Actraiser		Grade: A
	Publisher: Enix (1991) Reviewed: 2003/1/24

I was expecting the typical side-scrolling swordplay from Actraiser, but I got more - a lot more. Actraiser is really two games in one, providing solid platform action along with a heavy dose of Sim City-style strategy. The two parts of the game couldn't be more different, yet are nicely intertwined and engrossing to play. You assume the role of a small cherub aiding the people of six lands rid themselves of monsters and develop their cities. You view their world from an overhead perspective, and use menu icons to communicate with them. To help them overcome obstacles, you can perform "miracles" in the form of rain, lightning, and earthquakes. Constructing cities is easy and fun, and never feels tedious. As your people progress, they provide offerings that serve as power-ups. When it's time to defend the people from monsters, you assume the form of a warrior and embark on some impressive side-scrolling levels. This action is pretty standard but more fun than most hack-n-slash games. The graphics are colorful and attractive, featuring large mythological creatures including minotaurs, centaurs, demons, and walking trees. The difficulty level is very fair, and you can save your progress to battery back-up at any time. Unlike many side scrollers, you won't be frustrated by blind jumps or cheap hits. Another aspect of the game that shines is its music. The wonderful classical score reminded me of Zelda; very elegant and pleasant to listen to. I have to give Actraiser a lot of credit for being two fine games intermingled into one superb package. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

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Save mechanism: Battery 1 player

Aladdin		Grade: A
	Publisher: Gameteck (1993) Reviewed: 1999/12/21

This has got to be the best Disney game I've played on the SNES. Not only are its graphics absolutely beautiful, but Aladdin's gameplay and controls are outstanding. The game is loosely based on the movie's storyline, with Aladdin's adventures taking him through a market place, the Cave of Wonders, a pyramid, and finally, Jafar's Palace. Particularly in the "Genie" levels, the visuals are wonderfully imaginative and colorful. High-quality music plays throughout the levels, and you'll instantly recognize it if you've seen the film. Yes, there is a lot of platform jumping, but this game is more forgiving than most platformers. Should you just miss a ledge, Aladdin will at least hang on the side, giving you a chance to climb back up. There are several areas where you think you've lost a life, only to have something save you at the last moment. In the final boss encounter the villain Jafar transforms into a huge cobra, and it's pretty astounding. A bit of slowdown threatens to mar the otherwise excellent gameplay, but it's not a show-stopper. A password is provided to save your place. I've grown somewhat weary of platform games over the years, but I know a good one when I see it. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

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Save mechanism: Password 1 player

Alien 3		Grade: D+
	Publisher: Acclaim (1993) Reviewed: 2002/5/20

I appreciate its sharp graphics and harrowing sound effects, but Alien 3's gameplay just didn't do it for me. Playing the role of a bald-headed Ripley, you are fully strapped with a pulse rifle, flamethrower, and grenade launcher. Each stage consists of a series of missions you can play in any order. Typically you must rescue prisoners, repair pipes, or destroy alien eggs. You'll explore large rooms of platforms connected by tunnels, and missions often require a lot of tedious backtracking. You actually need to consult a map to scout out the location of your next mission, which seems like a lot of unnecessary work if you ask me. Alien 3's graphics are dark and realistic. Ripley is fluidly animated, but the aliens can be difficult to discern. A superb audio track boasts creepy music and digitized sound effects. Much like the film, Alien 3 fails to build any suspense, partially because the aliens attack early and often. The controls are lousy. I like how you can shoot while hanging from a ceiling or ladder, but most areas are inundated with small creatures, requiring you to constantly squat and shoot low. Getting into that squat position is harder than it should be, as each hit knocks you back upright. Consequentially, those little face grabbers will torment you to no end. Other issues include really bad collision detection. Sometimes you'll miss an alien egg at point-blank range, yet somehow shoot the egg behind it. Technical glitches and tedious missions really drag down this otherwise good-looking title. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Arkanoid		Grade: C+
	Publisher: Nintendo (1997) Reviewed: 2000/6/4

