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The Genesis launch had a pretty good line up of games that tried to cover as wide a range of genres as possible. Zoom! made a valiant attempt to fill the maze game niche, and while it demonstrated some serious potential, it was ultimately undone by repetitive gameplay and extreme simplicity.
So many great Mega CD titles were left behind in Japan, a sign of the times when gamers waited and prayed for prospective games to be released in the U.S. Sometimes, we were deprived of an absolute gem that was unjustly kept from our eager hands (Monster World IV comes to mind). Other times, we’re saved from a dud that would have otherwise deprived us of our hard-earned cash. Sengoku Densyo is one such title.
By the time Columns III was released in America in 1994, Sega had all but lost interest in the franchise, and farmed out its release to Vic Tokai. This was the second time the series had been snubbed by its creator, as Columns II never saw a console release in the U.S. Perhaps it was a fitting end though, as each game failed to live up to the quality established by the arcade original.
Virgin Games produced some quality licensed software during the 16-bit era, and it complimented hits like Aladdin and The Lion King with a great version of James Cameron’s masterpiece The Terminator. As Kyle Reese, players battle through both the present and the future in their quest to save the innocent Sara Conner from the evil cyborg out to kill her. Sega CD owners got treated to a stellar Tommy Tallarico soundtrack, extra levels, and all around solid gameplay.
A slow week means it’s time to go retro! The gems from the golden age of arcade gaming are indeed timeless, and perhaps the only criteria that’s appropriate to use when reviewing Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits is how well they adapt to the Genesis control scheme.