Frantic Antics is one of the better games ported from a TV show. You can play as Tom the cat, Jerry the mouse, or both for some two player side scrolling action. In my experience, it’s actually better as a two player game. Playing solo is on par with the Shinobi games for Genesis, it takes a lot of practice. When you have two players, the game is much better.

The game is based on Tom and Jerry: The Movie from 1992. Tom and Jerry have to help the Robyn defeat her aunt Figg, the final boss and reunite her with her father. The levels are based on places from the movie. It starts in a nice enough neighborhood dodging dogs, pits, and other obstacles. Other levels include a condemned house, an alley, the sewers, a library, the dog pound, the carnival, and finally a cabin.

Each level relies on very well timed jumps and dodges. Sometimes a frisbee, football, or other weapon is available. However, these attacks are limited to 3 shots. The only other way to take out enemies is to roll into them. Mostly, it’s better to just avoid anything thrown at you.

This game heavily relies on being able to jump properly. Meaning getting a running start and jumping as close to the edge as possible. I’ll admit there are places in the library, the carnival, and the cabin where it’s brutal if you miss certain jumps. These jumps are the most challenging part of the game. The end boss is easy compared to some of those jumps.

My favorite parts are the two player mode. Being able to play side by side is a rarity for many Genesis games. Frantic Antics gets this part right. The two player mode lets players look out for each other and spread the damage out so both can live longer.

Tom can jump higher and is a bit of a tank character while Jerry can jump farther, slides more, but has a very small hit box. These small differences have advantages in two player mode but seem to make it harder in single player mode.

The critical jumps in most levels from the library on. Really there are only about 3 or 4 hard jumps total. You’ll know them when you get to them. Missing them eats up crucial time or sends you plummeting back a long way.

Other than those extremely difficult jumps, the game is a lot of fun. The timer can be a bit of a bummer from time to time. But we learned to keep running as much as possible to beat the clock.

Overall, Tom and Jerry Frantic Antics is a lot of fun, and very rewarding to see that final screen shot. It takes a lot of practice to get there but it’s worth it.

If you like two player games, Tom and Jerry Frantic Antics is worth a try. The strengths and weaknesses of each player is really important to finishing each level. Staying in sync and on screen gets to be second nature after a while. It makes for a fun gaming experience.

Tom and Jerry Frantic Antics came out in 1992 for the Sega Genesis but still holds up as a great game.

Best of Sega Genesis Games Tom and Jerry Frantic Antics
brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Impossible Mission for the Commodore 64 came out in 1984, it was ahead of it’s time. By today’s standards the graphics are not good, but they were remarkable for the Commodore 64. The fluid way the character moved was entirely new. It made up for the pixelated look of everything else.

The gameplay was relatively new. Instead of going for a high score in a game that never ended, this game had a way to finish the game. It was the original Escape room game.

The idea was to collect all the computer cards (a relic from the first computers), figure out how they fit together to reveal the password, and finally find the exit to win. All this had to be done before time ran out.

If it sounds basic, that’s because it is a simple game. But that doesn’t mean in wasn’t fun or rewarding to complete the game. Another innovative feature is the computer generated levels. No two games are the same. While each game uses the same 30 rooms, they are laid out differently every time. Each room has differently programmed robots too.

This means the game could be nearly impossible one time or fairly easy another time. It mostly comes down to how the robots acted in five or six rooms. The game included two power ups to compensate for those impossible rooms. The first item was a platform reset, and the other item temporary disabled all the robots in the room.

The robot disable item was worth it’s weight in gold for this game. Many times it came down to one stubborn robot getting between you and the last item in the room to search.

The game mainly involved entering a room and searching every item in it while dodging the attacking robots. You could either jump or use the moving platforms to get around the robot. Each room was different so you had to figure out how to search items without being hit by the robots. Each time you get hit you lose 10 minutes of time. Eventually, you will run out of time and lose the game.

