The Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis)

Difficulty: ***1/2
Controls: ***
Sound: ****
Graphics: ***1/2
Rating: 14 stars out of 20

On the Wii Virtual Console: YES

[REPORT]
Started the game playing on Normal Mode.

STAGE 1- First stage in the village went well. Did a perfect run and kicked the boss' butt.

STAGE 2- Lost 4 lives and 1 continue! Waterfall area kicked my butt this time. The ninja's really blend into the background nicely. What wasn't so nice is that they kept firing their stupid shurikens at me (causing me to fall off into the pit below). The boss in the disco club was easy to beat. Just knelt down and fired my shurikens at him until he bit the dust.

STAGE 3- Lost 1 life. The military compound. This stage is easily handled by using one of your ninjitsu's (the one with the force field) around the middle of the stage. At the end you get that ninjitsu back via a power-up. Brain boss in the spherical shell gave me little problems.

STAGE 4- Lost 2 lives and my second continue! Damn you pit right at the beginning of the factory! Took care of the Terminator boss in two tries (really easy pattern, hit the head, avoid object and jump his dash attack).

STAGE 5- Lost 6 lives and my last continue! What a pain getting through the building with all the security lasers. Figured out way too late that instead of carefully going through the level, you can just jump and rush to finish it. Joe met his end on the second area (the freeway) as a guard blew him up via grenade.


The classic box art we all know and love!

The Japanese game is titled "The Super Shinobi". Really cool art that's a part of the in game title screen.


The cover of the Mega Drives version of Shinobi. Can you tell the difference?

Streets of Rage (Genesis)

Difficulty: ***1/2
Controls: ***
Sound: ****
Graphics: ***1/2
Rating: 14 stars out of 20

On Wii Virtual Console: YES

Decided to pop in my Sega classics collection today, enjoyed a great game of Streets of Rage. I forgot how great the sound and the graphics were. They still look solid today. Selected Adam and I was off to the races! Made it to stage 3 before I lost my first life and by stage 4 I'd lost my first continue. Not bad for HARD mode!

I bit the dust in stage 6 at the dual boss. For those Streets of Rage veterans, the pair of bosses with the red shirt, spiky blonde hair and razor claws (the name eludes me at the moment). I think I would have done better if I had someone else gaming with me. Anybody else think it was weird using your special attack (the cop car that comes screeching in) and seeing it in the factory and the ferry? Ha, ha, ha...what the hell?!


The Streets of Rage cover we all know and love in North America. Not too shabby looking if I say so myself. But Blaze is wearing white? And that punk is carrying a gun? Those aren't in the game...

A variant cover. Even better than the one we got. Adam kinda' looks twisted though!

This is the Japanese cover of Streets of Rage (called Bare Knuckle) for the Sega Mega-Drive. Notice the grid-less background? So Retro Nation any of you guys have any fond memories of this game? Send me some comments or feedback!

Pro Wrestling (NES)

Difficulty: ***
Controls: ***1/2
Sound: **1/2
Graphics: ***
Rating: 12 stars out of 20

Wii Virtual Console: NO (as of Nov. 2010)

Instead of the usual write-up I do for my reviews I'm doing something else instead. Something more fun. So here's some various art off the webs for your viewing pleasure. And notice the different box art! Cool!


So this is the box are us North Americans recieved. Kinda' blah.

The Eropeans got a MUCH better cover for Pro Wrestling! Notice how Starman cries out "WAAA!"...ha, ha, ha, funny stuff.

The Japanese got a picture of Fighter Hayabusa with the belt. Very nice! Most cover art that we got is really uninspired and boring.

Pro Wrestling flyer! I had to share this as I thought this was a great pic. I love the fact that the wrestlers looked aged in the picture, really great throwback from the past.

Finally, the infamous words most of us grew up with, "A winner is you!" Thanks Nintendo! Any thoughts on todays review? Leave me a comment.

Speed Ball 2 (Genesis)

Difficulty- ***1/2

Controls- ***

Sound- **

Graphics- ***

Overall- 11 1/2 stars out of 20

Due to extreme violence and 'illegal acts' speedball has been forced underground! You control a new expansion team called Brutal Deluxe. Its up to you to lead and manage the team all the way to the top. Do you have what it takes?

