Sega, Genesis): Golf game. For the record, I reserve the right to dope slap anyone who complains about golf games “why can’t you go outside and play golf?” It’s not just the golf mechanics, it’s also the golf course as well, and it’s considerably less expensive for me to buy a copy of Tiger Woods (or another golf game), than it is to pack up my clubs and book a flight to Los Angeles just to play 18 holes. Anyway, Ed and Danyon give the game 7s, with Ed finding the AI a little too good, while Danyon finds it a little too in-depth (which is reasonable – most players have difficulties deliberatly getting the ball to hook, instead of accidentially hooking it). Al and Sushi, however, don’t like golf, and their dislike of the real-world game colors they’re scores, with Al giving it a 6, and Sushi giving it a 5. Overall: 25/40.
• Dracula Unleashed (Sega, Sega CD): A video mystery adventure game with a Dracula theme. Ed and Danyon give the game 8s, with both men liking the story, music, and direction, though they disagree on the acting – Danyon thinks it’s okay, while Ed thinks it’s atrocious. Sushi thinks it’s probably the best FMV game so far and gives it a 7, for the suspensful video and audio, and he mentions that it actually scared him – which is impressive, as I’ve never been scared by a vampire movie (though I haven’t seen 60 Days of Night yet). Al, though, had some problems seeing characters through the grainy video, and gives the game a 6. Overall: 29/40.
• Art of Fighting 2 (SNK, Neo-Geo): The sequel to Neo-Geo’s first direct fighting game response to Street Fighter 2. Ed, Danyon, and Sushi give the game 8s, finding the control and graphics much improved over the first game in the series, though Ed and Sushi both have complaints about cheap AI. Al gives the game a 6, finding the cheap AI more of a problem. Overall: 30/40.
• Total Eclipse (Crystal Dynamics, 3DO): This is a behind the back shooter ala Starfox. Ed and Al give the game 7s, due to some problems with collsion detection (particularly with walls), and the controls being loose, though they like the graphics and sound. Danyon and Sushi give the game 6s, They had the same problems with controls and collision detection, though Danyon didn’t like the music as much. Overall: 26/40.
• Space Ace (Phillips, CD-I): Dragon’s Lair… IN SPACE! Ed gives the game a 9, saying he liked the original game in the arcades, but he found the ending to be more than a bit short. Danyon gives it an 8, finding the video quality to be very good, though he found that there wasn’t much replay value – once you’ve got the timing down, that’s it. Al and Sushi give the game 7s, having the same problems with replayability, though they both consider it an arcade perfect port. Overall: 31/40.
• Super Air Zonk (TTI, Duo): Action shump featuring Future Bonk. Danyon gives it a 6, liking the music and the comedy, but otherwise finding it a fairly generic shump. Al and Sushi give the game 5s, finding the gameplay generic, though the music was good, with Ed having the same complaint, giving the system a 4. Overall: 20/40.
• Scratch Golf (Vik Tokai, Game Gear): Ed gives the game an 8, finding it a fun golf game, though he finds the ball hard to hit (which I’d consider to be a significant problem, but that’s just me). Everyone else gives it 7s, even those who don’t like golf, like Al and Sushi. Overall: 29/40.
• Wario Land (Nintendo, Game Boy): 7s across the board, due to the available options to explore in the levels, and the general length of the game, plus graphics and sound even Sushi-X likes. Overall: 28/40.
• Super Off-Road (Telegames, Lynx): This one doesn’t do so well. Ed, Danyon, and Sushi give the game 4s, and Al gives it a 3 all for the same reasons, bad control, and worse graphics. Overall: 15/40.

Gaming Gossip: Alright, Quartermann’s got more gossip for us, so let’s see how good it tastes.

1. The 3DO is going to get a significant markdown for it’s Japanese launch. I can’t find anything to confirm this, so I’m goign to give Q-Mann the benefit of the doubt and give it a Hit!
2. Sonic 3 in Japan will get extra content that the US version didn’t get. Miss! The extra content he’s referring to is the Sonic & Knuckles content, which was originally meant to be actually on the cartridge, but was dropped for time reasons, and was included in the later add-on module.
3. We won’t actually be getting Gouken/Sheng Long in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, but Goukui (aka Akuma), will be a hidden character. Hit!

So, how did Q-Mann do? That’s a 2/3, which isn’t bad at all.

Press Start: Well, we have more information on the Project Reality (N64). It’s going to be a cartridge system, though there will be an expansion bay on the bottom for a CD-ROM system (though, again, they scrap the concept of an CD-ROM attachment in favor of the N64DD which we never get in the US anyway). The reason? They don’t want to be limited to FMV games. Bwuh? That’s like saying, “I don’t want to shoot movies on digital cameras because that means I can only use CGI effects”. The Digital part has nothing to do with the types of effects you can use. Similarly, the medium (CD-ROM games) doesn’t limit the type of games you can make – in terms of meaning that you can only make FMV games. Phillips is putting out a virtual reality headset for the CD-I to support stereoscopic gaming. It’s 2009 now and the concept still hasn’t caught on.

