8-bit (Mega Drive) Pilot

Conventionally, video game history can be divided into five periods: 1) the current 4K and VR generation; 2) HD and Full HD era; 3) 3D era; 4) early 3D era; and 5) 2D era. In this column we will focus on games from the 2D era. And don’t let the name “8-bit” confuse you, despite it, here and now, we will discuss both 8 and 16-bit games.

In the 80s and 90s, game cartridges often contained not one, but several games at once. People called them multi-games. This video is a prototype of such a multi-game. Today, it will include four games from the Sega Mega Driver or Genesis platform, whichever is more convenient for you.

Okay, we’ve decided on the format. It’s time to start!

Children of the eighties and nineties, of course, remember Tim Burton’s excellent film about the batman. The film "Batman Returns" was released on big screens in 1992. Frosty, Christmas Gotham amazed viewers with the dramatic story of Oswald Cobblepot and Selina Kyle.

Batman Returns (1992) SEGA/Malibu Interactive

In the same year, the game of the same name was released on Sega Mega Drive. Players were able to take direct part in the events of the film and personally save the city from the atrocities of the Penguin.

Gameplay-wise, it was a beat’em up platformer in which you constantly had to jump, beat up villains and collect various bonuses. There were many types of opponents. Various gadgets like enhanced batarangs, bats and bombs helped deal with them. With the help of a grappling hook, Batman climbed high ledges and also dodged passive dangers, such as blasts of hot air.

Your mom doesn’t need a son-in-law?

At the end of each large level there was a boss who required a special approach and tactics. To defeat him you had to put in a lot of effort, but when the player understood the correct pattern, it was possible to defeat the boss even without taking damage.

Hot stuff

The graphic design in the game was amazing. Each stage brought something new, pleased the eye with a unique environment and entertained the player with gameplay situations, and the music emphasized the gloomy atmosphere of the night city.

However, this game was beyond hardcore. www.nonukcasinosites.co.uk Batman died from just a few pokes, even on low difficulty. The bosses were ruthless, and even ordinary opponents could easily destroy the hero. I had to literally memorize the game, but for the sake of filling it out, it was worth doing.

“What is your evidence, comrade??" – this is probably the most popular association associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, he starred not only in “Red Heat”. He also had a film called “True Lies”. Action comedy about secret agent Harry Tasker. The film turned out great.

True Lies (1994) Acclaim Entertainment/Beam Software

A video game also arrived in time for the film’s premiere. It was a 100% action movie with a view from the top. Control of Harry himself was transferred to the player’s hands. Over the course of eight large levels, we had to overcome hordes of terrorists and in the end save America from a nuclear strike. There is no comedy left in the game, but a lot of other things have been added.

Are you really a gardener??

It featured a rich arsenal from a pistol and machine gun, to a shotgun and flamethrower with grenades, mines and magnum. The hero could walk and roll, interact with the environment. At each level and stage we performed different tasks: looking for gate keys, defusing bombs, hacking computers and stealing secret data. There were also bosses. But most importantly, there were always civilians at the levels, and if the player accidentally killed two of them, the game ended in failure. Revolutionary solution. Nobody else did this.

Frost and sun, wonderful day

In addition, the game designers tried and made all the stages as different from each other as possible. Here we are at a banquet in a mansion, and here we are at a military base, and now we are running away from pursuit in the snowy mountains and defusing a bomb on a ship. There are a lot of gameplay situations, and the musical accompaniment encourages constant action. Playing True Lies is pleasant and interesting, the game is not difficult, but not easy either. It’s worth going through it, at least for the plane levels, and they are here.

Scooby Dooby-Doo, where are you? With these words, my acquaintance with the activities of the Mystery Corporation and the work of the film studio began Hanna–Barbera. Best friends Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and, of course, Scooby, over so many years, exposed more than one or two dozen criminals. So this time they give us two more cases to solve.

Scooby-Doo Mystery (1995) Acclaim Entertainment/Illusions Gaming Company

It’s no joke, but meet the exclusive classic point and click quest on Sega. Scooby Doo Mystery is made in the spirit of the best traditions of quests from LucasArts, and in some ways even surpasses them. Scooby-Doo is a game for children and it is impossible to die in it or fail the passage. The riddles are not difficult, the duration is average. But it’s nice to play, it’s nice to play.

Students. Why don’t you take care of yourself??

We play as Shaggy and Scooby. Heroes are controlled by arrows. By pressing a button, you can call up the cursor and apply one of the verbal commands to the environment or to interact with items in the inventory.

Surprisingly, this concept actually works on console. It’s comfortable to play, and that’s the main thing. And what’s even more important, the spirit of the Scooby-Doo stories is recognizable throughout. Fans rejoice. At least I was very happy when I recently discovered this game, like True Lies.

The only negative can be identified in the lack of replay value. Having completed the game once, you will already know how to act and who the main villain will be. But this is the case in all quests, they are replayed not for the sake of the ending, but for the sake of the atmosphere of the adventure itself, and with it, believe me, there is complete order.

And finally, a kind of titan of the genre is coming to the end. “Mortal Kombat” at one time won the minds of millions of teenagers and quite mature people. It was made into an excellent film in 1995 and a completely mediocre sequel. Everyone knows about it, even those who have never played games. Until now, the glory of “Mortal Kombat” has not subsided.

Mortal Kombat (1992) Midway/Midway

However, it all started quite modestly. The first part was released on Sega in the summer of 1992 and broke the understanding of players brought up on Street Fighter about what fighting should be like. An abundance of blood, prohibited techniques, pretentious speeches about the tournament and codes of honor. Mortal Kombat captivated gamers with its charismatic heroes and broke their psyche with its extreme difficulty. Compared to modern fights, Mortal Kombat of 1992 was not shy about bending the player for everything he does. The higher you climbed in the story tower, the worse it was for you. But, having overcome it all, you could proudly announce this to all your friends and they respected you for it.

But this game was remembered not only for its outrageousness. It also offered a number of new mechanics. Test you Might – a mini-game in which you had to catch the force of the blow so that the heroes could split a stack of boards or metal plates with their hand. One-on-two battles, in which the player had to alternately defeat two opponents over the course of one round. The imbalanced boss Goro, who mercilessly destroyed the player. Shang Tsung is the final boss who could turn into any fighter at any time and use his skills. Such harsh conditions, and this despite the fact that continuity was limited. Lost several times and that’s it – Game Over.

The complexity, bloodiness and novelty sold the game to a million people and now playing it is also interesting, although painful.

Conclusion

This is the kind of multi-game that came to our release today. I’m sure you liked at least one of the games presented. And after watching, you will launch an emulator or get a console and replay, or maybe play through for the first time, these excellent games of the 2D era.

And that’s all for today. The pilot episode has come to an end. Share your impressions in the comments. Did you like everything?? How do you like this format?? Is it worth adding something or not??

Also, write what other games, 8 and 16 bit, you would like to see in future releases. I will read the comments and it is quite possible that your game will be included in the next multi-game series.

See you soon, friends! There are plans to launch two more pilot sections ahead, so stay tuned!

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