Madden '93		Grade: C-
	Publisher: Electronic Arts (1992) Reviewed: 2000/8/29

Its sharp graphics and clear music are superior to its Genesis counterpart, but the SNES version of Madden '93 simply isn't as fun. While the gameplay has been dramatically improved over the previous first John Madden Football (EA, 1991), the animation is still pretty choppy, which is very detrimental to the action on the field. My friend Eric purchased this when it came out in 1993 and tried to convince me it was great. Clearly he was in denial. Predictably, he eventually sold the game back and purchased the Genesis version instead. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Madden NFL '94		Grade: B+
	Publisher: Electronic Arts (1993) Reviewed: 2000/8/29

This may have been the year that the SNES Madden finally overtook the Genesis version. Madden '94 also marks the first time the game is officially endorsed by the NFL - hard to believe! This plays as good as it looks, using the SNES rotation and scaling capabilities to maximum effect. The 360-degree instant replay is definitely something you will not find in the Genesis edition. The players are more lifelike and better animated as well. Madden '94 includes 80 teams, a play-calling "bluff" mechanism, and support for up to five players. On the downside, the game still features those "passing windows" which limit your view of the field. Even so, Madden '94 ruled the gridiron in 1993. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 5 players

Madden NFL '95		Grade: A
	Publisher: Electronic Arts (1994) Reviewed: 2000/8/29

The first thing I noticed about Madden NFL '95 is how it plays the actual NFL theme during the title screen! If that's not enough to get you psyched up, EA has also eliminated those cheesy passing windows! No question about it, Madden '95 marks a major step forward for the series. The players now have shadows, although this slightly muddles the visuals. New animations include straight-arms, high stepping, quarterback slides, and selectable touchdown dances!! Building on the previous year's winning effort, this game could not be touched. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 5 players

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein		Grade: D
	Publisher: Sony (1994) Reviewed: 1999/10/14

Some of you may recall the lousy movie this game is based on, but if you're lucky, you won't. It's no gem, but Mary Shelley's Frankenstein isn't a total nightmare thanks to its better-than-average graphics and sound effects. You control the Frankenstein monster, who typically shambles around with a slight limp but inexplicably can jump ten feet into the air! I'm telling you - this guy is the Michael Jordan of monsters! I bet he can throw down some monster dunks too! You'll play much of the game stumbling around a dark, rainy town while beating townsfolk with a stick. The music is certainly eerie, and the crisp sound effects (like when you push a wagon for example) are quite convincing. Unfortunately, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein languishes in the fun department. Jumping between platforms is unforgiving, and pulling chains to open new areas gets boring. And seeing the Frankenstein monster hop around like a flea is just had to take. There's a password mechanism that allows you to save your place, but you probably won't get too far. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Mask, The		Grade: D-
	Publisher: Black Pearl (1995) Reviewed: 2002/3/2

This game manages to capture the madcap zaniness of the movie, but its unimaginative gameplay will have you rolling your eyes. The Mask is like Batman Returns in pastel colors! Its repetitive platform jumping is totally excessive and there are cheap hits everywhere you turn. The levels are inspired by the movie, but mainly serve as backdrops for endless floating platforms (ugh). The Mask himself is nicely animated with an arsenal of wacky attacks, many of which you'll recall from the film. I found some of the enemies to be a bit on the creepy side, not unlike the Mask himself. The controls are responsive, and I especially like the handy "zip" button that lets you sprint through a level in a flash. Unfortunately, checkpoints are few and far between, and it's actually quite easy to miss them! There are some amusing little touches, like the bouncing alarm clock and the dog wearing a mask. The sound effects are effective, but the music is a disappointment. In the end, The Mask is just the same old stuff with a bright coat of paint - only faster. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Mecarobot Golf		Grade: F
	Publisher: Toho (1993) Reviewed: 2004/12/22

Now this is just sad! Mecarobot's box claims "Something great comes as you play!" (huh?) but this is just a pointless, plodding bore. The title would seem to indicate an "extreme" brand of golf with bionic robots and futuristic courses (a la Super Baseball 2020). Alas, this is just a vanilla golf game starring a decidedly creepy looking robot. The remaining three playable characters are wholesome-looking family members including a middle-aged father, mother, and their daughter. Talk about boring! This lineup certainly won't excite sports fans. Mecarobot's controls provide few options and minimal precision with regard to aim. The swing meter is the standard three-press variety, but the meter tends to move either too slow or too fast depending on your set of clubs. Upon hitting the ball, the camera follows closely from behind over its long, choppy journey. Except for some pixilated scaling trees, there's nothing to see, and the ball physics is absolutely deplorable. Not only does the ball not travel in an arc, but it only bounces once and doesn't roll at all! The half-assed putting green screen is even worse. Not only does it fails to convey the contours of the green, but the putting animation is so poor that the ball appears to "hop" towards the hole. Close-ups of the ball rolling into the cup look great, until you realize it's the same canned animation used over and over again. With some many good golf games available for the 16-bit systems (namely EA's PGA Golf series), Mecarobot Golf serves absolutely no purpose. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Mega Man Soccer		Grade: C
	Publisher: Capcom (1991) Reviewed: 2003/1/24

