Next Generation's 1 Star Reviews: The 59 Worst Video Games of 1995

The Adventures of Batman & Robin (Genesis)

#1

“On the heels of Konami's solid SNES version from the hit TV show comes this mockery of a game. Sega bought the license, then totally ignored it as they made an extremely generic side-scroller without the look or feel of the TV show. Unless, of course, you remember the episode where Batman ran from left to right throwing thousands of batarangs at everything in sight while the techno soundtrack blared away.”

Alien Gate (CD-i)

#2

“A completely mindless attempt at the shooting title. Substandard graphics, appallingly easy gameplay and sluggish control blend into a title tedious at its very best. Those who actually want shooting action from their CD-I will do better to stick with games like Mystic Midway than to delve into this painfully deficient travesty.”

Atari 2600 Action Pack (Macintosh)

#3

“Ah, nostalgia. Here at last, owners of the finest personal computer platform in the world, the Macintosh, can gleefully waste their high-end graphics and sound capabilities on all the chunky, buzzing, blocky, repetitive, ugly-ass games they used to play on their Atari 2600s, back when 64k was a wet-silicate dream. Nostalgia better keep you awake buddy-san, because these Jurassic turds won't.”

Barkley: Shut Up & Jam 2 (Genesis)

#4

“Fans of the original (were there any?) will be glad to see Accolade has added more than 2,000 pieces of animation, 25 jams, 22 characters, 8 outdoor courts, secret codes and stats that you can save. All this makes Barkley 2 far superior to the first effort, which was awful. But despite how much this game tries, it just doesn't capture basketball or streetball particularly well. As for the license, we have a feeling that the only thing Charles Barkley did for this game was say, “You put the rock in the hole,” then he collected a big, fat check, and left the apparently clueless developers to make this tragic game.”

Batman Forever (Super NES)

#5

“The summer's biggest movie has been turned into – surprise! – another side-scrolling action game. Acclaim has spent a lot of money developing its in-house video and motion facilities and it shows here, literally. The game looks incredible. “But,” you might ask, “how does it play?” Well, a lot like Final Fight, except it's not good. The game's biggest accomplishment is making Maximum Carnage look like a masterpiece. To be avoided.”

Beavis & Butt-Head (Genesis)

#6

“Trips to Turbo Mall 2000 and Highland High have their brief moments of humor, but if you're looking for Beavis and Butt-Head humor, just watch the show. This game is simply rotten. Even the biggest fans of the show won't enjoy the abysmal control, weak gameplay and repetitive levels. Beavis and Butt-Head is a game that shows while moronic human and plenty of flatulence may make great TV, it sticks as a game.”

Brett Hull Hockey '95 (Genesis)

#7

“Brett Hull Hockey '95 is one more feeble attempt at capturing the brutal action of NHL Hockey. The game includes the valuable players' license, which is wasted on a game that is nothing close to simulation. The only element that saves Brett Hull Hockey '95 is that there are so many horrible hockey games available. It's tough to pick only one loser.”

Castlevania: Dracula X (Super NES)

#8

“Don't everyone jump just yet. This isn't exactly a “new” Castlevania game. Actually, this is a port of the PC Engine title Dracula X, making it more than two years old, and it shows. Whip fetishists might get a kick out of it, but everyone else should simply steer clear.”

Club Drive (Jaguar)

#9

“Imagine driving around a junkyard in a slow car while suffering bouts of blindness and you'll have a good idea of what to expect from Club Drive. Designed as a Hard Drivin' clone, almost every aspect of the game that would have been entertaining is destroyed by the titles' sluggish response, annoying physics, and tepid gameplay. This is one title to be avoided at all cost.”

Corpse Killer (Sega 32X)

#10

“It's not the game that's so bad, Corpse Killer is a decent shooter with some great video footage and some extremely repetitive shooting. What's awful is that you've filled every orifice on your Genesis and this is the best you can get. The only difference between the Sega CD and the 32X CD version is a miniscule improvement in the video, but the upgrade is so small that only an expert could notice. Put simply, don't shell out $200 for a Sega CD and $160 for a 32X, because all you're going to get is a hefty power bill.”

