Some of today’s younger gamers might not know the name Henk Nieborg, and that’s a shame. As one of the most pronounced pixel artists in gaming, his work has adorned such classic titles as Lionheart (Amiga), Shadow of the Beast (multi-platform), and The Adventures of Lomax (Playstation). The first game he designed himself was a little platformer for the Mega Drive/Sega CD called The Misadventures of Flink. Incredibly detailed and bathed in some of the most gorgeous artwork of the era, Flink was equally remembered for being very, very long – and hard (damn hard, if I do say so myself).
Tag: Platformer
Joe & Mac
Life in prehistoric times must have been really hard. Aside from the whole “hundreds of ferocious dinosaurs out to eat you” thing, you had other cavemen stealing your women when you weren’t looking! For Joe & Mac though, such adversity wasn’t a problem; it was an excuse to kick some caveman tail. So great was their arcade anger, so powerful was their strength, that the duo found their way to several consoles, including the Genesis.
Disney’s Pinocchio
Virgin Games is a company most Genesis owners associate with mega hit Aladdin, David Perry’s masterpiece of animation and visual excellence. The company did indeed have a knack for recreating the Disney magic, and one of the more overlooked titles in its repertoire is Pinocchio. Decidedly easier and lower key than Aladdin and the Lion King, it nonetheless featured most of the elements that made those titles so great.
Socket
Success breeds imitation, they say. Sonic The Hedgehog undoubtedly inspired many a mascot to lace up his boots and dash to the right. Among the pack was Vic Tokai’s Socket, which manages to do everything needed to ooze mediocrity. It’s not a bad game on its own, but it’s entirely too derivative to stand out from the competition.
Hook (CD)
The story of Peter Pan has been around for over a century, and while everyone knows the classic Disney rendition, many have tried to put 1991’s “sequel” Hook out of their minds. Love it or hate it, it was a huge hit, telling the story of a grown up Peter who must return to Never Never Land to rescue his children from Captain Hook. In typical summer blockbuster fashion, it received a video game for several consoles. Sega fans had their hopes raised for the Sega CD version, expecting all kinds of goodness. Instead, they got the Genesis game with a CD soundtrack.