Nerdicus SNES Review #68 : Cool Spot

Title : Cool Spot

Publisher : Virgin Interactive

Developer : Virgin Interactive

Genre : Platformer

Players : 1

Release Date : 1993

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $15 - $20

Ahhhh, it's been a long time since I wrote one of these reviews. But you know what? I needed a break from my damn book edits that have taken over my life the last few months. The good news? The edits have turned out incredible, and I'm absolutely stoked to send it out to publishers with my agent. So high fives all around on that. Bad News? Mentally DRAINING.

ON ANOTHER NOTE - before I get to this COOL review (Ha, see what I did there?) Be sure to check out my YouTube channel which I have been doing a lot of LET'S PLAYS of all the old reviews I've done already, as well as some retro gaming pick up videos. It's been a blast, and eventually I'd like to combine the blog and the youtube videos onto one brand spanking new website....as soon as I finish these damn edits lol.

Here's the link so CHECK IT OUT! 

COPERNICUS NERDICUS YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Now, back to this...weird...game...okay, hold on a second. I just don't get it. How the hell did they ever get the idea to make a game about COOL SPOT? Do you want to know the first time I ever even saw this game? Sit back - it's story time.

I was in Universal Studios, I believe. Where they had the NICKELODEON STUDIOS segment where you can watch a live taping of one of those shows. Okay, I'm not sure if it was an actual show or one of those "theme park" shows, but whatever. Waiting on line, they had GAMING STATIONS set up along the way where you could play sega genesis games. Now, the one game I actually had the chance to play, was SPOT. No one was playing it, so I gave it a shot. A great way to kill time on a line, but that was about it lol. Don't remember much other than that. It was hot, I was sweaty, and there was a fan over the gaming station, so I stood there as long as I could. The End. So, how was the game? Meh, let's talk about it. The SNES one anyway.

Hope you like 7-Up..Make 7...UP YOURS! HA!!

What is a Spot? Well, I guess it's just that spot next to the 7 in the 7-up logo. But what is it then? 7 (DOT) UP? And, come on. We all know SPRITE IS BETTER. And I personally don't know how a spot is a good mascot to sell soda. You know, I'm really sitting here thinking about to what to write about this game. It's so damn bizarre. There's no real story line. I mean seriously how do you make a story line about a soda mascot? Well, you rescue other spot mascots that were obviously kidnapped by soda competitors. No, really I have no idea, but you do have to rescue them lol.

SPOT is your standard platformer, and like most 16-bit platformers at the time, it had some pretty impressive animations.....for an anthropomorphic spot. You go along each level, collecting other spots, and 7-up one ups, all while defeating enemies and getting to the end of the stage. It's a basic rinse and repeat formula, which surprisingly works, although not very original and quite repetitive.

Here is where the game is surprising. You would think that a platformer like this made by a soda company would have some of the worst game play mechanics and controls imaginable. But it doesn't. It's actually quite fluid, and you rarely have to struggle to get your spot to where it's going. The only TRULY annoying part is figuring out the damn shooting mechanics. I don't even know what you're supposed to be shooting. It's like you're snapping out soda bubbles or something. Anyway, it's pretty frustrating at first to shoot, and not move your spot around. But, once you get the hang of it, it's not too too bad.

Besides the visuals, COOL SPOT has some of the most jamming tunes since the Brady Bunch. Nah, it's really not too bad, and pretty damn catchy at that. You'll find it hard to resist bobbing your head as you hop around the sand dunes, or swim in a bottle of soda trying to collect those spots.

So, what's the problem with COOL SPOT? Well, it's not really that memorable. There is pretty much 0 replay value, and the only way you'll get the most out of your money for this game is if you rented it for a weekend. Even then, it's not really worth it, considering you can beat the game in less than 20 minutes. Not even joking, I've seen it done. Still, you could have expected much worse from a game based on soda.

Final Score (out of 5) :



Until Next Time, Keep On Gaming!

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Nerdicus SNES Review #67 : Contra 3 : The Alien Wars

Title : Contra 3 : The Alien Wars

Publisher : Konami

Developer : Konami

Genre : Run and Gun

Players : 1 / 2 Player

Release Date : 1992

Estimated Value (as of today's date) $35 - $45

Forget about the Konami code, because it doesn't work in this game. Hell, this hellish joyride is surely going to make you piddle your pants and cry to your mommy. Sure, I'll go as far as saying it's not as difficult as the first game for the NES, but anytime you see the name CONTRA, you know you are in for a torturous albeit epic gaming experience.

