Saturn REVIEWS Report: 100-91
In their top 100 Saturn games, Retro Sanctuary didn't have many ringers in the last 10 in the list. From number 100 to the 91st game, there were some unique games, and even the start of a moderately successful mascot's career. Most of all, these were early 3D games in the fifth generation, and they have suffered as a result. While Gex is probably the only one worth playing today, some of these games are interesting in their own right.
Bug! can go to hell though.
100- Bug! (1995):
- Genre: Platformer.
- Publisher: Sega, Developer: Realtime Associates.
With no Sonic game ready for their console launch, Sega thought they could get away by making another iconic mascot for their platform. Bug! proved that making a mascot platformer is not easy, being a game so devoid of personality or fun, making it the perfect vehicle for such a drab mascot as the titular Bug.
This is a game best forgotten, but should be remembered a little bit for the hilariously wrong Stephen Spielberg quote, where he said that this character would be the one "to do it for the Saturn". If by doing it, he meant to kill it clean off the gates, then he may have been on to something.
99- NBA Action! (1996):
- Genre: Sport Action.
- Publisher: Sega, Developer: Grey Matter.
NBA Action! was Sega's exclusive basket ball sport game, based on the show with the same name. The game had many of the teams of the time, and was generally well-regarded in some ways, but not enough to continue a successful franchise. From what I played, I didn't get a glimpse of the game's complexity in controls, and generally found defense to be lacking.
Still, my lack of knowledge of both basketball and sport action games in general meant this title is not for me.
98- Street Racer! (1996):
- Genre: Kart Racing.
- Publisher: Ubisoft, Developer: Vivid Image.
This is a game that was released on every console under the sun. Street Racer! was one of those kart racers that just happened to be made after Mario Kart. What made this one more unique was the Looney Tunes-style brawling in the game, which involved a lot more frequent fighting and less actual racing.
I played the game and didn't like it much. The tracks were hectic and confusing, the driving wasn't fun, and everything was too chaotic for me to get a grip on anything. Mostly, I think the zoomed-in camera made things worse, and the game lacked charisma.
97- Gex! (1996):
- Genre: Platformer.
- Publisher: Crystal Dynamics, Developer: Crystal Dynamics, Beam Software.
Ooh how did this Gecko disappear. Before his premature demise, Gex was another one of the attitude era mascots, starting with the decent Gex! on the ill-fated 3DO. Because this game did not blindly follow the 3D craze and instead opted for a solid 2D game, it survived the ravishes of time and is a good game even now.
What it lacks in innovation or depth, it has in some attitude.
96- Hexen: Beyond Heretic (1997):
- Genre: FPS.
- Publisher: id Software, Developer: Raven Software.
For some reason, there was a trend of porting early PC FPS games like Doom into consoles, in the process distorting them beyond any parity and producing several inferior versions of the game. Hexen: Beyond Heretic is such a game, one that has multiple better versions that should be played rather than this one.
The game itself was pretty divisive, with some really liking it and other hating its guts.
95- The Horde (1995):
- Genre: RTS.
- Publisher: Crystal Dynamics, Developer: Toys for Bob.
I have to say that this is one game I wish I could learn how to play. It is a very interesting concept. First, you build your city and you defenses, and then have to defend them in real time action gameplay. Its a unique mach-up of genres that was very well-received back in the day. However, it lacks many of the quality-of-life features we take for granted today, and it is a serious pain trying to learn how to play it.
Also, the game is ported elsewhere, with the PC having a better version of the game.
94- High Velocity-Mountain Racing Challenge (1996):
- Genre: Arcade Racing.
- Publisher: Atlus, Developer: Cave.
There are many arcade racers in the fifth generation that look very similar, but play differently with their racing mechanics. High Velocity is fast and furious, with some serious skill needed to beat the relentless computer. Of course, you can get a lot of practice in one of the only three courses available, using samey boxy cars, in a game that reuses its assets more than a washed-out comedian uses their jokes.
Seriously, this game is a shell of a full game, with less content than a typical demo disk in the day.
93- Pandemonium! (1996):
- Genre: Platformer.
- Publisher: Crystal Dynamics, Developer: Toys for Bob.
This is one game that I played a little back then, but never completed. As such, I remember that it was a game that I had fun with, but not to the extent that I wanted to finish it. That perception is more justified now, as the game lacks the tightness and challenge necessary to be an attractive platformer.
It also has one level with such a damning SCREEEECHING sound.
92- Madden 98' (1997):
- Genre: Sports Action.
- Publisher: EA, Developer: EA.
This another game in the storied American Football (handegg) franchise, and so I know little to nothing about it, and am not interested in playing it. One interesting thing to note about this yearly release is that it is the last one to utilize 2D sprites in a 3D playing field. All later games started using a proper 3D engine.
91- Blazing Heroes/Mystaria: The Realms of Lore (1995):
- Genre: TRPG.
- Publisher: Sega, Developer: Sega, Microcabin.
Finally, with a game that is competent on many levels, but has aged badly without offering anything unique or special to compensate for that. Blazing Heroes was a solid TRPG back in the day, but that is not enough to entice us now, not when there are many games in the genre much worth your time.
With aging graphics, bad dialogue, and a lack of challenge, this is a game that can be enjoyed but will not be remembered. At least its core villain, Lord Bane, is something to admire.
This report is a consolidated review of the top 100 list by Retro Sanctuary. It features the reviews I made for the list, but also has a brief paragraph about each game in the list that I didn't review. For games without an official review, the opinions I express are purely based on a little playing time and general research about the game and its reception at the time.
This blog was originally posted in Destructoid Community Blogs on May 16th, 2018.
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