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A Genesis exclusive, Saint Sword seemed to be more impressive in the box then plugged into the console. Taito missed the boat with this one in a big way, failing to take advantage of the excellent transformation dynamic. What it instead gave us was a generic action slasher, with some morphing tossed in for good measure. Even so, Saint Sword is playable and might be worth looking into.
Taito was pretty prolific on the Genesis, but even with all the love it showed owners, there were still a few gems that never made the trip overseas. Rainbow Islands was one that appeared on tons of consoles, but only found a home with Sega in Japan. We have a full review for you, so read on and see if this one’s worth importing.
Taito has a long history of arcade hits, and the company ported many of them to the Genesis. In addition to games like Saint Sword and Cadash, gamers received an excellent port of Volfied, also known as Ultimate Qix. Challenging and highly addictive, this puzzle/action hybrid offered excellent gameplay wrapped up in some great presentation – a yummy package all around.
The name Rastan means something to arcade goers who are old enough to have played Taito’s classic in the arcades. It was difficult, great-looking, and it’s twin stereo speakers fired off an awesome soundtrack for everyone in the area to hear. Yes, Rastan rocked hard, and for that reason it’s a shame that the sequel never quite lived up to its predecessor. The Genesis scored an amazingly accurate port, but all the bad came over with all the good, and the result is a mediocre product that fails to do the Rastan legacy justice.
Taito’s Fire Mustang may not have set the world on fire, but it was a decent little game that may be worth looking into if you can find it on the cheap side.