Many people believe that DC Comics jumped the shark with the Death of Superman storyline. We all know that flagship comic book characters never stay dead (Jean Grey and Captain America, anyone?), but the completely silly way in which the writers handled Supes’ “death” and return was enough to make issue #75 of Superman end up less valuable than a square of used Cottonelle. The Sunsoft Genesis game was almost as bad, and it had few redeeming qualities as a beat-’em-up. Hey, at least it wasn’t as bad as Marvel’s Spider-Man clone saga…
Tag: 1995
ESPN National Hockey Night
Electronic Arts has a reputation for being at the top of the hockey heap, but there have been some serious contenders over the years. One that sat particularly well with fans was Sony Imagesoft’s ESPN National Hockey Night. Offering great graphics, solid gameplay and multiple views, it was a great alternative to those who chose not to play the NHL series.
Gargoyles
Seeing the cartoons of our youth tampered with is something that makes many people raise an eybrow. Luckily, cartoons fared pretty well when it came to games, and the Genesis had a decent track record of providing quality versions of animated hits. Aladdin and Tiny Toon Adventures come to mind, but there was also a cartridge version of Buena Vista Interactive’s popular TV series Gargoyles. Combining platforming and action elements, it was quite faithful to its source material and even managed to overcome some serious design flaws.
Double Switch
Digital Pictures turned out a ton of full motion video games on the Sega CD. In fact, it’s usually the genre most people remember first when they think of the much-maligned add-on. In an era where multi-media was all the rage, FMV achieved heights it has never attained since. Double Switch was a later DP release that was eventually ported to the Saturn and PCs, and it starred none other than fading ’80s star Corey Haim, who once stated that he wanted to be known as “Sega Boy.” Yeah, that Corey Haim.
Smurfs
Like them or hate them, there’s no denying the undying popularity of Peyo’s little blue people. The Smurfs have spent the past two decades permeating every aspect of our culture (some even say it’s a communist conspiracy!), and yes, even our poor Genesis has been steamrolled by their cuteness. Two games found their way to the European Mega Drive, one of which resurfaced as a rare Mega CD release. The first title puts you in the roles of several of the more popular Smurfs, but how does it compare to other cartoon and comic heroes like Mickey Mouse?