Super Trolley
(Mastertronic, 1988)
I used to have a part-time job in a grocery store, but it was nowhere near as boring as this excuse for a game. Starting off as a dogsbody in a supermarket, you have to stock up the shelves, and also rescue the occasional stray dog or baby. Keep at it often enough, and you’ll be promoted to porter and then manager. The game was developed as a result of a letter to the now disgraced Jimmy Savile’s Jim’ll Fix It TV show, but sadly, it’s extremely boring. There’s nothing worse than stocking up the potatoes or whatever, only to be told that you have to stock something else up, ad nauseam. The graphics are OK, but there are hardly any sound effects (although your trolley squeaks) and everything moves so slowly.
Watch a YouTube video of this game by:
ChinnyVision.
Super Trux
(Elite, 1988)
Race across Europe in a bid to win the Supertrux trophy. Can you reach the finishing line before your time runs out? Starting in London, you steer your truck along the roads, avoiding the other trucks (which all look the same, incidentally) and obstacles that appear, such as roadworks, tyre barriers and puddles that cause your truck to skid. A nice aspect of this game is that at the end of each stage, you can choose one of two routes, so for instance, you can visit France and Spain, or alternatively, travel across Belgium and Germany. The graphics are reasonable and the scrolling is quite fast, but crashing is often unavoidable, which obviously hinders your progress and can be rather frustrating.
Watch a YouTube video of this game by:
ChinnyVision.
Super Wonder Boy in Monster Land
(Activision, 1989)
A dragon called Meka is bringing fear to Wonder Land, so Wonder Boy sets off to Monster Land on a new mission to defeat him. This is a platform game, and Wonder Boy has to kill all sorts of monsters with his sword. Each monster you kill will produce some gold which is used to buy better weapons and armour, spells, or food in the many shops which you can enter during your mission. Unlike its predecessor, the graphics are rather ugly, and the most noticeable thing about them is the almost total lack of colour. There’s hardly any sound during the game, although there is a tune on the menu. The gameplay doesn’t make up for these deficiencies, though.
See also: Wonder Boy.
Watch a YouTube video of this game by:
jgonza.
I always enjoyed wrestling games because I was a huge fan of the WWF wrestling series (nowadays known as WWE) back in the 1980s, so I was really eager to play this game. To begin with, the graphics are a little blocky but they are smartly designed and they surprisingly resemble the atmosphere of the Wrestlemania matches, with the same wrestlers (yes, Hulk Hogan couldn’t be absent from this!) and the crowd shouting and taking photos. The sound is good with some effects besides the crowd noise, while the sprites, although recognisable, definitely lack detail. The animation is very smooth with a high frame rate but the controls are a little awkward, and although there are several moves, it is not very easy to perform them. Also, you can select your wrestler from a choice of four. However, the gameplay has the potential to be far better.
Superkid
(Atlantis, 1990)
New York has become a dangerous place in the year 2089. Crime is rife, and armed gangs of rival thugs roam the streets, killing each other and many innocent citizens. But who’s this on the scene? It’s Superkid! You have to fly around each level, restoring order by flying into the thugs. A lever at the bottom of the screen shows how much crime there is; if it goes too far to the right, you lose a life. Your aim on each level is to rescue children and to guide the pensioners safely to their rest home, preventing the thugs from killing them. The graphics and music are both good, but the game quickly becomes monotonous, particularly by the third level where it’s a lot more difficult to help out the citizens.
See also: Skatin’ USA, Superkid in Space.
Superkid in Space
(Atlantis, 1991)
Aliens are threatening the Earth, and it’s up to Superkid to save everyone. Superkid must travel to five of the alien planets and find four nuclear detonators so that he can blow the planet into oblivion. There are a variety of aliens which behave differently and which will sap your energy if you touch them or the bullets they fire. Fortunately Superkid has a gun and lots of grenades at his disposal, and lots of ladders which magically extend up to the nearest platform. The game retains the look and feel of its predecessor, with colourful graphics and cute (maybe too cute) music. It’s also a better and more enjoyable game to play thanks to the smaller levels.
See also: Skatin’ USA, Superkid.
Darkseid, a powerful supervillain, has invented the deadly Omega Beam and aims to use it on the population of Metropolis. As people walk around, Darkseid tries to lure them into his underground mines, while Superman tries to prevent this. This maze-like game is a tricky one where you affect barriers along the streets to guide the citizens to safety. Power gems are also required to allow Superman access to these other screens where even more people wander around. The graphics are nothing special but move smoothly, with only a few sound effects added too.
See also: Superman: The Man of Steel.
Darkseid is back, and this time, he’s brought a friend – Lex Luthor. Together they are planning the destruction of all mankind! To make matters worse, Lois Lane is being held hostage by the same mad duo. The first stage places you in a slow and sluggish 3D shoot-’em-up, followed by a vertical scroller where you defend a Space Shuttle (which is better). The next stage sees you inside the satellite that is controlled by Lex. Throughout the game, Superman can make use of his various powers, but they all have limits. Pleasing and colourful graphics make this one an eye-catcher – but where’s the famous soundtrack?
See also: Superman: The Game.
Watch a YouTube video of this game by:
Xyphoe.
Supernudge 2000
(Mastertronic, 1989)
While you can’t win or lose any money on computer-based fruit machine games, they should at least be able to capture most of the excitement of gambling your shiny coins away. This game does not do that. The three reels scroll at a snail’s pace so that you have to wait ages before they come to a stop, and on top of that, there aren’t many bonus features on the fruit machine to make things a bit more exciting. Having said that, it seems to be easier to win money in comparison with other fruit machine games, but it’s not worth the effort or the wait.
Watch a YouTube video of this game by:
ChinnyVision.
Supersports
(Gremlin Graphics, 1988)
Five very mixed events make up the Super Sports Olympic Challenge – target shooting, daredevil diving into a small pool of water, tile smashing karate-style, and swimming through a lake filled with hazards such as jellyfish and even mines! Up to four players can play, and you can also practice any of the events. Gilbert the commentator is also on hand throughout the events to offer encouragement or criticism of your efforts. The graphics are colourful and very nicely drawn, and each event also has a short piece of music which plays before the start of the event. Overall, it’s an enjoyable game to play, especially if you can find someone else to compete against.