Genesis 3 button controller

As you might have surmised from the last post, I've gotten a sega cd. To get all of the cables necessary, I had to get one with a genesis attached. So today I've been going through and cleaning everything. The expansion port of the attached genesis was EXTREMELY oxidized. It took me about three hours to get it looking respectable. And I found out that the fuse in the sega cd was busted. My repairs are on hold as I wait for a fuse holder, but the system also came with two three button controllers. Growing up I always used a 6 button controller. Perhaps it's because my hands are bigger, but the three button feels so right and going back to the 6 button feels claustrophobic. However, the SNES has a much better layout for everything except fighters. The shoulder buttons just make sense. But, it's a bit unfair because the genesis came out in '89, when it's major competition was the NES and the Turbo-Grafx 16, both having two buttons. Still, I'd like to have a bigger 6 button.

32x vs. CD

I've been thinking about getting another system lately, and I've narrowed it down (mostly by price) to the 32x or Sega CD. I've wanted to get a 32x for a long time. During a time of mostly Japanese systems (sorry atari, the jaguar and 5200 don't count!), the 32x was a primarily American initiative. Sega's American development branch was HUGE! However, there are only really three games I want to play on it (knuckle's chaotix, tempo, and slaughter sport). The CD also has the advantage of not having copy protection. While I do intend on buying a majority of my games, it's nice to know that all those pesky imports are only a download away. The CD had a much larger library of games. There is a risk of needing to replace the fuse but that's a risk I'm willing to take!

Review: Donkey Kong Country

A couple of days ago I ordered Donkey Kong Country 2. It's made me reflect on the original.

The year was 1994, many gamers were questioning when the 16-bit era would end. The Saturn was on it's way, and the 32x and Playstation had already arrived. It seemed that the Super Nintendo was on it's way out. However, some, including Sega's own Tom Kalinske, thought that, while it would no longer be the primary market, 16 bit games still could be sold at a reasonable price. Nintendo followed this policy where Sega did not. Nintendo did many things, such as release the super nintendo 2.0, the fx chip, etc... However no release exemplifies this strategy more than Donkey Kong Country. Rare, arguably the best British developer of all time or at least the 80's through the 90's, used pre-rendered graphics to try to compete with the newer 32 bit systems. This amazed gamers at the time as seen in the "Donkey Kong Country: Exposed" promo. This was the first Donkey Kong game not produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and he seemed to have a grudge at the time. He has been quoted as saying "Donkey Kong Country proves that players will put up with mediocre gameplay as long as the art is good." Miyamoto was in the process of making Yoshi's Island (SMBW2) and was under a lot of pressure to make that game look as "realistic" as DKC. It's interesting to see that even in the early 90's, game designers were still forced to adapt to some consumers ideal of realism versus creating their own ascetics. This divide seems to still lie along the lines of western versus Japanese developers.

Anyways, Miyamoto must have been playing the japanese version, which was modified to be easier (I really want to get a copy to see how much easier), because the game play is solid. It is very similar to mario, except jumping on enemies will launch you upward. This mechanic combined with barrels that launch you across the screen, provided interesting platforming opportunities for your pleasure! This game is damn tough and requires precision. But Donkey Kong Country is fair, and you'll be returning for more punishment again and again.

5 stars out of 5

Introduction

Hello,

I've decided to start writing videogame reviews. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and it seemed like a good idea. It still seems like a good idea! Anyways, before I start reviewing , I need to lay down some context.

First off, I only have a nes, snes, and a genesis at my apartment, so I'll only be reviewing games for those systems unless I get more (most likely sega cd, 32x, or turbographx 16). I've had all of these systems since childhood so there's a lot of familiar games, however recently been hitting up flea markets, amazon, ebay, etc...

My favorite genres include platformers, rpgs, and action games. I don't really care for sports or strategy.

All of the reviews will be on a five start rating system. In order to provide some meaning, I've selected a couple of NES games of the various ratings.

5 stars -- Mega Man 2
This game is great. The action is satisfying, the difficulty is just right, and nothing is out of place. It improves on the original in so many ways: the password system, 8 bosses, and now you get to see Wily's castle. All of the bosses are original, and their levels are just as well designed. Sure there are a lot of gimmicks, but that's what makes it fun.

4 stars -- Willow
The graphics are the first thing that stands out on this nice Action Rpg. The controls are tight, but my main issue is with the leveling, specifically level 16. This game requires quite a bit of grinding to win but, if you die, you'll go back to your last level, except for level 16. Even if you put in the time to getting to the highest level, if you die, it's back to level 15. It is nearly impossible to defeat the final boss with the the magic points required: you shoot these bubbles and to win you can only miss three times. Despite of this flaw, I would still recommend it.

3 stars -- Kiwi Kraze
I initially picked this one up due to an online video. This game has also been ported to the Genesis as well, although I've never played it. The graphics are pretty standard for the release date (1989), but the gameplay doesn't impress. You shoot arrows to attack your various enemies. The goal is to free a member of your bird bretheren at the end of each level. The setting and music are interesting, but overall it's not great, but not bad.

2 stars -- Bible Adventures
The wisdom tree games have strangely endeared themselves to me. I know the controls are slippery, the goals are arbitrary and often repetitive, and the music is bad and extremely repetitive. But it's the ultimate party challenge: can YOU beat David and Goliath? Also, most wisdom tree games were written in C instead of assembly. This method was never really popular, but it is starting to gain traction among the homebrew community. I wouldn't recommend this game, but there is some appeal out there.

1 star -- Golf
There is nothing I like about this game. There is no music and trying to set meters is not my idea of fun. Nothing makes sense, and I wouldn't bother playing it.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading. I haven't decided what I want to review next. But if you keep reading, you'll find out!