When you select any of the available 3 game modes your team pretty much stinks (you are an expansion team...) It doesn't help that the game doesn't match you up against teams of the same skill level as you.

You'll win a few games here and there, but until you buy better players you will be hurting. The lack of an onscreen HUD to know the placement of your teammates is inexcusable. It makes the passing game difficult.

The players are easy to move around and the controls are simple. Each button does basically the same thing. Pass, slide tackle and jump. That's it. Maybe adding a punch button for up close attacks would have spiced things up. Also the fact that you can't switch players in-game is downright crappy! (What were the programmers thinking?)

Music selection is almost paper thin. The opening theme is hard on the ears too. Once you start a game, no music is played whatsoever! Thankfully there is some good sound effects. The announcer yells "replay!" when you score a goal. Also you get a blarring horn that sounds great. Your slide tackles and hits don't sound too convincing though.

If you like the colour gray, this games for you! I know its supposed too be the future but c'mon! Every player is the same colour! And so is the arena (really?) The only way to tell your guys apart is their health meter above their heads. On a side note you get a great replay when you score goals. Couple that with a little victory animation makes things nice.

Overall, if you had the choice between this and Power Ball, I say grab Power Ball. While the game is fun (don't get me wrong) it does have some glaring flaws. The controls are nice and simple, but you think they could have added a switch player button? The music is also non-exist ant but the sound effects are decent. The graphics look nice but its marred by the fact that the players and the arena is in gray! Unless its dirt cheap..buyer beware!

Space Harrier 2 (Sega Genesis)

Difficulty: ***1/2
Controls: ***
Sound: ***
Graphics: ***
Overall: 12 1/2 stars out of 20

A call for help comes from deep in the 214th sector of the universe. Fantasyland is in trouble! Evil aliens are spreading fast and only Space Harrier can stop them. Its just you and your laser cannon. Can you handle it?

There are 12 stages in this game. You get an option of 3 difficulty modes (easy, normal and hard). You also can use a stage select mode. No need to input any codes! One thing you will notice is that the enemy fire is hard too see as Space Harrier will usually get in the way. Not good. This particularly sucks if the enemy boss is right in your face! The levels increase in difficulty the further you progress but the stages that increase in speed as you avoid obstacles is brutal!

The controls are limited in this game. 'A', 'B' and 'C' buttons are used for firing. That's pretty well it. Perhaps they could have added a bomb button and a secondary side arm? Hmm...

Each stage has its own music track (very nice!) Although most of the music is just alright (Harrier Saga, Inverse Infect and Motion are the standouts). The sound effects are a bit thin. Your laser sounds like a cap gun. And the explosions are pretty wimpy sounding. You get some nice voice synthesizers too ("Arrgh!" and "Get ready" are neat).

Space Harrier 2 is loaded with big sprites. The lesser enemies are big and colourful, the bosses are even bigger. You even get the checker board ground (which I happen to really like, so 80's!) and on a few levels your treated to a ceiling. The backgrounds for the most part are well done too. Although Space Harrier just looks funny running around in a red jump suit.

Space Harrier 2 won't cost you much money. I was surprised how much fun it is. You have 3 difficulty modes and 12 stages to blast through. The controls are simplistic (maybe too simple). Perhaps a few other moves could have been added to the game (bomb or secondary weapon?) The enemies have some diversity and the bosses are huge. I especially like how frantic Space Harrier runs, lol. If you find it cheap (and you probably will) strap on your red jump suit and get it!

Golden Axe (Sega Genesis)

Difficulty: ***1/2
Controls: ***1/2
Sound: ***
Graphics: ***1/2
Overall: 13 1/2 stars out of 20

Death Adder has kidnapped the King and Princess of Yuria! You select one of the three heroes; Gillius the Dwarf, Ax Battler the barbarian and Tyris the Amazon. Each one has a motive for wanting to set Death Adder's head on a pike, so get at it!

There are a few tricks that will help you stay alive in Golden Axe. First and foremost never lining yourself up with an enemy that is far away. It will always charge at you. And letting the dinosaur escape instead of riding it (most of the time your just a big target if you get on).

