donproject
2002
Nicky Grist!
CMR 3 was definitely my first extended experience with rally gaming. Fun fact: I've always used the sticks or even the D-pad on controllers to do racing games, even today! At any rate, Colin McRae Rally leans towards the arcade side of things and doesn't really have a career building mode or anything, just a championship or regular old rallies. It's good time and decent to play, although rally games have come a long way since then. This one has all the things you need: co-driver notes and some twisty roads. The car physics are... fine for the time, but a little ice-rinky and lacking a lot of feeling, which was fine for the day. The overall design and fun factor make this game potentially enjoyable even for non-rally fans.
6 left into caution jump into rally!
Review from thedonproject.com
CMR 3 was definitely my first extended experience with rally gaming. Fun fact: I've always used the sticks or even the D-pad on controllers to do racing games, even today! At any rate, Colin McRae Rally leans towards the arcade side of things and doesn't really have a career building mode or anything, just a championship or regular old rallies. It's good time and decent to play, although rally games have come a long way since then. This one has all the things you need: co-driver notes and some twisty roads. The car physics are... fine for the time, but a little ice-rinky and lacking a lot of feeling, which was fine for the day. The overall design and fun factor make this game potentially enjoyable even for non-rally fans.
6 left into caution jump into rally!
Review from thedonproject.com
2003
I'm going to be honest: I couldn't remember which FIFA's I played on PS2, so I can't guarantee I've ever actually played this.
I'm pretty sure I didn't play any of the early versions of FIFA, but the ones after this also look different than I remember. The gameplay of this one looks familiar and the announcers are the ones I think I remember... I don't know, these games are basically all the same until they drastically change the controls later in the series. '04 makes some big graphical changes and is more of the incremental improvements you'd expect from an EA Sports series. I mean, it was a pretty good marketing decision to get into sports games that you released every year with the new players and not many other changes, right?
Anyhow, the games are pretty fun and the real draw is getting to play your favorite team or players. The control and gameplay is fine and not too annoying, except when it is!
Sports!
Review from thedonproject.com
I'm pretty sure I didn't play any of the early versions of FIFA, but the ones after this also look different than I remember. The gameplay of this one looks familiar and the announcers are the ones I think I remember... I don't know, these games are basically all the same until they drastically change the controls later in the series. '04 makes some big graphical changes and is more of the incremental improvements you'd expect from an EA Sports series. I mean, it was a pretty good marketing decision to get into sports games that you released every year with the new players and not many other changes, right?
Anyhow, the games are pretty fun and the real draw is getting to play your favorite team or players. The control and gameplay is fine and not too annoying, except when it is!
Sports!
Review from thedonproject.com
2000
Unnnnnnggggghhhhh...
We had this game at our punk house for some reason. I think my housemate liked it a lot. Well, it is annoying. You just run around smashing things and having the game announcer yell his narration at you while the absolutely terrible sound effects play. I feel like this maybe was supposed to be a PS1 game or something? The graphics are poor and the game play, as mentioned, is annoying and repetitive. I guess there's, like, secrets and crap and maybe the 3-D view was sort of groundbreaking, but in general I'd probably never play this game again, if given the opportunity.
Crystal noise.
Review from thedonproject.com
We had this game at our punk house for some reason. I think my housemate liked it a lot. Well, it is annoying. You just run around smashing things and having the game announcer yell his narration at you while the absolutely terrible sound effects play. I feel like this maybe was supposed to be a PS1 game or something? The graphics are poor and the game play, as mentioned, is annoying and repetitive. I guess there's, like, secrets and crap and maybe the 3-D view was sort of groundbreaking, but in general I'd probably never play this game again, if given the opportunity.
Crystal noise.
Review from thedonproject.com
1988
Can I get ripped and turn into a frickin' monster just by kicking wolves in the head? POWER UP!
Look, the motions are a bit wonky and everything feels kind of slow in this game. The graphics are fine most of the time and you got it for free with your early-version Genesis, so tons of people have definitely played this (or the arcade version). The transformation cutscenes are great, the digitized voices are somehow both funny and pretty good. I remember it being pretty tough to beat, but I've never been much of an action game expert.
You're definitely going to have to use your best late-80's imagination to fill in the awesomeness of this game, but it does a fair job of entertaining and is definitely worth a shot.
WELCOME TO YOUR DOOM!
Review from thedonproject.com
Look, the motions are a bit wonky and everything feels kind of slow in this game. The graphics are fine most of the time and you got it for free with your early-version Genesis, so tons of people have definitely played this (or the arcade version). The transformation cutscenes are great, the digitized voices are somehow both funny and pretty good. I remember it being pretty tough to beat, but I've never been much of an action game expert.