They also have some information on the Saturn’s specs – it will have 2 32-bit Hitachi SH7604 processors (with a clock speed of 28.7 Mhz, so it’s still not even close to a lot of modern computers, and uses Synchronous DRAM, which basically means that it’s got DRAM (which doesn’t hold it’s charge when it loses a current, and only needs one transistor and capacitor per bit). There’s not much more that’s special other than that, since modern memory chips are technically DRAM. If I knew the type of RAM, I’d be able to tell you more (SIMM, DIMM, etc.) As it is, just about all RAM is DRAM, so aside from the synchronicity (cue The Police) part, it sounds like Marketing talking out their ass. Though, apparently it will run 4.5 MB of Ram – which is not enough to run Ubuntu. We also get a short preview of the Sega Channel. We also have a preview of the Mega Jet, which is basically a hand-held version of the Genesis that doesn’t have a screen, so you have to plug it in to a TV and a power outlet.

Arcade Action: We have a preview of Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, which, in addition to introducing Goukui, and a few other new moves, also introduces the Super Meter. We’re also now at v3.1 of Mortal Kombat 2 in arcades. We’ve got a new character, Noob Saibot (Boon and Tobias spelled backwards), new fatalties, and Baraka’s stage has a pit finisher as well. Capcom also has a few new brawlers, an Alien Vs. Predator licenced one, and a Dungeons & Dragons licenced brawler. Now we have Capcom’s marketing guy talking out his ass too, saying that the Dungeons and Dragons game was the “first authorized role-playing video game ever.” If he was referring to a D&D Brawler, I’d cut him some slack, but he’s not. Thus, I’d just like to say that FCI, SSI, and Westwood would like to talk to them over this. Konami’s also got a sequel to Lethal Enforcers coming out in Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters, which, as the title suggests, is set in the old west.

International Outlook: Sonic’s getting a cart racing game on the Game Gear in Sonic Drift. Now we can reasonably say that the brand is getting wattered down now. Streets of Rage 3 (aka Bare Knuckle 3 is coming out as well). Jaleco has Pro Wrestling Revolution, which does cut-scenes for each move on a slice of the screen, while the standard animations take place in the lower half of the screen. That sounds… disorienting. Cutaways to the big moves like what’s done with the Smackdown games is one thing, but this is kind of different. Treaure’s got a new platformer in Dynamite Heady, which is pretty interesting, though I could never quite get the hang of the game. Data East has Fighter’s History, the fighting game that, in the arcade version, got them sued by Capcom (due to the similarities to Street Fighter 2), but they ultimately triumphed, opening the way to the many similar fighting games to follow (including the Art of Fighting series).

Sega has a home port of Outrun, titled Outrunners, though I suspect they’ll drop the “-ners” for the US release. The 3DO is getting an Ultraman fighting game (titled Ultraman Powered, plus a few shooters. Also, Human has put out Super Fire Pro Wrestling 3: Easy Type and Final Bout. Easy Type has everything unlocked but doesn’t have a CAW mode, while Final Bout has a CAW mode but you have to unlock wrestlers, and it’s generally more difficult. It’s also Suda51’s first game with Human Entertainment. Suda would later make Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special which infamously ends with your character killing himself after being spurned by the fictitious sister of real life pro wrestler Akira Maeda. We also have an in-depth preview of Dragon Ball Z Super Butoden 2.

Next Wave: Yeah, I skipped the cheats. No worries, again, Game FAQs is for that. Capcom has the King Arthur themed fighting game Knights of the Round. Natsume is also working on porting Pocky & Rocky 2 as well. Virgin is putting out a direct sequel to Out Of This World titled Heart of the Alien, which they’re releasing on the Sega CD. Naughty Dog has a fighting game in Way of the Warrior – I think this is their first apperance in gaming history. Activision has Battletech, which actually looks more like the Mechwarrior series. EA is also putting out Theme Park.

Viacom Games Feature Preview: We get preview coverage of the Rocko’s Modern Life game and the Beavis & Butthead games. We also get a preview of Bubsy 2, and a Speed Racer action platformer/racing game.