Also using the various pits in the game will be an energy and time saver (chuck those punks in there!) the game sports a few difficulty modes (beginner and arcade), and you even get ranked on how well you played when the game ends (super!). In the later levels the skeletons will be your worst nightmare. They are numerous and hit hard. Having a buddy play along with you will definitely help!

The controls are spot on. The default setting has the 'A' button using magic, the 'B' button uses your weapon and the 'C' button jumps. B+C will have you doing a back attack and double tapping the left or right key will make you run. In the latter levels (the inner sanctum of Death Adder) there are some tricky jumping parts.

Golden Axe has some varied music. The opening tune definitely gets you pumped up to beat the hell out of anyone who gets in your way! The map music is also pleasant to hear. Some sound effects are better than others. Swinging your weapon wildly sounds awful. But when you actually connect it sounds great. The added bonus of death cries as you slay Death Adder's horde is also sweet.

The game keeps its high fantasy feel although some of the backgrounds are muddy looking. However Turtle village looks good. There are various shapes and sizes of the enemy sprites but for the most part they're just colour swaps (skeletons) You also get to ride some awesome looking dinosaurs! Some of the moves you perform (notably the throw) just look awkward. You also get treated to a nice animation whenever you use magic (each character has they're own unique animations!) big thumbs up there.

Overall if you have a Sega Genesis grab this game. Its two player co-op, head bashing fun. You won't be beating this game on your first try that's for sure! The controls while responsive could have used a block button. The sprites are good while most of the enemies are palette swaps. There is some great variety in height and weight though (nice). The sounds and tunes are also top notch. I swear the death cries will never get old. Delve into Death Adder's dark castle. But will you leave with the King of Yuria and his beautiful princess? Or end up utterly destroyed?

Bart vs. The Space Mutants (NES)

Difficulty: ***1/2

Controls: ***

Sound: ***1/2

Graphics: ***

Overall: 13 stars out of 20

You play as the "underachiever and proud of it" Bart Simpson. Space Mutants have landed in Springfield and Bart and the rest of the Simpsons are the town's only hope! Cool huh?

What makes this game difficult is how Bart jumps. Learning and mastering the jump and super jumps will determine if you can beat this game or not. Doing a super jump in the mall level for example (jumping from candy bar to candy bar) needs precise timing.

There are five levels in the game and you start with only 3 lives. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to earn extra lives (Krusty symbols). Also by killing various enemies you earn letters that summon that particular Simpson to help you in that stages boss fight. And trust me, they help!

Moving Bart around seems a bit off. And like what was mentioned above the jumping isn't so tight. Doing a super jump will often having you slide off whatever platform you were jumping to. Which leads to plenty of lost lives and frustration. Also pausing the game is a bit of an annoyance. You have to scroll through your inventory screen to select it. But those are just minor problems.

You get the classical Simpsons theme which is great to listen to. There is plenty of variety in the music department (really just a variation of the original theme). There are plenty of voice synthesizers in the game (Bart yells "cool man" and "eat my shorts" very clearly!) The other sound effects sound nice (spray painting, meeting a goal, collecting the various letters).

Nice intro at the beginning with the Simpson clan gathered around the TV! The Space Mutants land and there is some great detail there. Most of the sprites in game are fairly simple, but colourful. The Springfield, Krusty Land and Museum levels look great (especially that T-Rex!) Having to use your X-Ray glasses to see if people are aliens is a really nice touch! I wish more games would incorporate that.

For their first foray into the video game biz, Bart vs. The Space Mutants is a good game. The jumping parts of the game are challenging (and will have you d'oh-ing for hours on end!) The controls are decent but the slide after the super jump is very unforgiving. The various music and voice synthesizers from Bart are superb. The graphics while plain, are colourful and fun. Go get this game, its the best of the 3. If not, you can eat my shorts!

Slalom (NES)

Difficulty: ***
Controls: ****
Sound: **1/2
Graphics: **1/2
Overall: 12 stars out of 20

Gather your winter coat, a tuque and your ski's because your hitting the slopes today! But can you avoid the myriad of skiers, trees and other hazards? Nintendo presents one of its launch titles, Slalom!

