April2008

  • Review Wonder Boy (Virtual Console / Master System)

    Small Wonder

    Wonder Boy was one of the first games I got for my beloved Sega Master System. Having played the original arcade game on seaside weekends of my youth it seemed amazing to have such a faithful conversion of the game in my bedroom at the time. The hero of the game, Tom-Tom isn’t known for providing in-car navigation, rather he is...

March2008

  • Review House of the Dead 2&3 Return (Wii)

    Ah House of the Dead, welcome to the Wii.

    Since it's inception in back in the 90s SEGA's "House of the Dead" has arguably become the next biggest zombie series behind Capcom's infamous Resident Evil. SEGA's decision to bring the zombie-fest to the Wii comes as no real surprise since recent successful releases of other "light gun"...

  • Review Mega Turrican (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    The Machine has enslaved the galaxy under its tyrannical rule.

    I know what you’re all thinking: why have another Turrican title on the Virtual Console when we’ve only recently been blessed with the delights of the sublime Super Turrican – especially when you consider these 16-bit titles look very much the same? However, while it’s true that...

  • Review SEGA Superstars Tennis (Wii)

    Sega’s next sporting smash hit?

    It seems his recent athletic clash with Mario has rubbed off on Sonic: here he is with fifteen friends in a brightly coloured, special move-filled variation on good old lawn tennis, not unlike the plumber’s N64, Game Boy Advance and Gamecube outings, on the surface at least. This isn’t a simple formula rip,...

  • Review Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    More Puyo Puyo fun for the Virtual Console.

    We’ve already experienced the first Puyo Puyo title on the Virtual Console, although you may not have noticed as the western version was retooled as Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine. As far as laying down the foundations of the Puyo Puyo franchise, it’s not a bad game at all, but it was undoubtedly...

  • Review Bleach: Blade of Fate (DS)

    Finally - a fighting game DS owners can be proud of

    Although the DS has witnessed some truly amazing titles in its lifetime, one genre that has singularly failed to translate effectively to the format is the fighting game. While the PSP has experienced some particularly impressive brawlers (despite its woeful d-pad which is put firmly in the shade...

  • Review Bleach: Shattered Blade (Wii)

    Death Gods, Swords, and Lots of Hair Gel- Yes, its Bleach!

    Its not very often you see a game where the main character is a bad-ass orange haired Death God- who's Japanese name, correct me if I am wrong, is 'Strawberry'- wielding a sword embedded with a soul. And its not very often that you see me create such a poor lead-in to a review. So let me cut...

February2008

  • Review Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (Wii)

    Sonic, grab your hoverboard there's a race to win!

    Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off racing series, Sonic Riders, returns in the form of "Zero Gravity", a sequel to the 2006 original. Unlike your standard racing game, SRZG actually has quite alot of story. Sonic and friends have been alerted about crazed robots from "MeteorTech"...

  • Review Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)

    Mario and Sonic are back sooner than you think in the DS version of SEGA's biggest hit in 10 years.

    With Beijing only a few months away SEGA (finally) bring us the handheld dose of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, a game that wasoriginally to be released along side the Wii version in November. Better late than never, that's what we say. Mario...

  • Review Phantasy Star II (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Hailed as one of the greatest games of all time by fans

    The original Phantasy Star never really had the impact it deserved, mainly thanks to the fact that its host platform - the Sega Master System – failed to sell in significant numbers in the US. The series would have to wait until the introduction of the Genesis/Megadrive before it would gain...

  • Review Columns III: Revenge of Columns (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Oooh it's the revenge of Columns - I'm really scared!

    Sega’s answer to Tetris is back once again. The first Columns has already been released on the Virtual Console and Sega never bothered to port the Columns II arcade game to the Megadrive/Genesis, so we swiftly move on to Columns III. While not terribly innovative in terms of concept, the...

December2007

  • Review NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii)

    Ah NiGHTS.. you're finally here, it's been a long time coming, so how does it measure up?

    Journey of dreams, the sequel SEGA Saturn fanboys have been waiting 10 years for, after all those rumours its finally here, but was it ever going to live up to the cult following surrounding the original, NiGHTS Into Dreams? Our hero is NiGHTS, a Nightopian who...

  • Review Alien Storm (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Shape-shifting aliens have infiltrated the city, creating chaos and panic!