You're definitely going to have to use your best late-80's imagination to fill in the awesomeness of this game, but it does a fair job of entertaining and is definitely worth a shot.
WELCOME TO YOUR DOOM!
Review from thedonproject.com
1992
Why is a game about dolphins so difficult?
It looks so great, though! Fast dolphin swimming, foreboding Genesis synth soundtrack, jumps and sonar blasting... this game is very unique and pretty badass. It's probably technically more of a puzzle game than an action game, so lots of folks were fooled into picking this up thinking they could just cruise around the ocean and blast sharks with sonar or whatever but really you had to solve tough and non-intuitive puzzles to find crystals, rescue other dolphins, and... travel to the future or space to fight aliens or something? This thing is wild.
Oh, I get it! It's because dolphins are so smart, so the game makers think players are some kind of super geniuses! Hint: They aren't.
Review from thedonproject.com
It looks so great, though! Fast dolphin swimming, foreboding Genesis synth soundtrack, jumps and sonar blasting... this game is very unique and pretty badass. It's probably technically more of a puzzle game than an action game, so lots of folks were fooled into picking this up thinking they could just cruise around the ocean and blast sharks with sonar or whatever but really you had to solve tough and non-intuitive puzzles to find crystals, rescue other dolphins, and... travel to the future or space to fight aliens or something? This thing is wild.
Oh, I get it! It's because dolphins are so smart, so the game makers think players are some kind of super geniuses! Hint: They aren't.
Review from thedonproject.com
1989
AAAAAAAH!
I don't think I ever owned this game, actually, but I might have rented it a few times or played the arcade version. The game could also be getting confused with tons of others that are like it where you have some side-scrolling, then the screen pauses and you fight some things, and then you are told to "GO!" to the next part where you fight some things and then you keep on doing that until you probably die. This one also has magic and a bunch of fighting moves. The sounds, though. Absolutely ridiculous. The music is fine. Every time you are injured or an enemy dies, though, the music pauses and there is an over-the-top static-y scream of pain. Silly.
AAAAAAAAAAH!
Review from thedonproject.com
I don't think I ever owned this game, actually, but I might have rented it a few times or played the arcade version. The game could also be getting confused with tons of others that are like it where you have some side-scrolling, then the screen pauses and you fight some things, and then you are told to "GO!" to the next part where you fight some things and then you keep on doing that until you probably die. This one also has magic and a bunch of fighting moves. The sounds, though. Absolutely ridiculous. The music is fine. Every time you are injured or an enemy dies, though, the music pauses and there is an over-the-top static-y scream of pain. Silly.
AAAAAAAAAAH!
Review from thedonproject.com
1989
Frantic bullet hell weirdo spaceship chaos!
Oh man, this game was tough. I definitely never got to the second top-down level. But I distinctly remember whiling away several hours attempting not to die by some stray bullet/laser I never saw coming. I probably used up most of my lifetime allotment of heartbeats getting pumped up by the manically fast synth music and an onslaught of floaty aliens trying to blow up my unstoppable spaceship. I mean, literally unstoppable. The choice to make the ship never stop moving, the million enemies and their bullets, the devastating maps to navigate, the annoying and constant shooting noises, and the bonkers music all combine to make this an unforgettable torture, for sure.
I'd probably play it again, though.
Review from thedonproject.com
Oh man, this game was tough. I definitely never got to the second top-down level. But I distinctly remember whiling away several hours attempting not to die by some stray bullet/laser I never saw coming. I probably used up most of my lifetime allotment of heartbeats getting pumped up by the manically fast synth music and an onslaught of floaty aliens trying to blow up my unstoppable spaceship. I mean, literally unstoppable. The choice to make the ship never stop moving, the million enemies and their bullets, the devastating maps to navigate, the annoying and constant shooting noises, and the bonkers music all combine to make this an unforgettable torture, for sure.
I'd probably play it again, though.
Review from thedonproject.com
What if Space Invaders had more colors, was way faster, and capitalized on the longstanding cold war between the world's super powers? Well, friends, you'd have the game Communist Mutants From Space!
Look, Space Invaders may have started it and Galaga/Galaxian might have perfected it, but how else can we get 7 year old children to rally against a political ideology we barely even understand but know is "bad" because... well, obviously aliens brought it from space, so we've got to blow it up.
Okay, okay, this is a pretty solid Starpath Supercharger game. It is just a "shoot space monsters that come at you vertically", basically, but the fast pace, increasing difficulty, and the varied goals of the gameplay (blow up the mutants, but also blow up the top alien egg-layer, oh, and don't get shot!). The extra colors that the supercharger brings are great, the fun extra options are a nice twist and the game is generally fun. I particularly like the tones when you start a new life, for some reason. I wish there were some more sounds for blowing up the mutants, but in general there's not a lot to complain about here.
