7-27-95 Mechwarrior 3050
7-25-95 Secret of Evermore
7-24-95 Wayne Gretzky and the NHLPA All-Stars
7-21-95 Demolition Man
7-18-95 NHL Hockey
7-11-95 Civilization
7-10-95 Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
7-7-95 Jack Bros.
7-6-95 Batman Forever
7-3-95 Capcom
7-2-95 Theme Park / XBAND
7-1-95 DOOM
MECHWARRIOR 3050
By Activision, due for release this October
The long awaited Mechwarrior 3050--previously called Battletech--just arrived at Nintendo for approval. Other than scattered pics from Activision, I hadn't seen any previous versions, so I was pretty excited. This finished version looked a lot like the Genesis game, but the graphics and sound were improved as expected. In a nutshell, it's Urban Strike with mechs--giant blasting machines that overheat constantly. The overhead perspective makes for a much simpler battle than the first-person perspective of the original Super NES MechWarrior--simpler to grasp, but more strategic.
Having played the sit-down-and-strap-yourself in virtual version at the Battletech Center in Chicago, I have to admit that this miniature doesn't provide the same thrill of the battle. What it does provide is challenge. Enemy defenses and mechs surround you almost at once. If you're used to the controls, you'll make some headway taking out the mission targets, but at first it can be rough. I found that the biggest aid is to choose a smart set of weapons. Before heading down to a planet to stomp on inferior lifeforms, you get to load up on three weapon systems. Be sure to choose the laser no matter what! After that, you're off to the races.
The Super NES control pad allows the upper turret of the mech to rotate using the Left and Right Buttons, even as you stomp ahead in some other direction. This is a great plus, but tricky to master. As in the Strike series of games, you often find supply units in the field after destroying targets. A radar screen shows the locations of mission objectives and enemies. Although I wasn't thrilled with the controls, and the puny enemy mechs in the first stage took a few more hits than seemed realistic, Mechwarrior 3050 should provide some good play value and a great deal of satisfaction if I can ever blast my way all the way through it.
Secret of Evermore
By Square Soft, due for release in November
It's here! Secret of Evermore finally arrived and I couldn't wait to tell every adventure fan online that this game is going to be great. Mana fans will recognize the battle command system, and the unique alchemy process by which you use varying amounts of basic items will keep things interesting. Although much of Evermore reminded me of Mana, it felt very new. This is definitely not a sequel.
Right from the beginning, I got the sense of being in good hands. The cinema story that unfolds has excellent production quality and combines a sense of humor and mystery. Once I gained control of the teen hero, I was already in the thick of things and on my way to the enigmatic land of Evermore, which exists only in the dimensional folds of the human mind. The journey took me through a swamp where I learned how to fight and gain experience. Along with my dog, who has been transformed into a wolf in the process of traveling to Evermore, I explored the swamp trails, bashing carnivorous plants and pesky mosquitos to earn my first level-up. The first big test arrived minutes later when I stepped into a clearing where raptor-like dinosaurs scurried out of the bushes with quick attacks. Then it was into the first village where I learned that the new alchemist, Strong Heart, was lost in the Bugmuck Swamp. Naturally, I gathered all the info available, stored up a supply of ingredients like water and wax, then head off into the great unknown.
All I want to say for now is that Square Soft has done a great job of putting the pieces together. I've got to get back to the game, now. More later.
Wayne Gretzky and the NHLPA All-Stars
By Time Warner Interactive
Time Warner just sent us a preview copy of Wayne Gretzky and the NHLPA All-Stars. The game isn't finished yet, so it wouldn't be fair to be too critical. Let's start with the highlights. Gretzky has Gretzky, arguably the finest player the NHL has ever seen. Time Warner spent three days getting Wayne's input and images for the 16 megabit game. As for the graphics, the characters stand tall and the puck never vanishes--both good qualities for any hockey game. The NHLPA license means that you get to play with real players, but there are no Sharks, Devils or Ducks on their uniforms. Gretzky uses a side-scrolling format similar to that in ESPN National Hockey Night. Special features include fighting, arcade mode, international teams as well as teams in NHL cities, instant replay, seasons, tournaments, and playoffs. I particularly appreciated the practice mode that let me try out some passing schemes before hitting the ice against opponents. In addition to the many modes of play, Gretzky also has options that can make your players more aggressive--kind of a feed-the-players-some-raw-meat option. The small digitized windows showing fouls adds a touch of television realism to the game. And perhaps the best feature is that up to four players can join in at any time.
The actual action on the ice seemed a bit awkward, but that could well be corrected in the final version of the game, which is due to be released this fall. The sound of slapshots and the puck hitting the boards is pretty realistic. At this stage, still a month from completion, I'd have to say that I've seen better and worse. My advice to the design team is keep your sticks on the ice and try to add a little more realism to the animation and AI. I'll let you know how it turns out in a month.
DEMOLITION MAN
By Acclaim, developed at Virgin Interactive, available September/October.
Bungee jumping arrives on the Super NES intermixed with hot, flying lead--tons of it, aimed at your head. DUCK! Demolition Man, first sighted something like two years ago at Virgin Interactive, finally dropped onto my desk--signed, sealed and delivered by Acclaim. Huh? Acclaim continues to purchase just about every piece of 16-bit software available. Maybe they don't have a lot of confidence in Playstation or that thing with a ring from Sega. Anyhow, Demolition Man trashes plenty of bad guys in the process of giving you some great fun and some very frustrating play.
