Shaq-Fu

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Delphine Software International

When Shaquille O’Neal first appeared, he was instantly a star. A behemoth of an athlete with a very likable personality—he just seemed destined to be a star. Considering that Shaq is still EVERYWHERE thirty years later, it just shows his longevity. Back in the mid-90s, he was everywhere too—the NBA, commercials, movies, and video games. Shaq wasn’t just in NBA video games, though. Eventually, he was cast as the main character in Shaq-Fu, a fighting game. Because of everything that Shaquille O’Neal is known for, martial arts has definitely got to be at the top of everyone’s list, right? Anyway, Shaq-Fu is notoriously bad, but not as bad as its reputation suggests. There are definitely worse fighting games out there. Heck, there are worse fighting games on every platform that Shaq-Fu was released on. That doesn't take away from the fact that Shaq-Fu is, indeed, bad. But I just point that out because Shaq-Fu does have some redeeming qualities like an interesting roster, nice graphics, and a creative take on the traditional arcade mode (labeled story mode here). Unfortunately, where it counts—the combat—it falls short. The end result is a fighting game that most people play for the novelty and nothing more.

Review added: 09/01/2019

Shining Force

Also known as: Shining Force: Kamigami no Isan (Japan)

Developer: Camelot Software Planning

Shining Force isn't perfect…but it contains the things that draw me to a game. You've got an odd cast of characters, plenty of those odd characters to discover and recruit, and a good sense of humor. The strategy combat is solid, and while it shows its age a bit today, it's still very playable. The developers also mess with you in the form of Jogurt…a joke character, who, if you're patient enough to try to level him up, you'll only discover that he's unable to level up and you've wasted your time. I, for one, always appreciate stuff like that. Beyond Jogurt, though, there's a pretty large cast of characters to recruit. Some of them join automatically, but many of them you've got to discover on your own…and if you've gotten a character to a high enough of a level, you can promote them to a higher class, making them even more powerful in the process…well, except for Jogurt, who is always Jogurt. Anyway, the story here isn't anything on a Final Fantasy level, but the gameplay, graphics, and audio all come together to create a very charming game that I think just about any RPG fan can enjoy, even with the so-so story to push you along. If you've never given it a try, I highly recommend giving it a shot. I bet you'll be glad that you did.

Review added: 02/04/2025

Shove It!...The Warehouse Game

Also known as:  Shijou Saidai no Soukoban (Japan)

Developer: NCS

Shove It! is a game in the Soukoban franchise…and despite most folks in North America never hearing of the franchise before, we've actually gotten a few games in the series ported over here in the west…though, they’ve generally had different names. Shove It! was the name of this one…because the Genesis had attitude, brother. Anyway, the concept of Shove It! is that you work in a warehouse and you're required to shove boxes into specific locations…and there's 160 levels of box-pushing. The end goal is to save up enough money to buy a fancy car to impress some shallow, money-hungry hussy…and it's likely that a car is needed because the fellow pushing the boxes is named Stevedore. I can't imagine that someone named Stevedore could get an attractive lady without the help of a fancy car…most likely, Stevedore will end up with a lady named Glennifer if you don't push those boxes, mister. And for those wondering, stevedore is actually a word that means a person employed to load and unload cargo from ships. His parents must have been psychic to name him that, considering the job he would later have. Anyway, I mentioned earlier that there's 160 levels…you don't need to play them all to beat the game. You've got 10 levels on each stage, and you can select any of the 10 levels to play. I found that if I started on the 8th level on each stage, by the time I completed the 10th level, I'd be moving on to the next stage. Still, though, even only playing through 20-30 levels to reach the ending, I was getting pretty bored by the time I saw Stevedore in his fancy car. That's not to say that this game is bad…I just found it to be tedious after a while. Still, if you're a fan of action-based puzzle games, you may find enjoyment in Shove It! If you're like me, you'll enjoy it for a little while, then feel like you'd rather be doing something else.

