Games reviewed twice in Zzap!
- Fab
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Games reviewed twice in Zzap!
The opposite of the previous thread
As far as I can remember, two games were reviewed twice in Zzap! One was the budget re-release of Ghosts'n'Goblins. First in issue 44, getting 94%, then in issue 54, getting 97%. The second one is International Speedway: first it was reviewed in issue 48, getting 49%. Then, again, it was reviewed in issue 80, getting 58%. Maybe a search in Zzap! Bible will dig out some more...
Why did this happen? My theory: a game was announced and reviewed, but did not come out; then, some months or years after, the game was released and was therefore reviewed again.
As far as I can remember, two games were reviewed twice in Zzap! One was the budget re-release of Ghosts'n'Goblins. First in issue 44, getting 94%, then in issue 54, getting 97%. The second one is International Speedway: first it was reviewed in issue 48, getting 49%. Then, again, it was reviewed in issue 80, getting 58%. Maybe a search in Zzap! Bible will dig out some more...
Why did this happen? My theory: a game was announced and reviewed, but did not come out; then, some months or years after, the game was released and was therefore reviewed again.
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Yes tons of games that were re-released on budget got reviewed again, and they usually pointed out the original rating in the budget review...
Plus of course there was ZZAP!BACK where the top rating games from the earlier issues were scruitinised from the latest reviewers. Anyone remember that?
Plus of course there was ZZAP!BACK where the top rating games from the earlier issues were scruitinised from the latest reviewers. Anyone remember that?
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- Lloyd Mangram
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Oh, Leet, it was my favourite part of the mag.
Especially when Jaz & Gaz admitted in Zzap!back that Chris Anderson pushed them to award Sizzlers for certain games they disliked.
btw, I'm very glad that Paul & Robin did justice to Delta in the Zzap!back of issue 107!
Rob
Especially when Jaz & Gaz admitted in Zzap!back that Chris Anderson pushed them to award Sizzlers for certain games they disliked.
btw, I'm very glad that Paul & Robin did justice to Delta in the Zzap!back of issue 107!
Rob
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Yes there was a few games that Chris Anderson 'forced' JR and GP to endorse, including Elite and Activision's Tennis - Naughty Chris!
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Rainbow Islands was another (kind of):
It was at first reviewed in issue 53 (september 1989) and got a 92% sizzler. Then the game didn't come out as Firebird was bought by Microprose (IIRC).
When it was finally released by Ocean, there was a box in issue 61's (may 1990) the Word saying that a Gold Medal might have been required.
It was at first reviewed in issue 53 (september 1989) and got a 92% sizzler. Then the game didn't come out as Firebird was bought by Microprose (IIRC).
When it was finally released by Ocean, there was a box in issue 61's (may 1990) the Word saying that a Gold Medal might have been required.
My top games: 1.Hawkeye, 2.Delta, 3.Creatures 2, 4.Armalyte, 5.Bubble Bobble, 6.Uridium, 7.Ikari Warriors, 8.Bionic Commando, 9.Buggy Boy, 10.Archon.
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Ironically, Paul (Glancey) and I had similar pressure in our first or second month writing for Zzap! when we wanted to give one of the Breakout clones a Sizzler, and Jaz decided against it... Funnily enough, given the arkanoid/krakout-related post in this forum, I think it was Traz -- from memory, we both thought it deserved a Sizzler, but it ended up in the high 80s (87%? 88%?). I was quite miffed. On the other hand, I was the one who upped Hawkeye's mark, so I can hardly talkbiggestjim wrote:Especially when Jaz & Gaz admitted in Zzap!back that Chris Anderson pushed them to award Sizzlers for certain games they disliked.
re Delta: I think it's the toughest of those controversial games to mark, since the music is pretty much one of the best on the C64, the graphics were pretty good at the time, very smooth and fast and colourful, and the gameplay -- well, at it's worst it's a good shoot 'em up, and given the whole graphics/sound package as well, it probably deserved a mark in the high 80s. If only it wasn't so unforgiving at the start: but having said that, games like Blazing Star on the NeoGeo and Ikaruga on the Cube are all about pattern recognition and pixel-perfect accuracy.
g.
