Superman

While licensed properties tend to be bad news when it comes to gaming, if there's one company that can be largely trusted to provide decent if not great games based on them, it would be Sunsoft. I already reviewed an excellent example of such in the form of Gremlins 2, but the best example would be the NES game based on the first Batman movie. With that record, I couldn't help but be cautiously optimistic when I learned they took on the Man of Steel on the Sega Genesis. Surely, they could beat the Superman video game curse, right? Not this time.

Once again, like with the Superman games on the Atari 2600, ZX Spectrum, and NES, don't come into the Genesis game looking for a plot. The game just provides a series of levels in Metropolis and in space where you punch and use heat vision against an assortment of enemies. There are several recognizable foes that appear as bosses including Prankster, Metallo, and Mr. Mxyzptlk. You even have to rescue Lois Lane from Brainiac near the end. It's telling that even Sonic the Hedgehog has a stronger plot than this game!

Click For the Full Picture Archive
The gameplay is relatively standard for a 16-bit platformer. Supes walks right and punches enemies in his way. There are a couple of things that provide some depth to the game. First is that he has access to a high-powered super move that requires recharging to be used again. It recharges over time but can get juiced faster by finding certain collectibles. The second addition is the flight stages. Certain stages take place in the air with Superman blasting foes with his heat vision. The game even looks and sounds like a top tier Genesis release with very colorful artwork and great sound effects.

Unfortunately, like with their Batman games, Sunsoft's Superman game is fiendishly hard. Unlike those Batman games, however, the difficulties here come from flaws rather than intentional design. For someone who's supposed to be faster than a speeding bullet, Superman sure has trouble moving his ass. His sluggish pace makes dodging the frequent hazards unbelievably frustrating. Expect an unforgivable number of cheap hits. He also can't take much abuse. It takes roughly five hits for him to go down. Worse, he has only one life and three continues. Just getting past the first boss would be a miracle.

Given the curse on the character, Superman on the Genesis could've been a lot worse. It is at least playable which is more than can be said for other Superman games. However, it is so frustrating that it's outright demoralizing. Kal-El would have a better chance of punching his way out of a vault made of kryptonite than average players getting through this game. Just stick to Batman.