Nintendo/Technos

December 1990

Sports

1-4 Players

Two fine games are brought together in a single cartridge, courtesy of Nintendo and Technos.  You not only get Super Spike V'Ball, the hard-hitting volleyball title, but World Cup Soccer as well.  World Cup Soccer isn't as entertaining as Super Spike V'Ball, but if you loved the squishy little runts from River City Ransom, you're sure to enjoy watching them play soccer as well.

Sunsoft

February 1992

Shooter

1 Player

I spy... an incredible game that nobody played when it was first released!  This slick vertically scrolling shooter is a brilliant sequel to the first Spy Hunter, with astonishing special effects, plenty of cool weapons, and a sleek sportscar that steadily evolves into a four-wheeled monster as you power it up.  You'll wonder how this one managed to sneak past you.

Nintendo/Bandai

November 1988

Exercise

1-2 Players

Are you ready to run until you're blue in the face?  If so, pull out that Power Pad and treat yourself to some serious exercise in this video game relay race.  As you run to the finish line, you'll do everything from leap over logs to swim across shallow ponds.  The graphics are average and the music is a whole lot worse, but you'll be panting too much to notice.

Kemco

December 1988

Action/Adventure

1 Player

Superman must have smoked some seriously bad kryptonite to end up looking like this.  Instead of the brawny man of steel we remember from the comics, Superman is a pudgy little twerp who looks like he could get beaten to a pulp by Woody Allen.  Looks do not deceive in this case... Superman's never been wimpier than he is in this dumb, ugly, and boring adventure game.

T*HQ/Imagineering

December 1992

Action

1 Player

Swamp Thing... I think I loathe you... but I wanna know for sure!  Can I think of anything positive to say about this weak action game?  Let's see... the graphics are dark and muddy.  The foes you fight are ridiculous.  The level design is forgettable.  The sound effects are primitive.  The gameplay will bore you to tears.  Hmm... nope, nothing good about this one!

FAST FACT:  This game bears such a close resemblance to Imagineering's three Simpsons games that a clever hacker replaced its characters with Bart and the other stars of Fox's long-running animated sitcom.  You'll find footage of the hacked game, titled "The Simpsons: The Return of the Space Mutants," here.

Activision/Athena

August 1990

Action

1 Player

This medievel action game has several things going for it.  First of all, the soundtrack and animation are both pretty impressive.  Secondly, the ability to deflect attacks with your shield and aim for your enemies' weak points gives the fighting some depth and strategy.  Sadly, the flat levels and unfair bosses keep Sword Master from achieving true greatness.

Acclaim/Interplay

August 1990

Role-Playing

1 Player

Role-playing games with a first-person perspective can often be disorienting.  Swords and Serpents solves this problem by mapping the dungeons for you, letting you explore to your heart's content without the worry of getting lost.  However, the game does have problems of its own, like an awkward interface and an overly simplistic combat system.