Sega Power's Top 211 Sega Master System Games of All Time (Part 3: #150 - #126)

#150: Gauntlet

60% “A great conversion. The game may be starting to show its age in gameplay terms, but it's still jolly good. Gauntlet was one of the first games to launch a thousand clones and there's usually a good reason for copying a game. Not as good a game as Impossible Mission because you rarely need to think too much, but you can't go wrong if you like simple gameplay.”

#149: Enduro Racer

61% “A fun race game that's just too easy to finish. A two-player head-to-head option would have been a real belter, but ...”

#148: Line of Fire

62% “Line of Fire isn't a very accurate rendition of the arcade game. Instead of the original 3D perspective of the coin-op, you get a rather simple vertically-scrolling shoot ‘em up which doesn't really stand out from the crowd. It's good, but there's not enough here to keep you going for very long.”

#147: Chase HQ II: Special Criminal Investigations

62% “Hot pursuit all the way, but true race fans might be disappointed by the lack of any real speed-rush. Still, Special Criminal Investigations is addictive in a belting along ‘n gun-blazing kinda way.”

#146: Vigilante

62% “A smart arcade conversion that delivers plenty of bodies to kick, but in an uninspired fashion. Too simple, too easy.”

#145: Cloud Master

63% “Straightforward blasting action with an oriental twist. Smooth, slick and smart, this zapper should have you tearing your hair out – but keep you glued to your joystick.”

#144: Disney's Aladdin

63% “Not awful, just a bit dull and lifeless in every area except graphics and presentation. Surprisingly meek for a game that's based on an all-singing and dancing movie.”

#143: Cosmic Spacehead

64% “Something you're unlikely to play again once you've solved it. And that doesn't take long. Brief glimpses of imagination show potential, but it's currently underachieving.”

#142: Cyborg Hunter

64% “Once the novelty has worn off, the run-about-and-blast-em-up-a-bit gameplay proves to be standard fare, but the mission is detailed and very long. Collecting the right bits in sequence is a tall order, and staying alive long enough for the effort to have been worthwhile even taller.”

#141: Dynamite Dux

64% “Probably the closest conversion EVER for the Master System, Dynamite Dux suffers only from being far too easy to finish. Great for young gamers and anyone who is completely poo at playing games, though.”

#140: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance

64% “Although a very nice-looking game, Heroes of the Lance ultimately sacrifices speed for the 16-bit quality graphics. While it has hidden benefits for those willing to persist, the difficulty in getting the darn thing moving is very likely to put off a lot of people. Worth it if you're the patient sort.”

#139: Olympic Gold

64% “A decent but uninspired game that could have offered a lot, lot more. The challenge could've been bigger too and more varied. Still comes recommended, though.”

#138: Rocky

64% “Certainly not the best game around, though not a complete disaster, especially in two-player mode. If you want a boxing game and you're a fan of the film, you could do a lot worse than this one. The game lacks depth, but it's good for playing for 10 minutes every so often.”

#137: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

65% “One of the better film tie-ins to have appeared and it stands up as a game in its own right. However, it relies heavily on simple timing problems to beef up the gameplay. Fans of the character will enjoy being him, but if you're looking for a good, involving platform game there are better ones around.”

#136: Taz-Mania

65% “Sega have tried hard to make the game work on the Master System, but too much has been stripped out, and what's left isn't strong enough to keep you coming back.”

#135: American Baseball

67% “A smart sport simulation and a huge improvement over Great Baseball. Fans of the game will go nuts! Enjoyable two-player action makes it a worthwhile choice, although non-Baseball freaks might find it a bit short on variety.”

#134: Batman Returns

67% “The puzzling action provides quite a tough challenge in the short term. After a week or so, however, you'll have memorized the levels' rigid patterns and the fun'll be over.”

#133: Heavyweight Champ

67% “I really like boxing games, and this is a good one – or it would be if it wasn't so easy to beat in one-player mode. I'm sure I'm beginning to say this more and more about games. Oh well. Get a friend to slug it out with and you'll get a lot more mileage from it than you will on your own.”

#132: Aztec Adventure

68% “If you liked Golvellius, then you'll get a few kicks from Aztec Adventure since it's more of the same, but simplified. A tough little arcade adventure which should keep you thrashing around for some time.”

#131: Golden Axe Warrior

68% “A bit strange one this. There's plenty to do in the game, though the action's a bit repetitive, but unless you're really into the sort of thing you'll find the addiction wears off quickly. It's worth saying again, this game's nothing like the original Golden Axe, so bear that in mind.”

#130: Psychic World

68% “This is a neat, unpretentious little game that's fun to play if you're just getting into arcade adventures. It hasn't got anything in it of the Mickey Mouse class, but then it doesn't profess to. I liked it, despite its lack of innovative features or inspired gameplay.”

#129: Spy vs. Spy

68% “Unusual gameplay, which is reasonably good fun for two head-hunting enemies, but not terribly entertaining for the solo spy. Playing the Sega is a laugh, but you have to be dead good or you'll just be plain dead.”

#128: World Tournament Golf

68% “Smart, smooth and snappy – that's the verdict. The lack of any approachable sounds and main golfing sprites is rather sad, but the overhead view is pretty good.”

#127: Assault City

69% “Smart, no-holds-barred blast ‘em up. Not brilliant, but fine for pure action addicts. Assault City is a fun blast, but when it's pushing your reflexes, the old grey cells will be off relaxing on holiday. Recommended for high-powered combat freaks only!”

#126: Marble Madness

69% “Forget the Mega version – this stands up on its own. Not much lasting appeal and lacking a two-player mode, but harder than a week-old Wispa and very playable.”