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| ####  #   # #####                                                |
|#      ## ##   #      Game Master Journal: The Internet Edition   |
|#  ### # # #   #                                                  |
|#    # #   #   #      ISSUE 32: For the week of October 3, 1993   |
| ####  #   # ###                                                  |
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            Street Fighter 2 Turbo and Mortal Kombat reviewed!

Ace's Angles
Super NES Reviews
   Super Mario All Stars
Genesis Reviews
   Jurassic Park, Shining Force
Sega CD Reviews
   Robo Aleste, Batman Returns
COVER STORY
   Clash of the Titans: Street Fighter 2 Turbo and Mortal Kombat
Warp Zone
   SF2T and MK codes not found ANYWHERE ELSE!

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| #   #  ### ####  ###    *     * *   *  ****  ***** ***** ******  |
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     Ah yes! Welcome gang to yet another installment of GMJ's Ace's
Angles.  (Here is where you can get info on GMJ and the rest of the
videogaming industry.)
     OKAY - here's the major story of the week..  Super SF2 has been
released in the arcades! This game KICKS! We'll have a FULL review in
our next issue, but here's some info:
     There are 4 new fighters named Cammy, Dee Jay, T.(Thunder)
Hawk and Fei Long.  Fei isn't related to Sheng.
     There are many MANY new moves, including a red fireball for Ken
and Ryu (that can be summoned at any time! It's not a glitch any
more!) A new Roll for Blanka, new air Throws for Zangief, and new
colors for everyone.
     It is SLOW..  about Champ's edition speed.  REAL slow.
     More info next week gang, I promise.

     Lets see...  oh yeah, one *little* thing.  The 3DO was released
this week too! It ALSO kicks! A Road-Rash-like game comes packed-in
called Crash and Burn.  Can you say, BLAZING FAST? The 3DO INFO
section returns in two weeks.

Well, that's enough for this week...  Go 1-2-3 Kid! Cya gang!

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]                                     |                            [
]  SUPER                              |  ARTWORK NEEDED!  EMAIL    [
]              NES                    |  shubert@usc.edu  OR       [
]                         REVIEWS     |  ace@ace.com FOR MORE INFO [
]                                     |                            [
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|TITLE:         |PUBLISHER  |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Super Mario   | Nintendo  | Adventure |16 MEG|0            80     |
| All Stars     |           |           |      |*****%%%%%@@@@------|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY:                 OTHER REVIEWERS                    |
|                                                                   |
| Aquarius    75          Instigator 75 Sr. Jnx    90 Ace        80 |
|                         ---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** |
|                                                                   |
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What can I say about this game without insulting your intelligence?
It's actually pretty simple.  It's Mario 1-3 three plus the addition
of "The Lost Levels" which was the Japanese version of part 2 all
shoved into one cart.

Nintendo has once again wasted their time doing a spin off or
"insert" type game instead of working on some new and innovative
software.

Mario All stars lets you select to play all 4 versions one at a time
or go through all of the levels as one gigantic adventure.  The
backgrounds, graphics, sounds and everything else have been enhanced.
However, none of today's 16 bit standards have been met here at all.

All of the warps, bridges, enemies and boxes are in the same old
place, moving the same old way so it is a direct translation with no
changes in the actual game.

The game features a special level only accessible if you complete the
game starting from part one with out saving it or continuing it.
This is the only real feature worth anything at all since it is only
all new level.  You also have the option to save the game at any
time.

For anyone thinking of purchasing this game, please only do it if you
fit into the following categories:

1) You are a die hard Mario fan and you want to relive old memories
in 16 bit form.

2) You have never played The Lost Levels and you think that alone is
worth it.

3) You have never played any of the old Mario games and now you can
get all of them looking better than they ever have before at a low
price.

Instigator - 75
Da Phunky Pheel One refused to comment on this one so I had to get
out of bed and write down my thoughts.  I will make it simple: Waste
of time if you played and/or have the other mario games.  Great buy
if you have not.

Sr. Jnx - 90
I loved the old Mario games and I love this cart.  I was able to do
it all over again in 16 bit style and echoing sound effects.  I am
just a little disappointed Nintendo is not making many original
titles anymore...  Another thing, what would it have cost them to add
Super Mario Land as well?

Ace - 80
Well, maybe that should read Lost Levels 95, rest of cart 75, average
of 80.  I liked it, but it's nothing we have not seen before.  One
BIG plus everyone is missing here..  the SNES Game Genie! NEW CODES!
And..  we don't need to worry about the games not working in our
dirty NES' any more.


