| Mary Shelley's Frankenstein | |||
|
| Grade: D |
 |
Last modified 2007/10/12.
The overriding criteria is how fun the game is to play, although control, graphics, and sound are also taken into account. |
Screen shots courtesy of Video Game Museum, GameScreenShots.com, Video Game Advantage.
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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).
|
|
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!
|
|
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.
|
|
When my friend Eric and I saw the first screen shots of NBA Jam in a magazine back in 1993, we thought it was the dumbest game ever. The players were soaring ten feet over the rim and performing preposterous slam-dunks. After reading several enthusiastic reviews however, I broke down and bought the game anyway. That turned out to be a major milestone in my game-playing career, because NBA Jam quickly became the premiere sports game of its time. On the very first day I bought this my friends Eric and Tuan played it for six hours straight. This SNES version is an impressive translation of the popular arcade game, with the same crisp graphics, fluid animation, responsive controls, catchy music, and clear sound effects. Jam offered a degree of speed and non-stop action you didn't often see in sports games of the time. At its core, NBA Jam is a two-on-two dunk-fest with no rules. On offense you can shoot, throw elbows to keep defenders at bay, execute bullet passes. and easily perform death-defying dunks. On defense you can steal and block, but the gameplay definitely favors the offense. It's so easy to score that games tend to be back-and-forth affairs, although executing a key steal or block can really effectively turn the tide. One effective maneuver is to fake a jumper to draw in the defense, and then pass the ball to the open man under the basket at the last second. Each player has a certain amount of "turbo power" that adds speed and enhances the dunks. Players that sink three shots in a row become "on fire" and are nearly unstoppable until the opposing team scores again. NBA Jam does have a few minor flaws. The turbo is so plentiful that you can practically use it during the entire game, and blocking shots is nearly impossible. Non-dunking players such as John Stockton can slam, destroying what little realism there is. Lastly, the computer has the annoying habit of making full court, last second shots at the end of each half. Two marquee players represent each NBA team, and since the game was made during NBA's "golden age", you get many all-time greats like David Robinson, Karl Malone, Scotty Pippen, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, and Clyde Drexler (sorry, no Michael Jordan). Records are saved using a password system. NBA Jam enjoyed a string of sequels, and its frantic, smash-mouth style of play singlehandedly created a new genre of "extreme" sports games.
|
|
Capitalizing on the unbridled success of the first NBA Jam, Acclaim released this fine sequel which retains the gameplay of the original while spicing things up with interesting new options. Each team now has three players to choose from instead of two, and you can substitute between quarters. Tournament Edition's gameplay places more emphasis on defense, so you can expect to see more steals and blocked shots. The expanded options menu lets you customize more aspects of the game, as well as enabling "hot spots" on the floor (worth up to ten points), power-up icons, and a "juice mode" that speeds up the action to extreme levels. But the most valuable new addition is the inclusion of a much-need four-player mode. Statistics are now saved via battery backup instead of a long password. This is a worthy sequel, and fans of the original would be wise to pick this one up.
|
|
The NBA Live series got its start on the Genesis, but the SNES edition of NBA Live 96 is clearly better, thanks to sharper graphics and clear sound effects. In addition, holding in the shoulder buttons to initiate turbo is much more convenient than the awkward Genesis controller scheme. In terms of gameplay, NBA Live 96 offers nonstop action and realistic gameplay. It's a huge step up from NBA Showdown. With the five-player multitap, you and four friends can even control an entire team! The only thing I don't like about the game are its terribly pixelated hardwood floors. Otherwise NBA Live 96 is a slam dunk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Playing this hockey game today is a nauseating experience, and I can't imagine it was much better in 1993. Stanley Cup utilizes the Super Nintendo's trademark "mode 7" rotation and scaling effects to create a constantly shifting view of the action. It looks like the entire rink is spinning in outer space. The effect worked well in Nintendo's NCAA basketball game (1992), but it's not a good fit with hockey. Why? It has a lot to do with hockey's breakneck pace and constant possession changes. At least in basketball you can control the tempo to some degree and play at a more deliberate pace. In Stanley Cup, the stilted animation, pixelated sprites, and constant rotation make it hard to find the puck, much less execute a crisp pass or target the corner of the goal. You can only pass to the player with the icon over his head, and switching players on defense is maddening. The special moves look horrific, and when you perform a "hip check" it looks like you're trying to rub your butt on an opponent! That really stinks! Stanley Cup's sound effects are equally weak, with the same constipated "grunt" sounds over and over again. The lone highlight of the game is the intro, which shows an over-the-shoulder cinematic of a player approaching the goal on a fast break. Too bad you won't see anything that impressive in the actual game.
