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The 16-bit era distinguishes itself for having produced some amazing platformers, and a lot of those were really, really hard. Some weren’t as amazing, but they sure did get the “hard” part right. Mentrix’s Warnder was one such title, and while it was quite faithful to the arcade original, most players remember it for being brutally difficult.
Some of today’s younger gamers might not know the name Henk Nieborg, and that’s a shame. As one of the most pronounced pixel artists in gaming, his work has adorned such classic titles as Lionheart (Amiga), Shadow of the Beast (multi-platform), and The Adventures of Lomax (Playstation). The first game he designed himself was a little platformer for the Mega Drive/Sega CD called The Misadventures of Flink. Incredibly detailed and bathed in some of the most gorgeous artwork of the era, Flink was equally remembered for being very, very long – and hard (damn hard, if I do say so myself).
Life in prehistoric times must have been really hard. Aside from the whole “hundreds of ferocious dinosaurs out to eat you” thing, you had other cavemen stealing your women when you weren’t looking! For Joe & Mac though, such adversity wasn’t a problem; it was an excuse to kick some caveman tail. So great was their arcade anger, so powerful was their strength, that the duo found their way to several consoles, including the Genesis.
Virgin Games is a company most Genesis owners associate with mega hit Aladdin, David Perry’s masterpiece of animation and visual excellence. The company did indeed have a knack for recreating the Disney magic, and one of the more overlooked titles in its repertoire is Pinocchio. Decidedly easier and lower key than Aladdin and the Lion King, it nonetheless featured most of the elements that made those titles so great.
Success breeds imitation, they say. Sonic The Hedgehog undoubtedly inspired many a mascot to lace up his boots and dash to the right. Among the pack was Vic Tokai’s Socket, which manages to do everything needed to ooze mediocrity. It’s not a bad game on its own, but it’s entirely too derivative to stand out from the competition.