Game Reviews7.4/10
Super Mario Kart Sets the Template for Every Kart Racer That Followed
Super Mario Kart launched September 1, 1992, sold 8.76 million copies, and set the template for the series. A retrospective review scoring 7.4/10.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Tag: retro games
Game Reviews8.5/10
The Whip Still Justifies the Cartridge
Super Castlevania IV review: Konami's 1991 SNES classic, its eight-direction whip, eleven levels, Mode 7, bosses, and why it still holds up.
Game Reviews8.5/10
The Secret of Mana Localization Was Rushed, and the Game Shows It
A retro review of Secret of Mana, Square's 1993 action RPG: real-time combat, Ring Commands, three-player co-op, and a story that still holds up.
Game Reviews8.4/10
How Mega Man X Turned the Blue Bomber Into a Brooding Hunter
Mega Man X brought 16-bit reinvention to the series in 1993 with eight selectable stages, stolen weapons, and a darker story. Review score: 8.4/10.
Game Reviews7.4/10
Arthur’s armour falls off after one hit, and that is the whole point
Ghosts 'n Goblins, Capcom's 1985 arcade hit, is famous for brutal two-hit deaths, a ticking clock, and a fake ending that forces a second playthrough.
Game Reviews8/10
Dixie Kong Finally Gets Top Billing, and the Result Is the Trilogy’s Odd One Out
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (1996) put Dixie and Kiddy Kong center stage in the Northern Kremisphere. A look back at Rare's SNES sequel.
Game Reviews6.5/10
Castlevania: Dracula X Review — A Harder, Thinner Version of a Better Game
A 6.5/10 review of Castlevania: Dracula X, the SNES remake of Rondo of Blood that cut levels, saves, and Maria Renard but added three endings.
Game Reviews5/10
Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship — A 5.0/10 Fight Against Gravity
Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship review — Rare's gravity-shifting NES shooter still punishes, twelve planets of inertia and tow cables. 5/10.
Game Reviews5.8/10
Pro Wrestling Review: Nintendo’s 1986 NES Wrestling Game and Its In-Ring Referee
Nintendo's Pro Wrestling put six wrestlers, a live referee and a twenty-count in a cartridge. We revisit the 1986 NES rules machine and score it 5.8/10.
Game Reviews6.1/10
Marble Madness on the NES Keeps the Idea and Loses the Trackball
Marble Madness on NES keeps the six isometric courses but loses the arcade trackball, and that trade defines the whole port. Score: 6.1 of 10.
Game Reviews6.9/10
Kid Niki: Radical Ninja — A Great Premise, A Thin Moveset
A retro review of Kid Niki: Radical Ninja, Irem's 1986 arcade platformer that Data East brought to the NES in 1987 — spinning swords, seven bosses, 6.9/10.
Game Reviews6.5/10
Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II Review: A 6.5 Sequel That Built Rare Manchester
Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II review: Kuros hunts artifacts and spells across four elemental domains, but a broken continue bug undercuts the quest. 6.5/10.