All 16-Bit

Review #12102 Road Rash I hope you like early 90s rock music Sega CD 1994 Electronic Arts Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat D 71 / 100 Good Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 4 / 5 Gameplay Same gameplay as previous games on the Genesis, but with an ever so slightly smoother experience. 4 / 5 Level Design The tracks all play out the same as previous games, albeit with pedestrians, for some reason. However, this time you can choose between the standard season mode and a new arcade mode where you can just jump into one of six races. 1 / 5 Theme The 90s attitude gets dialed up to 11 with pangry rock music and over the top, edgy, sexualized cutscenes between races. It's a bit much, and the product of an era that I hav...

Review #12095 Racing Aces Steel Talons the racing game Sega CD 1993 Sega Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat H 28 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay If Steel Talons was a racing game. Imagine Diddy Kong Racing, but at 3 frames per second. Playing this horrible game made me wish that Pilotwings had a race mode. Now that would've been something. This sad game, on the other hand, is barely playable. One interesting idea it uses is the ability to shoot at opponents. 2 / 5 Level Design Flying in a racing game is always a weird idea because there's not much to keep you on the "track". A couple of gates must be flown through, but this can easily be cheesed to finish a race quickly. The only saving grace are the mo...

Review #12075 MegaRace Racing without driving Sega CD 1994 The Software Toolworks Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat H 25 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay One of the strangest driving experiences I've ever had in a video game. You don't actually need to steer - the track moves but your car stays in the road no matter what. You can't hit the sides or spin out or anything. The only reason to move left or right is to line up to shoot enemies with your machine gun. Again, the controls feel so divorced from the video playing in the background that you feel weightless. It's a bizarre feeling. 1 / 5 Level Design The objective is to kill an unknown number of enemies before completing a few laps. This feels compl...

Review #12010 BC Racers Chuck Rock's Road Rash Sega CD 1994 Core Design Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat H 38 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 2 / 5 Gameplay Ostensibly a Mario Kart clone, but plays more like Road Rash. Your only means of attack is to punch/kick to your right or left, ala RR. The only MK similarity is the small tracks and multiple lap structure. Controls are fine, but with so little going on there's almost no dynamism. This leads to a stagnant, boring experience. Even the fighting mechanic is not done well because hitting an enemy seems to slow you down more than it does them. It's best to focus exclusively on driving. 2 / 5 Level Design I didn't see all the tracks, but with no verticality and no po...

Review #8122 S.C.I. - Special Criminal Investigation Chase H.Q. II PCE 1991 Taito Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat H 26 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay Horrible hit detection. You drive through other cars half the time and crash into them the other half. Movement is really bad. Easily one of the least smooth racing titles I've ever played. Your goal is to crash into another car a whole bunch before times runs out. Doesn't hold a candle to Super Chase H.Q. on the SNES 1 / 5 Level Design They're all the same. The car changes and you get less time each level but the core gameplay doesn't change from level to level. 3 / 5 Theme I like the idea of crashing cars, but ...

Review #8103 Power Drift OutRun meets Street Racer PCE 1990 Asmik Ace Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat E 63 / 100 Your mileage may vary Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay The game plays a lot like OutRun, with a low and high gear, long, sweeping turns, opponents to bump into, and hazards that cause a devastating wipeout. However, your sprite is enormous, making crashes even more likely, especially when in high gear when turning is nearly impossible. It's almost a great experience, but not quite. 3 / 5 Level Design The tracks have some verticality, with rolling hills. The game has a distinct look that's similar to Konami's G.I. Joe arcade game. The best description of the track is that it looks like a set of lincoln logs ben...

Review #8074 Knight Rider Special Chase H.Q. reskinned PCE 1989 Pack-In-Video Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat X 23 / 100 You've been warned Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay This is a licensed version of Chase H.Q., a series that I hate. It's essentially a cheap OutRun knockoff with a machine gun and touchy controls. There's a boss fight at the end of each level which is near impossible since you can't avoid their attacks. 1 / 5 Level Design Every stage is the same. Only new enemies are added to increase the difficulty, plus the occasional new road hazard. Zero replayability. 4 / 5 Theme This one hits hard in the nostalgia feels. The horrible translation only adds to the so-bad-it...

