Mean Machines Sega Issue 1

Mean Machines Sega Issue 1
Managing Editor	Julian Rignall
Publisher	EMAP
Pages	148
Cover Date	October 1992
Previous issue	-
Next issue	Issue 2

This issue was dated October 1992 and cost £3.95

News

News Headlines - 5 pages (10-11,14,16,20)

• Final Fight for Mega CD - (10-11)
• Mick and Mack coming soon - (10)
• Another World: Another conversion - (10)
• Bond-ed to your Megadrive: James Bond: The Duel - (10)
• Top snooker sim set for Megadrive: Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker - (11)
• Taz-Mania for Gear - (11)
• Super-powered Master System: Superman: The Man of Steel - (11)
• Streets of Rage II update - (14)
• Underground violence hits Master System: Pit-Fighter - (14)
• Megadrive SCI - Next month! - (14)
• Game Gear: Domark round-up - Paperboy, Klax, Prince of Persia & Marble Madness - (16)
• Ballistic is back!: Sega lose legal battle - (16)
• Live and dangerous: GamesMaster Live - (16)
• Burnin' up the Mega CD!: After Burner III - (16)
• New EA gear unveiled: Road Rash II, Risky Woods, Lotus Turbo Challenge, Shadow of the Beast II & John Madden Football '93 - (20)
• First console rugby game!: International Rugby - (20)
• Super Off-Road burns up game - (20)

Previews

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive) - 2 pages (100-101)

Super High Impact, Side Pocket (Mega Drive) - 1 page (103)

Gods (Mega Drive) - 1 page (104)

Superman (Mega Drive) - 2 pages (106-107)

Mega-Lo-Mania (Mega Drive) - 2 pages (108-109)

Features

Contents - 2 pages (4-5)

Editorial - 2 pages (6-7)

Mean Yob (Letters) - 4 pages (28-30,32)

Q+A - 3 pages (36-38)

Top 10 Charts - 2 pages (72-73)

Lookback - Mean Machines Issue 1 - Julian Rignall & Richard Leadbetter - 3 pages (110-112)

• Mega Drive - Revenge of Shinobi, Golden Axe, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Thunder Force II, Truxton
• Master System - Impossible Mission, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, Gauntlet

Games Index - 8 pages (132-133,135-140)

Reviews

Note: The review scores for both Smash TV games were incorrect (Everything got 88%). Issue 2's games index confirms the scores they should have got.

Main Reviews

Game Title	Publisher	Format	Reviewer(s)	Pages	Pg No(s)	Over (%)
Thunder Storm FX	Wolf Team	Mega CD	Richard Leadbetter & Gus Swan	4	22-25	73
Predator 2	Acclaim	Mega Drive	Radion Automatic & Julian Rignall	3	54-56	80
Atomic Runner	Data East	Mega Drive	Radion Automatic & Paul Davies	4	58-61	91
Green Dog	Sega	Mega Drive	Julian Rignall & Paul Davies	4	64-67	49
Aquatic Games, The	Electronic Arts	Mega Drive	Radion Automatic & Gus Swan	4	76-79	61
Super Smash T.V.	Flying Edge	Mega Drive	Gus Swan & Paul Davies	2	84-85	72
Super Smash T.V.	Flying Edge	Master System	Radion Automatic & Gus Swan	2	86-87	27
Prince of Persia	Victor	Mega CD	Radion Automatic & Julian Rignall	3	92-94	72
NHLPA Hockey 93	Electronic Arts	Mega Drive	Gus Swan & Paul Davies	4	96-99	90

Comments

Thunder Storm FX - 73%

Not so much a game as a glorified demo, for those interested in technical excellence.

Predator 2 - 80%

A fine blasting game that should appeal to all mass carnage and destruction fans.

Atomic Runner - 91%

A welcome challenge after so many games that have been just too easy. The only thing to really moan about in this title is its miniaturised graphical style, but even that doesn't affect the gameplay at all and the end result is a superb blaster.

