Retro Gaming

[Wahesh]

Ninja Gaiden

I've played a few ninja games in my time, but when it comes to 8-bit platformers, Ninja Gaiden on the Master System us head and shoulders above them all. As well as the usual running, jumping and slashing, there are plenty of other abilities that can be performed as well. Ryu can crouch down and maneuver in either direction which helps avoiding projectiles coming his way. He can also grab onto platforms above him, and in most cases, climb onto the ledge he's grab onto. There is the ability to jump on a wall, and use that as leverage to jump to a neighbouring wall and work his way up - similar to Alex Kidd in Shinobi World. Then there is the weapons moves, so collecting power-ups throughout the game will meaning that Ryu will be holding a weapon most of the most the he can use to assist him on his missions - weapons such as a wall of fire, throwing fire balls, small and large ninja stars, and more. There's also life regeneration aids, and a double-button mashup. Pressing these will release a flash-bomb the will damage the enemies, but also damage Ryu's own health, so something that can be used as a last resort.

This game was great, fast-paced, tricky, but will allow you to learn from your mistakes, and has a great sound track.

A great Master System Classic.

8½/10

 

[Wahesh]

100 Master System Games in 10 Minutes

Games (in order of appearance):

• Alex Kidd in Miracle World
• Kung Fu Kid
• Batman Returns
• Robocop Vs Terminator
• Daffy Duck in Hollywood
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Aladdin
• Wonder Boy
• Asterix
• Battlemaniacs
• Bram Stoker's Dracula
• Wonder Boy in Monster Land
• Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion
• Cool Spot
• Danan the Jungle Fighter
• The Flash
• Deep Duck Trouble
• Double Dragon
• R-Type
• Strider
• Streets of Rage
• Mortal Kombat 2
• Shinobi
• The Terminator
• Cyborg Hunter
• Wonder Boy the Dragon's Trap
• Dynamite Headdy
• Forgotten Worlds
• Fantasy Zone
• Gain Ground
• Ghostbusters
• Out Run
• Power Strike/Aleste
• Chuck Rock
• Moonwalker
• Rainbow Islands
• Ninja Gaiden
• Phantasy Star
• Golden Axe
• Ghouls N' Ghosts
• Hang On
• Chuck Rock II
• Kenseiden
• Mickey Mouse Land of Illusion
• Golvellius
• Lion King
• Alex Kidd the Lost Stars
• Master of Darkness
• Powerstrike II
• Mercs
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Rastan
• Darius 2/Sagaia
• Sonic Chaos
• Shadow Dancer
• Space Harrier
• Speedball 2
• Star Wars
• Strider II
• Tazmania
• Alien 3
• Transbot
• Zillion
• Streets of Rage 2
• Heroes of the Lance
• Desert Strike
• Columns
• Gauntlet
• Bubble Bobble
• Afterburner
• Alien Syndrome
• Teddy Boy
• Ecco the Dolphins
• Aztec Adventure
• Penguin Land
• Fantasy Zone II
• Mean Bean Machine
• New Zealand Story
• Lord of the Sword
• Spellcaster
• Micro Machines
• Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
• Psycho Fox
• Dynamite Dux
• James Pond II - Robocod
• Spy Vs Spy
• The Ninja
• Lucky Dime Caper
• Road Rash
• Ys - The Vanished Omens
• Baku Baku Animal
• Wonder Boy in Monster World
• Golden Axe Warrior
• Miracle Warriors
• Klax
• Galaxy Force
• Marble Madness
• Cloud Master
• Sonic Spinball

 

[maroondog72]

When you see this image, you know it's on:

I used to clock double dragon every week end at the fish and chip shop down the road with my brother, fucking awesome memories.

 

[Wahesh]

I used to clock double dragon every week end at the fish and chip shop down the road with my brother, fucking awesome memories.

Me too mate. It was only the other week when I played it that it finished it for the first time without losing a life against the final boss with the machine gun. As frustrating as it seems, you need to get right in front of him and only punch him. Doing a jump kick on him will result in you being shot/killed many times lol. Just punch, persevere, and win.

 

[maroondog72]

Me too mate. It was only the other week when I played it that it finished it for the first time without losing a life against the final boss with the machine gun. As frustrating as it seems, you need to get right in front of him and only punch him. Doing a jump kick on him will result in you being shot/killed many times lol. Just punch, persevere, and win.

IT would be 35 plus years since I played that game ! FMD.

 

[Motorhead]

I remember this game from around the same time of Double Dragon. My mate's mum used to give him $20 to get him out of the house for the day (probably so she could get pounded in the cot lol), and we'd ride our pushies 30 minutes to the arcade. Back when games were only 20¢ or 40¢ that was a hell of a great day out!

 

[Wahesh]

I remember this game from around the same time of Double Dragon. My mate's mum used to give him $20 to get him out of the house for the day (probably so she could get pounded in the cot lol), and we'd ride our pushies 30 minutes to the arcade. Back when games were only 20¢ or 40¢ that was a hell of a great day out!