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]                                     |                            [
]                                     |  ARTWORK NEEDED!  EMAIL    [
]         GENESIS                     |  shubert@usc.edu  OR       [
]                         REVIEWS     |  ace@ace.com FOR MORE INFO [
]                                     |                            [
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+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|TITLE:         |PUBLISHER  |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Jurassic Park | Sega      | Action    |?? MEG|0             74    |
|               |           | Adventure |      |*****%%%%%@@@@@-----|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY:                 OTHER REVIEWERS                    |
|                                                                   |
| Anderson    65          Sr. Jnx    80 Mr. Mojo   75 ---------- ** |
|                         ---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** |
|                                                                   |
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The movie Jurassic Park has been seen by millions of people, and now
Sega has released a version of the block buster movie within a couple
weeks of the movies release.  Jurassic Park the video game takes two
scenarios from the movie and combines them into one visually superb
game.  The first quest is where you take the role of dinosaur expert,
Dr.  Grant, and try to escape Jurassic Park and it's hundreds of
killer Raptures and Rex's.  The second quest, and probably the better
of the two, is where you take the role of the Rapture and try to
escape Dr.  Grant and to find freedom.

Jurassic Park features some great visuals that take place inside the
park.  Sega went all out on the games beautifully drawn backgrounds,
and the animation of Dr.  grant and the dinosaurs has the same high
frame quality that was shared with Flashback.  The Rex and other
dinosaurs were digitized so that a "movie like" feel comes from
seeing them interact on the video screen, and the rotoscope technique
was used on Dr.  Grant for lifelike movements.

Graphics aside, it's time to turn to the game-play of JP, and I'm
sorry to say that the game takes a plunge from here on out.  If you
choose to play as Dr.  Grant, you begin the game with several
tranquilizer darts and some smoke bombs.  You can't kill the other
dinosaurs, but instead you must put them to sleep (and the gamer as
well.) The gameplay has you performing running jumps, crawling in
tight spots, and hanging from ledges and some of the ceilings.  The
controls were done in a very sluggish manner, and performing some of
the moves required many attempts because of the lack of precise
movements.  Dr.  Grant is hard to control affectively, and trying to
play the game and worry about the controls really drags the game
down.  Playing as the Rapture still shares the same bad controls, but
the Rapture moves a lot faster and has less moves to execute.

The Raptor can kill the enemy soldiers and dinosaurs by jumping on
'em or eating them.  The Rapture can jump to extraordinary heights,
and can cling to ledges and flip his way up.  Playing the Rapture is
the better of the two scenarios, and the difficulty curve is set at a
more realistic setting on this mode.

A lot of the scenes from the movie were made into separate levels,
and new levels were made just for the game.  One of the new levels
has Grant water rafting in the park while fighting the 'saurs.  This
level is near impossible because the raft never stops so a lot of
skill and luck must be used to beat it.  The rest of the Grant and
Rapture levels are of jungle and housed buildings found from the
movie.  Throughout the game huge heads of Tyrannosaurs Rex's pop out
and can eat you if you're not careful.  Avoiding these encounters is
a good strategy, but you must eventually get past them by throwing
bombs near them.

The John Williams soundtrack for the movie really gave the movie a
thrilling sense of depth and danger, but none of the tunes were
translated to the video game screen.  The songs and sounds from the
game are swinging under par compared to other Sega made games, and
with 16-megs of memory, the music is a big disappointment.  The CD
version of JP might have the composed songs by Williams, but don't
get your hopes up.  Probably the only audio piece worth mentioning is
the roaring Rex at the intro who yells "Sega!" Other than that, the
audio portions were put on hold in order to have the better graphics
in the game.

To judge this game, you must put aside the graphics because they
aren't the only part of the game.  The gameplay and music are below
average, and only the movie tie-ins and the graphics and animation
are worth mentioning.  The frustrating feel of JP kept me from
playing it more than I had to, and playing as the Rapture was the
thing that kept me coming back.  JP may look nice in photographs, but
playing JP is like a chore; not fun and frustrating at some crucial
parts of the game.  The movie that conquered the box offices this
summer has left the video gaming world with nothing more than an
average game that is sitting on store shelves.  Hopefully the Sega CD
version will live up to the movie, and all the glamour that came with
it.

Sr.  Jnx - 80
I was expecting a cheap movie to cart translation NES style, however
I was really impressed with JP.  The graphics are a good example of
why the Genesis is still on the cutting edge and why it has been able
to stick around for so long.

Mr.  Mojo Risin' - 75
Finally here is a game whose CD version will be totally different.
However, this version lacked in a lot of areas.  There could have
been many more levels.  Ok control but far too easy.

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|TITLE:         |PUBLISHER  |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Shining Force | Sega      | Role Play |12 MEG|0            80     |
|               |           |           |      |*****%%%%%@@@@------|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY:                 OTHER REVIEWERS                    |
|                                                                   |
| Instigator  89          --      -- ** --      -- ** --      -- ** |
|                         ---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** |
|                                                                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

The thickly forested battlefield is riddled with the remains of dead
soldiers and unimaginable beasts.  Your party of adventurers has
succeeded in stopping your enemies first wave of attack, but in front
of you awaits more monsters to be fought.  A Demon Mage advances on
one of your companions and attacks, destroying him instantly.  From
behind your fallen comrade is your archer which unleashes an Elven
Arrow into the Mage, killing him.