One thing must be said about this game, the box art is amazing. Floating, fiery demon heads in the clouds. A giant skeletal robot thing bursting out of some hole in the wall, creepy bug robots, and angry marines blowing everything to smithereens. I'm sold!

This time, instead of invading the Alien turf and destroying them where they stand, the Aliens are COMING FOR YOU!! It's an all out "ALIEN WAR!" (hence the title) and these two primary color wearing marines are the world's only hope. Do you have what it takes to push the armada back from whence they came and save the galaxy from falling into an alien rule!?

Oh...yeah..forgot to mention. Bill and Lance aren't here anymore. Of course, they'd be dead because it's like 200 years in the future or something. This time, you're Jimbo and Sully....really...Jimbo? SULLY? Is this Monster's INC!? COME ON PEOPLE..Konami..you are bad with names.

Much like the previous Contra, this game is best served with a heaping scoop of 2 player goodness. After all, what better way to get a bullet to the face than with a friend? A friend and choosing the highest lives cap possible. Need I remind you...the KONAMI CODE DOESNT WORK! WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT!? Well, at least they let you choose up to 7 lives (like that's enough...)

Right off the bat, you can tell that Contra 3 is taking full advantage of the technological prowess of the Super Nintendo. You can't get much closer to the arcade classics than this version and it really went all out. This time, there aren't just simple side scrolling and back perspective levels as in the past. Now you've got motorbike chases, missile hopping, and mode 7 galore top down views....which I admit made me nauseous lol.

Gameplay, it remains exactly the same. Blast your way to victory, collecting power ups and destroying bosses. Why change a formula that's been working for a few games already? Hell, this is probably the closest you'll get to the original Contra (which is still the best to me)

Upgrades are the real focus in this game, and you've got all the classics like multi-shot, missiles, and lasers. But there's a few new ones like the flame thrower and barrier shield that will assist you. It's all about picking what's most comfortable to you. At least you dont have to rapidly tap buttons since the blaster cannon is already an automatic.

There's three difficulty modes that you can choose from in this game. You've got easy mode (which is honestly a bit too easy), normal mode (which reminds me of the original Contra), and HARD..which is basically asking to be killed. The real difference between all these difficulty settings is really how the enemies act, and react. Boss fights are the real kicker because bosses will actually introduce new movesets in harder difficulties as well as having less weak spots.

But, you better work your arse off to beat the hard setting, because that's the only way you're going to be able to see the TRUE ending. That's right folks.....you've gotta beat this game at least twice. Once in normal, and then again in hard to fight the REAL last boss, and get the REAL ending. I won't spoil it for you...because I don't know what it is...because I've never done it. HA!

What isn't there to love about this game? It's a visual masterpiece that's a huge step up from the NES versions, with fluid gameplay and excellent controls. My only qualm about the gameplay were those top down levels. Like I said, they were a bit nausea inducing with all that spinning around, but you get used to it and it is a nice change of pace.

Contra 3 also has one of the greatest soudtracks on the SNES. It's nonstop epic jams that make your palms sweat with agitation as you battle the incoming alien forces. I'm actually listening to it as I write this review ha.

If you're a fan of the Contra series, you can't pass this up. It's a must have. And if you call yourself a gamer, you need to at least challenge yourself to beat hard. I'll be trying again later on...here's hoping I can do it..but I won't.

Final Score (out of 5):



Until Next Time, Keep On Gaming!

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Nerdicus SNES Review #66: Congo's Caper

Title : Congo's Caper

Publisher : Data East

Developer : Data East

Genre : Action

Players : 1 Player

Release Date : 1993

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $15 - $20

It seems like I'm reviewing some sort of Caveman game every week, don't you think? There must have been a huge market for them because I'm thinking about CHUCK, BONK, JOE & MAC, and of course here we are with CONGO'S CAPER. Of course, you really need to put CONGO'S CAPER and JOE & MAC in the same boat, because this is basically a sequel to those games. 

You wouldn't really know that though, because it's only a sequel in terms of the Japanese version, but you can tell...just look at the character design and the visuals. It's like the same damn game ha. Although, this guy looks like a mini saiyan don't you think? D'awwww, cute little monkey tail!

Hell, I'm a sucker for dinosaurs though. Speaking of which, anyone see the game trailer for LEGO JURASSIC PARK!? Sign me up! But for now, let's play some CONGO'S CAPER!