    There’s an alien invasion. Save the people! Kill the aliens! Not the most original premise for a game, granted, but Alien Storm carries its heart on its sleeve. Pretensions of artistry and greatness are laid aside; the story serves only as fodder to introduce baddies that...

  • Review The Golden Compass (Wii)

    Shape-changing sprites, death-dealing polar bears and lots of snow. Shiny Entertainment attempts to transform one of this year's biggest films into a half-decent videogame. Has the company succeeded? Read on...

    Where would videogame developers be without the humble Christmas Hollywood blockbuster? At the end of each year we witness a raft of...

  • Review Light Crusader (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Take the role of Sir David in this action-RPG and get to the bottom of the mysteries of Green Row.

    After dazzling Megadrive/Genesis owners with the likes of Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy (let’s forget Ronald’s McDonaldland Adventure for now), Treasure turned its talents to the Action RPG genre with this 1995 release. Published in the...

  • Review Eternal Champions (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    This 2-D fighting game introduces a cast of different characters that met untimely deaths in their lives on Earth.

    Released at a time when Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat were both selling like hotcakes, Eternal Champions may have had players thinking it was an exploitative cash-in to make Sega a quick buck. This could not be further from the...

November2007

  • Review Ecco Jr. (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    The aquatic adventures of Ecco come to life for a younger generation of gamers.

    Ouch - what happened here? Ecco the Dolphin, suddenly transformed into a kid-friendly educational game? In this game, you play as Ecco Jr., a younger version of Ecco, or one of his two friends (Tara the baby orca or Kitnee the baby Atlantic dolphin). There is no real...

  • Review Ghost Squad (Wii)

    Can arcade light gun games really work on Wii? Ghost Squad steps up to the test.

    SEGA, one of the masters of arcade shooters, are the first to bring one of their heavyweight light gun titles to the Wii, courtesy of the Wii Zapper- a gun shaped plastic housing for your Wiimote and Nunchuck. The Wii Zapper isn't required, it simply adds a little...

  • Review Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)

    Mario & Sonic are all set to fight for the Gold Medal, but is the game worthy of an Olympic accolade?

    Hell has officially frozen over; Mario and Sonic appear together for the first time ever. If this idea had been suggested 10 to 15 years ago, you'd probably have been locked up and forgotten about. Times have changed dramatically since then: we now...

  • Review Alien Soldier (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Hello Epsilon-Eagle

    Treasure produced some of the finest games for the Sega Megadrive such as Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy, both of which are available on the Virtual Console. Alien Soldier follows in that great Treasure tradition by being a great game that shows off what Sega’s 16 bit wonder was capable of. Outside Japan this game only came...

  • Review Sonic 3D Blast (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    The evil Dr. Eggman stumbles upon an alternate dimension where some odd birds called Flickies have the ability to travel anywhere.

    After producing three Sonic titles for the Genesis/Megadrive Sega decided to do something a little different – instead of creating another platformer they produced an isometric adventure with CGI rendered graphics, and...

October2007

  • Review Golden Axe III (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    The once-peaceful kingdom so familiar to fans of the original Golden Axe is under threat once again.

    If you’ve played Golden Axe 2 then you will no doubt be aware that it’s a little too similar to its predecessor. When Sega came to create the third game in the Megadrive trilogy it obviously realized that a sweeping change was in order. Sadly,...

September2007

  • Review Streets of Rage 3 (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Just when you thought the world was safe from the Syndicate and its shady leader, Mr. X, they have returned to torment the city once again.

    Streets of Rage 3 has been the victim of much flak over the past few years. Coming after the sublime Streets of Rage 2, the third installment had a fight (ho-ho!) on its hands to better such a fantastic game. On...

  • Review Super Thunder Blade (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    In this follow-up to Thunder Blade, you'll fly a new and improved attack helicopter in a series of attacks against guerilla armies that are bent on taking over the world.

    One of the very first Megadrive/Genesis releases, Super Thunder Blade is a pretty underwhelming action title that failed to get pulses racing when it was converted to the 16-bit...

  • Review Crack Down (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    The situation is critical. The evil Doctor K has created an army of deranged replicants in order to take over the world, and only two can stop him - Andy Attacker and Ben Breaker - the top soldiers of the CIA's special Crackdown force.

    No, this game is not related to the Xbox 360's Crackdown! Hardly anybody seems to know this game, despite it being...