Cosmic Carnage (Sega 32X)

#11

“Objectively, we point to the abysmal graphics, the shocking neglect of audio, criminal presence of slowdown and blatant “showing off” at the expense of gameplay. And despite a tip ‘o the hat to the novel-ish inclusion of the pregame armor selection, we conclude that Cosmic Carnage stinks. A sad, shambling mockery of a fighting game.”

Cosmic Race (PlayStation)

#12

“Every once in a while, there comes a game title that seems to be missing that certain something that would make it a truly enjoyable game. Cosmic Race isn't quite that good. Although there are only a few titles available on the PlayStation, it is obvious, in comparison, that Cosmic Race is sub-standard on almost every level. The graphics are childish and uninspired and the control is entirely awkward. If all were right with the world, this game would never have been made.”

Cowboy Casino (3DO)

#13

“Cowboy Casino Interactive Poker is intended as both an entertainment and educational tool. You face off against five Old West card sharks, and as you play, info boxes supposedly help you learn to be a better card player. Unfortunately, the game is painfully slow, and while the ‘Win at Poker' manual will tell you what to do next, it never bothers to tell you why. In other words, you don't learn much, or even enjoy playing the hands.”

Creature Shock (PC)

#14

“Virgin's Creature Shock is positive proof that a good game must consist of more than just flashy graphics and loud sound effects. Interactivity is at a low, the flaccid ship stages taking the art of video gaming back by about five years alone. If the idea of a two CD shooter that requires a 486 and 4 mb of RAM to deliver a new version of Afterburner appeals, then you're in luck. Otherwise, don't waste your time or resources here.”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Crossroads of Time (Genesis)

#15

“Deep Space Nine's slow-paced side-scroller attempt at a game is sure to bring a tear to any gamer's eyes. And the running and jumping antics of Commander Sisco are sure to do the same to any fan of the television show.”

Doraemon Yuujou Densetsu (3DO)

#16

“The Doraemons is a kind of low-grade RPG intended for very young gamers, and as such, it's meant to be somewhat educational. The gameplay is so simple youc an move from scene to scene even if you don't know Japanese, but if you don't understand the language, you won't get much out of it. Even then, if you're more than seven or eight years old, the game is generally uninvolving.”

Double Dragon (Neo Geo)

#17

“Without an ounce of innovation, even on the “well-that's-kind-of-neat” level, Double Dragon is tired, very tired. There are not any specifically notable aspects of this game, but then again, there is actually very little to complain about beyond the fact that the fighter Double Dragon has already been done several times over. You could do better.”

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (Genesis & Super NES)

#18

“More than a year ago, Virgin had planned to release Dragon, but wisely declined. In steps Acclaim, which has never seen a movie game it wouldn't release. Virgin was right on the money when it decided not to release Dragon. If only Acclaim had a conscience we wouldn't have had to waste our time reviewing this retread of a game.”

Exo-Squad (Genesis)

#19

“This game is based on the comic book and Saturday morning cartoon series of the same title, and let's hope whomever owns the license got their money's worth, because once this game is associated with Exo-Squad, that property won't be worth squat. The control system, especially during the fighting segments, is so poor, your character is often reduced to merely standing in place and wiggling as you desperately try to figure out what magical combination will actually pull off the move you're thinking of. Unacceptable and bad.”

Foreman For Real (Genesis)

#20

“There seems to be no real effort put into any single aspect of this title, and the end result is arguably one of the poorest boxing efforts ever released.”

Jewels of the Oracle (PC)

#21

“Jewels of the Oracle is being touted as the next Myst, but it's really just a mess. Sure, the graphics are pretty, sometimes beautiful, but where's the game? If you are just crazy about abstract puzzles, Jewels of the Oracle is right up your alley. Otherwise, just keep shopping.”

Kasumi Ninja (Jaguar)

#22

“Kasumi Ninja is a tragic example of what can happen when good ideas are poorly executed. Despite creative approaches in both character design and selection, the game's originality is spoiled by jerky animation sluggish control, and baffling play mechanics that discourage close-up fighting. Kasumi Ninja is an intriguing approach to the classic fighter, but it just doesn't measure up.”

