Emperor MAR @emperormar
Reviews
Fighters Megamix (Game.Com)
Probably better than you'd expect from the Game.com. Worth a full play through.
The Good
Controls & speed are good. All characters are recognizable. Gameplay is fun over all. Game modes are good for replay. Very interesting for fans of the Saturn/Arcade game & not actually disappointing all things considered.
The Bad
Choppy animation. When someone's energy bar is emptied the character has no falling animation, they just go from standing to laying on the ground jump cut style.
The 3D evade button doesn't seem to help much, it just scrolls the background cage.
The Bottom Line
If you've played the Saturn or Arcade game this is interesting but certainly not on par with those. All in all a great handheld fighting game for being from 1998.
By Emperor MAR on January 29, 2023
Shinobi (Nintendo 3DS)
A worthy & fun entry in the Shinobi series & one of the best even. Plenty of classic & plenty of freshness.
The Good
Adjustable difficulty. Great control & variety of attacks. Action packed pace! Has a handful of some of the hardest platforming ever, where first you have to figure out how then you actually have to pull them off.
There is a stage that crosses over with Afterburner as you face ninjas on the back of a flying jet plane.
The Bad
No ability to run. Shurikens recharge instead of having you collect them, ok overall but there are too many times you wish you didn't have to wait around to get them back. The stages feel quite long but do offer a sense of accomplishment & relief when you beat them. The grappling hook is rarely a necessity. The 3D effect was inconsistent & usually unimpressive. One boss, Super Soldier, has a tedious attack pattern with lots of annoying yells, very reminiscent of Iron Man X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal.
The Bottom Line
Good enough to have been a direct sequel to Shinobi III or Legions. Shares the most in common with Shinobi III of all in the series but misses the atmosphere, tight level design, & thrilling bosses of that game. If you prefer pace & action to stealth & tact this may be the 2nd best in the series.
By Emperor MAR on October 29, 2016
Centipede (Game.Com)
If you like Centipede this is Centipede
The Good
Its Centipede. The title screen is cool. Levels can be selected in the menu.
The Bad
Seriously the graphics are about the same as the Gameboy version released 7 years earlier on the Gameboy. There is an "updated mode" but there are 3 sounds effects, three.
The Bottom Line
You can play this on something else & probably have.
By Emperor MAR on July 8, 2016
Borderline (SG-1000)
Early Stealth Action Game with fast paced opening stage
The Good
The driving through grass portion is unique & fun & adds an element of stealth. You can shoot enemy rockets as they come at you. Doesn't have the annoying color scheme of the arcade version otherwise the graphics utterly match the arcade game.
The Bad
Hard to see goal at end of first stage. Today the game feels a bit short. When I saw its level change from level 1 to 2 I was thinking it would be longer. It has less variety between rounds than the arcade game.
The Bottom Line
The first stage is a scrolling stage like Spy Hunter. The next 3 stages you drive through what looks like grass or bushes to attack your target in a stealthy way. Think Spy Hunter meets Safari Hunting (though this predates both).
By Emperor MAR on July 23, 2013
Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (Genesis)
Shinobi comes out of retirement & is a brittle old man.
The Good
This is a good Shinobi game, much better than the arcade rendition of a similar name (which is a different game all together). The bosses & bonus stages are fun & challenging. The dog never got in my way or troubled me. The stages look great. The bridge stage is a lot of fun. The statue of liberty looks great. At one point you have to fight 3 ninjas & a helicopter at the same time!! That is awesome & obviously deadly.
The Bad
This game is incredibly hard. I'm talking 1 hit death & lose all your lives in the first 2 minutes hard. I only absolutely needed to use the dog twice in the whole game. In the arcade game you need him a lot. He's still useful here but not necessary. The spin-wheel boss (#4) is very confusing as to how to attack it. There is a stage where shadows block your view & ninja's attack you in the dark. This is really cheap & incredibly hard.
The Bottom Line
Better than the arcade game & even harder. Stage, boss, & graphic variety keep you glued. You may have to unleash all of your cheating powers to beat this one.
By Emperor MAR on July 16, 2013
Shadow Dancer (SEGA Master System)
If you really like Shinobi its worth a try.