Three hours sounds like a lot of time, but most games were over in less than an hour either way. The game included a “call a friend” feature where you call to find out if you have enough pieces for a solution or not. Which saves you from having to search every item in the game. Especially since a few items were almost impossible to get to without a robot snooze card.

Figuring out how each robot was programmed was part of the fun. You never knew whether a robot could move, shoot, or chase you until it happened.

The puzzle pieces aren’t terribly difficult once you grasp how you use the tools to fit them together. It takes four cards to complete one puzzle. All the cards need oriented and set to the same color to reveal a letter.

Without any guidance, putting together one puzzle can take a while. But once you get how it works, each puzzle goes together relatively quickly. .

It wasn’t terribly complicated. You searched for all the computer cards, solved the puzzles, and went through the exit to win. No hidden paths, secret traps, essential items to collect, or final bosses to defeat.

It isn’t the most complex game I’ve ever played, but it sure is a lot of fun even to this day. I still launch a Commodore 64 game of Impossible Mission every so often, complete it, and enjoy watching the end.

Best of Commodore 64: Impossible Mission brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Why Barbie?

Released in 1984 by Epyx, Barbie for the Commodore 64 was one of the earliest video games aimed specifically at a young female audience. While it broke new ground in terms of demographic focus, the game itself is very much a product of its time—with both charm and limitations.

The premise is simple: Barbie gets a phone call from Ken inviting her on a date. The player’s goal is to help Barbie get ready by choosing an appropriate outfit and accessories for different activities—like going to the beach, dinner, or the movies. Or once annoyed by Ken saying almost every time “Sorry Barbie, plans have changed” you dress up for a formal dinner at the beach.

Gameplay consists mostly of choosing options and matching clothing items from a menu. After selecting the right outfit (or wrong), you drive Barbie’s convertible to the date location. The driving sequence is basic, mostly visual, with no hazards, the only challenge is it’s hard to stop at places, lol.

It’s a very light, cute and whimsical game. The player is rewarded with different endings or compliments from Ken, depending on how well the outfit matches the occasion or what time you get there.

Visually, Barbie looks decent for a 1984 game on the Commodore 64. Barbie, Ken, and their surroundings are drawn with bright colors and recognizable pixel art. The animation is minimal but serviceable.

The music and sound effects are nice and simple. A little tune plays when Ken calls or when you’re driving, adding to the charm.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

One of the first games designed specifically for young girls.

Simple, friendly interface for beginners.

Introduced basic fashion/dress-up mechanics.

Historical curiosity for collectors and retro fans.

Cons:

Very limited gameplay and can get repetitive.

Summary

Barbie on the Commodore 64 is a niche title that stands more as a cultural artifact than a must-play game. While it doesn’t offer much in terms of long term engaging gameplay, it’s fun for half hour or less of gameplay. For retro collectors or fans of Barbie history, it’s an great game.

Mario – Review brought to you by Gaming Chickadee

Chickadee loves to have family gaming days. She loves birds, unicorns, ponies She also likes the Nancy Drew Games. She loves to play as Princess Daisy in the Super Mario Games, Her favorite games change a lot but right they are: Mario Party Superstars, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Pretty Princess Party.

This was when Pac-Man was at it’s height of popularity. Games like Space Invaders, Q-bert, and Pitfall were all the rage. Spy vs Spy didn’t get as much attention as those other games but it was notably different from most games at that time. It’s one of the first two player games that was actually fun. Players actually went head to head on a split screen. I don’t count corny Atari games like pong.

Spy vs Spy was an incredible leap forward in video games. It wasn’t a side scroller, or shooting game. Players searched through different rooms for four items. The first to collect all four items and make it to the exit won.

It’s common to see games with maps, inventory, goals, and an ending. In 1984 this was new. Games like Among Us, Zelda, or other adventure games weren’t around yet. Spy vs Spy was only ten rooms, but incorporated many new features for video games.

