Classic Games - Atomic Robokid (Megadrive)

[SuperDanX]

It is ninja combat, i used to have that issue and gazed longingly at it for many an hour,despite the poor review it got within.

[Polygon Window]

Yeah, I also seem to remember nearly all of the early AES games getting proper slagged off in MM...I recall one conspiracy theorist saying that the reason for this was because the MM staff probably never actually had the games to review in the first place, just a few screenshots and the word of some game importer to go by.

Sure some of them were a bit weak in places but I'm sure I remember them saying that Nam1975 was crap, as was Magicain Lord, not just average or okay but crap as in like 24% Overall score!

I, along with most readers at the time nervously laughed at those scores and whilst secretly wanting to play Ninja Combat and the like, I comforted myself with my MD and my bundled copy of Altered Beast.

Looking back with the aid of actually playing those AES titles, those early games really aren't as bad as they made out, considering the year we was in at the time.

[SuperDanX]

Magician lord and Nam1975 got the hightest scores actually! But even then it was only mid 70% ish the other game ninja combat,cyberlip,riding hero, super spy,top players golf got the low marks in mid 20% they came across as they marked the games down because of the price they always did that and c&vg was worse! Anyway Atomic robo kid....

[djjimbob]

Atomic Robokid - I remember this on the C64. Quite a good game, but got a little frustrating later on.

I remember taking it back for a refund at Microbyte in Leeds. I argued it crashed on a late level every time - they asked me to prove it, so I monged about on it for half an hour deliberately dying until they asked me to leave. With money in hand

[Polygon Window]

Yeah back on topic, I never really looked twice at ARK on the MD, there was something about the main character I just didn't like. I was never really a huge fan of shooters anyway back then but Gynoug and Thunderforce 3 were great and they managed to find their way into my collection.

Maybe I should give the little flying dustbin a second chance?

[Duddyroar]

Yeah, I also seem to remember nearly all of the early AES games getting proper slagged off in MM...I recall one conspiracy theorist saying that the reason for this was because the MM staff probably never actually had the games to review in the first place, just a few screenshots and the word of some game importer to go by

Mean Machines never reviewed NeoGeo games. They had a few letters from readers asking about them, which is when they usually posted a few screens, but they never actually reviewed any games. CVG did, maybe that's what you're thinking of? I remember that some of the early NeoGeo games, like Fatal Fury and King of Monsters, got really high marks, actually.

[Polygon Window]

My mistake, I thought it was MM but it could well have been C+VG, maybe I was just recalling the article that was in CGTC Vol.4 about Neo Geo games really being worth ?150.00?...that would make more sense.

I love old games magazines and I especially love the advertising inserts that used to come with some games, I have a huge Master System one somewhere that opens out and with the aid of a few tasty screenshots it lists loads of forthcoming SMS titles, Phantasy Star immediately gets me drooling.

[Leon Retro]

Mean Machines never reviewed NeoGeo games. They had a few letters from readers asking about them, which is when they usually posted a few screens, but they never actually reviewed any games. CVG did, maybe that's what you're thinking of? I remember that some of the early NeoGeo games, like Fatal Fury and King of Monsters, got really high marks, actually.

Yeah.. CVG really liked the Neo. I remember they went crazy for King Of The Monsters and Ninja Commando. I can't remember the guys name that always seemed to review them, but he was the over-weight older guy.

Nam75 is quite a poor game imo and I wouldn't award it more than 60% at best. I think some of the low-marks were justified and show's the journo's weren't suckers for everything with a NeoGeo sticker on.

It's a shame CVG went down hill so quickly after 96- it really was a magazine that enjoyed getting to grips with all the latest games and reviewing them in an enthusiastic manner!

[Duddyroar]

Nam75 is quite a poor game imo and I wouldn't award it more than 60% at best. I think some of the low-marks were justified and show's the journo's weren't suckers for everything with a NeoGeo sticker on

I totally agree, as nice as the early NeoGeo titles were they weren't a massive step up from the 16-bit games in terms of gameplay. I would have been pretty annoyed if I'd have paid ?150 for Nam 1975 back then. But then I suppose paying all that money made sure you tried to get as much enjoyment as possible out of your purchase! Which is probably why some of those early titles are so fondly remembered by Neo fans.

It's a shame CVG went down hill so quickly after 96- it really was a magazine that enjoyed getting to grips with all the latest games and reviewing them in an enthusiastic manner!

Yeah. 96 CVG was amazing, Paul Davies and his team worked wonders on that magazine.

[Commander Marklar]

I like Atomic Robo Kid. Although, naturally, on the PC-Engine (Special!) rather than the MD... it's like a boss-rush kind of game with the same levels looping around and just getting harder like. Same bosses, tougher than the last time.

It's just keeps rolling on. I was trying to thing of something I could equate it too and I suppose it is a little like a Warioware-style game that's the same core mechanic, gets faster/harder with the same stuff and the player just needs to keep up. I like that although I've no idea if there is an ending or not though

[buckrogers]

I read and re-read every copy of C+VG that I owned back in the early nineties. I single handedly blame C+VG for me not fulfilling my potential as an astro-physicist.

[SUMIRE]

The complete guide to video games....yes I have that, it was a C+VG giveaway, small book with silver cover and a space invader on the front. I too thought it was a great read.

[SuperDanX]

Thats something altogether diffent that book was given away as a 10th anniversery freebie and covers the history of video games. The compleate guide to consoles was a c+vg spin off magazine.

[vertigo]

it's like a boss-rush kind of game with the same levels looping around and just getting harder like. Same bosses, tougher than the last time. It's just keeps rolling on. I was trying to thing of something I could equate it too

Warning Forever, perhaps?
I'm dead interested in this now, but having just bought Sol Feace and Magical Flying Hat Turbo Adventure, which I have to disguise as Christmas presents for now, I'm going to have to not buy Atomic Robokid just yet.

[Duddyroar]

but having just bought Sol Feace and Magical Flying Hat Turbo Adventure

Sol Feace is painfully average, the Mega CD version is the one to own, and that's purely for the anime intro (which still impresses me even today, even though nothing much actually happens in it).

Magical Flying Hat on the other hand...what a game. Best platformer on the machine, IMO.