Arkanoid is Breakout for the 90's! It features classic "balls to the wall" action with just about every variation you've ever imagined. Each level has a different brick layout, and certain bricks have special properties, including some that dispense power-ups. These power-ups might change the size of your paddle, provide a temporary forcefield (to help keep the ball in play), or let you shoot the bricks directly with missiles! UFOs buzz around the screen and add even more unpredictability. A two-player simultaneous option is also included. With all these bells and whistles, you might expect this to be the best breakout game ever. Well, not quite. While many of the levels are well-designed, others are pretty dull. Yes there are tons of power-ups, but many just distracting, and their ubiquitous nature make this game far less challenging than it should be. The digital joypad doesn't give you the best control, but the SNES mouse is also supported. Arkanoid is a decent effort, but it's not as madly addictive as I expected. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Axelay		Grade: A
	Publisher: Konami (1992) Reviewed: 1999/10/4

This vertical shooter was universally acclaimed upon its release, and it's still just as fun to play today. In fact, Axelay may be the definitive shooter for the SNES. Its five lengthy stages alternate between vertical shooting and side-scrolling action, and most are set over planet surfaces although a few take place in deep space. Axelay's high-resolution graphics are stunning, with so many types of enemies that you rarely see the same one twice. Several weapons are available at any given time, and each is uniquely suited for a particular situation. The centerpiece of this game however is its bosses, which are huge and imposing. The first boss is a gigantic spider, and the second boss is one of the coolest I've ever witnessed, making one heck of an entrance. Axelay is a must-have for any serious SNES collector. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Batman Returns		Grade: A
	Publisher: Konami (1992) Reviewed: 2005/12/26

If you thought Batman Returns was good on the Genesis, you'll be blown away by this remarkable SNES game. With a completely different look and feel, this plays more like Streets of Rage or Final Fight. In contrast to the dark, grainy graphics of the Genesis version, the visuals here look bright and crisp. Batman Returns more or less follows the film's storyline, with the Catwoman and Penguin serving as the main villains. The fluidly-animated characters are absolutely huge, and the fighting action is top-notch. Not only can you execute the obligatory punches, jump-kicks, and throws, but you can actually fling enemies into the background scenery! I can't put into words how satisfying it is to toss a thug through a department store window! You'll need to beat down belligerent clowns of all sizes, including fire-blowers, sword-swallowers, jugglers, and skull-headed motorcyclists - to name a few. Should you find yourself between two enemies, you can grab them both and bash their heads together! Superb sound effects accompany the action, so when you slam one evil clown into another, it makes an audible "thud". Your Batarangs and spear gun provide you with projectile attacks, and you also have a supply of "test tubes" that function as smart bombs, obliterating all visible enemies on the screen. The Batmobile driving stage isn't as flashy as the Sega CD version, it's still a nice bonus. The snow-covered Christmas scenery is a joy to behold, and some stages feature nifty lighting effects - very impressive for a 1992 game! The dramatic musical score is also outstanding and apparently lifted directly from the film. Is there anything wrong with Batman Returns? Well, Batman looks like he let himself go a bit and picked up about 50 pounds. Also, some gamers may regard the non-stop fighting as repetitive, but in my opinion that comes with the territory. This may be the best Batman game of all time, thanks to its winning combination of tight controls and gorgeous 2D graphics. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Battletoads in Battlemaniacs		Grade: D+
	Publisher: Tradewest (1993) Reviewed: 2001/9/8

Undeniably good-looking, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs features crisp, colorful graphics and absolutely huge characters. This side-scrolling brawler pits one or two toad warriors against a bizarre assortment of enemies including pigs, wasps, snakes, rats and skeletons. Some of the animals are dressed in funny little outfits, and I love how the skeleton heads bounce in place when you punch them. The bosses can be towering in height, and the "dark queen" is a real eyeful (if you know what I mean, wink wink, nudge nudge). Sadly, good graphics do not necessarily make a good game. The main problem with this Battlemaniacs is its long, repetitive levels. There are five unimaginative stages, starting with an underground cave with pools of lava, followed by a floating disk that descends further into the earth. Hey, I think I've played this game before! You'll face the same enemies over and over, and they require an excessive number of hits to defeat. Worst of all, when you die you have to restart the whole level, which can be excruciating. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Battletoads/Double Dragon		Grade: A
	Publisher: Tradewest (1993) Reviewed: 2000/10/22