DragoKawasaki Superbike Challenge (Super NES)

#23

“We always thought that a racing game should include a feeling of speed – apparently the developers of Kawasaki think otherwise. This title is the pits. You've got plenty of options for modifying your bike, and some 20 different circuits to race on, including the “Suzuka Eight Hour” endurance race. But every single track leaves you with the impression that you're racing through molasses on a tricycle.”

LineDrive Baseball (Arcade)

#24

“This is the ultimate noninteractive game, representing all of the absolute worst game design, playability, graphics, and cabinet displays. It's the perfect example of how not to make a video game, and it only receives one star out of kindness and because we couldn't give it any lower.”

Litil Divil (CD-i)

#25

“A children's game that takes full advantage of the CD-i's full-motion video capacity. Control is sluggish, offering the player almost no chance to make it through the often furiously paced action sequences. The various levels fail to offer anything more than a stimulus-response style of play that will have most players (even children) disinterested inside of a few minutes.”

Lords of Thunder (Sega CD)

#26

“Lately, the Sega CD has been inundated with side-scrolling shooters, including Lords of Thunder, Keio Flying Squadron, and Android Assault from Sega. Let's hope we're not seeing a trend. The game has its moments, but you've seen them, and played them through hundreds of times before as well. Go away!”

Maabus (PC)

#27

“Maabus is an example of a rule all gamers would do well to keep in mind: The size of a game has no relation to its quality. Like most action games that run under Windows, this game is far too slow and clunky to qualify as any kind of arcade action – and yet game play is too shallow and simplistic for Maabus to qualify as anything more. Spend your money on something else.”

SupMazer (3DO)

#28

“We sincerely apologize to American Laser Games for giving it a rough time about continually producing the same title over and over. Hey folks, light gun games are fine by us, OK? Really. But just promise to never ever put us through the kind of pain we went through in our attempt to “play” Mazer.”

Mighty Max (Super NES)

#29

“The sheer height of this game's creativity is that some stages have as much as three (count ‘em, three) layers of scrolling in the background, and our tiny hero, Max, can stun his enemies and pick them up to throw at other tiny enemies. Mighty Max is awful and no fun.”

Mirage (PC)

#30

“You know, with great graphics, you really don't need good gameplay, logical puzzles or a clear interface. Oh no, wait, that's wrong! And that's what's wrong with this disc. Basically, this is like Myst set in the old West, only with even less cohesion and logic than Myst. Like spending minutes searching for hot spots with a mouse? No? Well then, stay away from this.”

NBA Hangtime '95 (Sega CD)

#31

“First things first – this game is by no means a sports simulation. It's more like NBA Jam without any of the charm. The CD access time is unbearably long, the players all look the same, the control is horrid, and it's possibly the worst basketball game of the year – but wait, there's more. You can play the ESPN2 World Tour and have sumo wrestlers dunking. Don't even put other games near this one, it could be contagious.”

Night Trap (Sega 32X)

#32

“Two years and a couple of Congressional hearings later, the infamous Night Trap has returned in all its unexpurgated glory, Mature rating in hand, rising slowly from the grave like the very vampires it features. It's so badly structured that you spend all your time following those damned Augs, tapping one button, and almost never getting to see the video the game is supposed to be about. Just forget it. Leave it alone. Let it die.”

No Escape (Genesis)

#33

“You're stuck controlling a character rotoscoped from a real actor, which means his movements look real enough, but are limited and, unfortunately, near impossible to control. To make matters worse, you have to travel through six nonlinear and graphically ugly levels picking up over 90 objects which you must combine to make weapons and traps. Keeping all this in mind, the only way to escape the annoying gameplay, repetitive soundtrack and frustrating control is to not get caught buying this game!”

Novastorm (3DO)

#34

“This is the latest in a long and venerable line of shooters in which your ship is pasted onto the screen, effectively blocking you from seeing oncoming enemies, and leaving no shadow or any other clue as to how the ship relates to the background. Microcosm was bad enough, but Novastorm doesn't even have the advantage of a knockout intro – there are some nice cut scenes, not much else.”

