SNES

The Lawnmower Man

Strictly for fans. If you've got a Lawnmower man poster on your wall you'd probably like this for your Super NES. If you haven't, you won't.

We pulled apart our Lawnmower Man cart (not something to try at home) and examined every last diode and capacitor, and there's nothing out of the ordinary in there at all. So we're completely baffled as to how Storm have managed to get all that (admittedly very blocky) scenery whizzing towards you so smoothly. The effect is absolutely great, especially with the authentic '80s-style rave music to add to the atmosphere, and can safely be said to be another step forward for the SNES. What's also baffling, although more of a step backwards than anything, is why Storm bothered to put in all the tedious platform sections. Viewed in isolation they're not so bad, if a bit flat and weedy-looking. but interleaved with the gobsmacking VR levels they just look crap. Given that they've got all this incredible graphical knowledge, Storm would have done far better to have ploughed all their efforts into the 3D sections, and joined them all together into a really amazing 3D shoot-'em-up.

Players who crave VR excitement can satisfy their cyber-appetites with this one. Although it's no "complete" virtual word, it's about as close as you can find.

Well the movie wasn't the greatest and this game pretty much follows suit. The graphics are average, but still OK and the sound isn't the greatest, but the virtual reality sequences are eye-grabbing and must be seen.

The Lawnmower Man is a pretty average platformer, made fresh only by its odd, but challenging virtual minigames. It's no Tron, and doesn't handle a combination real world and virtual world as well as System Shock does for the PC, but the idea of VR is reasonably well done within the game, and the only reason to play it. If you're not enjoying the game by the end of the first minigame then it's time to throw it out.