Mega Drive Superhero Double Header: Batman vs Spider-man

Game: Batman
Console: Sega Mega Drive
Developer: SunSoft
Release Date: 1st October 1990

Listen to the game music as you read!

Batman for the Sega Mega Drive follows the plot from the 1989 Tim Burton film fairly closely, and features a mix of platforming, beat 'em up and side-scrolling space shooter gameplay styles in its 6 levels, with cutscenes to tell the story inbetween. In Europe at least, the Mega Drive version of Batman was in direct competition with the NES version which had been released 16 days before. This version did not follow the film so closely and featured different gameplay, but critical reaction was mostly positive.

The game begins with Batman beating up villains on the streets of Gotham, with gameplay similar to a beat 'em up. After he has gone a short distance, he faces the first boss and then moves onto a chemical warehouse at the end of which he encounters Jack Napier, who is second in command to a mob boss. In the movie, Napier is accidentally knocked into a vat of chemical waste, however in the game you actually get to kick or punch him into it, which is much more satisfying. Following being knocked into the chemical waste, Napier becomes The Joker and plots revenge upon Batman.

Following a level in the art museum where the player faces a particularly tough time with falling chandeliers and hitmen, (the timing is a little out, and it's hard to avoid both) you get to drive the Batmobile in a space shooter style level, on the road. After you avoid numerous bombs and vehicles there's a small platforming stage before taking to the skies in the Batplane. The goal here is to try and stop the joker from polluting the skies with Smilex, a drug which can cause people to die from laughter. The final level is set inside Gotham Cathedral and after fighting every boss again, you finally meet the Joker in the last battle of the game.

The controls of the game in both the platforming and shooter levels are smooth and easy to get used to. The level design sometimes halts Batman's progress a little but with a good amount of lives and continues, it's not too hard to beat the game. The combat controls could be improved a little with early enemies taking just one hit to knock down, and bosses becoming repetitive once the player has found the trick to beating them.

Graphically the game looks decent for Mega Drive, if a little lacking in detail. There's some parallax scrolling in the platforming levels, but the smaller sprites suggest that Sunsoft wanted to keep it closer to the NES version. The music for the game is pretty impressive with enjoyable tracks for each level of the game as well as the cutscenes. Personally I'd say that the soundtrack was one of the most enjoyable features of the game. The sound effects are fairly good, with nothing that gets annoying after a while and most things sounding as they should.

Overall while it shows its age and is of a fairly short length, Batman for the Mega Drive has enjoyable gameplay, great music and follows the 1989 movie plot far more closely than the NES version. With a mix of level types and a good difficulty curve, the game is still highly playable and something nice to complete in a single sitting. Later Batman games on the Mega Drive seemed to be much less critically acclaimed so this is about as good as it gets.

Rating: 71/100
Grade: C

Game: Spider-man
Console: Sega Mega Drive
Developer: Technopop
Release Date: 17th October 1991

Listen to music from the game as you read!

Released a year after Batman, and without any sort of movie tie in came Spider-man (vs. the Kingpin) for the Mega Drive. The premise of the game is clearly explained via cutscenes; The Kingpin has set Spider-man up so that the city thinks he's a fugitive, roping in help from Spider-man's most notorious enemies such as Dr. Octopus, Sandman, The Lizard, Hobgoblin, Mysterio, Vulture, Electro and Venom. 5 of these enemies have been given keys to a bomb which will explode and be blamed on Spider-man unless he can beat them and disarm it.

Consisting of 6 main stages, the game sees the player taking on the 5 keyholders with a limit of 24 hours of game time (about 3 hours or so in real time) to get to the bomb and defuse it. The sixth stage features Spider-man taking on all of the keyholders once again, before defusing the bomb and beating The Kingpin in time to save Mary Jane from a vat of acid. Not a bad plot for a game that wasn't related to any movie in particular.

The platforming in the game can be a little painful at times, even with Spiderman able to climb walls, swing from point to point, and perform gravity defying jumps. With enemies places fairly haphazardly there's often difficulties with the level design creating points which are a pain to get past. It's hard to know which direction you're supposed to be going in as well, as the level make for fairly confusing mazes. Enemies also seem to do a lot of damage and it becomes almost impossible not to die toward the middle and end of the game.

This is so much of a problem that I had to enter a cheat for infinite health and web, due to frustration and the fact that two hours are subtracted from the time for every time Spider-man dies. Because of this it doesn't take long for the bomb to go off if you're careless with bosses. Once the player has the hang of the bosses attack pattern, none of them really pose much of a threat and are almost boring, but until then they can be extremely difficult.