It's time for another rescue mission. This time we're trying to save Congette from the evil clutches....of some...winged, devil, monkey. I don't know what the hell it is, but it's creepy. You play as, you guessed it, CONGO who is a super kid. See? Told you he was a saiyan! His hair even turns blonde when he gains his super powers! I KID YOU NOT! He actually has a couple of forms. Basic monkey form, then his kid form, then SUPER MONKEY KID form! Oh, how entertaining this game is. And don't forget that big arse club you have to wallop enemies with.

CONGO'S CAPER plays exactly like the Joe & Mac games. Run from left to right, defeating enemies, and encountering a boss at the end of each stage (with stages being divided into levels..actually..what's the proper terminology? Stages? levels? boards? Who knows!). Well, there are a whopping 24 of them. All the while, you'll be collecting jewels that not only racks up your score, but allows you to transform. Three jewels is the max transformation you can have, so try to keep it at that and avoid getting hit. HA, have fun with that.

Don't worry though, the game is basically easy mode. You'll find yourself literally having over 50 lives by the time you get to the end of the game.

This game, to me, is basically taking JOE & MAC and fixing everything that was wrong with it. They've added more depth with what Congo is capable of doing. It's not just running and jumping now, since Congo can swim, climb, push things, grab things, throw things, etc. Levels appear more diverse, and there is a wider range of "paths" to get to the ending, including a lot of hidden areas that are always a blast to uncover.

The newly designed levels, although reminiscent of the old JOE & MAC games, are a bit more challenging in the fact that the platorming elements are difficult. Then again, controls in JOE & MAC were a joke, so I'm not sure if you can blame it on that.

One of the biggest things this game corrected however is the horrendous hit detection that JOE & MAC dealt with. It's pretty much entirely fixed with this game, and thank GOD because there are so many more damn enemies to deal with.

If you like dinosaurs, and you enjoy playing as a monkey-caveman, then CONGO's CAPERS is a great game to pick up and add to your collection. Visually, it's still one of my favorite games to look at it, and it has one of the most killer soundtracks for a platforming game on the SNES.

But, as I said before, Dinosaurs always suck me in. Cute, little, TREX arms. You can't grab on to anything! Silly dino.

Final Score (out of 5)



Until Next Time, Keep On Gaming!

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Nerdicus SNES Review #65: The Combatribes

Title : The Combatribes

Publisher : American Technos, Inc.

Developer : Technos Japan Corp.

Genre : Beat 'Em Up

Release Date : 1990

Players : 1 / 2 Players

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $20 - $25

First bit of news...the GIVEAWAY IS OVER!!!! I will be selecting a winner this week, so stay tuned, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled because if you win, I'm going to need you to contact me! Thanks to everyone that entered, and good luck to all of you!

Not really sure what I'm looking at here in terms of the box art. Are they a dance troupe? Is that the guy from Dancing with Wolves or Last of the Mohicans in the background? What's with Kim Catrall over on the left? Are these guys not embarassed that they are battling roller skating teenagers and middle-aged motorcycle riders while donning leotards?

And, what the HELL is a COMBATRIBES..Is that COMBAT + TRIBES? Or is it a gang? Is that Guile!? And MC HAMMER!? AND....oh my god....is that Steven Segal!?

Nope, it's just a crappy beat 'em up game for the Super Nintendo. The box art should have been self explanatory in this. Sure, the arcade was somewhat decent, but when you have games like FINAL FIGHT out there, you don't want to waste your time playing this. And this is actually somewhat surprising, given that this company brought us such classics as DOUBLE DRAGON and RIVER CITY RANSOM. Unfortunately, it looks as if the jump to the 16-bit consoles didn't work in their favor.

You certainly have your fair share of options for this game. 1 Player, 2 Player, A / B vs modes. Take your pick, but don't plan on having much fun with any of them. Go with the 1 player story mode (don't even ask about the story, I don't know I skipped it), or if you're with a friend and you plan on suffering together, do the 2 player. Versus mode is exactly what it sounds like. It's just like the mode from DOUBLE DRAGON where you can fight one on one with various characters from the game.

The game plays like a glorified Double Dragon, but only in terms of visuals. In fact, the gameplay just feels off. Controls are a bit stiff, and the area in which you are able to fight seems so damn small because the characters are too big for the screen. Sure, in Final Fight the characters are big, but at least the screen is zoomed out a bit so you could see more.