Gee's mate, that sounds like an awesome childhood memory lol - not so much the pounding in the cot bit.

 

[The DoggFather]

I remember this game from around the same time of Double Dragon. My mate's mum used to give him $20 to get him out of the house for the day (probably so she could get pounded in the cot lol), and we'd ride our pushies 30 minutes to the arcade. Back when games were only 20¢ or 40¢ that was a hell of a great day out!

Was she hot?

 

[Motorhead]

Was she hot?

Indeed she was bro. Used to get around the house in her bra and knickers every now and again when we were there. Would've been happy to have sleepovers there every night of the year lol. The free day of video games was an added bonus!

 

[Wahesh]

Double Hawk

Double Hawk is a shoot 'em up video game for the Sega Master System. The basic premise of the game was that in the 1990s violence was spreading across the globe, brought forth by a group of terrorists. The protagonists, John Jackson and Jack Thomas, are sent into battle to eradicate all threats. Double Hawk has been called Sega's version of Cabal (which was ported to the rival Nintendo Entertainment System the same year).

The game consists of five missions, each with four levels ending in a boss fight. Throughout the game the player must eliminate various enemies including foot soldiers, armed vehicles, and helicopters using multiple guns and ordnance weapons. The player must survive the first 3 stages of every mission within a time limit, and while the 4th "boss" fight of every mission is also timed, that mission will not end until all enemy units have been eliminated.

A unique element that features in this game is that in co-op gameplay, if a player gets hit 3 times and dies, he or she will automatically re-spawn and take a hit off their co-op partner, provided their partner is not down to their last hit.

Various upgrades can be found in each level to facilitate game play. These upgrades would be in the form of colored boxes that fall from enemies that have been taken down. They include:

Red (S) - Shooting - for a limited time, the player has a larger target range and faster shooting upgrades, which is useful for taking down air-based attacks from helicopters and planes
Navy (R) - Rapid Fire - for a limited time, the player has the rapid fire ability with his gun, which is useful for taking down ground-based attacks from tanks and heavy machinery.
Light blue (B) - Bombs - the player receives 10 hand bombs (grenades) to use on the enemy. The player is limited to carry a maximum of 99 grenades.
Brown (F) - Faster - for the duration of the rest of that particular stage, the player is able to move around and aim his gun faster, useful for dodging bullets.

None of these upgrades remain with the player if he or she continues from a gameover.

This is one of those games that can keep you coming back for more and more. A true 8-bit gem

9/10

 

[Wahesh]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Master System)

My goodness this game was good. It was made to be long and challenging, but not the sort of challenge that would have you pulling your hair out. It also had 2 endings - and one of those ending results in an extra zone being unlocked which is the proper full ending.

Everything in this game is great. 7 zones with 3 stages (referred to as 'acts'), and the first 2 acts of every zone have plenty of rings and lives to get, followed by the 3rd act, a boss fight.

One thing that's missing from this game that Sonic 1 had was the bonus 'pin ball' stages which had spare lives, continues and plenty of rings available, however, in this version of the game, if you found a chaos emerald you would be gifted a continue which contained 3 extra lives.

EVERYTHING about this game was good. The amount of rings there were, the secret chambers, the lives all over the place, even the glowing colour of the emeralds was great. I remember a few new features in this game. The mine cart to help you cruise through some areas of certain stages. The hand glider to help you glid over the the top of certain areas of stages (namely in the Sky High Zone), as well as the ability to skit across water when rolling. The music for most stages is also uplifting, and it is all-round a fun game to play even to this day. I still play it from time to time.

This game is definitely a Sega gem, 10/10 not only for it's time, but to this day.

Play it now: https://www.retrogames.cc/mastersystem-games/sonic-the-hedgehog-2-europe.html

 

[Wahesh]

Fantasy Zone

Well this game brings back memories. In Fantasy Zone, you take control of Opa Opa, a space ship that shoots his way through brightly illuminated stages collecting coins for power-ups throughout.

This game was a big part of my childhood and one I still play occasionally from time to time. The game is very appealing on the Master System as it has bright colours, vibrant stages, and all-round fun gameplay.

Now it's not very often I do this, but it was brought to my attention that the NES version of this game had inferior graphics, but better sound. I decided to check this out myself and while I wouldn't say that sound is better, I will say that the sound on the NES version is truer to 8-bit than that of the Master System. As such, I have posted both versions of the game on YouTube below.

It's fun, but man it can be frustrating if you're not careful, because one hit and you lose EVERYTHING, and this game is not possible without those power ups.

8/10

 

[Wahesh]

Golden Axe

I can't speak highly enough of this game on the Mega Drive and Arcade. I LOVE IT. It is a 100% pure classic, and well designed game. The gameplay is relatively smooth, and the game is one that can be challenging yet fun. If you save up your energy as the stages progress, you can use them as a big specialty against the stage boss. The game itself might seem to drag on a bit, but it's really not that long when you think about it given it's an arcade classic. I won't call this game a gem as such though because it was a well known game that everyone loved.

The characters of the game also appeared in the Sega Heroes app on iOS and Android.