Green Dog - 49%

It might look and sound like a million dollars, but the gameplay ain't worth a dime. The lack of challenge and variety means that it only takes a day or two to complete this and become bored.

Aquatic Games, The - 61%

If Robocod was the fillet, this is the fish-head. Nothing compared to its predecessor, The Aquatic Games is a dull sports game with a few feeble puns thrown in for good measure.

Super Smash T.V. - 72%

A flawed conversion of a classic game. A sadly missed opportunity which could have been bettered by a few tweaks in the right places.

Super Smash T.V. - 27%

A ghastly conversion that fails on every level to capture even the merest hint of the brilliance of the coin-op. Avoid it at all costs unless you're a sad masochist out to waste your cash.

Prince of Persia - 72%

While this is another good conversion of what is, to a lot of people, a very good game, the programmers have failed to fully utilise the memory at their disposal, leaving Mega CD Prince of Persia more like an okay Megadrive game.

NHLPA Hockey 93 - 90%

A brilliant hockey simulation that contains everything an avid fan of the sport could wish for and then some. The problem is that EA Hockey does exactly the same job, minus the stats!

Spotlight: Driving Games

Reviews by Richard Leadbetter - 4 pages (126-127,129,131)

Game Title	Publisher	Format	Page No(s)	Over (%)
Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II	Sega	Mega Drive	126	94
Fastest One	Nitsibutsu	Mega Drive	126	29
Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge	Flying Edge	Mega Drive	126	44
Megatrax	Namco	Mega Drive	126	33
OutRun	Sega	Mega Drive	126-127	69
Road Rash	Electronic Arts	Mega Drive	127	92
Super Monaco GP	Sega	Mega Drive	127	87
Super Hang-On	Sega	Mega Drive	127	89
Turbo OutRun	Sega	Mega Drive	127	42
Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II	Sega	Master System	129	41
Battle OutRun	Sega	Master System	129	80
Chase HQ	Taito	Master System	129	86
Enduro Racer	Sega	Master System	129	32
Fire and Forget II	Titus	Master System	129	86
OutRun	Sega	Master System	129,131	80
OutRun 3D	Sega	Master System	131	81
OutRun Europa	US Gold	Master System	131	63
RC Grand Prix	Sega	Master System	131	70
Super Monaco GP	Sega	Master System	131	79
Chase HQ	Sega	Game Gear	131	87
OutRun	Sega	Game Gear	131	64
Super Monaco GP	Sega	Game Gear	131	58

Tips

Mega Drive - 3 pages (40-42)

• Golden Axe 2, Sol-Deace, Back to the Future III - (40)

• Taz-Mania, Task Force Harrier EX, Trouble Shooter, Arcus Odyssey, Ghouls 'n' Ghosts, Krusty's Fun House - (41)

• Rolling Thunder II, Alisia Dragoon, Might and Magic: Gates to Another World, Kid Chameleon - (42)

Master System - 2 pages (44-45)

• Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, Pacmania, Spider-Man

Game Gear - 1 page (47)

• Fantasy Zone, Psychic World

Guides

• Taz-Mania (Mega Drive) - 2 pages (48-49)

• Alisia Dragoon (Mega Drive) - 3 pages (51-53)

Other Credits

Art Editor

Oz Browne

Deputy Editor

Richard Leadbetter

Production Editor

Andy McVittie

Senior Staff Writer

Radion Automatic

Staff Writers

Paul Davies, Gus Swan

Designers

Fraser Gray, Dave Kelsall

Publishing Director

Graham Taylor

External Links

This issue can be purchased with all of the other issues on DVD at The Zzuperstore

Issue Index

Mean Machines Sega Index

Date	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
1992										1	2	3
1993	4	5	6	7	8		9	10	11	12	13	14
1994	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26
1995	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38
1996	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50
1997	51	52	53