It's a standard beat 'em up, but you can only punch, kick, or deploy a special punch/kick combo. There are no weapons. NO..WEAPONS. What a bummer. I want to pick up a pipe and bash it over someone's head, but now I can't!

You'll traverse numerous levels, encountering much of the same enemies over and over again and battling overpowered bosses at the end of each stage. Have fun with them, because they move twice as fast as you do, and seem to connect with you even if they don't even have correct hit boxes. I swear, I was punching a boss in the face, and out of nowhere he sends me flying across the screen ripping away half my health.

The game is just not balanced. It's reminiscent of the torture I went through with Double Dragon in the NES, but the difficulty in that was about learning enemy patterns. Here, I just felt like I couldn't touch anything in the game without getting barraged with enemy fists. 

Visually, the game annoys the hell out of me. I hate the character designs since they look like bad cartoons, and the backgrounds are so disproportionate that it doesn't make sense half the time. Back to the characters, even their anatomy is messed up. Short little legs and arms, big heads, tiny feet. I don't know what they were going with here.

Only thing I can say I enjoyed about this game was the soundtrack. The score is actually quite well done, and really feels like it was ripped from the arcade. Nice upbeat, techno styled fighting music goes a long way.

Still, if you're looking for a good Beat 'Em Up, stick with Final Fight, or go back and play the classics on the NES if you want some good memories of this company. Shame on you COMBATRIBES. You failed me.

Final Score (out of 5):



Until Next Time, Keep On Gaming!

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Nerdicus SNES Review #62 + 63 + 64: Clayfighter / Clayfighter : TE / Clayfighter 2 : Judgment Clay

Title : Clayfighter

Publisher : Interplay Entertainment

Developer : Visual Concepts

Genre : Fighting

Release Date : 1993

Players : 1 / 2 Players

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $8 - $10

Title : Clayfighter : Tournament Edition

Publisher : Interplay Entertainment

Developer : Visual Concepts

Genre : Fighting

Release Date : 1994

Players : 1 / 2 Players

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $10 - $15

Title : Clayfighter 2: Judgment Clay

Publisher : Interplay

Developer : Interplay

Genre : Fighting

Release Date : 1995

Players : 1 / 2 Players

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $10 - $15

Well, I'm back from PAX EAST 2015 everybody, and boy do I have a lot to write about. But that probably won't be until the end of the week, as I still have to go through all my photos, and swag to figure out what I got. Highlight of this years convention though? OVERWATCH. I know this is a retrogaming blog, but I have to speak of Blizzard's upcoming game shooter a la TEAM FORTRESS. This game was incredible, and it's not even Beta yet. I'm talking insane character classes, brilliantly designed maps, and an artwork style that Blizzard uses to put other games to shame. Totally worth the two hour wait on line. And if you're a fan of Blizzard games, do yourself a favor and sign up for the Beta now.

In the meantime, let's get back at it with some good 'ol Super Nintendo games, and what perfect timing to be up to CLAYFIGHTERS, one of the most hilarious fighting games to come out in the 90's. And here we are, knocking out all three that came out for the SNES all at once. Hell, I don't want to do three different reviews, especially since these games are practically the same.

CLAYFIGHTERS had a lot of good things going from them, and when the advertising first came out in gaming magazines (I specifically remember seeing it in Nintendo Power for roughly the entire years worth of issues upon it's release), gamers everywhere we're hooked on the aspect of a "goof-off" fighting game. After all, fighting games back then were all about blood and gore with Mortal Kombat, or extreme Martial Arts fighting with Street Fighter. We needed something to laugh at. 

These games were obviously something that was catered to parents who were sick of seeing their children re-enact Mortal Kombat finishing movies. Oh? Was I the only one who tried to perform fatalities on my best friends? Guess so. 

A NEW OPPONENT APPROACHES!!!

These may be fighting games, but surprisingly enough there's a bit of a story line in each one. Of course, they make little to no sense, but what do you expect to get out of a game that has a fat ass Elvis, a string of taffy, a viking woman, and a killer clown as fighter options. 

In the original CLAYFIGHTER, a meteor lands on top of some Circus, and of course it being radioactive and all, transforms all the circus goers and attractions into mutant warriors hellbent on destroying each other. In a way, the circus just turns into some no-holds-barred fighting arena. Tournament Edition was released a few months down the line as a Blockbuster exclusive (much like the 63 /13 DIRECTORS CUT version for the n64), but later was released to all retailers. The only difference between the original and the tournament edition was the fact that TE offered some bug fixes, speed adjustments, newer difficulty settings and an updated versus mode.

