Pac-In-Time

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Atreid Concept SA

I don't think I ever really gave Pac-In-Time a fair shot in the past. I think I picked it up, played for a few minutes, got bored and moved on. Now that I've put some more time into it, I can say that while Pac-In-Time isn't exactly a must-play platformer, it's a decent one for what it is. The goal of Pac-In-Time is to control Pac-Man as he platforms his way through various levels, collecting all of the pellets in the stage before being able to open the door to leave. To collect the pellets, you can obtain powers by jumping through hoops, literally, and depending on the color of the hoop, you'll get a different power. On hoop will allow Pac-Man to throw fireballs while another will give Pac-Man a grappling hook so he can attach to ceilings above him and swing around like Tarzan and other hoops provide other skills or powers, like swinging a large hammer or being able to swim underwater. You've got to use these powers to make your way to the end of each level, which helps prevent this platformer from getting too dull. The downside, of course, is the need to collect ALL pellets in a level to advance. While it makes sense given that's how you complete a level in the original Pac-Man, if you're throwing away the rest of the Pac-Man formula to make this game, maybe you could disregard that part as well - making your way to the end of the level to find that you missed a single pellet and thar you now have to go backwards and try to figure out where you missed it isn't fun. Collecting all pellets as an optional goal that you could get rewarded for would be nice, but collecting them all as a requirement to advance on isn't. Overall, though, if you like 2D platformers, I think you'll find something to like here if you give Pac-In-Time a chance.

Review added: 11/16/2022

Parodius

Also known as:  Parodius Da! Shinwa kara Owarai he (Japan)

Developer: Konami

Parodius, known as Parodius Da! In Japan, was never released in North America, but Europe was lucky enough to see it reach their shores. Basically, Parodius is a scrolling shooter parody of Konami's own scrolling shooter franchise, Gradius, and due to that, it plays very much like Gradius does…except you can control an octopus or penguin while you shoot down the large assortment of colorful enemies and bosses that you'll be attacking. You've got four "ships" to choose from, each with their own powers, and like in Gradius, your goal is collect power-ups that some enemies drop to power-up various aspects, like speed, your missiles, shields, etc. Beware of the !? Power-up, though. That actually removes all power-ups and puts you back to square one…useful, I suppose, if you want to show off and beat the game with as little power-ups as possible. Anyway, I've always really enjoyed the goofiness of the Parodius series…it's mostly just Gradius with more color and personality. For folks like me, emulating the gameplay of a very solid shooter and jamming it full of personality is all you really need to make this a worthwhile scrolling shooter to pop in every now and then. The gameplay may not be original, but the content sure is.

Review added: 05/23/2024

Pieces

Also known as:  Jigsaw Party (Japan)

Developer: Prism Kikaku

I've never really been a huge jigsaw person…I used to do jigsaw puzzles with my grandma because she enjoyed them…but I wasn't really ever a fan. So, it's probably natural that I never really thought that I'd like this game, which appears to be an interactive jigsaw puzzle at first glance. However, Pieces has a twist to it - you're competing against someone. Both you and your opponent are piecing together the same three jigsaw puzzles. The first one to complete all three wins and advances on to battle the next opponent. Playing in single player, you'll find yourself battling against some colorful characters, my favorite being the Delinquent Boar…who is a delinquent because he's riding a scooter without a helmet and wearing sunglasses, it seems. If you manage to beat all of your opponents, you're rewarded with watching them fly off into space…for reasons that the manual doesn't explain - the "story" in the manual is actually a sales-pitch to get you to play the game that you've already got possession of if you're reading the manual. Anyway, this competitive take on putting together a jigsaw puzzle can be entertaining at times, and there's a variety of power-ups to use that can benefit you and hinder your opponent to a little more entertainment to the game as well. Pieces isn't a perfect puzzle game, but it's definitely passable. If you'd like to try a puzzle game that's a little different than what you may be used to, then it may be worth giving this game a chance…it may be the missing "Pieces" to that puzzle.

