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Game Master Journal issue 33
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| ### # # ##### The USEnet Edition | ISSUE #33 |
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| # ## # # # # | October 24 - November 5 |
| # # # # # . "d70 format" | |
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All of the moves! All of the characters! All of the dirt,ONLY in GMJ!
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** LETTER D70 ***
Hello again fellow GMJ readers. Lots going on right now here at GMJ.
The first Electronic Print issue is finally out and we have been
overwhelmed by the response. For those of you who just can't afford
the lengthy download, we have an extremely low price for a
subscription offer. Check out an ad this issue for all of the
details.
The main theme the last few weeks has to be the 3DO. Panasonic
released the $700 monster early November and it is taking off pretty
well. We had a chance to test this money vacuum out recently and we
were pretty impressed. Check out the Power Switch section this issue
to get all of the hands on test details for the 3DO from the Game
Masters.
You Genesis players will be happy to hear that Mortal Kombat is the
number one selling 16 bit title right now even topping the SNES
version in sales for last month. Why? I really don't know. The SNES
version is a much better translation. I guess this just proves that
MK's blood and gore is what makes it.
You are really going to start to see expanded coverage starting this
issue. We are still playing around with the formats both Ansi and
Electronic Print. You probably noticed fact windows in our review
section in issue #32 with a few new pieces of information like megs,
who reviewed the game and average of reviews. Adding to that, is our
hyper text capsules which will be featured next to random reviews.
These capsules will have game PREviews and tidbits of info.
Don't expect to see GMJ every week anymore, we are changing to
bi-weekly. The reason is that we can put out a much higher quality
issue in 2 weeks and we have reached a point where it is no longer
necessary to come out weekly. The Elec- tronic print version will
stay monthly and will come out 12+ times per year.
Those of you reading the Electronic Print version enjoyed some Super
SFII art on our cover done by my sister...I'm sorry. I really am. I
didn't want to do it, but Street Fighter is Street Fighter and I had
to do it. I promise there won't be eight SFII covers with in the next
12 issues! While we are on the subject however, check out some
exclusive Super Street Fighter coverage this issue: All the moves for
every character! (and we even avoided listing those phunky character
profiles. You know, the ones that tell you how many hours of sleep
Ryu gets before his hard training at the Dojo.)
Hey everybody, before I let you read on, let me remind you to not buy
any new systems until sometime in '95 when Nintendo will release their
recently announced 64 Bit system (which by the way GMJ reported before
ANYONE else) for under $250.....yeah right! Ok, so even if it is so
great, and it is that inexpensive, why am I going to wait until 1995?
Listen, if you are always waiting for the next best thing, you will
never own anything. I like Sega's approach. Give us a system when
it's ready, let us enjoy it, and release a new system when it's time.
If I had listened to Nintendo last year trying to convince me not to
buy a Sega CD because their more advanced CD would be here in early
'93 and for less, I would be pretty pissed off right now.
Well, that is it for now. Enjoy our expanded coverage and additional
sections.
- Reny Falzarano [Da Phunky Pheel One]
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HEAD-TO-HEAD: One game reviewed on two or more platforms...!
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|TITLE: |PUBLISHER |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: |GENESIS 70 \/ |
| Zombies Ate | Konami | Adventure |08 MEG|*****%%%%%@@@@@#####|
| My Neighbors | | | |SUPER NES 83 ^ |
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY: OTHER REVIEWERS |
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| The GMJ Crew ---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** |
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Just like Mortal Kombat (but with less hype), Konami's Zombies Ate My
Neighbors was released for the S-NES and Genesis on the same day, so
we here at GMJ decided to run a comparison explaining the differences
in each of the versions. So sit back and relax, 'cause this is one
wild ride.
Both the S-Nes and Genesis versions share the same story-line; to stop
the hordes of evil from capturing your local towns occupants. You can
choose to rush into action as either a guy that looks like a follower
of Beavis and Butthead, or a pony tail wielding woman that might be
the twin of Mindy from the tv show "Mork and Mindy". A two player
cooperative option is available so that you're not alone in this never
ending fight to save your town.
Zombies uses a "tongue in cheek" approach to killing the baddies,
because the weapons you use include a water gun, weed whacker, fire
extinguisher, apples, and other household goodies. You fight in over
forty levels of never ending mayhem, with some levels including a
local mall, a school, and a maze of hedges. The enemies in this game
are too numerous to count because they all change according to the
level your playing on. This unique approach makes the game original,
but there is no attention given to the progress of any story. The
only real goal is to "tag" the residents of the level before a bad guy
kills them. The residents are spread out all around the levels, and
each level ends when all the people have either been saved or killed.
S-NES version - 83
The S-NES version and Genesis versions of Zombie both sport the same
levels and the same graphics, but the S-NES uses music and sound a
whole lot more effectively, and the control is be better on this one
as well because of the more buttons used. The title screen is the
first sign that really shows the differences; the S-Nes version has
the Zombies logo gradually morph into view, where the Genesis version
has very little morphing. The opening music and voices are also done
better on the S-NES version.
The play mechanics and control are a lot better on the S-NES version
because it's full screen, while the Sega version has a two inch black
bar running along the entire right side of the screen. Just being
able to see more of the screen adds to the S-NES Zombies, because you
have more time to react to the oncoming enemies. The graphics are
also larger than those for the Sega version and playing them both
right after each other really shows which is superior.
Not only is the screen size a difference in the two Zombies, but the
music, when compared to each other, is a total blowout with the
S-NES's better sound capabilities destroying the Sega version. Hooked
up to a stereo system, the Zombies soundtrack booms with some house
shaking bass and some of the better video game sounds on the market
being used. Real samples of screams and explosions were used to give
a sense of realism to Zombies, while the rest of the game comes off as
a B-movie style game with many cliches being used.
