Namco

November 1993

Action

1-2 Players (alt)

Everybody loves Ms. Pac-Man, right?  Well, everybody but Namco, judging from this lackluster translation of the wildly popular arcade game.  Instead of the vivid pinks and blues that decorated the mazes in the original, you get gruesome greens and ugly dark reds.  The gameplay is solid, but the conversion feels half-hearted and prefunctory.  Frankly, the old girl deserved better than this.

FAST FACT:  Ms. Pac-Man wasn't originally a Namco product.  Midway had commissioned a company named General Computing Corporation to create the game, using the code from the original Pac-Man arcade game.  Ms. Pac-Man was originally called Crazy Otto and had different characters, but Midway felt that the game would have more appeal with a female in the lead role.  Thus, Ms. Pac-Man was born!

Hi-Tech (Far Sight)

November 1990

Action

1 Player

Miss Piggy's been kidnapped, and for unfathomable reasons, the Muppets want their mud-digging diva back.  Each Muppet sets out on a different quest to find her... Kermit rafts down an angry river, Gonzo soars through space, Animal drives a bumper car, and Fozzy runs through a maze.  Poor graphics and simplistic gameplay ensure that you won't enjoy any of these adventures.

FAST FACT:  The developers of this game went on to create the Genesis version of the phenomenally crappy Action 52 for Active Enterprises.  The quality that didn't shine through in Muppet Adventure is just as absent in this collection of dreadful mini-games.

American Softworks

April 1992

Action

1 Player

When a virus invades the Earth's computerized control network, the only cure is to miniaturize yourself and purge the spreading infection with a cannon full of anti-viral code.  It's a refreshingly original concept, but poor collision detection and tiny characters shrink the fun of this unique overhead shooter to a nearly microscopic size.

Taxan/Carry Lab

April 1989

Action

1 Player

Mystery Quest is like a stick of gum... after you pop it in your mouth and chew it for a few minutes, it loses its flavor, leaving you with a wad of bland goo that you're eager to deposit in the nearest garbage can.  This side-scrolling platformer is similar to Super Mario Bros., but without the strong level design or any real incentive to continue playing.