All 16-Bit

Review #12040 Eye of the Beholder I'd hate to see the Basic D&D Sega CD 1994 Sega RPG RPG › Dungeon X 20 / 100 You've been warned Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay I've never played D&D and this game hasn't made a fan out of me. All controls are executed via an on-screen cursor clicking buttons using the B button. The A button is used to pick up and move items. No other buttons are used. This game would be significantly more playable if the buttons had been used for things like attack, movement, and even menuing. Maybe it works with a mouse but I don't care to try that. You have a party of 4 but only the front two can attack or be attacked by melee attacks. The back line can theoretically use magic or projectiles but I couldn't fi...

Review #12031 Dungeon Master II - Skullkeep I don't like the dungeon Sega CD 1995 JVC RPG RPG › Dungeon H 27 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay Same old same old. This sort of game should not be played with a controller. I'd argue that this sort of game should never be played, but it's simply isn't compatible with a d-pad. 1 / 5 Level Design 2 / 5 Theme 2 / 5 Art Style 3 / 5 Audio More Sega CD reviews Browse all reviews

Review #11066 Madou Monogatari I Kindergarten Dungeon Death Quest PCE CD 1996 NEC RPG RPG › Dungeon H 30 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay It's a dungeon crawler like the Mega Drive version but the fights are more standard for the genre. The same weirdness from the other games in the series exist here, like no health bar. This one is worse that the MD version because there's no map. 1 / 5 Level Design Typical dungeon crawler. You begin in a small floor of a tower with locked doors and all the usual trappings. The dungeons feel empty and samey everywhere you go. The lack of map makes this nigh unplayable. 1 / 5 Theme Same as the Super Famicom and MD versions. You're a ki...

Review #10027 Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra D&D Outside Factory TG-16 CD 1993 TTI RPG RPG › Dungeon X 23 / 100 You've been warned Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay Feels more refined than the other D&D games plus I get to walk around outside. Combat is just as horrible with death coming in virtually every battle. Controls are confusing with tiny unreadable icons instead of text menus. Not sure what anything does. Feels like I need a 30 min tutorial before playing. 1 / 5 Level Design Finally out of a dungeon. There's a map Nearly full screen view 2 / 5 Theme Seems like there's more of a story but I didn't get into it far enough to see much The world feels bigger ...

Review #10009 Dungeon Master Dumb & Dumber TG-16 CD 1993 TTI RPG RPG › Dungeon X 18 / 100 You've been warned Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay Same game as D&D Eye of the Beholder but with better controls Spent 25 minutes building a party and picking up food. Finally met a monster and was instantly killed. So, that was fun. Lets you toggle between an onscreen cursor and Move Mode where you use the d-pad and L and R to navigate the dungeon. Much improved, thank you. Still the same boring slogfest Walking into the wall causes damage to your party so you have to carefully count out your steps. This is just plain stupid 0 / 5 Level Design A never ending dungeon. No map 2 / 5 Theme Severa...

Review #8097 Out Live Endless grinding PCE 1989 Sunsoft RPG RPG › Dungeon H 31 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay Well, it's a dungeon crawler. Get out your graph paper. I almost bumped this down to a zero for three reasons: First, enemies scale to meet your level, making grinding pointless. You never become powerful enough to simply power your way through a dungeon floor. Second, the most significant progression is made via buying upgrades and items in a shop. Resting also happens only in a shop. However, money is extreemely hard to come by, necessitating a ton of grinding. I did nothing but bring for an hour and was only able to buy myself an improved gun for $1000. The next armor upgrade, which I desperately need, is $3500. Do the math. Third, ...

Review #2449 Blue Crystal Rod Shadowgate as a walking simulator SFC 1994 Namco RPG RPG › Dungeon F 55 / 100 Not Bad, but Flawed Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 2 / 5 Gameplay Barely any gameplay. No combat, items, magic, or anything else. Just walk around the small map, navigate through a handful of randomized labyrinths, and press A to talk to folks. Your decisions will create one of almost 50 endings, or so I've read. 3 / 5 Level Design The world is teeny tiny. Like 50 tiles or so. Press R to show a compass that shows your movement options. You always face North so the compass is helpful to know which way you can go. The world's areas are distinct and are filled with a few NPCs that give you choices to make. 4 / 5 ...