Graphically the game isn't much to look at; I even thought it was fairly close to Master System standards. The character sprites are small, although fairly well detailed for their size. Backgrounds tend to be basic and suspiciously 8 bit for a 16 bit console. Soundwise also the game tends to be fairly poor, the only real impressive feature is a realistic bass guitar sound on some tracks. There's no voice acting or clips features; all cutscenes are just scrolling text, although this may be for the best with the quality of the other audio.

Overall Spider-man is playable (with the infinite health/web cheat on) as a superhero game but extremely difficult in places. The gameplay, controls and level design can be almost infuriating and times and compared to Batman the levels feel a lot less rewarding. There's some decent ideas featured in the game but the execution is lacking and in the end that lets it down. The hunt for a decent Spider-man game continues...

Rating: 47/100
Grade: D

Series Review: Tony Hawk's Part 1 (Pro Skater: '99-'02)

Game: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Console: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Neversoft
Release Date: 29th June 2000

Listen to some music from the game as you read!

Capitalising on the popularity of "extreme" sports in the early 00s, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series launched on Dreamcast, Playstation, Nintendo 64, Gameboy Colour and N-Gage. The first three versions were of course different from their handheld counterparts, but it's interesting to note the generational gap on home console; the Playstation and N64 were 5th generation consoles, with the Dreamcast being the only 6th gen console to receive the game. As I've not played the other versions, I can't say whether they're particularly better or worse, but a quick youtube search seems to reveal less graphical detail, as well as a more limited soundtrack.

Players can choose to play as any of 10 professional skaters, as well as 2 bonus characters. The aim of the game is to complete a set of achievements on each level for which you receive tapes (presumably of your skater doing the necessary moves to complete the goal), enough of which will unlock new levels and competitions. There are 5 goals to achieve over the course of 6 different locations, as well as 3 competitions. Once all the competitions have been won for a skater their career mode is complete, although you'll need a gold medal in each one to unlock their ending video.

The controls on the Dreamcast are fairly simple; the d-pad or analog stick is used to direct the skater, holding the A button prepares for a jump, and releasing it causes the skater to jump. The X button is used for skateboard based tricks and the B button for grab tricks, the Y button is used for grinds and pressing any direction in conjuction with these three will pull off different tricks, depending on which you use. The L and R triggers are used to rotate the skater in each direction, although players must land facing the correct way in order to avoid bailing.

Each level features a high score and a pro score, beating both of which gets you a tape. There's also a secret tape hidden in each level, and a set of items hidden around the level that need to be destroyed or found. The final objective is to collect the letters S, K, A, T and E, although they can be done in any order. For competitions the goal is to score as many points as possible without bailing, as this costs you points, out of a possible 100. The more you use each trick, the less points you're able to score for it.

Graphically the game is fairly basic, although there are much nicer textures in this version than the PS1 and N64 ones. The skaters themselves are almost recognisable and there's a good variety of choice in skateboard decks and wheel colours. Perhaps the best part of the game however, is the selection of music that you're given to skate to. There's a lot of punk music included on the soundtrack with a little metal and hip-hop on the side, which fits perfectly with the skating theme and really elevates the quality of the game.

Overall although the concept is basic, there's only 5 goals for each level and the competitions are essentially score based, the gameplay is massively enjoyable and the level design almost spot on. It's true that the game can be beaten for a single skater in one sitting, and beating the same goals for each skater can get repetitive, but in short sessions there's a lot to be unlocked and played. For the first game in the series it's a good starting point, and as something to come back to every now and then it holds some replay value.

Rating: 77/100
Grade: B

Game: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Console: Sony Playstation
Developer: Neversoft
Release Date: 20th September 2000

Listen to music from the game as you read!

Released on even more systems than the first installment of the series, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 built upon the foundations laid by its predecessor and added new skaters, tricks, modes and even Spiderman as an unlockable character into the equation. It was the last installment of the series to be on the Dreamcast, due to its declining fortunes but playing the Playstation version, I noticed the graphical downgrade from that of the first game on Dreamcast.

This game plays very similarly to the first, although instead of tapes for completing objectives, you're rewarded with cash which is used to unlock later levels, and stat upgrades. With 5 regular levels and 3 competitions, it features one less level overall than the first game, although that's made up for by the abundance of things to do in each level. Compared to the 5 objectives of THPS1, the 3 grades of high score and 6 other objectives which make up each level, in addition to the cash bonuses make it seem as though there's endless things to do.

The levels themselves begin in a similar vein to those of the first game. There's an abandoned hangar which plays very much like the warehouse, and another school level.  With more differentiation in its competition levels, the real difference is the 9 objectives that are to be completed. Collecting the letters of SKATE, finding the secret tape and reaching high scores are still required, as well as finding different sets of objects over the levels. New objectives include doing certain tricks in specific places and other level related objectives.