Review #6839 Street Racer Play the SNES version instead MD PAL 1995 Ubisoft Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat E 62 / 100 Your mileage may vary Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay Responsive controls, but a severe lack of variety or mechanics holds this one back. It's a decent racing game, like OutRun as a competitive racer. 2 / 5 Level Design The lack of Mode 7 makes this one seem like all the other arcade racers, always moving toward a horizon that you'll never actually reach. This makes the concept of laps seem foreign to the gameplay. Tracks simply end without any notice or buildup. The "tracks" are simply a series of left and right turns. They all seem very similar to one another, save for different cosmetic coloring...

Review #6047 Metal Fangs Micro Machines in Hell MD 1993 Victor Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat X 17 / 100 You've been warned Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 0 / 5 Gameplay Truly bizarre game design that has an interesting idea but completely fumbles it in execution. You don't drive a car - instead you command a team of three or four racers. The goal is for your team to finish as many laps as possible during the time limit. The only way to "win" against the opposing team is to destroy one or more of their racers, since that means fewer completed laps. Damage can be administered either by using weapons or ramming the other cars. However, ammunition is limited and runs out VERY quickly, and ramming damages you as much as them. So...good luck. All your vehicles are AI...

Review #2430 Waku Waku Ski Wonder Spur 10% of 1080 SFC 1995 Human Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat F 52 / 100 Not Bad, but Flawed Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 2 / 5 Gameplay It's not a total trainwreck, but the sum of its parts don't add up to much. It's a Mode 7 racer in the mold of Mario Kart due to a few powerups which theoretically can be used to attack or defend. However, the unbelievably floaty controls negate any ability to collect these or any way to effectively use them. This game objectively impossible on anything but the lowest difficulty setting. And even then you'll be wiping out, crashing, and struggling to stay on the track the entire time. Your opponents never mess up, naturally. The best you can hope for is a track with no turns because making a...

Review #2371 Super Mad Champ Road Rash meets Street Fighter SFC 1995 Tsukuda Original Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat H 33 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay Blatant Road Rash clone, but with the worst controls and framerate you could imagine. A Genesis fanboy shoud use this as evidence that the SNES was weak compared to Sega's blast processing. Wow does this game crawl. The only thing worth mentioning is that if you crash you get off your bike and fight the other bike riders. Each race is multiple laps so theoretically you can get off your bike, jump kick each of the other four riders as they pass, beat them up until they're dead, and then get back on your bike and win the race. I hope it goes without saying that the controls and gameplay in the ...

Review #2298 SD F-1 Grand Prix Mario Kart the sim SFC 1995 Video System Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat D 73 / 100 Good Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 4 / 5 Gameplay Great, responsive controls. Your car feels weighty, not floaty like so many of these games. I don't usually like racing games but this one works. It's a cross between Mario Kart and a serious sim, albeit with a much slower pace and more forgiving gameplay. Crashing locks you back more than in most of these kart games, so it's a bit more challenging that the average MK clone. Also, no power-ups. You can use a nitro boost by collecting a bunch of ammo/coins but you'll be lucky to use this even twice per race. There are six (!) camera views to choose from but only one worth using. Two other these are c...

Review #2129 Gekitotsu Dangan Jidosha Kessen: Battle Mobile Spy Hunter meets Mad Max SFC 1993 System Sacom Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat E 66 / 100 Your mileage may vary Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay Plays a lot like Spy Hunter, but your offensive capabilities are severely limited. You can fire unlimited missiles but these can only hit helicopters. Most enemies are ground based and can only be attacked by pressing B to dash toward them. This is awkward and results in your taking damage about as often as delivering it. A ground based projectile would've made this game much better. Still, it's a good time while it lasts, although the game doesn't offer much replayability. 4 / 5 Level Design Enemy waves are varied enou...

