Virgin’s lovable caveman belly-flops his way onto the Game Gear, but he’s kind of devolved in the process. Instead of a Cro-Magnon hero, we instead got a Neanderthal who lumbers through dark and silent stages. While the core (no pun intended) of what made the Genesis game is intact, the presentation and gameplay have suffered.
Author: Doug Jackson
FIFA International Soccer (Game Gear)
Electronic Arts’ FIFA Soccer series has long been a standard of excellence, but the Game Gear version kind of trips over the ball in some areas. While not a bad game, it fails to live up to the legacy of its 16-bit siblings. Still, it may be worth looking into if you’re itching to play some soccer and come across a copy at a decent price.
Fire & Ice
Platformers were all the rage during the early ’90s, and in some places, the Master System was still getting new releases. Tec Toy’s version of Fire & Ice tried to give the machine some new blood, but it the gameplay left more people cold than hot. Still, it’s not a bad game and one worth checking out if you’re a fan of Master System imports.
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Sega’s early mascot returns for his final Master System outing, released a year after his Genesis debut (and finale). A funny spoof on another Sega franchise, Shinobi World is still a fun game to play. It’s a bit on the easy side, but it’s worth checking out… if you’re willing to pay the prices it goes for nowadays.
Double Dragon (Game Gear)
A legendary series like Double Dragon deserved better. Virgin Games somehow managed to take a fan favorite and make it almost unplayable. With all the versions out there, the Game Gear port should have been one of the best. Instead, it’s a farmed-out mess of a game. Stick with other versions… any other versions.