Controlwise the game is very similar to THPS1 also, the shoulder buttons are used in place of the triggers, to rotate but other than this, there's not much change. Manuals appear as an added move which are handy to string long combinations of tricks together for even higher scores. There are also far more special moves and gaps to find in the game, for added replayability.

Other new features of the game include a create-a-skater mode with a fair amount of options (although they're disappointingly blocky with PS1 graphics), a more detailed stat system and more choice in how you add to it in career mode, and a create a park mode where users can create their own skatepark levels with some of the details from levels featured in the game. Although it's not possible to create something as big or detailed as most of the parks or even competition levels which are in the main game, there's a good amount of options and customisation.

Two player mode remains basically the same as in the first game with HORSE, score contests and most of the same ideas. The career mode takes a little longer to complete than that of THPS1, due to having more objectives and slightly harder ones also. The cash system is a good introduction, although as the levels progress and the amount given for each objective rise, it can feel a little too easy to skip beating every objective for each level.

Graphically the game isn't all that impressive, especially when looking at finer details, and comparing it to the Dreamcast version of the first one. It's not so bad that you can't see what you're doing however, and it hardly ever makes a difference to the gameplay. There was only one level in which I was struggling to tell whether I had landed on, or gone through an object. Musically the game once again features a good selection of tracks, although the emphasis seems to have shifted to an equal amount of punk, metal and hip-hop.

Overall it's a good follow up to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, adding new gameplay features and skaters, as well as moves and modes. With the longer objectives format in the career mode levels, there's added challenge and replayability although they can still be completed fairly quickly if you know what you're doing. The competition levels are still basically score based and can be easily won with a few fancy tricks and no bails. It's hard to pick a winner between this and the original Dreamcast game but purely for the new additions, I'd say this just clinches it.

Rating: 80/100
Grade: B

Game: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Console: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Neversoft
Release Date: 28th October 2001

Listen to music from the game as you read!

The first installment of the Tony Hawk's series to be on the Playstation 2, Pro Skater 3 follows the same structure of the other games in the series, in that it features goals to be completed in each level, and competitions that unlock once enough goals have been completed. There's more hidden characters, unlockables and skaters than ever before in this installment and with the addition of reverts to the trick list, it's even easier to string together a long list of moves.

In terms of gameplay not a lot has changed from THPS2, with the same tricks and combinations available and many of the skaters from the previous games returning. There's a focus on differing skating styles to some degree with street and vert styles represented both in the create-a-skater options and the competition types. Featuring 6 regular levels and 3 competition levels there's a decent amount to be done in the game, even if with enough knowledge of the levels it could be completed for one skater in a single sitting.

The level design overall is very good with many of the early stages being particularly impressive and the Tokyo competition stage taking the title of "Easiest level to get 100,000+ points on". I felt that a few levels could have been a little better, although I tend to play in the style of a vert skater rather than a street one. Although the controls haven't changed much, the addition of the revert allows for achieving high score targets more easily.

Park Creator and Create-a-Skater mode have both been improved with more choice and variety than ever. In the Park Creator there's a choice of the shape of your levels as well as some interesting ramps, rails, funboxes and other skate park items. Although I only attempted building one park, it was easy to see that it'd be possible to build pretty much any park that you could concieve.

Graphically THPS3 surpasses both the first game on the Dreamcast and the second on original Playstation. I'll be playing the fourth game in the series on original Playstation so this is sure to the best looking game of the early era for me. The soundtrack has been expanded even further with more tracks, and even the option to turn songs on or off which is a great addition. On the whole though nothing needs turning off as the soundtrack is particularly good with punk, metal and hip-hop classics featured.

Overall this game was the most enjoyable Tony Hawk's experience so far in the series, expanding on the gameplay and ideas featured in the games before it. Alongside a larger choice of music that's just as good as that featured in the other games and improved graphics, it makes for a great play. Its only real downfall is the later level design and the fact that the last level unlocks after the final competition, so there's not much incentive to complete all the goals. There's also the huge amount of unlockable characters and features which you have to complete the game 16 times to unlock all of.

Rating: 84/100
Grade: B

Game: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Console: Sony Playstation
Developer: Neversoft
Release Date: 15th November 2002

Listen to music from the game as you read!

I'll be going back to the Sony Playstation for this installment, as it was the last game in the series to be on the console. The game makes some changes to the formula of the previous three in terms of level goals and the way career mode works but other than that it's fairly similar in terms of gameplay and addition modes and features. The player can choose from a selection of pro skaters, other skaters or select to make their own custom skater to play as in Career Mode.

Instead of set goals which are given to the player at the beginning of each level, the player is allowed to free roam and find individual goals which can be attempted from their locations. The time limit has been completely removed also, and songs play continuously regardless of whether the player is attempting a goal or not. There are many more goals in each level with up to 26 to attempt on any given one.

