E.V.O.: Search for Eden

Also known as:  46 Okunen Monogatari - Harukanaru Eden e (Japan)

Developer: lmanic Corp.

I've always liked E.V.O…I first beat it in college roughly 20 years ago, and despite how much I liked it, I never returned to it until recently to review it for this website. The premise in Search for Eden is a unique one - you start off playing as a fish in the year 500,000,000 BC. As you defeat enemies, you gain experience points that allow you to evolve different parts of your body - like more ferocious teeth to increase damage, fins to make you swim faster, or scales to improve your defense. Eventually, you'll evolve into an amphibian and make your way onto land, then eventually a reptile to survive against dinosaurs, and finally a mammal, to survive the harsh winters of the Ice Age. While the game takes place over the span of millions of years, it only takes a handful of hours to beat, making it feel somewhat underwhelming considering how much time supposedly passes from beginning to end. The combat is action-based, and can feel a little awkward at times, but is mostly fine for what it is. A little more focus on the combat would have been nice, since you may be spending time grinding to get enough experience to evolve a specific body part…but you'll also get used to the combat as it is from doing that as well. Anyway, it's not a perfect game, but I've always liked the concept of E.V.O: Search for Eden. If the idea of playing through millions of years to evolve yourself into the top life-form on the planet sounds neat to you, then give E.V.O. a try, you may find yourself liking it like I did.

Review added: 12/29/2023

Earthbound

Also known as:  Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu (Japan)

Developer: Ape Studios

What can you say about Earthbound? I’ll tell you what I can say – I wish I had the correct reproductive organs to marry it and have its dang babies…That’s what I say. Earthbound is a great game with a fantastic sense of humor. The graphics aren't bad, but they're not gonna wow anyone, and the RPG gameplay was a little bit behind the times, but for people that like oodles and oodles of personality in their games, the positives of Earthbound greatly outweigh the negatives. I’ d dare say that it's worth the astronomical price that the game used to sell for. But thanks to recent digital releases on the Wii U, 3DS, and even the SNES Classic Mini, prices for the physical cartridge have drastically dropped to one third of what it was going for just a few years ago…it’s still in the triple digits, though, and worth every gosh darn penny as far as I’m concerned. If you’re looking for a memorable, oddball RPG to play, then look no further than Earthbound – you’ll be glad that you gave it a shot.

Review added: 08/15/2019

ESPN SpeedWorld

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Sony Imagesoft

I've never been a huge NASCAR fan, or fan of any racing, for that matter…but two of my closest friends are obsessed with the sport. So, when growing up, it was fairly common to go to their house and find this game plugged in. ESPN SpeedWorld isn't exactly a NASCAR fan's dream come true, but back then you only had a handful of options in terms of stock car games, and it was among the better options you had on consoles. Unfortunately, despite that, ESPN SpeedWorld is just barely passable, in my opinion, due to some iffy controls and gameplay that is often anything but exciting and fun...But, this game holds a special place in the hearts of my friends, even if it isn’t their favorite racing game of the 16-bit era. I think if you're a NASCAR fan, this game may be a guilty pleasure of yours as well, flaws and all.

Review added: 08/28/2019

Exertainment Mountain Bike Rally

Also known as:  Cannondale Cup (North America, original release)

Developer: Radical Entertainment

For those not in the know, the Exertainment games were created for what I consider to be one of the neatest video game peripherals ever made - an exercise bike. The bike acted as a controller and attached itself to your Super NES, allowing you to lose weight while enjoying some games. I've only come across one once...and the $800 price tag was a tad too rich for my blood. That said, if I ever get to try this game using the bike peripheral, my opinion on this game may change....But for now, Mountain Bike Rally (also known as Cannondale Cup prior to Life Fitness getting its mits on it) is a below-par racing game that really requires no skill. Sure, the playable characters are interesting, and you can brawl with the other racers like in Road Rash, but in the end, it doesn’t matter who you choose or what you do during a race. I literally just pressed the button to accelerate down and didn't bother turning - the game does the turning for you…probably because it’d be hard to turn an exercise bike, I guess. The game isn't horrible, but it's not good, either. The exercise bike may make things a little more fun, but if you're stuck with a standard controller, don't bother.

Review added: 02/17/2020