ÜÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÜ ÜÛÜ ÛÛÛÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜ ÛÛÛÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÜ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛßÛßÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ßÛÛÛß ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ ßÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÜ ÜÛÜ ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛßÛßÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ßÛÛÛß ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ R A T I N G S A N D R E V I E W S ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ (c) Copyright 1994-1995 by Stefan Hauschildt ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Version 2.20 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Last updated on April 22nd, 1995 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Excellent - ##### ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Good - #### ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ OK - ### ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Poor - ## ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Very Bad - # ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹ ºS o u n d - Sound stands for music and sound effects. The review on sound º º is not based on what I like, it refers to the quality of the sounds. º ºG r a p h i c - Graphic refers to if you can see everything well (i.e. the º º used font mustn't be too small), if you can see what your character does º º and, of course, if the game is well animated. º ºP l a y a b i l i t y - Playability refers to if you can control your º º character well, if the game is not too difficult (based on my expert º º gaming experience ;-)) and if you have enough lives and/or continues to º º get through the game. º ºA L T O G E T H E R - ALTOGETHER stands for the fun you'll have with your º º game. º ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹ ºA NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: º º Hi, and welcome to the newest version of Game Gear Ratings And Reviews. º ºWhat's new? Well, this shows all the upgrades of this text: Version 1.00 - º ºRatings only, 30 games. Version 2.00 - Reviews of all the games, 31 games. º ºVersion 2.20 - Similar to version 2.00, but I added this note |-) and 7 º ºmore games, so there are now 38 games, and I looked at the whole file º ºagain, finding some errors which I corrected. º º I hope this helps you to select the right games for your Game Gear! And, º ºby the way, isn't that a cool ASCII logo up there? Hint: Don't look at º ºthis file in Windows! All the graphical characters that can only be typed º ºby using the ALT-Key and a combination of numbers (as used in the logo and º ºthe frame around this text) really don't look as they should in Windows! º º If you've enjoyed this file (or you haven't), your comments are welcome. º ºContact 100272,617 (That's my father's User ID. I have a PC, but no modem, º ºthat's why you can't contact me directly.). º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ A E R I A L A S S A U L T Sound - ###-#### Graphic - ###-#### Playability - ####-##### Type - Shooting Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ####-##### You have an aircraft and fly through various levels. Items that you collect increase speed and weapon and shield power. A boss has to be defeated at the end of each level. It is fun to play, but there is one thing: Each time you lose a ship, you also lose the bonus items you carefully collected. A X B A T T L E R Sound - ### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Role-Play / Fighting Specials - Password ALTOGETHER - ###-#### The King of a fantasy-land wants you to bring back the Golden Axe. You visit towns, fight enemies while you travel and jump through jump 'n' run levels. The password option is quite useful, I think it would really be hard without that. In the towns you can listen to some people talking and learn to use special powers. C A S T L E O F I L L U S I O N S T A R R I N G M I C K E Y M O U S E Sound - ##### Graphic - ####-##### Playability - ##### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ##### You play Mickey Mouse! Minnie has been captured by an evil witch, so you have to fight your way through some excellent jump 'n' run levels. The monsters in the levels are easy to fight, but often it takes a long time to find out how to fight a boss. But that's really alright. Practise and you will suceed! C H U C K R O C K Sound - # (only sound effects) Graphic - ### Playability - ###-#### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - Password ALTOGETHER - ### You are a Stone Age Man and have to rescue your wife. Pick up stones to make your way through the levels and kill some mad dinosaurs. But all this has to be done without music! Use your CD-Player to hear other music, playing the game only with sound effects is boring! C O L U M N S Sound - ##### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Strategy Specials - 2 Player Mode ALTOGETHER - #### Blocks of Stones fall down. Each block consists of three stones. Each of the stones has its own color. Bring three stones together that have the same color and they will disappear (Oh, it's so silly to write this, everybody knows!). C R Y S T A L W A R R I O R S Sound - #### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Strategy / Role Play Specials - 2 Player Mode, Battery Backup ALTOGETHER - ####-##### You control Princess Iris, who has a crystal which the bad guys want, and some fighters among her. You fight against evil fighters. You always play battles in map view, where you control your fighters, and in the next round the Gear plays its evil fighters, and so on. If you win, you go to a city where are shops and new fighters to hire, and then you go to the next battle. D E E P T R O U B L E D U C K S T A R R I N G D O N A L D D U C K Sound - ####-##### Graphic - #### Playability - ####-##### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ####-##### This is the sequel to "The Great Dime Caper", also starring Donald Duck. And, as you might have expected, it's better! Uncle Scrooge has been cursed by an old golden amulet he had taken away from an island. Donald now must bring it back so that his uncle won't be cursed anymore. Donald is now animated much better and, somehow, it's simply more fun to play! D E F E N D E R S O F O A S I S Sound - ##### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Role Play Specials - Battery Backup ALTOGETHER - #### The dark forces in this fantasy-world rise again. Let other men join your party and you will find it easier to fight all the monsters. Buy better equipment in the shops and talk to other people. You don't even need a pass- word, you can save up to three games on the cartridge! D E V I L I S H Sound - ##### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Action Specials - None ALTOGETHER - #### You control two platforms that take an invincible ball through some levels. Make the ball destroy common enemies and level bosses, and do all this before time-out. The game concept is taken from the brick and block games on the early video game consoles (There are also lots of these games for Windows!). D R A G O N C R Y S T A L Sound - #### Graphic - #### Playability - ### Type - Role Play Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ### You have to fight your way through 30 fantasy-levels. Pick up weapons, magic books and armor. The further you get, the harder the enemies are to kill. Each level is covered with trees (or other things) and you need to discover what's behind them. They're like fog that disappears if you touch it, and some remain at their positions as walls (Man, this is hard to describe!). E C C O T H E D O L P H I N Sound - #### Graphic - ##### Playability - #### Type - Action / Adventure Specials - Password ALTOGETHER - ####-##### Ecco's family disappeared and he has to find them. In each level, there are evil fish to kill, friendly fish to eat and secrets to find out with the help of your sonar. When Ecco needs air to breathe, he can jump out of the water, which looks pretty realistic. Ecco is animated excellently, and you can also control him quite well. F A C T O R Y P A N I C Sound - ### Graphic - ##-### Playability - ### Type - Strategy Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ### You play a boy that broke into a factory to bring food to the people. Let assembly lines take the food to the people, but be sure they get what they want because each of them only takes one certain kind of food! And don't let the guard catch you! F A N T A S Y Z O N E Sound - ##### Graphic - ##### Playability - #### Type - Shooting Specials - None ALTOGETHER - #### You fly a spaceship through fantasy-levels. Shoot the enemies to collect money. Buy upgrades for your ship in shops that sometimes appear. It's all fun, but it's hard to kill the bosses. It's not so good that you lose your upgrades when you're killed. G - L O C A I R B A T T L E Sound - #### Graphic - ### Playability - #### Type - Flight Simulator Specials - 2 Player Mode ALTOGETHER - ###-#### This is a real flight simulator for the Game Gear. You can select a mission and then kill all the enemies you have to. There are airplanes, helicopters, tanks and battle ships that want to destroy you. When you finish a level, you can buy armor, fuel and missiles. Though you only have one live, they can't kill you easily. The graphics are very simple, but that's alright. H O M E A L O N E Sound - ### Graphic - ### Playability - #### Type - Adventure / Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ###-#### Know the movie? Your parents went on holiday and left you home alone! Save the houses in your neighborhood from the "Wet Bandits"! Jump around in the houses and collect items to build weapons that hurt the bandits. Outside, follow their car so you'll be the first in the house they want to loot next. Lay traps and shoot them with your self-made weapons until the police arrives! K R U S T Y ' S F U N H O U S E Sound - ###-#### Graphic - #### Playability - ###-#### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - Password ALTOGETHER - ### Rats got into Krusty's Fun House! Pick up stones to build ways that take them into traps. Collect extra items, find secret bonus levels and write down the passwords (the passwords are names of people from the Simpsons' town Spring- field). L A N D O F I L L U S I O N S T A R R I N G M I C K E Y M O U S E Sound - ##### Graphic - ##### Playability - ##### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ##### Mickey Mouse is back! He fights enemies in various levels to get to the Phantom's castle. Use your head to find secret passages and to defeat the level bosses. Shrink in size, climb walls, swim underwater, and receive gifts from other Disney-Stars (Also starring in this great game). L E M M I N G S Sound - ##### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Strategy Specials - 2 Player Mode, Password ALTOGETHER - #### A well-known computer game, now on the Game Gear. Give your lemmings special abilities like building bridges and digging holes to find the way out of the level. In each level, another number of your 20 lemmings has to be rescued. A password is available for each level. M O R T A L K O M B A T Sound - ###-#### Graphic - ##### Playability - ####-##### Type - Fighting Specials - 2 Player Mode ALTOGETHER - ##### Fight! Choose between six different fighters, each with different special moves. Beat the others, beat two in a row and kill the two Mortal Kombat "masters" with your awesome Fatality! Also use the "Bloody Code" to add blood to your game! Excellent! M O R T A L K O M B A T I I Sound - ###-#### Graphic - ##### Playability - ####-##### Type - Fighting Specials - 2 Player Mode ALTOGETHER - ##### Fight again! This game is really almost the same as the first Mortal Kombat. But, now you can choose between eight fighters, it is already bloody and you don't need to fight two in a row anymore. That makes it easier to win, sometimes even too easy. And, there are new Special Moves and Fatalities. After all, there's nothing really new. O L Y M P I C G O L D Sound - #### Graphic - ###-#### Playability - #### Type - Sports Specials - 1-4 Players on 1 Game Gear ALTOGETHER - #### Take a challenge in seven different sports including running, swimming and archery. Use the training mode to practise and choose what kinds of sports you want to take part in. Be 1st, 2nd or 3rd, and let your national anthem be played. O U T R U N Sound - #### Graphic - ###-#### Playability - ####-##### Type - Driving Simulation Specials - 2 Player Mode ALTOGETHER - #### Drive a Ferrari in a car race. There are sceneries from around the world. But watch your time! You always have to drive with full speed and you shouldn't have a crash more than +/- three times! At the end of each level, you can choose what level you want to enter next. P O P I L S Sound - #### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Strategy Specials - Battery Backup ALTOGETHER - #### You, the prince, have to rescue a princess. There are 100 levels. In each of them you have to find a way to rescue the princess who waits at another place in the level. Find a way to the princess by breaking stones and killing slimes and bats. Once you've completed a level, it's finished forever (The battery backup is very useful!)! P S Y C H I C W O R L D Sound - #### Graphic - ### Playability - ###-#### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ###-#### Rescue your sister! Discover different levels and collect new weapons and other special items. Shoot the enemies and some level bosses. Keep an eye on your ESP power which, for example, will enable you to get invincible for a certain time. R O B O C O P V E R S U S T H E T E R M I N A T O R Sound - ### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Jump 'N' Run / Shooting Specials - None ALTOGETHER - #### The future: The Skynet CPU rules the world and it's up to RoboCop to destroy the CPU. Collect more powerful weapons than your pistol, the best one is the rocket launcher, and kill the bad guys and Terminators using them! While RoboCop is walking or jumping, he can shoot at almost any direction. RoboCop, our hero, is pretty well animated, and so are most of the enemies. S H I N O B I Sound - ##### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Adventure / Jump 'N' Run / Fighting Specials - None ALTOGETHER - #### You are the red ninja and have to rescue four other ninjas. Slice the enemies and use each ninja's special power to let some cool things happen. Each ninja has his special weapon. The final level is almost as extensive as all the previous levels together! Now go get 'em! S H I N O B I I I : T H E S I L E N T F U R Y Sound - ##### Graphic - #### Playability - ####-##### Type - Adventure / Jump 'N' Run / Fighting Specials - Password ALTOGETHER - ####-##### The red ninja is back again! He has to rescue the other four again. The abilities of each ninja are improved compared to the first game, also the graphics look better. What's also good about it: You may walk through a level again to collect the bonus items you didn't get the first time. S O N I C T H E H E D G E H O G Sound - ##### Graphic - #### Playability - ####-##### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ##### If jump 'n' run has a name, it must be Sonic The Hedgehog! Use your spin attack to kill the enemies and collect rings to gain points. Destroy monitors to run faster and to get invincible. Cool levels, nice soundtrack! But that's not all: There are also some pinball-style bonus levels where you may collect lives and continues! S O N I C T H E H E D G E H O G I I Sound - ##### Graphic - ####-##### Playability - ####-##### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ##### Sonic passes through some new levels to catch the evil Doctor Ivo Robotnik! Better graphics than in the first game and some cool tunes will keep you playing it all day. Secret code for level select available! Many new features like running loopings and gliding through the skies! S T A R W A R S Sound - ##### Graphic - ###-#### Playability - #### Type - Jump 'N' Run / Adventure Specials - None ALTOGETHER - #### The movie saga as a jump 'n' run on your Game Gear! Being Luke, find R2-D2, C3P-O, Obiwan Kenobi, Han Solo and Princess Leia to let them give you hints or to