#95: Fighters Megamix
(SEGA AM2 - SEGA Saturn, 1996)
In spite of how the game was marketed back in 96, calling Fighters Megamix a mash-up of Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers with some VF3 stuff thrown in as a bonus would be selling it more than a little short. The game fits that description, sure, but it also ignores the crucial detail that the game is
fucking insane.
Being the mix of AM2 classics that it is, it almost goes without saying that there's some fantastic gameplay here. I'm not a fighting game type of guy in the slightest, but there was enough variety in the roster for me to find a handful of characters that I enjoyed playing (I'm more of a Fighting Vipers man, as it turns out). Speaking of the roster, take a look at the screenshot I posted: the ridiculous mix of styles almost makes it look like a MUGEN screenshot. There's one-off characters from Sonic the Fighters, a middle-eastern character cut from the first Virtua Fighter, a weird ass Mexican jumping bean, and even a gigantic bear mascot, whose Super Washington Treaty (?) can
take off 4/5s of an opponent's life in one go. The diverse, absurd roster is more than just something to gawk at, though, since it also ensures that each matchup is that much more different from the last. That, and unlocking the car from Daytona is a hell of a lot better of a reward for beating the game than any palette-swap would be.
Fighters Megamix is a vibrant, over-the-top spectacle (with outstanding gameplay to back it up) that's surprisingly accessible for an arcade-style fighting game. I know most people probably don't have a Saturn lying around, but this is a game that everyone should check out, regardless of their interest in the genre. Even if the gameplay doesn't hook you in, you'll at least want to see the "wait, what?" characters in action.
#94: NHL '94
(High Score Productions - SEGA Genesis, 1993)
This is the first of several sports games on this list, and it should give you a pretty good idea of the type of sports games that I like. NHL '94 keeps it simple and accessible to laymen and casual fans without losing the depth and competitive spirit of the sport it emulates. 94 doesn't particularly care for all of the rules of hockey, giving you the ability turn all penalties off (or just offsides), resulting in a faster-paced, more physical version of an already breakneck sport. Sure, NHLPA '93 was bloodier and included fights, but this is more of an empty novelty than a major back-of-the-box-bullet-point feature.
Look, I could spend a paragraph or two telling you all about how NHL '94 is a phenomenal multiplayer game and how great it feels to control and how you don't have to give a single shit about hockey to fall in love with it, but you really have to get your hands on it to know what I'm talking about. Play this game for two minutes and you'll understand why there are multiple online leagues that are active to this day, and why EA Sports has attempted to hearken back to this particular NHL game on multiple occasions.
#93: Ducktales
(Capcom - NES, 1990)
Let's be honest: licensed games are no better or worse than any other video games out there. Superman 64 and E.T. are most assuredly shitheaps, but that shouldn't overshadow the quality of games like Goldeneye and Sam & Max Hit the Road. Licensed games have always run the gamut from trash to decent to amazing, no different than first-party games or original IP, but a game's failure is inherently higher profile if there's a popular license attached to it, and that's led to the misconception that licensed games have a worse track record than they actually do. It's easy to forget in the fervor over licensed junk, but teams like Capcom were consistently pumping out great games with Disney licenses like Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, and Goof Troop for the NES and SNES, with the crown jewel being Ducktales.
Ducktales has a high pedigree behind it, with much of the development team having worked on various Mega Man games. This is readily apparent in the game's rock-solid movement and physics, cartoony spritework, memorable music (there's plenty of praise out there for the Moon theme, but I've always preferred the downright jovial
Amazon theme), and open selection of levels. The comparisons end there, though, because the level design is much more open, encouraging exploration and collection of the game's plethora of gems and hidden treasures. This only leads to a slightly better ending (similar to Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land), but it's enjoyable regardless, since treasure is hidden all over the place, often in clever locations.
Ducktales doesn't reinvent the wheel, but Capcom treated every aspect of the game with the care they would give one of their own properties and ended up with one of the best games on the NES, licensed or not.
#92: Neo Turf Masters
(Nazca Corporation - Neo Geo, 1996)
ON THE GWEEEEEN
You know, you wouldn't expect a leisurely sport such as golfing to make a good transition to an arcade environment (where games typically try to get you to dump your money in and get off the cabinet as soon as possible), but here we are.
In contrast to the majority of high-intensity Neo Geo games, Neo Turf Masters is excellent for casual play. None of the game's four courses takes much longer than twenty minutes, and it manages to be a traditional golf game (with standard gameplay elements to take into consideration like wind resistance, various clubs to use, etc.) that also keeps things moving. NTM doesn't dwell too long on the mundane things like course condition overviews or statistics, opting to quickly give you the information you need and get you in the game. The game implements a two-click system that's very easy to grasp, so most of the challenge stems from the course designs, which can be deceptively tricky yet also allow skilled players to pull off some
really ill shit. The pleasant, jazzy soundtrack complements the game well, and there is some great 2D artwork (the stupidly smooth swing animation and the golfers' reactions to your performance after a hole are sights to behold, for example). As far as golf games go, it's pretty hard to beat this one. Who would've thought the makers of Metal Slug could make something so relaxing?
#91: Mafia II
(2K Czech - Xbox 360, 2010)
Rounding off the first ten games in the list is Mafia II, a captivating linear third-person shooter trapped in a middling GTA clone's body. You're given a large city to roam, various cars to drive around in, and opportunities to customize your character, but none of that amounts to much since there isn't a whole lot to
do in Empire Bay, as 2K Czech was clearly more intent on telling a story than making an fun open world.
Thankfully, the story of Mafia II more than makes up for the shallow side content. The dialogue is well-written and expertly acted out, resulting in endearing, memorable characters. The narrative is paced a little slower than most games, which makes for several pleasant surprises. Things that would have resulted in a two-minute cutscene or a "six years later" prompt in other games are given lengthy gameplay segments here, which is oddly refreshing. Along with the game's cinematic flair, the refusal to gloss over the finer details helps the game feel more like the crime epics that it pays homage to. The twists and turns that occur have more of an impact, and you actually get the sense that the world is changing as time passes throughout the story.
While the game will disappoint people looking for a sandbox, it more successfully serves as a window into the American metropolis of the 1940s and 50s. You can really get a feel for the knack for authenticity with which the city was constructed, and the soundtrack is a who's who of the era's musicians, a detail I thought never got the amount of credit it deserved, especially after Mafia III received similar praise. Empire Bay is there more to "take in" than screw around in, and if you go into Mafia II knowing that, you're going to get a lot out of it.
I'll save the diatribe about how L.A. Noire with suck-ass Cole Phelps basically did the same thing but worse and was loved by critics for another time.