Covert Art:

I couldn't find a higher resolution image of the cover art (which I love) but found what it looks like on Reddit:

Gameplay: Mega Drive and Arcade

 

[Hacky McAxe]

I picked up the new Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX on Switch and it's literally a full replica of the original with better graphics, to the point that I died in the first section about 10 times. You can press a button to flick back to the original graphics. It's awesome.

 

[Wahesh]

I picked up the new Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX on Switch and it's literally a full replica of the original with better graphics, to the point that I died in the first section about 10 times. You can press a button to flick back to the original graphics. It's awesome.

Nice. Can’t wait to get a copy myself

 

[Wahesh]

I picked up the new Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX on Switch and it's literally a full replica of the original with better graphics, to the point that I died in the first section about 10 times. You can press a button to flick back to the original graphics. It's awesome.

Hacky when it comes to the original graphics does it have him eating the humburger or rice ball?

 

[Hacky McAxe]

Hacky when it comes to the original graphics does it have him eating the humburger or rice ball?

Haven't checked yet. Will look when I get a chance.

 

[Wahesh]

Alien Storm

Off the back of Golden Axe, Alien Storm was also a Sega gem that included ports to the Master System and Mega Drive/Genesis from the Arcade. This game had a similar feel to Golden Axe in that you could should from a man, woman, or novelty character. In Golden Axe the novelty was a dwarf, whereas in Alien Storm it's Scooter, a robot.

I remember getting the Master System version for my 8th Birthday, and I loved it. The game itself is challenging as it's a single player game (would've been AWESOME if co-op were available on Master System), but also entertaining. The player has the ability to use their specialty at any stage which would kill all enemies (or cause a lot of damage to the boss characters), and you also have those stages that are automatically side-scrolling in a very fast pace (the character automatically runs) so you get to experience a whole lot of different games modes. This was also the first game I played the contain FPS (first person shooter) - yes you read that right - although it was only a part of the game.

All up there were the difference game modes:

• Regular stages - killing aliens and getting power ups
• FPS - usually set in shops, killing aliens getting power-ups - generally challening
• Side-scrolling - the character automatically runs from one side of the stage to the other. The only thing the players needs to do is shoot, jump, and move up or down - very entertaining part of the game
• Boss fight - 1 vs 1 fight against AI boss alien characters.

Really this game would've been better if it had unlimited continues due to its somewhat difficult stages.

8/10

 

[Wahesh]

World Cup '93 (Tecmo)

I'll start off with the obvious. No, there was no World Cup in 1993, this is simply what they did before the FIFA and PES series came out, marketed a title based on the year of its release.

Now this is a gem. During the 8 bit era, most titles were played over head and all you could see was a birds-eye view of the ground and see the top of the players heads and sometimes their feet. This game was the first I played that was more of an action cam. You could see all around the player as well as the air (such as the ball landing etc...) and see the entire player and players around him. The gameplay is fantastic. There are 4 game modes and let's keep in mind this is all on the 8 bit Master System console:

- World up (main competition)
- Exhibition (friendly)
- vs (2 players against each other)
- Watch (randomly generated game you can watch)

The gameplay of the game is great. The usual football movements are there, such as throw-ins, corner kicks, goal kicks etc... - however it's not possible to be fouled or receive a penalty during the game. All the goal keeper movements are controlled by AI as you would expect, however you can control kicking, goal-kicks and throw the ball out of the area. There are 24 teams you can choose from (countries) from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. Sadly, Australia doesn't make the cut. You start off the World Cup mode with any of the 24 teams of your choosing then pick the colour of you uniform (that's right), and then the game starts. Firstly you have an elimination league (group stage) to get through, then the knock-out to the finals begins - round of 16. Before each match begins it will show the colour chosen by your AI opponent then before the match begins, you can chose your teams format then start. Now for every goal differential there is, you will get 2 points to upgrade your players. In other words if you win by 3-1, 2 points differential, you will get 4 points to upgrade your players after every match.

In the group stage, you'll need at least 1 win and a draw to get through. From the round of 16 onward, you'll need to score goals during regular time to progress, otherwise the game heads straight into penalty shootouts - by passing the extra time period.

If I can fault the game for one thing, it's that in the tournament, you will face Germany every time in the final - guaranteed - unless if you chose Germany - in which case you will face Argentina. Given the game was released in 1993, Germany were the reigning world champions and Argentina were runners up from the 1990 World Cup. I think the game tries to push it a little too far here, however credit for trying to make it as realistic as possible.

Other things include you choosing how long the game time is - short, medium, or long. You can choose to use sound effects of crowd cheering or music which intensifies as you progress in the tournament, and options of difficulty.

Now let's keep in mind all of this was on a Sega cartridge and in total was [less than 100kb in size (see below).

In my opinion, this game was the one that paved the way for other games to follow in terms of everything it contained.

9/10

 

[Mr Beast]

You guys are every lucky to have been able to play the games you played.

We were a very poor family living in housing commission. I was only lucky enough to play Alex the kid and Shinobi because my neighbour had it.