The Good
It's Shinobi enough to be interesting. The bosses are much easier than in the arcade version.
The Bad
1 hit death thus the game is very hard. Ninjitsu is hard to pull off. The bottom up bonus stage is potentially impossible. The sprite flicker makes it where ninja stars go straight through enemies. It has another bonus stage where you are falling that also appears in the Genesis Shadow Dancer & it is do-able.
The Bottom Line
It is much shorter than the arcade game but otherwise similar with easier bosses. If you really like Shinobi its worth a try. If you sorta like Shinobi but can't get to the arcade game it is worth a try as well.
By Emperor MAR on July 16, 2013
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (SEGA Master System)
Difficult but one of the finest platformers ever made
The Good
You get to punch a bat, a bull, a scorpion, & even a fish in the face! The FACE! Starting the game by going down instead of right or even up is great & fresh. The vehicles are awesome, the gameplay is awesome, the variety of items is awesome & fun. There is only one secret stage but the challenge to get to it is fun. The ending castle is very well laid out.
Graphics for 1986 are stunning & hold up perfect today. The title screen is awesome! Each Alex Kid game has Alex being able to walk behind things as a graphic bonus. Here he walks behind grass making it look tall. In Enchanted Castle he walks behind sand mounds to make him look like he's going through it & in Shinobi world he walks between alternating fore-ground/back-ground bamboo. Best of all here & in enchanted castle there are scorpions hidden in the grass/sand making use of this for gameplay. There is a plant jutting out of lava in one stage. It isn't a vine you can grab onto, it kills you. But it is a plant rising out of lava! So insane yet so awesome.
The Bad
The 1 hit death is the worst part of the game. You cannot have two of the same item. There is nothing in-game to tell you what the items do. The ending challenge is insane.
The Bottom Line
Difficult but one of the finest platformers ever made especially from around its release date. A worthy contender to Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Land's use of vehicles always felt like it borrowed from this.
By Emperor MAR on July 16, 2013
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Genesis)
Don't let the 1st level fool you. This game is a platforming classic.
The Good
A much needed & worthy sequel to Miracle World. Makes me wish there were more Alex Kidd games like these. Upgrades from Miracle World which include the ability to keep & equip/unequip items at will, punching blocks sends them flying offering new platforms or a way to kill enemies. Some stages are large vertically offering multiple paths. I like the above water & below water stage options. You can crawl & punch at the same time. Can't think of another game with such awesomeness. At first I thought it was odd that so much of the game takes place outside given the title but once you get to the enchanted castle it is all one epic stage that is bigger than the rest of the game combined! The hockey-masked butcher murders are also lumberjacks & lava-proof. Enemy variety is great. I love that the apes climb down the trees. The multiple paths in the castle are challenging & rewarding. Rats you see in one room in the castle will actually come into the next room with you after you've been in there a while, nice touch. The ending is a huge surprise & I've never seen an ending like it anywhere else, period.
The Bad
The 1 hit death is the worst part of the game. As is normal in Alex Kidd games Alex is prone to slipping with momentum. The jump kick takes getting used to & when wearing the ring it controls your projectile making it harder to shoot in mid-air than in Miracle World. The first stage, while needed, gives wrong impression about the game. You have to unequip items before the end of the stage or running into a boss in order to keep them. I didn't realize you could unequip them at all at first & lost the hard to come by copter for the rest of the game. The copter is much more awkward & hard to pedal/control than it is in Miracle World. Game tells you to wait for music during rock, paper, scissors (no longer called janken) but you can throw early using the button. I wasted a lot of time waiting for the music to end before realizing this. Some treasure chests contain 3 flying bombs. This kind of fake out is ok but 3 of the hardest to get to chests contain these bombs & that sucks to work so hard to get to a trap. There is a place in the castle where it seems you have to bounce off a wall to get into a room but gravity makes it seem impossible. If you wasted your items before this you'll be stuck. Once you know the ending you'll be mad that Alex risked his life so much.
