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Like pinball? If so, then you’ve probably already played more than a few video versions of the classic game. It’s been a hit and miss experience attempting to recreate the feel and gameplay of actual pinball in video game format, and Electronic Arts took a stab at it back in 1993 with Virtual Pinball. The result was a lukewarm game that wasn’t necessarily bad but didn’t really do anything to stand out either.
Normally, you’d think that rolling a shiny metal ball around a stage without letting it fall would make for a great game. The original Marble Madness was wonderful, with its excellent trackball controller and more recently, Marble Blast Ultra on Xbox Live Arcade showed that such a game could work with a controller. But that was long after analog sticks became the norm, and poor Genesis gamers had to suffer with playing on a totally unsatisfactory D-pad. The Genesis port of Marble Madness suffered because of it, among other things, and the resulting effort was poor enough for even creator Mark Cerny to disown it!
Ever since Sterling Silver Software (later called Polygames) started the PGA Tour Golf series on the Genesis, consoles have been getting a yearly fix. The franchise is huge now, with brand exclusivity and Tiger Woods’ face plastered on the box, but it all started on Sega’s little black box.
Taito has a long history of arcade hits, and the company ported many of them to the Genesis. In addition to games like Saint Sword and Cadash, gamers received an excellent port of Volfied, also known as Ultimate Qix. Challenging and highly addictive, this puzzle/action hybrid offered excellent gameplay wrapped up in some great presentation – a yummy package all around.
Like puzzle games? Think you’ve played them all? Well, I’ll bet you haven’t tried out this little puzzler from C&E Inc. (makers of Beggar Prince). Originating in Taiwan and never officially released elsewhere, Magic Bubble is a fun game that’s worth tracking down for the small amount it commands on eBay. Just in case you’re still on the fence, we’ve got a full review to help you decide.