Genesis version - 70
The Sega version of Zombies and I got off to a bad start; I played
Zombies on my S-NES and expected an almost identical version on the
Sega. I was wrong. The programmers took a shotty approach in the
making of the Sega version, and I was honestly disappointed with the
whole game. The two inch black bar is probably the thing that stands
out most as an example of bad programming. It takes up way to much
room on the screen, and it's only use is to show the score, weapons
left, and a mapping system which shows you where the citizens are; all
of which was done on the regular screen for the S-NES.
Bar aside, the graphics in this game are the same on both versions,
with only a slight color loss on the Sega version being the
difference. Zombies is not compatible with the six button controller,
which would have been ideal with this type of game. Assigning
multiple weapons to the top buttons could have added a lot to the game
play. In the area of sound, the Sega version lacks the same
instrumental quality that the S-NES Zombies had, and the sound effects
seemed to be shorter with a scratchy digitized sound that accompanied
them. I can understand how the music might be below the S-NES
standards, but allowing the Genesis Zombies to be plagued by a huge
bar really brought this game down.
Here's How They Stacked Up HEAD TO HEAD :
Overall, the concept and ideas for Zombies showed a lot of originality
on both versions, and the two player option adds a lot to the
re-playability of this game. But when put side to side, the S-NES
version really outperforms the Sega Zombies in both playability and
overall appearance. Unlike Mortal Kombat where the Genesis version
had the blood where the S-NES one didn't, the Sega Zombies has no
superior qualities over it's S-NES counterpart, and people who are
interested in buying this game will easily pick up a copy of the Super
Nintendo version over the Sega Genesis version.
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Hello all of you GMJers. If you want to write to us letting us know
what you think of the new version, old version, how much you hate us
or love us, or have any video game questions that you hope to be
published, write to us at the addresses above. We are trying to set
up ID's for ALL of our writers on these boards, but until we do, just
write to the ID's above. Everyone sees every letter. This edition of
Express Mail, we only selected letters strictly magazine related since
the theme seems to be our new version. Since some of the questions
were really good, we thought it would be a good and simple way to
explain exactly how everything will work. However, keep sending your
game questions and other such mail because next issue will resume
regular procedures...
*** Slow baud? No problem.
I was on Prodigy and I read some promotional letters from you guys
about the graphic version of the magazine. I assume it is a big file
and I only have a 2400 modem. Is there another way to get the new
version?
H. Cavelerio
Westford, Ma
{ Phunky: Just recently we decided to give away the magazine through
{ the mail in addition to the downloads. All you have to do is write
{ us on any of our boards in which we read mail. Give us your
{ address and we will send you the print issues monthly.
*** Win-dozer
Why is your new version only for windows? I don't have windows and I
have been with you guys almost the whole time! Now you exclude me?
THANKS A LOT!
Norman Lewis
Boston, Ma
{ Phunky:
{ Hey Norm, CALM DOWN! We reconfigured the whole project. At first it
{ was only going to be for windows, but we found some better ways of
{ doing the mag. Now anyone with a PC can view our mag through DOS!
*** But, you aren't EGM!
GMJ rules, don't get me wrong. But we need some overseas coverage. I
want to know what's coming, when it's coming and how much it's gonna
be!
Michael Watson
Boston, Ma
{ Phunky:
{ Mike, I guess you will be a very happy camper as you read the
{ upcoming issue of GMJ. We are expanding into a full coverage
{ magazine. Look for upcoming game lists, Japanese news, sales and
{ rental figures and a lot more!
*** Recent fan wants pictures
I've been a follower of your mag ever since issue #23, and I've seen
great improvements in both the layout and overall quality of the
reviews. Your info is out months before the other published mags, so
I really don't have a reason to buy them anymore. The only problem I
see is that you can't have pictures of the games online. Other than
that, GMJ is my favorite video gaming mag on and it's free!! Keep up
the good work.
Ben Croxford
Boston, Ma
{ Phunky:
{ Well Ben, your prayers have been answered. Starting this issue, we
{ have a monthly Electronic Print version of the Game Master Journal.
{ We have expanded coverage, full color pictures, a professional
{ layout and anything else you would find in those other $5 mags,
{ except we are free, and we will be offering even more than they
{ will, including several things that just CAN'T be done with regular
{ print versions.
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:WE are the only magazine that prints ALL EMAIL sent to us that is :
:not vulgar or obscene. So.. send your videogame hints, tips + Q's!:
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|TITLE: |PUBLISHER |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Street Fighter| Capcom | Fighting |24 MEG|0 95|
| 2: Special CE | | | |*****%%%%%@@@@@####-|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY: OTHER REVIEWERS |
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| Da Phunky 95 Instigator 95 Mr. Mojo 98 Anderson 95 |
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+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Hey SFII fans, it's renew your lease on your Genesis...AGAIN! Quite
possibly one of the most amazing feats accomplished on the Genesis so
far is the latest version of SFII from Capcom. Every year, you think
that the good old Genny is just a little too outdated, but bang,
programming hits a new level and you keep it for another year. Games
like SFIISCE keep Sega players happy, and the video game market going.
Judging by the name, you may think it is just the Champion Edition
standing alone, however just like on the SNES, the Turbo and Hyper
Fighting options are included. But unlike the SNES version, the Sega
version packs a tournament option.
When you first snag this cart of the shelf and plug it in to your
Genesis, there is simply nothing that is going to fully prepare you
for what you are going to experience. Every last animation is here,
perfectly translated to the Sega format. Choose from any of the 12
characters in either of their snazzy uniforms (depending what mode you
are playing in). The backgrounds amazingly enough look spectacular
even in the 64 color display. The smooth parallax scrolling,
simulating 3D effect and the soft textured presentation of the
characters are only a small part of this flickerless phenomenon.