You get to select which peak to start from (the higher the peak the more difficult). There are 3 peaks to choose from for a total of 24 different courses! Its you versus the clock as you try to bob and weave into the various gates and make it to the bottom.

It won't be so easy as early as the third course the speed picks up. By the seventh or eighth course you'll wish you had a ski pole to throw at your TV!

The controls are tight and responsive. Holding up speeds you up, and holding down slows you. The 'A' and 'B' buttons allows you to jump. When you hit a snow ramp you can pull off a trick by holding the 'down' arrow key. Its a pain to have to hold up to maintain your speed though. They should have assigned it to either the 'A' or 'B' buttons. But that's just a minor nit-pick.

The sound is fun and catchy in Slalom. You really only get a few musical tracks in the game. But it is catchy. There are some cute little sound effects too (bumping into things, crashing, and jumping). But overall there could have been more!

While there is some nice detail in the background (the purple mountains in the distance), the foreground is plain white and grey. Whoop-dee-do! Your opposing skiers are all the same pink-ish colour too which is also disappointing. You do however get a nice little animation of your skier hopping up and down when you complete a course.

There is some great challenge and varied courses in the game. You get 24 tracks to plow through which is nice. You'll be tearing off you parka though when you fail a course by a second or two later on! The controls are great but using both buttons to jump? Why not use one of the buttons to maintain your speed? The sounds while limited are nice and catchy. The graphics are just below par however. But what's there isn't terrible, just plain. Slalom really is a fun game that's great for a retro game party. So don't spill your hot chocolate as you dash down the icy mountains!

technorati stuff

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The Adventures of Bayou Billy (NES)

Difficulty: ****1/2

Controls: **

Sound: ***1/2

Graphics: ***1/2

Overall: 13 1/2 stars out of 20

You play as the swamp superhero known as Bayou Billy. Your Cajun Queen Annabelle has been captured and help hostage by the local kingpin Gordon! It'll take strength, hard nosed driving skills and a sharp trigger finger to get her back!

First and foremost the game is very hard. The poor hit detection in the beat 'em up stages will cause you to lose many upon many of lives. Added to the fact that the driving stages have very loose controls means you won't be having a good time. There are 9 stages total and aside from the zapper gun stages, are brutal.

The controls have already been mentioned but you have to wonder how Konami (who are known too be a top rate gaming company) got away with these shoddy controls. During the beat 'em up stages you press the 'B' button to punch, 'A' button to kick and A+B to jump kick. When you get a firearm you can select it via the 'select' button.

There is nice variety in the music. You get some very southern Cajun style tunes as you slog away through the baddies. Your attacks don't sound to convincing though. But on the bright side you're treated to some nice voice synthesizers (Gordon laughing at you, the title being said and the grunt of death by Billy himself)

Bayou Billy sports some sharp graphics. You get cut scenes between levels and they all look nice and crisp. There is a plethora of bad guys to dispatch. Frogmen, various punks, cars, planes, birds and even alligators! The driving stages look nice too (especially the highway stage). There is some slowdown and flicker issues in the driving stages but nothing too much to scoff at.

Pick this game up only if you find it for a rock bottom price (I picked mine up for $2) The game is very hard due to the poor hit detection in the beat em' up stages. The driving stages have you controlling a jeep that is very loose and frustrating. The sound with its various voice synthesizers is a treat to hear. The graphics are also very well done (standard Konami fare). Overall, this could have been one of the ultimate beat 'em up games on the NES. Not being able to have a second player join in the bayou brawl is a shame. With all its diversity the game is marred by poor controls. A shame really...

The Immortal (NES)

Difficulty: ****
Controls: ***1/2
Sound: ***1/2
Graphics: ****1/2
Overall: 15 1/2 stars out of 20

In the ancient depths of the once fabled city of Erinoch lies and old labyrinth. Your teacher of the mystical arts Mordamir has been said to have been down in the dungeons. But he has not surfaced. Although you are growing old with age you still have your excellent training in fighting and magic. You decide to help find your former master. This is The Immortal from EA Games!

