Afterburner		Grade: D
	Publisher: Sega (1994) Reviewed: 2007/3/13

Sega was clearly intent on showing off the raw speed of the 32X with this fast and furious version of the arcade game Afterburner. Too bad they had to go so overboard! As much as I can appreciate the arcade gameplay and flashy graphics, the sad truth of the matter is, you can't tell what's going on half of the time! You view the action from behind your jet, which is equipped with machine guns and lock-on missiles. The take-off sequence is impressive, but once the action kicks in, the screen becomes so frantic and cluttered that it's impossible to make any sense of it. Incoming missiles are identified by a grayish-brown flume, but by the time you see them, you're going down in flames. The oversensitive controls don't help matters. Your crosshair is difficult to aim, and the evasive "roll" maneuver is difficult to execute. The best strategy is to shoot constantly and move the directional pad like crazy. There's an option to fire your machine guns automatically (which I recommend) and a voice that alerts you when a missile is locked on, removing the need for any sort of cranial activity. The mindless mayhem is only good for seeing what the beautiful stages look like. The diverse terrains are very attractive, with colorful skies and smoothly scaling (albeit pixilated) scenery. Every few stages you'll refuel in air or on land, and I like how the punk on the motorcycle tries to race you up the runway. Afterburner shows some potential, but its gameplay is too fast and confusing. If there was an option to play the game at half-speed, this might have been great. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

BC Racers		Grade: F
	Publisher: Core (1995) Reviewed: 2000/6/18

If this game proved anything, it's that the Sega 32X was never ready for prime time. BC Racers is basically a Mario Kart clone, but the horrible frame-rate makes it almost unplayable. This is supposed to be 32-bit technology, and it can't even duplicate a Super Nintendo game?!?! The concept was good, using funny Chuck Rock-style cavemen and dinosaurs riding prehistoric contraptions. The characters are funny looking and well-drawn, and the backgrounds sport some colorful skylines. But once the action gets underway, it's difficult to tell what's going on thanks to excessive choppiness, especially when turning. As you can imagine, the two-player split screen mode is even worse. The turbo and punch buttons are practically useless. The sound sucks also, demonstrated by the weak thunder clashes in the storm stage. It's a shame that the 32X wasn't up to the challenge. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Blackthorne		Grade: A
	Publisher: Interact (1995) Reviewed: 2001/1/20

Wow, this game is absolutely outstanding! It's part Flashback (Genesis), and part Abe's Odyssey (Playstation). Several game companies combined efforts on this one, including Interplay and Blizzard. The Blizzard influence is obvious, especially when you see the Orc-ish monsters during the excellent intro screens. Blackthorne is a 2D platform adventure game in which you control a Rambo-like hero attempting to rescue humans enslaved by a brutal race of monsters. The graphics are excellent, with crisp colors, 3D rendered characters, and smooth animation. The monsters are particularly cool-looking. Could this game have been done on the Genesis? Probably, but it wouldn't have looked this good. Gameplay and control is almost exactly like Flashback, but also contains a "hide in shadows" move that can also be used to take cover from gunfire. The gunfights are fun, and prisoners often get caught in the crossfire (cool!). Using a 6-button control pad is highly recommended. Your main weapon is your gun, but you can also use mines, including some nifty remote-controlled mines. As you make your way through various areas, you'll need to blow away some mean looking creatures, destroy generators, and locate keys. Passwords are given at certain intervals. I was really drawn in by this game. 32X fans should not miss this gem. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Brutal Unleashed - Above the Claw		Grade: D
	Publisher: Gametek (1995) Reviewed: 2000/6/18

This is a mediocre Street Fighter clone that uses cartoonish animal fighters instead of people. The control and style of play resembles Street Fighter 2, but the game does have a few original touches. You can watch an instant replay of each match, but the matches are rarely exciting enough to watch again. There's a fairly accurate on-screen analysis after each match. The backgrounds show some beautiful, exotic places. The techno music is okay, but the limited, repetitive voice samples get irritating in a hurry. There are many special moves, but you'll have to "earn them". Who's great idea was that? Your progress is saved using one of those long character passwords. Let's face it: in the world of 2D fighters, this was never really a contender. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Corpse Killer (CD)		Grade: F
	Publisher: Digital Pictures (1994) Reviewed: 2005/3/19 Rating: Mature (realistic violence)

