Fantasia

Also known as: Fantasia: Mickey Mouse Magic (Japan)

Developer: Infogrames

Fantasia isn't a very good platformer…the concept of the game is to score as many points as possible to get music to play after you complete a level. If you didn't get enough points, then you have to play that level on an endless loop until you do. If the gameplay was done well, that may not necessarily be a bad thing…but when you have to continuously play through a level with a very awkwardly-controlled Mickey Mouse, you'll likely want to power off the game and wish that those walking mops could use their magical cleaning powers and wipe this game from your memory. I get that they're different developers and publishers, but one would think that with the success of Castle of Illusion, which came out prior to Fantasia, that this would be a clone of some sort, with levels based on the various scenes from the Fantasia movie. You'd still have folks complaining about this game, since it would be more of the same, but at least it would be a playable game that was more of the same…instead of a major letdown for anyone that was optimistic about a Disney game after the success of Mickey's romp through the castle. Like that castle, though, one might say that any belief that this game is enjoyable would be an illusion.

Review added: 04/20/2025

Forgotten Worlds

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Sega

Forgotten Worlds was actually developed by Capcom in the arcade, but on the Genesis/Mega Drive version that I'm reviewing, Sega took the reins during development, similar to the Strider conversion that made its way to the Genesis from arcades. Much like with Strider, Sega did a pretty good job with the conversion, too, especially since the Genesis controller doesn't exactly emulate the controls of the arcade cabinet well. If you've never played Forgotten Worlds before, imagine a scrolling shooter where you can rotate your character and fire in all directions like in Asteroids…but without the propulsion physics found in Asteroids. It's a solid shooter that you can pick up and play to have some fun, but with the rotating aspect, it does take a little time to really feel like you're mastering the game. And the controls of this variation of the game take a little time to get used to as well. If you want a scrolling shooter that's not quite like the typical shooter that you'd come across, or if you’re a fan of the arcade game and just want a decent home port, then Forgotten Worlds is a good choice.

Review added: 12/06/2023