Review #6039 Madou Monogatari I - 3tsu no Madoukyuu Kindergarten Dungeon Quest MD 1993 Sega RPG RPG › Dungeon G 45 / 100 Bad Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 2 / 5 Gameplay Really strange mechanics, similar to the Super Famicom version. The only numeric value shown is the amount of money you have. Health is only indicated by your character's facial expressions and some text that says things like "oh I'm in trouble", "I don't feel good". It's extremely weird. The game plays quickly, without much lag or delay. Unlike the SFC version, this one plays as a dungeon crawler but switches to a side view, just like the other version. The dungeon crawling works pretty darn well due to an auto-map that's accessible by pressing C. Battles are strange...

Review #3920 Might and Magic II Death around every corner SNES PAL 1993 Elite Systems RPG RPG › Dungeon X 19 / 100 You've been warned Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay On screen map is super helpful, but would be nice if it showed you where you've been. Same old turn-based dungeon crawler formula. At least this one doesn't use the awful mouse cursor like some of the SNES titles. Good for this sort of game, but I cannot stand dungeon crawlers. Get away from me. 0 / 5 Level Design There's a design? It's just an endless hallway with random battles. No thanks. Oh and every battle is impossible to win because there are about 10 monsters to fight. 1 / 5 Theme Has a tiny bit of pe...

Review #2312 Shin Megami Tensei II Auto battles and worse story SFC 1994 Atlus RPG RPG › Dungeon F 55 / 100 Not Bad, but Flawed Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay Same as this first game but with one nice improvement - an auto-battle feature. This makes grinding a lot easier, and thank goodness because that's the only thing I could figure out to do. Otherwise this is a carbon copy of the first game. 2 / 5 Level Design The areas and objective are even more confusing than the original. What am I supposed to do here? 3 / 5 Theme The game drops you into the middle of a story. I'm so confused about where I am, who I am, and what I'm trying to achieve. I still.lile the demon Pokemon concept, ...

Review #2311 Shin Megami Tensei if... Disciplinary Committee Member: You may not pass! SFC 1994 Atlus RPG RPG › Dungeon E 61 / 100 Your mileage may vary Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay Same gameplay as SMT 2. 3 / 5 Level Design I like the smaller scope where you're stuck in a high school. It makes for a less confusing structure. Not great, but better. 4 / 5 Theme 3 / 5 Art Style 3 / 5 Audio More SFC reviews Browse all reviews

Review #2310 Shin Megami Tensei Demon-filled Pokemon SFC 1992 Atlus RPG RPG › Dungeon F 56 / 100 Not Bad, but Flawed Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay One of the better dungeon crawlers I've come across thus far. The controls are simple and intuitive, and I didn't feel lost in the small dungeons. The "Talk" mechanic is interesting, although I was never able to convince a monster to be my friend, or whatever they call it. It's a demon-filled Pokemon where you can't catch any of 'em. 2 / 5 Level Design Super confusing. I played for a couple of hours but couldn't advance the story beyond the first 30 minutes or so. There was no help to know what to do next. 4 / 5 Theme ...

Review #2206 Laplace no Ma Haunted Mansion meets D&D SFC 1995 Vic Tokai RPG RPG › Dungeon F 51 / 100 Not Bad, but Flawed Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay Like any D&D game, you choose your class, roll the dice on your stats and go to the pub to gather three more party members. Members. Combat is about what you'd expect, although in the different classes have very different types of attacks. The scientists use machines with two devices being combined to create a certain type of attack. Not sure if that made sense. Every attack uses a battery so you have to stay stocked up on batteries. The journalist takes pictures and I have no idea what value that provides while the detective can use handguns melee weapons. 2 / 5 Level Design ...

Review #2094 Dream Maze: Kigurumi Daibouken Five Nights at Freddy's with the lights on SFC 1994 Hect RPG RPG › Dungeon H 29 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay I've never understood the appeal of this sort of game. Wandering aimlessly in a dungeon that looks the same everywhere. La tee da. That said, I gotta say this game is about as good as it gets, from a gameplay perspective anyway. Mostly. The battle mechanics are kind of annoying. But movement is great for this genre. Mind you, it's completely confusing and disorienting, like all of these first-person dungeon crawlers, but this one has all the QoL improvements you could ask for: press down to turn around, R or L to strafe, fast movement, and animation to demonstrate said movement. It eve...