The Bottom Line
The beginning of the game gives you the wrong impression about it. It starts in a town where you challenge creatures in rock, paper, scissors to get items that are useful in the game. This is great because you can stock up at the beginning but it makes you think the game is all about gambling on rock, paper, scissors. This kept me from playing it for years. The game is a great platformer with tons of great items to help you through or just make things more fun.
By Emperor MAR on July 16, 2013
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (SEGA Master System)
Simple sidescroller with great enemy variety.
The Good
A giant variety of enemies that don't repeat on other levels, an amazing amount when you consider enemy variety in other games of this era. They are well drawn & well animated. This makes every level much more interesting & challenging & fun! This has different level layouts from the arcade version. The projectile weapon is a cool effect like you are shooting people with your soul. The water stage is much more forgiving & fun than its arcade counterpart. Doesn't have boss fights but instead difficult to pass obstacles, a welcome difference.
The Bad
The first couple of enemies in the game are very difficult to get past & gives you the wrong impression about the game's overall difficulty. A bare bummed punk pees skulls. In the arcade the skulls spring up next to him but here it looks like he pees them. Controls are not as good as the arcade version & most of its power-ups are missing. The shoot power-up doesn't appear very often. Alex's scream while dying is terrible & annoying to where you turn the sound off within 3-4 deaths. You have to repeat the game in full to beat the game. Music fits with its tunes but is too high pitchy. I can't find out whether this came out in the arcade before Miracle World in 1986, that bugs me.
The Bottom Line
A fun & simple platformer once you get used to it & past most of the first level. While the level's graphics & themes are based on the arcade the game does have different level layouts making it worth playing both.
By Emperor MAR on July 16, 2013
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (SEGA Master System)
Truly Plays like Shinobi + Alex Kidd. A Must Play for the Master System.
The Good
Controls, graphics, level design, & enemies are all great. I love having a lifebar in an Alex Kidd game. It has secret areas & fun bosses. You turn into a cool fireball from rotating on a pole. Very fun & not too hard.
The Bad
The projectile weapon only lasts to the end of the stage & often is only given to you at the end of the stage though you do get to carry it into a boss battle once. There were at least 2 points in the game where you had to take a hit to boost you to reach an item. A little awkward to learn & execute the pole swinging move but the results are worth it. Music is good but can get 8-bit grating after a while. Ending has same animation as beginning so I gotta deduct from the story for that.
The Bottom Line
This was the last Alex Kidd game made. Great for Alex Kidd & Shinobi fans. It actually plays like a combination of Shinobi & Alex Kidd. It is faster paced than Shinobi & I'd say the best Shinobi game on the Master System. A Master System must play.
By Emperor MAR on July 16, 2013
Alex Kidd: High-Tech World (SEGA Master System)
Cruel or Lazy Western Mascot Adaptation
The Good
The graphics are good. The game mechanics & controls are good. The game is not programmed sloppily. The controls are natural with normal Alex Kidd slipperiness & the collision detection is spot on.
The Bad
The adventure portion is quite difficult & cryptic. You have to collect several pieces of paper which is time consuming. This game suckers you into some cheap deaths to where you have to start all over again even if you're only missing the last piece. 1 cheap death is that you try on some armor & then get a game over because Alex can't move. In one room you have to name all of the girls in it & I could only find 3 hints for this, one of which is a repeat. You have to take a test from your tutor that I lucked through. If you fail either of these game over, start over!
There are tons of things in the game that go nowhere. Pointless rooms, pointless characters, pointless items. I could find nothing online suggesting that there is a point to any of it. This is probably because this Alex Kidd game was adapted from another game for the US so instead of making it meaningful Alex just walks into places & basically says to people, "I don't need anything from you." I guess that is realistic because not every person you know is going to be helpful to you on a given day but come on!
There are only two action stages, they are well done but extremely hard. You have 1 hit death & 1 life so you have to put in a password every time you die. The password is only good to start at the beginning of the first action stage. If you die in the second one you have to start back at the first. In the middle there is a town & almost everything you can buy is pointless. The one thing you buy that isn't pointless only gives you more money that you don't need. You could die a lot in the action stages trying to get this money.
