Heavy Nova (Genesis)

[Melf]

So many companies tried to cash in on the Street Fighter II craze of the early '90s that it was sometimes hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Some games were just plain horrible, and some were great, but most fell into the gray area in between. Only a rental - or even worse, a purchase - would dispel the illusion of the few enticing screen shots from game magazines. Micronet's Heavy Nova falls into that category. The thought of upgradable robots battling to the death should have been a recipe for pure win. In reality, it was a slow, plodding game that took some serious patience to love. Unfortunately, most gamers haven't been that devoted, and Heavy Nova is sort of overlooked today. Hey, it must have sold well. It did get a Sega CD version! Take a gander at our full review of the cartridge release, and decide for yourself if it's worth tracking down.

[vintagegamecrazy]

This game is so "Amazinly Exciting" because you can perform the "hammer Knackle" move.

Seriously, this may be the game I hate the most on the cosole though other than maybe Last Action Hero. This game s ugly, sounds bad and plays horribly. The writer was way generous with the score.

[The Coop]

Hooo boy. This one should bring about some arguing


There's a section of the review that got axed for posting (likely due to length... this review was pretty long), which is still referenced at the end with the "can turn off a couple problematic areas" comment. The other area is this from my original review...

One last annoying issue, is with how your character takes a step back before turning around. This step was added so you can hit the d-pad briefly, and move back a step to try and get the drop on your opponent when they're too close. However, it makes turning to face opponents and obstacles slower, and can lead to unnecessary damage. But, like the platforming sections, you can turn this feature off in the options menu.

I just wanted to point this out, so people didn't wonder if they'd missed something when they got to the end.

[GameUser-16-32-128]

Excellent review Coop! I have to disagree with the score, I think it deserves a 7! And BTW, this never came out for the Sega-CD. I think Melf confused it with the Mega-CD version or the other game that deserves a 4, Blackhole Assault.

[vintagegamecrazy]

Gameuser, Do you mean this Sega CD game?

[GameUser-16-32-128]

Gameuser, Do you mean this Sega CD game?

That's not a Sega-CD game! The little history about this game is that it was basically a stripped down version of the original, but I don't know what exactly was taken out besides the CD-Quality music.

[The Coop]

That's not a Sega-CD game! The little history about this game is that it was basically a stripped down version of the original, but I don't know what exactly was taken out besides the CD-Quality music.

Basically nothing. The backgrounds are the same, the animation is the same, the sound effects (what few there are) are the same, and even the intro and ending are the same. The CD music is the only difference (though the cart does a nice job on its own musically).

[Melf]

Was it officially released for the Sega CD? If so, then it counts.

[The Coop]

Sega CD? No. Mega CD? Yes. It was a Japan-only CD game as far as I know. The US cart version (at 8Mb) basically reproduced it exactly, showing it really was little more than a cart game on a CD (like so many other early Sega CD and Mega CD games).

[xbrinkx]

The music is really well done...BGM 09 is great.

[Milkymagic]

Hit detection drove me bonkers, but the throws were a riot.

It's better than Blackhole Assault at least.

[Melf]

Sega CD? No. Mega CD? Yes. It was a Japan-only CD game as far as I know. The US cart version (at 8Mb) basically reproduced it exactly, showing it really was little more than a cart game on a CD (like so many other early Sega CD and Mega CD games).

Yeah, I meant Mega CD. It was an official release though, so it stays on the Master List.

[Videogamer.]

Remarkably thorough rundown. I had no idea. Big ups.

[TmEE]

....and I think the game got too low score :P

[Genesis Knight]

The opening and ending cutscenes, along with the music and graphical style, give this game that perfect 'lonely 16-bit' feel. Ranks right up there with Valis and Target Earth.