The Orion Conspiracy (PC)

#35

“Domark's new science fiction adventure has a lot of the same problems you'd find in a poorly made movie: Bad acting, bad dialogue and lots of dead time. The dialog is absolutely abysmal; it's awkward and unbelievable, and it's peppered with unnecessary foul language, as if the game's designers were young children trying to sound like adults by using lots of four-letter words. Then again, the voice actors in The Orion Conspiracy may have made Hamlet sound a little childish.”

Paparazzi: Tales of Tinseltown (Mac)

#36

“Groan. Just in case the title doesn't tell all, the monthly What-Were-You-Thinking Award lands squarely on this double-CD set. For computer first timers (like your parents, say), Paparazzi offers something flashy and mildly amusing to showcase their new CD drive. For gamers, it offers a pair of attractive mirrored coasters.”

Powerful Pro Baseball (PlayStation)

#37

“There are several PlayStation titles riding the fence as to whether or not they will be coming to the U.S. Power Baseball isn't even in the same field that the fence surrounds. The game could not only have been done on a 16-bit machine, but it could have been done better. Play ball, but play it with another game.”

The Punisher (Genesis)

#38

“Nothing new and not much good can be found in The Punisher. Capcom wouldn't even burn early E-proms because it didn't deem The Punisher worthy of the expense. After playing this game, we have to agree. The person responsible for putting out The Punisher deserves a good spanking.”

Radical Rex (Super NES)

#39

“Forget the sales reports pointing to “mascot death” in 1994, the recent trend to aim for an older audience, or avoiding cute things and small. None of that means Radical Rex can't be a great little platformer. Unfortunately, it isn't. The action is reminiscent of games like Adventure Island and Joe & Mac at times, but it is consistently flat, unmotivating and not up to par with other platform games. You've seen it before, usually better.”

Rally Chase CD (Neo Geo CD)

#40

“Rally Chase on the new Neo Geo CD system is an overhead racing game played out on a global course. Regrettably, the many courses are largely the same and the action is less than intense. The view, combined with the lack of any real innovation in track design, makes this a game better suited for days gone by.”

Real Pinball (3DO)

#41

“Real Pinball is an ironic title. It offers a choice of five increasingly complicated pinball machines, but the game's idea of “real” is to tile the machine back into a simple one-point perspective serving only to obscure the action, while the ball moves at an agonizing crawl. 3DO owners will have to wait a little bit longer for a “real” pinball game to appear.”

Red Alarm (Virtual Boy)

#42

“Red Alarm is was intended to be the Virtual Boy's answer to Star Fox, but the game seems to show that, at least for the time being, Nintendo should stick with the speed and performance of bit-mapped graphics.”

The Ren & Stimpy Show: Time Warp (Super NES)

#43

“Poor Ren and Stimpy. When Nickelodeon fired creator John Kricfalusi, the heart and soul were sucked out of the pair. This game puts the final nail in their coffin. From the very first level, you spend half the time chasing down flies and such, making the action more frustrating than challenging. Character control is also just short of awful. Ick.”

Shadow of the Beast II (Sega CD)

#44

“The original Shadow of the Beast attained a certain cult status on the Amiga almost five years ago – and the following year, so did its sequel. But there's been a lot of water under the bridge since those games originally appeared. Even though the designers tried to spruce it up by adding a few rendered cut scenes, it still doesn't help much considering the game's overall stilted animation and poor control. Too little, too late.”

SHADOW: War of Succession (3DO)

#45

“Way of the Warrior was a disappointment, but SHADOW makes that game look like a work of genius. It's as if the actors just showed up wearing whatever they had in the closet at home on that particular day. The control is butt-awful, and the fight animation must have all of two frames per move. Use the disc as a coaster for your coffee mug – you'll get more use out of it and enjoy it more.”

SimTown (Mac)

#46

“While Maxis released this title as a children's game, the large contingent of SimCity fans will probably ensure that SimTown is destined to disappoint both old and young alike. SimTown's sadly limited building options, along with a painfully slow performance, ensure that the game stays boring and repetitive after only a few turns. A good title for parents whose kids spend too much time on the computer.”

Space Adventure Cobra (Sega CD)

#47

“At the rate the Sega CD is dying, we can probably expect to see more titles like this. A squarely average graphic adventure, Space Adventure Cobra's cliched storyline about space pirates is punched up only slightly by lots of mild swearing and teasing hints of sex and nudity. If you're much past puberty, it's pretty damn dull.”