Anyone planning on picking this cart up, should really consider buying
one of Sega's little 6 button controllers to go with it. Not only
does the controller give you true arcade control for a great price
($20), but it is also the best available controller on the market
priced under $40. With the 6 button controller, this is the best
playing version of the game yet. Too bad this game was not made
compatible with Sega's upcoming 4 player adapter, the tournament mode
would have fit so perfectly.
The tournament mode is a great opportunity for you and your buddies to
get together and find out who the real champ is. There are 2 tourney
options. The first one allows each person competing to select 6
different fighters to use. Whoever wins the most matches is obviously
the winner. This mode is great to show up those 1 dimensional players
who can only use one or two characters. The second mode, the
Elimination Mode, allows to select from one to six characters. You
fight one round battles and whoever defeats all their opponents first
wins.
If speed is what you need, you will be exuberantly excited to find out
that just like the SNES version, this version is actually faster than
the arcade since you can choose from a total of ten speeds (no code
necessary this version).
Ahh, there had to be one downer. The voices. Although the music is
pretty good the voices and sound effects were completely horrible. A
disappointing con since we have seen a lot of great effects and sounds
on other previous Genny carts. I assume this was all due to lack of
memory. Even at 24 meg, they ran out of room to improve on the sound,
but that is ok because the rest of the game is near perfect.
It's finally here folks. Many thought it would never come, but it did
and in a big way. SFIISCE is one of the hottest carts this year on
the Genesis with amazing graphics, control and speed. Only thing I
can say that is wrong with it besides the sound, is that it was based
on the SNES version, not the arcade. The characters are small just
like on the SNES and they did not truly add the Turbo
backgrounds...however, this is GENESIS!
Instigator - 95
This has to make you happy. The Genesis finally has Street Fighter
and deservedly so. Capcom makes their first Genesis title and what a
great entrance.
Mr. Mojo Risin' - 98
Since when is a Genesis game better than the SNES version? Yup, better
is right. The control is just too perfect. Awesome graphics, super
fast speed and no code necessary! Turn the volume down though.
Anderson - 95
ú
What more could you ask for. The best version of SFII yet! The new
tournament mode is great and just thinking that this is all done on
Genesis!
Here's how they stacked up HEAD TO HEAD:
For some nitty gritty comparisons, you should check out our review
last issue of the SNES version, but here are some of the points we
came up with.
o The Genesis version is just as fast with no code needed.
o The characters are animated just as well, and graphics are just as
spectacular.
o The SNES version has a much brighter and colorful appearance and
that is hands down a big plus.
o The sound on the SNES version is great, the voices are ok, but the
both the sound and voices on the Genny version rotted!
o The control was great on both versions. With the 6 button
controller, the Genesis version played better. Using the 3 button
controller, the SNES version played better. The music was really
good on both version, but I have to give the SNES version the edge.
o Both versions offer small characters, and unfinished backgrounds.
o The Genesis version offers a great tournament mode not found on any
other version.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|TITLE: |PUBLISHER |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Ranger-X | Sega | Fighting | |0 88 |
| |RATING: GA | | |*****%%%%%@@@@@###--|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY: OTHER REVIEWERS |
| |
| Aquarius 85 Sr. Jnx 90 Mr. Mojo 92 ---------- ** |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Ranger-X represents what an older concept along with newer technology
can create and along with it a new realm in video gaming. Space
shooters have been used time and time again, but Ranger-X from Gao (a
new Sega development team) twists the idea along with a side scrolling
shooter to make a game that is actually original in today's market.
Your character is a huge metal suited figure, equipped with a standard
blaster and a second weapon which can be switched at any time in the
game. This second weapon has it's own power meter which drops when
it's being used. An Ex-Up vehicle follows along behind you and can
become a part of you by standing on it and pressing down to crouch
inside the vehicle. While on the Ex-Up you can choose what your
second weapon is from an assortment of lasers to a flame thrower. The
Ex-Up automatically follows your character throughout the level, and
with the six button controller, you can control it by using the top
buttons.
Flying is a big part of this game as your main guy can take to the air
because of the engine hooked up to your back. The engine is limited
to just a few seconds of flying, but with practice, hovering in one
place can make it so you're in the air for longer periods of time.
Your character and the other motorized attackers all animate very
fluidly on screen, and the amount of color and parallax scrolling on
the levels in incredible. Each level has you going after a series of
targets that must be destroyed before going onto the boss encounter.
Some levels have you going on one set path, while others like level
two have you exploring certain areas to find the targets.
The button combinations are unique in that button A makes you face
left and let's you fire in that direction, while button C faces you
right. Button B uses the special weapon and up takes you to the
skies. The backgrounds in this game all use a tremendous amount of
color, and the foregrounds and sprites all use color effectively. The
explosions are realistic looking, which is a given for a shooter style
game. The popular use of parallax found in the floor of the Street
Fighter II levels can be found here in level three with a 3-D tunnel
that looks like you're really walking past it. This might not add
much to the actual game, but it's great for the visual aspect of the
game.
The music is some phunky tunes that fit into this game perfectly.
Listening to this game with a pair of headphones really adds to the
game because it makes you feel like you're in the game. The
explosions shake the house literally, and the gunfire is represented
with realistic digitized sounds. Other newsworthy portions of this
game include some software scaling of some enemy ships and at the
beginning of each level a series of lines that represent building
scales and rotates around the screen and scale toward the viewer.
The downsides of Ranger-X include the very hard nature of the game and
the awkward controls that take time to master and to feel comfortable
with. The good points are the great graphics and presentation of the
levels and the overwhelming sounds that happen during the action. The
addition of the Ex-Up really improves the game-play of the game, and
the bosses and enemies all seem to come at you at once. Ranger-X has
some great strategic levels, and is a game for the hard core gamer
that can beat most games on hard. Along with Gunstar Heroes, Sega
seems to be focusing a lot of attention on action games now-a-days
which means we'll be seeing a lot of good quality games come Christmas
time. Ranger-X is just superb.
