����� � � ����� ��������������� � �� �� � � �� � � � � BBS Version � � � � � �����AME � �ASTER ����OUNRAL ��������������� ������������������������������������������������������� �(C) 1992 Innovative Creations of New Englend TS. � �This fully copyrighted document may not be reproduced� �or reposted on any BBS or other electronic retrieval � �device without the expressed written or transmitted � �permission of ICNETS. � ������������������������������������������������������� ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to our first issue! Come on in, the water's fine! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ������������������������������������PAGE 2������������������������������������ Vol. 1 No. 1 - April 1 to April 15, 1992 Ace's Angles 4 Ask the Game Masters 7 Subscription Info 8 GMJ Top Pick 9 Batman 1.5: Return of the Joker Super NES Reviews 12 Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts Super Castlevania IV Super Bases Loaded Hole-In-One Golf Final Fantasy II Actraiser GMJ Top Five List 21 YOUR picks for the best games. Meet the Game Masters 22 A special feature where you can meet the Game Masters that make GMJ possible. Nintendo Reviews 25 Bart vs. the World Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy ������������������������������������PAGE 3������������������������������������ Trog Treasure Master Genesis Reviews 32 Mario Lemeux Hockey Quackshot Starring Donald Duck Football Party! 36 John Madden '92 Joe Montana II: Sports Talk Football Mike Ditka Football Tecmo Super Bowl Warp Zone 43 GMJ Awards '91 46 Who will win a "Gamie"? Producer: Tony Shubert Editors: ACE, Mort Head Writer: G Writers: G, YOYOMAN, EMAX, EDGE, XMAN, SHADES, ET, STEVE N., HAVOC, VIPER, ACE, SCOOP II, MR. X Offices: Game Master Journal, 59 Germain Ave, Quincy MA.02169 ������������������������������������PAGE 4������������������������������������ All content, Warp Zone, Game Masters, Ace's Angles, GMJ and Game Master Journal (c) 1992 Innovative Creations of New England TS. Insuperable Sid (c) 1991 Sid Comics, used with permission. WE ARE NOT PART OF OR ENDORSED BY: Nintendo of America, Sega Enterprises, NEC Technologies (Turbo Technologies), Atari Games, Atari Corp or any other video gaming company. ��������������������������������������������� Ace's Angles Well I'm back gang with all of the Gossip and stuff you need to know from the Winter CES! Well, I didn't go, but here's what I heard. Sonic 2 is coming! Sega's flagship will be in stores around June (right after the Summer CES in Chicago). With more Sega news, the Mega Drive CD (the one we reported FIRST here in Ace's Angles last year) will also be here this ������������������������������������PAGE 5������������������������������������ summer, but will not play the Mega Drive CD games from Asia or Europe. According to another magazine, Sonic-CD will come packaged with the system, which will cost about $200 - $250. Word has it that Nintendo is working on a Super NES version of Donkey Kong, only updated. Remember Donkey Kong? The first video game I ever played (which me and my friends used to call "DK" when it was the only good game available) my little cousins play on their NES. I didn't even know they made it an 8-bit game! Anyways, Nintendo is also planning to release Super Mario 4 for the NES this winter. It will be different from Super Mario World, and Yoshi doesn't make an appearance. Too bad. Here's something you won't see in any other mag for at least 6 months... Super Mario World 2 will come spring '93! The big winner this Christmas was Sega, selling Sonic with their $150 Genesis, blowing away Nintendo and their Super NES. To get more people interested in the S-NES, Nintendo has lowered the price of it to $180, down 10% from $200 from Christmas. People still say that the Super NES is too expensive, but it comes with two controllers, the Genesis ������������������������������������PAGE 6������������������������������������ comes with one. You must but the other controller for $25, bringing the total cost of a Genesis to $175. What's $5 for Mode 7? Warp Zone is coming very soon! It's will began Monday, February 16, and come out every Monday or Tuesday (depending on where you live). Warp Zone will be four pages, and will cost only a quarter! It will have something Game Master Journal has never had... pictures! You must see Warp Zone! Ask your local store about it. I'm almost done gang, but first... welcome back EMAX! Also, I need some advice. There's this girl... never mind. Finally, thanks much to the NQHS Drama Club. 5-3-1 and the circle was "fun". NOT! That's it, gang. See 'ya in the Spring! ������������������������������������������������������������������������ � You NEED to see the printed Game Master Journal! � � See page 8! � ������������������������������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������PAGE 7������������������������������������ �����Ask the Game Masters����� This month we are taking a different approach to Ask the GMs, this time we're answering general questions, not just games. NES in stereo? Dear Game Master Journal, I'm trying to connect my NES to my stereo, but it only comes in one speaker. How can I double the signal? -Matt DiFicio, Weymouth ACE: I'm not quite sure what you are looking for Matt. If you want to double the signal, there are amplifiers that run about $70 to $200 and more. You can get them at Radio Shack. If you just want to split the signal, that is the same sounds in both speakers, a "Y" splitter will do that for you. These cost about $2.00, and you can also get them at Radio Shack. Have a question or a comment? Send E-Mail to Emax! See page 