Ball (Rating: 8/10)
Ball is a pretty simple game, but hey, most games of its nature depend on simplicity and fun...and this game manages to score with both. All you do is make the character onscreen juggle balls by moving his arms left or right. What makes the game really fun is when the game speeds up. Not only would it change the originally slow pace, but it adds more to the fun factor as you try not to drop a ball!
So why is Ball not 5 stars? Well, the game IS simple and fun, but really, it feels a bit TOO simple for its own good at times. Other Game & Watch games manage to be more robust, such as Fire, Manhole, Octopus, Rain Shower, Mario's Bombs Away, etc, all without losing the simple-and-fun feel.
So why is Ball not 5 stars? Well, the game IS simple and fun, but really, it feels a bit TOO simple for its own good at times. Other Game & Watch games manage to be more robust, such as Fire, Manhole, Octopus, Rain Shower, Mario's Bombs Away, etc, all without losing the simple-and-fun feel.
Donkey Kong (Rating: 10/10)
Ah, Donkey Kong. What an arcade classic. Who didn't love to climb up those platforms and smash barrels with a hammer? And plus, players' minds spread with curiosity as they wonder what new levels they can encounter and what high scores they could get.
The Game & Watch version of Donkey Kong didn't have the hammer, nor did it have any more levels. But you what it did have? Everything else! It's cool how Nintendo can manage to copy their famous arcade game into an LCD double-screened game.
Now, your goal isn't to rescue Pauline DIRECTLY. Oh, no. Instead, you must jump up and snatch hooks, so that way Donkey Kong can fall to his doom, giving you extra points. You can also try and get a high score, as well.
So overall, this is a great Game & Watch game. If you don't want to spend a lot for this game, then buy Game & Watch Collection for the Nintendo DS, which contains this game and 3 other games!
The Game & Watch version of Donkey Kong didn't have the hammer, nor did it have any more levels. But you what it did have? Everything else! It's cool how Nintendo can manage to copy their famous arcade game into an LCD double-screened game.
Now, your goal isn't to rescue Pauline DIRECTLY. Oh, no. Instead, you must jump up and snatch hooks, so that way Donkey Kong can fall to his doom, giving you extra points. You can also try and get a high score, as well.
So overall, this is a great Game & Watch game. If you don't want to spend a lot for this game, then buy Game & Watch Collection for the Nintendo DS, which contains this game and 3 other games!
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (Rating: 5/10)
On the 18th (June), I managed to get ahold of 2 Tiger electronic LCD handheld games for $20 (total). Those games are a fresh version of Sonic 2 and a Power Rangers licensee. Sonic 2 was a blast when I learned how to play (See my review of that game for a full explanation). Power Rangers, on the other hand................Is a mixed bag.
The gameplay, at first, seems like a side-scrolling beat 'em up game. However, it also involves deep strategy, as you'll never know what your enemies may possibly do to attack. Either they jump-kick, or they stay on the ground and punch. As simple as it miiiight sound, playing it is a different story, but the result can be pretty fun. HOWEVER, it is nonetheless a difficult game. At first glance, your health would deplete practically rapidly.
As the game is already kinda hard, there are other aspects that make the whole thing a flawed experience. You can call in another Ranger, which is cool, but while he comes in to help kill bad guys, you have less room to maneuver. Another thing is that morphing ACTUALLY DAMAGES YOU! A signature feature from the Power Rangers, and it hurts you. That's just like that crappy Wolverine game for NES, in which taking out the title character's claws injures him! It's pathetic!
So that's Tiger's Power Rangers game for ya. It's not bad, but it isn't good. It bugs me how Amazon (and maybe ebay, too) offers this game at big prices compared to the Sonic 2 LCD game. And that game is much better (Although I WILL say this has better sound, considering there's no "music")
The gameplay, at first, seems like a side-scrolling beat 'em up game. However, it also involves deep strategy, as you'll never know what your enemies may possibly do to attack. Either they jump-kick, or they stay on the ground and punch. As simple as it miiiight sound, playing it is a different story, but the result can be pretty fun. HOWEVER, it is nonetheless a difficult game. At first glance, your health would deplete practically rapidly.