Another change to the game is that it's far easier to rack up a huge score due to grind and lip trick extensions as well as manuals being easier to balance and resetting after a while, even when continuing a combo. On one level of the game I was able to rack up a combo of over 600,000 points which is almost unimaginable on the first game. There's one competition in each level and these have been made harder to compensate for the free flow of scoring.

With so many goals in each level, unlocking new levels requires a lot of "goal points" which are given to the player for completing each goal. After every few goal points the player is also rewarded with extra stats points to improve their skater's skills. To unlock every level in the game, at least 110 goals need to be completed (perhaps even more, I played as much as I could stand). It's not so much difficult to complete all the goals as tiresome. Two player, Create a Skater and Park Editor modes seem to have been ripped straight from THPS2 with hardly any changes which is a bit of a disappointment.

The graphics are less impressive than those of the PS2 version as you'd expect, although they're an improvement on THPS2. The overall level design is good with many interactable features used in goals, and many levels featuring a variety of places to rack up score points. The music is still fairly enjoyable, sticking to the punk, metal and hip-hop theme, although hidden tracks have been added which must be collected in levels to be added to the playlist.

Overall THPS4 feels like a game that's trying to find its feet with the new concept of location based goals instead of levelwide ones. It's not a bad addition and it certainly doesn't ruin the game, there's arguments for and against its implementation in the games and more often than not I'll find myself on both sides of the fence. While it is a little easy to achieve high scores in the game, it seems like this was also realised by the developers and the game adjusted accordingly. Overall it's really not bad and a taste of things to come later in the Tony Hawk's series as a whole.

Rating: 72/100
Grade: C

So that's it for the Pro Skater era of the Tony Hawk's games which lasted from 1999-2002. Although very similar to one another, the differences in tricks, skaters, unlockables and soundtracks means that everyone will have their favourite installment. Overall they're classic and enjoyable games with no real bad points besides their repetitive nature. The only real black sheep of the series is the fourth game which changes the formula of level based goals. In the next part I'll be looking at the Underground Era which featured more of a story oriented Career Mode.

Mega Drive Movie Based Platformers Double Header: Jurrasic Park vs Toy Story

Game: Jurassic Park
Console: Sega Mega Drive
Developer: BlueSky Software
Release Date: 28th August 1993

Games based on movies are almost always a recipe for disaster. Whether they follow the plot too closely, or not at all, it can be hard to make a good gameplay experience out of a big screen blockbuster. Jurassic Park is no exception to this rule, making for a short yet almost unplayable game in places, which lacks many features that most decent games have. You're allowed to play as either Dr. Grant or a Raptor, both of which have their own set of levels, although the goal for both characters is to get them to the end of each level to start the next one.

Playing as the raptor there are 5 levels in total, The Jungle, Power Station, Pumphouse, Canyon, and finally the Visitor Centre. The raptor is able to attack guards or jump onto them to kill them. There's also a super jump which allows the raptor to get to platforms which would be unreachable otherwise. In all of the raptor's levels it's difficult to jump where you want to go because the controls are imprecise, and being hit by anything will knock you backwards. There are also places where you'll need to drop down without being able to see what's below, usually resulting in instantaneous deaths.

Playing as Dr. Grant you'll move a lot slower than the raptor, and instead of being able to jump on enemies to kill them, you're given a variety of firearms and weapons to take down the dinosaurs in your path. There are 7 levels to complete with the doctor, which include all of the raptor levels and those of the River, and Volcano. In the river level you're tasked with guiding a raft (which is low on fuel) down river, whilst avoiding dinosaurs and collecting cans of fuel to power the raft. What's striking here is that the river is animated as if it's flowing quickly, yet if you run out of fuel your raft will move incredibly slowly.

Both sets of levels seem to be designed fairly poorly with many instances of being expected to drop down to a lower level whilst blind to the risks. When the levels are able to be completed, they're short and not particularly interesting and when they're not, there's parts which are seemingly impossible to beat. The storyline parallels that of the film I assume, although it seems to take some liberties. Overall the gameplay and overall control isn't that enjoyable whatsoever.

Although a little dark in places, the game is impressive graphically and features nice variation in its levels as well as detailed surroundings. The characters and dinosaurs in particular are easily recognisable and border or frightening in cutscenes. The music of the game is enjoyable and probably its best feature, with tunes that enhance the levels on which they're featured. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the sound effects; every time Dr. Grant lands, he makes a sound as if he's hurt although no damage to him occurs. The dinosaur sounds are decent, however.

Overall as a video game this feels like just another lazy movie tie in; it's not enjoyable as a platformer, nor as a Jurrasic Park game, as the controls, gameplay and level design are all lacking in several places. The graphics and music of the game improve the experience a little but there's nothing that could bring the overall standard up high enough to call this game a good experience. It's especially disappointing that this game is so bad when you consider that Blue Sky Software also produced Vectorman for the Mega Drive which is often considered a classic.

