Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist

Also known as: Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Europe), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Return of the Shredder (Japan)

Developer: Konami

The Hyperstone Heist may not technically be Turtles in Time…but it honestly does feel like a clone of the beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. Sure, it's got a different story and different levels…but it largely feels like the same game. Because of that, if you've already played the previous two TMNT arcade brawlers, this game feels almost like a lazy sequel. An entertaining lazy sequel, but a lazy sequel all the same. That said, if you only had a Sega Genesis as a kid, and had no access to the arcade games, then I could definitely see you absolutely falling in love with this game. It's not technically bad by any stretch - it controls fine and plays well. My only real gripe, as I said, is the lack of much originality. If there were new gameplay mechanics or features, it would have gone a long way. Instead, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist simply feels like a Sega version of Turtles in Time…and honestly, if they were going to clone the game that heavily, I'm not entirely sure why they didn't just port Turtles in Time over and be done with it. Anyway, despite my complaints that made me sound like a broken record, if you like the other 8 and 16-bit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, you'll probably like the Hyperstone Heist as well.

Review added: 08/18/2023

Thunder Pro Wrestling Retsuden

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Human Entertainment

Thunder Pro Wrestling Retsuden was basically an attempt to bring the Fire Pro Wrestling games to the Genesis/Mega Drive…but without them being Fire Pro Wrestling. So Human Entertainment removed Fire and put another element in its place and made some minor tweaks to make it less Fire and more Thunder. The gameplay here is similar to Fire Pro Wrestling in that people who simply mash buttons probably won’t be winning too many matches. Thunder Pro Wrestling isn’t anything like the WWF Genesis games where the winner of a grapple is determined by who gets carpal tunnel from mashing buttons first. Instead, it’s all about timing. If your timing is good, your move is successful. If it’s bad, then your opponent is gonna likely hurl you across the ring instead. Like the Fire Pro games, Thunder Pro has a roster full of unlicensed, re-named, but pretty-clear-who-they-are wrestlers, allowing players to have the Jushin Liger vs. Bam Bam Bigelow match that they had always dreamed of. This game was supposed to be released in North America as Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s Wrestling Superstars (found elsewhere on this site) but that game, despite sharing nearly all of the visuals here, is much more simplistic and far more easier, so I’ve decided to split them up into two separate games and entries. Anyway, if you want a challenge and much more strategic and rewarding gameplay, then stick with Thunder Pro. If you don’t care about any of that and you just want to win all of your matches within a minute or two, then track down the never-released Jesse Ventura variation.

Review added: 01/27/2022

ToeJam & Earl

Also known as:  Horiwa Ttungi (South Korea)

Developer: ToeJam & Earl Productions

ToeJam & Earl is one of those games where you either get why people like it, or you don't. I'll admit, for a while, I was one that just didn't get it. Part of that was a combination of not really spending a lot of time with it and never really playing it in two player mode with a friend. I'll try to explain the best I can in this little bit of space I've got. In this game, exploration is basically what it's all about. Many of the levels are randomly generated, so every playthrough will be different from the last, and the locations of the ship parts that ToeJam and Earl are looking for will also be different. As you search for those parts, you'll also be trying to avoid bizarre enemies while picking up any gifts that you're able to find, and also picking up food to restore (or harm) your health. The gameplay, for the most part, tends to be relaxing while you explore each level to find what you're looking for. The real fun, though, is playing with a friend, with both of you searching each level before meeting up in the elevator to reach the next area…or going in separate elevators and going to different levels at the same time if you're trying to be efficient and finish the game as fast as possible. ToeJam & Earl isn't for everyone, but I think that it will win over most people who are willing to put some time into it to understand what to do. It's not about instant gratification…it's about exploring, avoiding odd enemies, and finding items in an enjoyable, but relaxing way. It's a game that I return to on and off when I just want to wander around and see 90's slang on my television screen.

Review added: 12/27/2024

Tommy Lasorda Baseball

Also known as:  Super Baseball League (South America), Super League (Japan, Europe)

Developer: Sega

I'll be honest - I was not expecting much here, and I wound up being very pleasantly surprised. Tommy Lasorda Baseball has smooth gameplay and nice visuals…and for the most part, this is a very fun, easy-to-play game of digital baseball. Unfortunately, it lacks licensing, so no real teams...But hey, the Milwaukee Brewers pretty much had their logo unchanged in here, so for me being from that region of the United States, that's pretty sweet. Gameplay-wise, I mentioned that it was easy to play…to me, the controls made sense and I didn’t really have any issues figuring out how to do what I needed to do. For some people, however, they have some difficulty with figuring out how to do things. As a result, they perceive the game itself as being difficult, but I just don’t see that, personally. I feel like the challenge is just right – not too easy, but not too hard. Anyway, if you're just looking for a solid, old-school baseball game on your Sega Genesis that you can pop in and play without all the bells and whistles of games from the sport today, then Tommy Lasorda Baseball is a very solid option.

Review added: 07/07/2019