Game Reviews6.1/10
Metal Gear’s Official Sequel Was Made Without Kojima, and It Shows
Snake's Revenge was Konami's 1990 NES Metal Gear sequel made without Hideo Kojima. A review of its stealth loop, interrogation system, and flaws.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Tag: Konami
Game Reviews6.5/10
Four Turtles, Four Sets of Levels
A review of Konami's 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat 'em up: four turtle campaigns, a deep versus roster, and a thin adaptation of season one.
Game Reviews7.4/10
Jackal: Two Jeeps, Two Players, and One of Konami’s Tightest NES Ports
Jackal, Konami's 1986 run-and-gun jeep shooter, reviewed: two-player co-op, prisoner rescues and a turret that only fires up. Score: 7.4 of 10.
Game Reviews7.8/10
Konami rebuilt Salamander for the NES and gave it a new name
Konami's 1987 Life Force rebuilt Salamander with organic art and split power-up gauges. A 7.8/10 look at what the redraw costs and earns.
Game Reviews7.9/10
Gradius: The 1985 Shooter That Let You Build Your Own Ship, One Capsule at a Time
Gradius hit arcades in 1985 and its power meter changed scrolling shooters forever. We review the Vic Viper classic and its NES port.
Game Reviews6.1/10
Super C Review: Red Falcon Returns, Co-op Carries the Load
Super C brings Red Falcon back to Earth in Konami's 1990 run-and-gun shooter. Co-op is the real draw, but a 6.1 Metacritic score says the rest coasts.
Game Reviews6.6/10
Contra on Xbox Live Arcade: A 6.6 for the 2006 Port, Not the 1987 Classic
Contra on Xbox Live Arcade is a 2006 port of the 1987 arcade classic, and its 6.6 Metacritic score judges the port, not the game that built the franchise.
Game Reviews7.8/10
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse Review — A Prequel That Earns Its Place
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse review — Trevor Belmont, three companions, two routes through sixteen stages, and a soundtrack that outlived the cartridge.
Game Reviews6.7/10
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest Review — The Most Interesting Wrong Turn in the Series
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987) review — Konami's cursed, nonlinear sequel with day-night cycles, lying villagers and three endings. Score: 6.7 of 10.
Game Reviews7.4/10
How Castlevania Turned a Hammer and a Staircase Into a Whole Genre
Castlevania on the NES in 1986 set the template for Konami's series: Simon Belmont, the Vampire Killer whip, six levels, and Dracula's monsters.