It had a 3d layout. Meaning, it wasn’t a top view or side view. Rather like looking into a house that was missing a roof and front wall. More like a TV show type view. The graphics were high tech for the 1980’s. The music was also perfect for the game, considering they only had a few notes to work from.

Spy vs Spy not only looked and sounded great, the gameplay was top notch. The game was mostly about searching for items in a small house, however, it also included combat, traps, items, and a map.

Both the Black Spy and White Spy were searching for the same items in the same house. So, naturally you would run into each other in the same room. Which of course turned into a battle.

The loser would respawn in a different room and have some time removed from their countdown timer. Both players had to collect a key, money, passport, and map before time ran out. Once they collected everything in the briefcase they could go to the airport and win the game.

Not only could you fight each other during the search, You could set traps. This was the best part of the game. Each Spy had a bomb, a deadly spring, an acid filled bucket, and a gun with a rope.

You set the bomb and spring in places being searched, such as the desk, bookcase, wall safe, table, or chairs. The gun and bucket traps were set on doors. When a Spy, including yourself, came across a trap it was time to respawn.

The game also included a bag and umbrella to save you from a trap. Still, you had to search for those items and they only had a one time use. Needless to say, respawning was common. Eventually, respawning eats up so much time the game is over for that spy. The remaining spy can finish the game if they can find everything before time runs out.

Spy vs Spy included a map to help you on your quest to find the four items. It was rudimentary but useful. The map showed a block layout of the house. A dot meant there was an item in that room. The color of the block showed whether a room had been searched or not.

A map, inventory, and items were new concepts for video games back then. Spy vs Spy made good use of those features. Nothing was wasted or useless in this game.

Spy vs Spy incorporated so many new features I forgot to say how much fun it was! This game was a blast playing with friends. We enjoyed setting traps, fighting each other, and yes, even racing against the clock. There was usually plenty of time to find everything, unless you spent more time fighting than searching.

Spy vs Spy was a great game back in the 1980s. It even had a couple sequel games. Sadly, it’s not found on any modern gaming platforms. However, if you are looking for a great retro game, get an emulator or modern Commodore 64, and give Spy vs Spy a whirl.

Best of Commodore 64: Spy vs Spy brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Each version has its own style to be sure. But each version feels more like additional levels to the first game. They do get creative with the bosses, adding Tails, and power ups in each version. Each version does have a unique special stage too.

All are fun to play, so it’s hard to rank them. It depends on if you’re looking for a challenge, high speed adrenaline runs, or exploring the stages. There are pros and cons to each version. .

Sonic is all by himself in the original. Tails makes an appearance in Sonic 2. Tails can fly and proves to be a big help along the way. This invincible sidekick can score hits on the boss, trigger traps, and serve as a shield in general.

Player 2 can take over Tails and control him. But keeping up with Sonic is difficult. Tails is often left behind. Tails will eventually reappear after he goes off screen. Still, playing as Tails in Sonic 2 isn’t the greatest experience.

In Sonic 3 Tails and Knuckles are playable characters. Which is awesome. Playing as Tails is like easy mode since he can fly. Knuckles doesn’t fly, rather he glides through the air. He can also latch on to walls and climb. Knuckles can also punch through rock bariers.

While Knuckles sounds easier, his recovery during landing and weaker jumps hold him back a little. Using glide during a boss fight usually results in Knuckles getting hit by an attack when he lands.

Sonic is the only playable character in the original Sonic. Sonic 2 adds Tails. Who is controlled by the computer or player 2. Sonic 3 adds Tails and Knuckles as optional characters for player 1.

Spin dashing made its first appearance is Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and every version since. Unfortunately, spin dashing is not available in the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Spin dash works the same in Sonic 2 and Sonic 3.

Simply press down, mash the jump button to spool up, and let up to dash away. It’s helpful to quickly get up a hill, enter a slide at speed, or dodge a boss attack.