Aquarius-85
I didn't have a six button controller so the controls
weren't as precise as I would have liked them to of been. The
graphics were some of the best I've ever seen. Control was just to
damn cooky.
Sr. Jnx-90
The sights and sounds in Ranger-X just blew me away! The Ex-Up rover
was a great idea that can be used as an option in future games. The
scaling lines in-between levels weren't needed, and the difficulty was
just too hard for most gamers. Not for the light of heart.
Mr. Mojo Risin'-92
This game just simply rocks!! Everything is perfect from the huge
amount of colors to the great sound effects. With a six button
controller this game really took a turn towards the gaming elite.
It's not every day that a game like this is released, so be sure to
save your money for this one.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|TITLE: |PUBLISHER |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Gunstar Heroes| Sega | Action |08 MEG|0 95|
| |RATING: GA | | |*****%%%%%@@@@@####-|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY: OTHER REVIEWERS |
| |
| Instigator 95 Da Phunky 96 Anderson 90 The Farmer 97 |
| ---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Leave all your premonitions and beliefs of what your Sega Genesis can
do in the closet, because Sega has probably destroyed every boundary
of what the Genesis is "supposed to do" in it's newest game, Gunstar
Heroes. Gunstar is in a league of it's own; never before have a
combination of graphics, sound, game-play, software techniques, and
overall fun been all applied to the same game with such magnitude.
Gunstar Heroes is the newest side-scrolling action game to be released
on the Genesis, and while not having the popular movie names to it or
any flashy ad campaigns, has succeeded in mixing the perfect blend of
non-stop action and game-play into one 8-meg cart. The on-screen
action can only be described as furious, with as many as ten enemies
on screen at once, and clocked at speeds just under a weighted down
Sonic. Enemies come from everywhere, and attack from just about every
point of angle on the screen.
At the beginning of the game you get to choose your characters
fighting style; either being able to fire your weapon as you run or an
option that makes you have to stand still while you fire your weapon.
Next, you get to choose which of the four beginning levels you'll
start out at, and then a quick rundown on the level you chose. From
here on out is non-stop action that has to be seen to be believed.
There are four primary weapons in Gunstar: a laser, a fire thrower, a
seek and destroy weapon, and a flame thrower. The weapons are spread
out all around the levels and can be upgraded by finding and picking
up that weapons icon. An original idea used in this game is that the
weapons can be mixed so that a brand new weapon is made (ie. if you
pick up the fire thrower and the tracking weapon, the weapon becomes a
huge line of flame that seeks out enemies.) This new weapon set-up
makes for some great trial and error situations where you must decide
which weapon must be used in what situation.
Scaling and rotation have never looked this good on the Sega Genesis.
Through software techniques, almost flawless rendering of objects is
possible. Most of the bosses use at least some special technique in
the way they attack or more around the screen. One such boss is a
series of boxes in the form of a human figure which rotates around the
screen and has the most lifelike movements that I've ever seen in a
box. The rest of the graphics in this game are cartoonish in nature,
but are done with superb color usage and some great animations. A lot
of detail went into the making of this game, with great shading and
backgrounds on all of the levels, and a lot of attention in keeping
the action intense at all points in the game.
The first four levels can be beaten in any order, and doing so is no
cake walk. Each level has several mini-bosses and an end boss that
makes you use all the skills of the character. Your character can
shoot in any direction, be it up, down, sideways, or in any diagonal
direction. Your character can also do a slide sweep which takes a lot
of damage off the enemies, and a combination of a throw or a body
slam/jump kick. Hanging from ceilings and ledges is also possible,
and aerial throws and combinations are also possible. Two of the
levels have you riding in a separate vehicle; one being in a scooter
that can defy gravity, and the other one in a spaceship for a mini
outer space shooter. Game-play has never reached these heights, with
an improvement only possible with the use of a six button capability
not found in this game. The levels themselves also have unique things
to cling from and to climb on. One level is set on an aircraft in the
sky while another is a huge monopoly game with multiple baddies to
beat up on. Older twists such as reappearing bosses has also been
used so that the boss count in this game is over fifteen guys.
Games with great graphics or a lot software techniques usually end up
having one area of the game being less than standard. This is not
true with Gunstar though, because the music and sounds in this game
are THE best I've ever heard on the Genesis. The background music
pounds out some hard rock tunes while the on screen action is heard
with some heart stopping explosions and non-stop gunfire. Every
action has it's own sound effect so your neighbors may complain that
there's a war going on in your bedroom.
One feature that I didn't mention above is that Gunstar is a two
player game also. After testing it out though, we found that some
slow down was found in some levels because of it, but not enough to
hurt the game in any way. To add to the replay value, Gunstar has the
perfect difficulty curve that actually affects the attacks of the
enemies (ie. on easy, there are several "spots" where you can stand
when fighting a boss and not get hurt, but while on the other settings
you can get hurt anywhere.) To me, Gunstar is almost the perfect game.
Everything is done to perfection, with action unequaled in any
earlier attempts at a side-scrolling action game, and that is as fun
to watch as it is to be playing. Hopefully, more games will be made
with this being the game to match in overall quality and
professionalism. Goods news for us though, because this game is just
screaming sequel.
Phunky Pheel One-96 Wow!
This game sets new standards for video games in general. Not only are
the graphics some of the best, but the sounds and playability are up
there with other classics like Contra and Mega Man. To bad the
creators of this game are working on a McDonalds game and not a sequel
to Gunstar Heroes!
Anderson-90
Gunstar Heroes shows that with a lot of programming a game can surpass
the expectations of a system. I couldn't believe the amount of action
on screen at once. The two player adaption was a great addition to a
game that needs no improvements and has the best moves this side of
Street Fighter.
Pepperidge Farmer-97
Perfect man, perfect! I've been playing this game non-stop ever since
the GMJ offices got it in. The many smiles this game gave me is worth
the price, no prob. One or two more levels would have made this game
a 100.