Once in high school, a military recruiter responded to my jeers with "When I'm out killing commies I won't be doing it for you." I think maybe he was talking about this game?
Review from thedonproject.com
Look, Space Invaders may have started it and Galaga/Galaxian might have perfected it, but how else can we get 7 year old children to rally against a political ideology we barely even understand but know is "bad" because... well, obviously aliens brought it from space, so we've got to blow it up.
Okay, okay, this is a pretty solid Starpath Supercharger game. It is just a "shoot space monsters that come at you vertically", basically, but the fast pace, increasing difficulty, and the varied goals of the gameplay (blow up the mutants, but also blow up the top alien egg-layer, oh, and don't get shot!). The extra colors that the supercharger brings are great, the fun extra options are a nice twist and the game is generally fun. I particularly like the tones when you start a new life, for some reason. I wish there were some more sounds for blowing up the mutants, but in general there's not a lot to complain about here.
Once in high school, a military recruiter responded to my jeers with "When I'm out killing commies I won't be doing it for you." I think maybe he was talking about this game?
Review from thedonproject.com
1982
Nostalgia plays a heavy role in this review, for sure.
This game is incredibly important but very few folks have played it! My first RPG and probably the first console RPG of all time. I don't remember if I beat the game or not, maybe I got to the final battle, but I definitely played this a lot. It began my love of RPG's and RPG-like story-based games. It is annoying and grinding at times, and the graphics are nothing spectacular, but the introduction fo the menu-based mechanics and turn-based fighting was key to my enjoyment of the strategy of these types of games. Okay, the story isn't very clear or great (you're going to fight a dragon to get a piece of jewelry?), but like I said: revolutionary!
Plus, that name... DragonSTOMPER. Amazing.
Review from thedonproject.com
This game is incredibly important but very few folks have played it! My first RPG and probably the first console RPG of all time. I don't remember if I beat the game or not, maybe I got to the final battle, but I definitely played this a lot. It began my love of RPG's and RPG-like story-based games. It is annoying and grinding at times, and the graphics are nothing spectacular, but the introduction fo the menu-based mechanics and turn-based fighting was key to my enjoyment of the strategy of these types of games. Okay, the story isn't very clear or great (you're going to fight a dragon to get a piece of jewelry?), but like I said: revolutionary!
Plus, that name... DragonSTOMPER. Amazing.
Review from thedonproject.com
Was this the first 3-D first-person "dungeon" game? Maybe?
I loved this game. Puzzles and traps and mazes all ensconced in first-person 3-D walls and hectic beeping signifying how close the one murderous monster is to you. Mini-games, as well, with amazing start/end jingles! It's a pretty intense and tough game, but I remember winning the game as a young one, though I can't find any complete playthroughs on the internet to verify my hazy memory (maybe I should make one?). At any rate, this tough little game was fun for a tiny nerd such as myself who liked to test memory and reflexes as well as a bit of strategy and stealth.
Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beepbeepbeepbeepbeep.
Review from thedonproject.com
I loved this game. Puzzles and traps and mazes all ensconced in first-person 3-D walls and hectic beeping signifying how close the one murderous monster is to you. Mini-games, as well, with amazing start/end jingles! It's a pretty intense and tough game, but I remember winning the game as a young one, though I can't find any complete playthroughs on the internet to verify my hazy memory (maybe I should make one?). At any rate, this tough little game was fun for a tiny nerd such as myself who liked to test memory and reflexes as well as a bit of strategy and stealth.
Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beepbeepbeepbeepbeep.
Review from thedonproject.com
1982
Yeah, Breakout on the Atari 2600 is fine, but what if you had better graphics and more interesting levels? You'd have Fireball!
Okay, Fireball is just a fancier Breakout. It still uses the dumb old paddle controller, but it has some extra modes and the increased ROM of the Supercharger allows for a tiny amount of story to be added to the game. You see, in this version, you're some kind of fire juggler and shooting the ball at the blocks. If you drop one, out comes the hook and off the stage you go. It's not the best story, but the added modes and variation of this Breakout clone give it some extra juice, for sure.
Don't drop the Fireball!
Review from thedonproject.com
Okay, Fireball is just a fancier Breakout. It still uses the dumb old paddle controller, but it has some extra modes and the increased ROM of the Supercharger allows for a tiny amount of story to be added to the game. You see, in this version, you're some kind of fire juggler and shooting the ball at the blocks. If you drop one, out comes the hook and off the stage you go. It's not the best story, but the added modes and variation of this Breakout clone give it some extra juice, for sure.
