This Week In Defunct Games - June 14, 2007

What Is It? It's the sequel to Sega's first 16-bit mega hit. This is Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the game that introduced the world to Miles "Tails" Prower, the two-tailed fox that would forever annoy gamers. This sequel was released shortly after the first game blew up, so perhaps it's a bit much to want some major innovation or gameplay tweak. When it comes down to it, the addition of the second player and the new levels is the only way to tell that this is not the original Sonic, which ultimately makes this game something of a disappointment looking back at it. But then again, this game is still more fun than most of the 2D platformers being released at the time, and the levels (while somewhat simple) have a real charm that has been completely lost from the Sonic series. This is certainly not the best of the Genesis Sonic games, but if you're a fan of the first game then you're going to have no problem enjoying this sequel.

Does It Still Hold Up? The Sonic series has never been known for its deep gameplay, so some gamers may get bored of this short (but sweet) adventure. The graphics are pretty good and the tunes are (for the most part) catchy, but it's the fact that the gameplay still feels tight and responsive makes this game a real treat. It's a shame that there's not more to do in this game, but if you like this type of fast moving platformer then you're going to love Sonic 2. While I prefer what Sega did with Sonic 3 (by adding crazy power-ups), Sonic 2 is no slouch.

Is It Worth The Money? No! That's right; this game is NOT worth your money. I know that sounds weird; after all, I just got done telling you why the game was good and worth playing. But it's not worth buying on the Virtual Console. $8 is simply too much for one Sonic game, especially when for just a few dollars more you can buy one of the many Sonic collections that came out for the GameCube. Buy the Sonic Mega Collection before you waste your money on the Virtual Console version, you'll thank me later.

What Is It? Some people love it, others can't stand it. This is Lode Runner, the classic Apple II action/puzzle game that sees you digging holes and trying to trap enemies in them. This NES version is faithful to the original; it features a bunch of levels, good (albeit simple) graphics, and a cool level editor. The problem is that this is not the first Lode Runner game on the Virtual Console, which means that this version of the game is practically useless. As you may recall, Battle Lode Runner came out on the Virtual Console a month ago, so this version just feels slow and boring to me. Of course, this version does have that level editor and it's a more traditional way of playing this classic game ... but Battle Lode Runner is certainly more fun. If you're the type of person that enjoyed Battle Lode Runner but wanted something a little slower, then this game is for you. Too bad it's going to turn off just about everybody else.

Does It Still Hold Up? If you go into Lode Runner wanting to see where we came from, then this is certainly worth a play through. It's a fun puzzle game that has enough action to keep it interesting (for the most part). But the gameplay mechanics are poor and the graphics won't do much for you. The game is simply too slow and never becomes as much fun as Battle Lode Runner. Is it worth playing? Yes, you better believe it is. But the NES (and Virtual Console) is probably not the place to play it.

Is It Worth The Money? It's worth a free download on your computer ... but not a full five dollars. If you're going to spend that much money on Lode Runner you might as well spend that extra buck to pick up Battle Lode Runner. If you've never played this game before then you really ought to, but don't expect an exciting experience that will make you yearn for the good old days.

What Is It? While Sonic the Hedgehog 2 only marginally improved on the original, Golden Axe 2 decided to do the same thing ... in reverse. Golden Axe 2 isn't this horrible sequel that some people make it out to be, instead it's just a little worse than the first Golden Axe, which many consider to be a classic beat-em-up. This sequel is short, easy and not especially impressive in any way. The graphics are basically the same as the first game, the moves are the same, and the same goes for the magic. In fact, if I didn't know better I would think that the battles were held in exactly the same levels. The good news is that Golden Axe 2 does offer a healthy dose of solid fighting action; it's just never as enjoyable as the first game.

Does It Still Hold Up? If you think the first game held up then chances are you'll think this game is still relevant. Unfortunately I don't think either game holds up particularly well. I know that this is probably a terrible double standard, while I love Double Dragon and Streets of Rage 2, I can't get into Golden Axe. I think that part of the problem is that Streets of Rage 2 has more to it and the characters are a lot more charming than the bland batch of baddies you have to beat up in this game. Either way, this is one game where you'll be doing nothing more than jamming the attack button over and over.

Is It Worth The Money? Much like Sonic 2, Golden Axe 2 cannot be recommended because you can get the game in a cheap box set. The Sega Genesis collection has a good 25 games in it for $20, so spending $8 on this one game seems like a rip off to me. If you don't have access to one of those collections then you might want to think about this purchase, but as far as I can tell this game is not worth more than one or two dollars.

What Is It? It's the second Apple II game of the week! If you're the type of person that wants to play a classic 2D action/puzzle game but you don't want to boot up Lode Runner, then Prince of Persia is the game for you! This is Prince of Persia Classic, a strangely appealing update to the 1989 classic. At its core Prince of Persia Classic is a graphically updated version of the game, complete with some minor changes and a few new modes. Better yet, the controls have been completely reworked and the game just feels a lot better when you play it. The story is still the same, you have one hour to rush through the maze-like castle to save your lady friend. To do this you're going to have to jump over plenty of pits, make your way past crazy taps, and battle many guards. This Xbox 360 version is definitely the best the game has ever looked, complete with stunning cinemas and some fantastic animations. If you've been curious where the Prince of Persia got his start then this is a good refresher course on what made these 2D adventures so much fun.

Does It Still Hold Up? In order to make this game a little more accessible to the impatient modern day gamer, UbiSoft has gone ahead and updated the controls. One of the problems people had with the classic game was that it didn't always do what you wanted; you would constantly miss your jump and fall down a hole because the buttons weren't always responsive. Thankfully this has been improved, so the control feels a lot more natural this time around. As for the overall experience, even at only one hour in length, Prince of Persia still feels fresh. Part of this may have to do with the original's ahead-of-its-time animation, but I say it has more to do with the great level designs and solid gameplay mechanic that was developed all those years ago.

Is It Worth The Money? Without a doubt, this is one of the best recent Xbox Live Arcade titles. Not only is the original a genuine classic, but this is easily the best version of the game to hit a console. The only thing that would have made this game better is if Ubi had released the non-enhanced version of the game with it ... certainly that wouldn't have used up much memory.