This is just an example of the fighting that must be done in Sega's
newest entry into the realm of RPGs, Shining Force.  As the Hero, you
start off in your home town and find out that your city is under
attack.  From here on out stems a massive adventure pitting you and
your chosen companions against hordes of monsters and other minions
of evil.  The final confrontation being against the center of all
evil, Darksol.

Shining Force is the sequel to Shining in the Darkness, which
appeared in stores over two years ago.  While Shining in the Darkness
was set in the first perspective as you looked through the eyes of
your adventurer, Shining Force used the standard overhead approach
used in such games as Phantasy Star II and Final Fantasy II.  Saying
this game is a true role playing game may be misleading.  What sets
Shining Force apart from the other RPG's on the market is the huge
amount of strategy involved in fighting the enemies.

The battles in Shining Force are few, but what sets them apart from
the other competing RPGs is the length of time that is needed to act
out the battles.  The general layout of the battle scenes bare a
striking resemblance to those of Military Madness.  I guess you could
say Shining Force IS Military Madness dressed in primative clothes.
You are given a birds eye view of the action, and it is from here
that you control your characters.  Your characters and those of your
enemy are represented by individual icons which can be moved around
so military strategy should be used in order to win.  You move each
of your twelve characters individually and then you have a choice of
either attacking your enemy (if in range), casting a spell (if
available), staying at the location, or using an item.  You attack
your enemy by either having your character touch him or if he is in
weapons range (ie.  your archer can attack from long distances).

Attacking enemies is shown beautifully with a close up of the action
and with great backdrops of the area around you.  The action
sequences are fully animated and are drawn extremely well.  Most of
the memory in the game went into the making of these scenes, and it
shows.  Your character will attack, and then depending on how good of
a fighter he or she is, the enemy will lose a certain number of
hit-points.  Then the overhead shot comes back and it's someone
else's turn to move or attack.  Once all the enemies are defeated,
you can move to the next town orcastle.

The strategy comes from the fact that your twelve companions all have
their strengths and weaknesses and that you must use them while in
combat.  For example, your archer is weak defensively, but he has a
long range attack which can be used from behind your other companions
so he should be placed behind the front lines of attack.  Also, if
your main character dies, you must start over from where you saved
the game last.  After defeating an enemy, the character will gain
experience points that will eventually gain him a promotion.  If
promoted to a new class, your character will be able to equip new
types of weapons and the overall appearance of your character will be
improved (ie.  your knight will become a paladin and will appear
stronger).

There are over twenty members that will eventually join your party,
but you can only bring along twelve.  In each town is your
headquarters where you can decide who you should take along, and from
here you can view your characters statistics and receive hints on
upcoming events.  Some of the characters include a werewolf,
different classes of magic users, minotaur knights, a dragon,
archers, and even a guy dressed up in a steam suit.  All the
characters use a different assortment of weapons, and rings can be
worn for either added strength or for more defense.  More experienced
players can find four hidden characters that can be found hidden
throughout the game.  Certain tasks must be completed to find these
guys.

Shining Force uses 12 meg so the detail in the graphics is very good,
especially in the battle portions.  One thing that was lacking from
this game was the number of spells and weapons that were available.
The magic users only have four different spells each, and there is no
armor of any kind in this game.  All the items in Shining Force are
either healing potions or other potions that upgrade your defense or
offense.  The towns have weapons and item shops, but the variety of
both are lacking.  Probably the biggest drawback of this game is the
music.  An option to turn off the music would have been nice because
one can only take so much beeping and wailing (we're talking 8-bit
quality here).  The sounds are pretty good, but the music is just
your standard RPG tunes that can't compare with those from Final
Fantasy II.

I expected Shining Force to be a massive adventure that was Final
Fantasy II quality that would have huge lands to be conquered and
mysteries to be solved.  I never expected Shining Force to be linear,
but that's what it is.  You MUST go on the set path.  There's no
exploring caves or wandering around outside of the towns.  Since the
enemies can be seen, there is no suspense in not knowing when the
next enemy will attack (used in all other RPG's to date).  The part
of this game that sets it apart from others, however, is the
fighting.  I never thought RPGs could keep my attention for as long
as this one has.  Defeating overwhelming odds with your band of
adventurers is what makes this game work.