24! ������������������������������������PAGE 8������������������������������������ DON'T READ THIS!!!!! DON'T READ THIS!!!!! ���������������������������������������������������������������Ŀ The best video game fanzine just keeps on getting better! And now, you can get it delivered to your home for only $6 for 8 issues! (only 75 cents each issue!) This includes special issues soon to come, such as... INSUPERABLE SID ALL-COMIC WARP ZONE SUMMER DOUBLE ISSUE (32 pages!) At least $12 worth of GMJ for only $6! Send your check to... Game Master Journal Subscriptions 59 Germain Ave Suite 1 Quincy, MA. 02169 Make checks payable to Game Master Journal. We will not be responsible of any cash sent. Prices and issue frequency may change. ����������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������PAGE 9������������������������������������ �����GMJ Top Pick����� Batman Return of the Joker Batman returns in his second NES game with a major graphical and gameplay face-lift in Sunsoft's first psuedo-16 bit games. What is the Dark Knight trying to do? As the title implies, the Joker has returned. This time he has some tough, new friends all of which are gunning to take Batman out. These baddies are spread out through seven stages leading to the Final Battle with the Joker. Batman gets powered up in this second game with new weapons, such as the Cross Bow, Battarang and a Shield-Star. Batman also has other weapons availoable by holding down the 'A' button he can access more powerful shots. Certain weapons work better than others; the Cross Bow is super powerful, and the Batterang seeks and finds enemies. The Caped One has learned new moves, including crouching and looking up (and over his shoulder), and also has a new slide attack. One drawback is that he lost the ability to climb ������������������������������������PAGE10������������������������������������ walls. Throught the game are Batman-back packs. Collect eight, and Batman goes Bat-zerk! He gets a Sonic Neutralizer and Invincibility. The neutralizer blazes a path for Batman as he busts his way through the level untoughed for about seven seconds. Fresh with new moves, higher-quality graphics and more enemies, Batman 2 is enough for any gamer to go Batty! -ACE QUICKSHOTS � The end boss in level 3-3 is easy to beat, just fire away until he charges at you. Jump over him and shoot at his back. � The first time you face Joker (level 6-3), he's flying above you, throwing deadly bubbles at you. The easiest way to kill him off is to slide to the right when he goes left, and vice- versa. Eventually he stops in the center and gloats. Move underneath him and fire away. When Joker starts to fly around the bottom of the screen, slide into him to cause some ������������������������������������PAGE11������������������������������������ serious damage! � The end of the game is easy to defeat. We won't tell you how, but here's two hints. The cross bow inflicts much damage, and weapons bounce off of walls - 'Nuff said! ACE: 16-bit graphics on the NES? I love it! For a large- sprite game, the controls were extremely responsive. I really responsive. I really thought the games BGM was great! Sunsoft has given me a reason to keep my NES a bit longer... Rating... 95 MR. X: The graphics are awesome! The sound is awesome! The whole game is awesome! Except for the lack of challenge... NOT! You'll pull your hair out trying to get to the end. Once there its a breeze though. Rent this puppy and see what the NES can really do! Rating... 90 ������������������������������������PAGE12������������������������������������ �����Super NES Reviews����� Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts King Aurther must save Guinevere in a classic adventure quest in Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts by Capcom USA. She has been kidnapped by Sardius, the Emperor of Evil, and has been taken to the Ghoul Realm and the Phantom Zone. You must save her! In this eight-level action cart, you must engage the Creatures of the Undead in a hack-and-slash fight to the death. On your way through the stage, hidden treasure chests may appear. In these chests may lie armor (which allows you to be more powerful), or one of several weapons. You start with a lance, but you can pick up more powerful weapons including a crossbow, tri-blade, axe or torch. If Arthur finds the Bronze or Golden Armor, these weapons get super powered-up! You start out in the Dead Place, but work your way up through the Rotting Sea, Deep Chill, Hallway of Ghouls, and then the Throne Room, where you finally meet Sardius in a battle to save Guinevere. -MR. X ������������������������������������PAGE13������������������������������������ ACE: This game is not much different than the Genesis version that came out two years ago, except that the BGM and sound effects are AWESOME! It sounds like I have an orchestra in my SNES. Check out this high quality cart, but be prepared for the long haul, this one's tough. Rating... 85 SCOOP II: The game is OK, but monotonous... just run, slash, run, slash... duh. The graphics are high quality, but the hole game slows down to a crawl when too many things are on the screen at once. This ruins the game. The "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" fade-to-digital is a nice touch. Rating... 