Rampage
System: SMS
Release Date: January 1989
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Action
Do you want an arcade port of Rampage that’s a little bit closer to the arcade than the NES version? Well, here you are. You can choose from all three characters, George the Ape, Lizzie the Lizard, and Ralph the Wolf. Each of the characters seem to have different strengths, though they control the same. Jump with Button 2 and Punch with Button 1.
Just like we saw with the NES version, you need to climb the buildings and punch holes in them to raze them to the ground. There are a lot less items that appear in the holes of the building here. There are, however, many more enemies in the buildings. You need to eat them often to regain health, as healing items are few and far between.
There are ten cities with five levels each. You’re not destroying towns in each state in this version. Despite what the manual suggests, the cities are all the same. Just keep your eye out for tanks and police cars, as they can knock you back. You also have to be quicker jumping off of buildings before you get locked in falling to damage.
Graphics: 3.0
The character sprites are big and detailed. They animate really well and everything else is more detailed than the NES version.
Sound: 1.0
The music doesn’t sound very good. I’m pretty apologetically bias when it comes to Sega’s music, but this doesn’t do the system justice.
Gameplay: 2.0
Climb buildings, punch them, punch enemies, eat stuff.
Difficulty: 2.0
If you’re trying to go through without continues, it’s incredibly hard. If you’re just playing for fun, it’s not bad.
Fun Factor: 1.5
I had a little less fun with this version than the NES. I don’t know if it’s because I did it on my own or if I came into it bored on the Rampage experience.
Overall Grade: 1.9
Rampage earns a C. This is a much closer experience to the arcade. That doesn’t necessarily make it better, but the graphics certainly push it beyond the NES version in this review series.