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REVIEW RAISON D'ÊTRE

Welcome to the section that makes up the LIFE BLOOD of RVGFANATIC

You might notice... my reviews are unlike any other you'd find. A lot of reviews follow the same ole pattern. I've always walked to a different beat, and strive for a *NEW* vision... a breath of fresh air in a domain that has become, by and large, vanilla. Don't get me wrong, there are many enjoyable reviews out there, many of which my friends and peers have written. But I've always had my own style and pride myself on the fact that I do things a "BIT" differently from the norm

I believe the best video games are experiences. Likewise -- for the best reviews. That's my vision. My raison d'être. Before you dive into my reviews, here's my scoring guide
Oh you're too kind Yoshi... too kind!



HOW REVIEW SCORES WORK AT RVGFANATIC

I absolutely love EGM's old format: if a game averaged a score of 8, it received the Silver Award.
9 average Gold and straight 10's the PLATINUM award

I'm using the same format... except this is a 1-man operation, not 4 or 5. Also, I'm adding the BRONZE award for any game that scores 7.5

I rate games 1-10, with .5 increments

Like EGM, a 6/10 score is NOT a 60% grade, or a D. In other words, a 6/10 isn't a "bad" score, per se. It's just a slightly above average game; a game only big fans of the genre would derive any pleasure from


  • 1 - The biggest piece of crap I ever had the dis-pleasure of playing
  • 2 - Flush it
  • 3 - Really bad
  • 4 - (Sizably) Below average
  • 5 - Ho-hum, average, mediocre
  • 6 - Slightly above average
  • 7 - Flawed, certainly, but solid and worthy


7.5 - Ya did good. Good
enough to earn yourself
the Bronze Award

8.0 - Not an EXCEPTIONAL
example of the genre, but it's
fairly darn good in its own right

8.5 - Not quite great enough
to be a 9+ game, but any game
in the 8's gets the Silver Award

9.0 - Now we're really talkin'!
Any game that can net at
least 4 cups is excellent

9.5 - An almost perfect example
of the genre. Any game scored
in the 9's gets the Gold Award

10!

Awarded only to a scant few, these masterpieces are without question must-own's if you consider yourself ANYTHING of a Super Nintendo fan.
In my experience there are a couple deserving of this honor, and as time goes on you'll see which games I consider to be "virtually flawless."  The Platinum Award is given to any game which scores a perfect 10 out of 10




WHAT IS RATED BESIDES OVERALL SCORE?

I look at:


  • Graphics - How good the game looks, in relation to the time period the game was released and the genre of the game
  • Sound - Quality of the game's sound effects and music
  • Gameplay - How well the game plays, in relation to the time it was released and its genre
  • Longevity - Since RPG's generally lack in "replay value" I'm doing "Longevity" instead -- how long the game lasts me the 1st time, how often will I re-play it, and is it a game I can see myself playing a year or 2, 5, even 10 years from now? It's a combination of all those. To get a 10 in this category, ALL three points must be matched


Please take note of the I's in the longevity category. I can't speak on anyone's behalf but my own. These scores (longevity and everything else) are my personal opinion -- nothing more nothing less. Also note, longevity is the only rating which I base upon my feelings today.
Graphics, Sound and Gameplay relate strictly to the time of the game's release




OVERALL SCORE IS BASED ON:

The overall score is NOT an average of the four scoring areas, but of course they factor in, with gameplay being the most vital. Simply put, the overall score is how much I like (or dislike) the game. Here are three other key factors:


  • Year in which game was released

I'll be more lenient if the game came out early. After all, it's unfair to say Power Moves (Jan. '93) is not up to par with Killer Instinct (Aug. '95). I rate each game based on its peers upon release


  • The genre itself

I have different expectations for each genre based on what I think is the best example of that genre on the Super Nintendo


  • My own personal bias

I do try to be as objective as I can, but my own bias comes into play when deciding the overall score. Gameplay is still the ruling factor, but I may bump a game up by .5 for various reasons


In general, I'm a pretty easy grader. As long as the game is competent, enjoyable, made me sit up and say, "Hey, that was pretty dope" -- I'll probably give it the Bronze Award at the very least. In addition to standing up well among its peers at the time of release, mind. Though, I don't want to be Game Fan-easy!  Trophies will not be given unless I feel the game really earned it

However, I won't be Super Play-hard, either...