It’s so useful and common to every Sonic game, it’s hard to believe it doesn’t work in the original Sonic. Many times I find myself attempting it when I play the original. Waiting for Sonic to walk up a even a slight incline is incredibly tedious. It’s easier to go back, pick up speed, then move up the incline in the original.

Another difference between the three versions are the item boxes and power ups. The original game has speed running, temporary invincibility, and a single use protection bubble.

Sonic 2 doesn’t add any new item boxes. Rather, changes how the protection bubble looks. Sonic 3 added three new item boxes. The water shield, fire shield, and electric shield.

The water shield allows Sonic to breathe under water so you don’t have to keep getting air bubbles. It also makes Sonic bounce when doing a double jump.

The fire shield protects Sonic from low level fire attacks. Sonic does a fireball attack when doing a double jump. The fire shield is cancelled by going in water.

The electric shield lets Sonic jump a bit higher when doing a double jump. The coolest thing is it attracts every ring to Sonic as he goes by them. This shield is also cancelled by going in water.

Sonic 3 definitely wins as far as power ups are concerned. They make going through the stages and boss fights a lot more interesting. In Sonic 3, he does an attack when doing a double jump without any power ups. Which is notably missing in the first two games.

One of the best features of any Sonic game is the secret passages. The original Sonic typically had one or two on every stage. Sonic 2 doesn’t seem to have many on any stage. I did notice Sonic 3 incorporated more secret passages than the second version, they usually lead to item boxes or special stages. It seems shortcuts are mostly found in the original.

Every version of Sonic is great fun on the Sega Genesis. The additional features of the second and third version make the game even better. The lack of a spin dash or mid air attack are sorely missing in the original. Still, the original is a lot of fun to play.

The second version of Sonic is the hardest in my opinion. The stages offer more worlds to explore but are also short. There are many more bosses to face plus the very difficult Death Egg zone. Metal Sonic and the Death Egg Robot are the most difficult boss in my opinion.

The third version of Sonic adds new item boxes and a mid air attack, making this version the most fun to play. Being able to play as Tails and Knuckles is just icing on the cake. They really go all out designing the stages, making them fun to explore.

Each version has their own strengths and weaknesses. Yet, all three are so much fun to play I can’t really pick a favorite!

Differences between Sega Genesis Sonic Games brought to you by David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Sonic 3 keeps the original feel of the game as far as the stages, moves, and enemies are concerned. It does bring some new power ups, bosses, and special stages. Sonic has a new attack too. When jumping mid air, hit the jump button again and he attacks.

The super sonic mode is the best. Getting all the chaos emeralds isn’t easy, but totally worth it to change into Super Sonic. The special stages are found throughout the levels.

The electric charge power up is my favorite. Sonic can do a double jump and attract all the rings near him. Watching all the rings being sucked toward Sonic is lit. The drawback is water disables this power up.

The fire power up is great too. Sonic shoots forward like a fireball when you do a double jump. The water one is okay. It’s main appeal is not having to get any air bubbles while under water. Sonic 3 also has the usual speed running and invincible power ups.

If you like searching through the stages instead of speed running, Sonic 3 is going to appeal to you. This version seems to have more hidden areas than previous versions. There’s plenty to explore in this version.

The bosses in Sonic 3 are good. There’s quite a lot of variety. Three involve water, but one takes place in the air. Tails flying Sonic around for that fight is my favorite. Several boss fights are more than one round. Meaning, Eggman comes back in another robot for more after being defeated.

The final boss isn’t as hard as Mecha Sonic and the Robot Egg from Sonic 2, but isn’t a pushover either. There’s two stages to the final battle, but you are allowed to take rings into this battle. You can even transform into supersonic if you want.

The special stages in Sonic 3 are among my least favorite. Don’t get me wrong, running around on a small checkered globe is awesome. It’s just I never got the hang of it. Still, this special stage is easy for some people. It’s a creative idea too.

