Sega SG-1000 Round-Up #7

It's been far too long since I last visited Sega's splendid début console, thanks in the most part to my oafishness, but finally I have returned after checking out another selection of titles. The games were selected largely at random but fortunately they represent a decent range of styles and mostly include games I haven't played before. Here is how I got on with my latest five choices:

Hyper Sports (1985)

I was surprised to find this famous multi-event sports title in the SG's library since Konami have rarely given much support to Sega over the years. It turns out it's rather different to the arcade version and many of its conversions though, instead bearing resemblance only to the MSX version. Accordingly it has just the four events - diving, long horse, trampoline, horizontal bar - and... well, they're not easy, at least for me. Only the d-pad and one action button are used so the controls are at least simple but no matter how much I wiggle my d-pad (snigger?) I can't seem to make the guy move very quickly. Maybe I don't have a suitable pad for a game like this, maybe I'm just crap. You can't choose events either - they are in a set order and you have to reach a qualification score to advance to the next. I just about managed to squeak through the first time around though, and it's clear the game is pretty good fun at first, though it soon gets repetitive. It's therefore a shame it lost some events. The graphics are okay though, virtually identical to the MSX version, in fact, and there aren't really any alternatives on the SG anyway... 6/10

Champion Baseball (1983)

Like the MS with its 'Great' series of sports titles, the SG before it has a similar series - the 'Champion' games, and this is the first of them I've had a proper look at. Sadly, it's a baseball game which is a sport I couldn't give a poop about in real life. It's a very basic game even for its day too - there are no options besides one or two player start, the players are stick figures, they move slower than limbless sloths, and it's just whiffy all round really. I was, however, mildly startled to find that it's actually a conversion of an Alpha Denshi arcade game, and it's actually not a bad one either, all things considered. That's not to say I now like it, but more that the arcade and SG versions are both whiffy. If I was a baseball fan living in Japan in the early-to-mid 80s, I might've have gotten some enjoyment out of this title I guess, but as a portly, middle-aged oaf living in a deliberately baseball-free environment, I have not. It's interesting from a historical perspective but that's about it... 2/10

Sinbad Mystery (1983)

I think I expected this one to be a platform/puzzle game or even a basic RPG of some sort but no, it's actually an overhead-viewed maze game, and a conversion of a Sega arcade title too, no less! How many more of their games don't I know about? Anyway, this one is unusual in that it has multi-tiered stages; aside from that it's just business as usual - i.e. collect all the things (question marks, in this case), and then a flashing lamp will appear and you have to grab it before an angry flashing skull catches you. Then onto the next stage and so on. You can push boulders into enemies to kill them but they respawn almost immediately so you might as well just focus on grabbing the things. There are only three unique mazes to get through before they repeat so it won't take too long to see everything this one has to offer, even with the slightly irritating controls which demand great accuracy when turning down paths. It's not a bad conversion though - the graphics are recognisable (even if some of the colour schemes are a bit garish) and the music is catchy, so if collecty-maze games are your bag (baby), then this is a passable example of its day... 6/10

Elevator Action (1985)

As much as I love Taito, I've never been super keen on this game. Not that I had played it all that much, I must admit, but I've actually quite enjoyed playing this version for this feature. You play as a secret agent whose objective is to make his way down a series of skyscrapers while collecting 'secret documents' as he goes. Enemy agents are plenty and can be shot (they aren't shy about shooting at you either) but they're also, as far as I can tell, infinite so it's better to avoid them where possible. Get to the bottom of the building with all the secret documents and you can escape... until you immediately have to tackle the next building! It may be a bit repetitive - what wasn't in those days? - but it's also a challenging and addictive platformer. It's a reasonable enough conversion too. The graphics are very typically SG-stylee and the music is a decent rendition of the arcade choon, and the controls and general gameplay are faithful enough too. It's puzzling why I didn't like this game until now... 8/10

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns (198?)

There are an alarming number of classics that I never got around to playing but even I've played David Crane's Pitfall! I had not, however, ever played its sequel. Both games were originally made for the VCS, so basically any other version is going to look at least a little better. In theory, at least. This SG version does look rather VCS-ish though. It doesn't even feature many of the SG's trademark colours, although you might say that makes a nice change. The game itself is rather good too, although the layout here is totally different. Many hazards and features from the first game return though, and the sequel is significantly larger and more varied, with lots of underground sections to explore (hence the name), and there is some new stuff too. There are even watery bits that Harry can swim in, although puddles still kill him, obviously! Oddly, if you know the game inside out, it can actually be completed quicker than the original, but the greater variety here does make it more enjoyable for me. There's a catchy main tune and a few jingles to keep you company this time as well. I suppose purists will always prefer the VCS version but this one is a welcome member of the SG-1000 club if you ask me... 7/10

Red Parsley will be back with some more SG-1000 mini-reviews soon! :)