While not the true RPG, Shining Force delivers.  The graphics are
some of the best in any role player on the Genesis, and the intensity
of some of the battles makes this a very enjoyable game.  I was up
till 3 am several nights straight playing this game.  The cart has a
battery backup so that up to four adventures can be saved for further
play.  The game does have it's low points in the music and the linear
nature of the game, but the battles take this game to new heights.
This game should be bought knowing that what you get is all stategy
and maybe 35% role playing.  Shining Force would have been perfect
had the battle scenes been kept and with a style of game similar to
Final Fantasy II where you must explore new areas.  If you have a
week to spare and a Genesis at home collecting dust, then pop in
Shining Force and prepare to experience one of the better Sega games
to date.  Until Landstalker or Phantasy Star IV come out, Shining
Force is your best bet for role playing on the Genesis...


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|TITLE:         |PUBLISHER  |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Robo Aleste   | Tengen    | Shooter   |?? MEG|0           65      |
|               |RATING: GA |           |      |*****%%%%%@@@-------|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY:                 OTHER REVIEWERS                    |
|                                                                   |
| Instigator  65          ---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** |
|                         ---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** |
|                                                                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+


One of my favorite games for the Genesis is MUSHA, and when I found
out that a sequel was out in Japan for the Mega CD, I nearly bought a
Mega CD converter just for the Japanese version.  Although I wanted
the game, I decided to wait for the American version which has just
been released.  After playing it though, I'm just glad I didn't waste
my $50 for a converter...

Robo Aleste is the first overhead shooter to be released on the Sega
CD, and I think Compile needs to go back to the drawing boards on
this one.  Everything besides the intro voice in Robo Aleste could
have easily been handled by an 8-meg cart, and I'm talking easily.
None of the Sega CD's capabilities were used to make this game and
the overall appearance and presentation have been used before time
and time again.

In Robo Aleste, you are the pilot of a huge ninja battle suit that
takes to the air and attacks the enemies with multiple weapons.  The
four main weapons: shuriken stars, a rotating shield, multiple bombs,
and lasers can all be upgraded three times for added firepower.  The
weapons are fired from the twin orbs that circle around your suit,
and you can launch the orbs for an extra attack.  One problem I found
was that if you powered up the lasers three times, the beams take up
1/3 of the screen and you're nearly invulnerable.  Weapons like this
make the game much too easy.  Just like in MUSHA, you can adjust the
speed of the suit from extremely slow to very fast.  A nice feature,
but one that's been copied before.

What really set MUSHA apart from the other shooters was the great
parallax scrolling of the levels and the really catchy tunes that
accompanied the action.  Thanks to Compile, the parallax was taken
out of Robe Aleste, and we're left with plain overhead levels that
can't be interacted with and don't show any originality.  It gives
the feeling of a shooter plastered onto a 2-dimensional backdrop, and
the levels don't improve throughout the game.  The levels are all
overhead shots of ancient Japan, so the graphics are mostly of fields
and forests.  Gee, I can hardly contain myself...

Real instruments were used to make the techno-disco music for Robo,
but they're all generic songs that don't change much and just drone
on in the background.  I can still remember some of MUSHA's songs to
this day, and that's a sign of a real soundtrack.  Robo's songs just
add to the frustration of the game.  The sounds in Robo were actually
done to CD quality.  There are over 50 diferent digitized sounds that
range from the explosions of your fallen enemies to the charge of
your lasers.  Probably the only true CD quality of this game.

So, can the enemies and bosses save this game? Well, if you like
kites and little ninja warriors to attack, then this game is your cup
of tea.  I thought with the power of almost unlimited memory, the
enemy would have hundreds of different attackers and the bosses would
rotate around the screen and scale up close.  Not so, says Compile.
The only scaling used in Robo were the first attackers that scaled
onto the screen, and some of the bosses have weapons that rotate.
Again, a lack of originality really hurt this game.  The bosses were
all to easy to beat and they shared the same attack patterns.

From start to finish, Robo Aleste comes off as your average 8-meg
shooter.  When compared to MUSHA, Robo pales in comparison; from the
intro to the graphics, MUSHA just out performs Robo.  What kills Robo
Aleste is the average graphics, average tunes, no inspiration in
either the levels or attackers, and not enough weapons that can be
used.  The only reason to maybe rent this game is to make fun of the
actors who's voices are used in the games five cinemas.  Overall
though, Robo is nothing more than an inferior MUSHA.  I hear that
Compile is developing the sequel to Robo, so maybe they'll see the
obvious mistakes that were in Robo Aleste, and make Robo 2 one of the
best overhead shooters available.  So if you want a true CD shooter,
then wait for Slipheed, because Robo just doesn't cut it in todays
market.


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|TITLE:         |PUBLISHER  |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Batman Returns| Sega      | Action +  |?? MEG|0         62.5      |
|               |RATING: GA | Driving   |      |*****%%%%%@@|-------|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY:                 OTHER REVIEWERS                    |
|                                                                   |
| Instigator  85          Da Phunky  50 Mr. Mojo   55 The Farmer 60 |
|                         ---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** |
|                                                                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Contrary to what many think of this game, I feel it is one of the
best Sega CD games available.  Too many people judge it as Sega CD vs
Genesis game, however, I chose to review it in a "virgin" maner, as
though never playing the Genesis version.