The stages seem shorter. Even if you aren’t speed running through them, they do seem to go fast. There are transitions between boss fights so Sonic doesn’t just immediately start fighting the boss. Yet, those transitions kind of have the opposite effect. Instead of giving Sonic something to do before the boss fight, it’s a little boring.

The worst is the long scene before the final, final battle. First, you have to defeat Eggman while bowling balls come at you. Then, Sonic chases Eggman to his fortress in the sky. The bit with Knuckles is funny, but then there’s the long drawn out scene where Sonic is just flying.

If you used up too much time getting to the final boss in this stage, then Sonic runs out of time before he can win. Seriously, this scene eats up at least minute of Sonic just getting there. It’s fairly common to run out of time before you can score those final two hits to win. The next life starts with a full ten minutes, which is plenty of time to win.

In spite of it’s drawbacks, Sonic 3 is super fun. I’m not sure if it’s the excellent power ups, the new attacks, or the variety of stages and bosses. Whatever it is, it’s definitely one of the best Sega Genesis games.

It’s hard to imagine improving on the original, but Sonic the Hedgehog 3 does just that. Sonic 3 adds to the existing fun features of the original Sonic the Hedgehog.

Best of Sega Genesis Games: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Sonic 2 had all the running, ring collecting, bosses, and power-ups from the first version. Plus a few more features. It was an upgrade in every aspect of the term. The fact you could play with “Miles” Tails Prowler, as a sidekick, was awesome. The fact you could play as Tails was even better. Tails being able to fly did make the game easier

There’s a lot more enemies, landscape changes, and obstacles in this version. There’s roughly the same amount of level’s in both versions. Sonic 2 has more worlds, but only two stages per world. The original Sonic has fewer worlds but more stages per world. Sonic 2 packs many more bosses than the first one.

All the new levels and layout were improved as well. Instead of a basically linear flow from right to left in Sonic 1, stages in Sonic 2 worked their way back and forth and up and down.

The bonus rounds in Sonic 2 were totally different too. Sonic is running through a half pipe the entire stage. It’s my favorite special stage in the series.

The lack of level select or menu’s at all was one weak point about the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Unfortunately, they didn’t add it for Sonic 2, but there’s a way to unlock all the stages, final boss, and special stage. Similar to the first Sonic,

Some complained Sonic the Hedgehog was too easy, which is fair. Still, it was tons of fun. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 definitely is harder. In my opinion, Sonic Sonic 2 is harder than Sonic 3. Especially the final boss.

In my opinion, Mecha (Metal) Sonic followed by Death Egg Robot are the hardest bosses between all three Sonic games for the Sega Genesis. It’s great if you’re looking for a challenge. Especially considering you get no rings.

Sonic 2 also has more hidden enemies that jump out at you than the original. It’s much harder to hold on to your rings in Sonic 2. There’s many hidden enemies, spikes, and moving parts coming at you. There isn’t any less speed chutes or runs, but, it seems like you have to slow down and watch out more.

There’s so many worlds it feels like you’re constantly moving to a new world. You don’t linger, so to speak, on any one world. Also, there’s many more bosses to defeat. Sonic 2 doesn’t let any moss grow usder your feet.

Having a sidekick to keep you company is always a good thing. Tails scores hits on bosses, acts as a shield, and can fly you around. The second player has a harder time staying on the screen, but flying Sonic around is terrific.

The bonus stages are my favorite part. They have different colors, but, are basically the same. You just run through a half pipe dodging obstacles and collecting rings.

What makes many of these old Genesis games so great is the gameplay. Modern games have better graphics, but don’t always capture the fun of the old Genesis games.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is an awesome improvement over the original Sonic the Hedgehog. It adds more bosses and worlds, plus a new bonus stage.

If you liked the original, then you’ll like Sonic 2 even more. It’s has everything great about the first game plus more!