70 Super Castlevania IV Get ready, castlevania fans, a new Castlevania is on the way for your Super NES. This one features our hero, Simon Belmont, on yet another quest to defeat Dracula and his minions. You play the role of Simon Belmont, and run through the ������������������������������������PAGE14������������������������������������ same kind of action as in other Castlevania games, but this time you can swing across gaps (a la Indiana Jones) by wrapping your whip around a ring, and you can also stand still and whip your whip around in any direction. Another thing you can do in this game that you can't do in other games is face the challenge of a new variety of monsters. Go Simon! -EDGE EDGE: Awesome game. Superb grafx. The best Castlevania game around. Also the best sound on any Catlevania game. Rating... 90 ACE: I think this game is awesome! The play control wasn't too good, but every thing else was top-of-the-line! I really enjoyed when the screen rotates 90 degrees (in a late level)! My real problem is a NES series going to the S-NES. Bad move. Rating... 90 ������������������������������������PAGE15������������������������������������ Super Bases Loaded Jaleco's first entry into the Super NES market is here, and it's Super Bases Loaded. The object is to pitch a perfect game ("no bonehead plays", as the game states) against a "level 5" team. This system is unlike other Bases Loaded games in that there is no league set-up and no password system. The perspective is just one of several changes made to this cart. Home is now accessed by "UP", as opposed to "DOWN" on most games. Also, you can head off of a base with out stealing the next one. Graphically speaking, SBL takes baseball games to where they have never gone before. The game rotates around the pitcher's mound between innings, and then shows the scoreboard. After the game is over, the SNES shows you your rating, on a scale of 1 to 100. Do you have what it takes to pitch a perfect game? -MR. X ������������������������������������PAGE16������������������������������������ ACE: The game is "just simply the best", except for the switched perspective and the rating system. The actual game is good, but the frills stink. I played against YOYOMAN and we had a great time! Rating... 85 MR. X: This game is really a disappointment. Sequels should only be made if there is an improvement. There was none in Super Bases Loaded. The game's reversed view is terrible. The game is just flawed beyond belief. Rating... 75 Hole In One Golf The Super NES' first golf game grabs some attention with interesting features and add-ons. Hal America's Hole In One Golf features a tourney, practice, doubles and a password system to keep your games going. Of course, the game has 18 different holes, each with different problems to face. Sometimes the hole is surrounded by sand traps, others by water. ������������������������������������PAGE17������������������������������������ You can play by yourself or with a friend in Hole In One. You can play "VS. Hal", and if you defeat him, he'll give you a password to let you use his special clubs. The tournament pits you against 64 other players in a "stroke play" contest. Who ever has the least amount of strokes at the end wins! A special feature in this cart is the 3-D mode. In between shots, you can pause the game and look at the topography of the area a la PGA Golf for the Genesis. Another is the replay you can access if you sink an eagle, albatross or a Hole-In-One. -ACE ACE: I enjoyed this game, but it wasn't worth the $60 price tag. The fly-by views are fantastic! I liked the system used to hit the ball, much better than that of PGA and Arnold Palmer. Great game, but not one of my favorites. Rating... 85 MR. X: Wow! Big deal. I would not have played this game, but I was through picking my teeth, so... this game stunk. The real game is boring, the SNES is almost sleep-inducing! 40 ������������������������������������PAGE18������������������������������������ Final Fantasy II You are Cecil, Dark Knight of Baron, and you are out to find why your king is stealing crystals from innocent people. In this game it is hard to distinguish friend from foe as you battle from an ever-changing group of allies. You and your allies go on the quest with an array of different weapons and skills and magic spells. When you walk around town, its a good idea to talk to everyone and go in every door, because you can find new information and items. Nintendo's successful RPG series continues with Final Fantasy II. -EDGE MR. X: I know RPG's, and I know that this game is incredible! The graphics in this one set a new standard in S-NES games. I didn't quite follow the plot, though. Rating... 85 EDGE: Dazzling graphics. Tremendous sound. This game has it all! The best storyline I've ever seen. WOW! Rating... 90 ������������������������������������PAGE19������������������������������������ Actraiser Have you ever wanted to rule the world? You get your chance in Actraiser. This is a CRPG in which you must develop lands, defeat monsters, and make your people's lives better. Before you can do that, you must go down to the planet and battle some monsters. Defeat them all, and two people appear. You must guide them to develop land and grow crops. Every now and then they'll speak to you (give the gamer help), and ask that you clear some neutral obstacles (such as flooding a desert). While you develop lands, monsters keep coming the monster tries to attack them to push them off, but more come. The people must go to the lairs and seal them. Eventually you'll clear the level. But you're not done yet; there is another battle sequence to defeat before you can go to the next cite. Defeat six cites and you have to face an enemy boss as ugly as the Devil himself. If you've head doesn't get too big from having the SNES call you "master", good luck and have an Actraiser. -ACE ������������������������������������PAGE20������������������������������������ ACE: I have learned one thing; CRPGs are the best kind of game out there! As I sit here typing away, I can't help but thinking that the SES was calling me Master! Ha! The graphics are great, and it sounds like an orchestra. Rating... 