Finally, it should be noted, however obvious this may be I don't know, but all these ratings are strictly my opinion and to be interpreted at your own discretion. Unlike a professional magazine that acts as though its score is the so-called "definite" score of a game, these ratings I have are merely that of my opinion and for, as the kids may say... kicks




THE W.A.S.P

And I'm not talking about the culture of the ruling class that's located predominantly along the eastern seaboard!

In each SNES review you'll find at the beginning, in addition to the publisher, developer, release date and meg count, the W.A.S.P:


  • Written: The date I wrote the review
  • Acquired: The date I've acquired the game in review
  • Status: Cart only or CIB (Complete in box w/manual). Based on time of purchase 
  • Price: How much I paid for the game in review


Pretty much self-explanatory but clarified just in case. Why do this WASP thing?  Why not?  It serves as a quick FYI for each game review right off the bat, and makes things more personable

And if you haven't noticed, I'm pretty stingy as a buyer. I always had a "set limit" on how much
I'd pay to buy Game X. Therefore, the WASP (more specifically... the ASP) serves as a subtle
"How much did this game go for on average at the time it was bought?" type deal. Occasionally
I would splurge, of course, but for the most part I paid well within the game's average going rate
at that time, or significantly less. [Bit of a bargain hunter, this one -Ed.]




IN CLOSING...

Yes, I do own all these games. I play the actual cartridge first, and I do try to beat it, because I don't think one can truly rate a game until they've seen it to the end. Not every game I'm able to beat, of course, but I go as far with each as I possibly can. That way the game gets a fair shot.
My reviews are unlike the average game review you'd run into on the net. You could say I march
to the beat of a different drummer... [I say you oughta walk to the couch of a psychiatrist!  -Ed.]

I believe the best video games are EXPERIENCES. Likewise, the best reviews, I feel, should take the reader on a journey into a strange and fascinating world all its own. That's my vision.
My raison d'être

Finally, you'll notice a lot of pictures which I've added text into. It's something new and refreshing I believe. My reviews are serious yet light-hearted, if that makes any sense. And I hope you enjoy browsing them half as much as I've had making them

-Steve

PS- * reviews denote games which were fan-translated, never released or other special reasons




3 Ninjas Kick Back

Addams Family

Adventures of Hourai High*

Aladdin

An American Tale: Fievel Goes West

Arkanoid: Doh It Again

B.O.B.

Barkley: Shut Up and Jam!

Batman Returns

Bonkers

Brandish

Brandish 2*

Breath of Fire

BS Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman Zero*

BS Out of Bounds Golf*

Bust-A-Move

Castlevania: Dracula X

Clay Fighter

Clock Tower*

Combatribes

Contra III: The Alien Wars

Demon's Crest

Donkey Kong Country

Doom

Double Dragon V

Earthbound

Equinox

F-ZERO

Fatal Fury 2

Fighter's History

Final Fantasy II

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest

Final Fight

Final Fight 2

Ghoul Patrol

GunForce

Gunman's Proof*

Harley's Humongous Adventure

Home Improvement

Hook

Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues

Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball

Killer Instinct

King of the Monsters

King of the Monsters 2

Knights of the Round

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Lennus II*

Looney Tunes B-Ball

Mega Man 7

Mega Man X

Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat II

NBA Give 'N Go

NBA Jam

Natsume Championship Wrestling

Nosferatu

Oscar

Paladin's Quest

Power Moves

Ranma ½: Hard Battle

Return of Double Dragon*

Rocky Rodent

Saturday Night Slam Masters

Secret of Mana

Sky Blazer

Soul Blazer

Star Ocean*

Street Fighter II

Street Fighter II Turbo

Super Baseball 2020

Super Bomberman

Super Castlevania IV

Super Double Dragon

Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts

Super Mario Kart

Super Mario World

Super Metroid

Super Punch-Out!!

Super Street Fighter II

SWAT Kats

Tales of Phantasia*

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters

Terranigma*

The Mask

Thunder Spirits

Time Slip

Treasure Hunter G*

True Lies

Twisted Tales of Spike McFang

Ultraman

Wolfchild

Wolfenstein 3-D

World Heroes

World Heroes 2

Zombies Ate My Neighbors