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Yeah, that was the bit that really pissed me off, too; it's quite a serious flaw. Something like you lose *one* power-up would have been better, because if you lose your speed in certain areas, you're basically stuffed, particularly at the beginning. And like you say, if you could get through any section without powerups, even if it required some serious dodging skills, you would have felt fairly treated.CraigGrannell wrote:I'd probably have liked it a whole lot more if the power-ups didn't die out, and if you didn't need specific power-ups to get through certain areas of the game.
Oh well, at least Wizball got the mark it deserved
g.
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Gordon wrote:
Wizball could've been a Gold Medal, isn't it? (98% would be fine to me, instead of the sizzling 96%)
Just complaining...
Ha! I'm not too shure if that was a sarcastic jokeOh well, at least Wizball got the mark it deserved
Wizball could've been a Gold Medal, isn't it? (98% would be fine to me, instead of the sizzling 96%)
Just complaining...
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Yep, it was sarcastic -- it should *definitely* have been a Gold Medal. What a great game, and what a cop out to let it Sizzle -- interesting that it was later given 97% in one of the 50s issues.biggestjim wrote:Gordon wrote:Ha! I'm not too shure if that was a sarcastic jokeOh well, at least Wizball got the mark it deserved
Wizball could've been a Gold Medal, isn't it? (98% would be fine to me, instead of the sizzling 96%)
Just complaining...
g.
I was re-reading an issue of ZZAP! the other day and there was a budget review of 'Bubble Bobble' and it only got 94% and the reviewer said it looked dated!! Funny how it is nearly always in people's Top 10 games lists.... The budget review was from 1991.
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Hawkeye: I'm really grateful then, g., as it is one of my absolute faves and I still play it to this day (De gustibus...).gordon wrote:Ironically, Paul (Glancey) and I had similar pressure in our first or second month writing for Zzap! when we wanted to give one of the Breakout clones a Sizzler, and Jaz decided against it... Funnily enough, given the arkanoid/krakout-related post in this forum, I think it was Traz -- from memory, we both thought it deserved a Sizzler, but it ended up in the high 80s (87%? 88%?). I was quite miffed. On the other hand, I was the one who upped Hawkeye's mark, so I can hardly talkbiggestjim wrote:Especially when Jaz & Gaz admitted in Zzap!back that Chris Anderson pushed them to award Sizzlers for certain games they disliked.
re Delta: I think it's the toughest of those controversial games to mark, since the music is pretty much one of the best on the C64, the graphics were pretty good at the time, very smooth and fast and colourful, and the gameplay -- well, at it's worst it's a good shoot 'em up, and given the whole graphics/sound package as well, it probably deserved a mark in the high 80s. If only it wasn't so unforgiving at the start: but having said that, games like Blazing Star on the NeoGeo and Ikaruga on the Cube are all about pattern recognition and pixel-perfect accuracy.
g.
Delta: at its time, despite the flaws, it should have sizzled. The main drawbacks were the lame extra weaponry (the rotating ball actually made the game harder!), the fact that its fading is time based and not, say, number-of-bullets-shot based (as Penn pointed out at the time), and the fact that it becomes far too hard at around level 20 (after the sun of dreams). But it's a great gaming experience all the same, like a dreamlike trip in outer space, good graphics, excellent sonics, and those level names are just so cool. I would still give it 85% circa, but I by far prefer Katakis, Armalyte and even Salamander.
Wizball: one of the best games ever, if a touch on the easy side: definitely gold medal stuff. Inspirational. BTW You and Paul G gave it the Def Shoot'em up award and 98% in issue 43 (november 1988). The page is online at Marticus' (a Lemon member) site.
My top games: 1.Hawkeye, 2.Delta, 3.Creatures 2, 4.Armalyte, 5.Bubble Bobble, 6.Uridium, 7.Ikari Warriors, 8.Bionic Commando, 9.Buggy Boy, 10.Archon.