You are allowed three tries in each stage before the game boots you out to the password screen. You'll be seeing it often as the game hosts many instant death traps. Even when you begin in the first dungeon the place is littered with cannons, fire traps and poisoned darts! Talk about safety issues. Add in flesh eating worms, killer spores, spikes that shoot up from the floor...whew, you'll be having fits for sure! However, the game never seems totally unfair. When you get the hang of each dungeon you can maneuver around it easily.

Controlling the wizard will get some getting used to. The 'A' and 'B' button fires a fireball when your not in combat. When you are the 'B' button attacks while the 'A' button and a direction of the D-pad will dodge. Later on in the game you'll be given the task of controlling certain items around a dungeon level. These levels are very tricky as the items will bounce off of walls if you're not careful.

The mood is set for you epic journey as the opening theme is outstanding. The music overall is just great to listen to. The dungeon theme is very dark and spooky. Like death lingers just around the corner (and probably is!) The sound effects are also quite good. Using your various items, casting magic are all solid. You even get treated to a death groan when you kill your various opponents! (sweet!)

The Immortal has some of the best graphics in the entire NES library! All the sprites in general are excellently detailed. The combat screens have big detailed sprites too. Although the background is just a solid black colour. You'll especially come to appreciate the dragon at the end of the game! One of the most chilling and horrifying enemies in the game for sure. A tiny gripe though, the bats are a real pain to see in the already dark dungeons.

While this game is often overlooked, it is one of the best in the NES library. It is a challenging game with the various death traps. But it never seems unfair as countless replays will have you figuring out the levels. You'll need to adjust to the way things control in this game. But once you do it'll be too easy. The sounds are very dark, spooky and often times bone chilling! While the sound effects are good, there could have been some more variety. The graphics will have you saying "that's an NES game?" As the sprites are big, colourful and greatly detailed. If you can find yourself a copy, get it. Until you find Mordamir in the Labyrinth of Eternity...

Game Genie - Alien Syndrome (NES)

The invading aliens need too be taught a lesson! Now you and a buddy can get through the onslaught and rid the colonies of the bad guys. Try these great codes to boost up your timer, lives and well...some are just plain weird! Enjoy!

• Timer at 540 - IUONPPLL
• Timer at 240 - ZUONPPLL
• 14 lives! - YAOGPIGE
• Weird gun...- PAUKGIAE
• Other weapons act like the Fireball thrower - KKISTV
• Weird...the 'B' button resets the game! - GKISTV

Game Genie - Shinobi (NES)

The master ninja has his work cut out for him. The Ring of Five have some nasty tricks for you. But with these codes so can you!

• Mega run - IEKONILE
• Scarce enemies - PAGEUG
• Bosses and enemies can't use their projectiles! - GKISTV
• Music changes - ENEALYNN
• For pro Shinobi players only, one hit kill's! - EZNIPN
• Weird... sometimes after getting hit, you complete the level! (Note: at the beginning of the next level you will die.) - XZNIPN

Game Genie - Rolling Thunder (NES)

Mabu got you down? The Evil Society giving you fits? Well not anymore with these great Game Genie codes! Some power you up, others make the game more difficult, and others are just...weird. Enjoy!

• Some enemies have radioactive colours! - IXZGEG
• 8 Lives - OEOVLALE
• Start with ZERO lives (when you use a continue you will get the normal 3) - PEOVLALA
• One code, infinite lives! - OEOULALA
• Self Replenish Bullets (185) - XLVITYPE
• Bumping into enemies doesn't kill you (but bullets still can!) - EEEVSAZE

Rolling Thunder (NES)

Tengen week comes to an end.

Difficulty: ***1/2
Controls: ****
Sound: **
Graphics: ***1/2
Overall: 13 stars out of 20

Secret agent Leila has been kidnapped! The nefarious Evil Society has nabbed her as she was about to unwrap one of their conspiracies! As Agent Albatross you're sent from your organization to rescue her!

With five stories and a multitude of areas to get through, Rolling Thunder is no walk in the park. You have three lives and two continues to get to Leila before the Evil Society puts an end to her! Going around and rushing through each area is a sure fire way to get yourself killed. And in the latter stages (the jumping ones) you'll want to take your time! One of the most difficult parts of this game is the platform areas. You'll have to jump from place to place usually with a flying enemy coming straight for you! Not fun.