This is an early game by Rare, the company who later produced quality Nintendo 64 titles like Donkey Kong 64 and Perfect Dark. At first glance, Battletoads/Double Dragon seems like another run-of-the-mill side-scroller, with only a few attack options and endless enemy clones. After all, only two buttons on the controller are used. But it didn't take me long to discover loads of fighting techniques that aren't obvious from the start. For example, in the first stage you fight on the surface of a moving spacecraft, and it's possible to hang off the side of the craft as well as knock off hanging enemies. In the second stage you can climb on ladders and wire mesh, and in the third stage you swing from ropes. There's even a speeder-bike level where you kick enemies off of their bikes while trying to avoid obstacles. Each stage feels fully interactive and full of surprises, preventing the action from feeling monotonous. Some of the attack animations are absolutely outrageous. When fighting the blonde women thugs, the toads will grab them by the hair and start kicking them in the butt! Hilarious! As the title indicates, you can select between three Battletoads or the two Double Dragon characters, and the two-player action is definitely where it's at! The graphics are outstanding, and the music is enough to get your adrenaline pumping. For side-scrolling beat-em-up fans, Battletoads/Double Dragon definitely proves to be a winning combination. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Biometal		Grade: C+
	Publisher: Activision (1993) Reviewed: 2002/7/12

The first thing that caught my attention about Biometal was its music. The title screen plays "Get Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited, which was a popular dance hit in the clubs of the early to mid 90s. While it's a pretty good rendition, the bouncy, high-energy tune seems oddly out of place in a "serious" game like this. Biometal is an unspectacular 2D shooter where you battle legions of huge metallic flying monsters. You're equipped with a gun and missiles, both of which can be upgraded. Personally I prefer the vulcan/homing missile combination. Biometal certainly is challenging, with enemies that appear in hordes and spray missiles all over the screen. You'll die early and often until you learn to harness the power of your "GAM" weapon, which effectively decreases from difficulty from "insane" to just plain "hard as all hell". The "GAM" looks like a bunch of blue spheres circling your ship, and when it's activated, it destroys anything it touches. You can expand its radius or even "throw" it at an enemy, inflicting serious damage. The problem is, once your GAM energy runs out you're toast, so be sure to shut it off whenever you get a breather to let it recharge. Biometal's graphics did not impress me, but at least there's no noticeable slowdown. Your metallic foes all tend to look the same (including the bosses), and the backgrounds are equally boring. The first stage just features a few layers of storm clouds, and it's just plain ugly. Still, the high challenge of Biometal kept me playing for quite a while, so it's hard to complain too much. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Blazeon		Grade: C-
	Publisher: Atlus (1992) Reviewed: 2005/12/7

Two-dimensional shooters are one of my favorite types of video games. I thrive on their simple gameplay, satisfying destruction, and the short time commitment required to play most of them. Blazeon is a typical side-scrolling shooter, but not one of the better ones I've played. The first thing I noticed was its distinct lack of color. The initial white, red, and blue color scheme reminded me of those old PC games running in CGA (4 color) mode. Not much to look at, Blazeon features forgettable enemies, unspectacular visual effects, and backgrounds mainly composed of generic space stations. Its gameplay is so typical that there's no need to read any instructions. Your ship is equipped with a normal cannon (press X for rapid-fire) and a special missile weapon. Most of your adversaries are boring pods or cannons, but periodically you'll encounter oversized, mechanical creatures. Defeating one of these beasts and touching its "ghost" lets you assume its hulking form and its considerable firepower. Of course, your enlarged size also means it won't be long before you absorb a few hits and return to your original form. That's different, but Blazeon is still too flawed to even qualify as average. First, you sometimes encounter "blinking" enemy ships that will seriously strain your eyes. Apparently the blinking is supposed to signify that they are in the "background" (hence out of shooting range), but it's just irritating. Later stages are plagued by a serious case of slowdown - even when there's not a whole lot happening on the screen! Finally, the music is pretty "blah", and it just loops over and over. Blazeon is a playable shooter, but it lacks that addictive quality you look for in a game like this. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Breath of Fire		Grade: C-
	Publisher: Capcom (1994) Reviewed: 2007/5/10