If you think about it, they released the first CLAYFIGHTER, and figured hey let's make more money by fixing the problems of the original game and offering some bonus tournament based features. Booooo...

Moving on to CLAYFIGHTER 2 : JUDGMENT CLAY (Terminator 2 reference if you didn't get it), it's story revolves around the same meteor but this time focuses on the surrounding town of MUDVILLE. It's just an excuse to introduce a major antagonist that appears in 63 1/3, and add a whole bunch of new characters to choose from in the game, much like any fighting game sequel does.

Enough of the plots, on to the fighters.

When you're designing warriors around claymation, you need to have some fun with it, and that's exactly what Interplay and Visual Concepts did. They came up with the most bizarre cast of characters I have ever seen in a fighting game, and there hasn't been anything quite like it since. And don't even mention that dumb anthropomorphic SEGA fighting game I reviewed a few months back. That was horrendous.

Here are your warriors!!!

Bad Mr. Frosty - basically, he's the guy you see on all the game covers, and is practically the protagonist. As you probably guessed, his attacks include throwing snowballs at people and sliding all over the place.

Blob - He's a blob. Go figure. Shapeshifting galore.

Blue Suede Goo - My personal favorite, the Elvis Impersonator. Gotta love the beer belly.

Bonker - The clown. I hate clowns. No thank you.

Helga - A giant, fat, opera singer. She's hilarious though.

Ickybod Clay - PUMPKIN HEAD! A nice play on words from Ichabod Crane.

Taffy - He's taffy........der?

Tiny - This guy always freaked me out with his weird ass face and muscular body. And what is up with the diaper!?

N. Boss - The only thing I can really compare this to is Master Hand. He's the last boss of the first game.

Nana Man - A Jamaican Banana....yup....

Octohead - Yeah, do I really have to explain this one? Octopus dude....

Googoo - CREEPY BABY...and it doesn't make sense how he's some gangsta baby. Seriously, what were they smoking lol.

Hoppy - Picture the Terminator as a Rabbit. Well, there you go.

Kangoo - A boxing kangaroo! Who was threatened to get lynched if she stopped boxing! WHAT THE HELL!?!?

Some of these characters also had some villainous copy cats that you can unlock after you beat them in the second game. Practically the same attacks, and just different color schemes.

So what makes CLAYFIGHTER so memorable? It's not the gameplay, as it's just a typical fighting game, and hell even the control schemes aren't that great. Pulling off a successful combo is really quite difficult, and the game at times feels a bit clunky. Maybe it's because the characters are so large, and quite slow. Not to mention, each character has it's own cheap move that is more than capable of taking out opponents by just spamming a single button.

Sure, the controls aren't great, but they aren't anywhere near as bad as some of the other fighting games out there, and it holds its own with the more precise Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat games. It's all about the visuals. This game is so incredibly unique with the claymation feel, and you really don't get the same type of games nowadays. There was a lot of attention to detail in both the character animations as well as the backgrounds that you have to appreciate the true level of work they put into these games. There's a reason so many people wanted to pick this up when it first came out, and it wasn't only due to the epic marketing, but mostly due to the way the game looked.

Hell, for a Super Nintendo game, this was top notch.

Music was spot on in this game as well, with each score appropriate for each stage, but I can't say it was anything spectacular. Decent enough to be enjoyable, and the sound effects were pretty hilarious. Lots of gloops and glops, ha!

The real fun with the Clayfighter games, as with any fighter, lies in the ability to play these with your friend. Invite someone over, drink a few brews, and settle down for night of bizarre character battling mayhem.

And as for a score? Well, let's lump 'em all together as one. They'll deserve a nice little average gamer review, eh?

Final Score (out of 5) :



Until Next Time, Keep On Gaming!

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Nerdicus SNES Review #61: Civilization

Title : Civilization

Publisher : Koei

Developer : Microprose

Genre : Turn-based Strategy

Players : 1 Player

Release Date : 1995

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $15 - $30

Happy March everyone! You know what that means? First of all, only a few weeks (2 to be exact) until the end of my FIRST, EPIC, CONTEST, EVER! And if you haven't heard about it yet, you need to check out the contest tab above, and enter! Hell, I'm even doing a YOUTUBE subscription contest! All you gotta do is check out the video below for how to enter for your chance to win some FREE GAMES! Damn, I'm just GIVING everything away! Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe!

