Sega Game Gear

To suggest that the Game Gear version of Mega Man was developed in the spirit of the NES installments would be an understatement. In fact, the Game Gear version of Mega Man includes levels, music, power-ups, and enemies that were lifted directly out of Mega Man 4 and 5. There’s nothing inherently wrong about a handheld game recycling content from an a home console game, but the developers probably could have selected a stronger lineup of stages if they looked a little harder. (I certainly appreciated seeing a Mega Man 2 stage show up late into the game.) The stages chosen for the game don’t necessarily represent the very best of the Mega Man series, but the fundamental play mechanics are timeless. Each level has its own theme, and the basic concept of beating up robots and stealing their powers never gets old. The game is also a pretty good fit for the Game Gear. Blurring isn’t too big of an issue by virtue of the fact that Mega Man wasn’t a particularly fast-moving series in the first place. The bright colors of the Game Gear are put to good use in Mega Man, and the game seems a lot more lively than its Game Boy counterparts as a result. The game isn’t going to win any awards for innovation, but Game Gear fans should just be thankful that the Blue Bomber made an appearance on their console at all.

Gunstar Heroes is one of the most amazing “run and gun” games of all time and is widely considered to be one of the best Genesis games ever. A few concessions had to be made in order to bring the game to the Game Gear, however. The Game Gear obviously isn’t as powerful as the Genesis, so the graphics had to be scaled back significantly and many of the more impressive special effects were removed altogether. Unfortunately, the game’s stellar two-player mode was also removed. A lot of the things that made the Genesis game so incredible in the first place simply aren’t found in the Game Gear version. Evidently, a stripped down version of Gunstar Heroes is still better than the vast majority of games on the system. You will not find a more intense action game on the handheld. The screen is always full of enemies to defeat, the explosion effects look fantastic, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen more impressive boss battles on an 8-bit system. Those looking for a carbon copy of the Genesis game might be disappointed. If you judge the game on its own merits, however, it’s clear that Gunstar Heroes is one of the most action-packed Game Gear games ever created and one that pushes the handheld to its limits.

Ax Battler follows the exploits of a brave warrior with the unlikely name of “Ax Battler” in his attempt to save the land from evil forces. During his quest, Ax Battler will obtain magic spells, learn new moves at training houses, and use powerful swords to slash through a myriad of monsters. Ax Battler carries the Golden Axe name and shares many of its themes, but it’s a different animal altogether. The Golden Axe games were side-scrolling “hack ‘n’ slash” ventures with a focus on co-op gameplay. Ax Battler, on the other hand, could be described as a hybrid of an RPG and an action game. The game employs an overhead view when players are visiting towns or exploring the overworld map. When players enter caves or are drawn into battle, the game switches perspectives and becomes a side-scrolling action game with platforming elements. (A similar style was used in Zelda II; although the action scenes themselves are perhaps more comparable to ActRaiser.) The various styles of gameplay that are used in Ax Battler are well-suited for the Game Gear. Neither the RPG nor side-scrolling sections attempt to push the system beyond its capabilities, and the pacing of the game never becomes too much for the Game Gear’s screen to handle. Ax Battler was clearly designed with the Game Gear’s limitations in mind, and this is one of the reasons why it’s one of the most enjoyable games on the system. Fans looking for a “real” Golden Axe game might be disappointed, but I maintain that the format used in Ax Battler is more appropriate for the Game Gear.

The Game Gear’s notoriously blurry screen was not always appropriate for fast-moving games, so it’s somewhat surprising that the Sonic series worked as well as it did on the platform. There were four traditional side-scrolling Sonic games released on the Game Gear, and all of them were enjoyable in their own right. Having said that, the Game Gear versions of Sonic, Sonic 2, and Sonic Chaos were designed with the Sega Master System in mind and were less-than-ideal for a handheld. Because of the lower resolution of the Game Gear’s screen, these games had a smaller viewing area than their Master System counterparts. This ultimately gave players less time to react to their surroundings and made the games feel artificially difficult. Sonic Triple Trouble, on the other hand, was designed specifically for the Game Gear and was able to negate the system’s weaknesses. One example of this can be seen in how players don’t lose all of their rings after getting hurt. This helped reduce the number of “cheap” deaths and allowed the programmers to develop a high-speed platformer without having to tone down the level design. Triple Trouble is much larger than it’s 8-bit predecessors, the bosses are more interesting, and the game features many elements from the Genesis Sonic games. The stages are loaded with hidden passageways, breakable walls, intricate tube systems, and looping paths; and a lot of variety can be seen in the environments themselves. During the game players will explore jungle environments, visit high-tech factories, and snowboard down mountains! The ability to select either Sonic or Tails makes the game feel even more varied. Triple Trouble was the last traditional Sonic game released for the Game Gear, but fans couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful swan song.

The Puyo Puyo series was tremendously popular in Japan, but the games typically underwent a number of modifications before hitting western store shelves. (Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine and Kirby’s Avalanche were both re-skinned versions of Puyo Puyo.) The premise of Puyo Puyo revolves around groups of colored blobs that fall from the top of the screen. It’s up to the player to manipulate the blobs in order to group similar colors together. Puyo Puyo is decidedly more frantic than typical puzzle games of its era, and the ability to chain together combo attacks made the game even more intense. Moreover, the ability to drop “garbage” onto the opposing player’s screen helped make Puyo Puyo one of the most competitive puzzle games of all time. Puyo Puyo Tsuu built on the foundation of its predecessor by introducing new opponents and rules that allowed for longer and more competitive matches. Incidentally, players were immediately compelled by these new rules and Puyo Puyo Tsuu went on to become the most predominant game in the series. (For those wondering, Tsuu roughly translates to “expert” but is pronounced like the number “two” when spoken aloud.) Puyo Puyo Tsuu was ported to nearly every viable gaming platform in existence, and was the perfect fit for the Game Gear. Puzzle games and portable systems really do go hand-in-hand. They are easy to pick up and play, they work well on a small screen, and they are perfect for multiplayer action. Puyo Puyo Tsuu is the single best reason to own a Game Gear link cable.