let one of them be the jumping and running team leader! You're also able to fly Han Solo's Millenium Falcon or an X-Wing to destroy the Death Star! Huge game, there are tons of levels! S T R E E T S O F R A G E Sound - ##### Graphic - ###-#### Playability - #### Type - Fighting / Jump 'N' Run Specials - 2 Player Mode ALTOGETHER - #### Choose one character, Axel or Blaze, and fight the brawlers on the street. Perform some killing power slams, some jump kicks and many punches to clean the streets! Pick up special items like bombs, knifes and pipes to smack them! What are you waiting for? S T R E E T S O F R A G E 2 Sound - ##### Graphic - #### Playability - ####-##### Type - Fighting / Jump 'N' Run Specials - 2 Player Mode ALTOGETHER - ####-##### Axel and Blaze are back with a new companion, Skate! They once again have to clean up the streets. The graphics are enhanced, and now, there are 14 special moves for each player that have to be discovered! New Items, new standard moves! Don't hesitate to get this one! S U P E R C O L U M N S Sound - #### Graphic - ###-#### Playability - #### Type - Strategy Specials - 2 Player Mode ALTOGETHER - #### This game has the same rules as Columns (Look at the Columns review to get them). But, there are new ways to play, you can play it in Normal mode, in an enhanced Flash mode (get the flashing stone(s) away) or in the Story mode where you play against the Computer (or should I say the Gear?). There are also new special stones which, for example, flip the stones upside down. T H E L U C K Y D I M E C A P E R S T A R R I N G D O N A L D D U C K Sound - ###-#### Graphic - ### Playability - #### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ###-#### Another Disney jump 'n' run. Donald has to rescue his nephews, get some dimes back and finally defeat the evil witch! It's quite a good game, but not as excellent as the (yet) two Mickey Mouse games. When you kill an enemy, a diamond appears instead of him, but you can't pick it until it reached the floor. This game's not as perfect as the Mickey Mouse games. T H E S I M P S O N S : B A R T V S . T H E S P A C E M U T A N T S Sound - ### Graphic - ### Playability - ## Type - Jump 'N' Run / Adventure Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ## Don't buy this! It's so damn hard to play! You, Bart, have to protect Spring- field from some aliens. In the first level, you have to spraypaint or remove all the purple objects. Any time you want to use one of your items, you have to push the D-button and another button simultaneously. That, for example, is something which is hard to do in this game. I didn't ever get past level one! T H E S I M P S O N S : B A R T V S . T H E W O R L D Sound - ### Graphic - ### Playability - ###-#### Type - Jump 'N' Run / Adventure Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ### This one's better than the Space Mutant game. You visit places around the world. There are not only jump 'n' run levels, but also you can play a Memory Game or other skill games. In the jump 'n' run sequences, you sometimes walk, but you also use your skateboard. The level boss is always one of Mr. Burns' relatives (I'm sure you know who Mr. Burns is). T O M & J E R R Y : T H E M O V I E Sound - #### Graphic - #### Playability - #### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ###-#### Surprise: You are Tom and have to catch Jerry. There are jump 'n' run levels, but also bonus levels! The details are pretty good, and it's sometimes funny to watch how the two animals behave. It's not so good that the game has such a small number of levels. W O L F C H I L D Sound - # (only sound effects) Graphic - ### Playability - ##-### Type - Adventure / Jump 'N' Run Specials - Password ALTOGETHER - ### As I advised you to do in Chuck Rock, turn on on your CD Player here. You jump and punch your way through the levels (each level comes with a pass- word). When you reach a certain strengh, you mutate fron human to wolf, this wolf is able to shoot. Your character's details are quite good, but that isn't enough to let the game appear better than it somehow is. W O N D E R B O Y ( R E V E N G E O F D R A N C O N ) Sound - ### Graphic - ### Playability - ###-#### Type - Jump 'N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - ###-#### In Europe, this one's called "Wonder Boy", in the USA it's "Revenge Of Drancon", I think. You have to save Tanya from Drancon! Shoot your enemies with axes and tear off the level bosses' head. There are 40 levels, but it's always the same music, this is a little boring. You can sometimes use a skateboard to speed up. W O N D E R B O Y : T H E D R A G O N ' S T R A P Sound - ##### Graphic - ###-#### Playability - #### Type - Jump 'N' Run / Adventure Specials - Password ALTOGETHER - ####-##### Wonder Boy has mutated into an animal! Buy better weapons and better armor in shops and find ways to the level bosses (always dragons), then kill them. When you kill a boss, you transform into another animal and start at the same place where you started before, but every animal has its own special ability, so there are always new ways. Z O O L Sound - #### Graphic - ###-#### Playability - #### Type - Jump N' Run Specials - None ALTOGETHER - #### Playing Zool, the ninja of the "Nth" dimension, you have to get out of a scary world and defeat the evil Krool. In each level, there are certain objects you can pick up. If you have 99 of them, an arrow at the top of the screen shows you where the exit is.