Sega Genesis Mini Part 5

Gunstar Heroes

I remember playing this game as a kid.  Another tough as nails game in the vein of Contra.  I also remember not getting anywhere in it.  I did finish a couple of levels this time, all thanks to save states, and one level had a boss with like six different stages.  I can only imagine being frustrated having to do that one over and over again.  What makes Gunstar Heroes stand out in a way though are its weapon modifications, styles of gunplay as you can shoot while moving or stay planted, and level selection at the very beginning.  My favorite mod is the homing laser that just sticks to an enemy as long as you hold down B.  Made focusing on dodging bosses that much easier.  This is going to be one of the games I plan on finishing at a later date. 

Mega Man: The Wily Wars

Wow, first off, let's note the MA-13 rating on the box.  That's equivalent to T today.  I didn't realize a non-graphic violence game like Mega Man would have been suggested for 13 and over.  Anyway, I forgot Wily Wars was a Mega Man 1-3 collection.  I thought it was a brand new Mega Man for the Genesis.  Supposedly, though, there's a brand new boss made just for this version that requires you beating Mega Man 1-3.  I beat 2 and 3 when I was a kid, but never finished the first.  Not looking forward to trying again.  I played Cut Man's stage from 1, Metal Man's stage from 2 and Top Man's stage from 3.  The graphics do seem touched up a bit.  I have the entire Mega Man collection on the GameCube, though, so I doubt I'll be coming back to this one.  If I'm going to invest any playtime in a Mega Man collection, it's going to be toward the entire package. 

Kid Chameleon 

Well, I was liking this game until I ended up getting stuck at the third level.  There was a long shaft up and I couldn't find any way up it.  The game plays a little like Super Mario Bros. because it involves smashing bricks with his head.  There's also special power ups that put him in different suits that gives him different abilities to fight enemies with, and I'm guessing there's a power up that lets me get up this shaft, but if there is, I can't find it.  So, I got mad stuck in the third level, and the game boasts more than 100 levels?  Not sure if I'd ever have the patience for this game. 

Edit: Ok, so right after I typed this, I played around a little more and found out one of the suits has a climbing ability.  And this just illustrates a flaw with the Genesis Mini: We need virtual manuals. 

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

Before there was Kingdom Hearts,... there was Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse?  This may not be the first Disney game, but it's the first one I remember Genesis having.  I also remember going to my friend's house to play it all the time.  It still kinda holds up today.  The animations are no where near the level of, say, Aladdin and Lion King (strangely missing on the Genesis Mini), but the gameplay's still solid.  I finished one of the levels and didn't make it through the second, but I'm going to add this to my list of games to finish on the Mini at some point.

Dynamite Headdy

Dynamite Headdy was probably one of the most unique Genesis games I ever played.  I also had it when I was a kid and I remember liking it a lot.  Playing it again, I think it still kinda holds up well.  One thing I love about it is all the variety of levels and gameplay it has.  It's one of those "WTF is going on?!" type games.  Plus, any action game that lets me attack in eight directions gets a bonus from me.  The graphics are very colorful and the designs are playful.  I also love that there's a ton of different power ups for Dynamite Headdy.  I'm not sure if I've ever beat the game before, though, so this will be one that I'll eventually try to beat.  It has limited continues, though, so I'll be using save states.

Super Fantasy Zone

I've heard of Fantasy Zone before, and I'm not sure that I've played it before, but something felt oddly familiar when I saw the ship upon playing this version of Super Fantasy Zone.  It's a shooter, but it's not a forward moving shooter like most in the genre.  You go back and forth through the stage with the goal of taking down, I think it's like 10 big enemies while fighting off waves of smaller ones and then a boss at the end of each stage.  There's a floating shot that appears at times which allows you to equip your ship with upgrades, but it sucks that they don't last for very long.  I ended up using save states a lot in order to beat the first three stages.  It's not that hard, really, it's just that it can be very tricky if you aren't paying attention.  I may possibly finish this one.

Another round done. Another coming tomorrow.