If you already have never played the Genesis version, you should
still buy the CD version.  Five brand new levels that sit you in the
drivers seat of the Batmobile and the Batski are included along with
the sidescrolling Genesis levels.  To be honest, I think this game is
worth it for the driving levels alone.  Pictures you may have seen of
the driving levels just can not do them justice.  The action must be
seen to be believed to get the true feeling and appreciation (as in
most games) The hardware scaling is a big step in Sega CD gaming.
The buildings along side the road come right out of the distance
scaling perfectly and with speed unmatched in any home racing game to
date.  Another highligh that impressed me was the sprite manipulation
used on the vehicles that you encounter.  I'm have been too acustumed
to regular Genesis games which have poor scaling , but when the cars
in Batman Returns come at you, they appear to advance very fluidly
and without any jerkiness.  Even better is that when you steer your
car to a different perspective, the other vehicles move accordingly
and you see them from a different angle which gives a great 3D
effect.

The scaling is great, however, is that enough reason to buy a game?
At the beginning of the game, you can choose to play either the
driving levels, the side scrolling levels, or the full game with
every level included.  The side scrolling levels to me are just an
added bonus.  I'll play them occasionaly between the driving levels
for a bit of diversity.  They are an exact port over from the Genesis
version but with some much improved tunes.  In these levels, you play
Batman as you kick, punch, and shoot enemies until finally you
confront the Penguin who framed you for the death of the Snow
Princess.  Only by killing him can you clear your name.

The background graphics are very dark and moody in these sections,
but the enemy sprites were a let down because of bad animation and
fairly poor art work.  As Batman, you can either jump, glide, punch,
kick, or shoot one of the selected weapons.  Your weapons are mainly
different types of batarangs or you can release bats than can inflict
damage on the enemies.  The control on these parts aren't the most
responsive but they are easy to learn and master.  There are five
stages with many sub-levels in each stage that take you from a
shopping center all the way to the Penguins sewer systems.  Before
each stage is through, you must beat the Penguin in his many forms of
attack (a rather easy task unlike the rest of the game).

The driving portions of the game include three Batmobile levels and
two Batski levels.  On the Batmobile levels, you race in the streets
against many of the Penguins henchmen who are in cars or motorcycles.
Your weapons include some discs which shoot out of the front of your
car and a limited number of guided missiles that inflict a lot of
damage.  You can also destroy the other vehicles by ramming them into
obstacles that line the side of the road.  This interaction in the
game makes it unlike any other because you can make strategies on
when to bump the enemies and when to shoot.  The enemies in these
levels are motorcycles that shoot missiles, Chevy's that shoot
flames, and jeeps that have grenades coming from them.

After each level, the vehicles become progressivley harder to
destroy, and the player must use new strategies to beat them which I
feel is something rare in todays genre of games.

Each stage has it's own mini-boss and main boss to contend with.
Just like the first mini-boss which shoots like a jack-in-the-box,
each boss is fairly original and visually appealing.

The levels include Gotham City Streets, Winter Carnival, and some out
of city roads.  After the first three levels are completed, you must
then take to the sewers in the Batski.  The first stage is just an
obstacle course that must be completed in a certain number of
minutes.  You can jump over ramps and navigate between pillars.  The
second stage introduces enemies that shoot at you from boats and many
more obstacles to overcome.  The striking feature of these levels is
the effect given by the water.  I can only describe it as a kind of
rolling effect as you skim the waters.  Even the scaling over these
hilly sections are done gracisously.

Overall, the graphics in the game are ver nice.  Even though the side
scrolling levels aren't the best visually, the driving levels make up
for them.  Just the scaling of the building and cars is good enough
for many "OOHS" and "AAAHHS" from your friends because this has never
been done before on a home based system.  The backgrounds on the
driving levels are superb to say the least.  They use some parallax
scrolling for an almost perfect 3D effect.  The detail in these
graphics are exact.  After you destroy vehicle, pieces of metal fly
everywhere and land on the road in front of you.  The explosions are
huge and sometimes take up the whole screen.

Standing above all however is the fun factor.  I could probably play
the driving levels forever and not get bored of them.  The speed of
these levels in incredible, and gives you a feeling of actually
driving the Batmobile.  The added bonus of the introduction which
uses biaxel rotation and the in between level sequences add a lot to
the game.