Review added: 03/15/2024

Sonic & Knuckles

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Sonic Team

Sonic & Knuckles wasn't just a new Sonic game, it felt like FOUR new Sonic games. Putting the Sonic & Knuckles cart in your Genesis allows you play Sonic & Knuckles, like it would any other game. The gimmick here, though, is that the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge has an opening on the top for another game cartridge to slide onto it. So, if you put another Sonic game in Sonic & Knuckles, you've got another "new" game. Put in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or 3 and you now have Sonic the Hedgehog 2 & Knuckles or Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, with the ability to play as Knuckles in those games. Unfortunately, while the original Sonic does work, it's not like the other two - instead of being able to play as Knuckles, you're given a seemingly endless number of bonus rounds to play on. It’s not as fun, but at least the developers gave us something. Thirty years later, I still think the idea and concept behind Sonic & Knuckles is really neat. Anyway, aside from the cool gimmick, Sonic & Knuckles is also a solid platformer in its own right. It's not as good as some of the other games in the series, but the ability to play as Knuckles isn't like when Tails joined Sonic in previous games - Tails played pretty much like Sonic. Knuckles has some unique moves, like the ability to glide and climb, that make playing as him feel like a whole new experience. That not only adds to the replay value of this game, making Sonic and Knuckles playthroughs both feel a little different, it also adds to the replay value of Sonic 2 and 3 if you decide to play through those games with the red echidna. If you like original Sonic trilogy and want a little more life out of them, then Sonic & Knuckles will give that to you, with a brand new adventure to enjoy as well.

Review added: 08/03/2024

Sonic the Hedgehog

Also known as:  Baramdori Sonic (South Korea)

Developer: Sonic Team

Sonic the Hedgehog was Sega's second attempt to compete with Mario (the first being Alex Kidd back on the Master System) and it was mostly successful. The blue hedgehog gained an extremely large following, which resulted in "What games are better: Mario or Sonic?" debates in schools around the world. Sonic came so very close, but was ultimately unable to surpass the pudgy plumber in overall popularity…I think the eventual switch to 3D gameplay in the industry, with Mario continuing to flourish and Sonic never really finding that same sense of speed in 3D, is what settled that debate once and for all. Anyway, Sonic was a major part in the Genesis being Sega's most successful console, and it also let Nintendo know that they had some serious competition in the market for the first time since the original NES hit store shelves. The game itself is fun as well. The sense of speed as you sprint through the levels mixed with some solid gameplay and level design all added up to equate to a great system seller and a must-play title on the Genesis. It wasn’t perfect, but it was still a very solid first outing for everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog.

Review added: 07/17/2019

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Also known as:  Baramdori Sonic 2 (South Korea)

Developer: Sonic Team

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the definition of a great sequel - bigger, better, improved visuals and sounds, and with familiar gameplay that is tweaked to be better than before. The addition of Tails introduced two-player gameplay to the series, which only added to the enjoyment level. Plus, as a kid, I always enjoyed Tails…and most of my friends always wanted to be Sonic, so it made it nice and easy for everyone to get what they wanted, when I had a friend over, without any debates required. The first Sonic the Hedgehog was good fun, and a very, solid start to the Sonic franchise. Some could argue that the level design was a little better in the first game, but this sequel is no slouch in the level design department, either. To this day, some still consider Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to be the best game in the series to date. I don't necessarily agree with that, my personal pick would be Sonic CD, but this is a VERY close second in my eyes. If you want to understand why Sonic vs. Mario debates took place throughout grade schools all over during the early 90’s, look no further than this gem. It is definitely one of the best 16-bit platformers ever created.

Review added: 07/25/2019

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Also known as:  Baramdori Sonic 3 (South Korea), Sonic 3 (Europe)

Developer: Sonic Team

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was bigger than Sonic 2 was, and had improved graphics and an awesome soundtrack…but for some reason, in the eyes of many, it just wasn't quite the same caliber that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was. I fall into that camp. That’s not to say that Sonic 3 isn’t a good game. It’s very good, in fact. It was just as fun as ever to not just speed through the levels, but also slow down a tad to wander and explore them for secrets. However, as good as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is, it didn't quite have the impact as Sonic 2 did on me, despite introducing Knuckles to the series and pretty much paving the way for Sonic & Knuckles to come in and innovate with physical add-on content. So, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a very good game, and still a solid platformer to hunt down for the Genesis, I consider it to be just short or being great. I also consider it to be the weakest game in the trilogy…but that’s like saying a brownie was the least good brownie of the three that you ate from that same pan. It may not have been a corner piece, but it’s still a brownie, and it’s still good. This is still a 2D Sonic the Hedgehog game, and it may not be a corner piece, but it’s still good.