After making his mark in no less than six platform games on the NES, Mega Man takes the next logical step - a soccer game? It seems odd, but apparently his many adventures have provided enough characters to compose a few soccer teams. Mega Man Soccer features a surprising number of modes and customization options, and its arcade quality is a nice alternative to the "serious" soccer titles. The gameplay is uneven at times, but provides enough action to give your thumb a serious workout! Mine is still hurting! Responsive controls let you pass, shoot, lob, slide, and head the ball. Also available is a "special move" which is the only surefire way to score against the incredibly cheap computer goalie. Only a small area of the field is visible at a time, so passing often requires more luck than skill. A "radar" is displayed at the top of the screen, but I didn't find it very useful. Your goalie can't move out of the goal, which is frustrating when the ball is sitting right it front of him! Mega Man Soccer does do a few things right. The arenas have walls around them to minimize play stoppage, and you can execute headers better than any other soccer game I've ever played. Headers can even be aimed with no problem. You can select from twenty different robots characters and nine unique stadiums. Mega Man Soccer's soundtrack is catchy as hell, and I even found myself humming along. It may not appeal to serious sports fans, but Mega Man collectors and arcade-minded sports fans might want to track this one down. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Mega Man X		Grade: B-
	Publisher: Capcom (1993) Reviewed: 2000/7/15

After a successful stint on the NES, the little blue guy brings his brand of side-scrolling shooting mayhem to the SNES. Mage Man X seems awfully generic at first, but gradually picks up steam as you defeat bosses and add their weapons to your arsenel. Upon completing the first stage, you can then select between nine more, each offering its own distinct theme (forest, mine, ice, factory, etc). Mega Man can climb walls, but can only shoot forward and can't duck. The gameplay is basically blast or be blasted, and the graphics are functional but far from spectacular. Mega Man X does have a few thrilling moments however, like when you ride a mine cart or commandeer a robot. Unfortunately, the game suffers from some serious slow-down, usually during the most dramatic moments. The music is very good, and a password feature allows you to save your progress. I liked Mega Man X, but it's pretty much by the numbers. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Mickey Mania		Grade: D+
	Publisher: Sony (1994) Reviewed: 2005/12/26

Intended as a celebration of Disney's famous mouse, Mickey Mania features stages inspired by his classic animated short films. Stage one is modeled after the very first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willy, presented in its original black and white glory. It actually looks pretty amazing, with the colorful Mickey clashing with the gray scenery to good effect. From there you'll relive more colorful classics like "The Mad Doctor", "The Lonesome Ghosts", "The Moose Hunter", and "Mickey and the Beanstalk". Mania's graphics look crisp and attractive, but the scenery isn't nearly as detailed as I expected. The game does make good use of the system's rotation effects, and incorporates a nifty 3D stage with Mickey running from a stampede. Surprisingly, the music is mediocre, falling short of the standards set by classic Disney titles like Castle of Illusion (Genesis, 1990) and Aladdin (SNES 1993). Certain stages are quite imaginative, challenging you to interact with the environment in unusual ways. For example, in the first stage your path is blocked by a stack of boxes, and only by defeating the nearby cat and using his belly as a trampoline can you progress. Unfortunately, other stages are not as well crafted, and a few are downright infuriating. In the Mad Doctor level, you'll need to deal with skeletons whose bones spray all over the place as they "explode", resulting in many cheap hits. Later in the same stage you'll need to leap between rolling tables, and missing a table will cost you a life even if you land on solid ground! I should also mention the "loading" times. Yes, you read it right, this cartridge forces you to wait about ten seconds between stage segments. I can only assume they compressed the data in order to save memory and minimize manufacturing costs. The lack of a password feature is equally unforgivable, considering this is a 1994 game. Mickey Mania introduces a few bright ideas, but I expect my Disney games to be more polished than this. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Micro Machines		Grade: B-
	Publisher: Ocean (1994) Reviewed: 2007/3/16