And oh, the music!! Spencer Nielsen at Sega of America has definitely
made a diverse track of song that are very catchy and just flat out
sound great on a stereo.  With other great works such as the music
for Dolphin CD, Spencer is America's version of Yuzo Koshiro who has
taken Japan by storm with his music.  Great job!! The sounds during
the side scrolling parts have not been improved over the Genesis
version, but they are still pretty realistic.  The sounds during the
driving levels include the purring of the Batmobiles engine and the
total carnage you create when you destroy the enemies.  This is house
pounding sound if I ever heard it.

If it was up to me the game to be all driving.  I would take three
more levels in the Batmobile easily over ten side scrolling levels
that are just Genesis graphics on CD the three endings aren't CD
quality.  But, for the 3D thrill of a lifetime (or at least for the
time being on Sega CD), you can either play Jaguar with choppy
scaling, or play Batman Returns for the Sega CD.

With a difficulty that is just perfect for the regular gamer, and
gameplay that is pinpoint exact on the driving levels, I just feel
sorry for al the home racing games out there.  As the Penguin would
say to them, "You don't really think you'll win, do you?"

Da Phunky Pheel One - 50
Even judging this game by not comparing it to the Genesis version, it
is just hard to forget how powerful the Sega CD is, and those
regular, 2D side scrolling graphics with nothing extra added to it,
you are just left with a game that could be (and is) easily done on
Genesis with some decent driving scenes.

Mr. Mojo Risin' - 55
Ghesh, I was really expecting more spice from this game.  If you
really want this game and can't decide which system you want it for,
this is it, but there was no reason for this game to come out on CD.
They should have added the driving levels on the cart and saved some
people money for a different Sega CD game.

Pepprige Farmer - 60
Genesis graphics on Sega CD? No more! Come on, lets take advantage of
this system's capabilities, must we re-list the specs on the system
just to make sure? Even giving Instigator some credit on his defense
of the game, lets not forget game play and overall interaction, those
aspects in my opinion, were very poor.  Good soundtrack tho'.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: BATTLE OF THE TITANS!  Street Fighter II Turbo and Mortal Kombat  :
:                                                                   :
:  _Turbo_ has nice touches; Kombat not so Mortal on SNES version   :
:                                                                   :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|TITLE:         |PUBLISHER  |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Street Fighter| Capcom    | Fighting  |20 MEG|0                89 |
| II Turbo      |           |           |      |*****%%%%%@@@@@###--|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|MAIN REVIEW BY:                 OTHER REVIEWERS                    |
|                                                                   |
| Da Phunky   85          Ace        92 Mr. Mojo   85 Aquarius   87 |
| Pheel One               Instigator 90 The Farmer 90 Anderson   93 |
|                                                                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Did you really think we would put 100 pages of SFIIT? Maybe post the
moves and strategies every 2 months like some other mags out there?
Gee, maybe tell you again what Blanka weighs? Hey, if I am breaking
your heart by not doing any of the above, check out every single
issue of the Street Fighter 2 Magazine aka EGM.

What the hell happened here? The door is going to blow down for a
while at EB at by a rush of crazy and hectic SFII Turbo fans who are
expecting the "whole ball of wax" and come to find that this wax is
melted in a game which failed to deliver, and fell short in many
areas.

SFII Turbo has to be the biggest disappointment I have had in a long
time simply because of all the hype and cry of perfection.

If they had just let this game out a little more quietly (yeah,
right) I would have had thought more highly of it.  Contrary to what
most of the other mags say, this is NOT a perfect arcade translation.
Not at all, not close.  First of all, you have all been very
misinformed.  The backgrounds were NOT redrawn as they were in the
arcade, they recolored them, and added characters to SOME of the
backgrounds, but they have NOT been redrawn.  The appearance and
texture of the backgrounds are still EXACTLY the same as the old
version.  The characters are now even smaller than they were in part
one,(yes, we broke out our rulers and everything) and that was my
biggest complaint in the original.  The game is PACKED with glitches
(check out a list next issue) that become very annoying.  Certain
combos that work in the arcade, no longer work, some moves (like
Dahlsim's teleport) are EXTREMELY difficult to do, and there are many
errors in found in the game's text.

Now for the good news.  There has been a lot of animation and speed
added to this cart.  All of the arcade Turbo features are here.  The
new moves, speed and animations, (NO REDRAWN BACKGROUNDS!) and
obviously you can use the bosses and play character vs.  character
without having to punch in some phunky code.  There are options to
play this game at 4 speeds and 10 if you use the code.  Playing at 10
is fun, but pretty ridiculous for serious competition.  The speed
however, is the biggest plus in the game.

New sounds, voices and music have been added, certain stages will
have a nifty cheer when the match is over, and they finally added in
the "You Win", "You Lose" and "Perfect" narrations.  In addition to
the new voices was the extra sound channel.  Unlike in the original
Ken and Ryu throw fire balls at the same time and you only heard the
last "Shuriken", this version utilizes 2 sound channels so when 2
opponents say something simultaneously, both sounds are heard.

