I have to admit, I love me a good brawler every now and then. Being the total scrub that I am, I play just for kicks rather than for prestige or rank. That’s what has me checking out more and more of the older fighters out there. Recently forum member Scooter was kind enough to send me a copy of Treco’s Street Smart for the Genesis, and I quickly popped it in, control in hand. A fan of the SNK original, I was amazed at just how poorly this port turned out. Everything that was good has been changed for the worse, and the one thing that was pretty decent – the gameplay – is left to carry the whole game. Suffice it to say that things didn’t work out.
Tag: Arcade
Time Killers
Time Killers! You loved it in arcades! You clamored for a home port, and here it is! If anything, it’s a perfect example of being careful of what you wish for. What? You mean you didn’t want this turd on the Genesis? Ah well, in that case you have our condolences.
Pac-Mania
One of the few video game icons that always finds a way to reinvent himself, Pac-Man has done just about everything but grab a gun and fight terrorists (I think that one’s coming to consoles soon). Namco has always endeavored to bring its hungry yellow mascot to new fans, with the most recent attempt being the simple yet incredible Pac-Man Championship Edition on Xbox Live Arcade. One other incarnation that benefited immensely from a simple gameplay addition was Pac-Mania, which simply altered the gameplay perspective and added a jump button. The result was an arcade hit that was ported to about forty billion systems the galaxy over.
Cadash
Taito apparently loved the Genesis, publishing a multitude of arcade ports that were highly playable, despite being toned down (downright cut up in some cases). There were quite a few games that never made the transition to the home market, but most of the company’s arcade catalogue of the time got a Genesis release. Cadash was one title that saw some questionable changes in its port (I understand only having two-player co-op, but why remove characters?) yet still remained enjoyable.
Cyberball
During the first year or two after the Genesis launched, third party titles were few and far between, thanks to Nintendo’s iron-clad licensing agreements. During those dark years, Sega had to use all kinds of tactics just to get companies to even publish on its console. One of the most successful methods was the licensing and reprogramming of arcade hits by Sega itself. In addition to the great Capcom line up of reprogrammed games like Forgotten Worlds and Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, Sega also managed to snag some Atari titles, like the arcade hit Cyberball. Like its brethren, Cyberball received some home extras while retaining the look and feel of the coin-op as much as possible. The only problem with the futuristic football game is that it might not have been deep enough for the home market.