The first thing you’ll probably notice about Ristar is that it’s one of the best-looking titles on the Game Gear. The colorful backgrounds and detailed sprites have an undeniable Sonic the Hedgehog vibe, and the characters and environments are extremely charming. The game itself looks and feels like a standard platformer in many regards, but the titular character makes the game feel unique. Ristar is perhaps most noted for his ability to extend his arms to inordinate lengths in order to grab onto various enemies or objects. Whether he’s climbing ladders, shimmying across monkey bars, or simply grasping onto walls, Ristar’s ability to interact with his environment gives the game a level of immersion that is not always seen in the platforming genre. The Game Gear version shares similar themes, ideas, and central play mechanics as its Genesis counterpart, but the levels themselves were redesigned especially with the handheld in mind. The game doesn’t move too fast for the Game Gear’s screen, but it never feels lethargic either. There were many notable platforming games on the Game Gear, but Ristar rises above them all.

Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya is a tactical RPG with play mechanics that are nearly identical to its predecessor, Shining Force Gaiden. (Incidentally, Shining Force Gaiden was released exclusively in Japan.) The game consists of a series of tactical battles in which the player and the enemies take turns moving on grid-based battlefields. While jockeying for position, players can attack, cast magic, and use items at their discretion. Between battles, players can buy items, promote characters, resurrect fallen allies, and save their progress. Exploration does not play a big role in The Sword of Hajya, however. Brief cutscenes are used to advance the plot, but the game is mostly focused on the battles themselves. There were three unique Shining Force games released on the Game Gear, and the series seemed tailor-made for the handheld format. The games don’t necessarily require state-of-the-art visuals, and the decision to focus on action rather than on exploration makes it relatively easy to pick up and play the games. With only 24 levels, The Sword of Hajya is not overly lengthy, but the various races, classes, and weapons in the game create a near-infinite number of permutations for players to experiment with. Without question, The Sword of Hajya is one of the most involving titles to ever grace the Game Gear.

Shinobi made its mark in the arcades, on the Master System, and on the Genesis, so it’s only appropriate that the series would carve out a legacy on Sega’s handheld system as well. The first Shinobi game on the Game Gear was pretty good, but the sequel offered more variety and originality. One area where The Silent Fury is significantly different from previous Shinobi titles is that it gives player’s the opportunity to take control of multiple ninjas. As players make their way through the game, they will rescue a number of ninjas that can be used in subsequent stages. Each ninja has their own unique abilities and it’s essential to utilize their powers in order to complete the game. Some of these abilities include teleportation, double-jumping, wall climbing, the power of flight, and the ability to walk on water. These new skills allow players to access new areas, so a certain amount of backtracking is required. This exploration component is perfectly implemented and forces players to use their various abilities. The Silent Fury is everything a Shinobi fan could have asked for and then some. The graphics are clean, the animation is fantastic, the music is catchy, the levels are lengthy, and the gameplay is varied. The Silent Fury would almost have been acceptable as a Genesis game.

Crystal Warriors was a tactical RPG based around standard turn-based play mechanics. There were various units to command in the game – including wizards, warriors, healers, and rangers among others. Naturally, each unit had their own distinctive skills and abilities, and a lot of the strategy revolved around the efficient use of these abilities. Elemental groups also played a big role in the game and followed a rock-paper-scissors system in which each element was weak against another. The environments could affect battles as well, and the speed of the units would even change in accordance to the terrain. The Shining Force games may have had more fanfare, but Crystal Warriors was something of a cult classic among fans of the genre. As incredible as Crystal Warriors was, its sequel was even better. Royal Stone followed all of the conventions of its predecessor, but offered significant improvements in a number of areas. Crystal Warriors looked like a typical Master System game whereas Royal Stone could pass for an early Genesis release. Its characters and environments are a lot more detailed, and the battles are decidedly more impressive. Royal Stone also puts more emphasis on storytelling aspects, and the cinema scenes are a lot more dramatic. The ability to recruit new characters in towns or convince monsters to join your cause adds another element of strategy. Royal Stone ultimately looks and plays better than its predecessor did and stands as the single most balanced tactical RPG on the Game Gear.

Sylvan Tale is a fantastic adventure game in the spirit of The Legend of Zelda. The game is comprised of various dungeons, caves, and villages that are connected by a vast overworld. Players will ultimately have to solve puzzles, talk to other characters, obtain special items, and learn new abilities in order to advance through the game. The game is relatively linear at first, but the map opens up considerably as the game progresses. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the game is the assortment of animal transformations that can be accessed. Turtle armor increases defense abilities, a mole suit makes it possible to smash through rocks, merman formula will make it possible to swim, a mouse spell allows players to enter small passageways, and bird feathers grant the ability of flight. The game’s overhead perspective is a great fit for the Game Gear’s screen, the music is energetic, and the pacing is perfect for a portable system. Games like Sylvan Tale were ideal for the Game Gear, and it’s a shame that we didn’t see more games like it on the system. It’s also a shame that Sylvan Tale was released exclusively in Japan. The game is certainly worth tracking down, however, as no Game Gear collection would be complete without it.