As the game is already kinda hard, there are other aspects that make the whole thing a flawed experience. You can call in another Ranger, which is cool, but while he comes in to help kill bad guys, you have less room to maneuver. Another thing is that morphing ACTUALLY DAMAGES YOU! A signature feature from the Power Rangers, and it hurts you. That's just like that crappy Wolverine game for NES, in which taking out the title character's claws injures him! It's pathetic!
So that's Tiger's Power Rangers game for ya. It's not bad, but it isn't good. It bugs me how Amazon (and maybe ebay, too) offers this game at big prices compared to the Sonic 2 LCD game. And that game is much better (Although I WILL say this has better sound, considering there's no "music")
Sonic Speedway (Rating: 8/10)
You know what's really awesome? There were actually times in the 2000s in which McDonalds would give away LCD games with Happy Meals! There were some major franchises going in on that action, including Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. There are several McDonalds Sonic games existing, waiting to be sold on ebay auctions and Amazon purchases (Preferably ebay).
Sonic Speedway is one of those many games. It's incredibly simple. All you gotta do is literally avoid crashing into upcoming cars. Despite the simplicity, it can be pretty fun.
However, the reason why it's not 5 stars is because it's not "Pac-Man"-ish fun. The pace is slightly slower than you may expect. It's not great, but it's good enough to stay a satisfying experience nonetheless.
Meanwhile, I'm waiting for Amazon/ebay prices on Sonic's Action Game (also from McDonalds) to lower to a few bucks, considering that's how much these Happy Meal compliments should be worth.
Sonic Speedway is one of those many games. It's incredibly simple. All you gotta do is literally avoid crashing into upcoming cars. Despite the simplicity, it can be pretty fun.
However, the reason why it's not 5 stars is because it's not "Pac-Man"-ish fun. The pace is slightly slower than you may expect. It's not great, but it's good enough to stay a satisfying experience nonetheless.
Meanwhile, I'm waiting for Amazon/ebay prices on Sonic's Action Game (also from McDonalds) to lower to a few bucks, considering that's how much these Happy Meal compliments should be worth.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Rating: 10/10)
Before I talk about this unique version of Sonic 2, let me introduce you to the LCD game world (If you don't need this lecture, skip down to the next paragraph - Otherwise, this is one thing you need to know about). LCD games serve as kind of a handheld sandbox for various companies. They are as simple as Atari 2600 games (And they've certainly been around as long), but they don't have to follow one format. LCD games can be handheld or tabletop, have as many buttons, as many screens, as many...anything the developers wish - As long as they can fit it all in with the technology's limits in mind. Many, MANY companies had created their own LCD games, including Tiger, Konami, Coleco, Mattel, Namco, etc (Nintendo even made a brand out of it - The "Game & Watch" series). Despite the simplicity of the games, the LCD game industry has made an incredibly LONG run (Heck, Disney still makes LCD games based off of their latest movies - Not to mention the recent Phineas and Ferb game they've released).
But here's an odd decision - Tiger had decided to make Sonic games based off of Sega's hit series. Tiger may have made LCD conversions of lots of other games, but SONIC? How the heck can you throw all that Blast Processing into something as simple as an LCD game??? I was the most curious guy in the world when I saw that Tiger's made Sonic LCD games all the way to Sonic Adventure. Seeing that they go for so much on ebay standalone, I was lucky to find Sonic 2 (and some Power Rangers LCD game) for $20.
At first, I had no idea how to play, but being the gamer I am, I managed to learn a lot by trying out as much button functions as I could, leading me to actually being able to play (Plus, the Sonic Retro website has scanned pages of the game's manual, so that helps, too).