Review #2041 Brandish 2: The Planet Buster Bland-ish 2 SFC 1995 Koei RPG RPG › Dungeon X 10 / 100 You've been warned Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 0 / 5 Gameplay Ugh, I hate these games. This is even worse than the first game. The controls are as bizarre as ever and the combat is way worse. You start with 1 hit point so any hit means instant death and starting over the game. It's SOOO frustrating! Steer clear 0 / 5 Level Design So so lame. Couldn't figure out how to exit the first area. Baffling design 2 / 5 Theme There's a bit of a plot where you're thrown into prison. But then everything stalls out once the game starts. I'm intrigued but mad that I can't progress! ...

Review #7027 Double Dungeons The fun dungeon. The fungeon! TG-16 1990 NEC RPG RPG › Dungeon F 56 / 100 Not Bad, but Flawed Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 3 / 5 Gameplay I generally don't like dungeon crawlers but this one had me captivated. It's so...streamlined. Just run around the maze and mash to fight. There's no parties, no magic, no menus, no inventory and no strategy. There isn't even a pause screen! Your armor and weapon are displayed right on screen and you can only hold one each so when you buy new stuff the old ones just disappear. And your xp and next level values are also on screen. Even the leveling is streamlined. Each time you reach the next level you're fully healed. So if you get low all you have to do is go back to a hallway with weak enem...

Review #4510 Shining in the Darkness The Genesis equivalent of Arcana Genesis 1991 Sega RPG RPG › Dungeon G 44 / 100 Bad Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 2 / 5 Gameplay It's a JRPG within a dungeon. Easy to use menus for the most part. Battles are snappy. In an hour of gameplay I never got past grinding with only one person in my party so I suspect this is a very grind heavy game. 1 / 5 Level Design I despise dungeon crawlers. Get.out your paper and pencil to chart the map cuz this one doesn't give you any hints for where to go. 3 / 5 Theme All the tropes are here. You're a young swordsman. Your task is to rescue the princess and beat the evil bad guy (his name is Dark Soul). Your dad is an accom...

Review #4353 Might and Magic: Gates to Another World Death around every corner Genesis 1991 Electronic Arts RPG RPG › Dungeon X 17 / 100 You've been warned Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay On screen map is super helpful, but would be nice if it showed you where you've been. Same old turn-based dungeon crawler formula. At least this one doesn't use the awful mouse cursor like some of the SNES titles. Good for this sort of game, but I cannot stand dungeon crawlers. Get away from me. 0 / 5 Level Design There's a design? It's just an endless hallway with random battles. No thanks. 1 / 5 Theme Has a tiny bit of personality in the NPCs and enemies, but your party don't even...

Review #4193 Fatal Labyrinth The simplest overhead dungeon crawler ever Genesis 1991 Sega RPG RPG › Dungeon H 36 / 100 Horrible Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 2 / 5 Gameplay It's a very simple single party member dungeon crawler. Basically a roguelike. Zero skill required. Success is determined by luck. Oddly reminds me of Crypt of the NecroDancer since the view is overhead but enemies only move when you do. You have to stand next to them to attack by pressing toward them. Your hit rate is something like 20% so encounters take a while. Best to attack from a doorway so you can't be surrounded. Slow movement. Lots of menuing and inventory management to throw away all the redundant weapons and armor loot you pick up. Level up by defeating enemies. 2 / 5 ...

Review #695 Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom Wait. They made 5 of these things? SNES 1993 Capcom RPG RPG › Dungeon X 13 / 100 You've been warned Screenshot used for review/reference purposes. 1 / 5 Gameplay Slightly better than EotB since all 6 party members can attack. Same aimless wandering Battles are at least winnable although I have no idea what I'm trying to accomplish 0 / 5 Level Design Completely aimless 1 / 5 Theme 0 / 5 Art Style Might as well be a text adventure. Virtually no graphics to speak of and menus and text boxes are 100% ascii characters. 1 / 5 Audio Some interesting tunes. No sound whatsoever. Menus and battles are comple...