"I think a lot of people will want what they see on the Saturn but they can't afford it. Then the 32X will get them as close to it as anything available."
- Tom Kalinske, EGM December 1994
Sega 16 megabits The Genesis version of Virtua Racing was released in an extra-large cartridge which housed the SVP chip - a DSP that gave the basic Genesis system a huge boost in computational power. The result was a surprisingly accurate conversion of Sega's arcade racing masterpiece, with the fluid polygonal graphics of the arcade version faithfully reproduced. Unfortunately, technology always comes at a price, with Virtua Racing's expensive SVP chip pushing the game's retail price upwards of the $100 mark upon its release. Sega briefly toyed with the idea of releasing a standalone SVP module along with less expensive compatible games like Virtua Fighter, but this idea was eventually abandoned in favour of the more capable 32X add-on. Indeed, Virtua Racing Deluxe was released for the 32X mere months after the Genesis version of the game, and managed to overshadow it in every category. As such, although Virtua Racing was a technological marvel it has largely been forgotten in the wake of its more impressive 32-bit big brother. "Blazing speed, ultra smooth scaling, impossible to improve play control, rockin tunes, VR is simply a landmark 16-bit game." "As a racing game, I would have to say that this is probably the best I have ever played on a home system. The only drawback is that there is no replay value once you finish the tracks. I love it nonetheless." |
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Sega 24 megabits The Streets Of Rage series had up until this point been synonymous with the musical genius of Yuzo Koshiro. Indeed, the importance of his incredible techno soundtracks for the first two games in the series can't be overstated, as they helped to set the stage for the on-screen action in a way few other scores could have managed. Sadly, Mr. Koshiro seems to have veered off on a bizarre tangent for the third game in the series. Although the actual game itself was well received upon its release, expectations were such that the lack of a fantastic soundtrack cost this game more than it would perhaps have cost a game in a less musically significant series. "The graphics and control are very good, but the music is horrible compared to previous versions. It's as if the person who composed the music in Chakan did the BGM in SOR3. What were you thinking Yuzo?" "With 24-Megs of memory, there are loads of lethal moves and an improved soundtrack." |
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Takara 16 megabits This Genesis conversion of the Neo Geo arcade brawler sadly received mixed reviews from the gaming press of the day... "I personally find the game only mildly amusing and a bit one dimensional, even though Takara has improved the control. But if this is your thing, come 'n get it. The graphics, music, and control are excellent. Takara has the Genesis dialed." "A great one-on-one fighting game spin-off, with great special moves and plenty of monsters to pick from!" |
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Westwood Studios 16 megabits A Genesis conversion of the PC game Dune II, Dune: The Battle For Arrakis has been cited as the first modern realtime strategy game. |
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Sunsoft 16 megabits Although Sunsoft's Pirates Of Dark Water game was well received, the cartoon on which it was based sadly didn't even last for a full season, thus dashing any hopes for a sequel. "You can tell that the game testers and designers spent countless hours perfecting this game to get it just the way they wanted it. I highly recommend The Pirates of Dark Water and look forward to a sequel if they choose to make one." |
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Extreme Entertainment Group CD-ROM A weird combination RPG/shooter/fighting game, originally developed by Micronet in Japan. "An interesting attempt at doing something new with the RPG/fighting game genre, however the one-on-one fighting sequences are very slow and not very exciting." |
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U.S. Gold 16 megabits Released for the Genesis and Sega CD, the CD version of World Cup USA '94 boasts two exclusive music tracks by the Scorpions... |
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Accolade 16 megabits Somehow Accolade managed to get the Genesis hardware to run this first person shooter. With the 32X version of Doom about to be unleashed within a few months, however, this achievement was quickly overshadowed. "Zero Tolerance, in addition to being a great piece of technology, is an excellent game. Even the best among us will find it difficult to make it through any of the scenarios and beat this monster." "If you like Castle Wolfenstein or Doom just get this one and you'll feel right at home. It's a great 3-D scrolling game with good graphics and playability. The levels and enemies look good on the Genesis and the sounds are decent." |