The game turned out to be way better than I expected! The gameplay is pretty balanced, as only one or two (or perhaps a couple more in later levels) enemies pop up onscreen, but that doesn't make the game a cakewalk. You HAVE to kill the onscreen enemies or they will attack you, making you lose one hit point. Get attacked 6 times, and you lose a life. Fortunately, you can still grab Invincibility to not take damage for a bit. So how do you kill these enemies? Well, you could try using the Action button, of course. If you need to, hop on a floating platform, and doing a small button combination (Right + Action, for example), you perform a SUPER SONIC SPIN (Cool name)!!!
Levels (in order): Emerald Hill, Aquatic Ruin, Hill Top, Mystic Cave, Oil Ocean, Casino Night (Which, interestingly, retains the pinball-ish mechanics in some parts of the level), and Wing Fortress.
The level design isn't really much when it comes to LCD games, since there aren't really many platforms and stuff like that, but it all still flows well, as the floating platforms come when you need them. And believe it or not, loop-de-loops are present! Later levels such as Aquatic Ruin might bring more to the level design. In said level, Sonic can go underwater, and a 20-second countdown will start, so you gotta go back up by pressing Up twice!
Believe it or not, there are still boss encounters with Dr. Robotnik (There's a 20-second countdown for when Robotnik will appear, too). The number of hits increase every level by 1. In the first level, it takes 5 SUPER SONIC SPINS to defeat him. In the next level, it takes 6, and so on (Although the last level has him take 15). When you manage to defeat him, though, and collect the Chaos Emerald he leaves behind, you get your lost lives back, having the life counter go back to 3!
The only thing I do not really like about Sonic 2 is that the sounds/music aren't really pleasant. Thankfully, there's a button that mutes the game.
Overall, Sonic 2 is a very action-packed gem for something so simple! Even if you already own the actual Sonic 2 for Sega Genesis, you'd find a fresh take on Sonic's second adventure here. Just try not to expect this to be the same as the real thing.
But here's an odd decision - Tiger had decided to make Sonic games based off of Sega's hit series. Tiger may have made LCD conversions of lots of other games, but SONIC? How the heck can you throw all that Blast Processing into something as simple as an LCD game??? I was the most curious guy in the world when I saw that Tiger's made Sonic LCD games all the way to Sonic Adventure. Seeing that they go for so much on ebay standalone, I was lucky to find Sonic 2 (and some Power Rangers LCD game) for $20.
At first, I had no idea how to play, but being the gamer I am, I managed to learn a lot by trying out as much button functions as I could, leading me to actually being able to play (Plus, the Sonic Retro website has scanned pages of the game's manual, so that helps, too).
The game turned out to be way better than I expected! The gameplay is pretty balanced, as only one or two (or perhaps a couple more in later levels) enemies pop up onscreen, but that doesn't make the game a cakewalk. You HAVE to kill the onscreen enemies or they will attack you, making you lose one hit point. Get attacked 6 times, and you lose a life. Fortunately, you can still grab Invincibility to not take damage for a bit. So how do you kill these enemies? Well, you could try using the Action button, of course. If you need to, hop on a floating platform, and doing a small button combination (Right + Action, for example), you perform a SUPER SONIC SPIN (Cool name)!!!
Levels (in order): Emerald Hill, Aquatic Ruin, Hill Top, Mystic Cave, Oil Ocean, Casino Night (Which, interestingly, retains the pinball-ish mechanics in some parts of the level), and Wing Fortress.
The level design isn't really much when it comes to LCD games, since there aren't really many platforms and stuff like that, but it all still flows well, as the floating platforms come when you need them. And believe it or not, loop-de-loops are present! Later levels such as Aquatic Ruin might bring more to the level design. In said level, Sonic can go underwater, and a 20-second countdown will start, so you gotta go back up by pressing Up twice!