Review added: 03/09/2025

The Pirates of Dark Water

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Sunsoft

When I was a kid, I remember watching the Pirates of Dark Water cartoon every week. Since then, however, I don’t think I ever gave the franchise a single thought. Popping this in, I couldn’t remember character names, personalities…I couldn’t remember a thing aside from the name of the show. Now that I’ve played it a bit, I can say that if the cartoon is like the game, it’s easy to see why I couldn’t remember…because this game shows promise in the initial few minutes, but grows old and repetitive in a hurry. As I write this, I have the game on pause, on the 4th level…I’m only halfway through the game and I’m not sure if I want to force my way through to the end. The combat in this brawler is interesting enough…you have weak attacks, strong attacks, and a special move that damages every enemy in range but also damages your health a tad. So, there’s a decent variety in your moveset…however, the enemies are mostly slow and the levels seem to just go on without end, so even with a good variety of attacks at your disposal, when you face wave after wave of the same enemies (though, they do actually toss in unique enemies every now and then, to be fair) you’ll likely find yourself getting bored pretty quickly. If you like brawlers, you might like this game…just be aware of the repetition if you plan on making your way to the end.

Review added: 06/23/2020

Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Dark Technologies

Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday isn't what it sounds like...Any "holiday" like this needs to be abolished and wiped from the calendar…unless by “holiday” they mean vacation, in which case, I’d rather go back to work. This game is incredibly boring with zero difficulty for people patient enough to observe their surroundings before making sudden movements...And that includes the boss fights, which are some of the easiest that I've ever experienced. I understand that the game was likely designed for children, but I can’t imagine that any child above, maybe, a 2nd grade level would be entertained enough by the lack of challenge here. The levels are bland and boring, the soundtrack is equally bland and boring, the visuals actually aren’t bad at all…but one positive in a sea of negatives isn’t anything to gloat over. The game as a whole is just a disappointment. It’s like the developers took a page out of Porky Pig’s book and stuttered their way through creating this game. After a few minutes playing, you’ll likely be saying, “Abadee, abadee, abadee, that’s all folks!!” and turning this game off.

Review added: 02/17/2020

Power Piggs of the Dark Age

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Radical Entertainment

In the 90's, with the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, there was a mad dash for folks to create their own group of animal heroes (all with long, complex names) in an effort to spin them off into a cash cow like TMNT continues to be to this day. Supposedly (I could not find evidence to confirm this) the Power Piggs were pitched as a cartoon as well…and the graphics in this game may suggest that. While not great, the animations of the characters are done well, and Radical Entertainment does a decent job of making it feel like you're playing an interactive cartoon at times…but that's really where my compliments stop. The platforming is not very well done - it's bland and you don't always feel like you're in complete control of your character. The combat is equally awkward, with poor hit detection. So, what you wind up with is a game that has a little bit of charm and character to it that simply isn't fun to play. While it's not the worst platformer on the SNES, there are so, so many better platformers out there that I can't imagine that anyone would really have a reason to play this…unless they like to punish themselves…or they just enjoy pigs wielding medieval weapons, regardless of how poorly they control.

Review added: 09/10/2024

Psycho Dream

Also known as:  Dream Probe (North America - cancelled)

Developer: Riot

Psycho Dream is a unique hybrid of a side-scrolling hack-n-slash with minor platforming elements tossed in along with a power-up system that you'd typically find in a scrolling shooter. The power-up system, like how it affects the game in a scrolling shooter, can make traversing levels and completing boss fights either fairly easy or frustratingly difficult, depending on how powered-up you are. If you happen to get hit enough times while fully powered, you'll revert back to your original powers, and especially in later levels, it can take a lot of time and patience to get yourself back into fighting form without dying first…and there is only one life here, so when you die, it's game over. That high difficulty may turn off a lot of players, which is a shame because Psycho Dream has some of the more beautiful visuals available on the Super Famicom, and the boss fights are mostly entertaining, if you can survive them. Psycho Dream isn't perfect, though…some iffy hit detection at times can be annoying when you're slashing through things in an effort to power-up. Some areas in the game also require a LOT of patience. Rushing through will almost certainly result in death. That's fine, but those particular areas feel a bit boring…I'm not saying they should throw enemies in there to increase the difficulty further, but if I've got waves of fire shooting out of the floor and ceiling that I need to avoid, it's not fun hacking away at something, one hit every few seconds, when it takes multiple hits….especially when you've got over half a dozen of thosse somethings in front of you. But anyway, if you're looking for a challenge and want to see some pretty nice SNES visuals, then Psycho Dream may be a game that you grow fond of. I sure did.

Review added: 01/28/2024