90 MR. X: This game is pretty good, but I didn't like the RPG aspects. The battle parts were not enough to carry this game, but is still OK. Rent this one, the game's a piece of cake. Rating... 70 ������������������������������������������������������������������������ ����� In the April 15 edition of Game Master Journal: ����� �����NES: Mega Man 4, Quattro Adventure, Quattro Sports, Home Alone����� �����GENESIS: Winter Games, Toe Jam + Earl, Streets of Rage ����� �����SUPER NES: Paperboy 2, Wonderers From Y's III, Super Off Road ����� �����SPECIAL REPORT: Game Gear, one year later ����� �����ALSO: Warp Zone, Ask the Game Masters, GMJ Top Ten, and more! ����� ������������������������������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������PAGE21������������������������������������ ����� � � ����� ����������������� � �� �� � � � � �� � � � � � TOP FIVE LIST � � � � � � � � �����AME � �ASTER ����OUNRAL ����������������� NES GENESIS SUPER NES 1 Tecmo Super Bowl NHL Hockey Super Wrestlemania 2 Monopoly Streets of Rage Pilotwiings 3 Bart vs. the World Sonic the Hedgehog Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 4 M.C. Kids John Madden '92 Home Alone 5 Battletoads Toe Jam + Earl Lemmings To give us your picks for the TOP 5, send E-Mail to Emax! See page 24. ������������������������������������PAGE22������������������������������������ Meet the Game Masters We here at GMJ have receive many letters concerning the people behind the scenes, and the REAL names of our writers. We can tell you their names (for fear of prosecution), but here's the background on all of the Game Masters. Tony Shubert: President of Innovative Creations of New England, editor of Game Master Journal. I go to North Quincy High, and I am involved with volleyball, drama and the school newspaper, "The North Star". I've been playing video games since 1979. I puzzle games and combat RPG's (like Actraiser) Mort: Editor-in-chief of GMJ. He helped to put the Hubble Telescope in space (no kidding!), and plays mostly IBM computer games. He provides most of the technical support needed for GMJ. G: Head writer. Is a Junior at BC High in Dorchester. Enjoys basketball, baseball and other sports. Has been playing video games since 1987. Enjoys sports games, especially Electronic Arts' Genesis games. ������������������������������������PAGE23������������������������������������ ACE: One of the two original Game Masters. Not much is known about ACE's background, except he has spent time in Colorado, Florida, California and Washington. While in those places he met various "stars" of video gaming, including Howard Phillips. Was the regional finalist of the Nintendo World Championships in Worchester in 1990 (he lost to Thor Ackerlund, the eventual Grand Champion). Neil Bowman: Artist and writer of Insuperable Sid. Excellent drummer who in his spare time draws Sid. THE WRITERS Without these people, GMJ would not exist. MR. X: Junior at NQHS, also on the volleyball team. Owns Defender (the arcade game, the real thing). XMAN: Junior at NQHS. Enjoys wrestling and track. First person to ever beat ACE in Ice Hockey for the NES. YOYOMAN: G's brother. Freshman at Xervarian in Weymouth. Loves tacos. STEVE N.: Junior at NQHS also. Makes it a point to arrive to school 30 minutes early every day. ������������������������������������PAGE24������������������������������������ ET: Track master at North Quincy. Writes Game Boy reviews for GMJ. SHADES: One of our three new writers, goes to BC High. Pretends he can play basketball. VIPER: Genesis writer new to GMJ, coming from Quincy. Finalist in GMJ Super Tourney 2. EDGE: Our third new writer writes exclusively Super NES reviews. Another Super Tourney 2 finalist. **************************************************************** IF YOU WANT TO WRITE FOR GMJ, JUST SEND SOMETHING TO THE ADDRESS ON PAGE 3. ALONG WITH YOUR ARTICLE, SEND YOUR Name Address Phone Number BBS' Handle (for E-Mail, and be sure you say what BBS!) When we can call (we can't publish until we call you!) OR..... E-Mail us! Send E-Mail to EMAX on the following BBS': Channel 1, Datanet Connection, Games Galaxy, and more to come! Send E-Mail to EMAX THE GAME MASTER on: 19th Hole. ***************************************************************** ������������������������������������PAGE25������������������������������������ �����Nintendo Reviews����� Bart vs. the World The Bart-Man. Barter-ino. The Bart-meister. Bartholemew J. Simpson is travelling around the world in his second NES game. He won an art contest (with a lousy drawing) on the Krusty the Clown show. The contest was sponsored by the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, and was rigged so that Mr. Burns, the owner of the plant, world be rid of the Simpsons. The winner of the contest won a world-wide trip, which Burns hoped Bart + Co. wouldn't return. Your quest begins in China, where you must find a map, then skateboard on the Great Wall of China, and then defeat one of Burns' Chinese Cousins. Along the way you can find Lisa, and if you do she'll help you at the end of the level. After defeating Chu Man Burns, you must go to the North Pole, Italy, and eventualy back to the USA. Some of the power-ups the Bart-man can get are large diamonds, which give a tree life, apples and other throwing things, and Krusty symbols. Enough of them and Bart starts ������������������������������������PAGE26������������������������������������ to fly. If you need more of these, go to the bonus games available, including concentration, a slot machine and a shell game. -MR. X MR. X: Great game! This game is paced just right... not too fast or slow. The switch from the format in Bart vs. the Space Mutants was unnecessary, but didn't ruin the game. The play control was lousy at times, though and kept this game from getting a 95. Rating... 