Here’s a fun little diversion featuring the “Star of Destiny” Georg Mack. The goal is to play the American libraries of the Nintendo, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, and Super Nintendo in chronological order. That means we’ll start with the NES, add in the SMS when they start to release, and get into the Genesis and SNES, as well.
Each review will be accompanied by a grade. The grades are on a 4.0 scale for each category, then an overall average.
Graphics:
Not all graphics are created equally. Some are minimalist, but do a good job of portraying what they should. Others try too hard and don’t succeed at their goal. Even others straddle these spectrums and everything in between. This grade tries to assess if the graphics do what they should and as time goes on will be compared to other, similar entries.
Sound:
Sound is an important category within a game’s design. Music, sound effects, samples, etc. all fall in this category. Gamers know that music can invoke emotions, memories, and more within them. How good the sound is in a game factors into how good the game is as a whole.
Gameplay:
How the game controls. How responsive it is. How intuitive the game is. How well it’s designed. Etc. Gameplay is an integral element to any game. If the gameplay sucks, there’s no benefit to good graphics, sound, or anything else.
Difficulty:
This isn’t a case of harder is better or easier is better. It’s a case of how right the difficulty is.
Fun Factor:
How fun is the game? A game can be fun despite any flaws it has elsewhere. That would show up here.
Overall Grade:
An average of the 5 factors on the 4.0 scale gives the final overall grade.
Grade Point Explanations:
4.0 – Outstanding, a paragon of achievement. 3.5 – Excellent, a great example of what to do in a game. 3.0 – Good, competent at what it’s doing, adds to the game. 2.5 – Above Average, better than what is expected for its time. 2.0 – Average, a non-offensive example of mediocrity. 1.5 – Below Average, doesn’t quite reach the levels of average. 1.0 – Bad, it’s there, but it doesn’t achieve what it should. 0.5 – Awful, a terrible example of what to do in a game. 0.0 – Missing or completely deficient.