Best of Sega Genesis Games: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

It’s just moving a puck around an ice rink and trying to shoot it into the net. But it’s easy to play and is very entertaining compared to the others.

The reasons 91 is better than other hockey games is simple. Scoring is easiest, there’s fighting, and you can play dirty. They make scoring difficult in subsequent games. Games after 93 dropped the fighting. If it weren’t for that one feature Hockey 95 would be great too.

The fighting doesn’t even happen all that often since it’s hard to trigger. Even when the fighting happens it isn’t anything like Street Fighter. You can throw punches and change the distance between the fighters.

By playing dirty, I mean you can score without shooting the puck. Simply skate toward the net and let the tip of your stick touch the side of the net. Shooting the puck into opposing players to knock them down is fun too. You can also get a speed boost by dashing along the wall, angling away, then check players with devastating speed.

Hockey 91 just seems to have more action due to the easier scoring, fighting, and faster pace.

Football, baseball, basketball, and even soccer games just aren’t very appealing to me. I don’t know how many failed passes I threw before finally getting a passing play to complete. Soccer is similar to hockey, but hockey is better.

Many sports games in my opinion have a steep learning curve just to play. But Hockey 91 is easy to pick up. There’s something about the players on the white background that makes them easier to see and track. The puck is also much easier to track vs a ball on a green background.

The size of the players compared to the size of the field is also excellent. Sometimes players are too big or too small compared to the field size. Hockey get’s it right.

Hockey is faster paced, has a the best playing field size, and fighting. Yes fighting! The fighting feature really adds to the game. They removed the fighting feature after NHLPA 93, which is why following hockey games aren’t as good.

I don’t know what it is about this game, but it brought out something in my wife. She’s the most docile, non-violent person I’ve ever met. In over 20 years of marriage she’s never yelled at the kids or me. She rarely plays video games. But this game made her laugh like no other.

She didn’t even bother to try and score. Just full speed checks. Into the glass, into the bleachers, or open field. It didn’t matter. She played just to check those dumb hockey players and get in fights as much as she could before time ran out.

Fighting was fun, but double checks were the best. That’s where a player get’s checked twice before falling down. They weren’t easy to pull off but somehow we mastered them. Laughing our heads off at those slow motion replays are my best gaming memories. It’s dumb I know. But it’s one of those cases where watching a player bounce off the glass or another player was so dumb it was funny.

Hockey for the Sega Genesis is hands down the best sports game on that system. I think Hockey 91 is the best version, with NHLPA 93 being a close second (93 added some blood -keep in mind this is low resolution Sega Genesis graphics). Hockey for the Sega Genesis is easy to pick up, fast paced to keep your attention, and offers plenty of action.

If you’re looking for some cheap laughs, check out NHL 91 for the Sega Genesis. Even if you’re not a sports game fan, Hockey for the Sega Genesis isn’t a game that should be overlooked.

Best of Sega Genesis Games: NHL 91 brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Rampage is another example of the Sega Genesis version being better than the arcade version. Sure you could shove quarters into this arcade game until you had no more. But playing at home with no need for quarters was much better.

You play as George the giant gorilla, Lizzie the giant lizard, or Ralph the giant werewolf. And there really isn’t much else to this game besides destroying everything in sight. You can punch, jump, or climb and that’s it.

Sure the military sends some assets your way but they’re little else than a nuisance in your quest to take down every building you see. On paper it doesn’t sound like much. But once you play it’s ridiculously fun.

There aren’t any bosses, side quests, loot, or real point. Just smashing things until your heart’s content. I should warn you that may take some time. I could play this game for hours.

There’s just something about this game. I’m not sure why it’s so fun. It isn’t the best graphics, sounds, or gameplay. It doesn’t take any skill or strategy. But once you start it’s hard to stop. Maybe it’s the simplicity of it.