85 STEVE N. Well, I give this game two thumbs up. In my opinion, this game simply over-rules the last Bart Simpson game. Because it challenged me to keep on playing even after I've been defeated so many times. Enjoy the thrill of becoming the Bart-man! So run and check this game out! Rating... 90 ������������������������������������PAGE27������������������������������������ Trog It's Bloop against the Trogs in Trog for the NES by Acclaim. You take on the role of Bloop, a little dino-mite dinosaur, who must take his eggs back from the Trogs, who stole them all, then he must get back to home, so the eggs area protected. There is only one thing stopping you, TROGS! These terrible, huge, and nasty dinosaurs stole the eggs from Bloop and his clan. Of course, Bloop must have some form of defense. Every now and then, a Power Flower appears. If Bloop eats one of these, look out! Bloop becomes a huge dinosaur, even larger than the Trogs! Here's Bloop's chance to score points and eat the bad guys. An interesting feature is the ability to play doubles in Trog. Bleep then comes and helps out Bloop. If either gets power-ed up, they can eat each other! ������������������������������������PAGE28������������������������������������ ACE: This game is basically a rehash of Pac-Man. Duh. Come on. This game is from the same company that made Double Dragon and Bart Simpson! Please! The 2-player mode was a nice touch, but not enough to save this doomed cart. Rating... 50 SCOOP II: The game is not too good. In fact, it's a lousy game. It's just a rehash of Pac-Man, 10 years later. Couldn't Acclaim work on Double Dragon 4 instead? The only reason I didn't give it a 30 is because of the two player mode. Rating... 45 Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy Camerica's second Gold Series game is here and packs a punch! The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy features Dizzy, an egg-sploring egg who must save Daisy from the evil Wizard Zaks. Dizzy lives in the Kingdom of Zakeria, in a tree house. From there your quest begins. ������������������������������������PAGE29������������������������������������ This game is non-linear, that is, you can go basically anywhere. But you have to collect 100 stars sitting around waiting for you, before you can enter the cloud castle in which Zaks presides. You start off in the Yolkfolk's secret village, and work your way to the mines. From there you can go on to Keldor or to the Crystal Falls (you actually need to go to both places). In order for you to go on past many places, you must first get an item. For instance, you need a plank to go over the pit of spikes. You can only carry three items at a time, so don't carry dead weight. Along the way you can find some of your friends, and they'll help you along. Dozy, Dylan, Dora, Denzil and Grand Dizzy are all there waiting for you. You can also find bonus stages, one in which you must re-arrange a scroll after it's scrambled. Do this and get a free Dizzy, and you'll need it. You only get three lives and no continues. The U.K.'s #1 video game hero comes to the States in this Fantastic Adventure of Dizzy! ������������������������������������PAGE30������������������������������������ ACE: This game is great! When I first got it, it wasn't compatible, so I moved the switch in the back of the game, and BINGO! The graphics are cartoon-like, but don't let it throw you off. This game's challenging, too hard in fact. A battery back-up or a password screen would've been nice. Other than that, YES! Rating... 95 MR. X: The game is pretty good, in that it's an adventure game. As far as they go, this ones the best. I don't go for these types of games that much, but, I enjoyed this game! I think this game is the first one in 3 years that I haven't beaten! WOW! Rating... 90 Treasure Master Scooter finds an old gold coin, tucks it under his pillow, find out about "The Legend of the Treasure Master", and undertakes a quest of his mind in Treasure Master. All of this is nice, but that isn't what will make this game memorable. The $10,000 cash you can win will do that! Only Game Masters should play this game, because it is a ������������������������������������PAGE31������������������������������������ toughie! You get three men and no continues, so beating this game is tough enough. But it gets even worse when you find there are no warps, and you only get four hits per life. There are five worlds, and then the prize world. The prize world is accessed by a password (see below). You start in the Islands, where you must find items that let you get other items, and so on. All throughout the stage are sharks and caterpillars, as well as dragonflies, and they are all after you. To get to some things you need bombs, and the bombs are endless. Once you leave the screen where the bomb machine is, you can go back and get another! After that you'll go on to the Moon, and eventually inside your NES! World six is the Prize World. Finish the game, call a 1-900 number, and win $10,000! Easy? Not! ACE: This game is one of the hardest games I've played for the NES. Add that to the fact that you can win 10 thousand bucks, and you have one tough challenge. The game's graphics are nice, but with limited backgrounds. Buy this for the fun, or just for the cash! Rating... 