YOUTUBE CONTEST LINK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFZg_elxp1Y

Secondly, PAX EAST 2015 is this upcoming weekend! As I did last year, I'll be sure to write up a retrospective about it. Here's hoping there are some epic games being revealed this year as well as some kick-ass swag!

On to the games, we're back at it with something I honestly only played on my PC back in the days of my youth. In fact, I didn't even know they released this on the Super Nintendo, and a huge part of me is thinking that this might be a bad port. For me, RTS games are really only effective on the PC. After all, keyboard / mouse microing and macroing, or whatever, is critical to building up forces and managing armies and bases. Then again, Civilization isn't as hardcore as that. There's a lot more politics involved.

And yes, a game with politics CAN be fun, and CIVILIZATION is right up there with the best of them. After all, this is made by the RTS brainchild, SID MEIER. I decided to give SID MEIER a look up, and you know what, he's CANADIAN. CANADIANS are awesome. Shout out to my Canadian brothers up north. Watch out for them Moose..mooses...mices...meese..just plain moose. 

Back to CIVILIZATION. Of course, I loved CIV 2 a lot more than CIV, but all game series have to start somewhere. Seriously, what are they up to now? CIV 27? They keep coming out with games, and I haven't played a single one since CIV 2. Am I missing out on something?!

Well, if you ever wanted a chance to command your own civilization on the Super Nintendo, look no further than CIVILIZATION. That sounded odd, but yes you get the point. Let's build some armies.

The concept behind CIVILIZATION is quite simple. You pick out your starting "tribe" which is only a few settlers with the ability to make the most basic of camps and tools. Eventually, you'll discover new methods of constructing buildings, weapons, technology, etc. that'll cause your CIVILIZATION to advance. The goal of the game is to basically spread your civilization throughout the world and reign supreme by either allying yourselves with the neighboring empires or destroying them.

Now, there's pros and cons to becoming allies or enemies. Surely, you want total world domination? What's the fun in having friends when you can just take them over, am I right? Allies help in terms of trade and exchanging knowledge, but just steal it. It's more fun. I would say that in CIVILIZATION compared to CIV2, the idea of allies is stretched a bit thin, and it's much more entertaining to just amass an army and destroy everyone. Then again, it's also annoying when certain powerful units get their arses handed to them by basic drones for some bizarre reason. I'm going to blame it on some glitch in the coding process.

But it's not all about war. The main focus of the game is really about building your cities and uncovering the fog of war shrouded map. Ooooo that moment when you finally run into an opposing tribe sends chills down my spine! TO WAR!! Sorry, i"m a bit obsessed with combat. I've played to much Starcraft and Warcraft

You would think that the game is somewhat simple, with the idea of just constantly building up your cities and uncovering new secrets is all accomplished in a matter of time. Wrong. You've got a lot of things working against you. Your citizens may not agree with how you are running their empire, and they can revolt. Your researchers could fail miserably and uncovering new methods of building and you can fall behind in the technology race.

Trust me, it isn't fun to have a man on horseback, get shot at by some rifleman. 

Then there is the case of building wonders, where every civilization competes to build the one and only wonders of the world. (there's a lot of 'em don't worry). BUT, accomplishing a wonder before everyone else will grant you a huge amount of reputation and respect points in the game. After all, who wouldn't want to be responsible for building pyramids and the hoover dam!?

CIVILIZATION, while simple in design, is incredibly detailed in execution. You can't just focus on building an army, without enhancing your technology or expanding your city. The real goal, is to reign supreme in all categories, so good luck managing your time and your people.

I must say, for a PC port this game is pretty damn impressive, and really holds its own. Sure, it 's not as easy or user friendly as it is with a mouse and keyboard, but I found it surprisingly fluid for a game to be like this to be used with a SNES controller. 

Visually, it's quite appealing with very nice overhead map designs which are simplistic but detailed enough to know what you're looking at. There are also numerous nicely designed cut scenes scattered across the game that bring a nice element of accomplishment when you uncover something new or build something massive.

All in all, the game is one of the better RTS out there for the SNES, and for all you haters out there that complain that it's not as good as the PC version, well of course it's not going to be. It's a port. But for what it's worth, it's a damn fine one and a game that provides hours upon hours of enjoyment and replay-ability. And that's a win in my book.

So, who wants to go to WAR!? I call the Romans!

Final Score (out of 5) : 

Until Next Time, Keep On Gaming!

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