*** NEWS D70 ***
GENESIS NEWZ CLIP:
Redo it! The preliminary version of Tournament Fighters from Konami on
the Genesis looked pathetic, however after retooling and refining
backgrounds and animation, the Genny version is starting to look up.
The hyped up Eternal Champions from Sega is one of the best looking
games for the holidays. The new texture techniques used will be
making this one of the most impressive graphical displays on the
Genesis EVER!
*___________________________________________________________________*
| Game Master Journal is America's #1 online source for video game |
| information. We have been read on the ExpressNET, Datanet and |
| other independant BBS' since April 1, 1992. |
| |
| GMJ represents our attempt to inform gamers world-wide about every|
| aspect of videogaming, and what follows are plans for GMJ. As we |
| expand to the Internet, we are making a bold, new step of inform- |
| ative journalism. We are glad that you make this possible. |
|___________________________________________________________________|
* *
** ELECTRONIC PRINT **
Here is the future of GMJ: a multi-media experience that ALL gamers
can enjoy! Anyone with a PC (or PC clone/emulator) can enjoy
full-color, SVGA graphics AND digital stereo audio clips of your
favorite games!
GMJ Electronic Print is a series of SVGA graphic pages that can be
either viewed on-screen with any .GIF viewer, or can be printed out
for permanent paper storage. Either way, it looks GREAT and is FREE
to our BBS users that download it. (The file is HUGE however.) If you
cannot download GMJ-EP, you can subscribe for only $10/year - less
than $.85 an issue!
To subscribe, please make out a check to Reny Falzarano at 255 North
Rd #31, Chelmsford Ma, 01824. or call 508-250-4989 FAX 508-250-4020
** GMJ TV? **
Our readers have demanded it. Our staff wants to do it. It appears
that GMJ:TV could be coming soon to a network near you! Stay tuned!
*******************
** THE CHRONICLE **
*******************
...by, Da Phunky Pheel One, Ace, Sr. Jnx and others...
Welcome back all to another exciting issue.
This issue we are featuring 2 special reviews of games that appear on
both the SNES and Genesis. If you have trouble deciding which
version of a game to get, GMJ will now be doing side by side
comparisons of any game that appears on 2 or more systems. Next
issue you can look forward to over 15 reviews and a special
Electronic Arts insert reviewing ALL the four way play games, as well
as 2 3DO reviews.
Macromdeia announced recently to develop a player which would allow
Director Macintosh or Windows files to be compatible on the 3DO.
This is the first bid to direct the 3DO as a business utility and not
just a video game console. Marketing the 3DO directly to compete
with Macs and PC's would certainly strenghten the list of pros for
the 3DO as we here at GMJ are not very convinced that the 3DO is
strictly a video game unit.
In Segaland there is many a rumor flying around about the Saturn.
Sega may ditch the old format and hop right on to a 64 bit project
with the same title which would be a CD based unit that would play
Sega CD format games as well as regular Genesis titles. Our source
for this rumor was very bleak so that is all we can say right now.
If we find any backbone or followup information to that story, you
will be updated...But for what we CAN tell you right now not to
expect this super system until late '94. At the earliest.
Any Genesis owner who feels depribed for some reason that only SNES
players will be enjoying the horrible SFII/MK ripoff, Clayfighters
can rejoyce. Interplay, makers of the SNES game Clayfighters has
singed on to the Sega 3rd party crew with a Genesis version of
Clayfighters.
Some possible last second changes to Sonic CD might be a replacement
of the cinema scenes. We hate to throw another rumor at you but we
have to. The grapevine has it that the current cinemas to Sonic CD
will be replaced by segments of the Saturday version of the cartoon.
As long as they don't delay the game because of this, I don't care,
otherwise...WHY?!?!
All of you Sega/health freaks (and those two things are just so
complimantary of each other) can have fun with an upcoming excersise
unit from the company Hearbeat. This unit plugs into the Genesis
control port and its directional controls are hooked up to an
exersise bike (provided by you). You setup a workout which will be
interactive with a game. The concept of the packin game (Outback
Joey) is to go through levels and fight off bad guys while mantaining
a certain heart rate. There may also be an NHL game in development
for this unique attachment...?
___________________________________________________________________
| |
| SPECIAL REPORT: |
| |
| HANDS-ON 3DO REPORT! |
| |
| |
| |
|___________________________________________________________________|
Nearly three weeks ago the long awaited Panasonic 3DO multimedia unit
was released nationwide for a retail of $700. Available for our
hands on test was one pack-in game wad Crash and Burn - a futuristic
racing game. For what we had been expecting, believe it or not some
at GMJ were somewhat disappointed. Before you decide to stop reading
our magazine forever though, hear me out. The scaling, graphics and
manipulation of the objects and backgrounds was incredible, however
the movement and interaction with the car and backgrounds was poorly
done. Then we thought it was not fair to judge a first title so
strictly, and when compared to say an Altered beast or Super Mario
World (in ratio), it is needless to say that Crash and Burn is a
king.
I was disappointed in the marketing of this unit. Thrown in every
video game section of every store, the 3DO is now directed as a way
too expensive video game unit, instead of a next wave multimedia
entertainment business and networking unit and possibly the
replacement for VCR and alternate to an expensive PC that it is.
Instead of packing the unit with a keyboard or control panel, the
system is packed with a video game controller and the "bare" system
is not fully capable of running full length full motion video discs.
A special cartridge upgrade has to be installed. These are all some
major mistakes because at $700 no one is purchasing this system so
they can play Madden football...and if they are, they got some
problems.
Ok, so you are all thinking how bad we are dogging this unit. NO NO
NO! Not at all. I am convinced this will be the entertainment unit
of the future hands down. The possibilities of the 3DO are endless.
