Steel Talons

Quite a few of Atari's polygonal arcade hits found their way to the Genesis, surprising many. Most were competent facsimiles of their coin-op siblings, but only so much could be done with software. The Genesis was simply not made to run advanced polygonal games, and while it may not reflect as much in the visuals, it certainly does in the framerate and gameplay. Read the full review for more details.

Very in-depth review. I personally could not get into this game.

For my birthday back in the day I was allowed to choose a game from Toys R Us. I remembered Steel Talons from the arcade and how much fun I had with it, but I found another Genesis game: LHX Attack Chopper. I looked at the back of the boxes (the laminated plastic flip-ups that Toys R Us had) for the longest time. Should I go for a known quantity, or should I risk my birthday present on this new game? In the end I chose LHX Attack Chopper. The back of the box promised a fuller, more in-depth experience. And I was not disappointed! That game had me using both genesis controllers in my lap ha! It also helped that the arcade at the mall near me kept steel talons until 2003, so I wasn't missing out.

Oh boy, the days of deciding on which game to roll the dice on BEFORE the internet! I remember those days.

There's sadly no shortage of people mocking the FX or the SVP chips nowadays. Some say they were a waste of money for a gimmick; and while they could have a point here, games like this Steel Talons are the very reason why some of us think they were necessary, but, alas, they came too late ]and sometimes at a ridiculous price tag].
Because ST has a lot to like and to be called a noble attempt at a 3D arcade on a 16-bit console: it's a well thought game, choke-full of good intentions and the trademark sound and looks that lets one know they have played Atari today. But, alas, that speed: this kills the game. It has an awful effect on playability and the aforementioned looks: it's so, so mind-numbingly slow and confusing… And those counterintuitive controls, especially on training stages… They suck, simply and plain.

It even lacks the comic potential and narm charm its close cousin Hard Drivin' possessed. I'll agree with the reviewer's note. Comes close, but no cigar. The SNES came closer, but maybe no cigar, either? We'll see when I review it for those posts on other consoles I created several months ago. :p (Gosh, bigly, you're shameless).