Another week, another GamePro. This issue is issue number 47 for June of 1993. Our cover story is a puzzle game – Yoshi’s Cookie! The issue isn’t too long, only 163 pages long, which is nice. Oh, and just to remind you that this is the 90s, and we’re starting what will become a long series of bad video game films, we have an ad for Super Mario Bros. the movie. “This ain’t no game” indeed.
Editorial: This issue has a whole a new look, and with it they’re discussing the future of gaming again, and apparently the future of gaming is Virtual Reality! Goggles, headsets, gloves, the works! Hah! It’s 15 years later and they still haven’t worked that out!
The Mail: We get some questions about some of the previously pictured Sonic The Hedgehog zones that didn’t make it into the game. There are also questions about support being phased out for the NES and about the growing Video Game Violence debate (with more mention being given to Mortal Kombat than Night Trap).
Cutting Edge: This issue’s got Hornet’s VR flight simulator, and Galaxan 3 from Namco, which is a semi-VR rail shooter.
Hot at the Arcades: We have a look at Saturday Night Slam Masters.
Special Feature – Battletoads Coverage: First up is Battletoads vs. Double Dragon for the NES. They think it’s okay, though they’re kind of middle-of-the-road on Graphics & Sound, giving it 3.5s for Graphics & Sound, and 4s for Control & Fun Factor. We also have a review of Battletoads in Ragnarock’s World for the Game Boy. They do have some problems with small objects blending into the background. They also really like the controls. The game gets a 5 for Controls, 4.5s for Graphics & Fun Factor, and a 4 for Sound. We also get a preview of the Double Draogn comic book and cartoon show.
Special Feature – Ecco the Dolphin Strategy Guide Cont.: They’re continuing their Ecco The Dolphin guide from last issue.
Yoshi’s Cookie Review: We’re getting our special feature review of Yoshi’s Cookie, with work being contributed to it by Alexi Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris. They give the SNES version a 5 for Fun Factor, 4s for Graphics & Sound, and a 4.5 for Control. We also get a preview of the NES and Game Boy version.
Genesis Coverage: We have a preview of Street Fighter 2: Championship Edition. There’s also a review of Rolling Thunder III, which they generally like. The game gets a 3.5 for Sound, and 4s for Graphics, Control & Fun Factor. There’s also a review of Sorcerer’s Kingdom from American Sammy, an RPG, which looks, actually, on par with the Phantasy Star games, which is surprising, since I’d never heard of it. The game gets a 3 for Sound, 4s for Graphics & Control, and a 5 for Fun Factor. We also have a review of Jeopardy, and I’m kind of surprised at how Alex Trebek hasn’t aged very much since this came out, at least not visibly. The game gets 4s across the board. Tradewest has Championship Pro-Am, which is meant to be a 16-bit RC Pro-Am, though from the ratings, they might not give you full 16-bit performance. The game gets 3.5s for Graphics & Sound, and a 4 for Control & a 4.5 for Fun Factor. We also have a review of Chase HQ II. The game gets 3.5s for Graphics & Sound, and it also gets a 4 for Control and a 4.5 for Fun Factor. There’s also a preview of Splatterhouse 3.
Sega CD Coverage: We have a review of the Sega CD version of The Terminator, which still is pretty unforgiving, though it looks better than the SNES and Genesis versions. It gets a 4.5 for Fun Factor and 4s for Graphics, Sound & Control. There’s also Batman Returns, which they don’t like very much – it gets a 3 for Control and 3.5s for Graphics, Sound, & Fun Factor, though I’ve heard that this was the best version of all the Batman Returns games.
SNES Coverage: We have a review of WWF Royal Rumble, which looks good, though there’s not a lot of technique to it – once you get your opponent down, you can generally win by spamming the stomp attack. They like it though, it gets 4.5s for Graphics & Fun Factor, and 4s for Sound & Control. Activision (also known as Teh Evul!) has an Alien vs. Predator brawler. The game gets a 3.5 for Sound, 4s for Graphics & Control, and a 4.5 for Fun Factor. There’s also a licenced game based on the Widget cartoon show. The game gets a 5 for Control, a 4 for Sound, and 4.5s for Graphics & Fun Factor.
Special Feature – Super Star Wars Strategy Guide: We get a strategy guide for Super Star Wars, before continuing on with the SNES Coverage.