Rating: 45/100
Grade: D

Game: Toy Story
Console: Sega Mega Drive
Developer: Traveler's Tales
Release Date: 26th April 1996

In contrast to Jurassic Park's mediocre conversion from big screen to videogame comes Toy Story, also for the Mega Drive. The game's plot follows that of the film closely, featuring cutscenes inbetween each level to explain why you have to do the task ahead of you. In every level you play as Woody, although other toys (including Buzz later in the game) are able to help you. Most of the game's levels are platform based with enemies and obstacles to be avoided, but there's also some levels which change up the formula.

On each level of the game you're given 5 chances to be hit before losing a life, and three lives before a continue is lost. Although this may seem like an excessive amount of chances, there's a lot of levels where the lives completely necessary to even think about winning. With 19 fairly short levels overall, the game is a good length and it's possible to complete in one sitting.

Inventive takes on the platforming concept included in the game include a level where you're tasked with returning toys to the toybox, and under the bed before Andy comes back into his room, a fairly standard but well designed level inside of a grabber machine with many moving parts and obstacles, and a level where you're attempting to navigate your way through a restaurant under a branded fast food cup, avoiding falling food, drinks and concealing yourselves before children see a moving toy.

Levels which aren't based on platforming include an overhead driving level where the player must navigate RC (the remote control car) through a course collecting power cells and ultimately knocking Buzz out of window, a level with a first person viewpoint almost like that of Doom where Woody must navigate a maze, collecting alien toys and returning them to their friends, and a Super Mario Kart-esque driving level chasing the moving van.

Controlwise the platforming levels are almost perfect, it's usually easy to achieve whatever you're trying to do and the only real problems come from attempting to use the lasso or trying to jump onto things rather than past them. The Doom style level presents the most problems in terms of control although it's not unplayable. As it's only one level the game can be forgiven for this, it's a nice change of pace anyway. In the driving levels there's levels featuring both the view from above and behind; one level where the view is above doesn't have enough field of view to see what's coming at you and is fairly frustrating.

The difficulty of this game is very high in places, especially platforming levels with many enemies. There are a couple of levels where you're tasked with escaping from places and so must dodge all onscreen enemies and obstacles whilst travelling at speed, with most of the screen taken up by things that can hurt you. I had to skip a fair few levels of the game in my playthrough, (although I attempted all of them and made some progress even on the harder ones) due to their sheer difficulty. When you consider the ages of the kids that would have been watching the film, it's hard to imagine them being able to make their way through the game.

Graphically the game looks great, especially for the era; although some of the background and objects are fairly simple, the shading and animation is of such a good standard that I would have said this game was from the fifth or even sixth generation, had I not known it was on the Mega Drive. The music from the game is also of a high standard with exciting tunes which fit well with the game and really enhance the general experience of the title.

Overall Toy Story is an incredibly good film based videogame, with a lot of fun gameplay in several different styles, which helps to tell the story from the movie. The controls, graphics and music are all very nicely done and the only real downside to the game is its relentless difficulty which makes some levels almost impossible. At 19 levels long there's plenty of enjoyment to be had without the game feeling endless or repetitive, and although there's not a huge amount of replay value, it's a game that'd be nice to come back to every now and then.

Rating: 83/100
Grade: B

Game Review: The Italian Job

Game: The Italian Job
Console: Sony Playstation
Developer: Pixelogic
Release Date: 5th October 2001

Based on the 1969 movie of the same name, The Italian Job for Playstation came out late into its lifespan; the console's successor had already been out for a year. As such the game was released as a budget title, at the low price of £9.99. Featuring a number of modes reminiscent of other driving games, the main "Italian Job" mode sees the player helping Charlie Croker and his gang to complete the heist detailed in the film through a number of missions which involve gathering the necessary manpower and cars to complete the heist and then pulling it off without being caught.

Each mission involves some sort of driving task, either taking a vehicle somewhere to pick a member of the gang up, proving your driving skills to join the gang or evading police/mafia attention once part of the plan has been put into action. The player is directed through a floating arrow above their car, in the colours of the Italian flag which points toward their mission destination although not necessarily showing the shortest route.

The first 8 driving missions are set in London and focus on getting the cars and personnel necessary to carry out the heist. None of the missions are particularly difficult in this section and most involve a single journey from A to B which lasts around 2 to 3 minutes. The next 6 missions take place in Turin, which is also the location of the heist itself. Missions here are longer and slightly more difficult, requiring multiple parts to be completed (failure restarts the entire mission). The final mission features the famous getaway sequence, allowing the player to take on the role of the third mini of three as it escapes through the streets with the gold from the heist.