90 ������������������������������������PAGE32������������������������������������ MR. X: Money, money, money. Is life all about money? I think that this contest is a joke. I'm not going to spend $50 on the game and $5 on a phone call, only to find that I didn't win. Great game, though it could've had more power- ups. Rating... 85 �����Genesis Reviews����� Mario Lemeux Hockey Once again Electronic Arts beats Sega in the sports game department. I cannot help but compare this game to NHL Hockey (perhaps one of the best games for the Genesis.) This game has some features that would have made NHL a better game, including stats. This game has an incredible number of stats, including passes completed, number of goal posts hit, and checks thrown, just to name a few, There are a total of 14 pages of off the wall stats. (I think they made up a few.) Another great feature is an options screen which allows you to fight against another opponent or take penalty shots against the goalie. ������������������������������������PAGE33������������������������������������ But this game does have some faults. First it does not use pro teams, and with the exception of Mario Lemeux there are no pro players named. Also, you can't change the speed of your shots. All of your shots are at the same rate of speed, so you can not take a 90 mph slapshot as it claims in the game write-up. It's difficult to score; rarely ever scoring on anything other than a rebound off the goalie. -BAR BAR: Overall not a bad game, but still needs some improvement. The graphics are only average. Not even the title screen was good. Play control was busy. I preferred the vertical view of NHL. Rating... 80 MR. X: Stats, stats, stats... is that all to hockey? Stats such as "goal posts hit" and "passes completed" are just plain silly. Although there were glimpses of a great game (the face-offs and penalty shots were awesome!), the overall picture wasn't pretty. Give me NHL. Rating... 75 ������������������������������������PAGE34������������������������������������ Quackshot starring Donald Duck Quackshot by Sega is an adventure starring Donald and Daisy Duck. The story all starts when Donald was looking through some books in the library. A piece of paper falls on Donald's head, and it's from one of the books. It's a treasure map from King Garuzia. He has hidden a treasure somewhere on Earth. Donald thinks he could be rich if he finds the treasure, so off he goes. One problem... Big Bad Pete and his gang listens in, and give chase. In his adventure Donald and his nephews must go to Duckburg, Mexico and beyond. He lives in Duckburg, but now it's full of thugs trying to get him. From there he goes to Mexico. Here there are exploding cacti, bubbling quicksand scorpions, buzzards and bees. From there he goes to a Viking ghost ship, the South Pole and Egypt on his quest for the treasure. Some of the weapons Donald uses are Plungers, the popcorn shooter and the bubble shooter. Plungers are used for stunning the bad guys or for climbing walls. The popcorn ������������������������������������PAGE35������������������������������������ shooter can stop almost anything. The bubble shooter is used for barricades and the like. Help Donald find the treasure and check out Quackshot. - VIPER VIPER: I highly recommend this game. I liked the graphics especially. The storyline was OK. I liked some places and especially liked the obstacles Donald went through. If you like excellent graphic games like Castle of Illusion or Fantasia I highly recommend Quackshot. Rating... 85 ACE: This game is no big deal. The graphics are much like Castle of Illusion. The game can become methodical, run shoot get something, run... it just gets boring. The game is a toughie, so Game Masters should only apply. Rating... 75 ������������������������������������PAGE36������������������������������������ ������������������������������������ ����� Football Party! ����� ������������������������������������ Joe Montana Football II: Sports Talk Football "Welcome to Joe Montana Sports Talk Football!" is the voice message you hear as you power up the sequel to the best- selling Joe Montana for your Genesis. Be prepared. Sega decided to completely revamp JMF, and they came up with this sequel. For instance, the view is horizontally scrolling, not vertical. There are both artificial and natural turfs, and play selection is different. But the two most noticeable differences are the "zoom-in" mode and the play-by-play announcer. After the quarterback crosses the line of scrimmage, passes or hands off the ball, the game "zoom"s to the action, making everything two times as large and making everything more realistic looking. On every play you hear the Sports Talk announcer. He gives both the play-by-play and the color commentary. His sayings ������������������������������������PAGE37������������������������������������ are not very repitious, either. Just don't expect too much emotion from a machine. The variety of plays and formations are outstanding. If you include the passes, runs, and the "flips" of each (the same play, only reversed) there are over 70! If you've got what it takes, go for the season. Be top in the division and you might make it to the Sega Bowl! ACE: The game is absolutely incredible! "Pay Day!" Like most games, the fun part is playing with a friend. The zoom- ins are awesome! How about Sports Talk Hockey? Rating... 90 MR. X: This game may be Game of the Year. High quality, and the zoom is flawless. The passing system didn't have to be messed with though. Enjoy! Rating... 