Review #2030 Bike Daisuki! Hashiriya Kon: Rider's Spirits Mario Kart with only three mushrooms SFC 1994 Masaya Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat E 66 / 100 Your mileage may vary Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay It's Mario Kart, but with a few tweaks: - overly slippery movement - no R or L to jump or drift - no power-ups, at least none that you can use The last bullet is the kicker because although you can't get any power-ups, your opponents can attack you mercilessly. And when they do you'll lose 5 seconds or more which is devastating since entire laps are under 15 seconds. The only saving grace is that you have three nitro boosts, similar to a red mushroom from MK. It's not bad, but one of the lesser Mario clones on the system. ...

Review #2024 Battle Racers SD Mario Kart SFC 1995 Banpresto Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat D 76 / 100 Good Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 4 / 5 Gameplay This is a blatant Mario Kart clone with everything that MK includes and nothing added. My only complaints are that there are only four playable characters and the difficulty level is so low. This is one of the easiest racing games I've ever played. 4 / 5 Level Design There are a ton of tracks and they exhibit a lot of variety. There are jump pads, hazards, pits, tight turns, etc. The only problem comes from the poor graphics making everything look like an amorphous mess. It's very difficult to differentiate between helpful and harmful elements. 4 / 5 Theme ...

Review #7017 Chase H.Q. Thanks Nancy TG-16 1992 TTI Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat H 34 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 2 / 5 Gameplay Hit detection is better than Chase H.Q. 2 on the Genesis but worse than Super Chase H.Q. on the SNES. You often drive through other cars but crash into them other times. Movement is ok although it's hard to turn and avoid traffic at the same time. Best to ignore the traffic since going off-road slows you more than crashing. Your goal is to crash into another car a whole bunch before times runs out. 1 / 5 Level Design They're all the same. The car changes and you get less time each level but the core gameplay doesn't change from level to level. 3 / 5 Theme ...

Review #4518 Skitchin' Road rash meets the opening scene from Back to the Future Genesis 1994 Electronic Arts Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat H 27 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 2 / 5 Gameplay Remember when Marty McFly grabbed the bumper of the Jeep at the start of back to the Future? That's the premise behind this game. The gameplay is basically Road Rash on skates. Your only means of accelerating is to grab the bumper of a car and then let go to accelerate past it and hopefully grab another bumper. I'm not sure why anyone would make a racing game that uses that mechanic. You can punch other racers but it would take probably 30 hits to get their energy low enough for them to fall over or die or something. So I don't know what the purpose of punch...

Review #4482 RoadBlasters Genesis 1991 Tengen Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat E 68 / 100 Your mileage may vary Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 4 / 5 Gameplay Fast, simple, repetitive. I love it! Seriously, why can't all arcade racers move this quickly and smoothly? And why can't they have the simple controls in this game? There are turns galore but you never drive off the road. Instead of struggling to stay on the parent the object of this game is to gun down other cars and pick up fuel. Heck you don't even need to hold down the gas. I love the simplicity in display here. It's a shallow game to be sure but it's a pick up and play game. A real guilty pleasure. 2 / 5 Level Design Not much going on here. Three types of cars, road si...

Review #4479 Road Rash Fast and Furious on bikes Genesis 1991 Electronic Arts Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat D 71 / 100 Good Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 4 / 5 Gameplay Extremely forgiving controls. Way to take all the turns and stay focused on passing other racers. Love it. Punching and kicking opponents is fun if unnecessary. You always start at the back of the pack and have to get to the front. Once you're in the front it's less fun. This game is much easier than its sequels but still a good time. 3 / 5 Level Design The tracks have lots of hills and long turns and various obstacles and cars to avoid. They're set in various locales across the country, which is fun. The artwork varies greatly between these levels. So while the...

Review #4481 Road Rash 3 Skip this one Genesis 1995 Electronic Arts Racing Racing › Vehicle Combat F 55 / 100 Not Bad, but Flawed Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay They added a rival who rubberbands to you. Kinda weird and unnecessary. Controls are far laggier than 1 or 2. Punching or kicking happen long after you press the button. I much prefer the first two. 3 / 5 Level Design Same same 4 / 5 Theme 2 / 5 Art Style Huge step backward the prerendered sprites are so ugly. Gimme my hand drawn sprites back! Even the performance seems to have gone down. This release in 1995, three years after RR2! You couldn't improve the performance?! 1 / 5 ...