There are only 2 missions in the game's final location, The Alps. The first is getting the three minis onto the bus before you're spotted by police, and the second and final mission is escaping by bus through the Alps with all the members of the gang to end the game at the same point as the movie; on a cliff-edge with the bus balanced halfway between safety and a large drop.

The main flaws of the game can be seen most easily in the longer missions. In London, one of the final missions sees the player attempting to prove their worth as a driver for the heist by keeping up with another computer controlled car through the streets. Without slowing down significantly, the player's car isn't able to turn well at all, which is fairly realistic, however the AI car is able to turn corners without losing any speed. This makes it difficult to keep up with as the computer doesn't have to overcome the same challenges as the player does.

Another one of the game's problems is the physics of the car when in the air; upon landing it seems to carry far too much weight. I'm not sure whether this is linked to the fact that it's almost impossible to flip your own car onto it's roof, or another unrelated problem. In the Turin getaway mission there are several jumps for which you have to slow down to avoid careening into walls or trees after overshooting the landing spot. Most obstacles in the game are solid, which can be a problem as changing into reverse and then moving forwards again can take much longer than you'd expect.

The sense of speed in the game is also pretty poor, as the mini can reach up to 100mph and still feel as if it's travelling slowly. In missions with police or mafia as a threat, the system which determines whether you're caught could have been better. If the police are close enough, they'll begin to read your numberplate; if they get it all then "You're Nicked" and fail the mission. The problem with this is that is quite hard to lose the police, especially in timed missions and it's possible to be travelling quite quickly and still have the police read your full numberplate and cause you to lose the mission.

While this may sound like a long list of problems, the missions of the main mode can still be enjoyable. It helps to have seen the film however, as not a lot is explained between missions. The shortcomings of the game serve to make later missions far more difficult than they need to be, and although completable as a game (I managed to finish it) the final 3 missions only emphasis how much better the controls could have been.

Other modes included in the game are Free Ride, Checkpoint, Destructor (which is essentially a trail of cones to hit), and Challenge which features stunt tracks, lap challenges and icy road challenges. There's 5 permutations of one stunt track which increase in difficulty as they're unlocked, and the most enjoyable challenge is a lap through London in which buses attempt to get in your way whilst you pass through 20 checkpoints.

Graphically the game is very blocky and the textures are what I would call "classic ps1 style" in that you can almost see their pixels which tend to shake about when travelling at high speeds. The cutscenes in the game are slightly better looking, although still basic and any characters featured are also blocky and fairly undetailed. There's only piece of music featured in the missions, an instrumental version of "Get a Bloomin Move On" which is the main theme of the film, which while topical, it can get incredibly annoying over time. Voice clips featured in the game are generally good, if a little limited. They give a greater feeling of being true to the film, with an extremely british accent almost reminiscent of GTA: The London Missions.

Overall as a game there's definitely some fun to be had if you're a fan of The Italian Job as a film. If not, it's a strangely arranged, bland set of driving missions which only get harder due to the game's expectations of the player as well as the control problems. There's nothing particularly impressive in the game as a whole; acting out scenes from the film is the main reason anyone'd want to play this and while it sticks fairly close to the plot, watching the film is probably a more worthwhile use of your time.

Rating: 64/100
Grade: C

100th Post Special: Game Review: Earthbound

Game: Earthbound
Console: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 5th June 1995

For the 100th post on my review blog and the 210th game overall to be reviewed, I thought I'd play a game which in my opinion embodies the spirit of gaming and storytelling as whole. As I'm not in possession of an original NTSC copy of the game, I had to settle for the Virtual Console release of the game which came out this year in PAL regions. The only differences I could find between the two versions of the game, are that some of the brighter magical spells have been toned down visually, and with the use of the WiiU gamepad, players are allowed to use restore points to save anywhere in the game.

Although it isn't the most well known game (partially due to its initial Japan and US only release), Earthbound has garnered a cult following, even including people from outside of these regions before it's Virtual Console re-release. The game's original tag-line in it's American marketing was "This game stinks", attempting to show a slice of the game's humour by including scratch and sniff stickers alongside the game. Initial sales of the game were below expectations, although the Virtual Console re-release managed to climb to #2 in the best sellers chart, behind Donkey Kong which was selling for 30 cents, in comparison to the $10 price tag of Earthbound.

For those who haven't played the game, you play as Ness who along with 3 other kids is destined to form the "chosen four" and save the universe from the ultimate evil. To do this he must collect 8 melodies and record them onto a "sound stone", given to him by a time travelling fly-like creature from the future who warns of impending doom. Visiting the 8 sanctuary locations which house the melodies as well as many other places along his journey, Ness makes friends, battles many different types of foes and experiences the adventure of a lifetime.