For the most part Albatross controls very well. You fire your various guns with the 'B' button. You jump with the 'A' button. If you hold 'up' while pressing 'A' you'll do a super jump. Also one thing that really bugs me is the fact that once you jump, your only going one direction (which is realistic). Make sure you plan your jumps accordingly.

One of the low points of the game. You get maybe four tracks in the game. Not very much variety in each tune either. The ones that are there are just ho-hum really. The sound effects are decent enough. But the sound your machine-gun makes...its like you're stretching a cat! One other good point however, when you run out of continues Mabu appears on screen and laughs at you (I love that!)

You see an abundance of mask enemies in the game. And while there is some variety to them, they are mostly colour swaps. But you also get some variety with bats, panthers and fire creatures! And those guys look cool. After completing a few areas you'll begin to see some cut scenes of the fair Leila. What will happen to her!? One more thing. When you bite the dust as Albatross he'll flail around and slump to the ground (awesome death sequence!)

Rolling Thunder will have you swearing with its brutal enemy placement. As well the jumping areas are very difficult in the latter portions. Thankfully there are passwords you can obtain! The controls are nice and tight, although when you jump you can't change your destination. The sound is very limited. While the music that's there is alright, more could have been done. The graphics are nice, clean and colourful. The masked enemies for the most part are colour swaps of one another, but there is some variety. Now lets all do the masked guy pose!

Gauntlet (NES)

Tengen week keeps rolling on!

Difficulty: ***1/2

Controls: ****

Sound: ***

Graphics: ***

Overall: 13 1/2 stars out of 20

Morak the Evil One has stolen the sacred orb! The villagers plead for your aid. They say that the evil wizard took the treasure deep below the earth, and has locked it in his gauntlet! Grab your weapon and ready your magic and head down to the horrors below...This is the arcade smash hit, Gauntlet from Tengen!

You'll have your work cut out for you if you go solo. You can enlist the aid of a friend (which helps out tremendously). The Gauntlet has five worlds with about twenty stages in them. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that you have to collect letters to form a message in order to get into the very last levels of the game! Damn! While the enemies themselves are no real danger in small groups, once they surround you...you're in for some pain. And just wait until you get to the trickier levels with teleporters, stun pads and invisible walls!

Moving one of the four heroes around the dungeon is quite good. But for some reason your guy will move slower when you travel diagonally. The 'A' button fires your weapon and the 'B' button uses any magic you've collected.

The sound effects really save the game. While the music that's in there is alright, it quickly repeats. The opening theme is very good. A moody tune that fits the dark, unknown mystery of the gauntlet! Your weapons firing, collecting treasures and using magic all sound terrific. Heck your guy shouts out in pain if its taking too much damage! You also hear them blurt out 'Oh!' after he has eaten some food. Nice touch.

The opening screen with all the monsters and the flashing 'GAUNTLET' title is superb. Unfortunately, while the four heroes are nice to look at, the enemies are boring and void of detail. On the password screen you see the face of Morak himself and he even taunts you as you collect the various bits of the message! Great stuff. Note: there is some massive slowdown in this game. Even in the earlier parts as enemies fill up the screen.

There are five worlds with many rooms to conquer. Its not a short one. Added that you must collect various letters to form a message to even get into the last few stages, adds to the difficulty. The controls are good but moving diagonally is a drag. While the music is repetitive and lacking, the opening theme and the sound effects make up for it. The graphics are just par and there is a lot of slowdown. The game however is a blast to play. Even better with a friend! So beware if you venture down into the gauntlet. Because you may not see the light of the day again...

Ms. Pac-Man (NES)

Tengen week continues!

Difficulty: ***1/2
Controls: ****1/2
Sound: **
Graphics: **1/2
Overall: 12 1/2 stars out of 20

You all know Ms. Pac-Man right? Eating pellets is the name of the game as you run around each maze and avoid ghosts! Tengen brings us a great arcade port with many new features added in. This is Ms. Pac-Man!