It starts out great. You are Stallone, dropping out of a chopper on a bungee chord. TWANNGGG! SNAP! You can bounce up and land on any of several levels. This first area features side-scrolling action during which your gun barrel glows red as you pick, choose and blast your way through the urban wreckage of Los Angeles while Phoenix and his cronies attempt to wreak havoc with your life support systems. The action and control feel good, and some of the moves, especially the bungee jumping--which is repeated later in the stage--add something completely new. Then, suddenly, like the Titanic going down on her first voyage, Demolition Man moves on to the second stage and sinks like a stone. The perspective is now overhead. The characters are tiny. The hit detection is laughable. It's like a cross between True Lies and Syndicate without the good features of those two games. Luckily, you get more action later on, but you have to wonder what the developers were thinking when they finished this game and left it half smokin' and half chokin'.
NHL ‘96
By EA Sports, due for release this October
It's 95 degress outside, but it's very cool at my desk because I've been on ice all day. NHL ‘96 just arrived and I can safely say that it's the best hockey I've seen for a video game system...ever! Refinement is the keyword for EA Sports. Every year, it seems, their classic series of sports games gets a little bit better. Then, once in say three or four years, the games seem to take a quantum leap. Last year we saw that leap with NBA Live ‘95. This year, NHL ‘96 takes the jump.
Although the basic perspective remains overhead with the action on the ice scrolling vertically, the graphic improvements to the smoothness of animation and character definition really stand out. Players move more realistically than ever before. Momentum, turning radiuses, body checks, stopping and starting all look like the real thing. The game also includes fighting, good officiating, excellent sound, realistic touches like break-away goal nets and a full set of options featuring slow-motion replay, line changes and full seasons or playoff modes. EA Sports has also included both the NHL and NHLPA licenses, so you get real teams with real players.
One of the most impressive parts of any EA Sports game is the artificial intelligence. The programmers have a proven record of excellence for creating computer-controlled players that assist in your playmaking rather than impeding it. In NHL ‘96, the computer players exhibit solid AI on offense and defense. The easy play control also adds to the game in a big way. The NHL ‘96 programmers understood that basic sports functions should be performed with the use of just a few controller buttons. The action is just too fast for complex controller actions. As a result, you have basic two button play for passing, shooting, blocking and switching, with some special moves or options making use of the extra buttons.
This game is smart, fun and battery-backed. The only weakness is that it has no four-player option. As a two-player game, though, it scores big.
CIVILIZATION
By Koei, to be released this October
Civilization, one of the best computer strategy games ever made, has taken a long and winding road to the Super NES but, finally, it is on its way. Several years ago, the project was begun at Microprose where the original PC game was developed. The game was turned over to Asmik Corp. in Japan for development on the Super NES and Super Famicom. They took a good long time, but the finished game showed up at Nintendo of America last winter. Ha, that was their fatal error!
As a fan of the PC game, I'd been waiting for the chance to build some chariots on my Super NES and run roughshod over the ancient world. I proceeded to do just that, building up my cities, developing irrigated lands and a network of roads, exploring the continents with armored troops and the oceans with my navy. I created the Pyramids and the Colossus so that all foreigners who saw these wonders would quail at my awesome might. In the towns, I built temples, libraries, barracks, universities. Eventually, my empire became a nuclear power and I had to punish my neighbors...with great, radioactive prejudice. In the end, I built a starship and got the heck out of there because I had so abused and polluted the old earth that it was a real hole.
But Civilization is not just about military strategy and the Romans thrashing the Greeks. The game of Civilization is about using your resources to the best advantage. It is so wide open that you'll never experience two games that play the same. In fact, the Super NES version has just as many custom options as the PC game including the option to play on randomly created planets with varying climates, terrain types and land mass sizes. This is a game of scope and vision, but it also requires imagination. It is often just as important to be a diplomat as a warrior. You wear the hat of a farmer, a scientist, a tax collector, an engineer. In fact, you are practically a GOD! Yes! Let's face it, everybody wants to rule the world.
Well, I was hooked. This is a game that every Super NES strategy fan has to play, I thought. But then Microprose (or Spectrum Holobyte, its parent company) kept delaying Civilization's release and finally it was decided that the game would not be brought out at all. I nearly died. Could this really be the end of Civilization as I knew it? But Bullet-proof Software (another possession of Spectrum) began shopping the game around to other Super NES publishers. After a few aborted attempts, a wise game guru stepped in and introduced BPS to Koei. "Enough of this madness," he railed at the two parties. "The future of Civilization is at stake! We're not talking about some wimpy platform game here. Do you want to return to the Dark Ages? Do you want to live in ignorance, filth and pestilence?" He may not have actually said that about pestilence but this was an emotional subject with him. I kid you not. Either they would strike a deal or risk the wrath of NOA Scott. Of course, the two parties in question saw the wisdom of my words and Civilization was saved. You'll be able to pick up a copy by October. May your reign be long and prosperous.
And, the next time you're enjoying the benefits of Civilization--basic medical facilities, domestic animals or indoor plumbing--you can thank Mark Hughes and Mr. Fukui at Koei, Scott Tsumura and Sheila Boughten at BPS and, while you're at it, you could also thank Sid Meier at Microprose and the development team at Asmik. But behind them all is another power. Picture them standing as silhouettes against a setting sun--the noble figures of your Nintendo Power editors who have dedicated their lives to video games and the good people who play them. (Imagine a Wagnerian overture swelling like a chorus of fat ladies and shield maidens. The wild roll of tympanic drums. Crash of cymbals. Blare of trumpet, tuba and bassoon!) Yes, Nintendo Power editors fight for better gaming (and improved oral hygiene for tapirs) every day of their lives. We will never rest, never tire, never sleep, never shirk, wherever and whenever, forever and ever, never say never... Um, well, maybe that's enough for now. It looks like Tecmo just sent me a copy of Super Tecmo Bowl III: The Final Edition. Must play, must play...
© Nintendo of America, 1995