1. Streets of Rage 2 (Sega Genesis Mini)
2. The Ninja Warriors (Super Nintendo) [3x]
3. TMNT IV: Turtles in Time (Super Nintendo)
4. Golden Axe (Sega Genesis Mini) [3x]
5. Beyond Oasis (Sega Genesis Mini)
6. Super Double Dragon (Super Nintendo)
7. Shenmue II (Sega Dreamcast)
8. Shining Force 2 (Sega Genesis)
9. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (Super Nintendo)
10. ActRaiser (Super Nintendo)ActRaiser is a game I never owned when I was younger. My cousins had it, and I have good memories watching them play it. Recently, I picked up a copy and started playing it earlier in the week. This afternoon when I turned on the game, I realized my save file vanished -- the battery in the cartridge must have just died. Normally, I would be dismayed but due to being stuck inside while NYC is under a lockdown, I figured what the hell, I can try to finish it in one sitting.
I like that the game is a blend of two totally different styles. After each platforming level, you also have to complete a section of the simulation mode, which consists of building a town and helping the inhabitants with any number of issues. You'll also have to use your powers to adjust the landscape and protect the town from monsters. The simulation mode is not too in-depth, and I think that works well in this game. It's a nice balance between the simulation and the platforming, and the creators did a great job of integrating the two together, and having the simulation mode affect the main character's stats in the platforming areas.
The music in this game is great, and it's definitely one of my favorite soundtracks on the system. This might also be my second favorite work from Yuzo Koshiro, outside of Streets of Rage 2. The music for each platforming level sounds great, and the first level especially starts off with a good music score. The music for the simulation sections is relaxing, which fits well, and is a nice change from the platforming levels, which consist of pretty tense compositions.
My only major critique is the inclusion of the boss rush. It feels thrown in at the end. This took me a lot of tries to complete, and I definitely needed some luck to get through it. However, if you're able to get down the patterns for the bosses and can manage your magic correctly, so that it's only used on the more difficult battles, you can make it through.
Overall, this is a great game, the mechanics hold up really well after all this time. I highly recommend it! Eventually, I'd like to replace the battery in this cart and play through it again, at a more relaxed pace.