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Action titles based on anime are quite common, and for the most part they’re nothing special. Cyborg 009 falls squarely in the middle of the road due to uninspired gameplay and an overall lack of a creative spark. So much could have been done to bring Shotaro Ishinomori’s classic manga to life, but Riot squandered the chance.
Coming to America as World Championship Soccer, World Cup Italia ’90 originally saw a release in Europe, where it featured a few differences from its U.S. counterpart. Aside from some realistic player names (and a new title and box art, obviously), it also boasts an official FIFA license, something the American version lacked. Primitive when compared to EA’s efforts, it can still be fun with a friend.
Considered one of the most controversial games in history, Night Trap earned the wrath of the U.S. Senate and helped usher in the ratings system. All the notoriety aside though, is it actually a good game? Well… no. Awkward gameplay fails to mesh with grainy video, creating an experience that’s ultimately unsatisfying. The 32X version at least had cleaner video, but this release doesn’t even have that going for it.
Wolf Team should be sued for false representation. Devastator may look like a great action title featuring a massive robot, but in reality it’s just a mediocre action title with repetitive gameplay. Aside from a few sparse effects, virtually all the power of the Sega CD goes to cut scenes and music , as the gameplay itself is nothing a cart couldn’t handle.
Cute takes on standard genres are common in video gaming. Shooters with cute characters are a sub-genre all their own, and the trend even extends to sports. Namco made some of the better known examples, and its World Stadium series was highly popular in Japan. Sadly, the west saw it only in the first R.B.I. Baseball game and Batter Up on the Game Gear.