|
|
Nosferatu tries to mimic the gameplay of a Castlevania title, but lacks style and seems generic in comparison. The word "Nosferatu" means vampire in German, and this platform adventure challenges you to save your girlfriend from the original bloodsucker himself, Vlad the Impaler (the real Dracula). Most levels are a maze of castle ledges and walkways, but bosses are fought outside where there's more room. Your vampire hunter has plenty of fighting moves at his disposal, including a flying round-house, upper cut, and charge. There's a nice variety of monsters to beat up, ranging from the traditional movie monsters (Frankenstein, Mummy, etc) to some truly bizarre original creations. Inexplicably, the second boss is pair of gorillas! The game lacks tension, although there are occassional surprises like falling corpses and hands that grab you from under the floor. Too many traps litter the later levels, and if you don't fall into a spiked pit on your own, you're likely to be pushed into one. In terms of graphics, the creatures look great but the castle walls start to get boring after a few levels. The controls are less than responsive, making it difficult to enter certain doorways or get off a punch in time. The audio is weak, with sparse sound effects and music that's uneven in quality. A few of the tunes have an edgy Nine Inch Nails flavor, but others just sound goofy. Nosferatu not a terrible game, but it fails to distinguish itself in any way, making it a thoroughly forgettable experience.
|
|
The original Paperboy arcade game was terrific, but this sequel comes off a bit flat. Controlling a boy or girl on a bike, you travel up the screen while avoiding obstacles and tossing newspapers at mailboxes and other targets. It's humorous to see what kind of chaos you can unleash, whether it's by hitting a guy working on a car (causing it to fall on him), knocking an old man off his rocker, or smacking an armed robber in the back of the head. Unlike the original game, the side of the street you deliver to alternates, and each street ends with an obstacle course of ramps and targets. Paperboy 2 is undeniably fun but very rough around the edges. Especially for the SNES, the visuals look awfully chunky and the animation is rough. It's hard to judge your position with respect to obstacles and ramps, and it doesn't help that the collision detection is extremely unforgiving. It's next-to-impossible to execute tight turns, and you'll have to contend with cheap shots from cannons and fireball-spewing gargoyles. In many cases the houses are so far off the street that you can't even see if the newspaper made it to the mailbox, and have to rely on audio cues instead. Paperboy 2 has a likeable, whimsical style that will appeal to arcade gamers, but it's not the blockbuster sequel I was expecting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I remember being so excited about getting this game, mainly because it looked so cool. Released when one-on-one fighting mania was at its peak, this dinosaur brawler made a pretty big splash. I remember seeing this at a local sub shop (Mr. G's), and I could not take my eyes off of it! Besides a variety of dinosaurs, you can also play as one of two big apes, who look freakin' awesome. Although the creatures are actually 2D, they have a 3D, stop-motion look to them. The jaw-dropped backgrounds give the game a surreal atmosphere, ranging from exotic waterfalls to post-apocalyptic cities to gigantic glaciers. The sound effects and jungle music are outstanding as well. If only this game played as well as it looked! But especially in this SNES version, the animation is so choppy that it's hard to tell what's going on. Worse yet, the collision detection will often register hits that never occurred. And while cool in concept, the ability to eat spectators to gain life is simply too difficult to execute to be a factor. Primal Rage is probably worth trying for its presentation alone, but don't expect much replay value.
|
|
|
|
Robocop Vs. Terminator is a well-crafted blend of simple, old-school gameplay and cutting-edge 16-bit graphics. I was also intrigued by the cartridge's black molded plastic case, which looks pretty awesome (from the front anyway - the back is cardboard). The game's unlikely premise has Robocop's mind being used to make the Skynet computer "self-aware". After the ensuing nuclear holocaust, Robocop reconstructs himself with the purpose of destroying Skynet. It's far-fetched as hell, but I like how the story is conveyed using comic-book style cells (the text is a little slow though). You're in control of Robocop throughout the game, and he's a hulking figure with a clanking walk that conveys a sense of mass. Your oversized weapons include plasma guns and rocket launchers, and thankfully you can't run out of ammo! Fine-tuned controls let you jump onto ladders, fire while climbing, and move hand-over-hand with ease. The action begins on the mean streets of Detroit as you blast stereotypical thugs and females in sexy outfits. It seems strange to mow down so many women and hear their bloodcurdling screams. Terminators make their first appearance about two stages into the game, and these things can absorb an incredible number of shots! The game adds a few wrinkles to the run-and-gun formula with bad guys that take cover and distant figures that launch rockets into the foreground. Enemy projectiles move very slowly (almost comically so), so even if you can't shoot them down, you can usually outrun them. You'll blast your way through a construction site, a research facility, an abandoned building, a Terminator factory, and a downtown area with a killer skyline. Breaking up the monotony is a first-person shooting sequence not unlike the sandspeeder stage in Super Star Wars (SNES, 1992). For bosses you'll face a massive terminator "tank" and an amazing hologram face composed of electrical charges. The game's ominous, bass-heavy soundtrack is appropraite but not particularly memorable. Robocop Vs. Terminator's main flaw is the preponderance of cheap hits, including falling girders at the construction site and twirly-bird things that emerge from the floors of the factory stage. Robocop Vs. Terminator is a terrific way to let off some steam, and a handy four-letter password lets you save your progress.
|
Select a new range of Super Nintendo reviews: [Previous] [A-E] [F-L] M-R [S] [T-Z] [Next]
Return to Super Nintendo main page.
Return to The Video Game Critic's Main Page.