We just thought that their marketing approach was all wrong. Why
should I spend $700 that is not loaded with some of the standard
features it was supposed to COME with when in 9 months another 3DO
system will be released for $500 with internal full motion
capabilities, a keyboard, and a mouse?
Let there be no mistake. This IS the future of entertainment. This
is a video game system, interactive TV, fax machine, VCR and more all
in one unit.
Check out next issue where we will give you a FULL coverage report
and review the games.
___________________________________________________________________
| ##### ##### ##### ##### ###### ###### R |
| # # # # # # # # # # E |
| # # # # # # # # # # V |
| ####### ##### # ####### # # ### I |
| # # # # # # # # # # E |
| # # # # # # # # # # W |
| # # # # ##### # # ###### ###### S |
|___________________________________________________________________|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|TITLE: |PUBLISHER |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Super Street | Capcom | Fighting |88 MEG|0 95|
| Fighter II | | |rumor!|*****%%%%%@@@@@####-|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY: OTHER REVIEWERS |
| |
| Ace 95 ---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Lets get right to the chase gang, this is one HELL of a game! The
game that started the craze, Street Fighter, has it's third upgrade
now, this time with new everything! 4 new characters, redrawn
graphics, re-sampled sounds... it's all here! NEW MOVES TOO!
Unless you have lived in a CAVE for the last 30 months, you know that
the object of Street Fighter is to beat your foe in a
two-out-of-three falls match. There are SIXTEEN characters to choose
from, each with their own fighting style. Some throw fireballs, some
are great with their hands while others are blazing fast. It is up
to you to find a character that best macthes your playing style.
You play against 12 of the 16 characters when you play against the
computer, and the first 11 are randomly selected. The final
character you face is M.Bison, the evil druglord/dictator of Thailand
who has spread his evil world-wide.
When someone else puts their credits in the machine, the game goes
into a head-to-head mode. You then must fight to stay on the machine
because the loser goes home!
One of the Game of the Year candidates, this one will blow you away!
Ace - 95
The ONLY problem I had with this game was the fact that the sounds,
although they sound GREAT with Q-sound, are AWEFULLY DONE! This
sounds like a NEO*GEO game! But other than that.. LOOK OUT!
====================================================================
WARP ZONE!
====================================================================
SUPER STREET FIGHTER MOVES: All of the new ones BEFORE EGM,
GamePro, VG + Die Hard Game Fan.
NOTE: Although this LOOKS like some posts on the Internet, this is
NOT a 'steal', we did find these moves, these are OUR strat's
and all of these moves are listed correctly. (IF not, tell
us, and we'll fix it!)
====================================================================
Cammy
====================================================================
Special Moves:
Spear kick: | \ --o + kick
o o
Spinning Backhand: / | \ + punch
o o o
Crescent Kick: --o | \ + kick
o o
Pile-driving Suplex (Pileplex): --o + fierce kick
[ THROWING DISTANCE ONLY ]
Back Suplex: --o + fierce punch
[ THROWING DISTANCE ONLY ]
Ariel Throw: --o + medium kick
Comments:
Spear Kick: Cammy launxhes herself horizontally, close to the ground,
at the opponent. This is actually her worst move, but it can be used
it combos very easily. The only problem with it is that it has
horrible recovery time. This can be dealt with by doing the short
spear kick from the limit of its range so that while your opponent is
recovering from the block, you can be recovering from the kick. It
also places you at the maximum distance from the opponent. It also
only goes about half way across the screen before stopping. It can
be used to stop projectiles like Blanka and Honda, but it is best
used as a defensive maneuver.
Spinning Backhand: This looks like a quick spin followed by a guile
backhand. It has the capability of hitting twice, and when it does
it does a great deal of damage. Secondly, when Cammy is spinning on
her heals she is invincible. But you have to have perfect timing,
since you are vulnerable before and after this point. It can be used
like Balrog's TAP to dodge fireballs, but it is more difficult to
time. Because you move so far forward, you will probably want to use
the jab spinning backhand, otherwise you will end up within sweeping
distance. The move is fairly slow, but if used correctly, deadly.
Crescent Kick: This is basically a dragon punch with her foot, and it
is her best move. It has a trajectory that is wider than Ken's
fierce DP, and it is also invincible (except against Ken/Ryu's Dragon
Punch) while going up. The intital frames are vulnerable, though, so
it cant be used exactly like the DP.
Combos:
If Ken or Ryu throw a fireball, do the following...
Spinning Backhand, short kick, Crescent Kick (3 to 5 hit combo)
If Guile shows Sonic Boom or Dee Jay shows Ace rusher, do...
Spinning Backhand, Crescent Kick (2 to 4 hit combo)
Overall:
Cammy is one of the best new characters in the game, according to
most people. She has good speed and air-priority to rival Chun Li.
She seems to be played in the same style as Chun Li, but with the
added advantage of the uppercut-like kick. She is great at anti-air
defense, also.
====================================================================
T-Hawk
====================================================================
Special Moves:
Mexican Typhoon: full 360 degrees on joystick + punch
(aka Phi Slamma Jamma) (like zangief's spinning pile driver)
Condor Dive: Jump + (all three punches)
Tomahawk Buster: --o | \ + punch
o o
Face Smash: --o + fierce punch
Face Chop: --o + roundhouse
Throw: medium punch
Comments:
Mexican Typhoon: Hawk grabs you, plams your head like a basketball,
jumps in the air, windmills you in the air 720 degress, then slams
you into the ground head first. If you want to impress the hell out
of everyone around you, this is the move to do. It has a pretty
decent range, about the length for dahlsim to throw.
Condor Dive: T-Hawk jumps, then suddenly dives at you like dahlsim's
yoga spear. This move can be deceptive - try jumping back, then
diving with the condor dive. It has a good range, but can only be
done on the way up, not on the way down. It can be useful for
countering fireballs.