I recently bumped up the grades for the Saturn and 3DO versions of Corpse Killer, mainly because I found the game's cheesy acting to be somewhat endearing. But the 32X version will get no such benefit. Although basically the same game, this version is prone to intermittent video skipping, which seems to occur every few seconds during the action sequences. Corpse Killer is a poor game to begin with, and this flaw makes it nearly unplayable. You assume the role of a soldier sent to a remote island to rid it of zombies and the mad professor who's producing them. The action consists of simple "aim the cursor and shoot" stages sandwiched between dramatic video clips. The footage features vibrant colors but only fills three-quarters of the screen. The acting is cheesy all around, but Vincent Schiavelli does deliver a fun, over-the-top performance as the mad scientist. The jeep-driving Rastafarian Winston is quite good also, but the hot blonde reporter is awful to the point of being unintentionally hilarious. Corpse Killer's gameplay is shallow, easy, and not enjoyable at all. Aiming the cursor with control pad is clumsy and inexact, but Sega's Menacer light gun is also supported (in case you own that colossal monstrosity). The interesting locations are the best aspect of the game, including a fort, village, jungle, beach, and graveyard. The pixilated, floating zombies are clearly just superimposed in front of the scenery, and they look awful. Weak sound effects include the same grunt noise for every zombie shot. I do enjoy the bongo drum music however - it seems appropriate. But if you're looking for a playable version of Corpse Killer, seek out the Saturn or 3DO versions. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Cosmic Carnage		Grade: F
	Publisher: Sega (1994) Reviewed: 2005/3/19 Rating: Teen (animated blood and violence, gore)

This is progress?? I could rag on Cosmic Carnage all day. Pixilated graphics. Shameless gore. Gratuitous colors. Sluggish, uninspired gameplay. Stupid name. This has to be one of the worst 2D fighters I've ever played! I remember back in 1994 when my buddy Keith brought this game over my house as I was showing off my new 32X to friends. But after a single match, the game had already worn out its welcome. This one-on-one fighter perfectly exemplifies why the 32X was such a failure. The game makes a concerted effort to show off the system's scaling and color capabilities, but it's so forced that the "enhanced visual effects" look gratuitous at best and distracting at worst. Cosmic Carnage pits eight alien creatures against each other, and a few are somewhat interesting, like the half-woman/half-snake thing and the guy with gorilla arms. Certain characters can select armor plating before each match, but this makes your already colorful fighter look downright gaudy! I know color was one of the few 32X strong points, but does everything need to be rainbow striped?? In contrast, the backgrounds tend to be hopelessly dull or utterly annoying. The battles apparently take place in low gravity, because they seem to unfold in slow motion. Horrible controls make it difficult to tell which fighter is inflicting damage, if any. There's some blood and scaling body parts, but these are so exaggerated that they just look silly. The screen "zooms in" during hold moves, but this creates some very unsightly pixilation (look away - it BURNS!). Matches last far too long, and finally end with someone getting their limbs torn off. Nice. Even the audio is lame, with "by the numbers" electronic tunes and understated sound effects. Cosmic Carnage is one of the most worthless, ill-conceived pieces of garbage I've come across. And I don't mean that in a good way. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Doom		Grade: C
	Publisher: Sega (1994) Reviewed: 2000/5/13

This is a respectable version of the classic first-person shooter. There are plenty of levels (from both Doom 1 and 2), a cool map feature, excellent sounds effects, fast gameplay, and smooth animation. Unfortunately, due to the 32X limitations, you don't get the full screen view. There is a thick border which makes your view significantly smaller. This doesn't ruin the gameplay though, which is best suited to the six-button controller. But let's face it, you can pick up much better versions of this game. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Fahrenheit (CD)		Grade: D-
	Publisher: Sega (1995) Reviewed: 2003/7/2 Rating: Teen

This full motion video firefighting game puts you in three separate fire scenarios: A burning house, hotel, and university. You get a first person point of view of the action, and the fire and special effects look pretty realistic. But instead of putting out the fire as you might expect, you just move through the buildings locating hazards and rescuing victims before time runs out. The gameplay is confusing and relies almost completely on trail and error. In one level you'll need to guess between three gas valves, and choosing the wrong one ends the game abruptly. The instruction manual contains maps of the buildings, and that's NOT a good sign for a video game. Navigating the house is bad enough, and most gamers will give up before they master the hotel stage, with its endless hallways that all look the same. The supporting cast of characters are downright irritating, like your chief who's always yelling at you, or the engineer named "Stinky" who loves to say inappropriate jokes when people's lives are at stake. Fahrenheit comes with both a regular Sega CD disk and a 32X version. The 32X version looks terrific, with vivid colors and full screen video. As for you regular Sega CD people, well, you're eyes are in for a world of hurt. As far as audio goes, this game is surprisingly poor in that regard. The dialogue was poorly recorded and is hard to understand. There's also a theme song that plays during the title screen, and it's almost as embarrassing as the one in Night Trap. Check out these sizzling lyrics: "Feel the heat... of the fire". Fahrenheit is a lousy game, and only players fascinated by firefighting will be the least bit interested in it. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Golf Magazine Present 36 Great Holes		Grade: B+
	Publisher: Sega (1994) Reviewed: 2000/8/1