It just captures the essence of video games. A fun way to blow off some steam or just relax. It does have some humor built in too. If you grab an electrical wire your character will get shocked -looney toons style.

There’s also some funny bits when you eat food that doesn’t agree with you. Occasionally, you’ll come across some food you can eat to restore a bit of health. Be careful to avoid the spicy food.

Also along the way the military will send a helicopter or tank. But a few punches and those go away. Pretty much the goal is to take down as many buildings as you can while being hurt as little as possible.

Rampage predates the Sega Genesis however it was made great on the Genesis. That version is the best as far as I’m concerned. The arcade game sucked too many quarters. The Commodore 64 version graphics were terrible as were other versions.

The Sega Genesis version elevated the game to it’s best. Many games have come and gone since then but Rampage holds up as a classic video game everyone should give a try.

Best of Sega Genesis Games: Rampage brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Ghouls ‘N Ghosts was a great arcade game which ported very well to the Sega Genesis. Not all games ported well from the arcade. But this game worked great. Being able to play for hours at home was much better than dumping countless quarters at an arcade.

This game does get some flack for being difficult. Honestly, I never did finish it at the arcade. I’d run out of quarters. But at home I could keep playing until I got to the end. Only to be sent back to the beginning to start all over again. You had to get the (spoilers) golden armor and special weapon to defeat the final boss.

The game was so much fun I didn’t mind playing it all over again. It was difficult holding on to the armor but still not as hard as Super Mario Bros in my opinion.

Side scrollers had been around for a while but Ghouls ‘N Ghosts was memorable for many reasons. You travelled through several stages, had optional weapons, fought different bosses, and it had great music.

The stages had you starting in a graveyard, through a forest, across a decaying village, up a mountain, down underground caverns, and finishing with a castle inside a volcano.

Each stage had new enemies, a few old ones, and a boss. This was fairly new for games back then. Old side scrollers, like Defender or Moon Patrol, were pretty redundant and basic.

Ghouls ‘N Ghosts added more scenery, plus animated wind, fire, and water. Each stage had a different feel to it instead of being a slightly altered version of every other stage. Fighting your way up a mountain, down waterslides, and back up on a moving platform was mind blowing when it came out.

There were also seven different weapons to acquire. Each weapon had it’s own strengths and weaknesses. You definitely did not want the axe for fighting on the waterslide level or it’s final boss. Defeating that slug with the axe or sword was nearly impossible. However, the torch weapon made quick work of the slug.

On the other hand, the axe made the rising platform level easier. The daggers were handy throughout the whole game. The special attack for the dagger was great too. It temporarily created a clone, mirroring all your jumps and attacks.

Discovering each weapons special attack was a novelty since this was before the internet. Until you actually got the weapon and gold armor you had no idea what it did. Mostly I avoided getting the discus, axe, and sword. While seeking the dagger or lance.

Looking back the game is a bit on the dark side. It has ghouls, ghosts, devils, and scary looking bosses. In general, it was good vs evil. Still, the storyline is light which was common for games back then. Similar to Donkey Kong, the bad guy took your girl and you have to rescue her.

It sounds silly but I remember the bad guys were a bit shocking when it came out. The original Ghosts ‘n Goblins were much more tame compared to Ghouls ‘N Ghosts. It’s nothing like Mortal Combat or any of the GTA games. But the updated ghosts, ghouls, and evil looking bosses did catch everyone’s attention back then.

Ghouls ‘N Ghosts was an innovative side scroller game for the Sega Genesis. The game mechanics, sounds, and overall game play was much better than the original Ghosts ‘N Goblins. Both were known for being difficult. But with practice and learning the hit box size of your character it was a fun game.

There are several versions across platforms such as the SNES, C64, and others. But my favorite is the Sega Genesis Ghouls ‘N Ghosts version. I think it still holds up as a great game today and is worth checking out.

Best of Sega Genesis Games: Ghouls ‘N Ghosts brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.