Tomahawk Buster: Another version of the DP, but this goes more
diagonal and is not as quick. It is only invincible for a very short
time at the beginning, then the rest is vulnerable. The fierce TB
extends really far - farther than ken's DP - and can also hit twice
if close enough. It has a pretty nasty fall distance, so it can be
risky. But the delay when you reach the ground is minimal.
Combos:
Roundhouse neck kick- standing forward- fierce tomahawk buster.
The tick standing short - into mexican typhoon seems to work, but not
as well as Zangief's.
Overall:
T-Hawk seems to be a very versatile character. His biggest weakness
is his speed, but that can be made up for by his big moves. His
spinning leg sweep is also a nice move, and it executes faster than
Guile's fierce trip. His kicks have decent range - much better than
Ken, Ryu, Zangief, and Chun Li's, i would say. His standing forward
is really nice - it has about a Ryu crouching roundhouse range,
sticks out straight, and is fast.
====================================================================
Dee-Jay
====================================================================
Special Moves:
Machine Gun Upper: | o + (punch, punch, punch...)
o |
Ace Rusher: --o + punch
(charge)
Hop Step and a Kick: o-- --o + kick
(charge?)
Dee Jay Escape: | + roundhouse kick
o
Comments:
Machine Gun Upper: If you hit the button once, you get a jab-like
uppercut. Tapping a punch button repeatedly after executin the move
will extend the punch further. It works well as a defensive move, as
it will stop most characters from jumping in. It is difficult to hit
more than a few times, but it has been done up to four.
Ace Rusher: This looks and works like guile's sonic boom, but is
different because it has a long recovery time and his body leans way
forward when performing it.
Hop Step and a Kick: He sort of kicks, turns around, and kicks again.
Crouching Roundhouse: This is like dahlsim's slide. It can be used
against someone who is jumping in at you, but unfortunately it cant
go under fireballs. If the timing is right, you can follow up a
fireball with this.
Combos:
jumping hit - standing forward - fireball
jumping hit - standing short - short spinning kick
Overall:
Dee Jay seems to be one of the better characters and will be
especially useful to those who know how to use Guile. His far
standing fierce is a good anty-air attack, and his jump + roundhouse
hits far enough down to hit Dahlsim's crouching fierce. His jumps
are his biggest flaw. The lower part of his body hangs really low,
which makes it hard to jump over fireballs. Fireball traps seem to
work very well against him, since jumping is difficult and he lacks
any invincible move.
====================================================================
Fei Long
====================================================================
Special Moves:
Triple Punch: | \ --o + punch (repeat,
o o repeat...)
Flaming Vertical Kick: o-- | / + kick
o o
Leaping Double Kick: --o + roundhouse
Flip-over throw: --o + roundhouse
[ THROWING DISTANCE ONLY ]
Comments:
Triple Punch: Doing the fireball motion once will give you a flaming
jab. Doing it again quickly will cause him to slide forward a bit
and follow up with a straight punch. A third time finishes the move
with another punch. He rushes at you faster than Balrog's rushing
punches, but it is hard to get the timing right to get multiple hits.
Practice makes perfect!
Flaming Kick: He jumps into the air with his leg on fire. The
horizontal range is non-existant. The height is determined by which
kick you use. It is a bit safer than a dragon punch because if you
do it too soon, you might be in a defensive crouch. If you do it too
late, you will still be blocking. It seems to be mainly a defensive
move.
Leaping Kick: Fei Long jumps at you with a double kick. It does
pretty decent damage. Although he spends a lot of time moving
forward with no attack out, once the attack comes out it has one hell
of a priority.
Combos:
This combo is great against the larger characters (Zangief, Hawk)
Jumping roundhouse, short kick, Triple punch over + over
Overall:
He has the potential to be the next anti-character, like Guile was
for Ken/Ryu. Use him against characters without projectiles for the
best chance of victory.
===================================================================
Ryu
===================================================================
Dragon Punch: --o | \ + punch
o o
Still the superior move in the game. Deadly, but not as damaging.
Red Fireball: o-- / | \ --o + punch
o o o
This is a red fireball that will burn the opponent like Dhalsim's
yoga fire.
Fireball: | \ --o + punch
o o
He has a longer delay after his fireball and his hurricane kick now
starts spinning on the way up and all the way down, following his
jump motion.
Hurricane Kick: | / o-- + kick
o o
Air Hurricane Kick: Jump then HK motion
The kick still does tons of damage. the Air HK now follows the
motion of his normal jump (arced). The sooner you do the HK motion
during your jump, the higher you'll fly.
====================================================================
Ken
====================================================================
Changes to his DP - fierce now burns opponent and can hit 3 times.
Jab hits once and knocks down. His hurricane kick is also like
Ryu's. Does not have a flaming fireball.. but other than that, see
Ryu.
==============================================================================
Chun Li
==============================================================================
Fireball: o-- --o + punch
(charge)
The new fireball.
ONLY use in a situation where your opponent will definitely either be
hit (like in a combo) or will have to block (such as when an opponent
is just getting up). The delay AFTER the fireball is even longer
than the delay in HF and the fireball (actually, it looks like a raw
egg being tossed) dissipates (dissapears) before crossing the screen.
The faster the fireball, the shorter the distance.
Helicopter Kick: | (charge) o + kick
o |
The altered Helicopter kick
MUCH better against opponents jumping in, as the animation sequence
where Chun is just beginning to flip over now knocks the opponent
down (doesn't leave them standing to retaliate). Works great vs.
Ken/Ryu, and Long. Haven't tried it vs. anyone else yet. Her
aerial Helicopter (where she goes into it quickly after jumping) is
strange, but I imagine helpfull against corner traps, as it arcs in
the path of her natural jump, and goes by kinda fast. This is one of
the more important positive changes made.