Like many people, I tried to convince myself that it was just like
the arcade, but that little voice in the back of my head kept
reminding me it wasn't, and when you finally get to see the 2 of them
side by side, the truth becomes unavoidable.  What the only thing in
this game that has been perfectly translated is the excellent
game-play, substance and depth of the game.  If not for anything
else, this makes SFII Turbo a great game.  In the perspective a
consumer however, I am paying $75 for an upgrade of a game I already
have, and it is not even a perfect arcade translation.

Ace - 92
I really enjoyed this game! I thought that the graphics were almost
flawless (sorry, wrong term for a non-MK game!) and the sound was
even better.  My only gripes were the speed (10 stars? It's
IMPOSSIBLE!) and the fact that the Champion Edition wasn't a TRUE
Champ's ed., they just took out some of the Turbo upgrades.  But who
plays SF2CE anyway?

Instigator - 90
SFIIT is an incredible game, that moves at lighting speed especially
with the code.  Capcom did a good job translating the new moves onto
this one.  The characters are small though, and the sound voice could
have been done a lot better.

Mr. Mojo Risin' - 85
$70+ for a flawed upgrade? I don't think so.  After reading all of
the 1st rate PREviews from some big name publications, I had high
expectations for this game.  I even thought they had added the
elephant 3rd elephant in Dahlsim's stage.  (It's even on the back of
the box) But how wrong I was.  This is still a great game, just did
not live up to the hype.

The Pepperidge Farmer - 90
What can I say? Not bad for the most rushed game of all time.  Capcom
cut some big corners and they show, but let's not forget that this
game still packs some of the best action, and gameplay ever.

Aquarius - 87
This just proves certain guys out there are cashing in on Capcom's
special bonus's.  How is it possible that noone noticed that the
characters are now smaller and that the backrounds are the SAME from
the regular SFII? The fast speed is great though.

Anderson - 93
For anyone who loved the old version, this one will blow your mind,
all the new moves, sound and options from the arcade are in this one,
but this one actually moves faster than the arcade version! The
graphics are not quite as good, but that will be overlooked.  Here is
a fun test, punch in the speed code.  Set it to the highest speed.
Play for about 5 minutes, then quickly put the old SFII in there and
put yourself in "virtual-slomo".

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|TITLE:         |PUBLISHER  |GAME TYPE: |SIZE: | AVERAGE OF REVIEWS |
| Mortal Kombat | Arena     | Fighting  |16 MEG|0                   |
|               |           |           |      |*****%%VARIES@@#####|
|---------------+-----------+-----------+------+--------------------|
|                  FOR REVIEW TOTALS, SEE BELOW.                    |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

          Genesis  SNES  Gameboy  Gamegear
Anderson    80      90     30        92
Phunky      82      93     45        89
Sr. Jnx     85      90     54        85
Aquarius    90      95     33        85
Mr. Sims    90      85     60        85
Ace         80      95     20        97
AVERAGE:   84.5    91.3   40.3      88.3


The hottest game of the year is going to be Mortal Kombat for the
Genesis and SNES systems.  Those with both systems are going to be
looking for which one to buy if they can only have one.  Those who
can afford both, get them!

The object of Mortal Kombat is to pound your foe into the ground.
There are 7 characters to choose from, each with different abilities
and weapons to throw.  After the person you're playing against runs
out of stamina, he or she loses the round.  Lose 2 rounds, and you're
OUT.  when you beat your foe 2 times, the words 'Finish him' or
'Finish her' come on the screen.  Here's where you get to preform a
'fatality' which varies depending on the character you are using, and
on the home systems, what 'mode' you are playing: arcade or normal.
The SNES and Gameboy versions are only on Normal: no blood, just
sweat.

For those of you unfamiliar with the changes and similarities between
the home versions and arcade version, it all depends on which version
you buy.

* The Genesis version was hyped up to be the "bloody" version or
closest to arcade version.  The SNES version was known as the
"family" version with redone "finishing moves" while the Sega version
has the actual bloody fatalities.

* Those of you who buy the Genesis version will notice that the game
has only been given a MA-13 rating instead of the expected MA-17
rating.  Not all of the blood is not in this version unless you punch
in a special code.  Some disturbing news however is that even with
this code, not ALL of the blood and gore is included the game.  (ie:
in the spikes level) Although not the graphical masterpiece that the
SNES version is, the Genny version has perfect game-play.  All of the
combos and bread and butter strategies work perfectly.

* There is some disappointment though, we really did expect a lot
more graphically.  Maybe last year something like this would have
blown our minds, but after seeing demos of such games as Aladdin and
Virtua Racing, we start to wonder how much actual work went into this
cart.  Hello Acclaim, don't give us that "limitations" crap, we have
seen what can be done.  * The sound for the Genesis version is not up
to par with what you might expect from a high quality Genny cart,
however it is bearable.  Even with speakers you won't experience the
surround sound and oomph effect as you do in the arcade.  We all
liked the music a lot but very little of it was from the arcade.

