As a franchise, fewer characters have stronger legs than Batman. After twenty years, the fact that people are still looking forward to a new game featuring the Caped Crusader (Arkham Asylum looks incredible) is simply astonishing, considering just how spotty ol’ Batsy’s record has been. Back in the 16-bit era, Sega itself dove into the Batcave with both a cartridge and CD release of Batman Returns, and whether or not it landed on its head is still the subject of much-heated forum debates. We’ve a full review of the Sega CD version, so read on and remember, they’re flying mammals, not rodents!
Tag: Action
Chakan the Forever Man
Ever wonder what would it be like to defeat death, only to find that your prize was worse than the price of losing? Such was the fate that befell Chakan, who beat the Reaper in combat and found himself trapped as its servant. As the Forever Man, the comic hero must wander the world, defeating supernatural evil wherever it’s found, and his latest adventure found him on the Genesis!
Simpsons: Bart’s Nightmare
Acclaim sure did churn out the Simpsons games during the ’90s without remorse or shame. Some were simply horrible, but most were decidedly mediocre, a stigma the series never seemed capable of shaking on consoles. This was compounded by Konami’s release of the exceptional arcade game, with which it proved in one fell stroke that a good Simpsons game could indeed be made. Unfortunately, 16-bit console gamers were stuck with bland offerings like Bart’s Nightmare, a title that was neither ambitious or really enticing.
Saint Sword
A Genesis exclusive, Saint Sword seemed to be more impressive in the box then plugged into the console. Taito missed the boat with this one in a big way, failing to take advantage of the excellent transformation dynamic. What it instead gave us was a generic action slasher, with some morphing tossed in for good measure. Even so, Saint Sword is playable and might be worth looking into.
Alien 3
In space, no one can hear you scream. From your living room, however, the entire neighborhood can partake in your vented frustration at Alien 3. They will all know your pain at running out of ammunition or totally failing to locate that last damn prisoner. Arena’s licensed thriller is a chest-bursting, face-hugging orgy of challenge that will have you masochistically coming back for more. That’s what happens when good platforming action is combined with maddening difficulty. It’s a good thing then, that Genesis controllers are so inexpensive. We’re here for you though, and reading our full review will show you why Ripley really ended up bald: she pulled her hair out trying to pass the slaughterhouse level.