Baseball Games Feature Preview: Next up is coverage of various upcoming baseball games. We get screen shots of World Series Baseball from Sega, MLBPA Baseball from EA, and Super Bases Loaded II from Jaleco. Accolade has also has ported Hardball III for the SNES (for the record, the last game in the series was Hardball V in 1996. Accolade themselves have been bought out by Atari, and since 2K has gotten the exclusive 3rd party console development rights (meaning that only Microsoft, Sony, and Take 2 can develop baseball games – with Microsoft and Take 2 developing for their own systems), that means that Atari can’t do anything with the Hardball name until Take 2’s exclusive contract expires. That is unless Atari takes the Total Extreme Wrestling route, and puts out a very customizable baseball game with almost every aspect of the game being editable – and with the ability to create and trade roster files. Under those circumstances, Atari could revive the Hardball name without a MLBPA licence, and the fans could easily do the work themselves. You’d have to do it on PCs though. It wouldn’t work as well on consoles. Speaking of Sony, Sony Imagesoft has ESPN Baseball Tonight, which would change into their MLB The Show series. Oh, and as a brief reminder – if it’s by Sega Sports, it becomes 2K games later. Tengen also has RBI Baseball ‘94, the last game of the series.

Jaguar CD Preview: Speaking of Atari, we have a preview of the upcoming Jaguar CD unit. I haven’t actually seen any of the CD games for this system before, so I’m interested in seeing what they look like. Apparently, the Jaguar CD units had a high failure rate, which prevented the AVGN from playing any of them for the Atari Jaguar episodes. Of note is Kasumi Ninja from Rebellion.

SNES Coverage: First up is the puzzle-adventure game Equinox, a sequel to Solstice. The game has some collision detectio problems with some of the hazards at this point in the build. There’s also the ninja themed brawler The Ninja Warriors. We also get additional screen shots of brawler King of Dragons (see the Review Crew). We have coverage of the new Jetsons game, The Jetsons: Invasion of the Planet Pirates, a platformer featuring George Jetson, which… looks like a re-skinned version of another platformer. We also get coverage of Saturday Night Slam Masters, which I’ve never played before. Lethal Enforcers is coming out for the SNES now. Koei has put out the Revolutionary War strategy game Liberty or Death. The concept is different while continuing with Koei’s strategy game theme (which has, unfortunately, stopped), though the graphics are pretty 8-bit. Also, Mega Man Soccer has also come out for the SNES, and they like it thus far.

Genesis & CD Coverage: We have Time Trax, based on the TV series starring Dale Midkiff. Apparently the game has no continues, which I consider a strike against it – unless it has a password option in later builds. We also get some more screen shots of Sub-Terannia. US Gold also is working on an Incredible Hulk game, but aside from screen shots, there isn’t enough progress on the system yet to make it reasonable to pass judgement on it with feedback. Accolade also has Barkley: Shut Up and Jam, which apparently isn’t very customizable (you can’t change the time for each round, to be precise). EA has PGA European Tour, which doesn’t change the gameplay much aside from the new course selection. Sega Sports has NBA ACtion ‘94. Apparently the game rotates the camera depending on the team with posession. There’s the platformer Marko’s Magic Soccer, which has an interesting theme. We also have a new version of Columns, in Columns III which adds a few new gem types. The Sega CD is getting the adventure game Mansion of Hidden Souls.

Neo-Geo Coverage: We get more screen shots of Art of Fighting 2, including a nearly complete roster of the game, though we don’t have the identities of the bosses.

3DO Coverage: We have the strategy game The Horde, and the slapsticky game show Twisted, and a port of Wing Commander with better graphics and a new title – Super Wing Commander, which looks good though it can have load times in awkward places.

Jaguar Coverage: We have more pictures of Tempest 2000, including information on the new game types.

CD-I Coverage: We get some screen shots of the bad Zelda knockoff Zelda’s Adventure, and the adventure game The 7th Guest.

Duo Coverage: We have more screen shots of Super Air Zonk, including some of Zonk’s alternate forms, like Gamera Zonk (as in the flying turtle), and Yamato Zonk (where Zonk sort of transforms in to the Space Battleship Yamato).

Game Boy Coverage: We have more screen shots of Wario Land.

Game Gear Coverage: We get a look at GP Rider, a motorcycle racing game. They do have some problems with turns coming with insufficent notice to prepare. We also get screen shots of Captain America and the Avengers.

Lifestyles: We get a profile (albeit a brief one) of KY Enterprises, which makes sip-and-puff controllers for disabled gamers. We also have our next series of Star Wars Novels, moving from the excellent trilogy by Timothy Zahn to Kevin J. Anderson’s not-quite-as-good series. On the minus side, in 1994 comics lost a titan – or rather a New God: Jack Kirby died of a heart attack on Feburary 6th of that year. I’ve enjoyed everything Kirby drew that I’ve read. In particular, he’s probably the best comic artists for Cosmic books (like Fantasic Four, like New Gods, like Green Lantern) until Dave Gibbons. On TV we’re getting a Robocop TV series and a The Phantom animated series set in the future (2040 to be precise). Oh, and we’re getting the first The Tick animated series.

This wraps up this issue of EGM. Tommorrow we continue through Nintendo Power’s history.