95 ������������������������������������PAGE38������������������������������������ John Madden Football '92 The sequel to Electronic Arts' best-seller is John Madden '92, and it's here to stay. The game is similar to JMF '91. There is a playoff system, the passing system is the same (three windows accessed with A B or C) and there is a playoff system, similar to the one used in NHL Hockey, another Electronic Arts hit. But there is so much more in JMF '92. One of the new features is the real NFL Teams and players' numbers are used. The players act like they do in real life (a la NHL). Don't try throwing the bomb with Hugh Millen or trying to get by Bruce Smith. Another new feature is the ability to choose the pitch (playing surface) and the weather that you play in. There are tons of new stats displayed during half-time, and you can even injure other players! In Electronic Arts patented replay mode, you can see the play over and over again, rewind, slo-mo and playback as your options. Awesome! If you haven't seen John Madden Football, do your Genesis and yourself a favor and play this hot cart. -ACE ������������������������������������PAGE39������������������������������������ ACE: This game is just as good as Joe Montana Football. he replay is great. I like the playoff system they used. What is EA's secret? High quality sport games that combine graphics, gameplay and fun. Wow! Rating... 90 MR. X: Fantastic game! The game is one of the best. I liked John's little comments that preceeded each game. The game is a little unrealistic though. Some people can not get tackled even when there are all 11 people on his tail. Well, you can't get it all. Rating... 90 Mike Ditka Power Football Everybody's getting into the football act, even Mike Ditka. The coach for the Chicago Bears has a Genesis game, and it's made by Ballistic. Power Football features all of the real cities of the NFL teams, but the names of the players and the teams are fictional. The camera used to see the game is in the "end zone" behind the quarterback, using a 45 degree angle to view of the action. ������������������������������������PAGE40������������������������������������ One of the features that set this game apart form other football games is the passing system. There are two modes - real-time and freeze frame. Real time is the mode used in most games, while freeze frame shows all of the receivers, one at a time, while all of the action is on "pause". One drawback is the screen "jumps" to the receiver you have selected before you actually throw the ball, so if you don't like that receiver, and try to change to another, you may get sacked, and wouldn't see the linebacker coming. This massive 8-meg game has both a season and a password system so you can pick up your action later. In this game is digitized voices of Jam Tunney, an NFL referee for 31 years. -ACE ACE: This is the worst football game for the Genesis I've ever played. Come on. Couldn't Ballistic come up with a better 8-meg game? The voices of "First Down" was nice, but JMF II's "Sports Talk" was much better. The passing system stinks. The rating I'm giving is basically charity. Rating... 50 ������������������������������������PAGE41������������������������������������ MR. X: The only power in Power Football is the opening graphics. Please. This game is about as exciting as watching paint dry. The scrolling is very choppy. The passing is erotic, you miss wide open catches, yet make one handed-grabs being double-teamed on the next play? Sorry, but this one is just plain lousy. Rating... 35 Tecmo Super Bowl After four years of waiting, the sequel to Tecmo Bowl finally comes to your NES. TSB features similar game play to it's predecessor, in that the characters on-screen are not too large. But you can see most of the screen with it's high overhead view of the field. Included in this cart is every single NFL starter and backup, using the real teams and players' names. If you play the Denver Broncos, look for Elway to drop the bomb. The players act like their true-to-life counterparts. There are ������������������������������������PAGE42������������������������������������ a few missing, though, such as Randall Cunningham and Jim Kelly. (These players have special licenses, so Tecmo didn't include them.) Something new is the battery back-up. This allows stats to be kept in just about every category imagineable. There is also a season that needs no passwords! Teams can be either "man" or "com"puter controlled, or they can be "coa"ched by a human, with the play controlled by the NES. Good luck finding this game, though. Because it is sold out and renting at almost a 95% rate. -SCOOP II ACE: This is the BEST NES football game on the market. Other than the fact that the players are small on the screen, this game is perfect! The cinema screens that are shown after a TD are awesome! You won't be mad you bought or rented Tecmo Super Bowl, trust me! Rating... 95 MR. X: This game is great! A perfect sequel to Tecmo Bowl. The characters on the main screen are too small, but other than that, it's great! Maybe they could have turned off that BGM... it was beginning to get on my nerves. Awesome playing against a friend! Rating... 90 ������������������������������������PAGE43������������������������������������ ����� Warp Zone ����� Here is the hints and tips you need to bust your favorite games. If you have one, write to the address below. KEY: A B C TL TR X Y I II ST SL RUN are buttons U D L R are controller directions 1 2 are controllers (unless specified, use controller 1) [codes in brackets] press and hold Doublew Dragon III (NES): Continue Codes Rounds 1 to 3- U R D L A B Rounds 4 to 6- U D L R A B Rounds 7 to 9- Using 2 A A B B D U R L Lock 'n Chase (Game Boy): Extra Levels When on title screen, type A A B B A B B ST. This will put you on level 7-1 ������������������������������������PAGE44������������������������������������ Loopz (NES): Passwords for Game C Stage 6 XPO Stage 11 JGS Stage 16 ASL Stage 21 PDS Stage 26 WKK Stage 31 YLY Bad Dudes (NES): 63 Men On title screen... 