Mastering The System #31 Double Dragon

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 22nd May 2013
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DoubleDragonMasterSystemTitleScreen Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Sega
Year: 1988
Played Before: Yes
Also on: Amiga, Amstrad, Arcade, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Boy, Game Gear, Lynx, Mega Drive, MSX, NES, PC, ZX Spectrum
Progress: Completed
Time played for review: 2 hours

The Black Warriors have kidnapped Billy Lee’s girlfriend, Marian. Team up with another player as his brother Jimmy and take on the gang over four stages. Do they still have what it takes to get the girl or are these two grizzled fighters long past their prime?

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Mastering The System #30 TransBot

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 14th May 2013
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TransBotMasterSystemTitleScreen AKA: Astro Flash (JP)
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Year: 1985
Played Before: Yes
Progress: 194,500 points
Time played for review: 1/2 hour

TransBot is fairly well known among Master System owners. It seems to me that everyone I know who owns the console has also been in possession of this game at some point. Surely that’s a testament to its high quality and proves it’s a must-have. TransBot is actually a shoot-em-up and nothing to do with gender discussion in android society. Let’s save the planet!

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Mastering The System #27 Bubble Bobble, #28 Rainbow Islands, #29 The New Zealand Story

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 13th May 2013
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Taito Taito’s big mid-’80s three, although not a trilogy, are often remembered by gamers of the era as being linked. These three fantastic arcade platformers, each with their own distinct styles, eventually found their way to the Master System. Let’s find out if these conversions blow thousands of bubbles, paint the whole world with a rainbow and erm, shoot frozen whales in the face as well as the arcade originals.

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Mastering The System #26 Sonic The Hedgehog Chaos

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 12th April 2013
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SonicChaosMasterSystemTitleScreen Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Year: 1993
Played Before: Yes (Game Gear)
Also on: Game Gear
Progress: Completed
Time played for review: 3 hours

With an intro suspiciously similar to that of Sonic The Hedgehog 2, the third 8-bit instalment featuring the spiky blue burst of speed appeared less than a year after the previous one and out of phase with the 16-bit series. Does the relatively short development period result in a triumphant return for Sega’s besneakered bad boy mascot?

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Mastering The System #25 Teddy Boy

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 12th April 2013
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TeddyBoyMasterSystemTitleScreen AKA: Teddy Boy Blues (JP)
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Year: 1985
Played Before: Yes
Also on: Arcade, Mega Drive
Progress: Stage 12
Time played for review: 1 hour

Our mate Teddy Boy has got himself lost in some nightmarish world. He appears a bit upset to find himself in an infinitely looping expanse full of platforms and monsters, so has decided to shoot the place up for therapeutic reasons. According to the box, it’s a game about being stuck in an ever-repeating dream full of bouncy dragon heads, crawly slimy things, indifferent snails and a few other characters cribbed from the Master System library. We’ve all been there.

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Mastering The System #24 Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 9th April 2013
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SonicTheHedgehog2MasterSystemTitleScreen Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Year: 1992
Played Before: Yes
Also on: Game Gear
Progress: Completed
Time played for review: 3 hours

After a successful 8-bit introduction, Sonic is back. This time, his good buddy Tails has been foxnapped by Dr. Robotnik. Platforms, Chaos Emeralds, rings, bouncy springs, spikes, there’s the usual Sonicy stuff’s going on. So, is it better than the very good first one?

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Welcome To Bonus Stage! #2 Gauntlet (Arc)

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 22nd February 2013
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GauntletArcadeTitleScreen System: Arcade
Developer: Atari
Year: 1985

If you were gaming during the ’80s and have never come into contact with Gauntlet, you’ve definitely missed out. Before Konami blessed us with their excellent Teenage Mutant Ninja/Hero Turtles coin-up and followed it up in identikit licence fashion with The Simpsons, Gauntlet was the greatest 4-player party in town. Turned loose in a mysterious dungeon master’s maze, up to four players were tasked with progressing as far as possible into the endless, monster infested labyrinth, lightening your host’s treasure horde as you went.

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Games #7 The 7th Guest (iOS)

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 20th January 2013
Posted in: Games. Tagged: , . 1 comment
The7thGuestIOSTitleScreen Developer: Trilobyte Games
Price: £2.99
Year: 2010
Played Before: Yes (PC)
Progress: Completed
Time played for review: 5 hours

Missing children, invitations to a party and a strange out-of-towner suffering from visions. What can it all mean? Dare you enter Stauf’s mansion, discover his puzzles and solve the biggest mystery of all: the identity of the 7th guest?

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Mastering The System #23 Pac-Mania

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 19th January 2013
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Pac-ManiaMasterSystemTitleScreen Developer: TecMagik
Publisher: TecMagik
Year: 1991
Played Before: Yes (Arcade, Atari ST)
Also on: Amiga, Amstrad, Arcade, Archimedes, Atari ST, C64, Mega Drive, MSX, NES, X68000, ZX Spectrum
Progress: Stage 4
Time played for review: 1 hour

Arcade conversions can often be hit and miss, but if there’s anything Sega have modelled themselves and their consoles around, it’s the quick blast arcade experience. Feeders’ favourite Pac-Man is back, stuffing his face and worrying the dearly departed. It’s a surprise the bloke can even move, the amount he eats.

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Mastering The System #22 Bank Panic

Posted by Tinpotgamer on 10th January 2013
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BankPanicMasterSystemTitleScreen Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Year: 1987
Also on: Arcade, MSX, Sega SG-1000
Played Before: Yes
Progress: Round 11, Score 455,400
Time played for review: 1/2 hour

I don’t know about you, but whenever I read about anything that involves a combination of firearms and banking, it never seems to end well. Bank Panic is 100% firearms and banking with nothing else included. It’s time for the gunfight at the HSBC corral.

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