gameskill.co.uk

3 Comments

1. 
   Rob Jenkins said: On January 21, 2010

   Ever wished you could play some of those classic games from yesteryear without having to hunt around for that old console? Well here’s your chance to relive 3 classics for the golden age of 16-bit gaming. The three games on offer are Golden Axe, a fighting game where you need to battle through various stages to defeat the dastardly Death Adder, Sonic Spinball which takes the iconic blue rodent into a new game type, he’s inside a giant pinball game and you have to get him out, and finally Ecco the Dolphin where you have to help Ecco locate his missing family through lots of beutiful underwater locations. All three games are direct ports of the Mega Drive (or Genesis) originals with all the graphics, sounds and (most importantly) gameplay intact. All this in handly handheld size makes for a great value game to take with you wherever you go. I recommend adding batteries to your shopping list ‘coz your going to need them.
   Rating: 4 / 5
2. 
   Urban_Him said: On January 21, 2010

   Golden Axe – This is a true 1980’s classic arcade game, you assume the role of one of three warriors, a male and female warrior, and the obligatory axe wielding dwarf. Each character has their main weapon, and their ability to use magic upon collecting potions. The power of this said magic is determined by how many potions you have collected before releasing it. If you play this game for the first time, you will enjoy it, but it will not offer anything new. Its really for nostalgic purposes that this game comes into its own. Its exactly like the old Arcade classic, which has pretty much done its time on nearly all platforms, from the MegaDrive to Amiga and now GBA. The average player will complete this game within about half hour, but that said, you will find yourself playing it again and again, as its easily accessible and not very taxing on the brain, the two player option is also good fun made even more so by the ability to “accidently” beat c*$p out of your partner when they’re about to pick up magic potion.

   Ecco The Dolphin – This is probably the strongest game on the cartridge, and to be honest, could’ve been released on its own and would easily warrent the asking price. The game is gem to play, and its huge underwater adventure. Thankfully you are given passwords here so you havent got to start from scratch each time, and we all pretty much carry mobile phones so pumping the code as a text message and saving it isnt too much of a problem. The gameplay is very addictive once you’ve mastered Ecco’s swimming controls and the graphics are pleasing to the eye. Its plays and feels even better than the original too, and if like me, you’re a commuter, this is a “delayed train” time killer.

   Sonic Spinball – This is also an addictive game and one that makes a nice change to play when you’re bored with the other two. Again its very easily accessible and is exactly the same as the original classic. We would’ve much prefered to have seen the original Sonic on here but getting these three games for this great price makes this a very reasonable game to have indeed. Its by no means anything to get excited about, but you will definitely enjoy playing this bizarre Pinball spin-off

   Overall then, its a highly recommended triple pack. Theres absolutely hours of fun on here spread over the three games, and this is one cartridge you wont be traded in for long long time. Its nice to see three classics bundled together as apposed to games like IK+ and Final Fight being sold separately. Definitely a must have game.
   Rating: 4 / 5
3. 
   Mr Ash Parmenter said: On January 21, 2010

   Ah, yes. The Sega MegaDrive. It was the centre of Sega’s empire at one time, and it was such as success that Sega estimated over two-thirds of households in Japan had one sitting comfortably next to the TV. Three of the most popular games from that era have been taken and emulated perfectly on the GBA. The games in question are Sonic Spinball, Ecco The Dolphin, and the legandary Golden Axe. Read on, fellow Sega enthusiast!

   Sonic Spinball: This game is cool. No questions asked. Some bright spark at the Sega Technical Institute had the idea of a Sonic pinball game. Rumours have it that the original draft idea was to have Sonic themed pinball tables. But Sega went one better, and actually decided to use Sonic as the ball! GENIOUS!!!

   Combining pinball action and traditional Sonic The Hedgehog platforming fun, you have a game that is easily the best on the cartridge. The various levels or ‘zones’ as they are called feature varying themes, such as a toxic waste facory or a pressure boiler. Each zone has unique gimmicks and quirks that make it stand out, and it’s a genuine feeling of excitement when you get to the next zone. All these zones are set in Dr. Robotnik’s mountain, and of course it’s up to our spikey friend to stop his manic plan. Sonic has to collect four Chaos Emeralds in each zone to stop Robotnik, and you have to perform certain tasks, such as hitting certain targets or destroying a seal, to reach the emeralds. The only gripe about this version is that the GBA screen is a little small when it comes to emulating a fast MegaDrive game. I guess if they reduced the game size it would look cack, so this can be excused…

   Ecco The Dolphin: Something smells fishy. Er, sorry. Yep, Sega’s aquatic hero is emulated perfectly on the GBA. The visuals are smooth just like the 16-bit original, and the sound is as mystifying as ever. However, I’ve never been an Ecco fan, and if you ask me, the game moves too slowly. You’ll get to a point where you’ll think “I can’t be bothered!” and just turn of your GBA out of frustration. For hours nothing seems to happen at all, and you seem to be just swimming around for ages, occasionally piecing together parts of the mystery that you have to solve.

   The mystery in question is as follows: Where are Ecco’s family and friends being held? Yep, his tuna-based mates have all gone missing and it’s up to Ecco to find them, and if need be save them. You begin the game in a quaint part of the sea, but then you move into more dangerous waters. The enimies are good but all get tedious after a while, because they all follow the same pattern. Then again, there’s only so many ways a shark can bite you, isn’t there?

   It would’ve been nice if Sega had added a save feature to this game, simply because it’s so big, and takes so long to finish. At times you really get frustrated with it, and you wish you could come back after a beer or something. And I doubt people would be happy staring at their GBA screen for up to ten hours just to complete the game. Then again, since this is an emulation of a MegaDrive cartridge which never had a save feature in the first place, it’s understandable.

   Golden Axe: This is excellent. You can choose to play as one of three heroes, who have to save the world from an evil wizard who is hell-bent on destruction. You can select either a muscley warrior, an athletic female fighter, or a four-foot (but probably crazy) drawf with an axe. The gameplay is classic, and those familiar with Streets of Rage will be right at home. The action is pretty intense even by todays standards, and before you know it you’ll be swamped by enemies. Speaking of enemies, all the creatures in this game are very well thought out. Each has good animation (for 1990 anyway) and the attacks are varied.

   You character can pick up magic pots which are often dropped by imps. Using these magic pots you can perfom magic attaks, which devestate the enemies forces. It’s little touches like this that make the game stand out even today. You can’t just run in head first. You have to think about each enemy, and find the best way to defeat them.

   Overall, this classic pack rocks. I would have prefered Vectorman or Ristar to Ecco The Dolphin, but I guess it’s Sega’s choice after all. The games are all playable, and if you think about it, you’re getting each game for the equivalent of around a tenner. Not bad, I guess! It’s worth playing the games to the end, just to see the new credits that they’ve implemented. The games were emulated by one man. Yes, one singe bloke sitting behind a computer with a GBA development kit and (most probably) a cheeseburger for company. This guy deserves a pat on the back. It’s not every day that happens, and it reminds me of the old Amiga days, where entire games series’ were designed by fat, balding, single men. This game really is a retro-lover’s ideal Christmas gift!
   Rating: 4 / 5