My friends and I have always been fans of this "toy car" racing series, which in my estimation peaked on the Nintendo 64 (Micro Machines Turbo 64, 1999). Micro Machines provides simple, innocent fun that's tailored to multiplayer action. In addition to cars, you'll race other types of vehicles including boats, tanks, and monster trucks. The tight controls are simple as can be (accelerate and brake), although having to press both buttons to fire the tanks seems a bit unintuitive. The tracks are viewed from directly overhead and inspired by typical household locations like a pool table, desk, or kitchen table with cheerios forming the track. My personal favorites are the bright sunny beach tracks that wind around sand castles. The crisp, colorful graphics are functional, but appear a bit sparse at times. Micro Machines doesn't make an effort to be 3D, but there are a lot of "bumps" that make your car appear to "hop" thanks to some clever shadowing effects. Except for the tanks, there are no weapons or power-ups, but that simplicity is actually refreshing in a way. There's a single-player "challenge mode", and while it certainly is a challenge, there's no score to gauge your performance, which limits its replay value. To get the most out of Micro Machines you need to hook up the multi-tap for some four-player head-to-head action. Players who know the tracks have a marked advantage however, since you can't see too far ahead and it's hard to react to turns when you don't know they're coming. Overall, Micro Machines for the SNES is a solid but unspectacular arcade-style racer. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Mortal Kombat		Grade: C
	Publisher: Acclaim (1993) Reviewed: 2000/2/11

A one-on-one 2D fighter, Mortal Kombat was the first true competitor to Street Fighter II. Sporting digitized fighters, dark medieval backdrops, and excessive gore, this game really took fighting games to a whole new level. Unfortunately, there was such an uproar from parents about the blood and fatalities that Nintendo made the poor decision to leave the gore out of this cartridge. Apparently Nintendo thought it was more important to preserve their squeaky clean image than sell games, so they used white "sweat" instead of blood. Predictably, the bloody Genesis version sold a hell of a lot more copies. Even so, it's hard to argue that the graphics and sound in this version are far superior to the Genesis version. The gameplay is about equal, although some claim the Genesis has better control. Personally, I find it hard to play a Mortal Kombat game without the blood. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Mortal Kombat 3		Grade: D
	Publisher: Williams (1995) Reviewed: 2000/6/4

The first two Mortal Kombat games were wildly popular, but this third edition proved the series was running out of gas. There are new fighters, backgrounds, and secrets, but the gameplay is arguably a step down from MK2. The new fighters are pretty dull compared to the mysterious ninjas that marked the first two games. Fan favorites like Scorpion have been replaced with "cyborg" robots, and in the ultimate travesty, Sub Zero has been unmasked! The backgrounds sport a more urban flavor, which are infinitely less interesting that the surreal settings of the past games. A new "run" button has been added, but it's fairly useless. Mortal Kombat 3 marked a sharp decline in the series, and the franchise would not return to popularity until Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance (Xbox, 2002). © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players.

Mortal Kombat II		Grade: A-
	Publisher: Acclaim (1994) Reviewed: 2000/2/11

Mortal Kombat II is consider the best game of the trilogy, and this SNES version is far better than its Genesis counterpart. This time Nintendo relented and let the blood fly, and thank goodness for that! When I come home from work and pull some guy's spine out, I want to see blood! There are twelve fighters to choose from this time around, including some fine-looking babes and the ugliest dude you'll ever see in a fighting game: Baraka. MK2's graphics are crisp and detailed, and the sound and voices have great bass. My only problem with this game lies with the digitized photo of the programmer that pops up on the screen every now and then ("toa-sty!"). That's just dumb! © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Mr. Do!		Grade: B
	Publisher: Black Pearl (1995) Reviewed: 1999/10/18

Like all normal people, I've always been terrified of clowns. The main character in Mr. Do is a clown, and on the boxcover he looks like one of those evil clowns that hide under your bed with a knife! After summoning enough courage to review this game, I found Mr. Do to be pretty good after all. This game originally appeared in 1982 as a fast-moving Dig Dug clone. To its credit, it does have some original elements. Instead of inflating monsters, you destroy them with a magic ball that bounces around the maze until it hits something. Instead of having to eliminate all of the monsters, stages are cleared by collecting all of the fruit, giving the game a Pac-man flavor. Mr. Do's graphics are colorful and vibrant, but I could barely tolerate its circus-style music. A fun head-to-head two player mode is also included. Just be sure not to leave this game on overnight, or the clown could potentially escape from the television screen and kill you in your sleep. That's just common sense. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 2 players