Right from the bat you get four different difficulty modes to choose from. Easy, normal, hard and crazy. The ghosts adjust their speed accordingly. Even on easy mode by the apple level the ghosts will speed up and come after you (Clyde is still pretty stupid though!) As well your power pellets (that make the ghosts edible, crazy eh?) don't last as long the further you go. Overall, there's a good challenge for newcomers and veterans alike!

Very easy controls. In fact its pretty bare bones! Just press each arrow key to direct Ms. Pac-Man. You can also turn on the boost mode on the selection screen. You can set it to 'always on' or
'use the A or B buttons'. Mind you, using the boost is great for straight aways but no so for sharp turning. Beware.

You don't get much music in the game. Not even an opening theme! Once you do begin the game you're treated to the classic 'Ms. Pac-Man' theme. During the cut scenes you get a nice little melody too, but that's about it. The sound effects as you munch on pellets, get the power pellets and eat the ghosts are all great. But you think the people at Tengen could have added something more for the console release?

The sprites and the layout of each stage is very colourful. But there is no great attention to detail. This is after all a Pac-man game! You come for the tight game play, not to see their ugly mugs (especially you Clyde!) One nice touch is the various bonus items you get. Turning on the strange mode you will come across a lot of zany things (glass shoe, ice cream cone among others!)

With many different modes to choose from (1 player, 2 player co-op, competitive, alternate). As well as four different difficulty settings AND maze selection, this has got too be the greatest iteration of Ms. Pac-Man! While the graphics and music are nothing really outstanding (more like lacking) it is a Pac-Man game. The controls are simple as anyone can just pick up and play the game. Despite its low rating don't hesitate to grab this game. Its a wonderful party game that will have everyone taking turns! Waka, waka!

Shinobi (NES)

Thanks for all those that voted in the poll! This week; Tengen games!

Difficulty: ***
Controls: ****
Sound: **
Graphics: ***1/2
Overall: 12 1/2 out of 20 stars

The most notorious criminals around the world have banded together. And they've kidnapped the children of various political figureheads! They call themselves the Ring of Five. You are called Shinobi. A master ninja hired to rescue the children and put an end to the Ring!

You have five missions (each about 3-4 stages), 3 lives and no continues to beat the game. In the latter portions of the game you'll be tested on how well you can leap in and out of danger, so mastering the jump/super jump is essential! Also figuring out the weak point of each boss will have you staying alive a lot longer. The one fact that makes this game a little easier than most other games of its ilk is the fact you have a life bar. Thanks Tengen!

Moving and controlling Shinobi around is a piece of cake. The 'B' button throws either a shuriken, dart or fires your gun (whichever one you have gained). The 'A' button jumps as well you can do a super jump by holding the up arrow key. Killing ten enemies in a stage will permit you to use one of your ninjitsu arts (if you won any in the previous bonus round) by pressing A+B. Two gripes, when you use your super jump you cannot move around, so make sure you plan your jump accordingly. Two, for a ninja he moves really slow!

No opening theme? Not even a little ditty on the mission screen? Ugh..no excuse for that! Once you do start the game you'll be treated to the same theme over and over again. Its not bad but it gets repetitive. The sound effects are just OK too. The main standout however is the sound your super jump makes (very mystical!) There could have been so much more to this game...

Graphically Tengen games are known to sport some good visuals. Shinobi is filled with enemies while not too detailed, are colourful and big. The bosses look alright, but the helicopter from mission two and Mandara bosses look sweet. You are treated to basically white clumps as children, why couldn't they have more diversity then that? Maybe a little speech bubble that says "HELP! HELP!" would have been nice. And the level design is quite good too. Some detail in the backgrounds helps the game from getting the 'yawn' treatment. I would like to note the Marilyn Monroe posters in stage 1-2 look excellent though!

While not one of the longest games. Shinobi does provide an action packed evening of gaming goodness. The controls are responsive and save for some jumping hiccups, is great. The music is uninspired, repetitive and lacks a ton of variety. However the sound effects are good. The sprites aren't too detailed but they are big and colourfull. The layout of each stage is nice and some attention to detail can be seen. Ninja grab a copy if you see one for cheap. Someone has to break the Ring of Five, so it may as well be you! Won't someone think of the children?