The game plays much like a conventional RPG a lot of the time; meeting people, interacting with them and fulfilling various quests to open new routes and options. The battle system features both physical and magical attacks as well as items which can be used to achieve various effects. Players level up all the members of the chosen 4, to increase their stats (Attack, Defense, Speed, Guts, Vitality, Luck and IQ). Although early battles and some boss battles can be fairly difficult there's not a whole lot of grinding necessary when compared to other RPG's such as Pokemon.

There are several locations on your journey through Eagleland, the region in which Earthbound is set, starting with Onett, Twoson, Threed and Fourside; each continuing the numeric theme and featuring different challenges and tasks in addition to the standard shops, hospital and hotel. Past these, the group travel to more exotic regions such as Winters, Summers, Scaraba and The Deep Darkness to mention a few; each with their own musical theme and interesting features. At one point in the game there's a huge region where your character sprites are tiny and huge enemies roam the map.

There are many NPC's to meet in all locations with their own stories to tell, ranging from a dimwitted band who keep falling into financial hardship to a shy race of small green creatures who require a library book to aquire social skills. The enemies you fight in the game are just as interesting and appear to get progressively more strange as you move through the game. Early enemies include Runaway Dogs, Crows, and Snakes, progressing through New Age Retro Hippies, Kraken and Zombies to outer space foes such as the Spinning Robo, Starman and Wooly Shambler.

The combat system in Earthbound is similar to a lot of its contemporaries in its approach to magic attack and use of items. All characters have a number of health points and power points which are used to cast magical attacks. Players also equip their characters with weapons and pendants/charms for protection to upgrade their stats even further. When damaged a character's life point counter will slowly roll downwards instead of instantly being taken off, allowing for healing even when mortal damage is inflicted and other benefits.

Although I'm not going to give many spoilers with regard to the overall story, I will say that the overall level of charm and immersion of the plot and interaction with the characters around you is almost unparalleled in any other RPG I've played. By the end you'll feel an attachment to even the most minor of characters and everyone you meet really does pull together and help you in your quest. Obviously the story is important in this type of game and I'd say that Earthbound gets things pretty much spot on.

Graphically the game uses oblique projection to get its isometric viewpoint, which makes a 3D effect with 2D objects. Most objects and characters are drawn in a cartoon like style using the 16 bit sprites of the time to give them simple yet defining details. There are a wealth of different locations, objects, characters and enemies contained in the game which manage to show off the general art style of the game whilst providing varied backdrops and ambiances for the player.

The music of Earthbound also contributes to this, with a wealth of location and battle themes which define the towns and general feel of the game. From the gentle jazzy theme of Fourside to the creepy echo of caves, to the kooky theme of Saturn Valley, when added to the psychedelic visuals of battles, the music contributes an extra level of immersion and continuity. It's hard for me to even try to pick a favourite in-game piece of music as there are so many that I enjoy.

Although there's really not much that I would change about Earthbound, I still have a few criticisms of the game. Moving items around your inventory can be difficult as it approaches full capacity and not being able to drop certain things means that calling out the Escargo Express to come and pick up your stuff about 5 times in a row becomes a necessity. At certain times also it can be a little hard to see what needs doing next, but not so much that it's a problem with the game overall, just certain parts.

Overall Earthbound is a charming and stylistically appealing RPG from 1995 with a great sense of humour, storyline and set of locations. All of the NPC dialogues and enemies remain fresh and new throughout the game, although updated versions of older enemies also recur along with other musical themes. The story is gripping and allows you to feel a part of Ness's adventure, alongside the chosen 4. If I could reccommend a single RPG to play it may just have to be this, and with 95 out of 100 we have a new #1 on my all time favourite games chart.

Rating: 95/100
Grade: A

NES vs Game Boy: Blades Of Steel

Game: Blades Of Steel
Console: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Konami
Release Date: December 1988

At the startup screen for Blades of Steel, you're greeted by a low quality voiceclip reading the game's title. Far removed from the hockey games of the present day, the game features nameless competitors representing 8 location based teams in either Exhibition or Tournament matches. Once one of these two game modes has been selected, you're thrown straight into a game of hockey. The aim of course is to outscore the opposing team and either win the exhibition match, or 3 tournament matches of whichever mode you've selected.

There are 3 different difficulty levels; Junior, College and Pro. It's nice to see themed names for them rather than just having Easy, Medium and Hard. The goalkeeping/scoring system seems quite innovative at first with a moving arrow which governs where your shot will be aimed, however it can make scoring goals frustrating when it's in the wrong place and goalkeeping for your own side easier. The fighting system is simple and works well when there's a conflict over the puck.

Players on both teams seem to move fairly slowly across the ice and passes only seem to go to the player nearest to the one you're controlling, no matter what direction you're holding on the d-pad. Other than this the controls are pretty solid and even without a good knowledge of the rules of ice hockey it's perfectly possible to play and enjoy the game. Graphically the game is basic to the standard of just about being able to see who's from what team. The voice clips used in game get incredibly repetitive, and the crowd is represented by white noise with the occasional whistle.