SNES Coverage (cont.): We get a review of Run Saber, a Strider clone from Atlus. The game gets a 3 for Sound, 4s for Control & Graphics, and a 5 for Fun Factor. Ocean has Pugsley’s Scavanger Hunt, which gets a 4 for Sound, 4.5s for Graphics, Control & Fun Factor, though apparently it’s really hard. There’s also Cool World, a game based on the live-action/animation mix film from Ralph Bakshi, which gets a 5 for Control, 4.5s for Fun Factor & Graphics, and a 4 for Sound. There’s Sonic Blast Man from Taito, which gets 4s for Sound and Fun Factor, a 5 for Control, and a 4.5 for Graphics. I’m going to take short moment here to take them to task – the game uses sound effect balloons for the sound effects instead of, you know, sound effects. To “compensate” for this in the review, or to explain it for the score, the explanation is “Sound effects? You don’t need any!” I know the expression is meant in jest… but that doesn’t mean it’s actually funny. In fact, it’s a stupid joke.
Anyway, we’ve got a review of James Pond II, a port of Codename: Robocod for the Genesis. Apparently the sound is poor, and while they like some of the graphics (like the “humorous” expressions on some of the teddy bears in the background, for example) I am not so amused. They do give side-by-side comparisons of the Graphics, and the SNES version does look better, though. The game gets a 2 for Sound, a 3 for Control, a 4 for Fun Factor and a 4.5 for Graphics. There’s also a review of Mario is Missing, an edutainment game. It gets 3.5s for Graphics, Sound & Fun Factor, and a 4 for Control. GameTek has Kawasaki Caribean Challenge, which apparently gets it’s challenge from bad control – it gets a 3 for Sound, and 2s for Graphics, Control, and Fun Factor. Ocean also has a Lethal Weapon game – which has nothing to do with the plots of any of the movies (though, to be fair, the plots of any of the movies wouldn’t make it past Nintendo’s censors). The game gets 3s for Sound & Control and 3.5s for Graphics & Fun Factor.
NES Coverage: We have a review of Big Nose Freaks Out, about a Big-nosed cave-man. However, this is by Camerica, so it’s not licenced, and it’s probably not good either, though GamePro has generally been pretty forgiving to Camerica games. The game gets a 5 for Control, a 2 for Sound, and 3s for Graphics & Fun Factor.
TurboDuo Coverage: We have a review of the Duo version of SimEarth. The game doesn’t get a good response, but I’ve noticed games that are less more twitch-heavy and more about knowing when to wait and when to act (and what to do when to act) don’t do well during this era. The game gets a 2 for Graphics, 3s for Control & Fun Factor, and 4 for Sound. There’s also a review of the cutsy shump Magical Chase, which gets 4s across the board.
Overseas ProSpects: We have a preview of Populous II, and the PC Engine Duo-R, a lower cost version that drops SuperGrafx support, the battery pack, headphone jack, volume control, and disk tray lock, and only one controller jack – which means that if you want to play two-player games you have to buy a multi-tap. It’s stupid decisions like this that lead to the death of TurboGraphics.
The Sports Page: First up is Hardball III for the Genesis, which looks pretty good, though from prior experience I’d probably stick with modern baseball games. The game gets a 4.5 for Sound, and 4s for Graphics, Control & Fun Factor. Tengen also has RBI Baseball ’93 for the Genesis, which gets a 4 for Sound and 4.5s for Graphics, Control & Fun Factor. Jaleco’s got Bases Loaded 4, keeping the series on the NES. It looks like it’s actually got less teams than before, while keeping the constantly repeating (and montonous, and grating) soundtrack. Anyway, it gets a 2 for Sound, a 4.5 for Control, and 4s for Graphics & Fun Factor. There’s also an interview with Tony LaRussa about his game.
Game Boy Coverage: We have a review of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which gets a 4.5 for Graphics and 4s for Sound, Control & Fun Factor. There’s also a review of Darkwing Duck, which is a port of the NES version of the game. The game gts a 4 for Sound, 4.5s for Graphics & Fun Factor, and a 5 for Control. There’s also Ninja Boy 2, an action puzzle game, which gets a 4.5 for Control, 4s for Graphics, Sound & Fun Factor. Q*Bert is getting a port as well, which gets a 3 for Control, a 3.5 for Graphics, a 4 for Sound and 4.5 for Fun Factor. There’s also Word Zap, a semi-spelling game thingie (you form words with provided letters, like in scrabble), which getsa 3 for Sound and 3.5s for Graphics, Control & Fun Factor.
Game Gear Coverage: We have a port of Land of Illusion, which is a Disney licenced platformer, not a Genesis licenced platformer (that would be Land of Confusion – ya see what I did there?). They like it, giving it 4s across the board.
Short ProShots: The games of note covered this issue are Shining Force from Sega & Rocket Knight Adventures from Konami for the Genesis, Pacific Theater of Operations from Koei and Super Empire Strikes Back from LucasArts for the SNES.
GameBusters: We have tips for the final mission of Wing Commander, plus the ending cutscene (or a single screen shot of it).
ProNews: Mutant League is going to be EA’s next big franchise, and Street Fighter II Turbo is coming out for the SNES.