Believe it or not, there are still boss encounters with Dr. Robotnik (There's a 20-second countdown for when Robotnik will appear, too). The number of hits increase every level by 1. In the first level, it takes 5 SUPER SONIC SPINS to defeat him. In the next level, it takes 6, and so on (Although the last level has him take 15). When you manage to defeat him, though, and collect the Chaos Emerald he leaves behind, you get your lost lives back, having the life counter go back to 3!
The only thing I do not really like about Sonic 2 is that the sounds/music aren't really pleasant. Thankfully, there's a button that mutes the game.
Overall, Sonic 2 is a very action-packed gem for something so simple! Even if you already own the actual Sonic 2 for Sega Genesis, you'd find a fresh take on Sonic's second adventure here. Just try not to expect this to be the same as the real thing.
Super Mario Bros. (Rating: 10/10)
Don't be fooled by the title. It may say Super Mario Bros, but this game is not trying to be like the well-known NES version (Although certain sounds can relate to the original). In this game, the levels automatically scroll, and you must keep moving to follow along with the screen. If you don't move, the screen pushes you. However, that won't get you any closer to the goal. Once you reach the end of the level, Peach waits for you. Once you touch Peach, you beat the level.
A couple levels may be pretty short, such as the second level. However, there's a time limit.
While there are enemies in the game, they don't appear until you go further into the game. There can be Lakitus, Bullet Bills, and spinning platforms.
The worlds are pretty long. There's 8 levels per world. Although, each world is kind of the same, but each further world is more harder than the last.
The fourth level of the worlds lets you move in all directions. However, you still have to dodge the Bullet Bills (Bullet Bills aren't in World 1 though).
The last level of the worlds plays like one of the short levels, but once you reach the "end", it turns out there are multiple parts to this level.
Overall, it has major variety in it for a Game & Watch game and I appreciate that if you're a fan of these classics, you must get it.
A couple levels may be pretty short, such as the second level. However, there's a time limit.
While there are enemies in the game, they don't appear until you go further into the game. There can be Lakitus, Bullet Bills, and spinning platforms.
The worlds are pretty long. There's 8 levels per world. Although, each world is kind of the same, but each further world is more harder than the last.
The fourth level of the worlds lets you move in all directions. However, you still have to dodge the Bullet Bills (Bullet Bills aren't in World 1 though).
The last level of the worlds plays like one of the short levels, but once you reach the "end", it turns out there are multiple parts to this level.
Overall, it has major variety in it for a Game & Watch game and I appreciate that if you're a fan of these classics, you must get it.
The Terminator (Rating: 9/10)
The Terminator's one pretty big action franchise, eh? There was a lot that came out of the popular movie series. Of course, there were even video games based off of said movies. From what I've seen on the NES, they suck (Although T2: The Arcade Game is pretty rad). However, this is where LCD games come in to play, too. You know - Those simple-as-Atari single-game handheld things? How does this reimagining of the Terminator (Courtesy of Tiger Electronics) hold up? Pretty well, actually.
Have you ever played arcade shooters like Galaga or the "Base" levels in Contra? This LCD version of Terminator is a lot like that. Enemies swarm, and you gotta shoot them all down (You can also run past some if you want)! Eventually, this probably would've grown repetitive as the action goes on, right? WRONG! Since 2 more guns come into play a little bit into the game, there are types of enemies that can be killed ONLY by using one of the 3 different guns you are equipped with, making for some fast-paced weapon-switching shootin' fun (Not to mention strategy)!
Have you ever played arcade shooters like Galaga or the "Base" levels in Contra? This LCD version of Terminator is a lot like that. Enemies swarm, and you gotta shoot them all down (You can also run past some if you want)! Eventually, this probably would've grown repetitive as the action goes on, right? WRONG! Since 2 more guns come into play a little bit into the game, there are types of enemies that can be killed ONLY by using one of the 3 different guns you are equipped with, making for some fast-paced weapon-switching shootin' fun (Not to mention strategy)!