* Moving on to the SNES version.  Can we say graphics? The SNES
version has some of the most beautiful graphics found on the SNES.
Colorful, scrolling backgrounds almost identical to the arcade.  At
many times we felt that the scenery and overall display of the
backgrounds was superior to the arcade.

* The one lacking graphical aspect was the lazy animations.  In many
examples, there were cut corners by Acclaim.  Often you will notice
this when you execute a move, and just all of the sudden Rayden's leg
is in Cage's stomach without any movement in between the two scenes.


* Anyone with a stereo cable for the SNES should be plugging it in to
their nearest stereo because the sound is something that not too many
TV's can do justice to.  Although not the arcade, the thundering
bass, the trembling earthquaking blows to the skull and the cryptic
narrations done in a deep mysterious voice are done as best as they
could be done on the SNES.

* As pretty as the SNES version is, it lacks good game-play
altogether.  There is an annoying delay from the time you execute a
move, to where the actual move begins.  This cancels out several
combos and strategies that you could do in the arcade version.  In
fact, it changes the game entirely.  Fighting games are very
strategical and as pretty as the graphics could be, game-play is the
most important factor.

So which one will you choose, graphics or game-play? That's what is
at stake.  For those of you hoping you could finally go home and
continue your MK rampage there without having to give anything up, it
looks like you may have to wait until the Sega CD version comes out,
but then we have to hope that Acclaim takes advantage of one of those
nifty technologies Sega has been playing with.  If you have a
Gamegear, this MK is the best game ever put out on any portable US
system.  Outstanding graphics and good game-play will amaze any video
game addict.  The Game Boy version is as lame as you could ever
imagine.  That is all there is to say.  Choose which version you
will.  The Genesis and SNES versions are both great, just don't
expect anything too close to the arcade from either of them.

]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]][[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
]                                     |                            [
]                                     |  ARTWORK NEEDED!  EMAIL    [
]         WARP ZONE                   |  shubert@usc.edu  OR       [
] Hints, tricks, codes, tips, tactics |  ace@ace.com FOR MORE INFO [
]                                     |                            [
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]][[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

STREET FIGHTER 2 CODES!
To turn off ALL special moves, enter the Capcom Code (D,L button, U,
R button, A, B) when the word 'Capcom' fades in and out.  Tough fight
against the computer!

To turn off SOME moves in the VS.  mode, have player 2 enter the
Capcom Code during the Stage Select screen.

To make the game up to 10 STARS SPEED, enter the code as soon as the
SF2 Turbo sign comes on the screen, finishing the code when the words
TURBO scroll across the screen.  Then, after you play 10 stars, get
your origional SF2 for a slo-mo battle!

EXCLUSIVE MORTAL KOMBAT CODES!

:: ARCADE MODE ::
On the Genesis version of the game, on the 'codes of honor screen',
enter ABACABB on controller 1.  You'll hear Scorpion yell, "Get over
here!" You then know you have done it right.

On the Game gear version, wait until the 'codes of honor screen' and
enter Down Up Down 1 2.  A chime will sound to signal success.

:: CHEAT MODE :: <<< GMJ EXCLUSIVE! >>>
On many versions of the game, you can access a cheat mode by entering
DULLARD.  That's Down, Up, Left, Left, A button, Right, and Down.  Do
this either on the title screen, the 'codes of honor screen', or the
Game Start screen.  [different versions start in different places.]

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                  * MORE FIGHTING INFO, including:                 |
| IN THE NEXT            Super Street Fighter 2 info!               |
|    ISSUE OF...         Review of Samurai Showdown                 |
|  ___      _____        Warp Zone Special: MK Fatalities           |
| | _  |\/|   |    * The return of the Poll Question!               |
| |  | |  |   |    * Future Wave report: Beyond Reality VR show     |
| |__| |  ||__|    * NEWS: Jaguar info and 3DO release reports      |
|                  * Ace's Angles, GMJ Top 5 and more!              |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Producer: Anthony Shubert       Online Layout Editor: Anthony Shubert
WWIVcolor editing by: Will Crawford    ANSI Editing by: The Last ANSI
Head Writing Staff:                 Contributors:
   HOME SYSTEMS   Reny Falzarano  Mr. Sims, the Pepperidge Farmer,
  HEAD REVIEWERS  Instigator      Sr. Jnx, Mr. Mojo Risin', Aquarius,
   FUTURE WAVE    Tanya Kutasz    Emax, Sai-Blade, Matrix, Shez
   IBM SOFTWARE   Will Crawford


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Atari Corp., Atari Games, SMSG, or any other videogaming company.

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companies, and the non-marking of such product is not a challenge to
its status.

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