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The Genesis is widely known for its shooter library, and among the many titles available is a relatively unknown arcade port of Task Force Harrier Ex. Toned down a bit but still retaining the essential gameplay and feel of the coin-op original, the Genesis version is a competent little game that far too few people know about.
Today, Sega-16 hits another milestone. Our latest review, for After Burner II, is our 600th! What better way to celebrate than by taking a look at the Sega classic? For an early port of such a powerful arcade machine, the Genesis does a pretty good job, and all that’s missing is a flight stick (something Sega remedied with the superb Mission Stick for the Saturn version).
Children everywhere know about Where’s Waldo and its lanky star. Between the ton of books, posters, and other merchandise bearing the brand, it’s kind of hard not to find Waldo, and he even popped up on 16-bit consoles. Lamentably, there’s nothing fun about searching for a guy who looks like an overgrown Christmas elf and spends his time hiding in public places. It’s especially not fun when it takes longer to read the manual than it does to complete the game.
Evander Holyfield shocked the boxing world when he took the heavyweight championship from Buster Douglas. It was only Douglas’ first defense, and the defeat demoralized him so much that he retired from boxing. Holyfield, on the other hand, went to make history as the only man to win the belt four times. Along the way, he found time to endorse a Genesis game, which like his skills, was light years ahead of his predecessor. “Real Deal” Boxing featured great visuals and solid gameplay, and it had an interesting customization dynamic that is still fun to play today.
The Amiga has definitely lived up to its namesake where the Genesis is concerned. It’s been quite the friendly machine, providing many quality games that made the jump to the little 16-bitter. Some though, lent themselves better to the conversion than others, and a few have issues that really affect the experience. Take Cannon Fodder, for instance. The tiny sprites and status box really hampered what was otherwise an exceptional version of a classic game. It’s still playable, but how much so will depend on how good your vision is.