Tuesday, April 1, 2008

X-men - Sega Genesis

I think this was the first superhero game that I really remember being excited about. Seeing has the graphics were the 16-bit , a big up grade from the 8-bit NES. The X-men characters actually looked like the x-men characters, as oppose to the horrible x-men game for the NES. The commercial for the game was great, it flashed just enough for any fan to get a glimpse of all their favorite characters doing some cool looking moves.

I got the game and away I went. Right away I was amazed that you could be 1 of 4 different x-men, Wolverine, Cyclops, Gambit and Nightcrawler. Then you have 5 back up guys to call in for help, such has Archangel, Storm, Iceman, Rogue and Jean Grey. Each one had a different ability to help you along. Also if that wasn't enough for you it had 2 players. You a buddy can each choose a x-men and fight your way through to Magneto. Awesome, or so I thought.

First off, the game sticks you in the danger room, where nothing really dangerous happens. Theres ledges and lots of jumping and more jumping. But the game doesn't really tell you how to start. And during a time when "WHERE DO I GO NEXT" isn't clearly marked. A door can be anywhere and right in front of you because it looks just like everything else around it. So after getting my brand new game, I spent the first hr or so trying to get out of the danger room. (Its up in the top left corner if anyone wants to know)

To start off I choose Wolverine and my new claw slashing power. So they incorporate a mutant bar next to your life bar, every time I slash something with my claws, it uses up my mutant power..What?...yeah, thats right. Punching stuff with my claws makes mutant power tired. What ever, it recharges..slowly. Wolverine is also the only character that can heal back his health. This doesn't really matter though, cause there was a point in the game where I was almost dead, so I left him sitting there and went and watched Bravestar, came back 30 min later and he was almost full of life. I continue off on the adventure and fall off a platform and die. Game over. I did this technique alot.

Choosing Cyclops gives you Optic Blast, hes the most useful character in the game, you can aim his head. But instead of a beam, he shoots little lasers, like Starwars. But he drains his mutant power quick, then you resort to punching and kicking. Gambit is the best fighter because he has a bo staff, most enemies are ok if you can stay away from them and hit from a far and his staff made this possible. But his mutant power is kinda odd for the game . He charges a card and throws it, but then it comes back to you and sort zips back and fourth around your person. Like a see saa. Nightcrawler had the teleporting, I thought, cool, no wall and getting lost will stop me. If I could only control where I teleport. Thats right, you hit the button and he zips off, then back again, the up then down, the right and you frantically mash the button to get him to stop , only for him to land back in the same spot you started. Great power if you could get it to work.

But the icing on the cake, was a part in the game where you beat a boss (Mojo) and you have to diffuse the bomb for the level by restarting the computer. Where is this computer, the clock ticks down from 15, did I miss it, is it like the door, its there I just can't see it. Am I suppose to hit something, I am stuck in one room, I jumped, I punch and kick and double jump and still nothing. the level explodes, you die and you start all over again. I did this way to many times to warrent having a life outside of video games. I finally put it away until one day I come across the answer in a magazine. THE ANSWER IS.....hit reset on the Genesis. Thats right, I guess they figured that kids would get so mad and just say I give up and hit reset to start it all over on their own.

NOO....they get mad and frustrated, and hit power OFF, I didn't ever hit reset , especially with time remaining for me to figures something out. Who in there right god given minds goes,"OH, a clock,I can never figure this out, I guess I will restart the entire game and see if I can do it again"
NOT ME!!

That being said, I did enjoy the game, it was fun. Hard, with all the falling off platforms. In fact, if I had to say watch out for the baddies, I be wrong, its more like falling to your doom while goons look on in amazement and wonder to themselves if he will ever make it past that next crevasse.

6/10

1 comments:

Tab Shaftner said...

I agree that this was probibly the first really good superhero game.Genesis seemed to set the bar with x men, maximum carnage and Punisher and nick fury.All amazing games.Ill admit that i did use a cheat in this game to keep your mutant powers from dying out.I was like 10 and would have prolly cried otherwise,gemme a break.Another thing about this game which has stayed with me till now was the music.This game had some of the most kick ass songs in any video game....ever...i stand by that.The starting screen alone just pumps the hell out of you.Yeah and the whole reset thing,conpletely brakes my brain.I was lucky cause my brother had stumbled upon it and just told me,but to think about it now,what a crazy thing to have to do,the only thing that comes close was in metal gear solid when you have to plug your controller into the second slot to beat psycho mantis.Anyways, great game,thanks for brigning back the memories.

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