Review added: 06/27/2021

Sparkster

Also known as:  Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 (Japan)

Developer: Konami

Rocket Knight Adventures did well enough to get this sequel on the Genesis, where they just use the name of the hero from the first game instead of calling it Rocket Knight Adventures 2…except for in Japan, where they’re smarter than us and added that to the name. Aside from the name change, Sparkster further sets itself apart from the first game by starting out with a giant mech battle…because I guess that's what opossums do when they've got a beef with another opossum. From there, you'll notice that this game is quite a bit longer than the original - it took me nearly double the time to beat it than the original took me. In my personal opinion, due to the increased length, Sparkster does feel like it starts to overstay its welcome after a while. The original game felt perfect in length…Sparkster is just a bit too long. If you can't get enough of playing as a sword-wielding opossum wearing a jet pack, though, then Sparkster also adds optional stuff to do, like hunting down the seven swords in the game to become Gold Sparkster…doing so isn't necessary to beat the game, but it gives you something extra to do if you find it opossum-ble to get enough of this game….that’s impossible using the word opossum, by the way. You got it and you weren’t amused?...Well, excuuuuse me. Anyway, overall, I feel like Sparkster was a slight step back from Rocket Knight Adventures, but not too much. Sparkster is still a fun, solid platformer in its own right and worth checking out if you enjoyed the original. Hopefully it won’t overstay its welcome for you like it did for me.

Review added: 12/27/2024

Splatterhouse 2

Also known as:  Splatterhouse Part 2 (Japan)

Developer: Now Production

Splatterhouse 2 seems extremely easy and boring at first...And at times, especially in the beginning, it can be. However, as you get near the end of the game, particularly at the frustrating final stretch of boss fights, this can become a pretty exciting and challenging game. You'll need some pretty quick reflexes, unless you're planning on using a lot of continues along your road to see the ending. That said, this game is better than the original Splatterhouse in just about every way – better graphics, better audio, better story, better gameplay - but still falls a little short in comparison to well-known, well-loved brawlers like Final Fight and/or Streets of Rage. If you enjoy the horror-themed setting of a brawler, though, then that probably won’t even matter to you. That novelty may be enough to win you over. If you’re looking for a horror game that doesn’t involve survival horror elements, and a gory, side-scrolling brawler sounds fun to you, then you may fall in love with Splatterhouse 2.

Review added: 10/22/2020

Splatterhouse 3

Also known as:  Splatterhouse Part 3 (Japan, South Korea)

Developer: Now Production

I like Splatterhouse 3, but it can be pretty difficult. Not because the game itself is difficult, but because the time limits placed on the game force you into putting yourself in harm's way more often than you probably would otherwise. You still control Rick, you're still working with a talking mask, but now you can transform into a hulking tank of a man to deal extra damage for limited amounts of time. You're also not brawling in a standard side-scrolling environment much of the time - you're often given multiple choices for what direction you should be heading in. I mentioned the time limit earlier, selecting the correct path is essential in completing the game and getting the best ending. That's not to say that it's game over if the time limit runs out - you just might see a bad fate for someone that Rick cares about if you don't make it to them in time. While I do enjoy this concept a lot, Splatterhouse 3 still feels like a step down from the previous games due to the fact that there are only a handful of environments to brawl in and only a handful of undead things to pummel, with many of them being the same model but with different colors. The game mechanics of getting multiple endings and memorizing a path to take rather than just brawling to the end of the level is definitely a big plus, but the repetitive nature of the brawler genre, mixed with the extra repetition added due to lack of enemy and environment designs, just drags Splatterhouse 3 down. That's not to say that you won't find fun here - a lot of people think that this is the best game in the series. Unfortunately, I don't happen to be one of them.