One nice feature of the game are the intermission shows, one of which is a Gradius minigame. Overall it's a decent hockey game for the time, with good playability and simple controls and gameplay. The lack of modes and differentiation between teams lets it down a little, and the sound is incredibly basic.

Rating: 70/100
Grade: C

Game: Blades Of Steel
Console: Nintendo Game Boy
Developer: Konami
Release Date: August 1991

Released 3 years after the NES version of the game, Blades Of Steel for the Game Boy features some improvements as well as some aspects which had to be stripped back due to the limitations of the Game Boy. In addition to the Exhibition and Tournament modes, there's a Practice mode which allows players to have either a mock fight or penalty shootout. It also features the same teams as before, although their coloured jerseys have been removed and replaced with a black and white system instead.

Players of both teams move faster across the ice than in the NES version and there's a nicely detailed animation upon scoring a goal, which has been added instead of the celebration in the original version. The intermissions remain in the game without the Gradius minigame and fights now use a health bar system instead of dots, although its essentially the same thing. A nice addition to the game is the arrow over the player that is currently being controlled which aids gameplay.

The Junior difficulty level seems to be a lot easier than that of the NES version; in one game in the original version the final score was 8-4 to me, whereas in one game on Game Boy the final score was 16-2. I think that the speed of play may have also affected this a little. Graphically the game is similar to the NES, but the voice effects and crowd sounds have been completely removed and replaced with music which although less realistic, is easier on the player's ears.

Overall with both good and bad changes to the NES version, Blades of Steel on the Game Boy is only slightly better. For two player mode you'd need two Game Boys, compared to one NES with two controllers. I'd reccomend giving either a go, although the extra speed of the Game Boy version makes it easier to enjoy.

Rating: 72/100
Grade: C

Game Review: Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs (Minor Spoilers)

Game: Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs
Console: PC
Developer: The Chinese Room
Release Date: 10th September 2013

An indirect sequel to the somewhat scarier Amnesia: The Dark Descent, this game tells an unrelated story of a rich Londoner who is attempting to rescue his children who are trapped. Able to hear their voices calling to him, and recover fragments of his memories from the past, you attempt to help piece the story together and find the children. The game is described as survival horror but there's only a couple of moments when you'll find yourself in real danger. Other than this there's a spooky atmosphere, but on a second playthrough you'd know that nothing is there to harm you.

Gameplay consists of exploring from a first person view, picking up notes and journal entries, and solving puzzles to progress through to the next location. Overall the game has an industrial feel from the beginning, with valves, levers, gears and mechanisms featuring heavily. Many of the puzzles are simple and involve turning the correct lever or fixing/breaking different machine parts. Although the way forward is not always completely obvious, the notes in the journal give clues as to what the player must do to progress.

The in game locations are pretty interesting on the whole, with more recognisible places such as the church and mansion being my favourite due to their decor and detail. Later on in the game, there are areas which are less specific in their location and consist of lots of machine parts and metallic structures. Although these fit into the story and aesthetic of the game, the second half seems to spend all of its time in nondescript underground locations such as these which adds a monotony to exploration.

The story as a whole can be a little confusing with events being remembered from different occasions, not necessarily in chronological order. There are also parts of the narrative which are imagined or presented in such a way that you don't have all the facts until later in the game. Once it's all been explained however, the story is somewhat of an anticlimax, the very lightest of our assumptions having come true without much other horror to add to the ambience of the game.

The enemies that the player encounters are few and far between, with most glimpses of them occurring in safe spots. The game could have benefitted from a few more scary moments as it constantly felt as if tension was building, only to melt away once nothing was revealed to be behind the next door. The enemies themselves are scary enough and when there's one chasing you, it's still a horror style experience.

The game's controls are slightly different from the first game in the Amnesia line as there's no inventory, so only one item can be carried at a time. You're able to run, crouch, jump and interact with objects in addition to moving around. There's also a lantern to help with particularly dark spaces of the game, and most puzzles are solved fairly easily once you're aware of what needs to be done.

Graphically the game is pretty impressive with a generally high level of detail on machinery, paintings and other objects featured in the game. The sound effects featured add to the overall horror feel of the game, and are perhaps the scariest part on reflection. The voice acting featured is well performed and explains some parts of the story well, although it isn't used on the journal entries and notes.

Overall Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs doesn't bring many survival or horror elements to the table. There's some fun in exploration and piecing together the story and the characters aren't too badly written, but I feel that for a game with a far scarier prequel and elements of the horror that I wanted it to fully achieve, it comes up a little short.

Rating: 66/100
Grade: C