Strategy games often have a reputation of being brutally hard and inaccessible. This isn’t always true, and most people are probably turned off by the amount of brain work required to play than anything else. Renovation’s Master of Monsters series is one title that fits that moniker nicely. It’s not complicated to get into, but it can be very difficult to complete. Aside from the simplistic graphics though, there’s a lot of solid gameplay to enjoy, and the soundtrack is simply fantastic.
Tag: 1991
Chuck Rock
The Flintstones weren’t the only ones to rock the stone age! In 1991, Core Design and Virgin Games released a hit platformer called Chuck Rock for multiple formats, and the game was a massive hit. It boasted lush visuals, large and detailed bosses, and possibly the most unattractive protagonist this side of Boogerman. It was followed by an enhanced Sega CD version and the eventual sequel. We’ve a full review of the Genesis original for ya, so put down that Brontosaurus (Apatosaurus?) burger and read up!
Super Volleyball
Considering that it’s an Olympic sport, Volleyball should be held in high regard when it comes to video games. Unfortunately, no one really paid much attention to it for a long time, at least not on the level of the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Then again, when you take games like Super Volleyball as an example of the genre, it’s no wonder people didn’t want to touch the sport. Dull and generic in every sense of the word, this is the one release that no one remembers.
King’s Bounty
Electronic Arts and New World Computing released ports of some complex and often brutally difficult PC games for the Genesis, and among their offerings was King’s Bounty. Though visually simple, give it some time and you’ll find that what it lacks in presentation it more than makes up for in depth and exploration. Some consider it to be among the best examples of the genre on the Genesis, despite the difficulty and massive password (something thankfully remedied by save states). Is it deserving of such praise?
Shadow of the Beast
Recognized by Genesis fans as one of the hardest action/platformers of all time, Shadow of the Beast reportedly owes its notorious difficulty to a higher refresh rate that made it run almost 20% faster than it should have. Lots of game pads lost their lives taking on this incredibly hard game, but there are those gamers out there who had the patience (and the extra controllers) to actually play through to the end. Are you man enough for the challenge?