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Playstation Reviews
Arc the Lad
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: 1995
  • Developer: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: Strategy/RPG
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Rating: 80/100

Best compared to Shining Force with the added innovation of being able to throw items and bombs. 2D graphics throughout. Playable but short.

Blockids
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Developer: N/A
  • Publisher: Athena
  • Game Type: 3D Ball and Paddle
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Rating: 30/100

Breakout with an adjustable camera. Decent graphics, but the game gets awfully dull around Stage 40.

Bomberman World
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: 1998
  • Developer: Hudson Soft
  • Publisher: Hudson Soft
  • Game Type: Isometric-View Action
  • Number of Players: 5
  • Rating: 70/100

A decent version of the classic party game, except that the characters are all rendered and everything is in a confusing isometric perspective. Utterly hideous graphically. The music is awesome but aside from that you'd be better off with the SNES or Saturn versions.

Bust A Move: Dance and Rhythm Action
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: 1998
  • Developer: Metro Frame Graphics
  • Publisher: Enix
  • Game Type: Sequence Repetition
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Rating: 80/100

Maybe it's not quite as funny as Parappa the Rapper (the only other competition in this category). But with a Vs. mode for two players (Parappa meets Street Fighter), it will keep you entertained far longer. It's also quite impressive graphically, with detailed characters and awesome polygonal stages. The music is pretty light fare, and since that's one of the most important parts of a dancing game that's a bit of a turnoff. But overall it's great fun.

Critical Blow
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: 1997
  • Developer: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: 2D Fighting
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Rating: 80/100

A polygonal fighter with 2D fighter mechanics. Plays a bit like Street Fighter EX, which is good, except that there's not much to set the games apart. You can set up your characters' attributes and even steal certain special moves from opponents, but that wears thin after a while. If you absolutely have to have something like EX and can't wait for Rival Schools, consider it.

Cyberbots
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: 1997
  • Developer: Capcom
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Game Type: 2D Fighting
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Rating: 70/100

I guess some fighters are better off unreleased in the U.S... This is a decent game except that mechs the size of small buildings simply can't look graceful doing hurricane kicks. Beautiful background graphics - entire buildings will collapse behind you as you fight; that's probably the game's best feature though. Capcom's worst fighter ever (but of course even Capcom's worst annihilates some other companies' best).

Dezaemon Plus
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Developer: Athena
  • Publisher: Athena
  • Game Type: 2D Shooter Design
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Rating: 50/100
Design your own overhead-view shooter, with your own music, graphics, and enemy behavior. A port of the Super Famicom game with virtually no improvements. Should still eat up many of your weekends if you like this sort of thing.

Vacuum Kids
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Developer: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Rating: 10/100

Disgustingly cute atmosphere, poor graphics, and hideous gameplay. Not worthy of rental, let alone import.

Vadims
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: 1996
  • Developer: ITC/Metro
  • Publisher: Softbank
  • Game Type: Puzzle
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Rating: 50/100

An intriguing Tetris clone where you must form diamonds from little half- diamond blocks. Avoids the cutesy atmosphere of most puzzle games but winds up being rather bland. Heavy on the strategy but not very addictive.

Zeiram Zone
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: 1996
  • Developer: N/A
  • Publisher: Banpresto
  • Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Rating: 50/100

A beautiful heroine uses Street Fighter special moves against hapless thugs in this polygonal brawler. The framerate could be better, and the gameplay more polished.
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Reviews © 1997/1998 Jay McGavren. © 1997/1998 Archaic Ruins