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In 1993, Sega CD owners had the chance to obtain a free copy of Virtual VCR through the mail. It was a simple offering from Sega, with little in the way of gameplay in any sense. It doesn’t take long to release why it was never sold at retail, and even less time to move on to something else entirely.
Paperboy is an arcade classic that has been on just about every console imaginable. The sequel allowed players to play as a girl and featured stages that moved in different directions. Unfortunately, it lost a lot of its charm on the way to the Game Gear, and you’re probably better off with a digital subscription than waiting on this paperboy.
Accolade’s answer to the NBA Jam series was to give basketball star “Sir” Charles Barley his own series. The game was successful enough to spawn a sequel, but unfortunately, it doesn’t do much to push the “street b-ball” sub-genre forward. Perhaps its most remarkable feature is how it squeezes every ounce out of its undoubtedly expensive endorsement.
The Avengers assembled on the Game Gear, but something didn’t make it to the meeting. The game tries to mimic its more powerful console and arcade siblings, and while some of that does make it through, a lot of what made the original game so much fun gets lost in the translation. Maybe someone should call the X-Men next time.
RPG fans looking for some adventure on their Game Gear should give Defenders of Oasis a try. Despite some basic design flaws, it has an interesting quest and a stellar presentation that are worth sinking some hours into. It’s not Phantasy Star, but it has its own charm, and there’s enough here to keep you coming back.