2 B A D U D U 1 ST Ice Hockey (NES): Super Codes both 1 and 2 hold [A B SL]. While held, 1 ST. If used on Title Screen, no goalies. If used on configuration screen, frictionless puck. If used on both you get both effects. ������������������������������������PAGE45������������������������������������ Super Monaco GP (Genesis): Password to race 15 use this code. 0Q76 2ILM F200 0000 0010 H10F B324 5D76 CA89 EGC1 0000 0002 0000 0000 F200 2CAC Cyberball (NES and Genesis): Password Take the S.F. Hit Men to the championship! Use ULBB-B5PS-OF4I as your password. Get a free subscription to Warp Zone by giving us your tips and tricks for the Warp Zone. If we print your code, you win! Send them to... Game Master Journal Warp Zone 59 Germain Avenue Suite 1 Quincy, MA. 02169 ������������������������������������PAGE46������������������������������������ Game Master Journal Awards 1991 - The "Gamies" This is GMJ's first full year of production in pinted form, and our first BBS issue.and we've decided to start a new tradition... the Gamies. A Gamie can only be given out to a game released in 1991. In each of the main systems reviewed in GMJ including the NES, Super NES and Genesis, there are several categories. This month we'll give the nominees for each system, and you can vote. (See below) Best Overall Game - Which game was the best produced for each system in '91? This was the best of the best, and must be a high-quality game that no other can even touch. Best Sport Game - In this group you're looking for the game which best re-created the sport in which you played. Play- control is a plus here. Best Adventure Game - In Adventure, we mean a game like "Link", not "Dragon Warrior". Find a piece, battle monsters, use the piece, etc., is what you'd do in this game. ������������������������������������PAGE47������������������������������������ Best Role Playing Game - Games like Dragon Warrior is what you'd consider here. Menu driven ("Fight, Run, Use") and text heavy, RPGs are followed by many people. Best Combat-Role Playing Game - Basically take out the menus and put in hand-to-sword combat and you're all set! Best Action Game - What game best copies Super Mario Bros.? That's almost what this one comes down to. Not too much logic, but heavy on the run/jump action is what's here. Best Simulation - The best one in this category makes you think you're not playing a game, but instead flying a plane or moving a tank. Best Racing Game - Which game makes you feel like Michael Andretti or Tom Petty? Look for a game that challenges your nerves and pleases your eyes. ������������������������������������PAGE48������������������������������������ Best Puzzler - Which game makes you strain your brain and think rather than pound away at the buttons? Which game had you playing until 3 am? That's a great puzzler. Newest Innovation: Which game put a different spin on games more than any other? Or at least tried to? (This covers all systems.) Best Add-on, Portables: Which accessory made your Game Boy, Game Gear or TurboExpress more of a success? Did it make the screen bigger, better, or what? Best Add-on, Consoles: There were some real jems in this category... things that saved your place or even changed the game completely! These must directly affect game play. Best Graphics (8-bit): What game in '92 had the best screens? Best Graphics (16-bit): Same as above, for the SNES + Genesis. ������������������������������������PAGE49������������������������������������ Best Sound: Games that have bad sound usually stink. The opposite can be said... games with great sounds are usually high-quality. Which one caught your eye (or ear)? Game of the Year 1991: What was the best game of '91? These include all of the systems, home and portable. Pick the correct one and you can win prizes (see below). Best Overall Game: (must be from this list) NES - Tecmo Super Bowl, Batman Return of the Joker, Battletoads, Micro Machines Genesis - NHL Hockey, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sword of Vermillion, Toe Jam + Earl Super NES - Super Mario World, Pilotwings, F-Zero, Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 The rest of the categories can be any game. Write down your choices and send them to... Game Master Journal 59 Germain Ave. OR E-Mail them (see page 24) Quincy, MA. 02169 ATTN: Game of the Year ������������������������������������PAGE50������������������������������������ The first 50 people who send in their choices will receive an issue of Warp Zone #1. If you pick the most popular game, you will be placed in a drawing for a 6-issue subscription to the printedGame Master Journal. Entries must be received by April 20th. Good luck! Here comes the legal stuff!!!!!!! ������������������������������������������������������������������������ This document may be freely downloaded if all of the following conditions are true: A: If your BBS carries Game Master Journal legally, B: If your BBS allows you to download, C: No alteration to the document (as a whole or parts of) has been made and the copyright stays on the document, D: You do not repost on another BBS without express written or transmitted permission of ICNETS or U.S. Datanet. ������������������������������������������������������������������������ (c) 1992 Innovative Creations of New England TS.