Super Play Issue 18

Introduction

Issue 18 promised plenty of new games for the SNES with no less than 14 games reviewed. Those included puzzlers Super Puyo Puyo - scoring an excellent 91% - and Tetris Battle Gaiden, scoring 86% showing that the SNES wasn’t just about platformers, RPGs and beat em ups. There were a few other games scoring highly, with US top down shooter Soldiers of Fortune also scoring 89%, and UK platformer Soccer Kid scoring 84%. Shooter Choplifter 3 scored 80% as it evoked memories of 80s arcade shooters. Strategy game Metal Marines also scored 80% which, although fairly easy to follow, was a fairly competent game.

The news this month looked at the recently launched ELSPA rating and what they meant for gamers. There was also a look at brand new racer Stunt Race FX, showcasing some of the best graphics the SNES had seen up to that point. There was also a look at US gold’s latest games, focusing on World Cup ‘94 and The Incredible Hulk. Zy looked at some fanzines from across the pond in his Fanhunter column. There was also news about Spectra Video who had signed a contract to launch a number of Japanese Console and PC peripherals in the UK. The latest in Live from Hell City looked at the latest Coin-op games as well as explaining why the East wasn’t pleased with the west's love of Japanese culture. Fantasy Quest had details on future classics Fire Emblem and Ogre battle 2.

The big feature this month looked at the Consumer Electronics Show from Las Vegas, this being the precursor to E3 it showcased what all the developers making games for the SNES were currently up to. Jason Brookes also had a chance to visit the 50th Amusement Trade Exhibition International, the UK’s biggest coin-op show, with many outstanding 3D and 2D games from Sega, Capcom and Konami, really showcasing the general future of the videogames industry as a whole. There were also interviews with key men at developers Bullfrog and Virgin as they addressed how they got around Nintendo’s ‘Family Games’ policy.

Turtles Tournament Fighters got the full guide treatment as they looked at strategies for each of the 10 main fighters. Jason got back from the CES show just in time to put together his regular Game Freak Column, Dan Jevons’ Mode 7 section had 4 pages chock full of tips as usual, and the Nintendo Hotline was once again open for business. What Cart this month introduced the Super Play Classic Collection, covering Secret of Mana, A Link to the Past and Final Fantasy II.