Review added: 10/15/2023

Streets of Rage

Also known as:  Bare Knuckle (South Korea), Bare Knuckle: Ikari no Tekken (Japan)

Developer: Sega

I recall having arguments with a friend and co-worker back in college over what brawler was better - Streets of Rage or Final Fight. He insisted that Streets of Rage was superior, while I believed that Final Fight was the better of the two. Since then, I've come to appreciate Sega's brawler a bit more. Granted, I still prefer the Arcade version of Final Fight to Streets of Rage, but the gap has closed considerably in terms of how much more I prefer to piledrive folks on the concrete as Mike Haggar vs. monkey flipping them to the concrete as Blaze Fielding. That said, I'm probably in the minority with that opinion - I think the general gaming public prefers Streets of Rage over Final Fight. Anyway, the brawling in Streets of Rage is pretty standard for the genre…beat people up, move forward in the screen, beat more people up, and repeat until you hit a boss battle. Like most brawlers, this can get repetitive after a while, but the action is done well enough where I didn’t feel the repetition kick in as quickly as I thought it would…though that annoying cutscene with the rocket launcher whenever you use a special went from “that’s cool” to “can’t I skip this?” pretty quickly. Streets of Rage was one of Sega's most beloved franchises during the days of the Genesis/Mega Drive...And a franchise that I think would be really neat to be revived in 3D, maybe in a style similar to Rockstar's The Warriors on Xbox and Playstation 2. But, if a revival never happens, the 16-bit brawlers are more than enough to put a smile on the face of any fan of the genre.

Review added: 02/18/2020

Streets of Rage 2

Also known as:  Bare Knuckle II (South Korea), Bare Knuckle II: Shitou no Chinkon Uta (Japan)

Developer: Sega

From what I've seen, Europe LOVES Streets of Rage 2...so I'm probably getting a lot of people angry with its score here. Retro Gamer, a magazine based in Europe, allowed its readers to vote to compile a list of the 25 best Genesis (or Mega Drive as it's known as over there) games of all-time a few years back...and this game appeared to have won the number one spot by a pretty large margin. While I don't believe that it's the best game on the system by any stretch (my choice, Gunstar Heroes, came in at number 3), it is a pretty good brawler all the same. In fact, it’s usually in the discussion for best side-scrolling brawler of all-time, with many people insisting that it is, indeed, number one. I’d put a few other brawlers in before Streets of Rage 2, honestly, but it’s still a solid brawler with a large fan base. Essentially, take the solid gameplay of Streets of Rage, improve on everything, and you’ve got Streets of Rage 2. A new game mode named “The Duel” is also added where you can battle against a friend…which is a nice idea, but it feels underwhelming. Honestly, if the Duel had been tweaked and played like a quality one-on-one fighting game, it would be an awesome extra mode….instead, it’s just there and I bet most folks will largely stay away from it. Anyway, if you’ve never played Streets of Rage 2, give it a try. You may wind up saying that I’m an idiot and joining the many that consider this to be not just the best brawler, but one of the best games of any genre - it ranked #18 in Retro Gamer’s “Top 100 Retro Games of All-Time” list, for example. In my opinion, though, it’s a very solid brawler that just falls short of being great.

Review added: 01/23/2022

Strider

Also known as:  Strider Hiryu (Japan)

Developer: Sega

Taking place in 2048, three entire continents have been wiped out and an evil fellow by the name of Meio, the Grand Master, succeeded in wiping out 80% of living creatures on the planet. Thankfully, there's a small, island called Moralos that acts as a secret training location for the Striders, the last defenders of the Earth…because they knew this would happen, I guess? Anyway, in this game you take control of Hiryu, the youngest man ever to reach the rank of A-class Strider, and hack and lash your way through the small European country of Kazafu, all the way to the Third Moon space station where Meio Is waiting for you. For those keeping track, we've got about 25 years before this calamity awaits us…so, you should probably do something productive until then…like ride a bike or learn how to cook pasta without it sticking to the bottom of the pot. Or since this is a solid game, you could just sit back and play this instead, battling giant robot gorillas and acrobatic female triplets on your way to saving the world. Anyway, Strider was praised when it came out on the Genesis due to it being pretty true to the arcade original. If you want to enjoy some hack and slash platforming from three decades ago, Strider still has a certain charm to it. Aside from all of the explosions that you'll create, the wacky bosses (some of which were already mentioned) help keep this game entertaining all the way until the credits roll.