Combos:
jumping hit - standing fierce - fireball/lightning kick jumping neck
fierce - standing strong - standing fierce - lightning kick jumping
fierce - standing strong - crouching forward.
==============================================================================
Zangief
==============================================================================
Zangief's Power Moves: 360 spin from forward to down
and back around to front and....
punch -- old faithful, the SPD (spinning pile driver)
kick -- charge throw, or CPD (charge pile driver)
kick (close)-- drop then flip and leap into air with them,
or FPD (flip pile driver)
Knee Drop: o (hold) + fierce
|
No more one-hit dizzy.
Air Throws: He has TWO air throws
fierce (and forward)--almost exactly like Z's old crouch strong throw,
but in the air.
roundhouse (and forward)--almost exactly like his old crouch fierce, but
in the air--nabs them and with no pause heaves them in the air over
his shoulder (doesn't look up like he did before)
Throws: finally got all but one normal throw checked out.
Strong--simple pile driver from before.
Fierce--iron claw aka far+strong from older versions
Forward--new suplex ala fierce from older versions--heaves opponent
over head, then falls back, but this time he ends up
horizontal about 1 inch from the ground, and then you fall
down.
Roundhouse--chin smash ala far+fierce from before
crouch fierce--gut wrench as older versions.
==============================================================================
Blanka
==============================================================================
Blanka Ball: o-- --o + punch
(charge)
Still one of the fastest moves in the game.
Vertical Ball: | (charge) o + kick
o |
Flip Roll: o-- --o + kick
(charge)
Blanka flips back, then does a roll that has an arc to it. If timed
right, it can go over fireballs.
He is improved in someways, DIES in others. He now stops rolling in
his vertical roll and goes back down at an angle so he cant be swept
or dragon punched so easily. Also, the timing of his rolls are such
that, if blocked, a quick fireball will hit it on the way down.
====================================================================
Honda
====================================================================
Thousand Hand Slap: Punch buttons over and over
Great for corner-trapping.
Banzai Drop: | (charge) o + kick
o |
==============================================================================
Guile
==============================================================================
Sonic Boom: o-- --o + punch
(charge)
An ever BETTER recovery than before!
Flash Kick (aka Razor Kick): | (charge) o + kick
o |
The range for this has been dropped a bit. More defensive now.
Mid-Air Back Breaker: --o + punch
Pretty good priority. Watch out for mis-timing.. you need to be
almost touching to pull the move off.
====================================================================
Dhalsim
====================================================================
Dhalsim Disappear:
--o | \ + punch OR o-- | / + punch
o o kick o o kick
Either forward DRP will put you in front of your foe, either backward
will put you behind him or her. Punch = far away, kick = near.
Fireball: | \ --o + punch
o o
Just as good as Ken and Ryu's!
Yoga Flame: o-- / | \ --o
o o o
This hangs around for a LONG while!
====================================================================
Balrog
====================================================================
Buffalo Headbutt: | o + punch
o |
(charge)
Yet another variation on the DP.
Charge Punch: o-- --o + punch = straight
(charge) kick = uppercut
Turn Around Punch: HOLD ALL 3 KICK then let go
This move no longer lets you go through fireballs.
Here's the bottom line:
Power DOWN.
Against anyone w/o a fireball, Balrog will roast 'em. Easy.
Against anyone WITH a fireball, well, you're gonna have to work. And
hard.
Overall, he's still a power to face.... if you use him, good luck.
====================================================================
Vega
====================================================================
Air Spiral: | o or o + punch
o \ /
(charge)
Vega jumps off the wall like he is going to do a claw dive, but then
dives head first across the screen in mid air. He picks the wall
depending on where you point (up-left or up-right.)
Spread Eagle: | o + punch
o |
(charge)
Wall Dive - Suplex: | o + kick, then PUNCH when near
o (charge) | your foe.
====================================================================
Sagat
====================================================================
Tiger Shots: | \ --o + punch = high Tiger Shot
o o kick = low Tiger Shot
Tiger Uppercut: --o | \ + punch
o o
o
Tiger Knee: / | / + kick
o o
About the only change is that his tiger knee now goes further.
====================================================================
Bison
====================================================================
Flying Dive: | o + punch
o |
(charge)
He jumps really high and then comes down and hits you on the head
with his fist.
Anti-Grav Kick: | o + kick
o |
(charge)
Still defies gravity with this jump, after it hits you can attack
again in mid-air!
Bison Torpedo : o-- --o + punch
(aka Psycho Chrusher) (charge)
Only hits at MOST 3 times.
Scissor Kick: o-- --o + kick
(charge)
Always a knock-down move!
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| IN THE NEXT MORE Super Street Fighter 2 tactics and tricks |
| ISSUE OF... The low-down on the Jaguar and 3DO |
| |
| GAME MASTER At least
6 SNES + Genesis games reviewed, AND |
| JOURNAL info, WAY BEFORE the other guys, about the |
| upcoming Winter CES this January! |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Producer: Anthony Shubert Online Layout Editor: Anthony Shubert
WWIVcolor editing by: Will Crawford ANSI Editing by: The Last ANSI
Head Writing Staff: Contributors:
HOME SYSTEMS Reny Falzarano Mr. Sims, the Pepperidge Farmer,
HEAD REVIEWERS Instigator Sr. Jnx, Mr. Mojo Risin', Aquarius,
FUTURE WAVE Tanya Kutasz Emax, Sai-Blade, Matrix, Shez
IBM GAMES Will Crawford
We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the followig companies:
Nintendo of America, Sega Enterprises, Turbo Technologies (NEC),
Atari Corp., Atari Games, SMSG, or any other videogaming company.
Product names are either (c) or trademarks of their respective
companies, and the non-marking of such product is not a challenge to
its status.
Ace's Angles, Chronicle, Express Mail, Warp Zone, and all content are
(c) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Innovative Creations
:: Some ASCII/ANSI work created with use of 'TheDraw' SW program ::