Check it out - it's a good 32X game!! The complete title is "Golf Magazine Presents 36 Great Holes Starring Fred Couples". Geez, is that the longest video game title ever or what? Before I review this game, let me remind you that most Genesis golf games were played on flat courses. But this game actually has hills, valleys, and realistic physics! The holes are actually a collection taken from several courses, so you get a nice variety. There are even one or two "island" par threes! The game has 6 play modes including stroke, match, tournament, skins, shoot-out, and scramble. Loads of options include ball trails, replays, the ability to create golfers, and the option to save your stats! The game supports one to EIGHT players! Most importantly, it's fast-paced and easy to play. The digitized golfers are well animated. Control is good - maybe too good. It's tough to screw up unless you take a lot of risks. The courses are fairly wide open. There are a few problems. The ball is too small - it appears to be about one pixel big!! The computer always positions your golfer for you. Usually you're aimed at the hole or fairway, but occasionally it's a bit off. You can aim your shot, but the limited graphics (and views) make it difficult to know WHERE it's safe to hit it. This is a quiet game with the exception of some birds and an occasional comment from Fred. Overall, a nice 32X title. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 8 players

Knuckles Chaotix		Grade: D+
	Publisher: Sega (1995) Reviewed: 2007/3/13

Attractive on the outside but bogged down by counter-intuitive gameplay, Knuckles Chaotix was one of Sega's more spectacular flops. 32X owners anticipating a Sonic-style platform game were bitterly disappointed with this failed experiment. In probably the most ill-advised design decision ever, Chaotix lets you control a pair of characters tethered to each other via a rubber-band-like force. On paper it opens up possibilities for team-oriented play, but in practice, it's a mess. Imagine Sonic with a ball and chain always pulling him the opposite direction, and you'll get an idea of what playing Knuckles Chaotix is like. The initial alarms are set off in stage one, where you're presented with an arduous, six-part training session that explains the basic moves. It takes a long time to get accustomed to the controls, but even when you do, characters often bounce around beyond your control. Speaking of characters, there are plenty to choose from, including Charmy Bee, Espio the Chameleon, Mighty the Armadillo, and Vector the Crocodile. Most of these zany creatures are currently residing in the "where are they now file." It doesn't really matter who you select, because any special abilities are negated by the whole tethering aspect. The stages in are awash with vibrant pastel colors (okay Sega, the 32X can display a lot of colors - we GET it!), but the layouts are actually quite dull. Most stages lack a distinctive theme, unless "bright colors and random shapes" counts. Only the Marina Madness stages are the least bit interesting, with their shimmering blue water and enormous white yachts. The whole "exploration" aspect that made the Sonic games so appealing is completely lost here thanks to the lousy controls and unimaginative stages. The 32X's scaling capabilities are used to some extent, but characters grow pixelated as they increase in size, which doesn't look so hot. You'll notice a few minor 32X effects here and there, but nothing spectacular. The low-light of the game has got to be the "bonus" rounds where you run through a floating hexagonal-shaped tube while collecting blue balls. The choppy animation and heinous controls are so bad that you'll kill yourself just to end the ordeal. A second type of bonus stage that lets you snag power-ups while floating through space isn't too bad. Knuckles Chaotix saves your progress automatically, and I like how the stages are selected at random. In addition, the music has that upbeat Sonic flair that Sega fans will find appealing, and quality of the stereo sound is also exceptional. Fascinating to look back on, Knuckles Chaotix may be the best-looking and best-sounding "bad" game I've ever played. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Kolibri		Grade: D+
	Publisher: Sega (1996) Reviewed: 2008/3/26

For a game that promised to be so unique and original, Kolibri is awfully tame. It's a hummingbird shooter for Pete's sake! Employing the innocent "Ecco the Dolphin" formula, Kolibri offers beautiful scenery and relaxing music but little else. The colorful layered backdrops resemble oil paintings, and the melodic soundtrack is heavy on the harps and flutes. Kolibri makes good use of the 32X color palette, but otherwise this might as well have been a Genesis title. In most stages your hummingbird can fly in all directions while eradicating harmful insects or collecting rings. Your objective is never explicitly stated however, so you'll need to figure it out for yourself. Likewise, there are no numbers or indicators of any kind on the screen. Perhaps Sega didn't want to obscure their lovely artwork, but it would be nice to have a score, or at least know how much health you have! Most enemies are small insects like bees, although you'll also encounter some amazing yellow-striped snakes. That toad might look friendly enough, but if you get too close he'll swallow you in an instant! Over the course of the game your bird will venture through forests, caves, and an ancient temple. If the game's scale is consistent, wouldn't this "ancient temple" be the size of a shoe box?? Sega, you are so busted! The simple early stages are moderately enjoyable, but later you'll need to perform tedious tasks like moving objects and flying against the wind (joy!). Kolibri is armed with a wide selection of weapons including burning rings, heat-seeking lasers, and pea-shots that explode into fireworks. But while these weapons may look great, they are seriously weak considering every foe can sustain numerous hits. In fact, some creatures appear completely unfazed. Floating bubbles house weapons and health, but their tiny icons are hard to discern. Each stage is introduced with a password, and the odd stage titles include "Deep Seeding", "Dark Cavity", "Penetration", "Eruption", and last but not least - "New Infection". Yeah, these programmers were some really lonely guys! Kolibri is only mildly fun with one player, and the two-player co-op is completely worthless. My friends hated this game, even calling it a "piece of [expletive]". Maybe so, but there aren't many original games like Kolibri for the 32X, and if you have a soft spot for the Ecco series, your reaction might be a little less visceral. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

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1or 2 players