Galactic Pinball (Virtual Boy)

#48

“Nintendo's pack-in game was an obvious choice. Galactic Pinball gives Virtual Boy owners a title they can take out of the box and play without actually experiencing any real fun. It doesn't really matter how good this game is, since you're going to get it anyway, but if you were expecting to squeeze a few months of play out of your machine before investing in a new title, you might want to think again.”

Speedy Gonzales in Las Gatos Banditos (Super NES)

#49

“Speedy Gonzales seems stricken with some kind of animated arthritis, as he's generously given perhaps two or three frames of animation per action, on top of which he's saddled with a momentum that makes you feel as though you're controlling a large walrus, rather than a mouse. In other words, this is a darn bad game.”

Spider-Man: The Animated Series (Genesis)

#50

“New York City is on the verge of blah blah blah. And only (fill in the hero name here) can save it from the evil villain (fill in the villain name here. The point here is that Spider-Man follows a long line of games that are exactly the same with a few costume changes. The whole game is so horribly familiar and boring that Spider-Man isn't even worthy of the one star we give it.”

Sterlin Sharpe: End 2 End (Super NES)

#51

“This is by-the-numbers game design at its very worst. It takes a slice of John Madden Football, a touch of NFL '95, and a dash of Troy Aikman Football, then stirs them into a mess you can easily recognize, quickly start to play, then throw in disgust.”

Strahl (3DO)

#52

“Strahl is a title that's placed squarely in the Dragon's Lair tradition, this time using anime-styled characters and action. We wish there was a better way to say this, but basically, it sucks. There are 48 ending scenes – and the thought of playing this enough times to see them all ranks right up there with having your eyelids stapled open and being forced to watch “Geraldo” reruns. Thanks, but no.”

Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition (Super NES)

#53

“In the primitive days of the 8-bit NES, Tecmo Super Bowl was the ultimate console football game to own. Now, with the technical and graphic advances of the ‘90s, the company still makes football games, and their look hasn't changed all that much. Compared to the other 16-bit football games, Tecmo Super Bowl: Final Edition just isn't in the same league.”

Virtual Volleyball (Saturn)

#54

“In Virtual Volleyball, the first polygonal volleyball game to appear on any system, it's clear that polygons don't necessarily make a good game. Yes, the players are in full 3D, but with limited control over where they can move or what they can do once they get there, it's not much fun controlling them.”

Warlock (Genesis)

#55

“With Warlock, Acclaim manages to suck all life from a bad movie and further demonstrates the uselessness of the side-scrolling game. Every trite level brings you face to face with the likes of undead, animated statues, ghostly monks, and the dark Warlock himself. Oh, and here's a new one – as you run from left to right, you can pick up healing magic potions and one-ups. All this game does is prove that bad movies make horrible side-scrolling action games.”

World Hockey '95 (PC)

#56

“What do you get when you combine so-so graphics, bad full-motion video commentary, and easy to beat opponents? World Hockey '95.”

Yuu Yuu Hakusho (3DO)

#57

“Unlike the cart version available for Super Famicom, this fighting game borrows heavily from its anime counterpart. The special moves, while simple enough to execute, range from run-of-the-mill to boring. Avoid this one at all costs.”

Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 (Sega 32X)

#58

“Either retro gaming is hip or ideas for games are just drying up. The revival of titles like Donkey Kong, Tempest, Pitfall, Pac-Man, and now, Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000, are bringing the arcade action of the ‘80s to the home – WHY? Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 is graphically ugly, slow, boring, repetitive and a game that is truly unworthy of any stars. We'll still give it one star in memory of the much more playable original.”

Zorro: A Cinematic Action Adventure (PC)

#59

“Once players have gotten a grip on the controls, and consulted the Ouija board for playing instructions, they will relive the somewhat less than famous adventures of Zorro. Remember the episode where Zorro used his whip to fight off the mean-eating plant? Unless you've got a fetish for black leather masks and whips, or you're an accredited psychic, we strongly recommend that you avoid this title like the plague.“