Review added: 06/02/2022

Super Skidmarks

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Acid

From early games like Micro Machines to more modern games like the Dirt franchise, I almost always enjoy racing games from Codemasters. So, when I discovered this racing game, which never made its way outside of Europe, it immediately had me interested. Essentially, Super Skidmarks seems to be Codemasters' attempt at publishing its own variation of the Super Off-Road formula…but with a zoomed-in viewpoint, following the vehicles on the screen, instead of a zoomed-out viewpoint that sees the entire track like in the Super Off-Road games. Another difference is that you've got your choice of six different vehicles to race as (including a cow on wheels, like the box art suggests) instead of being stuck with just one vehicle type. There are also various environments and tracks to compete on, many of which are littered with various obstacles to prevent the racing from being too easy. The neatest part of this game, in my opinion, is that Codemasters, knowing that games like these are best played with multiple players, released this game in their J-cart cartridge. For those that don't know, a J-cart is a cartridge with two additional controller ports in it, essentially allowing players to races against three friends without any need to purchase a multitap. Super Skidmarks may not be the best racing game that Codemasters published, but it's good for what it is - entertaining, multiplayer racing.

Review added: 02/06/2022

Superman

Also known as:  Superman: The Man of Steel (Europe)

Developer: Thinking Rabbit

For such an invincible superhero, video game adaptations sure seem to be kryptonite to Superman, don't they? They're rarely an enjoyable experience to play through. Unfortunately, Superman on the Genesis follows that trend. In this poor brawler, you make your way through each stage to beat up a bad guy, then repeat the process all over again. Between the awkward brawling and the poor level designs, playing this game feels less like you're the Man of Steel and more like you're slipping on a banana peel…those descriptions rhymed, which is why I used them. Superman ain’t the only guy more clever than a locomotive, you know. I had more fun spending a few seconds coming up with those poor lines than I did playing through most of this game. Later on in the game, where it plays more like a scrolling shooter with Superman flying through the air, is a bit more fun than the rest of the game and brings the overall score up a bit in my eyes…but I have a hard time believing that most folks would stick with this game enough to get that far. It's a shame that most Superman games aren't very good…even if I can say, “It’s a bird! It’s a-lame! Its Superman!!”

Review added: 12/06/2023

Syd of Valis

Also known as:  SD Valis (Japan)

Developer: I.S.C.

Renovation Products picked a strange order to release the Valis games on the Genesis. First, they released Valis III. After a few months, they released the original Valis. Then, just to mess with everyone, a few months later, instead of releasing a port of Valis II, they released Syd of Valis, which was almost a parody of Valis II. So, they technically did release the first three Valis games, I suppose. Anyway, Syd of Valis replaces the serious story of Valis II and the graphical appearance of the previous games with a goofier variation of the story and a very cutesy look with super deformed characters and cartoony-style reactions from some of the folks in the game. Aside from those aspects, Syd of Valis also includes a system where Yuko can obtain outfits to change into that modify her stats, which is a nice addition. Despite not really being like the other Valis games, Syd of Valis is still a pretty solid and entertaining action game in its own right. Also, since it's so different from the other games, I feel like even if you've never played a Valis game before, you may find some enjoyment here. If you have, and you don't like it when games veer from a formula, though, you may not enjoy this alternate version of Valis II as much as I did.

Review added: 11/21/2023

Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Alexandria

I really want to like this game more than I do…I love Looney Tunes. I went to school for animation with the hopes of creating cartoons with zany characters having anvils dropped on their heads, so games like this are games that I automatically want to love…but sometimes, with games like this, the developers make it hard to like it. Cagey Capers, in concept is solid. Controlling Sylvester the cat, your goal is to chase down Tweety through the level and eventually catch the bobble-headed bird. This can be fun, and would be fun throughout the game, if it wasn't for controls that don't always make you feel like you're in control. Some of the platforming here requires you to be pretty precise…and that can feel unnecessarily difficult in this game…especially since miscalculating a leap from one platform to the next could result in you dropping down to the start of the level. The good of this game, however, is in the characters that you encounter, their animations, and the arsenal of weaponry that Sylvester has at his fingertips to allow him to catch that feathered fiend. Sometimes it can feel like you're interacting with a real cartoon…until the controls bring you back to reality. I like this game for what it is, and I think it's good enough to be passable, but if the controls had been fixed before release, I think this could have been a very, very good platformer…instead of just a barely passable one.

Review added: 08/03/2024