Don't drop the Fireball!
Review from thedonproject.com
1981
This review is for the Starpath Atari 2600 version...
A solid port of a good arcade game!
The Starpath port of Frogger is pretty darn close to the arcade game, even though it is on the 2600. They do include the race car row speeding up pretty early, which makes this game slightly tougher. Also, you have to play it with the Atari joysticks, which are not as good as the arcade sticks. However, the music and graphics are pretty comparable and you don't have to blast quarters at it when you die, so... good job, programmers!
All the fun of a heart attack at home!
Review from thedonproject.com
A solid port of a good arcade game!
The Starpath port of Frogger is pretty darn close to the arcade game, even though it is on the 2600. They do include the race car row speeding up pretty early, which makes this game slightly tougher. Also, you have to play it with the Atari joysticks, which are not as good as the arcade sticks. However, the music and graphics are pretty comparable and you don't have to blast quarters at it when you die, so... good job, programmers!
All the fun of a heart attack at home!
Review from thedonproject.com
1983
Not as good as Defender, but not as hard!
Okay, Starpath, you gave it a shot, but you all definitely did not capture the magic of defender. This game is slower by a long shot, less graphically impressive, and actually a little less fun because of it. There are times in the early levels where you're just waiting for ships to appear and it gets a little boring, actually. The best graphic effect is when you get killed and the whole screen flashes. The addition of overheating weapons is a cool feature, but comes at the sacrifice of saving people and saving people is more exciting than limiting your shooting, for sure. This was probably one of the least played Starpath games we had, I'm afraid. It's not completely terrible, though!
... More like "Mildly Dangerous and Sort of Boring Satellites", am I right?
Review from thedonproject.com
Okay, Starpath, you gave it a shot, but you all definitely did not capture the magic of defender. This game is slower by a long shot, less graphically impressive, and actually a little less fun because of it. There are times in the early levels where you're just waiting for ships to appear and it gets a little boring, actually. The best graphic effect is when you get killed and the whole screen flashes. The addition of overheating weapons is a cool feature, but comes at the sacrifice of saving people and saving people is more exciting than limiting your shooting, for sure. This was probably one of the least played Starpath games we had, I'm afraid. It's not completely terrible, though!
... More like "Mildly Dangerous and Sort of Boring Satellites", am I right?
Review from thedonproject.com
1983
Is this maybe the original party game? Well, it's the first I played, at least!
This one is pretty weird, there's a medieval-themed tug-of-war game, a wizard shooting gallery game, a race of bees?, a race of old west train track pump cart things, and a factory game of putting packages on conveyor belts. It's old school couch co-op, so you need a friend or three to play... which explains why I didn't play this one all that much when we had the Atari and the Supercharger. You get the extra graphics and sounds of the Supercharger, so the graphics are pretty decent and the digitized public domain songs are solid. A few of the games are challenging to control, but the real competition is whoever you play against, so, you know, play against younger siblings and feel like a boss or play some gamers and get all shouty. Up to you.
Party party party!
Review from thedonproject.com
This one is pretty weird, there's a medieval-themed tug-of-war game, a wizard shooting gallery game, a race of bees?, a race of old west train track pump cart things, and a factory game of putting packages on conveyor belts. It's old school couch co-op, so you need a friend or three to play... which explains why I didn't play this one all that much when we had the Atari and the Supercharger. You get the extra graphics and sounds of the Supercharger, so the graphics are pretty decent and the digitized public domain songs are solid. A few of the games are challenging to control, but the real competition is whoever you play against, so, you know, play against younger siblings and feel like a boss or play some gamers and get all shouty. Up to you.
Party party party!
Review from thedonproject.com
1979
I mean, it is what it is, right? It's tic-tac-toe, but there are four levels of 4x4 grids and you can win IN 3-D!
This game has a lot going against it. The sounds are terrible, even for Atari. Basically a beep for placing an X or O, some little explode-y sound for moving around, and a very annoying alarm when you or the computer wins. The game is not super fun and gets boring quick if you're good, or boring quick if you're bad. I'm pretty sure my siblings never played this with me or each other, but even that gets old quick.
Pass.
Review from thedonproject.com
This game has a lot going against it. The sounds are terrible, even for Atari. Basically a beep for placing an X or O, some little explode-y sound for moving around, and a very annoying alarm when you or the computer wins. The game is not super fun and gets boring quick if you're good, or boring quick if you're bad. I'm pretty sure my siblings never played this with me or each other, but even that gets old quick.
Pass.
Review from thedonproject.com