This game has to be either a lazy translation or a cruel joke. Now this is where this game goes towards worst game of all time territory. In order to get to the 2nd action stage & to the ending you have to get a pass for a guard to allow you through. How do you get this? You go into the temple, that triggers a dialog box of Alex praying. You walk onto the same spot & it triggers the same box with the same text of Alex praying. You have to step on that spot a HUNDRED times in a row & close that dialog box a HUNDRED times in a row & a "god" will give you the pass for your persistent prayers. How would anyone know to do this back then!? While this game controls well to where it may not be the worst ever, this moment has got to be one of the worst things in gaming history. Regardless of if this had anything to do with religion the idea that you should have to repeat an identical dialog box ONE HUNDRED times to complete the game is despicable.
The Bottom Line
The first half is all a point & click style adventure game without the point & click. The entire game is timed. When you complete this portion you get a password keeping track of what time it is. There are only 2 platforming action stages in the game which are very difficult. If you want to play every bit of Alex Kidd there is to play & you are super awesome at not dying in 80s games those stages are worth it. This is most likely the worst game Sega has ever made & certainly is the most pointless & cruel.
Here is what makes this game bad from least to greatest. Pointless rooms & characters, useless items, intense & cryptic difficulty, cheap deaths & cheap tricks, 1 place to continue from in the game, useless money that you'll think is useful at first & die for, a short disappointing ending, repeating a dialog box 100 times to get a necessary item. It is all so pointless but you won't know it until you've worked really hard!
By Emperor MAR on July 16, 2013
Astrosmash (Intellivision)
A fun mix of classic arcade gameplay
The Good
You score points by smashing (shooting) asteroids & you lose points when you miss the asteroids & they hit the ground. You can have a negative score by the end of it but the game gives you your "peak score" when your run out of ships. This is a great point system, more interesting than most of the games of this time which were just based on racking up points. This makes for a more compelling game with a much higher replay value because your hits & misses are both factored in. The autofire option is also awesome.
The Bad
I wish there were a survival mode where when your points hit zero it would be game over.
The Bottom Line
A mix of Asteroids, Galaxian, & Missile Command with a more simple action feeling rather than a simulation feeling.
By Emperor MAR on March 15, 2013
Frogger (Game.Com)
Good game of Frogger for amateurs
The Good
Adjustable difficulty is welcome so is the level select & continue mode in options menu. One of the funnest games of Frogger this wimp has played because of those.
The Bad
Sound effects are rough at times.
The Bottom Line
Good version of Frogger with lots of options. If you're usually bad at Frogger this one can be more forgiving.
By Emperor MAR on January 5, 2013
Duke Nukem 3D (Game.Com)
You can't turn around & you walk down corridors most of the time
The Good
Graphics can be good. Has shoot left / shoot right buttons.
The game is so boring that it makes you want to spend your life doing better things. Its not "Eh" boring. It is "What am I doing with my life?" boring. Thus it can inspire you to change the world.
The Bad
You cannot turn around. You only walk straight down corridors shooting enemy after enemy with occasional strafing areas. So tedious! It was hard to know how to open doors. You press the weapon change button & up at the same time but you end up changing weapons over & over & it is unresponsive.
The Bottom Line
This is worse than any FPS I've played. Hovertank 3D is more interesting. You can't turn around. It is a mix of horrible rail shooter with slight FPS controls. If you value your time on earth don't play this game. Just play Duke Nukem 3D with the color turned off on your tv instead.
By Emperor MAR on January 5, 2013
Henry (Game.Com)
Pointless & Time Consuming even for a Video Game
The Good
Sounds are fun & Graphics are good. Unnecessary explosion in the into is nice too.
The Bad
The game. This may honestly be the worst game I've ever played. I had no clue how to play it. Practice mode didn't give me a clue. Once I figured out how to play it the game is monotonous & slow.
The Bottom Line
In Henry you push a button to get an image then poke at a blank rectangle to see if what is under it it matches the image. You have to uncover these rectangles & remember what is under them one by one. Once you match four of the images on the board in a line you win. It is a game of simple memory & chance but takes way too long to play. Maybe there is a tiny chance it would be fun with two players. Unless you want to hear some zany sound effects don't ever touch this touch screen game.
By Emperor MAR on January 5, 2013