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ReviewSega Master System

R-Type

The legendary arcade shooter crams onto the Master System, flickering frame rates and all.

4.0/Excellent

VERDICTS

Sega Master SystemR-Type4.0Sega Master SystemKenseiden2.5Sega Master SystemAlex Kidd in Miracle World4Game GearWonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap4.5PCAscend: Hand of Kul4.0Xbox 360Armored Core V3.0Windows 95/98Ares Rising4.0Midtown Madness ReviewDethKarz ReviewTomb Raider (2013) Review: Reforging a LegendMacAge of Wonders III: Eternal Lords3.5PCSherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments4.5PCMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor4.5PCDead Rising 33.5PCBioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea3PlayStation 3Destiny3.5PCLEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham4PlayStation 3Assassin’s Creed Rogue4PlayStation 3Watch Dogs2Xbox OneKiller Instinct4Sega Master SystemR-Type4.0Sega Master SystemKenseiden2.5Sega Master SystemAlex Kidd in Miracle World4Game GearWonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap4.5PCAscend: Hand of Kul4.0Xbox 360Armored Core V3.0Windows 95/98Ares Rising4.0Midtown Madness ReviewDethKarz ReviewTomb Raider (2013) Review: Reforging a LegendMacAge of Wonders III: Eternal Lords3.5PCSherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments4.5PCMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor4.5PCDead Rising 33.5PCBioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea3PlayStation 3Destiny3.5PCLEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham4PlayStation 3Assassin’s Creed Rogue4PlayStation 3Watch Dogs2Xbox OneKiller Instinct4

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4.0Excellent

SEGA MASTER SYSTEM

Irem / Sega · 1988

R-Type

Excellent

The SMS port of R-Type pushes the hardware to its limits with vibrant colors; despite slowdown, it remains one of the best shooters of the 8-bit era.

2.5Average

SEGA MASTER SYSTEM

Sega · 1988

Kenseiden

Average

Kenseiden brings the Castlevania vibe to feudal Japan with stellar graphics and crushing difficulty, but stiff controls hold it back.

4Excellent

SEGA MASTER SYSTEM

Sega · 1986

Alex Kidd in Miracle World

Excellent

Sega's bizarre Mario competitor replaces jumping with punching and features Rock-Paper-Scissors boss fights.

4.5Excellent

GAME GEAR · SEGA MASTER SYSTEM

Westone Bit Entertainment · 1989

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap

Excellent

A genre-defining 1989 classic with brilliant animal transformations and vibrant colors, despite a frustrating password system.

4.0Excellent

PC · XBOX 360

Signal Studios · 2013

Ascend: Hand of Kul

Excellent

3.0Good

XBOX 360

FromSoftware · 2012

Armored Core V

Good

4.0Excellent

WINDOWS 95/98

Imagine Studios · 1998

Ares Rising

Excellent

Midtown Madness Review

From the Series

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The Broken Games Report: Issue #1

"The season of the day-one patch: the games that shipped broken in late 2014."

Late 2014 became the season of the broken AAA launch. Issue one of The Broken Games Report rounds up the worst offenders, from Assassin's Creed Unity's bug-fest to Halo MCC's matchmaking and DriveClub's server meltdown.

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NOV

2014

POCG Editorial

The Broken Games Report: Issue #1

The season of the day-one patch: the games that shipped broken in late 2014.

Late 2014 became the season of the broken AAA launch. Issue one of The Broken Games Report rounds up the…

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Score
Distribution

Masterpiece

Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

Broken

116

Reviews
Published

across 39 platforms

1997

June · 29 yrs ago

This Month in Gaming History

Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits Bushidou Retsuden

Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits Bushidou Retsuden — known in the West as Samurai Spirits RPG — is a 1997 SNK RPG set in the Samurai Shodown universe. Unusually, its Neo Geo CD, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation versions each carried different bonus content, making version differences a persistent topic for collectors and preservationists.