| mattk1982's Last Game Reviews |
Mario Andretti Racing
08-15-14 06:48 PM
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Best old School racer Hands Down
For those of you who don't know who Mario Andretti is, you won't get very far in this review, or the game. Maybe you would be better off playing one of the newer racers (Mario Kart on the WIIU is excellent.) But for those of you, that want to try one of the greatest old school racers, this ones for you. First off, this is one of the very first EA sports racers, so think of it as the grandpa to NASCAR Thunder, and secondly for a game that came out in 1994 it still is fun as hell and addicting 20 years later.
The game itself is straight forward you have two modes Exhibition, and career. Exhibition is a great way to try out all three car classes ( SPRINT, INDY, STOCK), as you can choose any car, and any track and learn your skills. Whereas in Career, you start at the bottom class (SPRINT) and work your way up to the STOCK category. This in itself is quite challenging, because at first, the AI will hand your ass to you. (Don't feel bad, my first three seasons I didn't finish above last place.) Fortunately there are upgrades to your ride. You can upgrade your Engine, Tires, Brakes, and Pit-Crew. (pit crew only available in later race modes.) Now here in lies the problem, as when they programmed the difficulty they made one mistake as on the easy setting you get no starting money. But on veteran (hard mode) you get $100.000 which only gives you a slight improvement, as the higher the upgrade the more expensive it is. But fear not, before every race, you get training tips from Andretti himself, which for a newbie you should take advantage of.
Graphically for a 16 bit SEGA game that came out in 1994, the graphics are very well done. The cars look accurate, the tracks look great albeit there are only about 18. But they are all modeled after real life tracks and speedways. And for a game from the 16 bit era, the animation and frame rate is well done as well. All of the flag colors are accurate, and in the INDY and Stock, the Pit Crews a... Read the rest of this Review
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WWF Wrestlemania
02-23-14 06:55 PM
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The first of many WWF(E) Console Games.. But not the best
For the better part of my life, I have been a big fan of WWF (now WWE) wrestling. But in these days, with all the Randy Orton- John Cena feuds, the same 6 WWE divas, and too many TV Shows and Champions, I miss the old days of wrestling. Every week Id watch the "heroes" of my generation (Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Sgt. Slaughter, Ultimate Warrior, and Jake Roberts.). So when I found out that there was a WWF NES game, myself and a few of my friends would attempt to have our own recreation of the epic Wrestlemania IV championship tournament. And boy was I thrilled when I got this game for Christmas one year. 20 years later well, I'm neutral, especially when the current WWE games are pretty much rehashes of the previous years. But anyway.. on to my review.
GRAPHICS- The graphics are actually quite good for a game that came out on either 1988 or 1989. The wrestlers look pretty good for 8 bit renditions of themselves. The ring has the (at the time) blue apron and red, white, and blue ropes and the WWF Wrestlemania logo. The camera angle, is set up like having a ring-side seat, which is confusing at first. Mostly because the wrestlers can pull off moves on a 3D like plane, but its a 2d game. The wrestlers costumes also look very accurate for the time: Bam Bam Bigelow has the flame jumpsuit, and the Honky Tonk Man has his red Elvis Jumpsuit. Not bad for something that's almost 30 years old.
But even though the graphics are a decent point, there are a lot of flaws. Mostly the wrestler selection, did the folks at akklaim have a problem with finding wrestlers, or did the WWE have a problem with licensing some superstars. There are 6, whereas the sequel, WWF Wrestlemania Challenge had 8 plus "yourself". And the 6 you get are debatable if they were popular in the late 1980s. You get: "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Bam Bam Bigelow, The Honky Tonk Man, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Andre The Giant, and Hulk Hogan. Not a bad roster, ev... Read the rest of this Review
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Dracula Unleashed
02-23-14 02:10 AM
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Underrated Lost Classic
In 1998, I originally played this on my parents PC, and loved it. Now in the age of PC Emulators, I'm stoked to once again play one of the best, and most original interactive movies of the early 1990s. The game is set in the year 1899, 10 years after the Bram Stoker book was set, and for the most part, VIACOM did an excellent job at expanding on the incredible world of Stokers classic. The player assumes the role of Alexander Morris, an American in London, who also happens to be the brother of Quincy Morris who was killed in the novel. Once in London, the fun starts, as you interact with several characters from the book, such as: Jonathan Harker, Arthur Holmwood, Abraham Van Helsing, Renfield, and Count Dracula himself. That in itself scores bonus points for the concept of the game.
For the most part the SEGA-CD version and the PC version are the same. Albeit a few graphical differences, as the Sega-CD, didn't quite have the processor or the graphics card that a PC did in 1993. But its a small and almost unneeded step down. The game is in the genre of Interactive Fiction. As you point and click your way across London, not only will you come across many problems, your actions will have consequences of those around you. Which kind of adds a real life feel to a video game, another great touch for an already great game. Since its an Interactive movie, there are no levels, or linearity, as the story is told through movie clips. Well again the Sega Cd is kind of choppy in the animation, these scenes are very well written, and capture the suspense perfectly. The only complaint I have is some of the scenes you can only watch once, and its frustrating, as they often give clues to help you out in the game.
The sound is really well done too. The game starts with an excerpt of Carl Orff's O Fortuna, which is a great Gothic operetta to open up a horror game. Everything else in the game ins crisp, clear, and gives a great representa... Read the rest of this Review
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