Submitted by RPG correspondent Jonathan Hawk
This was Capcom's initial foray into the RPG genre. While I am glad it wasn't their last, Breath of Fire (BoF) amounts to a ho-hum execution of a pretty good idea. The generic plot has an army of "big badness" storming up trouble around the world. You play as Ryu, a strapping young lad from a race of dragon people. Your sister has been abducted, so you're off to fulfill your destiny and defeat the dark forces of the world. Per RPG rules, Ryu picks up some allies along the way, each of who posses different powers. It's important to note that all of the characters in the Breath of Fire universe are human-like animals. For instance, there's a girl with bird wings, a fish person, an ox person, etc. Each character has a unique feature that they can use when they're leading the party, and you can switch between your eight party members at will. Breath of Fire's graphics and audio were seemingly okay for the time, but the "fight song" during combat gets very repetitive. Speaking of which, the combat system features a 3/4 view from behind, and attacks are embellished with very simple animations. Encounters are both random but frequent, almost to the point of leaving one fight to get into another. Unfortunately, the script/dialog is so simple that it can be easy to miss (or forget) your next mission! The tasks in BoF tend to be closely intertwined, so to get one item, you need to do 'X', and to do that, you need to do 'Y', etc. To power up Ryu to a reasonable level, you need to find several pieces of equipment by fishing for them with a certain fishing pole that is easily missed. On his journey Ryu will enter "Dragon Temples" where he learns how to transform himself into different kinds of dragons. Another cool feature is how the thief can "fuse" with two other characters, combining their HP and attack power. You can save your game by speaking to Dragon Statues located in towns you visit, but the dungeon crawls between them are often far too long. Did I mention this game has NO WORLD MAP? That's right, you have to figure out where you are based on your surroundings. This makes it really easy to get lost over the massive ocean once you learn how to fly. All in all, Breath of Fire is a nice try, but Capcom could do better. Towards the end, I even found myself asking, "Am I almost done yet?" < © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Breath of Fire 2		Grade: B
	Publisher: Capcom (1995) Reviewed: 2007/5/10

Submitted by RPG correspondent Jonathan Hawk
Okay, Capcom, fair play. This second entry in the Breath of Fire series is moderately enjoyable. BoF II established two staples of the series: there will always be a Dragon-guy named Ryu, and there will always be a bird-winged girl named Nina. This sequel delivers improved graphic quality, better music, and a great deal more story than the first game. Best of all, Capcom finally came to their senses and incorporated a much-needed world map! The action begins with your friend Bow being framed for a crime he didn't commit, prompting you to set out to clear his name along with a few allies. As the story develops you uncover eerie events and monsters disguised as people in an intricate plot of conspiracy and supernatural activity. A particularly interesting aspect of the game is your ability to "fuse" your characters with one or more "Shamen" (girls with elemental powers), altering their appearance and combat abilities in the process. The combat has been upgraded in the form of a standard, side-based view, and the attack animations are much better. The number of encounters is about the same, but this time you have an indicator on your menu to tell you the level of monsters in the area. Ryu is easy to power-up, and fishing for his equipment is optional this time. Bleu (a character from the first game) is available for your party, but only as a secret character. You can save your progress at Dragon Statues or churches, and churches also offer helpful hints in case you forgot what you should be doing. Like the first game, party order still matters, so the character in the front can always do something special. To change the members of your party however, you have to go back to your base of operations. Speaking of which, you can build and populate your own town in this game, and later turn it into a "mobile home" of sorts (hence the pun "TownShip"). Fans of the first game will notice plenty of in-jokes. In the end, Breath of Fire II is a pretty enjoyable story and entertaining game. Capcom must have taken their criticism to heart, because they churned out a much better game this time around. < © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Brunswick World Tournament Champions		Grade: D
	Publisher: THQ (1997) Reviewed: 2002/7/12

There aren't many bowling games for the SNES, so it's kind of hard to judge this one. Brunswick World Tournament has options out the ying-yang to configure a bowler, tournament, or league. There's even background information about the professional bowlers you can challenge. But that all amounts to window dressing without solid gameplay, and Brunswick didn't exactly set my world on fire. The bland setup screen lets you view the action from up high and behind your bowler, offering a fair view of the lane. From here you can adjust your position and aim the ball. Once set, you hit a button to engage the power and spin meters. At this point everything goes to hell. The animation of the ball rolling down the lane is absolutely appalling, moving in a herky-jerky manner as if it had a schizophrenic mind of its own. The close-up screen showing the ball hitting the pins incorporates realistic physics, but the pins tend to have a flat, cardboard look to them. You can see your bowler's reaction to his roll, but there's little fanfare. Bruswick World Tournament really didn't do much for me, but if you're desperate for a bowling game, this may suffice. Then again, maybe not. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 8 players